Book Tour- Community Affairs by Michele Lynn Seigfried

What a great way to start the weekend ,with a great book tour. I'm so pleased to have Michele Lynn Seigfried joining us today! She has a great new book out you won't want to miss.

Community Affairs
by Michele Lynn Seigfried

Community Affairs
(Jersey Shore Mystery Series Book 3)
File Size: 2293 KB
Print Length: 217 pages
ASIN: B00PSOBBEC

Synopsis:

A tale of kidnapping, murder, and neighbors you’d like to kidnap and murder…

 Bonnie Fattori is a sexy, sassy, Italian Princess living in New Jersey. She’s loving life with a rich husband, beachfront living, and a promotion at work—until a new neighbor, Lyla Spratt, is determined to destroy her happiness.

 After several run-ins with the unstable woman next door, Bonnie starts to suspect a connection between her new neighbor and the untimely death of a local resident, Polly Pitcher. She recruits her good friend Chelsey to help figure out if her suspicions are correct.

As the neighbors go head-to-head in a hilarious battle, Lyla is pushed to the brink of insanity. The more unhinged Lyla becomes, the more Bonnie’s life and the safety of her family are at risk. Can Bonnie find out what really happened to Polly Pitcher before it’s too late? A perfect read for those who like laugh-out-loud humor in their mysteries!

My review:

This is my first read by Michele and I really liked it. With humor and a murder what's not to like. You will laugh your way through this book and help Bonnie solve the murder. I couldn't put it down, I just had to know what was going to happen next. This is a great read for anyone who likes to laugh. Michele holds you captive and the characters are strong.You will be pulled in to the story from the start. 

Guest Post:

The Sometimes Misunderstood Cozy Mystery

by Michele Lynn Seigfried

Cozy mysteries are my favorite type of book to read. Lately, I’ve been reading and reviewing a number of cozies for Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. In doing so, I’ve come to the realization that many folks out there don’t understand the genre.

I’ve looked at the negative reviews for many cozies and the comments are similar. I feel that if all readers understood the genre, the most common of the complaints would be non-existent. So, what are these reviewers saying? And what is it these reviewers don’t understand?

“The author is trying to be like Janet Evanovich,” This is the number one comment that I see in negative reviews for cozy mysteries. Yes, Janet Evanovich writes books that are cozy mysteries. No, cozy mystery authors aren’t trying to be her. Would they like to be as successful as her? Of course. But, authors mainly want their work to stand out, to be unique, and not be a copy of another’s work. However, when authors write cozy mysteries that are true to the genre, there are going to be similarities to other authors in that genre. Agatha Christie is probably the best known author for this genre.

“The main character is trying to be Stephanie Plum.” This is another Evanovich-type comment that appears in negative reviews. Once again, I don’t think authors are trying to imitate Stephanie Plum. Is it because Stephanie is a female? I would say an author, any author—not just a cozy author, has a 50% chance their sleuth will be female.

Is it because she has two parents? Most people do.

An amateur sleuth? An amateur is a trait of a cozy mystery, which, is not to be confused with hard-boiled, police procedural, or crime mystery genres.

Is it because the sleuth has a complicated or conflicted love life? Single people abound in cozy mysteries. How many single people do you know with a simple, drama-free love life? Not many, I suppose.

Or, is it because humor surrounds the main character? Humor is another trait of a cozy mystery.

“The sleuth is a woman.” While not necessarily combined with a Stephanie Plum reference, this is another comment I’ve seen used negatively. While a sleuth is either going to be male or female, cozy authors mainly choose female sleuths, because that is what the cozy genre calls for!

“The sidekick is too eccentric to be believable.” Cozy mysteries are known to be written in series, which means there is a need for likeable, unique, and eccentric characters in order for readers to want to continue reading other books in the series. The crazy, loud, inappropriately dressed, or other unusual sidekick is a norm in cozies.

“There is no foul language.” This one isn’t really a complaint, but a lot of reviewers sound shocked by this. While I noticed that cozies authors are including more foul language in their works, the genre is known for having few, if any, curse words.

“It’s unrealistic; x, y, and z wouldn’t happen in real life.” In my opinion, cozy mysteries are written to be enjoyable reads. Suspending reality for a little while with absurdities is fun. Think of Carl the monkey in the Stephanie Plum series. And a car that blows up in every single novel. Not so realistic (but oh so fun!) Ghosts and supernatural events appear in numerous series. Car chases and gun shots with no cops around. The books are meant to entertain, and not meant to be true stories.

To summarize and add a few more facts, cozies typically have a female amateur sleuth. They lack

the blood and gore contained in regular mysteries. They are often humorous. There is usually a little romance, but not graphic sexual content, and drama surrounding the romance. Most of the time, the sleuth has a connection to law enforcement—a boyfriend, or a relative. Amateur sleuths typically need a way to find information that only those in law enforcement would have access to. The police don’t usually take the sleuth seriously. Cozies are most often written in series and include entertaining characters. Sound a lot like Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series? Of course! Evanovich writes cozy mysteries! And cozy fans would expect nothing less.

About This Author

 Michele Lynn Seigfried is an award-winning novelist, children’s book author/illustrator and public speaker who was born and raised in New Jersey. In her mystery novels, she draws from her personal expertise in the area of municipal government, in which she has served for over 16 years in two different municipalities. She holds a B.A. in communication from the College of New Jersey with a minor in art. She obtained the Master Municipal Clerk certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks in 2010. She also holds the Registered Municipal Clerk certification and Certified Municipal Registrar Certifications from the State of New Jersey.  In combining her love of writing with art, Michele began writing and illustrating children’s picture books in 2013.

Michele is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime – Central Jersey, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, New Jersey Author’s Network, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Central Jersey Registrar’s Association, Municipal Clerk’s Association of New Jersey, and the Municipal Clerk’s Association of Mercer County, where she is currently President. She also serves on the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ Legislative Committee.

Michele is available for public speaking engagements such as book talks, seminars, readings, panel discussions, and other author events. Contact her for more information.

Author Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MicheleLynnSeigfried
Twitter: www.twitter.com/micheleseig
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MicheleSeig
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/MicheleSeig
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/micheleseig
Email: MicheleSeigfried@gmail.com
Google+: www.google.com/+MicheleLynnSeigfried

Purchase Link:
Amazon