Thursday, April 30, 2015

First in a Cozy Series and Giveaway- Buzz Off By Hannah Reed

Happy Thursday! Today's First in a Cozy series will get you ready for the summer. Buzz Off by Hannah Reed. Isn't the cover great? I would love to sit there and read all summer. Do you have a favorite reading spot in the summer? Leave a comment and email for a chance to win a copy of this book.





Book Description

 September 7, 2010
It's September - National Honey Month - in Moraine, Wisconsin, and things are looking up for Story Fischer. Her messy divorce is final, the honey from her beekeeping business has been harvested, and her market is thriving. Life seems pretty sweet...until her bee mentor is found dead in his apiary. Now Story has to find her way out of a very sticky situation.

You can get a copy of this book here:

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Oh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy Coco

Happy Wednesday! It is always a great day when Nancy Coco visits.  I am delighted to have Nancy here today. Her newest book in the Candy-coated Mystery series Oh Say Can You Fudge is out and it was really great. I enjoyed every minute and know you will too.
oh say can you fudge large banner640

Oh Say Can You Fudge
by Nancy Coco

ON SAY CAN YOU FUDGEOh Say Can You Fudge
(A Candy-coated Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (April 28, 2015)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0758287144
E-Book ASIN: B00ONTR4U8
goodreads-badge-add-plus

Synopsis
Allie McMurphy is busy making yummy fudge for the summer holiday–until murder gives her something else to chew on. . .
Red, White, And Boom
It’s not Fourth of July on Mackinac Island without fireworks and fudge. The Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop is supplying the treats–and Allie has hired Rodney Rivers, the biggest name in aerial displays, to create an unforgettable spectacle. Unfortunately, Allie finds him dead, covered with screaming chicken fireworks, just before the entire warehouse of pyrotechnics goes up in smoke. Is it arson or is it murder? Allie and her bichonpoo, Mal, must sift through the suspects until the killer is caught and the island can enjoy a star-spangled celebration.

My Review:
I love this series , it is fun, well written and the characters make it a smashing hit. From the beginning as everyone is getting ready for the Fourth of July , Mackinac Island is all the rave. So when Allie finds Rodney dead among his fireworks she is determined to find out who killed him and for what reason. This fun read will have you wanting more.  Nancy keeps you captivated from the start. I'm eagerly waiting to see what Allie will get herself into next.


Guest Post: 10 Fun Questions about Nancy Coco

We asked Nancy Coco author of “Oh Say Can You Fudge”
1, What new thing would you try?  Parasailing
What would make you say no? Skydiving
2. What do you get too much of?  Hurry up and wait
And not enough? Sleep
3.What fear have you conquered? Flying
Not quite yet? Failure
4.What are you getting better at? Using new technology
What are you getting worse at? Handwriting
5. What would pay good money for?  Biweekly deep tissue massage
What wouldn’t you take even if it were free?  A house on Guam
6. Writing highlight? ALL FUDGED UP making national best seller lists
And low point?  650th rejection letter
7. What are you endlessly curious about? People
And zero interest in? Watching professional sports
8. What do you empathize with? Animals waiting to be adopted
What do you have no sympathy for?  Mean girls
9. What is worth the wait? Love
What do you have no patience for? Self-aggrandizers
10. What’s always cool? Spaying and neutering
What’s never cool? Abandoning pets
nancy
About This Author
Best known for writing plucky heroines Nancy Coco AKA Nancy J. Parra has 15 books published-
Most recently Nancy has three cozy mystery book series going.
Gluten for Punishment and Murder Gone A-Rye are both part of the Gluten Free Baker’s Treat Mystery series. (Berkley Prime Crime)
All Fudge Up and To Fudge or Not To Fudge are part of the Candy Coated Mystery series (Kensington) -which Nancy writes as Nancy Coco
Then there is Engaged in Murder- the first in the Perfect Proposal series from Berkley Prime Crime.
All Fudged Up was Nancy’s first National Best seller.
Author Links:
Purchase Links
Amazon       B&N          Book Depository     Kobo     Google Play

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Hide Nor Hair by Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa

Happy Tuesday! I'm thrilled to be part of this blog tour. Hide nor Hair by Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa is a great read. Click on the rafflecopter for a chance to win. 
HIDE NOR HAIR   large banner640

Hide nor Hair
by Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa

HideNorHair-front-coverHide nor Hair
(A Jersey Girl Cozy Mystery Book 2)

File Size: 2625 KB
Print Length: 187 pages
Publisher: Cup of Tea Books, an imprint of PageSpring Publishing (April 21, 2015)
ASIN: B00THGQ6II
Synopsis
For this Jersey girl, big hair means big trouble!
Newspaper reporter Colleen Caruso just wants her unruly curls tamed into smooth, sleek locks. Instead, she finds her stylist dead, face down in a shampoo sink. Faster than you can say Aqua Net, Colleen starts investigating. The case gets even hairier when the owner of a local fitness studio seems to have jumped from a plane … without a parachute.
Meanwhile, her suave editor, Ken Rhodes, steps in to help.  And he may be looking for more than just a good story from Colleen.
Add in a missing bracelet, some suspicious husbands, and a little breaking and entering—and this Jersey girl is heading for a real blowout!
Can Colleen tie up these split ends? Or does she have an appointment with disaster?

My Review:

A charming whodunit with a cast of characters so well developed and a story line that will keep you reading til the end. When Colleen's hair stylist is killed she wants nothing more than to find out who did it and why. Colleen is witty and fun and you will be pulled in from the start. Kept my interest and I'm eagerly waiting for the next book to see what Colleen will get her self tangled in next.

Guest Post:



It’s a thrill to be here at Shelley’s Book Case today, and special thanks to Shelley Giusti for allowing me to visit.
For those who are not familiar with my Jersey Girl Cozy Mysteries, Hide Nor Hair is the second book in the series and features the unstoppable Colleen Caruso, a newly divorced mother of two who tries to scrape by on a reporter’s meager wages in the fictional shore community of Tranquil Harbor, New Jersey. She tends to fumble her way through a hot story, gets in way over her head as she researches and investigates for her regular crime columns, and generally comes out nearly unscathed as she tracks down leads. Her day to day life can best be described as what her boss and current love interest, Ken Rhodes, calls it – an ongoing slapstick comedy.
As a panelist at the Deadly Ink Mystery Conference, I was asked why I felt the need to make the characters in my series funny in light of the seriousness of the crimes. I took that to mean: Why write a cozy?
We all agree crime in itself is a serious business. Murder is – well, deadly serious. I try to approach crime as a reader who loves those stupid crook stories. Of course, with my series you can add stupid reporter into the mix.
The series is light-hearted, as cozies should be. But the best part of sinking your teeth into almost every cozy series is for the fun of it.


EXCERPT FROM HIDE NOR HAIR AT THE WAKE OF A MURDER VICTIM
He had come up beside me, and I hadn’t noticed. “She’s beautiful,” I said quickly. “But Dizzie was a pretty girl anyway. I’m so sorry, Matthew. We’ve never met. I should introduce myself. I’m Colleen Caruso. I, um . . .”
“Found the body?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Must have been quite a shock for you,” he muttered. “But she sure looks good now, right?”
Almost lifelike, I thought, but didn’t say. I wasn’t going to be a complete dolt. Besides, I had a mission to accomplish.
“Her hair is lovely,” I told him. “They do fine work here.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I pretended to brush a small strand of Dizzie’s hair off to the side of her face. Someone called to Matthew, and he excused himself. I looked behind me. There was nobody waiting to view the body. I leaned in again and reached out to Dizzie’s head to part her thick, coarse hair. Her scalp, unfortunately, was too dark to show whether there were bruises from someone’s hand forcibly holding her head down. I dug my fingers in a little deeper and began to part various sections of hair more toward the crown.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” a voice behind me whispered.
I whirled around, both startled and embarrassed, to find Ron Haver standing there with a half-grin on his face.
“I was fixing her hair,” I lied.
   “Who do you think you’re fooling, Colleen? Look what you did! It’s like you’re examining her for head lice . . .”


Hide Nor Hair isn’t peppered with humor, it’s more salted. It’s that way with most of the writers I love to read as well – Susan Isaacs and Janet Evanovich, just to name two. I’ve always written from the humorous side and find serious fiction just a little bit boring. Life is funny, especially here where I live in Central Jersey. My friends all say and do shocking things (because I was raised in New Jersey, I’m guilty of this too), my neighbors cajole and banter, my relatives are a scream (my apologies to the relatives who are visiting this site, but you are all a bit off-the-wall), and even the people I see on the job or meet as I go about my errands are wry and outrageously opinionated. If we can’t appreciate our own sick sense of humor and the over-the- top humor of those we know and love, where is the joy in life?
Why shouldn’t fiction, a reflection of day-to-day life, be at least equally funny? It should be, which is the reason we are so in love with cozy mysteries.


Jo-Ann author photo
About This Author
                 Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa lives in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and uses her experience as a freelance correspondent as the basis of her protagonist’s career. Several of the incidents within these pages are actual occurrences. They have been shamelessly embellished and are not a blow-by-blow account of a few really bad days on the job. Hide Nor Hair is her second novel.
Author Link:

Purchase Links:
Amazon Kobo
(Barnes and Noble link will be available on April 21)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, April 27, 2015

Blog Tour- Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M, Boyer

I am so thrilled to be part of this tour. I love this series by Susan M. Boyer and her newest book Lowcountry Boneyard is out and it was so good. Have you read this series? Add it to your list if you haven't it is that good.
LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD  large banner640

Lowcountry Boneyard
by Susan M. Boyer

LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD frontLowcountry Boneyard
3rd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press; First edition (April 21, 2015)
Paperback: 292 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1941962473
E-Book ASIN: B00SHNYOWW
goodreads-badge-add-plus


Synopsis
Where is Kent Heyward? The twenty-three-year-old heiress from one of Charleston’s oldest families vanished a month ago. When her father hires private investigator Liz Talbot, Liz suspects the most difficult part of her job will be convincing the patriarch his daughter tired of his overbearing nature and left town. That’s what the Charleston Police Department believes.
But behind the garden walls South of Broad, family secrets pop up like weeds in the azaleas. The neighbors recollect violent arguments between Kent and her parents. Eccentric twin uncles and a gaggle of cousins covet the family fortune. And the lingering spirit of a Civil-War-era debutante may know something if Colleen, Liz’s dead best friend, can get her to talk.
Liz juggles her case, the partner she’s in love with, and the family she adores. But the closer she gets to what has become of Kent, the closer Liz dances to her own grave.

My review:

Lowcountry Boneyard captivates you from the start. Liz is a well developed character that brings this story to life and her and Nate keep it interesting. You will be on the edge of your seat enjoying this whodunit that will make you want to read more.  This cast of characters and story line will bring you hours of great reading. Don't miss a single minute.

Guest Post:
Give Me a Beach

Like many folks, I love the beach. Give me a beach umbrella, a chair, and a book, and I am one happy camper. I used to swim in the ocean, or perhaps more accurately, bob around in it, and ride the waves on anything that would float. That was before my close encounter with a stingray.

The waters off the coast of South Carolina have a fair amount of sand and such stirring around in them courtesy of the rivers flowing into the Atlantic in the vicinity. Disclaimer: I’m not a scientist who studies such things. This is the reason I’ve been given since childhood when I ask why the water in South Carolina isn’t as clear as south Florida and the Caribbean. This could just as easily be something Mamma pulled out of thin air to keep me quite. I digress. The point is, you can’t see the bottom.

A few summers ago we rented a beach house in Garden City, South Carolina for a family vacation. It had a boat dock in the backyard and the Atlantic in the front. The first day—it was a beautiful day—Sugar, (my husband, aka Jim) my brother, and my brother-in-law took the pontoon boat out fishing. Daddy, my sister, and I were taking a late afternoon dip. Mamma was sitting in her beach chair watching us try to push each other down in the waves. We aggravate each other as a way of showing affection.

Suddenly, fish started jumping out of the water—lots of fish. They’d break the surface, hit the water and jump again. They flopped and splashed all around us. Now, I’ve always heard that when small fish do this, it’s because a bigger fish is trying to have them for supper. Naturally, I’m thinking, Shark!

“Run!” I screamed and bolted for the beach. We were almost out of the water when something got ahold of my foot and I just knew I was going to have a stump where my foot used to be. I expected gallons of blood. I’d have to be helicopter-lifted to the hospital. Would I ever walk again? Would I die on the beach from blood loss? These were the things that ran through my mind because it felt like something had chewed my foot clean off.

Imagine my shock seconds later when I reached the beach and my foot looked nearly normal—still
attached and everything. It still hurt like blazes. But aside from a little redness and a mark just below my ankle, it looked fine—still attached and everything.
“A jellyfish must have gotten you,” my sister said. “I know those hurt.”
She sounded real sympathetic, but I knew there was no way on God’s green earth she could possibly know how bad my foot hurt or she would be calling 911. I wanted Sugar.
“Find Jim,” I wailed.
“Let’s put some vinegar on it,” my sister said.
“This was not a jellyfish,” I growled. My foot was now a brighter shade of red, and it had puffed up.
I limped towards the house. Someone called Sugar on his cell phone, and by the time I made it to the house, he was there. He put me in the car and off to the ER we went.
I am telling y’all right now, this hurt worse than childbirth. The pain radiated up my leg and the swelling spread. It hurt so bad I howled all the way to the hospital, which took only about twenty minutes but felt like days. I was scared.
I kept right on howling in the ER. They were busy, and wanted to shut me up, so someone brought out some hot towels and wrapped my leg in them. “Does that feel better?”
I stopped my caterwauling. “Yes—that helps.”
“A stingray got you. Heat breaks down the venom.”
Every time the towels cooled off, I started howling again and they’d bring more. I didn’t have to wait long. The doctor had to cut open my foot to make sure the barb wasn’t in there. Thankfully it wasn’t. After several shots and prescriptions for antibiotics and painkillers, I left on crutches.

I spent the remainder of that vacation propped on pillows in the screened porch or hobbling around. I still love beaches, but I have one iron-clad rule: If I can’t see the bottom, I don’t get in the water.

Boyer-1773
About This Author
Susan M. Boyer is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling Liz Talbot mystery series. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives.  You’ll find all of the above in her novels.
Susan lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband and an inordinate number of houseplants.

Author Links:
Purchase Links:
Amazon        B&N      Kobo      Google Play

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Weekly Wrap Up #68

Happy last Sunday in April! Can you believe it? Here is what happened this week.


April 20th- Book review and Giveaway-Dressed to Die by Ann Simas
April 21st- Matrimony Meltdown by Kathi Daley - Giveaway
April 22nd- Author Spotlight and Giveaway- Amanda Flower
April 23rd- First in a Cozy Series and Giveaway - The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee
April 24th-  Blog Tour - Double Duplicity by Paty Jager
April 25th-  Book Trivia hosted by G.A. McKavett


Book's I've read:
 Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs
Oh Say can You Fudge by Nancy Coco 

Coming this week:

April 27th-  Blog Tour- Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer
April 28th-  Blog Tour-  Hide Nor Hair by Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa
April 29th- Blog Tour and Giveaway- Oh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy Coco
April 30th- First in a Cozy Series and Giveaway- Buzz Off by Hannah Reed
May 1st-  Friday 56
May 2nd- Book Trivia hosted by Molly MacRae

Hope to see you there.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Book Trivia hosted by G.A. McKevett

Happy Saturday! Today's trivia host is the lovely G.A. McKevett  author of the Savannah Reid Series. Leave answers in the comments with email and the winner will receive a copy of Killer Gourmet and a homemade book mark!

Product Details




Here we go and Good Luck!


1. What state is Savannah Reid originally from?
2. How many siblings does she have (not including her)?
3. Who raised her?
4. What job did she hold before she became a private detective?
5. What are her pets and their names?
6. What sort of car does she drive?
7. How did she meet Dirk Coulter?
8. What town does Savannah live in?
9. What brand of firearm does Savannah carry?
10. How many Savannah Reid Mysteries have been published as of April 25, 2015?






Friday, April 24, 2015

Blog Tour and Giveaway - Double Duplicity by Paty Jager

I'm delighted to have Paty Jager joining us today, Her new book Double Duplicity is out and is was a really good book. To win 3 signed print books- Double Duplicity, Spirit of the Mountain, and Secrets of a Mayan Moon) Plus the swag for each series and other goodies. Click the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

double duplicity   large banner new640

Double Duplicity
by Paty Jager

Double DuplicityDouble Duplicity:
A Shandra Higheagle Mystery (Volume 1)

Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Windtree Press (January 5, 2015)
Paperback: 242 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1940064925
E-Book ASIN: B00PFWPHPQ
goodreads-badge-add-plus

Synopsis:
 On the eve of the biggest art event at Huckleberry Mountain Resort, potter Shandra Higheagle finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She’s ruled out as a suspect, but now it’s up to her to prove the friend she witnessed fleeing the scene was just as innocent. With help from her recently deceased Nez Perce grandmother, Shandra becomes more confused than ever but just as determined to discover the truth.
Detective Ryan Greer prides himself on solving crimes and refuses to ignore a single clue, including Shandra Higheagle’s visions. While Shandra is hesitant to trust her dreams, Ryan believes in them and believes in her.
Can the pair uncover enough clues for Ryan to make an arrest before one of them becomes the next victim?

My Review:

This whodunits bring culture and mystery together for an story that is well developed and characters so likable you won't want this book to end. From the start you are pulled in and swept away to Idaho to help Shandra solve a murder that has taken place before it happens again. Shandra is having dreams about the murder and hopes that they will lead her and Ryan to finding out who the killer is. This book will have you on the edge of your seat right in the middle of the action.

Guest Post: 
Thank you for having me on Shelly’s Book Case. I’ve always gravitated toward mystery books when looking for something to read. The first two books I wrote back when I didn’t know anything about writing and the business were mysteries. But to find writing help, I gravitated to writing romance.
My writing career started as a western romance author. I now have 20 published novels, 5 novellas, and 3 anthologies. My tag line is: “Tales of intrigue and romance starring cowboys and Indians” By using this tagline, I can weave my love of Native American ideals into my books.
The yearning to write mystery books wouldn’t die, and even though I’d already written in more genres than one author should, I couldn’t let the idea of writing mystery go. Many writing friends said it wasn’t a good idea to add one more genre. I’d lose readers. But my heart, from the first novel I wrote all those years ago, was in mystery.
To stay true to my “branding” the female amateur sleuth in Double Duplicity the first Shandra Higheagle Mystery is half Nez Perce. After years of her mother and step-father having her hide her Native American side, she is finally starting to seek her roots only to have the one person who can guide her the most pass away. Her grandmother, whom she’d only visited once as a teenager, had a special request. That Shandra attend her Seven Drum Ceremony after the funeral. Shandra does and when she’s caught up in murder, her grandmother comes to her in dreams showing her clues to the murders.
I’ve had a wonderful time bringing my fictional ski resort town of Huckleberry, Idaho to life. Adding three-dimensional secondary characters with a few quirks to keep this an entertaining cozy read has been the most fun. Each book—there are three so far—I add a new full-timer and enjoy the way they interact with the rest of the populace. My two favorite secondary characters are Sheba, a dog as big as a bear but a bit like the Cowardly Lion, who is Shandra’s companion, and Lewis, the orange cat that is usually draped around Crazy Lil’s shoulders. Lil is Shandra’s Jill-of-all-trades who, like the stray cat, came with the property Shandra purchased on Huckleberry Mountain. She bought the land because of its good clay pockets. Shandra is a potter who sells her vases as art.
My brother has worked in the art world since getting out of school. He sculpts, pours, welds, and patinas bronze art work. A story he told me about a particular statue he was putting a patina on for another artist stuck in my mind, and I knew one day I’d use it in a story. That information my brother told me was the whole premise that started Double Duplicity.
Blurb
On the eve of the biggest art event at Huckleberry Mountain Resort, potter Shandra Higheagle finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She’s ruled out as a suspect, but now it’s up to her to prove the friend she witnessed fleeing the scene was just as innocent. With help from her recently deceased Nez Perce grandmother, Shandra becomes more confused than ever but just as determined to discover the truth.
Detective Ryan Greer prides himself on solving crimes and refuses to ignore a single clue, including Shandra Higheagle’s visions. While Shandra is hesitant to trust her dreams, Ryan believes in them and believes in her.
Can the pair uncover enough clues for Ryan to make an arrest before one of them becomes the next
victim?

Head Shot (200x196)

About This Author
 Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon.  On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for two local newspapers and enjoyed her job with the County Extension service as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses, and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.
All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.

Author Links:
twitter;  @patyjag
Purchase Links

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First in Series- Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross

Happy Monday! This week's First in Series is Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross Released on August 22, 2000. Seri...