Monday, April 17, 2017

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.










Series: Miss Julia
Paperback: 273 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; First Edition edition (August 22, 2000)
Language: English




Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia's late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and pillar of her small Southern community finds herself in the center of an unseemly scandal-and the guardian of a wan nine-year-old whose mere presence turns her life upside down.

With razor-sharp wit and perfect "Steel Magnolia" poise, Miss Julia speaks her mind indeed-about a robbery, a kidnapping, and the other disgraceful events precipitated by her husband's death. Fast-paced and charming, with a sure sense of comic drama, a cast of crazy characters, and a strong Southern cadence, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind will delight readers from first page to last.




About the Author:






Ann is the mother of two daughters and one son, and the grandmother of four grandsons (including twin boys) and two granddaughters, both of whom are her namesakes. When her children were in college, she decided to complete her own education, enrolling in the University of North Carolina at Asheville where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Literature. Reluctant to return to an empty nest, she continued her education by enrolling in the English Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned both the Master's and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Afterwards, she taught Literature and the Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Ann's writing career began in the early eighties when two mysteries were published as original paperbacks: THE MURDER CURE and THE MURDER STROKE. A few years later, her first hardcover book was published: THE PILGRIMAGE, an adventure story set in the nineteenth century. All three books are now out of print, but occasionally a used copy of THE PILGRIMAGE appears on Amazon.com for sale.

The publication of the first Miss Julia book, MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND in 1999, set Ann on a full-time writing career. This book went through six reprintings in less than a year, and was ranked #9 on the Independent Booksellers' seventy-six most highly recommended books for 1999. In addition, the book was named to the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers list. The paperback edition of the same book was listed in The Best Books of the First Five Years by BookSense, as one of the titles independent booksellers most enjoyed handselling. The book was also published by Readers Digest Condensed Books, appearing in twelve foreign languages.




FInd out more about Ann and all of her books by visiting her website.

Friday, April 7, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Called to Justice by Edith Maxwell

Happy Friday! I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour. Edith Maxwell's second book in the Quaker Midwife series Called to Justice will be released on April 8th.











Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (April 8, 2017)
Paperback: 312 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738750323
Kindle ASIN: B01FOR0YRW




Synopsis:

Quaker midwife Rose Carroll is enjoying the 1888 Independence Day evening fireworks with her beau when a teenaged Quaker mill girl is found shot dead. After a former slave and fellow Quaker is accused of the murder, Rose delves into the crime, convinced of the man’s innocence. An ill-mannered mill manager, an Irish immigrant, and the victim’s young boyfriend come under suspicion even as Rose’s future with her handsome doctor suitor becomes unsure. Rose continues to deliver babies and listen to secrets, finally figuring out one criminal – only to be threatened by the murderer, with three lives at stake. Can she rescue herself, a baby, and her elderly midwifery teacher in time?





I am hooked on this series ,if you love a great murder with Historical background and a story so well written you will be captivated from the start. This is the book for you. It is the best one so far and I am looking froward to the next story. Once you start reading you will not want to stop.





About the Author:







Agatha-nominated and Amazon best-selling author Edith Maxwell writes the Quaker Midwife Mysteries and the Local Foods Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries (as Maddie Day), and the Lauren Rousseau Mysteries (as Tace Baker), as well as award-winning short crime fiction. Maxwell lives north of Boston with her beau and three cats, and blogs with the other Wicked Cozy Authors. You can find her on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, and at www.edithmaxwell.com. 

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway - Silence of the Jams by Gayle Leeson

Happy Thursday! Silence of the Jams (A Down South Cafe) by Gayle Leeson was released on April 4th. Book two in the series and the best one yet. The characters are well developed as friends you would visit and the story is so well written you feel like you are in Winter Garden Virginia. I got so involved in this story that time flew by and the book was over. Looking forward to the next one in this series.










Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Berkley (April 4, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1101990803
E-Book ASIN: B01IAUG44C





Synopsis
In the latest Southern cozy from the author of The Calamity Café, small-town chef Amy Flowers can’t take her freedom for granted when she’s served up as a murder suspect…

It’s Independence Day in Winter Garden, Virginia, and the residents are gearing up for their annual celebration. The Down South Café is open and flourishing, and Amy Flowers is busy making pies and cakes for the holiday. The only thorn in her side is Chamber of Commerce director George Lincoln, who is trying to buy the café so he can tear it down and build a B&B on the site.

When George collapses while eating at the Down South, everybody assumes it’s a heart attack—until the autopsy declares it to be poisoning. Now, it’s up to Amy to prove her innocence before her liberty is lost.

Includes delicious Southern recipes!




We are visiting Winter Garden Virginia in the newest book of the Down South Cafe. Amy and her friends are ready for a celebration and all the fun that comes with, except murder. To clear her name as suspect Amy has to do all she can to find out who the killer is and get back to her much needed baking.This is such a fun series you will want to add it to your reading list.







About the Author:






Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series. I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series!

Authors Links:


Webpage – http://www.gayleleeson.com
Gayle Trent Webpage – http://www.gayletrent.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/426208.Gayle_Trent




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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Blog Tour- Southern Fried by Tonya Kappes

It's Wednesday and we are heading south for book two in the Kenni Lowery Mystery Series with the Laugh out Loud Southern Fried was released on April 4th and it will have you in stitches and wanting to taste the southern foods at the cook- off. This is a great series and Tonya really knows how to keep you so involve in the story. With a fantastic cast of characters and a story filled with humor and murder you won't be able to put it down.









Series: Kenni Lowry Mystery (Book 2)
Hardcover
Publisher: Henery Press (April 4, 2017)
Language: English







Synopsis


In the South, it’s better when the food is fried and the secrets kept buried…

After the dead body of a beloved Cottonwood resident is found tangled up in an electric fence, Sheriff Kenni Lowry has a hunch that somethin’ ain’t right. Her investigation heats up with a fierce cook-off competition, a euchre game where the intel is sweeter than the brownies, and a decades old family recipe that may just be the proof in the pudding.

The icing on the cake: Kenni is fighting an attraction to her recently sworn-in deputy sheriff, and election season is hot on her tail. When the killer comes after who she holds most dear, even her poppa’s ghostly guidance might not be enough to keep her and her own out of the frying pan.



Character post:

WELCOME TO BEN’S DINER

Take a seat anywhere! I’ll be right with you! Menus are stuck between the salt and pepper shaker. They could be stuck together, just pull them apart.

Here’s your creamer for your coffee. Do you mind flipping your cup over for me? Great. I’ll leave the pot here for you to refill as much as you like. I’m Ben, the obvious owner of Ben’s. You new around here? Oh, visiting. That’s nice. I’m a homecooked diner. Most of our food, well all of our food is southern. I’ll let you look over the menu. Do you have any questions about Cottonwood? I’ve lived here all my life.

The rock wall around Cottonwood? Those are amazing, aren’t they?

A lot of people have the wrong idea that these were built by black slaves. They’re half wrong. If there’s one thing you’ll learn about your visit to Cottonwood, people love to gossip. Half-truths and half-tales. I’m not saying their liars or making it up, I’m just saying they light to stretch the truth.
Here’s the real story. The walls were built by stone mason Irish Immigrants in the early 19th century. The walls were constructed with the fine limestone that you’ll find all over Kentucky. The limestone also gives the tint of blue in our bluegrass. It’s also very nutritious for the horses to eat. You know we love our horses.
One fact about the walls, they are all built with NO mortar. The stones are all laid by hand and mortar free. After the Irish immigrants left, the walls were finished up by black slaves. These walls very built for pastures and to keep in the herds. Now they are a beautiful sight in Kentucky. In fact, it’s against the law to take a wall down and you have to get it repaired if it’s on your property.

You got any more questions?
The biscuits and gravy? Mmmm,mmmm good. It’s sausage gravy. Sure, you can have that. Anything else before you get your day started?


Enjoy!

Fixin’ To Die is the first book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series. “A Southern-fried mystery with a twist that’ll leave you positively breathless.” – Susan M. Boyer, USA Today Bestselling Author of Lowcountry Book Club

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.

“This story offers up a small touch of paranormal activity that makes for a fun read…A definite “5-star,” this is a great mystery that doesn’t give up the culprit until the last few pages.” – Suspense Magazine

“Packed with clever plot twists, entertaining characters, and plenty of red herrings! Fixin’ To Die is a rollicking, delightful, down-home mystery.” – Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Deadwood Mystery Series

“Kappes captures the charm and quirky characters of small-town Kentucky in her new mystery…a charming, funny story with exaggerated characters. The dialect-filled quirky sayings and comments bring those characters to life. Best of all, for a mystery reader, the culprit was an unlikely suspect, but the solution made sense.” – Lesa’s Book Critiques

“Southern and side-splitting funny! Fixin’ To Die has captivating characters, nosy neighbors, and is served up with a ghost and a side of murder.” – Duffy Brown, Author of the Consignment Shop Mysteries

“This first book in a new series promises to be fun for both cozy mystery buffs and ghost aficionados.” – For The Love of Books

“The who and why may surprise you, but you’ll probably laugh your way through the book. If you’ve never read a Tonya Kappes book, this is a perfect starting place. I highly recommend.” – Book Review Crew

Southern Fried is the second book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series. “Fabulous fun and fantastic fried food! Kappes nails small town mystery with another must-read hit. (Also, I want to live in Cottonwood, KY.) Don’t miss this one!” – Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Charley Davidson Series

In the South, it’s better when the food is fried and the secrets kept buried…After the dead body of a beloved Cottonwood resident is found tangled up in an electric fence, Sheriff Kenni Lowry has a hunch that somethin’ ain’t right. Her investigation heats up with a fierce cook-off competition, a euchre game where the intel is sweeter than the brownies, and a decades old family recipe that may just be the proof in the pudding.

The icing on the cake: Kenni is fighting an attraction to her recently sworn-in deputy sheriff, and election season is hot on her tail. When the killer comes after who she holds most dear, even her poppa’s ghostly guidance might not be enough to keep her and her own out of the frying pan.

Be sure to grab you copy of SOUTHERN FRIED, the second book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series.


Friend Tonya on facebook here. * Join her FREE Facebook Cozy Krew page for a lot of fun here.

Learn about Tonya’s books here. *Check out the NEW Kenni Lowry Mystery website where there are recipes, coloring pages, a scavenger hunt to go along with the books, book club discussion questions and more here! Get a free PDF download of the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series book in order here.



About the Author:




For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been self-publishing her numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plotlines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans. Be sure to check out Tonya’s website for upcoming events and news and to sign up for her newsletter! Tonyakappes.com


Blog Tour and Giveaway- Dying on the Vine by Marla Cooper

Happy Wednesday! Dying on the Vine (Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries) by Marla Cooper was released on April 4th. Book two in the series will leaving you wanting more.












Series: Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries (Book 2)
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 4, 2017)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250072559




Synopsis

When wedding planner Kelsey McKenna goes to the Wine Country Wedding Faire, the last thing she expects to do is take on new clients. After all, she’s just there to help out her friend Brody and maybe score some free cupcakes. But when a young couple in a pinch asks for her help, she just can’t say no.

There’s only one problem: they’d been working with Babs Norton, the self-proclaimed Queen of Wine Country Weddings—and things did not end well. Kelsey wants to make sure there are no hard feelings, but unfortunately she never gets the chance. When she goes to Babs’ office, she finds the wedding planner dead on the floor.

Babs’ high-strung assistant Stefan knows exactly who killed Babs: Kelsey. At least, that’s what he very publicly accuses her of at Babs’ funeral. When Kelsey decides to do a little sleuthing to clear her name, she uncovers a myriad of secrets and lies. And when a second wedding planner is attacked, Kelsey begins to wonder if she might be next.

Set against the stunning backdrop of California wine country, Marla Cooper’s Dying on the Vine is a mystery brimming with gossip, wine, and, of course…murder.




You are instantly drawn in to the story and back to helping Kelsey solve the murder case and clear herself before she is arrested. With the wedding Faire and all the preparations for it taking place the town doesn't need another thing going on so when the wedding planner is found dead by Kelsey, that puts her on the top of the suspect list. You won't want to stop reading once you start. Add this one to your reading list, you will love it.




About the Author:




As a freelance writer, MARLA COOPER has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku. But it was while ghostwriting a nonfiction guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her current series starring destination wedding planner Kelsey McKenna. Originally hailing from Texas, Marla lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and her polydactyl tuxedo cat.

Author Links

Webpage – www.marla-cooper.com
Blog: www.chicksonthecase.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marla.Cooper.Author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kindacozy



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Monday, April 3, 2017

First in Series- One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly

Happy Monday! It's time for this week's First in Series. One Bad Apple (An Orchard Mystery) by Sheila Connolly was released on August 5th, 2008.










Series: An Orchard Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Reissue edition (August 5, 2008)
Language: English




There's a killer in the orchard? and he's rotten to the core.

INCLUDES RECIPES

Meg Corey has come to the quaint New England town of Granford, Massachusetts, to sell her mother's old colonial home and apple orchard. Instead, she becomes embroiled in development plans that include her land and her former flame from Boston. When he's found dead in the new septic tank on her property, the police immediately suspect Meg, whose only ally in town is the plumber Seth Chapin. Together, they'll have to peel back the layers of secrecy that surround the deal in order to find the real murderer and save the orchard.




About the Author:





After collecting too many degrees and exploring careers ranging from art historian to investment banker to professional genealogist, Sheila Connolly began writing in 2001, and has now published eight traditional mysteries. Now a full-time writer, she thinks writing mysteries is a lot more fun than any of her previous occupations.

She wrote her first mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime under the name Sarah Atwell, and the first book, Through a Glass, Deadly (March 2008), was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel; Pane of Death followed in November 2008, and Snake in the Glass in September 2009.

Under her own name, Connolly writes the Orchard Mystery Series (Berkley Prime Crime), set in western Massachusetts, where she had generations of ancestors. In fact,the series is set in a house built by one of her 7th great-grandfathers. The series debuted in 2008 with One Bad Apple, followed by Rotten to the Core (2009), Red Delicious Death (2010), A Killer Crop (2010), and Bitter Harvest (2011). Sour Apples appeared in August 2012 and was a New York Times bestseller.

Connolly's second series, the Museum Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), takes place among the many museums of Philadelphia. Fundraising the Dead came out in October 2010, Let's Play Dead in 2011, and the third, Fire Engine Dead, in March 2012. The fourth book, Monument to the Dead, came out in June 2013. Since she worked for several years at a major historical institution in Philadelphia, she can present a lot of behind-the-scenes details of the cultural scene there.

Connolly's third series, the County Cork Mysteries, opened with Buried in a Bog in February 2013 and it went to #14 on the New York Times Mass Market Bestseller list. This new series features a Boston-reared American woman who finds herself running a pub in a tiny village in West Cork. Connolly's grandfather was born in that region, and there used to be a wonderful pub called Connolly's in Leap.

Connolly's first full-length, standalone ebook, Once She Knew, was published by Beyond the Page in October 2012. Her second, Relatively Dead, came out in May 2013.

Connolly has also published short stories: "Size Matters" appeared in the 2010 Level Best Anthology, Thin Ice; "Called Home," a short prequel to the Orchard series, was published by Beyond the Page in 2011; and "Dead Letters," an e-story featuring the main characters from the Museum series, will be published by Berkley Prime Crime in February 2012. Beyond the Page also published "The Rising of the Moon," and another Level Best anthology includes "Kept in the Dark," which was nominated for both an Agatha award and an Anthony award for 2013.

She lives in a too-big Victorian in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband and two cats. Find out more about her at her website, www.sheilaconnolly.com



Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Happy Release Day- When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day

Happy Tuesday! It is released day for Maddie Day - When the Grits Hit the Fan is book three in the Country Store Mystery series.



This is the third book in the series and being a fan from book one I was pulled right in, like visiting an old friend. This series keeps getting better and for me this was the best one yet. I hope you will add this to your reading list. You won't want to miss it. I'm looking forward to seeing what Robbie and her friends will get into next time.









Series: A Country Store Mystery (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (March 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1617739294






Despite the bitter winter in South Lick, Indiana, business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder rattles the small town, can Robbie defrost the motives of a cold-blooded killer?

Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University’s Sociology Department at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile. It’s all due to Professor Charles Stilton, who seems to thrive on heated exchanges with his peers and underlings, and tensions flare one night after he disrespects Robbie’s friend, graduate student Lou. So when Robbie and Lou go snowshoeing the next morning and find the contentious academic frozen under ice, police suspect Lou might have killed him after their public tiff. To prove her friend’s innocence, Robbie is absorbing local gossip about Professor Stilton’s past and developing her own thesis on the homicide—even if that means stirring up terrible danger for herself along the way . . .



About the Author:




Maddie Day is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-nominated author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and three cats in Massachusetts.

As Edith Maxwell, she write the Local Foods Mysteries (Kensington Publishing) and the Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Midnight Ink).

You can find all Maddie's/Edith's identities at www.edithmaxwell.com. She blogs every week day with the other Wicked Cozy Authors at wickedcozyauthors.com. Look for her as Edith M. Maxwell and Maddie Day on Facebook and @edithmaxwell and @maddiedayauthor on Twitter.


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...