Thursday, March 31, 2016

Guest Post- Linda O. Johnston

I am thrilled to have Linda O. Johnston here with us today. Linda is the author of several book series that have brought hours of great reading.








I'm Linda O. Johnston, and I'm delighted to be guest blogging again on Shelley's Book Case!


So what do I want to blog about? Me, of course. And dogs. They're my loves, and the theme of lots of the books I write. I'm currently writing four series (yes, at the same time!) and three of them feature dogs. Well, canines, at least. One of the series is my paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne, and it's all about Alpha Force, a covert military unit of shapeshifters. Most of them shift into wolves, and all of those wolf shifters have cover dogs. The most recent Alpha Force story, Canadian Wolf, was the seventh in the series and I'm working on another one.


Then there are the two mystery series that I write for Midnight Ink. One is the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, about Carrie Kennersly, a veterinary technician. Carrie bought a friend's human bakery in the town of Knobcone Heights, California , and turned half into a barkery where she sells healthy treats she developed for patients at the veterinary hospital where she works. She has a dog of her own, too--a golden miniature poodle-terrier mix named, appropriately, Biscuit. And, yes, murders occur in Knobcone Heights and Carrie gets involved in solving them.


I also write the Superstition Mysteries that take place in Destiny, California , which is all about superstitions. Rory Chasen goes to Destiny with her dog Pluckie to check out the reality of superstitions after her fiancé died after walking under a ladder. When they first arrive, Rory learns that black and white dogs like Pluckie are good luck. How does she learn that? Well, Pluckie insists on going into the back room of a pet boutique where Rory finds the owner having medical problems. In effect, Pluckie saves her life. The owner asks Rory, who worked for a pet store chain in LA, to stay and manage the pet boutique, and of course she does. Murders occur in Destiny, too, that Rory has to help solve. The most recent Superstition Mystery is Knock on Wood, and later this year Unlucky Charms will be published.

I also write for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and those stories don't involve dogs. They're still fun, though.

My second Barkery & Biscuits Mystery To Catch A Treat will be published in May of this year, and it'll be my 42nd published novel.

The first in the series, Bite the Biscuit, was a finalist in the fiction category of the Dog Writers Association of America's Maxwell Awards. I'm delighted!

So, yes, I love dogs. I love writing. And I love hearing from readers.

Come visit me at www.LindaOJohnston.com. And friend me on Facebook.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Book Trivia- Ellery Adams

I am always thrilled when today's trivia host visits- Ellery Adams is here!! Ellery is the author of The Book Retreat Mysteries,The Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries, The Books By the Bay Mysteries.








To celebrate the release of Breach of Crust, the 5th Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery, I thought it would be fun to host a “pie question” contest. These questions are a mixture of questions based on facts from The Charmed Pie Shoppe books and your personal opinions or experiences, so everyone should be able to post a correct entry! A random winner will receive these enchanting Lennox Butterfly Meadow measuring spoons. Questions will appear below the blurb of Breach of Crust, which comes out April 5th.





Plate up another slice of Southern magic and mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Lemon Pies and Little White Lies . . .





PIE SHELLS AND DEATH BELLES


Ella Mae LeFaye’s delicious pies are still drawing long lines—as well as the attention of Beatrice Burbank, president of the Camellia Club, a philanthropic organization comprised of high-society Southern ladies from the charming and affluent town of Sweet Briar, Georgia. To ensure the success of their centennial dessert cookbook, Bea hires Ella Mae to teach the tasty tricks of her trade to the club’s members at their annual retreat. Eager to work on new recipes for customers with food allergies and dietary restrictions, Ella Mae readily agrees.



But when Ella Mae finds Bea’s body floating in Lake Havenwood, she wonders what she’s gotten herself mixed up in. Someone certainly wanted Bea to eat humble pie, and the retreat offers no shortage of unsavory characters, including Ella Mae’s longtime nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor. Ella Mae definitely doesn’t need magic to tell her she must find the killer before someone else gets panned.


Pie Questions – Contest


1. Name one of Ella Mae’s aunts and her corresponding magical power.

2.Do you remember your first piece of pie? Who made/served it to you?

3. What is the name/breed of Ella Mae’s dog?

4. As a child, what sort of magical things did you believe in?

5. What is the title of the second book in The Charmed Pie Shoppe series?

6. Which pie variety do Americans like best?

7. What’s your favorite pie?



That’s it! Easy as…yeah, you get the picture. Thank you for supporting cozy mysteries!




The contest will run until Saturday @12 AM EST. Good Luck everyone!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Author Spotlight- Barbara Fradkin

This week's Author Spotlight goes out to the lovely Barbara Fradkin. I was so thrilled to have met her last year. She is a delight to know. If you haven't read her books yet, what are you waiting for? They are so amazing!








Barbara Fradkin (nee Currie) was born in Montreal and obtained her B.A. at McGill University and M.A. at the University of Toronto, before moving to Ottawa to work and raise a family. A few years later she returned to the University of Ottawa for her PhD in clinical psychology, and after more than twenty-five years as a child psychologist, she retired in order to devote more time to her first passion, writing.


Although she first appeared in print in 1995, Barbara has been writing since she was six and has always had an affinity for the dark side. Her work as a child psychologist provides ample insight and inspiration for stories. She is an active member of Canada's writing community as well as part of the notorious Ladies' Killing Circle, which edited anthologies of mystery short stories by Canadian women. She has three children and two dogs, and in whatever spare time she can find, she loves outdoor activities like travelling, skiing and kayaking, as well as reading, of course.


Barbara's dark, compelling short stories have appeared in mystery magazines and anthologies such as the New Canadian Noir series and The Ladies Killing Circle series. She is a two-time winner in Storyteller Magazine's annual Great Canadian Short Story Contest, as well as a four-time nominee for the Crime Writers' of Canada Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story, including "Voices from the Deep" in 2007. Her latest short story, "The Lighthouse", has just been published in a new anthology of chilling short stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and entitled nEvermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery, and the Macabre.




To date, she is best known for her award-winning police procedural series featuring the exasperating, quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green, published by Dundurn Press. There are ten books in the series, the latest, None So Blind, having been released in the fall of 2014. The series has garnered an impressive four Best Novel nominations from the Crime Writers of Canada, and both Fifth Son (2004) and Honour Among Men (2006) won the Best Novel Award in their respective years. The Whisper of Legends (2013) was also shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. The themes for the Inspector Green novels are often drawn from her own experiences as well as from issues that trouble her. She has explored topics ranging from war crimes to child sexual abuse to love gone awry.


Barbara has always been concerned about social equality and literacy, and so was thrilled to become involved in the new Rapid Reads initiative by Orca Books, creating the Cedric O'Toole series of short, easy-read, fast-paced books for reluctant and emergent readers. The series is set in poor, hard-scrabble, Eastern Ontario farm country, loosely based on the Sharbot Lake area where she has a cottage. Cedric O'Toole is an unlikely and reluctant hero; a country handyman who barely scraped through high school and struggles with language but has an inventive mind and magic hands.


Behind that Door, was shortlisted for the inaugural Arthur Ellis Best Novella award in 2013. Stay tuned for the next!


Monday, March 28, 2016

First in a Series- Do or Die by Barbara Fradkin

Happy Monday! This weeks First in a Series is Do or Die (An Inspector Green Mystery) by Barbara Fradkin . Leave a comment and e-mail for a chance to win. You will have until Thursday and then the winner will be announced.








Series: An Inspector Green Mystery (Book 1)
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Napoleon and Co; 1st edition (October 1, 2000)
Language: English


Ottawa Homicide Inspector Michael Green is absolutely obsessed with his job, a condition which has almost ruined his marriage several times. When the biggest case of his career comes up, his position, his relationships and several lives are put into grave danger. A young graduate student and scion of a rich family is found expertly stabbed in the stacks of a university library, but no one seems to have the slightest idea why. But as Green probes into the circumstances of the young man’s life, a tangled web of jealousy and intrigue is revealed. Green finds himself in the middle of a rivalry in the delicate arena of university politics, where gigantic egos regularly collide. Was it the diligent but socially inept researcher, or the macho ladies-man golden boy of the laboratory? Or was it a crime of passion involving the over-protective family of his beautiful new girlfriend? When the murderer strikes again, Green realizes that he must waste no time in solving the case, no matter what the consequences may be.




About the Author:





Barbara Fradkin (nee Currie) was born in Montreal and obtained her B.A. at McGill University and M.A. at the University of Toronto, before moving to Ottawa to work and raise a family. A few years later she returned to the University of Ottawa for her PhD in clinical psychology, and after more than twenty-five years as a child psychologist, she retired in order to devote more time to her first passion, writing.


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Weekly Wrap Up # 13

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







March 21st - First in Series- One Foot in the Grove by Kelly Lane
March 21st- Cover Reveal- Fixin' to Die by Tonya Kappes
March 22nd- Author Spotlight- Kelly Lane
March 23rd- Guest Post - Amanda Flower
March 24th- Blog Tour- A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer
March 25th- What's New? Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong
March 26th- Leading Ladies of Mystery- Maeve Conlon by Maggie Barbieri



Coming this week:



March 28th- First in a Series- Do or Die by Barbara Fradkin
March 29th - Author Spotlight- Barbara Fradkin
March 30th- Book Trivia- Ellery Adams
March 31st- Guest Post- Linda O. Johnston
April 1st - What's New? Murder at Lambswool Farm by Sally Goldenbaum
April 2nd- Leading Ladies of Mystery

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Leading Ladies of Mystery- Chef Belfast McGrath

This week's Leading Lady of Mystery is Chef Belfast McGrath from Maggie Barbieri's new series Wedding Bel Blues. Keep reading to find out how you can win an ARC of this book.









Murder is on the menu in WEDDING BEL BLUES (Minotaur Books, 5/31/16), the first in a new series about award-winning chef Belfast McGrath.

Chef Belfast McGrath was never coming back to her home in Foster’s Landing, New York, or the family business at Shamrock Manor. Or so she said. Too many bad memories, too many crazy family members. But her job at a trendy New York City restaurant goes up in flames when a piece of fish – a bone still in it - leaves her kitchen and is served to the former President of the United States, nearly choking the man to death. Belfast leaves her job – one that she loved – and returns home to lick her wounds. Instead of the rest and relaxation she was hoping for, though, she gets embroiled in family drama…and murder.


While Belfast tries to figure out how to acclimate to life in the warm bosom of her extended and dysfunctional clan, she does her best to figure out who killed a guest at her cousin’s wedding and why the wedding crasher was there in the first place.

An old love brings fresh hurt as Chef Bel tries to make a new life in a town she would have rather forgotten.


The first three commenters will receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy of WEDDING BEL BLUES!


Maggie McConnon grew up in New York immersed in Irish culture and tradition. A former Irish step dancer, she was surrounded by a family of Irish musicians who still play at family gatherings. She credits her Irish grandparents with providing the stories of their homeland and their extended families as the basis for the stories she tells in her Belfast McGrath novels. Maggie also writes the Maeve Conlon thrillers as Maggie Barbieri.


Friday, March 25, 2016

What's New? Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong

Happy Friday! What's New? Rest in Peach( A Georgia Peach Mystery Series) by Susan Furlong.








Series: A Georgia Peach Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (April 5, 2016)
Language: English



In the refreshing new Georgia Peach Mystery from the author of Peaches and Scream, an upcoming debutante ball turns into the pits when a juicy murder scandalizes a small town.

The annual Peach Cotillion, Cays Mill, Georgia’s biggest event, is fast approaching and Nola Mae Harper is just as excited as the rest of the town—even though she’s busy juggling both the cotillion dinner and the grand opening of her new shop, Peachy Keen. But she never expected that plans for the cotillion would end up in the pits because of the cutthroat competition between local debutantes.

When Vivien Crenshaw, insufferable church organist and despised mother of the town’s spoiled-rotten Peach Queen, is stabbed to death, the police turn to Nola’s friend Ginny as prime suspect. Apparently the two had fought over a one-of-a-kind cotillion gown. As Nola steps in to prove Ginny’s innocence she soon finds herself picking through a bushel of suspects, twice as many motives, and at the mercy of a killer all too keen on killing again.


INCLUDES RECIPES!


About the Author:





During her writing career, Susan has worked as an academic writer, freelance writer and novelist. Currently she's busy working on The Georgia Peach Mysteries. (Berkley Prime Crime/July 2015) She also writes under the pen name Lucy Arlington. To learn more about her writing, visit her website at www.susanfurlong.com

Writing as: Susan Furlong Bolliger/S. Furlong-Bolliger/Susan Furlong

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Blog Tour- A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer

I am delighted to have Connie Archer here today. Her newest adventure in Snowflake, Vermont comes out April 5th. A Clue in the Stew is the 5th book in the Soup Shop Mystery Series and it was fantastic.








Series: A Soup Lover's Mystery (Book 5)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (April 5, 2016)
Language: English



Synopsis

Soup shop owner Lucky Jamieson stirs up more trouble in the latest mystery from the national bestselling author of Ladle to the Grave…

When Lucky Jamieson opens up By the Spoonful to host an event with a famous author, she’s not expecting a bunch of nuts to descend on her small-town soup shop. But the author’s exasperating entourage—from a prickly publicist to a snippy son and his tipsy wife—give fresh meaning to the phrase, too many cooks spoil the broth.

The evening is more than spoiled, however, when it ends with a homicide. When the manner of the murder—as well as another recent unsolved crime—echoes the author’s fiction, Police Chief Nate Edgerton realizes he has a copycat killer on his hands. And Lucky hopes that one of her regular customers who has mysteriously gone missing isn’t involved. Once again, the soup shop owner will need to stir up some clues to find her friend and catch a cunning killer—before things really take a tureen for the worse…


Review: From the minute I opened this book I was drawn in to an action packed story in Snowflake, Vermont. With famous author Hillary Stone coming in town for a book signing and dealing with a new waitress that has other motives Lucky Jamison sure has her hands full. Getting the Soup Shop ready for the crowds that will come to the book event and keeping her grandfather Jack from making a mistake with the new waitress she doesn't need anything else to take up her time. So when a murder takes place that disrupts everything Lucky knows she has to find out who the killer is and why they are attacking her friends. This is a charming and delicious murder mystery that will keep you wanting more.The cast of characters take this story to epic proportions with a twist that will leave you stunned at the end.



About the Author





Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Penguin Random House (Berkley Prime Crime). A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge, Ladle to the Grave and A Clue in the Stew are all set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont. Connie was born and raised in New England and now lives on the other coast.

You can visit her at www.ConnieArcherMysteries.com

Author Links

Website: www.conniearchermysteries.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries
Twitter: @SnowflakeVT
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1MMQllp



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Guest Post - Amanda Flower

I am thrilled to have author Amanda Flower joining us today. Amanda is the author of A Brand new series coming April 5th. Crime and Poetry (A Magical Bookshop Mystery), I got to read it for review and it is a MUST read. You will love every minute of it. I was Blessed to meet Amanda at Malice a couple years ago.





Introverts and Extroverts in Protagonists
By Amanda Flower

I love to take personality quizzes online. I find their declarations about my psych fascinating, whether or not I agree with the results. I’ve taken a number of quizzes lately. The number tends to increase with the approach of my book deadline as my ability to procrastinate as the deadline approaches hits expert level. The closer the deadline, the worse the procrastination becomes, and there is no better way to procrastinate than to take a quiz that will tell you what Disney princess would be your best friend, right?

Recently, these quizzes have been telling me I’m an extrovert, which I find especially interesting since I was just about the shyest child in the world growing up. I think the great contributing factor to this personality shift, assuming it’s true, is my becoming an author. Nothing has forced me to come out of my shell more than writing, which seems odd since it is at its core such a solitary profession. However, I find the more readers read my work, interact with me on social media, and come to my books signings, the more comfortable I become with my extrovertness, if you can even call it that.

Thinking about my own personality, makes me think of the varied personalities of my protagonists. It’s hard to believe that there are six now with more on the way. With so many main characters populating my mind, it’s a wonder I can keep them all straight. When creating new protagonists, I am very careful to make them different from each other, not just physically but mentally and psychologically. Here’s a little peek at what makes them unique.

India Hayes from the India Hayes Mystery Series

India is an introvert with an edge. India is fiercely loyal and intelligent, but she’s not afraid to take someone to task if she thinks they are doing something she finds wrong or idiotic.

Chloe Humphrey from the Appleseed Creek Mysteries

Chloe is an introvert too but in a much different way than India is. She’s the sweet girl next door who just wants to do the right thing. She’s pure of heart really.

Angie Braddock from the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries

Angie is definitely an extrovert. She means well, but she is too curious for her own good and wants to fix everything and everyone. She sometimes has poor judgement on how to make things better, but she means well and the fallouts of her mistakes are hilarious.

Andi Boggs from the Andi Boggs Mysteries (for kids)

Andi is an extrovert. Because of the independence her parents allowed her, she is capable to do much on her own even at the young age of twelve. She wants to find adventure and new friends wherever she goes. She not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right even if that requires to standing up to an adult.

Kelsey Cambridge from the Living History Museum Mysteries

Kelsey is a goal-driven introvert. She has a plan, and she wants to execute that plan as quickly and efficiently as possible so she can move onto the next task. She has a clipboard and knows how to use it. The only person who gives true pause in her mission to save Barton Farm from financial ruin is her young son, Hayden.

Violet Waverly from the Magical Bookshop Mysteries

Violet is an introvert. She’s even wounded to some extent from events in her past. What happened to her as a teenager makes her cautious. It’s hard for her to trust others and herself, but she wants to trust and she learns she can change.

So which of these protagonists am I most like? There is a piece of me each of them, some more than others. Which one am I most like? Well, that just depends on who you ask…

Happy Reading!!

****************************

GIVEAWAY
Visit Amanda’s website for a chance to win one of four $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift cards. Winner’s Choice!

Enter at
http://www.amandaflower.com/Giveaways.html
**************************



Amanda Flower, a three time Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Amanda is a librarian in Northeast Ohio. She also writes as USA Today Bestselling Author Isabella Alan. Her next release it CRIME AND POETRY coming April 5, 2016.

www.amandaflower.com


Amanda Flower
@aflowerwriter
ANDI UNSTOPPABLE, Now Available!- 2015 Agatha Award Nominee
CRIME AND POETRY, April 2016
THE FINAL TAP, May 2016
Writing as USA Today Bestselling Author Isabella Alan
MURDER, HANDCRAFTED, June 2016


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Author Spotlight- Kelly Lane

This week's spotlight goes to Kelly Lane. Kelly is the author of One Foot in the Grove.








Kelly Lane lives near Charlottesville, Virginia, and has worked as a writer, editor, and public relations professional. An active member of Sisters in Crime, she participates in professional writing groups and workshops. Kelly enjoys a Southern, agrarian lifestyle that includes preparing locally grown and artisanal foods for family and friends. At any given time, Kelly's pantry boasts more than a dozen kinds of olive oil, including delicious Georgia varieties. She'd be hard-pressed not to share with you a mouthwatering dish made with her favorite olive oils.





Monday, March 21, 2016

Cover Reveal- Fixin' to Die by Tonya Kappes

We are starting the week off right with an amazing cover reveal and excerpt from the amazing Tonya Kappes, Fixin’ To Die, the first book in her Kenni Lowry Mystery series, arrives on June 14th.






About the book:


Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.


With the help of her Poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.


Excerpt:


“Calling all units. Calling all units.” Betty Murphy’s voice felt like a stiletto in my ear as it came over the police walkie-talkie.

The clock read seven in the morning. Betty couldn’t have been at the sheriff’s office long enough to already be calling all units. Not a good sign for a Monday morning. I had yet to enjoy my cup of coffee.

“Damn,” I groaned, putting the coffee cup in the beanbag coffee holder that lay over the hump on the floorboard. It was too early for anyone in Cottonwood, Kentucky to be out and about, much less needing assistance from the sheriff’s department. Well, unless it was about the multiple coyote sightings that had been reported throughout the county, which weren’t unusual for this time of the year. In that case, I had my twelve gauge nestled on the backseat, ready to scare them away.

Duke lunged his front paws from the passenger side to the floorboard, licking up what little coffee had spilled. There was no way he was getting all of his ninety-pound body squeezed down on the floorboard.

“Kenni, you there?” Betty asked again before I could un-velcro the walkie-talkie from my shoulder. “Calling all units.” I wasn’t sure why she’d be calling for all units when the only unit was me, and Betty was well aware of that fact. Holding the steering wheel steady with one hand, I reached up and grabbed the police radio.

“Betty, I’m here.” I twisted the windshield wipers on to get what was hopefully the last of the lingering rain we’d had over the past few days. “What do you have for me?”

“Oh God, Kenni.” She sounded out of breath, rushing over my nickname, short for Kendrick. “I mean, Sheriff Lowry. I barely got in the door and put my pocketbook down before the phone started ringing.” She didn’t skip a beat. “Ronald Walton is dead and you better get over there before the rest of the town hears about it and beats you there.”

I jerked forward when I brought the old Wagoneer to an abrupt stop. I scooted up on the edge of my seat and looked out the windshield and over the hood to make sure the engine wasn’t lying on the pavement.

“What?” Shock came over me. I stared out the window. Betty had to be mistaken.
Doctor Walton had birthed over ninety-five percent of the population in Cottonwood, including me. He was old, but not casket-shopping old. And his death would be a blow to the community.
“D-E-A-D!” She spit out each letter for me as if I didn’t know how to spell.


Author Bio:




Tonya has written over 20 novels and 4 novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, three teenage boys, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in Kentucky.


Find out more about Tonya and her books www.tonyakappes.com.

Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card and Kappes Krew mystery box! Winner will be notified by email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First in Series- One Foot in the Grove by Kelly Lane

Monday! This week's First in Series is One Foot in the Grove (An Olive Grove Mystery) by Kelly Lane.Released on January 5th. If you don't have this one on your list to read. Add it, you won't be disappointed.









Series: An Olive Grove Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (January 5, 2016)
Language: English


First in a delicious new mystery series about Eva Knox and her family’s Georgia olive plantation.

In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you...

After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.

With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim...



About the Author:


Kelly Lane is the author of the Olive Grove Mysteries, which started with One Foot in the Grove. She lives near Charlottesville, Virginia, and has worked as a writer, editor, and public relations professional. An active member of Sisters in Crime, she participates in professional writing groups and workshops. Kelly enjoys a Southern, agrarian lifestyle that includes preparing locally grown and artisanal foods for family and friends. At any given time, Kelly’s pantry boasts more than a dozen kinds of olive oil, including delicious Georgia varieties. She’d be hard-pressed not to share with you a mouth-watering dish made with her favorite olive oils.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Weekly Wrap Up #12

It's a Wrap. Another fun week, here is what happened:









March 14th- First in Series - In the Shadow of a Glacier by Vicki Delany
March 15th- Author Spotlight- Vickie Delany
March 16th - Book Trivia- Mary Ellen Hughes
March 17th-Blog Tour- Secrets in the Stone by Tessa Harris March 18th- What's New? Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay
March 19th- Guest Post- Brian Laslow



Coming this week:

March 21st - First in Series- One Foot in the Grove by Kelly Lane
March 22nd- Author Spotlight- Kelly Lane
March 23rd- Book Trivia- Sheila Connolly
March 24th- Guest Post-Amanda Flower / Blog Tour- A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer
March 25th- What's New? Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong
March 26th- Leading Ladies of Mystery- Maeve Conlon by Maggie Barbieri


Saturday, March 19, 2016

Guest Post- Brian Laslow

I am excited to have Brian Laslow here today. For those of you who do not know him he writes The Marijuana Project( A Novel about medicine and mortality).


Hi Brian, Welcome, so glad you can stop by today.



The Need for Enough Book Research

By: Brian Laslow


One day there I was, a self-employed security consultant sitting in his basement office working on who knows what when the phone rang. A potential client asked me if I wanted to discuss working with him developing the security program for a new medical marijuana production facility in my state. I didn’t even know my state had passed a law legalizing medical marijuana. After verifying this was the case and debating whether or not this was the kind of client I wanted, I found myself imbedded in the medical marijuana industry.


After a short time while I was developing an appropriate security program for the facility, I began to realize that the medical marijuana debate was a more controversial one that I had previously known. Perhaps I just didn’t pay attention before then, but I began to read and see more about the issue and the debate than before. I certainly was in the middle of a timely subject matter. Separately, many people over the years have told me that they found my work as a security consultant fascinating. It occurred to me that the combination of the two would make an interesting story. That began the adventure of my writing the fiction based on fact novel The Marijuana Project. My goal became to write a novel entailing a fun suspense story that included security elements and the ethical dilemma surrounding the medical marijuana debate.







When I started I knew I had the security knowledge I needed and also believed that I understood enough about the medical marijuana debate to make it work. After all, how complicated could it be? I was wrong. Most of the book was written while the medical marijuana production facility was my client, and my experiences there more and more over time made it clear to me that I knew very little. My education about the positives and negatives about the industry from those hands on experiences as well as the detailed independent research I conducted as a result of the realization that I knew little resulted in me developing a detailed outline of the pros and cons.


The pro medical marijuana position is generally easy to understand. Based on the overwhelming anecdotal evidence and testimonials, there can be absolutely no doubt that medical marijuana can be of great help as a medicine to counteract the effects of certain diseases if not the diseases themselves. Not uncommon diseases either but diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, and PTSD. To deny that treatment option in some cases, especially when dealing with children, is easily seen as cruel at best.


The cons to medical marijuana may be more complex, but no less legitimate. Because marijuana is still a federal Schedule 1 drug, there has been no legitimate medical research performed using proper double blind studies to show what strains of marijuana with what relative percentages of CBD and THC and in what doses is effective for the treatment of what diseases at what stages. How can the medical establishment as a whole be compelled to prescribe and support such medication, especially when doctors are being sued every day for bogus malpractice. It’s also hard to blame the federal legislature for not changing the law when law enforcement is telling them what the consequences are for another addictive drug hitting the street in force, especially with it’s debatable potential as a gateway drug.


The sad thing about it all is that I believe most Americans are in favor of legalization of medical marijuana, but not necessarily recreational marijuana, and want the issue to be resolved. This is certainly not an unreasonable position. The issue is far from resolved and meanwhile, real patients are suffering that could be helped. What I would like to do is put both sides in a room and lock the door until a solution is found, but that is not reality.


So, is this what I expected to find when I decided to embark on my book adventure? Lot by a long shot. It appeared at the beginning to be a simpler debate. If I had not done the proper amount of research, including talking and learning from those involved, and performing time consuming reading, the quality of my work would not be the same. Anyone with more than the rudimentary knowledge of the ethical debate that I had in the beginning would see right through it. Not a formula for good reviews. In the end, because I recognized the need for enough research, I accomplished my goal to accurately and effectively describe the ethical dilemma surrounding medical marijuana in my fiction based on fact novel. I am fortunate I didn’t learn that lesson too late.





Brian Laslow is the author of The Marijuana Project: a novel about medicine and morality. He has over 25 years of experience in the security field and holds multiple certifications. Since 2001, he has been an independent security consultant providing risk assessment, system design, project management, and ongoing security management services for a wide range of commercial, industrial, and government clients. The Marijuana Project is his debut novel.



Friday, March 18, 2016

What's New? Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay

I am excited for this week's What's New? Vanilla Beaned(A Cupcake Bakery Myster) by Jenn McKinlayThis is book Eight in a delicious series.







Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery (Book 8)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (April 5, 2016)
Language: English




In the eighth in the New York Times bestselling series by the author of Dark Chocolate Demise, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew goes double or nothing in Vegas...


Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are taking a gamble by opening their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, so where better to hit the jackpot than in Vegas? Business manager Tate Harper has lined up a meeting with Holly Hartzmark, a former showgirl who’s looking to bring Mel and Angie’s sweet treats to Sin City, but Mel isn’t so sure she’s ready to hand her recipes over to a complete stranger—especially one as brash as Holly.


But after the potential bakery location gets blown up, Mel begins seeing another side to Holly—one that reminds her very much of herself. Determined to help a kindred spirit, Mel sets out to discover who is trying to keep the bakery from cashing in. But with a murderous mischief maker on the loose, the odds are stacking up against a happy ending for Mel and her friends...



About the Author:





Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of the Cupcake Bakery mysteries, including Dark Chocolate Demise, Sugar and Iced, and Going, Going, Ganache, has baked and frosted cupcakes into the shapes of cats, mice, and outer space aliens, to name just a few. Writing a mystery series based on one of her favorite food groups (dessert) is as enjoyable as licking the beaters, and she can’t wait to whip up the next one. She is also the author of the Hat Shop Mysteries (Copy Cap Murder, At the Drop of a Hat) and the Library Lover’s Mysteries (A Likely Story, On Borrowed Time). She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her family.



Thursday, March 17, 2016

Blog Tour- Secrets in the Stone by Tessa Harris

On tour this week- Secrets in the Stone(A Doctor Silkstone Mystery) by Tessa Harris. Released on February 23rd.








Series: Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (February 23, 2016)
Language: English



Within the mysteries of the body, especially those who have been murdered, 18th-century anatomist Dr. Thomas Silkstone specializes in uncovering the tell-tale clues that lead towards justice…

Newly released from the notorious asylum known as Bedlam, Lady Lydia Farrell finds herself in an equally terrifying position--as a murder suspect--when she stumbles upon the mutilated body of Sir Montagu Malthus in his study at Boughton Hall.

Meanwhile Dr. Thomas Silkstone has been injured in a duel with a man who may or may not have committed the grisly deed of which Lydia is accused. Despite his injury, Thomas hopes to clear his beloved's good name by conducting a postmortem on the victim. With a bit of detective work, he learns that Montagu's throat was slit by no ordinary blade, but a ceremonial Sikh dagger from India--a clue that may be connected to the fabled lost mines of Golconda.

From the mysterious disappearance of a cursed diamond buried with Lydia's dead husband, to the undying legend of a hidden treasure map, Thomas must follow a trail of foreign dignitaries, royal agents--and even more victims--to unveil the sinister and shocking secrets in the stones…

This fast-paced drama filled with action and suspense will have you reading through the night. The characters and storyline are so inviting and captivated from the start. If you like Historical read then this is a book you won't want to miss out on. This is the first one I have read by this author and I enjoyed it and plan to go back to read more.







ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Since leaving Oxford University with a History degree, Tessa Harris has been a journalist and editor, contributing to many national publications such as The Times and The Telegraph. She has also acted as a literary publicist for several well-known authors. Readers can visit her website at tessaharrisauthor.com.



Giveaway: Leave a comment and email for a chance to win a copy of Secrets in the Stone by Tessa Harris. You will have until March 19th @12 AM EST.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Book Trivia- Mary Ellen Hughes

It's time for trivia and this week's host is Mary Ellen Hughes. Leave answers and email below. Winner will be chosen on March 19th. Good Luck Everyone.








Hi, I’m Mary Ellen Hughes, (http://www.maryellenhughes.com) author of the Pickled and Preserved mystery series, and I’m delighted to be Shelley’s guest today!



My trivia questions have to do with food and mysteries, and the prize is a copy of my latest book, SCENE of the BRINE.

http://www.amazon.com/Scene-Brine-Pickled-Preserved-Mystery/dp/0425262472/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=




1. Which cozy mystery author’s books would give you an extreme sugar high if you ate all her title foods together?

a. Cleo Coyle
b. Joanne Fluke
c. Laura Childs


2. Which famous detective loved food as much as his orchids?

a. Hercule Poirot
b. Nero Wolfe
c. Lord Peter Wimsey


3. The victim in an Agatha Christie novel was poisoned by hemlock put in a glass of beer. Which book was that?

a. Five Little Pigs
b. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
c. The Murder on the Links


4. In my Pickled and Preserved mysteries, Piper’s helper, Amy, works part time at a restaurant. What is it’s name?

a. The Mariachi
b. Elm Street Café
c. A La Carte


5. The leaves of which popular food would be poisonous if steeped into a tea?

a. Tomato
b. Peach
c. Apple


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Author Spotlight- Vicki Delany

It's time for Author Spotlight and this week's author is Vicki Delany. Vicki also writes as cozy mystery author 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.


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, March 14, 2016

First in Series- In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany

First in a Series- In the Shadow of the Glacier (A Constable Molly Smith Mystery) by Vicki Delany.








Trouble is brewing in the small, bucolic mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia. An American who came to Trafalgar as a Vietnam War draft dodger has left land and money to the town. But thereA[a¬a[s a catch. The money must be used to build a garden to honor draft dodgers.



Give this one a try today. You will be hooked.










About the Author:


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.


Sunday, March 13, 2016

Weekly Wrap Up #11

It's A Wrap, here is what happened this week:








March 7th- First in A Series- Chocolate Chip Murder by Joanne Fluke
March 8th- Author Spotlight- Joanne Fluke
March 9th- Book Trivia - Vickie Fee
March 10th- Blog Tour- Those Who Walk in Darkness by Joyce and Jim Lavene
March 11th- What's New? Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower (First in Series)
March 12th- Leading Ladies of Mystery/ Blog Tour- Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kristin Weiss


Coming this week:


March 14th- First in Series - In the Shadow of a Glacier by Vicki Delany
March 15th- Author Spotlight- Vickie Delany
March 16th - Book Trivia- Mary Ellen Hughes
March 17th- Blog Tour- Secrets in the Stone
March 18th- What's New? Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay
March 19th- Leading Ladies of Mystery


Hope to see you here.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Blog Tour- Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kristin Weiss

I am delighted to be on this tour today. Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kristin Weiss.








Series: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery (Book 1)
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink (March 8, 2016)
Language: English



Perfectly Proper Murder


When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But then a fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present, making her wonder if a ghost could really be on the loose.

With her high school bully as one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she knows it won’t be. Maddie also grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.


7 Mysterious Objects You’ll Find in the Paranormal Museum

Guest post by Kirsten Weiss, author of The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum.

When Maddie Kosloski takes over the local paranormal museum, she’s not sure what to expect (certainly not a body). Corpse aside, here are some of the objects she discovered in the museum.

GD Cat. No paranormal museum is complete without a cat slinking around, especially a cat that can see ghosts (as many are reputed to do). GD’s got a bit of an attitude, but he earns his kibble off tips, so he’s protective of the museum. About the new owner, he’s not so sure.

Haunted photos. What makes a photo haunted? The new paranormal museum owner, Maddie Kosloski, isn’t so sure. But there’s a 19th century murder mystery tied to one of them that has her hooked. Will she have time to research it while’s she dealing with a present-day murder in her museum?

Creepy Dolls. What makes those old-fashioned dolls so creepy? Is it the dead eyes? The fact that they’re like us but not like us? Their aliveness/not aliveness? Whatever the reason, the Creepy Doll room is one of the most popular in San Benedetto’s paranormal museum.

Figure 1 Image of a Spiritoscope from Dr. Robert Hare's 1855 treatise, Spiritualism Scientifically Demonstrated. This image file is in the public domain in the US.

A spirit cabinet. In the 19th century, live shows by mediums were hugely popular. Often, they’d use spirit cabinets. The medium would sit inside the cabinet and their assistant would bind their hands and feet. Then, with the doors to the cabinet closed, all sorts of odd things would happen—ghostly hands might manifest over the box, tambourines would sound… Today, we have to wonder how the audience was so gullible.

A spiritoscope. For every medium trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes, there was a supposed scientist subtly helping them along. Spiritoscopes were designed to aid the medium in contacting spirits while making it “impossible” for them medium to fake it.

A bronzed skull. Maddie still has no idea about the story behind the mysterious skull. When she took over the museum, the records were a hopeless mess. But the skull is suitably spooky, so she’s keeping it.

A haunted rocking chair. Maddie suspects GD Cat is largely responsible for the chair rocking for seemingly no reason. It’s the cat’s favorite spot, when he’s not following visitors around the museum and staring at empty corners for no reason. The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But then a fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present, making her wonder if a ghost could really be on the loose.

With her high school bully as one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she knows it won’t be. Maddie also grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.


A Charmingly fun book.The debut is fast-paced and fun with humor and wit. The cast of characters and the story line so well written with a bit of twist along the way. make you want to keep reading. I enjoyed this book and was hooked from the start.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kirsten Weiss grew up in San Mateo, California. After getting her MBA, she joined the Peace Corps, starting an international career that took her around the fringes of the defunct USSR and into the Afghan war zone. Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

She writes paranormal mystery and suspense, blending her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking good wine.

Author Links

Follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss, or on her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/metaphysicaldetective or at her blog at http://kirstenweiss.com



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Leading Ladies of Mystery- Kelly Flynn

This is one of my favorite leading ladies. Kelly Flynn makes her debut appearance in Knit One,Kill Two( knitting Mystery) by Maggie Sefton. Are you a fan of this series?







Mass Market Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Berkley Book; English Language edition (June 7, 2005)
Language: English



Kelly Flynn—29, tall, slender, chin-length dark brown hair, athletic, loves playing sports but her demanding and stressful job as a corporate CPA keeps her working long hours in the office. No time for sunshine or softball until—she returns to her childhood home in Northern Colorado for the funeral of her beloved aunt. Kelly's heartbroken. Aunt Helen was the closest thing to a mother Kelly ever knew. Fortunately, the knitters at the nearby yarn shop are eager to befriend Kelly and help her discover the truth behind her aunt's tragic death.




About the Author

Maggie Sefton is the New York Times bestselling author of Knitting Mystery series (Berkeley Prime Crime). Her debut knitting mystery, Knit One, Kill Two, was named an Agatha Award finalist in 2005. Sefton was born in Richmond, Va., and grew up in Arlington, Va. She is a former certified public accountant, and now resides in Fort Collins, Colo. Visit the author online at MaggieSefton.com.


Friday, March 11, 2016

What's New? Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower

What's New? Crime and Poetry ( A Magical Bookshop Mystery) by Amanda Flower releases on April 5th. I was lucky to be able to read this early and it is an amazing read. You won't want to miss this one. And look at the cover, isn't it fantastic.








Series: A Magical Bookshop Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: NAL (April 5, 2016)
Language: English



From Amanda Flower —who writes the national bestselling Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries as Isabella Alan —comes the first in the new Magical Bookshop Mystery series.


Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...


Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...



About the Author
Amanda Flower is an Agatha Award-nominated author. She also writes the USA Today bestselling Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries, including Murder, Simply Served and Murder, Simply Stitched under the name Isabella Alan.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Blog Tour- Those Who Walk in Darkness by Joyce and Jim Lavene

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour. I am a huge fan of Joyce and Jim Lavene's books. The new series Those Who Walk in Darkness was released on March 8th.








File Size: 669 KB
Print Length: 282 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: J. Lavene (March 8, 2016)
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC



Three years ago in 1867, Julia Jackson was a well to do young woman from Boston whose fiancĂ©, Jonathon, was killed right before her eyes. Obsessed with finding the killer, a man whose face she saw only in a flash as he walked up and shot Jonathon, she leaves her family and her life behind. She starts a new life as ‘Jacks’ Jackson—a cigar smoking, dead eye, female Pinkerton agent…pretending to be a man.

Now Allan Pinkerton needs Jacks to find the man who kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad official, David Boyd. Their only clues are the severed finger from the man’s wife, complete with wedding ring, and a map of the Qualla boundary, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina.

Jacks doesn’t like the way the whole thing sounds from the beginning. David Boyd isn’t important enough to target for a kidnapping. And why travel so far with two hostages?

But Pinkerton tells her that he believes the man responsible for the kidnapping worked with Jonathon’s murderer in a train robbery five years ago. Jacks agrees to go after the kidnapper with hopes of catching him before he can reach his home grounds.

Pinkerton insists that Jacks bring three men with her—Boyd, her new partner, and a Cherokee guide named Running Wolf, who’s always watching her, like he’s trying to figure it out.

Can Jacks catch the kidnapper with her secret—and her life—intact?


This brand new novel is fast- paced and action filled. A great cast of characters and a gripping story line. You will be hooked from the start. I loved this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop.I am looking forward to what Jacks will do next. 





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

Webpage – www.joyceandjimlavene.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
Amazon – http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene



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Wednesday, March 9, 2016

St. Patrick's Day Trivia- Vickie Fee

Happy March! Today's trivia is hosted by Vickie Fee. Thank you so much for being here Vickie.









Hi, I’m Vickie Fee, author of the Liv and Di in Dixie mysteries. Thanks, Shelley, for being my gracious host on your blog today. Since net week is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought we have some fun with Irish and St. Paddy’s related trivia! Prizes will be awarded to two winners. The first prize is a signed copy of Death Crashes the Party. The second prize is a Liv and Di in Dixie canvas tote bag. Good luck!



1.Legend says St. Patrick drove which of these out of Ireland?

a.rats
b.snakes
c.leprechauns

2.St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is the traditional date of St Patrick’s:

a.birth
b.death
c.canonization

3.Tradition holds that at the age of 16, St. Patrick became:

a.a slave
b.a missionary
c.an alcoholic

4.Fish and chips or lamb stew are traditional St. Paddy’s Day fare in Ireland. Which dish is most associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S.?

a.shepherd’s pie
b.corned beef and cabbage
c.Lucky Charms

5.Drinking beer is popular on St. Patrick’s Day. Which beverage do Liv and Di partake of in Death Crashes the Party? (Hint: snooping makes them thirsty!)

a.wine
b.strawberry daiquiris
c.margaritas
d.all of the above

6.The longest river in Ireland is:

a.River Liffey
b.River Clare
c.River Shannon

7. Claiming to be Ireland’s oldest pub, Sean’s Bar was reportedly founded in:

a.900 AD
b.461 AD
c.1352 AD

8.The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are:

a.1 in 10,000
b.1 in 1,000
c.1 in 100


Leave answers and email in the comments for a chance to win. Winner will be chosen on Saturday!

www.vickiefee.com

www.facebook.com/livanddiindixie

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Author Spotlight- Joanne Fluke

Today's Spotlighted author is Joanne Fluke! Joanne is the author of the Hannah Swenson Mystery Series. Have you read this series? Do you have a favorite one in the series?








Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota where her neighbors were friendly, the winters were fierce, and the biggest scandal was the spotting of unidentified male undergarments on a young widow’s clothesline. She insists that there really are 10,000 lakes and the mosquito is NOT the state bird.

While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as: a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective’s assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist’s assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker.

She now lives in Southern California with her husband, her kids, his kids, their three dogs, one elderly tabby, and several noisy rats in the attic.

See more at: http://www.joannefluke.com/about-joanne-fluke/#sthash.wCJXD3LI.dpuf

Monday, March 7, 2016

First in a Series- Chocolate Chip Murder by Joanne Fluke

Happy Monday! Today's First in Series is Chocolate Chip Murder( A Hannah Swenson Mystery) by Joanne Fluke. Released on May 1st, 2011.







Series: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kensington; Reissue edition (May 1, 2011)
Language: English



Discover The Delicious Mystery That Started It All!

No one cooks up a delectable, suspense-filled mystery quite like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke's dessert-baking, red-haired heroine whose gingersnaps are as tart as her comebacks, and whose penchant for solving crimes--one delicious clue at a time--has made her a bestselling favorite. And it all began on these pages, with a bakery, a murder, and some suddenly scandalous chocolate-chip crunchies. Featuring a bonus short story and brand new, mouthwatering recipes, this new edition of the very first Hannah Swensen mystery is sure to have readers coming back for seconds. . .


Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp.


About the Author




Joanne Fluke is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Like Hannah Swensen, she was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in sunny Southern California. She is currently working on her next Hannah Swensen mystery, "Double Fudge Brownie Murder" and readers are welcome to contact her at the following e-mail address, Gr8Clues@joannefluke.com, or by visiting her website at www.JoanneFluke.com.

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...