Monday, November 30, 2015

First in Series- To Brew or Not to Brew by Joyce Tremel

It's time for a First in Series and this one will wet your taste buds.To Brew or Not to Brew ( A Brewing Trouble Mystery) by Joyce Tremel. Releasing on December 1st, you will want to add this one to your read list.







Series: A Brewing Trouble Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (December 1, 2015)
Language: English



An all-new mystery series set in a Pittsburgh craft brew pub, featuring a brewmaster with a head for sleuthing.


The Allegheny Brew House is a dream come true for Maxine “Max” O’Hara, who went all the way to Germany for her brewmaster certification, and is now preparing to open her own craft brew pub in a newly revitalized section of Pittsburgh. But before she can start pouring stouts and lagers to thirsty throngs, there’s trouble on tap. Suspicious acts of sabotage culminate in Max finding her assistant brewmaster and chef Kurt Schmidt strangled in one of the vats.


Between rescuing a stray gray tabby she names Hops and considering a handsome ex-hockey player as her new chef, Max doesn’t have a lot of time to solve a murder. But with a homicide detective for a dad, she comes to criminal investigation naturally. And if someone is desperate enough to kill to stop her from opening, Max needs to act fast—before her brand-new brew biz totally tanks...


INCLUDES RECIPES






About the Author
Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for over ten years. Her fiction has appeared in Mysterical-e, and her nonfiction has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police magazine. To Brew or Not to Brew is her first novel. She lives in a suburb of Pittsburgh with her husband and a spoiled cat.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Weekly Wrap Up #99

It was a fun week with giveaways, guest post and more. Here is what happened:





November 23rd- First in Series- Death Takes Priority by Jean Flowers
November 24th- Author Spotlight- Jean Flowers
November 25th- Book Trivia- Kathi Daley
November 26th- Guest Post- Edith Maxwell
November 27th- What's New? On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander
November 28th- Shelley's Review/ Blog Tour- Haunt Couture and Ghost Galore by Rose Pressey

I am finishing Cleo Coyle's book Dead to the Last Drop and also Murder Fir Christmas by Joyce and Jim Lavene



Coming this week:

November 30th- First in Series- TO Brew or not to Brew by Joyce Tremel
December 1st - Author Spotlight/ Cozy Book Release Day
December 2nd- Christmas Trivia- Ann Simas
December 3rd- Guest Post - Mary Anne Edwards
December 4th- What's New? Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Catrell
December 5th- Shelley's Review/ Blog Tour- Dead to the Last Drop by Cleo Coyle
December 6th-Blog Tour- Yarned and Dangerous by Sadie Hartwell

See you there.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Shelley's Review/ Blog Tour- Haunt Couture and Ghost Galore by Rose Pressey

Happy Saturday! I am excited to be on this blog tour. Haunt Couture and Ghost Galore by Rose Pressey was a fun book to read. Released on October 27, just in time for Halloween.





Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore
(A Haunted Vintage Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (October 27, 2015)



This looks like a job for the fashion police!


A hot-ticket charity fashion show is the perfect chance for Cookie Chanel, proud owner of It’s Vintage Y’All, to show off her stylistic savvy for a good cause. But when a famous fashionista is fatally flattened, and the ghost of a former private investigator asks for Cookie’s help, she has to scurry to sew up a solution. With clever clues from Wind Song, her psychic cat, and sassy suggestions from Charlotte, her ghost-in-residence, Cookie must unravel the sinister stitches of a deadly design–before she becomes the next fashion victim…

Don’t miss Cookie Chanel’s Fashion Tips

This whodunit is fashionably charming, witty and fun. You will be captivated from the beginning and the fashion show will be the event of the season. Fashion , ghost and murder what more could you ask for.





About The Author

Rose Pressey is a USA Today bestselling author. Her books Forever Charmed, Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells, How to Date a Werewolf, and Me and My Ghoulfriends have won her a wide following. Rose lives near Louisville, Kentucky.

Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/authorrosepressey
itsvintageyall.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 27, 2015

What's New? On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander

What's New? On Thin Icing (A Bakeshop Mystery series) by Ellie Alexander will be released on December 29th.








Series: A Bakeshop Mystery (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 29, 2015)
Language: English



Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

"An intriguing new series."-Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue."-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker


About the Author

ELLIE ALEXANDER is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she's not coated in flour, you'll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. She is the author of the Bakeshop Mysteries, including Meet Your Baker and A Batter of Life and Death. You can find her on Facebook to learn more!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Guest Post- Edith Maxwell

Happy Thanksgiving!! I am so thrilled to have Edith Maxwell with us today. What are you thankful for today? Have a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for each of my friends and family.



Happy Thanksgiving, all! And thanks to Shelley for inviting me over.

I blogged on Monday over at my regular spot, the Wicked Cozy Authors, about some unusual things I’m grateful for. Today I’m thankful for my wonderful adult sons, for pumpkin pie, for my stalwart partner, Hugh, for my generous and talented author pals. I’m of course grateful that I live in a relatively safe part of the world, where war is not underway. Although we all know that too much shooting and even bombings go on right here in the United States.



I’m full of gratitude that stories continue to pour out of me, and that major publishing houses want to pay me to write them. And delighted that readers like my books! Here’s a fun story from one reader. She’s talking about my first Country Store mystery, Flipped for Murder, which just came out a month ago:



Missi Stockwell posted on my Maddie Day author page on Facebook, “Okay, so as I was just about to fall asleep last night I jumped because I thought I forgot to visit someone in the hospital. Then I remembered that it was Robbie going to visit Roberto in Italy and I laid back down. That’s when you know a book is GOOD....it stays with you even after you are done reading it.” Glad you liked it, Missy!


I’m really excited about my new historical series, the Quaker Midwife Mysteries. Delivering the Truth will release in April – and don’t you love the cover? Rose Carroll is a Quaker, a midwife – and now an amateur sleuth, hearing secrets and birthing the truth about murder.



And I’m thankful Kensington Publishing renewed my Local Foods Mysteries for two more books. Book four, Murder Most Fowl, will be out in late May (as will Country Store number two, Grilled for Murder).

I’m even grateful for the short dark days of this season – because they make it easier to stay inside and write!

Readers, what are you thankful for?



Edith Maxwell
Agatha-nominated and Amazon best-selling author
Farmed and Dangerous. Kensington Publishing, 2015
Bluffing is Murder. (Written as Tace Baker), Barking Rain Press 2014
Flipped for Murder. (Written as Maddie Day), Kensington Publishing, 2015
Delivering the Truth. Midnight Ink, 2016
http://www.edithmaxwell.com
http://wickedcozyauthors.com


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Christmas Trivia- Kathi Daley

It's time for some Christmas Trivia and today's lovely host is Kathi Daley. One Lucky reader will receive Santa Sleuth paperback (or kindle) and a Santa Sleuth mug. Santa Sleuth comes out Dec. 1. Leave your email and answers in the comments by Dec.1 and the winner will have three days to respond. Good Luck


All of the questions are based out of Kathi Daley's books.





1. In Christmas Crazy Zoe wants to duplicate a recipe that her grandma used to make as a surprise for her grandfather. What was the dish that Zoe asked Ellie to help her figure out the recipe for?

2. In Christmas Crazy Zoe spends a special Christmas morning with someone. Who was she with?

3. In Christmas in Paradise a man named Jordan Tanner comes into town to meet his daughter. Whose father does he believe he is?

4. In Christmas in Paradise Tj’s dog Echo saves her life. What does he save her from?

5. In Christmas Cozy one of the teachers from the high school is found dead. What was her very Christmassy name?

6. In Christmas Cozy Zoe is introduced to a little girl that will end up changing her life. What is the little girl’s name?

7. In Christmas Cozy Levi had to spend part of his winter vacation doing adjunct duty for the high school where he worked. What did he have to do?

8. In The Cat of Christmas Past a cat helps Cait solve a mystery. What is the cat’s name?

9. In The Cat of Christmas Past Cait must solve a mystery to help save an apartment building from a miserly old man. What is the mystery she must solve?

In The Cat of Christmas Past Cody gets Cait a special Christmas Gift. What does he get her?



Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Author Spotlight- Jean Flowers/ Camille Minichino

This weeks spotlight goes out to Jean Flowers (a.k.a. Camille Minichino) Jean is the author of a brand new series Death Takes Priority( A Postmistress mystery series)





Camille received her Ph.D. in physics from Fordham University, New York City. She is currently on the faculty of Golden Gate University, San Francisco and teaches writing throughout the Bay Area. Camille is Past President and a member of NorCal Mystery Writers of America, NorCal Sisters in Crime, and the California Writers Club.

Camille has published over 20 novels and many short stories and nonfiction articles.
As Camille Minichino, she's published Periodic Table Mysteries, featuring retired physicist GLORIA LAMERINO.

As Margaret Grace, she writes the Miniature Mysteries, featuring miniaturist GERALDINE PORTER and her 11-year-old granddaughter, Maddie. The 8th in the series, MANHATTAN IN MINIATURE will be released in April 2015.
As Ada Madison, she's published the Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries, featuring college professor SOPHIE KNOWLES.
As Jean Flowers, Camille is launching a new series, The Postmistress Mysteries. The first, DEATH TAKES PRIORITY, will debut in 2015.


A stand-alone, KILLER IN THE CLOISTER, is available on Kindle and CreateSpace.
The nonfiction book, HOW TO LIVE WITH AN ENGINEER, is available on Kindle and Createspace.

Monday, November 23, 2015

First in Series- Death Takes Priority by Jean Flowers

Are you ready for a new series? This First in Series is by Jean Flowers(a.k.a. Camille Minichino) Death Takes Priority ( A Postmistress Mystery series)was released on November 3rd.







Series: A Postmistress Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 3, 2015)
Language: English


Introducing a murder mystery that really delivers!


After caring for her dying aunt and being dumped by her fiancé, Cassie Miller decides to return to her small hometown in the Berkshires to lick her wounds and live in the house where she was raised. Leaving behind her managerial position in the Boston main postal office, Cassie trades in her tailored suits and high heels for the comfortable blue shirt and red, white, and blue striped scarf of the Postmaster for North Ashcot, Massachusetts.


Everything is business as usual until Cassie arrives at work one day to find that someone has broken into the post office building. The only items stolen: stacks of telephone books. Who steals phone books? Two days later, the body of an unidentified man is found in the woods. And when the handsome antiques dealer she just had lunch with is taken into custody, Cassie is suddenly drawn into the case. With a crime enveloped in mystery, she needs to track the killer—before another victim’s fate is sealed in the dead letter office…


Jean Flowers is the pseudonym for a long time mystery writer who has published series with Berkley and Minotaur.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Blog Tour- Cover Shot by LynDee Walker

I am so thrilled to be part of this blog tour. Joining us today is LynDee Walker. Her new book in the Headline in High Heels Mystery series, Cover Shot was released on November 10th.








A Headline in High Heels Mystery
5th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press (November 10, 2015)
Paperback: 312 pages



AGATHA NOMINATED SERIES

It’s been a slow news month in Richmond, and crime reporter Nichelle Clarke is enjoying the downtime when ominous messages and a dead body kick things into high gear. And that’s before the guy with the rifle takes a hospital full of people hostage.

Up to the top of her knee-high Prada boots in leads, Nichelle finds her favorite detectives under pressure to make an arrest, but it doesn’t add up—and ignoring the “why” of this story could cost Nichelle the most important person in her life.

With too much to lose, a shot at the story of a lifetime, and a missing bullet that might be the key, landing this headline could save the day, but can Nichelle dig up the truth before the killer buries her with it?




This fast-paced, action packed whodunit is by far the best one yet. You are instantly pulled in and captivated by a great story.The characters are so strong and well developed they take the story to new heights. You won't be able to put it down once you start reading. LynDee is a great author. She tells a story so well written you will think it is taking place right then, and through her characters brings you hours of fantastic reading.







About This Author

LynDee Walker’s award-winning journalistic work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the nation.

Her debut novel, FRONT PAGE FATALITY, is an amazon and Barnes & Noble #1 bestseller, and was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. DEVIL IN THE DEADLINE is the fourth in LynDee’s Headlines in High Heels mystery series. The fifth COVER SHOT is out November 2015.

LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She often works out tricky plot points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is either playing with her children, working on her next novel, or admiring beautiful shoes she can’t wear.


Author Links
www.lyndeewalker.com
www.facebook.com/lyndeewalkerbooks


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Wrap Up # 98

Here is what happened this week:



November 16th- First in Series- Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver
November 17th- Author Spotlight- Janet Finsilver
November 18th- Guest Post- Christine Freeburn
November 19th- Guest Post- Toni L.P. Kelner
November 20th - What's New? Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz
November 21st- Shelley's Reviews.

Books I've read this week:

Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber


Coming this week:


November 23rd- First in Series- Death Takes Priority by Jean Flowers
November 24th- Author Spotlight- Jean Flowers
November 25th- Book Trivia- Kathi Daley
November 26th- Guest Post- Edith Maxwell
November 27th- What's New? On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander


Have a great week!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Shelley's Reviews

Today I am reviewing Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber. What a great way to start the Holiday season off with Dashing Through the Snow. Leave a comment and email for a chance to win a copy of this book. Winner will be chosen on November 24th.







Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 6, 2015)
Language: English


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Savor the magic of the season with Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas novel, filled with warmth, humor, the promise of love, and a dash of unexpected adventure.

Ashley Davison, a graduate student in California, desperately wants to spend the holidays with her family in Seattle. Dashiell Sutherland, a former army intelligence officer, has a job interview in Seattle and must arrive by December 23. Though frantic to book a last-minute flight out of San Francisco, both are out of luck: Every flight is full, and there’s only one rental car available. Ashley and Dash reluctantly decide to share the car, but neither anticipates the wild ride ahead.

At first they drive in silence, but forced into close quarters Ashley and Dash can’t help but open up. Not only do they find they have a lot in common, but there’s even a spark of romance in the air. Their feelings catch them off guard—never before has either been so excited about a first meeting. But the two are in for more twists and turns along the way as they rescue a lost puppy, run into petty thieves, and even get caught up in a case of mistaken identity. Though Ashley and Dash may never reach Seattle in time for Christmas, the season is still full of surprises—and their greatest wishes may yet come true.

Praise for Dashing Through the Snow

“This Christmas romance from [Debbie] Macomber is both sweet and sincere.”—Library Journal

“Quirky heroine Ashley brings the laughs and is the driving force behind this hilarious read, while Dash brings a sense of groundedness with his stable military persona. There’s just the right amount of holiday cheer to remind you it’s Christmas. Ashley and Dash are a realistic example of how opposites attract. This road-trip romance is full of high jinks and the kooky characters Macomber does so well.”—RT Book Reviews


Looking for a book to get you into the Holiday mood. Dashing Through the Snow is a fun-filled read with a touch of action and romance that will sweep you off your feet. Meet Ashley and Dash as they are both trying to get to Seattle and tackle the obstacles that come there way. An fast-paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Friday, November 20, 2015

What's New? Guilty As Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz

What's New? Guilty As Cinnamon(Shop Spice Mystery Series) by Leslie Budewitz coming to bookstores on December 1st.







Series: Spice Shop Mysteries (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (December 1, 2015)
Language: English


Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the next Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper.

Springtime in Seattle’s Pike Place Market means tasty foods and wide-eyed tourists, and Pepper’s Spice Shop is ready for the crowds. With flavorful combinations and a fresh approach, she’s sure to win over the public. Even better, she’s working with several local restaurants as their chief herb and spice supplier. Business is cooking, until one of Pepper’s potential clients, a young chef named Tamara Langston, is found dead, her life extinguished by the dangerously hot ghost chili—a spice Pepper carries in her shop.

Now stuck in the middle of a heated police investigation, Pepper must use all her senses to find out who wanted to keep Tamara’s new café from opening—before someone else gets burned…

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!

Don't Miss the next book in this fantastic series.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Guest Post- Toni L.P.Kelner

I am delighted to have Toni L.P.Kelner with us today.Toni writes the Laura Fleming Mystery series Some of you know Toni as Leigh Perry where she writes The Family Skeleton Mystery series featuring Sid.



Welcome Toni, so happy you are joining us here today.






A Writer’s Thanksgiving, or Only Turkeys Diss Their Copyeditors By Leigh Perry / Toni L.P. Kelner

With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it only appropriate to publicly express gratitude to some of the people and things that make my authorial lifestyle more productive, richer, and a whole lot less embarrassing.

THE INTERNET! I admit it’s a time sink, and I’m as likely as anybody to get sucked into articles about where the stars of The Brady Bunch are now or to use Google Earth to check out houses where I haven’t lived in forty years. I may even play more games that is strictly necessary. But when I need to know what time sunset was on April 3 on Cape Cod, or read first-hand accounts of haunted house scare actors, or figure out how long it would take to drive from Hickory NC to Greensboro NC, there is no substitute for being able to find that information almost instantly. So the internet deserves a big dish of mashed potatoes with gravy! THANK YOU!


SOCIAL MEDIA! First off, social media provides even more research opportunities because if you can’t find a site with the information about small-town murder investigations, you can get in touch with a friend who was herself a cop in a small town and knows where are the bodies are buried. And how they’re investigated. So THANK YOU! Second, never have writers been able to have so much wonderful interaction with readers. Meeting people at events and bookstores is great, of course, but instead of two-and-a-half minutes of chatting with somebody as I sign a book for her, I can actually have a correspondence. Instead of a rare fan letter forwarded from my publisher, I can find out how people liked a book the second they’re done, sometimes when they’re in the middle of reading. A couple of weeks ago, I heard from a young person who was delighted that I’d referred to a character not seeming to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. In other words, I didn’t assume the character was straight—that tiny bit of inclusion meant the world to that person and reminded me that little things make a big difference. You guys get all the stuffing you can eat, from Grandma Ward’s special recipe. THANK YOU!



REVIEWERS! So few newspapers and magazines review books these days, and there are so many books to review that it’s easy for books to get lost in the shuffle. So an extra serving of cranberry sauce for all the pro reviewers; bloggers; people who post to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble; and people who go on Facebook and say, “Hey, I read this great book the other day.” THANK YOU!


COPYEDITORS! My other thanks have been for relatively new players in the world o’ publishing. (Well, they seem new to me. I’m old, okay?) But copyeditors have been with us since somebody noticed mis-numbered verses in the Gutenberg Bible. Now you’ll often hear writers at convention bars moaning about copyeditors who don’t realize that nonstandard punctuation is a style, not a mistake, or that Southern dialect isn’t expected to be grammatically correct. I myself have complained about one copyeditor I dubbed the Semicolon Queen for the way she rearranged my sentences. Then there’s the copyeditor who fixed half a dozen quotes in one of my Laura Fleming books. I had an edition of Shakespeare's plays with tiny little print, and messed up my Act and Scene numbers repeatedly. And there’s the copyeditor who realized a character’s hair color had changed—not just between chapter, but between BOOKS. And most recently, the copyeditor whose husband is an adjunct professor, like my character Georgia in the Family Skeleton series, and she cheered me on for getting details right and corrected one I didn’t have perfect. You guys get turkey and gravy, for making sure I don’t look like a turkey. THANK YOU!


READERS! I don’t know how to put this without sounding as if I’m sucking up, but the fact is, the best book in the world means nothing without somebody to read and appreciate it. So readers get the extra slice of pumpkin pie for my Thanksgiving. (Only it’ll probably be chocolate mousse because nobody in my house likes pumpkin pie that much.)




Leigh Perry / Toni L.P. Kelner is grateful for pseudonyms. As Leigh Perry, she writes the Family Skeleton mysteries featuring adjunct English professor Georgia Thackery and her best friend, an ambulatory Skeleton named Sid. The Skeleton Haunts a House is the third and most recent. As Toni L.P. Kelner, she’s the co-editor of paranormal fiction anthologies with Charlaine Harris; the author of eleven mystery novels; and an Agatha Award winner and multiple award nominee for short fiction. She recently released Crooked as a Dog’s Hind Leg, a collection of short stories No matter what you call her, she lives north of Boston with two daughters, two guinea pigs, and one husband. (She’s grateful for the husband, daughters, and piggies, too.)


Giveaway: Leave a comment and email by November 22nd for a chance to win THE SKELETON HAUNTS A HOUSE and a gently used Velma action figure.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Guest Post- Christina Freeburn

I am thrilled to have Christina Freeburn with us today.Christina is the author of A Faith Hunter Scrap this Mystery series.


Welcome Christina! Are you ready for the Holidays? We are talking about Holiday Movies, What is your favorite?


Holiday Movie Fun Facts






It’s beginning to look like holiday movie season! One of my favorite things about this time of year is holiday movies. There’s just something about watching the holiday spirit unfolding on a screen that brings warmth and happiness into my heart. Now, some holiday movies are filled with angst but I usually steer clear of them. When the holidays approach I’ve found that the sappier and cheesier the holiday entertainment the better it is.


If you’re in the mood for holiday movie marathons, you can usually find days or whole weekends devoted to them on the following networks: ABC Family, Hallmark, Lifetime, and UP. Other networks do show a holiday movie or two, but don’t have a large number of days devoted to them. For me, there’s nothing to help me feel the holiday spirit more than cuddling on the chair and watching Christmas movie after Christmas movie on a Saturday or Sunday. When the holiday season arrives, I binge on holiday movies on Sunday while my husband is watching football.


The first holiday movie ever made was in 1898. It was titled Santa Claus and was one minute and sixteen seconds in length. The movie is available on YouTube if you’d like to watch it. Another fun fact is that A Christmas Story is the most played holiday movie. I do think that can be attributed to the 24 hour showing of it on TBS. The marathon had started on TNT in 1997 and this will be A Christmas Story marathon’s 18th year.

The most quoted holiday movie is A National Lampoon Christmas Vacation followed by Elf (a favorite of mine). We quote Elf quite often around our house and not just around the holiday season. “I like to whisper too.” And I love answering the phone with, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” when my daughters call.


I hope everyone has time to watch some of their favorite holiday movies this season. I always start my “official” holiday movie viewing season with Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving and end with Scrooged on the day after Christmas. I say official because I’ve already watched a couple on Netflix this year. There are just some days when I need to watch a movie that will make will fill me with happiness and take away all the worries, and a holiday movie always works. This year I unofficially started the season by watching The Mistletones and The Twelve Dates of Christmas (a Christmas version of A Groundhog Day).


Christina Freeburn is the author of the Faith Hunter Scrap This mystery series where country roads lead to family, scrapbooking, and sometimes murder.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Author Spotlight- Janet Finsilver

Today's spotlight is Janet Finsilver. Janet is the author of Murder at Redwood Cove released in October.








Janet Finsilver and her husband reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet loves animals and has two dogs—Kylie and Ellie. She’s been involved in many activities during her life.

Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. She’s traveled extensively. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. She enjoys cooking, and a recent attempt to reduce the number of cookbooks in the cupboard wasn’t very successful. She’s an avid reader—of course!

She’s currently working on the next book in her series scheduled for release in June 2016.






Monday, November 16, 2015

First in Series- Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver

This weeks First in Series is Murder at Redwood Cover by Janet Finsilver. Released on October 13th, 2015.






Print Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Lyrical Underground (October 13, 2015)
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.



Bed, breakfast…and a body!


If it weren’t for the fact that she’s replacing a dead man, Kelly Jackson would love her new job managing the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast on the coast of Northern California. But Bob Phillips did plunge off the cliff to his death…and Kelly’s starting to think it may not have been an accident. Bob’s retired friends—The “Silver Sentinels”—are also on the case, especially when Kelly is attacked…and another body turns up. Kelly has her hands full with overseeing the B&B’s annual Taste of Chocolate and Wine Festival, but she’s also closing in on the killer…who’s ready to send Kelly on her own permanent vacation…


You can Find Janet on her website at:

janetfinsilver.com


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Weekly Wrap Up #97

Here is what happened this week:


November 9th- First in Series- Rest Ye Murdered Gentlmen by Vicki Delany
November 10th- Author Spotlight- Vicki Delany
November 11th- Book Trivia hosted by Julie Mulhurn
November 12th- Guest Post- Connie Archer
November 13th- Book Trivia- Maddie Day
November 14th- Shelley's Review/Blog Tour


It's another week of finishing up a few ARC's


Coming this week:


November 16th- First in Series- Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver
November 17th- Author Spotlight- Janet Finsilver
November 18th- Book Trivia- Christine Freeburn
November 19th- Guest Post- Toni L.P. Kelner
November 20th - What's New? Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz
November 21st- Shelley's Reviews.


Have a great week.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Blog Tour- Love in the Time of Murder by D.E.Haggerty

I'm excited to be on this blog tour. D.E. Haggerty's new book Love in the Time of Murder was released on October 21st.








Series: Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives
Paperback: 166 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 21, 2015)
Language: English



In Love in the Time of Murder, the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives face their toughest case yet. Delilah, or Dee as she wishes everyone would just call her already, is the granddaughter of one of the knitting detectives and her life is in a bit of a shambles. She finally manages to pry herself away from her husband’s clutches, move out on her own, and start her own business. But then her estranged husband is murdered and she’s the number one suspect. The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives aren’t about to let one of their own get sent to the slammer and jump at the chance to search for the true killer. As if Dee doesn’t have enough problems, the knitting detectives decide that Delilah being a widow is the perfect opportunity to find her a new man and decide to put their matchmaking skills to use. Will Dee end up in prison for a murder she didn’t commit or will she be taking another walk down the aisle?


This fun and witty whodunit will have you laughing till the very end. I was captivated by Dee and her friends as they try to find out who the killer is and close the case all the knitting. It is a fun read and so well written you will feel like you are part of the town and the story. Charming and fun, you won't want to stop reading.


All books in the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives series are standalones.


Character Interview with Dee
This is the third time the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives have gotten themselves involved in a criminal investigation. How in the world did you get mixed up with that gang?
I didn’t have any choice! I can’t seem to get away from those crazy ladies. And believe me, I’ve tried. My grandma, Rosemary, is one of the crew. I love my grandma, really I do, but those knitters are trouble with a capital T.
In three sentences, tell us about your story.
It’s a bit embarrassing but let’s keep it at my husband being a total jerk that got himself killed. For reasons beyond me, the lead detective investigating the murder decided I killed the bastard (I didn’t, trust me). Those crazy knitters decided to jump on that and solve the mystery.
Are you the hero of your story?
Not even a tiny bit. I just go with the flow and kind of let everyone else take the lead. Does that make me weak? Yeah, that makes me weak. Gosh darn it! I don’t want to be weak anymore. Can you not mention to Tommy that I said I wasn’t the hero of my own story? He gets upset if he thinks I’m putting myself down.
It sounds like your story could have some conflict in it. Do you embrace or run from conflict?
Run, run, run as fast as I can. I do not like conflict.
Since everyone and their grandmother are trying to find you a partner, it’s fair to ask – what is the quality you most desire in a man?
How many times do I have to say that I don’t want a man right now before anyone listens to me? Oh, Dee, it’s for your own good, they say. Bleech. Celibacy is looking real good right now.
Do you find your true love in your story?
I think so. Maybe. Oh, shoot. I’m just not sure.
Who should play you in a film adaptation of your story?
Amanda Seyfried – definitely. So what if she’s younger than me? And okay she’s scorching hot and I’m a scorching mess. It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to. Oh wait, that’s from something else. Never mind.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I like to play poker. It’s not really a big secret or anything, but I’m pretty good at it and that seems to surprise people – mostly men.
If you had one wish, what would it be?
Hmm… that’s a good one. Life is pretty awesome right now and I don’t want to jinx anything by wishing for me. That’s weak and crazy, isn’t it? Yeah, still working on the weak thing.
What do you like best about yourself?
*scratches head* Can I get back to you on that one?
What do you like least about yourself?
This is an easy one. That I took so much sh*t from my husband before I left him. I never thought I could shovel that amount of sh*t. Never believed that I would. Live and learn, Dee. Live and learn.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I would never have married that rat of a husband Brock. Okay, wait, that’s not true. I wouldn’t be where I am today – which is pretty awesome – if I hadn’t married him. Can I say nothing?
What’s next for Dee?
As my husband’s only heir, I came into a bit of money recently. I’ll be using that to work on getting my editing business going. Doesn’t sound very exciting I know, but I’m nearly peeing my pants in excitement. I get to do what I want, when I want. Man, that feels good to say.




I was born and raised in Wisconsin, but think I’m a European. After spending my senior year of high school in Germany, I developed a bad case of wanderlust that is yet to be cured. My flying Dutch husband and I have lived in Ohio, Virginia, the Netherlands, Germany and now Istanbul. We still haven’t decided if we want to settle down somewhere – let alone where. I’m leaning towards somewhere I can learn to surf even though the hubby thinks that’s a less than sound way to decide where to live. Although I’ve been a military policewoman, a commercial lawyer, and a B&B owner, I think with writing I may have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. That’s assuming I ever grow up, of course. Between playing tennis, running much slower than I would like, trying to adopt every stray dog within a 5-mile radius, traveling to exotic new locales, singing off tune, drinking entirely too many adult beverages, addictively watching new movies and reading books like they are going out of style, I write articles for a local expat magazine and various websites, review other indie authors’ books, write a blog about whatever comes to mind and am working on my seventh book.


Author Links

Website: http://www.dehaggerty.com
Blog: http://www.dehaggerty.com/mymusings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/denaehaggerty
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DEHaggerty/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/denahaggerty/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210211.D_E_Haggerty
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/D.E.-Haggerty/e/B00ECQBURU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5?qid=1438239628&sr=8-5

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 13, 2015

Book Trivia- Maddie Day

It's time for Friday trivia and today's host is Edith Maxwell(a.k.a.) Maddie Day. One lucky winner will receive Edith's World Mug.











1. What does Robbie name the cat she adopts?

2. What does she make the vegetarian gravy with?

3. What does Jim serve her for dinner in his condo?

4. Where did Robbie work as a chef before she opened her own restaurant?

5. Who donated banjo lessons to the silent auction?


Agatha-nominated and Amazon best-selling author
Farmed and Dangerous. Kensington Publishing, 2015
Bluffing is Murder. (Written as Tace Baker), Barking Rain Press 2014
Flipped for Murder. (Written as Maddie Day), Kensington Publishing, 2015
Delivering the Truth. Midnight Ink, 2016
http://www.edithmaxwell.com
http://wickedcozyauthors.com

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Guest Post- Connie Archer

I am delighted to have Connie Archer with us today. Connie is the author of A Soup Lovers Mystery book series.



The Gud Huswive’s Kitchin

I’m always dreaming up new recipes for the Soup Lover’s Mystery series and I love to surf the web for ideas. Recently I really hit the jackpot! I discovered a website devoted to 16th century English cooking, the recipes pieced together from fragments of a 1597 cookbook. These are heavy on mutton and in case you’re not familiar with mutton (I wasn’t), it is sheep’s meat that is older than two or three years, very heavy on fat and definitely an acquired taste. Other recipes give instructions on cooking a deer, a mallard, a crane and even a buzzard! Frankly, I know my stomach couldn’t possibly handle all that strange meat and did I hear my cholesterol climb??? But I thought it might be fun to translate one of them and try it out. Here goes . . .


How to make Farts of Portingale.
Take a peece of a leg of Mutton, mince it smal and season it with cloues, Mace pepper and salt, and Dates minced with currans: then roll it into round rolles, and so into little balles, and so boyle them in a little beefe broth and so serue them foorth.


Don’t laugh -- I have no idea what Farts of Portingale are but we can always invent a different name. Let’s skip the mutton, okay? How about a pound of ground beef or even lamb? Season generously with salt and pepper, add a little ground cloves and mace. Then chop about a cup of dates, mix with a cup of raisins and add that to the seasoned meat. Roll into 1” balls, seal them quickly by frying them in a spritz of oil, then move them to a pot of simmering beef or (better) vegetable broth and cook for about 15 minutes. Who knows? Farts of Portingale may actually taste pretty good. And so serve them forth . . .

What should we call them? Fruit balls? Any ideas? Don’t be shy. Any name’s better than Farts of Portingale.




Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime: A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge and Ladle to the Grave are set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont. The fifth book in the series, A Clue in the Stew (April 2016) is available for pre-order now. You can visit Connie at her website and blog: conniearchermysteries.com, Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries and Twitter @SnowflakeVT.




Ladle to the Grave When a local woman is poisoned at a pagan ritual in the woods, Lucky Jamieson’s grandfather, Jack, who provided the herbs for the gathering, is suspected of making a terrible mistake. The following day, a dead man is found floating in a creek just outside of town, his face unrecognizable. Is he a stranger or Lucky’s best friend’s estranged brother? Lucky is certain both deaths are murder. Can she find the connection and clear her grandfather’s name before more victims fall prey to a killer?


A Spoonful of Murder
A Broth of Betrayal
A Roux of Revenge
Ladle to the Grave
A Clue in the Stew (March 2016)
www.conniearchermysteries.com
Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries
Twitter: @SnowflakeVT

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Book Trivia with Julie Mulhern

It's time for Trivia and today's lovely host is Julie Mulhern! The prize is.. three first of series e-books by Henery authors. For example – Lowcountry Boil, Double Whammy and The Break-up Doctor. The winner may choose the books.








1. What schools are playing football in the opening chapter of Guaranteed to Bleed?

2. Ellison goes on an epic bad date. What’s the name of the club where everything goes wrong?

3. What kind of dog is Max?

4. What does Grace leave hanging on the light fixture at her grandfather’s hunting cabin?

6. What are Donna’s favorite cookies?


Leave Answers and email in the comments and one lucky person will be chosen on November 14th.


Julie Mulhern

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo

http://www.juliemulhern.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Author Spotlight- Vicki Delany

This week's Author Spotlight is the lovely Vicki Delany! Vicki has a new series out called Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman and She also writes as Eva Gates.







Eva Gates is the author of the Lighthouse Library cozy series from Penguin Obsidian, set in a historic lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, featuring Boston-transplant librarian, and highly reluctant sleuth, Lucy Richardson. The first in the series, By Book or By Crook, was released in February 2015. Eva is the pen name of bestselling author Vicki Delany, one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers.

Vicki Delany began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Sunday afternoon was – and at that, only now and again – the only time she had to spend all by herself, with a single candle on her desk for a bit of atmosphere, a Bruce Springsteen tape in the tape deck, and a nice cup of tea at her elbow. When she felt like really letting loose, the tea might have turned into a glass of wine.

The years passed, as they tend to do, and the three daughters, somewhat hesitantly, flew the coop, leaving Vicki more time to devote to her writing. She was able to write three novels of suspense, set in Ontario, two of which, Scare the Light Away and Burden of Memory were published to critical acclaim by Poisoned Pen Press of Scottsdale, Arizona.

In 2007, Vicki took early retirement from her job as a systems analyst with a major bank and sold her house in Oakville, Ontario. At that time In the Shadow of the Glacier, the first book in a police procedural series set in the British Columbia Interior was published. After travelling around North America for a year with her dog, Shenzi, she bought a home in bucolic, rural Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she rarely wears a watch and can write whenever she feels like it.

Since settling in Prince Edward County, Vicki has continued with her writing career, publishing books in several different sub-genres as well as a book for adults with low literacy skills.

The Lighthouse Library Series, by Eva Gates, published by Penguin Obsidian
By Book or By Crook, 2015
Booked for Trouble, Sept 2015
Reading up a Storm, April 2016
The Year Round Christmas Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime
Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, Nov 2015
We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, 2016
The Constable Molly Smith Series, published by Poisoned Pen Press,
In the Shadow of the Glacier, 2007
Valley of the Lost, 2009
Winter of Secrets, 2009
Negative Image, 2010
Among the Departed, 2011
A Cold White Sun, 2013
Under Cold Stone, 2014
Unreasonable Doubt, February 2016
The Klondike Gold Rush Series, published by Dundurn Press:
Gold Digger, 2009
Gold Fever, 2010
Gold Mountain, 2012
Gold Web, 2014
Standalone Novels of Suspense, published by Poisoned Pen Press:
Scare the Light Away, 2005
Burden of Memory, 2006
More Than Sorrow, 2012
Books for Reluctant Readers, published by Rapid Reads (Orca Press)
A Winter Kill, 2012
Juba Good, 2014
Haitian Graves, 2015


Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Vicki was raised mostly in Ontario. As a young woman, fresh from quitting Carleton University in a huff in the middle of her final year, she travelled to South Africa where she promptly met a man, married him, and produced the aforesaid three daughters. Eleven years later, Vicki returned to Canada. Of her experiences in Africa she will only say that it gave her insight into to the politics of power and oppression that few Canadians get to experience.

Vicki majored in modern history at Carleton University, her interest more in the lives of ordinary women and men and the circumstances of their times than ‘big men’ and their wars. It was on a canoeing trip in Algonquin Park that Vicki, realizing that she was doing for fun what people in the past would have considered a hardship, told her trip mates stories about the incredible difficulties people endured in their attempts to get to the Klondike in search of gold, and the idea for a series of Klondike Gold Rush mysteries was set.

Vicki is the current president of Crime Writers of Canada, and is a member of Capital Crime Writers, and Sisters in Crime

Monday, November 9, 2015

First in Series- Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman by Vicki Delany

Happy Monday! It's time to get into the Holiday Spirit with Vicki Delany's brand new series- Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen( A Year-round Christmas Mystery).






Series: A Year-Round Christmas Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 3, 2015)
Language: English


FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer…

As the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, Merry Wilkinson knows how to decorate homes for the holidays. That’s why she thinks her float in the semi-annual Santa Claus parade is a shoe-in for best in show. But when the tractor pulling Merry’s float is sabotaged, she has to face facts: there’s a Scrooge in Christmas Town.

Merry isn’t ready to point fingers, especially with a journalist in town writing a puff piece about Rudolph’s Christmas spirit. But when she stumbles upon the reporter’s body on a late night dog walk—and police suspect he was poisoned by a gingerbread cookie crafted by her best friend, Vicky—Merry will have to put down the jingle bells and figure out who’s really been grinching about town, before Vicky ends up on Santa’s naughty list…


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Weekly Wrap Up # 96

Here is what happened this week:


November 2nd- A Dickens of a Murder by Joyce and Jim Lavene
November 3rd- Author Spotlight- Joyce and Jim Lavene
November 4th- Book Trivia- Victoria Hamilton
November 5th- Guest Post- Vicki Delany
November 6th- What's New? Dead to the Last Drop by Cleo Coyle
November 7th- Blog Tour- A Dickens of a Murder by Joyce and Jim Lavene
November 8th- Blog Tour- The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee

I am busy this week reading a couple ARC's


Coming this week:


November 9th- First in Series- Rest Ye Murdered Gentlmen by Vicki Delany
November 10th- Author Spotlight- Vicki Delany
November 11th- Book Trivia hosted by Julie Mulhurn
November 12th- Guest Post- Connie Archer
November 13th- What's New? Murder in Mohair by Anne Canadeo
November 14th- Shelley's Review/Blog Tour


Have a great week!

Blog Tour- The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee

I am excited that Amanda Lee is here with her newest book The Stitching Hour (An Embroidery Mystery Series). Released on November 3rd. You wont want to miss this one.






Series: Embroidery Mystery (Book 9)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: NAL (November 3, 2015)
Language: English



In the latest mystery from the bestselling author of Wicked Stitch, the future of Marcy Singer’s embroidery shop is dangling by a thread…

Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch, is one year old this October so it’s time to party in little Tallulah Falls, Oregon. Aside from the Halloween decorations and festive stitching kits and patterns, Marcy’s got all sorts of celebratory swag, including Seven-Year Stitch key rings and goodie bags.

Unfortunately, her new neighbors might spoil the revelry. An eccentric couple has opened a haunted house next door, and all that screaming will certainly scare off customers. But there’s even more to be frightened of after a local waitress is found dead on the sidewalk with mysterious markings on her neck—and one of Marcy’s key rings beneath her. With no time to hem and haw, Marcy must act fast if she hopes to restore the peace to Tallulah Falls…

The Stitching Hour was the best one in this series so far.

Amanda Lee brings you back to Oregon for a visit with Marcy Singer,her Irish wolf- hound Angus and friends.It's Halloween and also the one year anniversary of The Seven Year stitch and there is a party in the making.Decorations,food, great friends and murder make this book a fast-paced action packed read that will keep you captivated and up late reading.

I loved this book and read it in one day. Didn't want to miss a single page of excitement and fun solving the murder case and getting on with the party. You will be hooked from the start.



Guest Post:

Embroidery – Good Enough to Appreciate Real Talent

I love to embroider. The little porcupine there on the left was done from a pattern I ordered from Follow The White Bunny (she has an Etsy shop). I transferred the design to a canvas tote and carefully stitched the little guy rowing downstream in his teacup. Once I finished the tote, I refused to carry it because I didn’t want to get it dirty or risk tearing out any of the stitches. The tote sits on a bookshelf.




Another project I’m particularly proud of is my angel tree-topper. I can’t remember where I got the kit for her, but I bought her because the angel we’d used for years had begun falling apart the Christmas before and I couldn’t find a suitable replacement. So I found this one and worked on it on the weekends as I watched The Bionic Woman on Netflix. (I was doing that in the bedroom as my husband and son watched football games in the living room.) And, together, Jaime Sommers and I got the job done. J There was a lot of metallic thread used in the pattern, so I sometimes had to use my “bionic” strength to pull it through!




I also enjoyed making this redwork pillowcase. The thing about redwork is that you don’t have to constantly change thread colors. For me, that’s nice because I can concentrate solely on the pattern rather than trying to figure out how many spaces I need to leave for the next color, as I do with cross-stitch. I finally learned—thanks to researching one of the embroidery mystery books—that most cross-stitchers work with several colors of thread at the same time. That’s a really neat idea, and I intend to give it a try the next time I’m working on a more complicated project.



With all that said, I can honestly say I embroider well enough to truly appreciate those who do a fantastic job. I once began the ambitious task of making a cross-stitch picture of a herd of horses racing out of the ocean toward the shore. I planned to give it to my husband as a gift. Not terribly far into the project, I realized I needed to get him something else. The unfinished project is, I believe, in a tote in my closet. L



In studying various forms of embroidery for the Marcy Singer books, I’ve been so impressed with the stunning projects I’ve seen. For instance, Japanese embroidery involves forty-six techniques, and I believe the pattern is the same on the back as it is on the front. I’ve discovered embroidered projects that look like oil paintings. And, I’ve become a student. Through Craftsy, I’m taking ribbon embroidery and crewel classes.



I’ve also seen wonderful projects from readers. One reader from the Netherlands sent me this photo of the Irish Wolfhound her husband cross-stitched using the pattern from my site. Isn’t that terrific? I have to say that after I made that pattern, I looked at it and immediately knew I didn’t have the skill to complete it. I’m glad Louis did!

And I couldn’t end this article without sharing the Stitchy Witch my friend Donna sent to congratulate me on the release of Wicked Stitch. Not only is it adorable, but Donna really showed me the importance of adding your own flair to finishing a piece. Look at how beautifully the ribbon hanger and bow accent the piece.

So when readers ask me if I do embroidery, I guess my best answer is, “I dabble.” And, as I pointed out in the title of this post, I’m good enough to really appreciate the experts.





About the Author


Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.

Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee

https://twitter.com/GayleTrent



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Blog Tour- A Dickens of a Murder by Joyce and Jim Lavene

I love when Joyce and Jim Lavene visit my blog and that is why this is a hard post for me to do. For those of you who do not know Joyce Lavene passed away on October 20th. She was an amazing author and great friend and I truly do miss her. Their new book in a brand new series A Dickens of a Murder (Canterville Book Shop Mystery series) was released on October 26th,just in time for getting into the spirit of Christmas.







Series: The Canterville Book Shop Mysteries
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (October 26, 2015)
Language: English


Christmas at Canterville!

Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are surprised to find a dead man on their roof in the midst of rushing to open the Canterville Book Shop in time for the holidays. And not just any dead man – Ebenezer Hart – the man who opposed the book shop opening in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia. What might be more surprising is when Daniel Fairhaven – Lisa’s ex – turns up at the door of the three-story Victorian house to head the police investigation. She hasn’t seen him in years but the sparks start to fly as soon as they are in the same room together.

Simon and Lisa are obviously the best suspects for the murder. Each of them had something to gain by Hart’s death. Then an attempt on Simon’s life throws that theory into a tailspin. But the biggest surprise yet comes when the ghost of Charles Dickens turns up to help Lisa with the murder investigation – and writing the mystery novel she has been working on for years. Without a doubt, Daniel and Dickens in Lisa’s life means trouble. And there’s still the matter of trying to get the book shop open with a killer on their heels.


I was so captivated by this book. Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are strong characters that really pull you in to the story. Lisa is a writer and joins with Simon to open a book shop in the quaint little town of Portsmouth VA. Joyce and Jim paint a vivid picture of this town and you will feel like you are there. So when a body is found on the roof Lisa has to find out what happened before the killer finds the next victim. You won't be able to stop reading this book once you start.
From the beginning you could feel the sense of Christmas and the joy it brings. I enjoyed this book, it was hard for me to read it because it made me think of Joyce but in Honor of her I dived right in and am very glad I did.




Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.


www.joyceandjimlavene.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 6, 2015

What's New? Dead to the Last Drop by Cleo Coyle

Coffee lovers are you ready for the next book in Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery series? It's coming on December 1st. Dead to the Last Drop will hit bookstore shelves. Revisit Clare and the Village Blend Friends. Grab a cup of your favorite coffee and settle in for some great reading.







Series: A Coffeehouse Mystery (Book 15)
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Berkley (December 1, 2015)
Language: English



From the New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Grind comes an exciting new installment in the "highly satisfying"* Coffeehouse Mystery series. *Publishers Weekly


After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA "dead drop" decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her...

Clare's visit to the nation's capital is off to a graceful start. Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America.

Unfortunately, Clare's new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit--until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President. Clare's stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.

First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President's daughter goes missing. Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play? After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend. Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.

Includes great American recipes!



About the Author


Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., and New York, and has written young adult and children’s books. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Guest Post - Vicki Delany

I am thrilled to have Vicki Delany here today, She has a brand new book series out that will get you in the Holiday spirit. Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman was released on November 3rd.



Too Much Christmas? Is that even possible?

By Vicki Delany




I love Christmas. Almost everyone loves Christmas.

Although most of us would agree that Christmas can come too soon. We complain (I certainly do) about decorations in the stores and seasonal ads on TV before summer’s even over, never mind Halloween arrived.


But still, a lot of us do our shopping ahead of time. I know people who buy decorations for next year the week after this year’s Christmas, and who start shopping around the time they put away the New Years’ Decorations. Certainly, it’s a wise woman (or man) who starts her baking in plenty of time. A traditional Christmas cake or old-fashioned English pudding, full of rum or brandy, or sometimes both, needs to be started months ahead to be perfect for the big day.


And it’s precisely to help out those early birds that the town of Rudolph, New York celebrates Christmas all year round. Don’t rush to your atlases or Google maps looking for Rudolph because I made it up. It’s the town at the center of my new series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.

Rudolph wants to be known as America’s Christmas Town and everything in Rudolph is about celebrating the holidays. All year round. They have a Santa Claus parade twice a year. The usual one the first Saturday in December, and then another for Christmas in July.


In Rudolph everyone gets into the spirit of the thing. Victoria’s Bake Shoppe is famous for its gingerbread. There’s Candy Cane Sweets, the North Pole Ice Cream Parlour, The Elves Lunchbox, Cranberries Coffee Bar, Touch of Holly Restaurant, The Yuletide Inn, the Carolers Motel. (Looking at this list it seems as though the residents and visitors to Rudolph like to eat a lot.)


The series protagonist is Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures. Merry’s dad, Noel, is Santa Claus. Yes, Merry knows that he isn’t really Santa, but she does sometimes wonder. He has a way of knowing exactly what someone wants before even they do.


But presents, decorations, ornaments and even food isn’t what the holidays are about. Or it shouldn’t be. In in Rudolph, as well as in real life, they know that. They know that Christmas is about friendship, family, and love. What we sometimes call Christmas magic.

Everyone loved being in the parade, but getting ready and assembled in all the chaos was extremely stressful. Children, not to mention their mothers, could be brought to tears, and more than one fist fight usually threatened to break out. Over the years, I’d heard hundreds of people swear never to do it again. A month later they’d be back, signing up for the parade once again. As the pure young voices rang out, I could see people visibly relaxing. Grins appeared on ruddy faces, and folks gave their neighbors warm smiles and exchanged handshakes. The Christmas magic was back.

Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany



And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.


Vicki Delany is the author of the Year Round Christmas mystery series, set in Rudolph New York, “America’s Christmas Town.” The first book in the series, Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, was released on November 3rd. Under the pen name of Eva Gates, she is the national bestselling author of the Lighthouse Library series, the most recent of which is Booked for Trouble.



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...