Monday, February 29, 2016

First in Series- Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker

Happy Monday! Today's First in a series will take you back to 1930's in London. Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker. Released on February 25th, you won't want to miss this one.








Series: Deadly Series
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: JDP Press (January 14, 2016)paper
Language: English



Olivia Denis is a contented young wife with a carefree life in late 1930's London. Then her world is shattered with the violent death of her husband, Reggie. The police want to call it a suicide and close the case, but Olivia knows Reggie couldn't possibly have fired the fatal shot.

Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat? Her desire for answers and her need to support herself cause her to break away from the pampered life she's known and take a job. But with the much-needed paycheck as a society reporter for a newspaper comes a secret secondary assignment - one that involves her in the increasingly dangerous world of European politics as the continent slides toward war.








About the Author:





Growing up in a family of mystery readers, Kate Parker read Agatha Christie while her classmates read Dick and Jane. To this day, she can't see a routine place or event without cloaking it in mystery, complete with a dead body. Kate is fascinated with brooding historic buildings in Great Britain and Europe and the people who once inhabited them. This led her to create characters in other times to live, commit crimes, and seek justice in these beautiful old towns. She began writing to allow the cozy thrillers lurking in her brain to have their own existence. The Victorian Bookshop Mysteries are her first published novels.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Weekly Wrap Up#9

It's A Wrap! Here is what happened:





February 22nd- First in Series- Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon
February 23rd - Author Spotlight- Cheryl Hollon
February 24th- Book Trivia- Ellen Bryon
February 25th - Guest Post
February 26th What's New? Take the Monkey and Run by Laura Morrigan
February 27th- Leading Ladies of Mystery Caro Layton-Browning



Coming this week:


February 29th- First in Series- Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker
March 1st- Blog Tour- Deadly Scandal by Kate Parker
March 2nd- Blog Tour- Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Conner
March 3rd- Guest Post- Ritter Aames
March 4th- What's New? Breaking for Bodies by Duffy Brown
March 5th- Leading Ladies of Mystery


See you there!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Leading Ladies of Mystery- Caro Layton- Browning

Happy Saturday! Today's Leading Lady of Mystery is Caro Layton-Browning! Meet Caro and find out how her story came to life.




Caro Layton-Browning is a mystery writer whose life seems to uncannily mirror her books. Her hubby Gregory, a professor in international law at the local university, is the yen to her yang, the common sense to her abstract craziness. These two are the perfect example of opposites whose paths crossed over a cup of bad coffee while at university and whose marriage has been a roller coaster ride from their native Great Britain to the verdant countryside of upstate New York.






Caro makes her first appearance in A BIRD IN THE HAND (2015), Book 1 in the Proverbial Crime Mysteries. She’s a walking conundrum, the product of a childhood spent absorbing books by Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, and Dorothy Sayers. Her parents, while not neglectful to the point of completely ignoring her, left her to own resources as they pursued their careers. Because of this, Caro’s best friends resided between the covers of works written decades ago, by authors whose vocabularies (‘lexicons’, according to Caro) were as dated as the books themselves. Needless to say, Caro tends to sound a bit ‘stuffy’ at times, even to her sweet spouse.


Caro and Greg land in Seneca Meadows, New York, a town with a sleepy past and one of the best bakeries around. This is a good thing, since Caro has a sweet tooth that doesn’t quit! Because of this, health-conscious Greg is always trying to get her to exercise a bit more. She finally agrees to take the family dachshund Trixie out for a stroll, more to get Greg off her back than to work off some of those bakery goodies. When she literally stumbles over a dead body in the local park, she’s off and running – figuratively, of course – in an attempt to find out whodunnit.


In WHEN THE CAT’S AWAY (Book 2, 2016), Caro is determined to loosen up, both with her word choice and her social life. Thanks to her new pal Meredith Holmes, Caro has found more time to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Unfortunately, her rose-smelling coincides with another death in picturesque Seneca Meadows, and once again Caro is hip-deep in murder and mayhem. With Merry in tow, the two gals fuel up on coffee and sugar as they try to solve the mystery…before becoming statistics themselves.



On a side note, Caro wants all and sundry to know that she named her dog after the girl sleuth Trixie Belden, heroine of her own mystery series (Julie Campbell, author). She highly recommends reading the books; in her opinion, which she tends to toss around with abandon in spite of resolving not to, these are far superior to the ‘other’ girl detective. For once, I’m in complete agreement with her!


One last thing: It wouldn’t be a series about a writer without a section filled with writing tips! Be sure to check out the back of each book for some great ideas, both for the casual writer to the serious novelist. (Caro has to give credit to her creator here, something that tends to stick in her craw. Still…)






About the Author


DANE McCASLIN, author of the new Proverbial Crime mystery series, resides in the state of Arizona with her very patient husband. She has been writing all of her life: poetry, short stories, journals, letters (yes, those old-fashioned epistles that require pen and paper), and now she brings her talents to the cozy mystery genre.


In addition to being an author, Dane McCaslin is an educator. She currently teaches advanced language arts classes for grade 11; additionally, she teaches beginning writing classes at the local university. Being an educator is an important part of her life, and passing on her passion for reading and writing to her grandchildren and to her students is one of her great joys.



Giveaway: Dane and Caro will be giving away an autographed copy of A BIRD IN THE HAND and WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY, as well as a Caro-inspired treat box. For a chance to win please leave a comment and email below. Winner will be announced on February 29th @12:00 AM EST. Good Luck!

Friday, February 26, 2016

What's New? Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott

What's New? Kernel of Truth(A Popcorn Shop Mystery) by Kristi Abbott. Releasing on March 1,2016.









Series: A Popcorn Shop Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 1, 2016)
Language: English




An all-new Popcorn Shop Mystery bursts on the scene, featuring gourmet popcorn entrepreneur Rebecca Anderson and her poodle Sprocket.

Opening a gourmet popcorn shop was never on Rebecca Anderson’s bucket list. But after a failed marriage to a celebrity chef, she’s ready for her life to open up and expand. She has returned to her hometown of Grand Lake, Ohio, with her popcorn-loving poodle Sprocket to start a new business—naturally called POPS. As a delicious bonus, Cordelia “Coco” Bittles, a close family friend who has always been like a grandmother to Rebecca, owns the chocolate shop next door, and the two are thinking of combining their businesses.


But when Coco’s niece, Alice, discovers her on the floor of her chocolate shop, those dreams go up in smoke. The local sheriff thinks Coco was the victim of a robbery gone wrong, but Rebecca isn’t so sure. As suspects start popping up all over, Rebecca is determined to turn up the heat and bring the killer to justice in a jiffy!


INCLUDES POPCORN RELATED RECIPES!


About the Author
Kristi Abbott is the author of Kernel of Truth, the debut novel in the Popcorn Shop Mystery series.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Guest Post- Ellen Bryon

I am delighted to have Ellen Bryon here today. Ellen is the author of Plantation Shudders. She is talking about the author and book that she loves. How about you, Do you have a favorite classic?




AN AUTHOR I LOVE

I’ve been an obsessive reader since childhood. I have a scar on my forehead from where I collided with a tree because I was reading a book while walking. So pinning me down on a favorite author is tough. Is it Charles Dickens? Agatha Christie? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Louise Penny? Well, if you put me up against a wall and said, “Ellen, you must name one and only ONE author,” it would be… Emily Bronte. The author of only one novel. But that singular novel, Wuthering Heights, will always be my favorite book.






I was a depressed, insecure teen when my family happened upon The Haunted Mansion Bookshop during a vacation in Vermont. The store was housed in a spooky Victorian home across from a cemetery and run by a man with only one arm. As I wandered through the dusty aisles, the man approached and used his good arm to hand me a book. “I think you’ll like this,” he said. It was a secondhand copy of Wuthering Heights.









Emily Bronte fascinates me. She wrote with a wild passion that you simply don’t associate with the Victorian era. Yet she was so anti-social that today we might say she was “on the spectrum.” This is how her sister Charlotte Bronte describes her: “My sister's disposition was not naturally gregarious; circumstances favoured and fostered her tendency to seclusion; except to go to church or take a walk on the hills, she rarely crossed the threshold of home. Though her feeling for the people round was benevolent, intercourse with them she never sought; nor, with very few exceptions, ever experienced. And yet she knew them: knew their ways, their language, their family histories; she could hear of them with interest, and talk of them with detail, minute, graphic, and accurate; but WITH them, she rarely exchanged a word.”


It’s hard to reconcile that repressed, introverted behavior with the woman who writes, “His eyes wide, and wet at last, flashed fiercely on her; his breast heaved convulsively. An instant they held asunder, and then how they met I hardly saw, but Catherine made a spring, and he caught her, and they were locked in an embrace from which I thought my mistress would never be released alive….”






Wow.


From a modern perspective, Heathcliff is basically an abusive misanthrope. But Emily Bronte paints such a vivid picture of his desperate love for Cathy that almost two centuries of women have crushed on him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that every actor who ever portrayed Heathcliff has been incredibly sexy. Every. Single. One. From Laurence Olivier to Rafe Fiennes to Timothy Dalton to Tom Hardy.



Tops on my bucket list is a pilgrimage to the Bronte Parsonage. I dream of walking the moors that Emily Bronte once walked.










And when that dream comes true, tucked under my arm will be that ancient copy of Wuthering Heights sold to me so long ago by a kind man in a ramshackle shop across the street from a centuries-old cemetery.




PLANTATION SHUDDERS: A CAJUN COUNTRY MYSTERY, available from Crooked Lane Books
A Lefty Nominee for Most Humorous Mystery
A Library Journal Debut Mystery of the Month
BODY ON THE BAYOU: A CAJUN COUNTRY MYSTERY, available September 2016
Sign up for my Cajun Country newsletter at ellenbyron.com
https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor


Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Book Spotlight- Shawn Reilly Simmons

Murder on a Silver Platter(A Red Carpet Catering Mystery) and Murder on the Half Shell(book 2) by Shawn Reilly Simmons were both released on February 23,2016.







Series: A Red Carpet Catering Mystery
Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: Henery Press; Second edition (February 23, 2016)
Language: English


Penelope Sutherland and her Red Carpet Catering company just got their big break as the on-set caterer for an upcoming blockbuster. But when she discovers a dead body outside her house, Penelope finds herself in hot water. Things start to boil over when serious accidents threaten the lives of the cast and crew. And when the film’s star, who happens to be Penelope’s best friend, is poisoned, the entire production is nearly shut down.

Threats and accusations send Penelope out of the frying pan and into the fire as she struggles to keep her company afloat. Before Penelope can dish up dessert, she must find the killer or she’ll be the one served up on a silver platter.







Series: A Red Carpet Catering Mystery
Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Henery Press; Second edition (February 23, 2016)
Language: English



Filming a movie on a sunny Florida beach may seem like working in paradise, but dealing with the brutal heat, a difficult director and a leading lady with a serious aversion to seafood makes for a challenging task for Penelope Sutherland and her Red Carpet Catering crew. After two girls go missing during a raucous beach party thrown by the movie's director, the cast and crew fall out of favor with the Andrea Island locals.

When a flashy celebrity chef is accused of the crime, Penelope Sutherland steps in to help her former culinary school instructor find the truth. Surrounded by suspicious locals with a history all their own, Penelope uncovers clues from the past that reveal an undercurrent of evil amid the magnificent sandy beaches.



About the Author


Shawn Reilly Simmons is the author of The Red Carpet Catering Mysteries featuring Penelope Sutherland, an on-set movie caterer, and of the short story "A Gathering of Great Detectives" appearing in the upcoming Malice Domestic Anthology: Murder Most Conventional. Shawn was born in Indiana, grew up in Florida, and began her professional career in New York City as a sales executive after graduating from the University of Maryland with a BA in English. Since then Shawn has worked as a book store manager, fiction editor, convention organizer, wine consultant and caterer. She has been on the Board of Directors of Malice Domestic since 2003, and is a founding member of The Dames of Detection. Cooking behind the scenes on movie sets perfectly combined two of her great loves, movies and food, and provides the inspiration for her series.


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Author Spotlight- Cheryl Hollon

It's time for Author Spotlight and this week goes to Cheryl Hollon. Cheryl is the author of Webb's Glass Shop Mystery series. Have you read her books? Add them to your list, you won't be disappointed.









Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India.


Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind their St. Petersburg, FL, 1920's craftsman bungalow, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass and painted glass artworks and jewelry.






Monday, February 22, 2016

First in Series- Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon

Happy Monday! Today's First in Series is Pane and Suffering( A Webb's Glass Shop Mystery Series) by Cheryl Hollon!








Series: A Webb's Glass Shop Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2015)
Language: English



“A fresh and original new series! Savannah Webb is as clever at piecing together clues as she is at piecing stained glass. Well-crafted with smart and intriguing clues, Pane and Suffering will keep you guessing to the end!”--Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author

To solve her father's murder and save the family-owned glass shop, Savannah Webb must shatter a killer's carefully constructed façade. . .

After Savannah's father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, she drops everything to return home to St. Petersburg, Florida, to settle his affairs--including the fate of the beloved, family-owned glass shop. Savannah intends to hand over ownership to her father's trusted assistant and fellow glass expert, Hugh Trevor, but soon discovers the master craftsman also dead of an apparent heart attack.

As if the coincidence of the two deaths wasn't suspicious enough, Savannah discovers a note her father left for her in his shop, warning her that she is in danger. With the local police unconvinced, it's up to Savannah to piece together the encoded clues left behind by her father. And when her father's apprentice is accused of the murders, Savannah is more desperate than ever to crack the case before the killer seizes a window of opportunity to cut her out of the picture. . .






Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India.

Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind their St. Petersburg, FL, 1920's craftsman bungalow, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass and painted glass artworks and jewelry.


Sunday, February 21, 2016

Weekly Wrap Up #8

It's a Wrap! Here is what happened this week:




February 15th- First in Series - Retirement Can be Murder by Susan Santangelo
February 16th- Author Spotlight- Susan Santangelo
February 17th- Valentine's Trivia- Linda Reilly/ Blog Tour- Burning Heat by David Burnsworth
February 18th- Blog Tour- Stiff Competition by Annalise Ryan
February 19th- What's New? Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
February 20th- Leading Ladies of Cozy Mystery



I have a couple books that I am reading for this week. Some great books coming out on Tuesday.



Coming this week:



February 22nd- First in Series- Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon
February 23rd - Author Spotlight- Cheryl Hollon
February 24th- Book Trivia- Ellen Bryon
February 25th - Guest Post
February 26th What's New? Take the Monkey and Run by Laura Morrigan
February 27th- Leading Ladies of Mystery


Hope to see you there.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Leading Ladies of Cozy Mysteries- Theodosia Browning

The Leading Ladies of Cozy Mysteries kicks off today with Theodosia Browning, Owner of Indigo Tea Shop. Tea lovers and cozy mystery readers will love this series. Recipes and Tea Tips can be found at the back of the books.


Charleston's Indigo Tea Shop Owner. Introduced in Death By Darjeeling, book one in the Tea Shop Mystery.







Before the tea shop, Theodosia worked at an advertising agency. Filled with hard work and long hours after 14 years she wanted some that fit her better. More relaxing and fun.
While serving on a pro bono marketing committee for Charleston's annual arts festival, she stumbled on a quirky opportunity. A Little tea shop was up for sale. After a long sleepless night , Theodosia knew what she wanted and was going to go and get it. She took her small savings and put a down payment on the tea shop. She would do everything she could to get it up and running.


She learned everything she needed to about tea and making the business a success. She threw herself into her work and was ready to open. Theodosia hired Drayton Connelly and he became her tea expert. It wasn't long after she opened that she became profitable and a popular tour stop.



When you visit the tea shop you are greeted by her lovable dog Earl Grey. He was a rescue dog, was abandoned and wandering the streets and Theodosia fell in love with him. He is part Dalmation and part Labrador making him a Dalbrador. Theodosia has given him a permanent home and the official greeter of the Indigo Tea Shop.


Find out more about Theodosia Browning in the continuing Tea Shop Mystery Series. 1. Death by Darjeeling
2. Gunpowder Green
3. Shades of Earl Gray
4. The English Breakfast Murder
5. The Jasmine Moon Murder
6. Chamomile Mourning
7. Blood Orange Brewing
8. Dragonwell Dead
9. The Silver Needle Murder
10. Oolong Dead
11. The Teaberry Strangler
12. Scones & Bones
13. Agony of the Leaves
14. Sweet Tea Revenge
15. Steeped in Evil
16. Ming Tea Murder
17. Devonshire Scream


Here is what people are saying about THE TEA SHOP MYSTERIES

Named to the USA Today and New York Times Bestseller Lists

"Childs' plots simmer slowly while Theodosia's dogged yet elegant sleuthing is as satisfying as sipping a cup of jade oolong." --Publishers Weekly

"Literary pick of the week: Laura Childs."

"Delicious recipes, teatime tips, opera, and murder in a national bestselling mystery series that has quickly become a favorite of readers. --Mystery Reader

"Entertainment at its finest, with murder, mystery, and mayhem running through the swiftly turning pages. --Fresh Fiction

"Chock full of intrigue and even voodoo, there are haunted mansions, slimy swamps, stolen jewels, and an old and secret society that meets in the dark of an old dungeon." --Romance Reviews Today


About the Author:




Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She's also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans' spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe's undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.


Friday, February 19, 2016

What's New? The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton

What's New? The Cracked Spine( A Scottish Bookshop Mystery) by Paige Shelton is a brand new series that is coming out on March 29th.







Series: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 29, 2016)
Language: English



Wanted: A bold adventurer who wants to travel the world from a comfortable and safe spot behind a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes. A humble book and rare manuscript shop seeks a keenly intelligent investigator to assist us in our search for things thought lost, and in our quest to return lost items to their rightful owners.

Never an adventurer, no one was more surprised than Delaney Nichols when she packed her bags and moved halfway across the world to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine, a bookshop located in the heart of the city. Her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit a cryptic one, and Delaney can’t wait to take her spot behind the desk.

The Cracked Spine is filled with everything a book lover could want, each item as eclectic as the people who work there; the spirited and lovable Rosie, who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An extra bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his cobalt eyes, and a gentle brogue―and it doesn’t hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact goes missing, and Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Never did Delaney think that searching for things lost could mean a killer, but if she’s to keep her job, and protect her new friends, she’ll need to learn the truth behind this Scottish tragedy.




About the Author

PAIGE SHELTON had a nomadic childhood as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was even twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, she moved to Salt Lake City where she thought she'd only stay a couple years, but she fell in love with the mountains and a great guy who became her husband. After many decades in Utah, she and her family recently moved to Arizona.


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Blog Tour- Stiff Competition by Annelise Ryan

Blog Tour- Stiff Competition by Annelise Ryan was released on January 26th. This is book seven in the Mattie Winston Mystery Series.








Series: A Mattie Winston Mystery (Book 7)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Kensington (January 26, 2016)
Language: English



Synopsis

Every fall, hunting season in Sorenson, Wisconsin, leads to some accidental injuries. Deputy coroner Mattie Winston just hopes the hunters don’t bring any more business to her office. But somebody seems to have declared open season on land developers. One real estate developer who’s recently come to town has been found dead in the woods with an arrow through his neck. Now it’s up to Mattie to get to the bottom of the killing. That might be easier if she wasn’t also hunting for Detective Hurley’s teenage daughter, Emily, who has suddenly disappeared. With a homicidal William Tell out on the loose, Mattie is desperate to find Emily before the killer notches another arrow…

This is book seven in the series and by far the best one yet. Mattie has a busy time with all that is happening with the new baby and work, she manages to keep it together. From the moment you open the book you are swept away to Sorenson Wisconsin. The characters have grown so much and keep the story fun and entertaining. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to find out what they will get themselves into next.




About The Author

Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of three suspense novels and another mystery series. She has written more than 200 published articles, worked as a book reviewer for Barnes & Noble, and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She currently works as a registered nurse in an ER. She can be reached at www.mattiewinston.com.


Author Links:

Webpage – www.mattiewinston.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneliseRyan/?fref=ts
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2994644.Annelise_Ryan


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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Valentine's Day Trivia hosted by Linda Reilly

It's time for Valentine's trivia and today's lovely host is Linda Reilly! Thank you so much for being here today Linda.








Hello, I’m Linda Reilly (www.lindasreilly.com). I’d like to thank Shelley for inviting me to join her today on her wonderful blog! I’ll be challenging you with some Valentine’s Day (or related) trivia questions. Prizes will be awarded to three winners. The first prize is a signed copy of Fillet of Murder. The second is a signed copy of Out of the Dying Pan (after its March 1, 2016 release), and the third is a $10 Amazon gift card to be sent electronically.

Have fun . . . I can’t wait to read your answers!

1. The famous pastel candy hearts we see each Valentine’s Day are produced by NECCO, which stands for which of the following?

a. New England Confectionary Company
b. New England Coffee & Candy Operations
c. New England Candy and Chocolate Organization


2. Around the middle of the nineteenth century, “vinegar valentines” became popular. The name arose from which of these?

a. The use of vinegar to preserve the card stock on which the valentine was printed
b. The stench given off by the voluminous amounts of red ink on each card
c. The derogatory or insulting message contained in the valentine


3. A tour of the White House first aired on television on Valentine’s Day in 1962. The tour was hosted by which of these famous persons?

a. Elvis Presley
b. Jacqueline Kennedy
c. Bob Hope


4. In my first cozy mystery, Some Enchanted Murder, lovesick banker Frederic Dwardene pens a valentine poem to the woman he loves. In which year was the valentine written? (Hint: it was the year after I was born; I became eligible for Medicare on 12/1/15!)

a. 1945
b. 1951
c. 1958


5. Not exactly trivia, but . . . can you spot the mistake in this antique postcard showing two lovers embracing?

a. The man has only one ear
b. The woman has a beard
c. A word is misspelled





Leave answers and email for a chance to win. Winners will be chosen on Saturday February 20th. Good Luck.


www.lindasreilly.com

http://www.facebook.com/Lindasreillyauthor

Blog Tour- Burning Heat by David Burnsworth

I am excited to be part of this blog tour. Burning Heat by David Burnsworth was released on January 20th. If you haven't read it add it to your list to read.







Hardcover: 286 pages
Publisher: Five Star Publishing (January 20, 2016)
Language: English



As darkness blankets the holy city of Charleston, South Carolina, Brack Pelton, an Afghanistan War veteran, steps out of a rundown bar after a long night. Before he gets to his truck, he finds himself in the middle of a domestic dispute between a man and a woman on the sidewalk. When a little girl joins the couple and gets hit by the man, Brack intervenes and takes him down. But the abuser isn’t finished. He pulls a gun and shoots the woman. Brack saves the little girl, but his world has just been rocked. Again.

The next day, while sitting on a barstool in the Pirate’s Cove on the Isle of Palms, his own bar, Brack scans the local paper. The news headline reads: Burned Body of Unidentified Hispanic Man Found at Construction Site. Nothing about a dead woman in the poor section of town. Brack feels a tap on his shoulder and turns around to see an eight-year-old girl standing behind him. She’s the little girl he rescued the night before, and she wants him to look into her sister’s shooting.

Violence and danger make up Brack’s not-too-distant past. Part of him craves it–needs it. And that part has just been fed. Things are about to heat up again in the lowcountry. May God have mercy on the souls who get in the way.



I read this book in one day. The intensity of the story keeps you compelled to read until the end. A cast of characters so strong this fast-paced drama will keep you on the edge of your seat.This is a great read for people who love action and a book that will keep you up all night reading.






About This Author

David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern Heat is his first mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their dog call South Carolina home.

Author Links:

Webpage – www.davidburnsworthbooks.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BurnsworthDavid
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7229192.David_Burnsworth
Twitter – https://twitter.com/DavidBurnsworth

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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Author Spotlight- Susan Santangelo

Happy Tuesday! Today's author spotlight goes to the lovely Susan Santangelo!!!







I'm the author of the humorous Baby Boomer mysteries, which follow the adventures of Carol and Jim Andrews as they navigate their way along life's highway toward their twilight years.With one dead body thrown in, just to keep things interesting.


Here's a little information about me.

I've been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in the NY metro area. I'm a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cape Cod Writers Center, all great resources for mystery writers.

Here's the published titles: "Retirement Can Be Murder," 2009 (has been suggested for a tv series -- I'm still hopeful!)
"Moving Can Be Murder," 2011
"Marriage Can Be Murder," 2012 (features a destination wedding on Nantucket and was chosen as one of Suspense Magazine's 2012 Best Mysteries)
"Class Reunions Can Be Murder," 2013 (this one takes place at Carol's 40th high school reunion)
"Funerals Can Be Murder," 2014.

Book 6, "Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder," takes place in Florida and will be released on February 16, 2016.




The subhead for each of the titles is "Every Wife Has A Story." My six-year-old English cocker spaniel,Boomer, is the cover model for the books. He's quite the handsome guy. And a photo of our newest addition to the family, Lilly (AKC name, "My Pulitzer Prize") graces the back cover of Book 6. There are at least 5 more books planned in the series, so stay tuned!



Stop by Susan's website and find out what is happening:

http://babyboomermysteries.com/


Monday, February 15, 2016

First in a Series- Retirement can be Murder by Susan Santangelo

It's a First in Series and this week is Retirement can Be Murder(Every Wife has a Story Mystery) by Susan Santangelo.








Paperback: 231 pages
Publisher: Baby Boomer Mysteries Press (April 1, 2009)
Language: English



Every wife has a story. Retirement Can Be Murder is the story of Carol Andrews and her Beloved Husband, Jim, members of the fastest growing demographic in history, the Baby Boomer generation. Carol dreads her husband Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain.

She can't imagine anything worse than having an at-home husband with time on his hands and nothing to fill it -- except interfering in the day-to-day activities of their household and driving her crazy. Until her plans to stall Jim's retirement result in her husband being suspected of murdering his retirement coach.



About the Author

Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine. A member of Sisters in Crime and The Cape Cod Writers Center, she shares her life with her Personal Beloved and one very spoiled English cocker spaniel, Boomer. She divides her time between Connecticut and Cape Cod.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Blog Tour- Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence

I am excited to be part of this blog tour.Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence is book 2 in the Bianca Goodard Mystery series.








In the mid sixteenth century, Henry VIII sits on the throne, and Bianca Goddard tends to the sick and suffering in London’s slums, where disease can take a life as quickly as murder. . .

For years, alchemist Ferris Stannum has devoted himself to developing the Elixir of Life, the reputed serum of immortality. Having tested his remedy successfully on an animal, Stannum intends to send his alchemy journal to a colleague in Cairo for confirmation. Instead he is strangled in his bed and his journal is stolen.

As the daughter of an alchemist herself, Bianca is well acquainted with the mystical healing arts. As her husband, John, falls ill with the sweating sickness, she dares to hope Stannum’s journal could contain the secret to his recovery. But first she must solve the alchemist’s murder. As she ventures into a world of treachery and deceit, Stannum’s death proves to be only the first in a series of murders–and Bianca’s quest becomes a matter of life and death, not only for her husband, but for herself. .


Mary Lawrence is great at with she does, with the historical accuracy and a story well written you will feel like you have been swept away to 1643 London. Bianca is a strong character that can hold her own and she knows how to get things done. So when she finds out that Ferris has been killed and his journal is missing she needs to find out why. And on all nights when Ferris had discovered the Elixir of Life. She knows that they are somehow connected and will do all that she must to find out who the killer is. So captivating is the story that once you start it you wont be able to put it down.






About The Author

Mary Lawrence studied biology and chemistry, graduating from Indiana University with a degree in Cytotechnology. She won the Celtic Heart Golden Claddagh Award for historical fiction, and was a finalist in both the RWA® Golden Heart contest, and the Gotham Young Adult Novel Discovery competition. Along with writing and farming, Lawrence works as a cytologist near Boston. She lives in Maine. The Alchemist’s Daughter is the first book in the Bianca Goddard Mystery series. Visit her at marylawrencebooks.com.



Author Links:
Webpage – http://www.marylawrencebooks.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mel59lawrence
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489259-death-of-an-alchemis




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Wrap Up # 7

It has been a fun week with authors and giveaways. Here is what happened:




February 8th- First in Series- Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
February 9th- Author Spotlight- Duffy Brown
February 10th- Valentine's Day Trivia- Terrie Moran
February 11th- Guest Post by Mare Farechild
February 12th- What's New? Ripe for Murder by Carlene O'Neil
February 13th- Blog Tour- Beauty, Beast and Belladonna by Maia Chance


A lot of reading happening this month. Stay tuned for blog tours and more.


Coming this week:



February 15th- First in Series - Retirement Can be Murder by Susan Santangelo
February 16th- Author Spotlight- Susan Santangelo
February 17th- Valentine's Trivia- Linda Reilly/ Blog Tour- Burning Heat by David Burnsworth
February 18th- Blog Tour- Stiff Competition by Annalise Ryan
February 19th- What's New? Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
February 20th- Shelley's Review


See you there!

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Blog Tour- Beauty, Beast and Belladonna by Maia Chance

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour.( Sponsored by Meryl Moss Media) Beauty, Beast and Belladonna(A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery) by Maia Chance.








Series: A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (February 2, 2016)
Language: English



BEAUTY, BEAST, AND BELLADONNA
by Maia Chance


Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax has accepted the marriage proposal of the brutish Comte de Griffe to nettle her occasional investigative partner—and romantic sparring partner—the pompous if dashing Professor Penrose.


But the Comte’s boorish table manners, wild mane of hair, and habit of prowling away the wee hours has shredded Ophelia’s last nerve. She intends to disengage from her feral fiancé at his winter hunting party—until Penrose, his lovely new fiancée, and a stagecoach of stranded travelers arrive at the Comte’s sprawling château. Soon she can’t tell the boars from the bores.


When one of the guests is found clawed and bloody in the orangerie, Ophelia is determined to solve the murder before everyone starts believing the local version of Beauty and the Beast. But until the snows melt, she can’t trust her eyes—or her heart—since even the most civilized people hold beastly secrets.



I enjoyed this book.It was intriguing and charming. You are instantly pulled in by the story you will want to keep reading till the end.The author takes fairy tales and add a twist with a side of murder that makes this action packed mystery one you won't be able to put down. I look forward to what Maia will have next.


Q&A with Maia Chance - Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna

1.)Describe Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna in 140 characters or less.

Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna is a fun, adventurous, and romantic historical mystery set in a secret-riddled French chateau in 1867.

2.) What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Happiness for me is spending time outside somewhere beautiful, with my husband, kids, and dog.
3.) What’s your favorite part of Ophelia’s quirky personality?

I like the way Ophelia compensates in creative and gutsy ways for her lack of a good formal education. She’s smart and resourceful and she uses her unusual skill set—farm girl, circus performer, actress—to help solve the mystery.

4.)Which living person do you most admire?

My husband, actually. He is an unusually gifted person who overcame significant disadvantages and obstacles to get where he is today. And he gives the best pep-talks!

5.)What inspired you to marry fairytales and mystery?

I was searching for something that hadn’t been done yet, and I was reading a lot of fairy tale criticism for school at the time. It sounded like a deliciously fun project, so I plunged in.

6.) Is there a type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?

Dialogue definitely comes more easily for me. I find action scenes more challenging—I’m paranoid that they’ll get bogged down. (So if I can, I add dialogue to my action scenes!)

7.) What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Sticking to strict schedules. I don’t like to keep people waiting, but there is something to be said for giving yourself creative or restful wiggle-room during the day.

8.) Which of the characters in this novel do you feel the most drawn to?

I became more attached to Professor Penrose in this book. He’s more vulnerable and at a loss than in the previous two books—and more deeply in love.

9.) Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Oh, my. Probably dozens. I seem to like “buzz” a lot for some reason. I’m deleting it all the time.

10.) Can you describe for us your process for naming characters?

For historical American characters I use census records. I collect names from cemeteries whenever I visit one, and I often borrow names from literature. Since my books have lots of characters, I try to give them all distinctive names that hint at their personalities, to help the reader keep everyone sorted in their mind.

11.) Who are your favorite writers?

Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Edith Wharton and Theodor Adorno.

12.) Who is your most loved hero of fiction?

Indiana Jones.

13.) Which talent would you most like to have?

It would be ecstasy to be a really, really great opera singer.

14.) You're hosting a dinner party, which five authors (dead or alive) would you invite?

P. G. Wodehouse would probably be the life of any party. Also, Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. There would be lots of drinking at this party. Maybe some arguments. No strip poker though.

15.) Do you have a favorite time period in literature?

Not really. Because of my English degrees I have read very widely, and I have favorites from every era. And every era has its stultifying boring authors, too.

16.) What is your motto?

Keep trying.

17.) What is the best reaction over a book that you’ve ever gotten from a fan?

Fans who say my book gave them pure pleasure—that’s happened a few times—make me so happy. It’s my aim to give people something to read that’s a pleasurable and absorbing diversion from Real Life. Real Life is hard.

18.) Where would you most like to live?

A place with lots of trees where I could do all my daily activities and errands on foot. I’m working on it.

19.) Which historical figure do you most identify with?

No one specific, but I often think of the female writers over the centuries who kept at their stories even when they had screaming kids and the dinner to cook and a really messy house piling up around them. They did it, and so can I.

20. )What are you working on next?

I just completed a humorous contemporary mystery that does not yet have a publisher, and I’m working on a historical fantasy adventure with a co-author. After that, the next thing will be book #3 of the Discreet Retrieval Agency series.



BEAUTY, BEAST and BELLADONNA

Beware of allowing yourself to be prejudiced by appearances. –Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, “Beauty and the Beast” (1756)

The day had arrived. Miss Ophelia Flax’s last day in Paris, her last day in Artemis Stunt’s gilt-edged apartment choked with woody perfumes and cigarette haze. Ophelia had chosen December 12th, 1867, at eleven o’clock in the morning as the precise time she would make a clean breast of it. And now it was half past ten.

Ophelia swept aside brocade curtains and shoved a window open. Rain spattered her face. She leaned out and squinted up the street. Boulevard Saint-Michel was a valley of stone buildings with iron balconies and steep slate roofs. Beyond carriages and bobbling umbrellas, a horse-drawn omnibus splashed closer.

“Time to go,” she said, and latched the window shut. She turned. “Good-bye, Henrietta. You will write to me—telegraph me, even—if Prue changes her mind about the convent?”
“Of course, darling.” Henrietta Bright sat at the vanity table, still in her frothy dressing gown. “But where shall I send a letter?” She shrugged a half-bare shoulder in the looking glass. Reassuring herself, no doubt, that at forty-odd years of age she was still just as dazzling as the New York theater critics used to say.

“I’ll let the clerk at Howard DeLuxe’s Varieties know my forwarding address,” Ophelia said. “Once I have one.” She pulled on cheap gloves with twice-darned fingertips.

“What will you do in New England?” Henrietta asked. “Besides getting buried under snowdrifts and puritans? I’ve been to Boston. The entire city is like a mortuary. No drinking on Sundays, either.” She sipped her glass of poison-green cordial. “Although, all that knuckle-rapping does make the gentlemen more generous with actresses like us when they get the chance.”

“Actresses like us?” Ophelia went to her carpetbag, packed and ready on the opulent bed that might’ve suited the Princess on the Pea. Ladies born and raised on New Hampshire farmsteads did not sleep in such beds. Not without prickles of guilt, at least. “I’m no longer an actress, Henrietta. Neither are you.” And they were never the same kind of actress. Or so Ophelia fervently wished to believe.

“No? Then what precisely do you call tricking the Count Griffe into believing you are a wealthy soap heiress from Cleveland, Ohio? Sunday school lessons?”

“I had to do it.” Ophelia dug in her carpetbag and pulled out a bonnet with crusty patches of glue where ribbon flowers once had been. She clamped it on her head. “I’m calling upon the Count Griffe at eleven o’clock, on my way to the steamship ticket office. I told you. He scarpered to England so soon after his proposal, I never had a chance to confess. He’s in Paris only today before he goes to his country château, so today is my last chance to tell him everything.”

“It’s horribly selfish of you not to wait two more weeks, Ophelia—two measly weeks.” Not this old song and dance again. “Wait two more weeks so that you might accompany me to the hunting party at Griffe’s château? Stand around and twiddle my thumbs for two whole weeks while you hornswoggle some poor old gent into marrying you? Money and love don’t mix, you know.”

“What? They mix beautifully. And not hornswoggle, darling. Seduce. And Mr. Larsen isn’t a poor gentleman. He’s as rich as Midas. Artemis confirmed as much.” “You know what I meant. Helpless.” “Mr. Larsen is a widower, yes.” Henrietta smiled. “Deliciously helpless.” “I must go now, Henrietta. Best of luck to you.” “I’m certain Artemis would loan you her carriage—oh, wait. Principled Miss Ophelia Flax must forge her own path. Miss Ophelia Flax never accepts hand-outs or—”

“Artemis has been ever so kind, allowing me to stay here the last three weeks, and I couldn’t impose any more.” Artemis Stunt was Henrietta’s friend, a wealthy lady authoress. “I’ll miss my omnibus.” Ophelia pawed through the carpetbag, past her battered theatrical case and a patched petticoat, and drew out a small box. The box, shiny black with painted roses, had been a twenty-sixth birthday gift from Henrietta last week. It was richer than the rest of Ophelia’s possessions by miles, but it served a purpose: a place to hide her little nest egg.

The omnibus fare, she well knew from her month in Paris, was thirty centimes. She opened the box. Her lungs emptied like a bellows. A slip of paper curled around the ruby ring Griffe had given her. But her money—all of her hard-won money she’d scraped together working as a lady’s maid in Germany a few months back—was gone. Gone. She swung toward Henrietta. “Where did you hide it?” “Hide what?” “My money!” “Scowling like that will only give you wrinkles.”



MAIA CHANCE writes historical mystery novels that are rife with absurd predicaments and romantic adventure. She is the author of the Fairy Tale Fatal series, The Discreet Retrieval Agency series and the Prohibition-era caper, Come Hell or Highball. Her first mystery, Snow White Red-Handed, was a national bestseller. Maia lives in Seattle, where she shakes a killer martini, grows a mean radish, and bakes mocha bundts to die for. She is a Ph.D. candidate for English at the University of Washington.


Friday, February 12, 2016

What's New? Ripe for Murder by Carlene O'Neil

What's New? Ripe for Murder (A Cyprus Cove Mystery) by Carlene O'Neil is due to release on March 1,2016.







Series: A Cypress Cove Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 1, 2016)
Language: English



From the author of One Foot in the Grape—a new full-bodied Cypress Cove mystery that is certain to delight, even if one wine lover is about to expire…

Penny Lively loves running her family’s winery, but to keep business growing, she needs to find a way to attract more guests. When she’s approached to invest in a new train line through wine country, Penny and her intoxicating winery manager, Connor, hightail it to a lavish resort to hear the details. Unfortunately, her neighbor’s daughter, Chantal, is also there, swirling up trouble by flirting with the married investors—and with Connor too.

When one of the investors’ wives is murdered, Chantal, who was seen fighting with the woman, is the prime suspect. Chantal may be a sour grape, but she’s no killer. So Penny, who’s become a sleuthing connoisseur, starts sniffing out the real suspect—and discovers that her fellow potential investors have been savoring more than their share of deadly secrets...


About the Author:





National best selling author Carlene O'Neil is a former television writer, and is currently a commercial real estate broker in the Los Angeles market. She grew up in the heart of wine country in northern California, and is accredited by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Currently she lives in Valencia, California. The Cypress Cove Mystery Series is set along the central California coast, and the similarities between the fictional town of Cypress Cove and the stunning town of Carmel are no accident.


One Foot in the Grape is the first in the series published by Berkley Prime Crime. Her second novel, Ripe for Murder, is scheduled for release March 2016. You can reach Carlene at her website at carleneoneil.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/CarleneONeilAuthor


Thursday, February 11, 2016

Guest Post- Mary FairChild

I am delighted to have my friend Mary Fairchild here today.Mary is an avid reader and very crafty with knitting and crocheting.








I first became acquainted with Charlotte MacLeod’s books in the mid-1980s. A good friend was moving to the west coast and gifting me a portion of her immense fiction library. In the second box I found a copy of Wrack and Rune and the love affair began.


Back in the dark ages, aka the time before the internet, getting one’s hands on books was not quite as simple as it is now. My local brick and mortar store (this is a phrase I’d never heard of until Amazon came into existence) could special order books and then the wait began. I’m a bit of a nutter on reading series in order so for me to really enjoy this book was very unusual and it was also a challenge for me to find the other titles of her books and the order in which they were published. The next book that I stumbled across, after devouring the Peter Shandy series over the course of a couple of years (again, no Amazon or internet access) was The Withdrawing Room. It was in a box at a tag sale along with a copy of Murder goes Mumming by Alicia Craig. I grabbed them both because the art work was very similar and I didn’t realize that they were the same author. What a delightful surprise.




For a few years I worked part-time in a used book store which was a bit of Heaven and a bit dismal on the paycheck. I managed to amass a few more of her books and I was introduced to Bowker’s Books in Print. This massive set was the easiest way to find authors and titles at the time. Very cumbersome, but a very handy item. In some ways I think it’s a bit sad that we no longer have to rely on a print book for our information because there was something a little magical about opening the book and embarking on the quest for information. My greedy, impatient side thinks otherwise.


It’s been many, many years now since I first cracked the spine on Ms. MacLeod’s book, but they are a treat that I’ve enjoyed immensely over the years. Her quick wit, eloquent writing, and delightful characters will stay with me for a long time to come. Just after Christmas I began the Grub-and-Stakers series again and I can only say that until you have spent time with Charlotte MacLeod’s characters there really is no way to describe the charming experience that you are missing. Brew a cup of tea, pull up a chair, and lose yourself in the stories of one of the most entertaining mystery writers I know.



ArtFire: http://www.artfire.com/users/InquisitiveFelines
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1278751
Wordpress: http://inquisitivefelinesandfibers.wordpress.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Book Trivia- Terrie Moran

It is time for trivia and today's lovely host is Terrie Moran!


Hi my name is Terrie Farley Moran (http://terriefarleymoran.com/ ) and I am excited to be your trivia hostess today.
Literature is filled with romance and romantic references so I thought I’d ask about a few. Prizes? Of course!

There are three individual prizes: One copy of Well Read, Then Dead. http://www.amazon.com/Well-Read-Then-Dead-Mystery/dp/0425270289/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FDSMVJJ8ZT0E47HERN2

One copy of Caught Read-Handed. http://www.amazon.com/Caught-Read-Handed-Read-Eat-Mystery/dp/0425270297/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=516CX8DAtUL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR99%2C160_&refRID=1TJ9X0S0TS3ZZW9QMNRX

And one bright red Caught Read-Handed tote. Happy Valentine’s Day!







1. A series of movies in the 1930s and 1940s based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel The Thin Man featured a married couple whose last name is Charles. What are their first names?


2. Daphne du Maurier always claimed that her romantic gothic masterpiece Rebecca was really a story of jealousy. True or False?


3. Romeo and Juliet are two of the most famous lovers in literature. What are their last names?


4. In the Read ’Em and Eat series, the protagonist seems to have a romantic attraction to Lieutenant Frank Anthony, although she also is also close to reporter Cady Stanton. What is the protagonist’s name?


Elizabeth Barrett married Robert Browning secretly because she knew her father would disapprove, as he didn’t want any of his children to marry. True or False?



Terrie Farley Moran
Caught Read-Handed
www.terriefarleymoran.com

Leave answers and email below for a chance to win, And remember there will be three winners! You will have until Feb 14th @12 AM EST!! Good Luck everyone!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Author Spotlight- Duffy Brown

It's time for Author Spotlight- and this week's lovely author is Duffy Brown!! Duffy is the author of The Consignment Shop Mystery Series as well as the Cycle Path Mystery series.








While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, I wanted to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. Today I'm a National Bestselling author and conjure up who-done-it stories for Berkley Prime Crime. I has two series, the Consignment Shop mysteries set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries on Mackinac Island.







I live in Ohio, have four kids and two grandkids. I'm a widow and have two cats Spooky and Dr. Watson who rule the roost. I love to garden. Flowers are my passion. Zumba is my way of trying to get rid of those donuts I have for breakfast.


I read Nancy Drew when growing up and it changed my life. I grew up in an era like Mad Men when men pretty much did all the cool stuff. Women could be teachers, nurses, secretaries and that was about it for a career. And then there was Nancy. She was smarter than the boys, always solved the mystery and she had a really cool car. I wanted to be Nancy!


I love anything Sherlock. My license plate is Shrlok.
I am crazy about the new BBC version of Sherlock. What great stories. And I love the TV show Gilmore Girls. Totally addicted. Great humor and very smart. I love the Stephanie Plum stories because we all need to laugh more.



You can find Duffy at www.duffybrown.com




Giveaway: Duffy is giving two more totes away to two lucky readers. Leave a comment and email by February 15th @12AM EST. for a chance to win. Good Luck!!

Monday, February 8, 2016

First in Series- Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown

It's time for First in a Series and this weeks first is Geared For the Grave (A Cycle Path Mystery) by Duffy Brown released on December 2,2014.







Series: A Cycle Path Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (December 2, 2014)
Language: English


"Sparkling dialogue, an unforgettable island setting, and all the charm a cozy mystery fan would want."--New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams


FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coasts through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it’s up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again…


Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…

After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…


Coming April 5th. Book 2 in the Cycle Path Mystery Series: Braking for Bodies!




Evie Bloomfield puts the pedal to the metal—in the latest Cycle Path mystery from the national bestselling author of Geared for the Grave.

Moving from Los Angeles to small, picturesque Mackinac Island to work in a bike shop might seem crazy, but Evie knows it’s the best decision she’s ever made. That’s not to say she’s gotten rid of all her stress; after all, the upcoming Lilac Festival has everyone in town riding in circles.

But things really go downhill when a ferry full of tourists—including Evie’s friend Fiona’s former boss, the editor of a sleazy rag in LA—arrives on the island. No one knows why Peephole Perry came all the way to Mackinac, but things aren’t looking good for Fiona when Peep is found dead. Now Evie has to gear up and get a grip on the truth if she wants to clear her friend’s name...


About the Author

Duffy Brown is the national bestselling author of the Consignment Shop Mysteries, including Pearls in Poison, Killer in Crinolines, and Iced Chiffon. She loves anything with a mystery. While other girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, and works at a consignment shop when she’s not busy conjuring up whodunit stories.


Giveaway: Two lucky readers will receive this adorable bag. Leave a comment and email to be entered. Contest runs until February 12th @12 AM EST. Good Luck!

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...