Show Time

I'm pleased to welcome Suzanne Trauth to the blog today. Suzanne pens the Dodie O’Dell Mystery series. Show Time, the first book in the series, was released earlier this month.

Kathy: In Show Time we meet Dodie O’Dell who manages a restaurant that dishes dinners themed around the community theatre’s latest productions. Have you ever prepared themed dinners? If so, what were some popular themes, or some unpopular ones?

ST: I’ve been in a book club for many years and in the early years we had a theme dinner (with costumes) for each book we read! There were hits and misses…we read Memoirs of a Geisha and while the kimonos we wore were wonderful, we ended up eating dried, salted fish from an Asian market. It was a challenge to eat. Now we also read several books with southern themes and ate fried chicken, greens, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie! Delicious!


Kathy: My undergraduate degree is in theatre and prior to that I performed in various community theatres. Have you ever been involved with community theatre?

ST: I’ve worked at many theatres – academic, professional, and community as a director, actor, playwright, and producer. I’ve been immersed in the performing arts for most of my life.


Kathy: The Etonville Little Theater is putting on a production of Romeo and Juliette. Is this a favorite Shakespearean play for you?

ST: I am a Shakespeare nut! I love all of his works and love seeing a wide variety of interpretations. Even on roller skates! But Romeo and Julie is special. I’ve seen a number of productions of the play. It just seemed to lend itself to the mystery series: love story, potion, challenges with verse! And of course it’s quite a challenge for the Etonville Little Theatre…


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

ST: I started reading mystery stories when I was young – Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden – and then graduated to adult cozies and thrillers. I love the whodunit aspect of the cozy mystery. And I enjoy a good sense of humor!


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

ST: Yes, I write both plays and screenplays. It’s interesting to change it up when writing, moving from one genre to another.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

ST: The Dodie O’Dell Mystery Series features Dodie O’Dell who moves to Etonville, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy destroys her home and place of work. She manages the Windjammer restaurant which is located next door to the Etonville Little Theatre. Voila! Themed dinners to promote both the plays and the restaurant. But of course she finds herself knee deep in the affairs of the theatre so in Show Time when her good friend and ELT member is found murdered, she HAS to jump in and help investigate…


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

ST: Of course I love Dodie for her proactive approach to problems, sense of humor, and creative problem-solving! But I get a kick out of the gossip-mongers Banger sisters and computer whiz Pauli – who is essential to Dodie solving the mysteries.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

ST: Though Etonville is fictional it is based on a couple of northern New Jersey towns near where I live. Besides my experience in the theatre, I also work at a gourmet soup kitchen and my time there offers lots of restaurant/dining/menu ideas!


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

ST: I’d published plays and academic books prior to this but I decided I’d try my hand at fiction. The folks at Kensington Books have been very helpful.


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

ST: Well, William Shakespeare, of course, Elizabeth George, a wonderful mystery writer, David Sedaris (love his sense of humor), and Janet Evanovitch.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

I recently finished Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life and Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

ST: Besides reading a range of mystery and non-mystery books, I love movies and crossword puzzles to relax and give my mind a break! There are also wonderful series on TV these days and with DVR I can save and view later.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

ST: Peanut butter, tea, orange juice, and frozen yogurt!


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

ST: Yes, the second Dodie O’Dell Mystery – Time Out - will come out at the beginning of 2017, and a third book is on the way.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

ST: I love the creative freedom and feeling of getting lost in the writing process. It’s also such fun to see the cover of the book for the first time and know that something is really being born!

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Review


SHOW TIME by Suzanne Trauth
The First Dodie O’Dell Mystery

Hurricane Sandy destroyed much of the Jersey Shore including Dodie O'Dell's place of employment. So Dodie packed up and moved inland, to the small town of Etonville, where she manages the casual Windjammer restaurant. Dodie also joins forces with the Etonville Little Theater, located next door, creating dinner theatre events for residents of their community. The theatre's director has chosen to perform Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, perhaps biting off more than the little community theatre can handle. When Lola, her good friend and troupe member, asks Dodie to help organize rehearsals, Dodie jumps in to lend her managerial skills. Dodie finds herself almost as in over her head as the director when Jerome, a fellow mystery reader and treasurer of the theatre is found murdered. Now it's up to Dodie to calm her boss, who's worried over a new restaurant in town, assist the good looking chief of police, whether he wants her help or not, and make sure that the show goes on!

SHOW TIME is an engaging new series turning the fun as well as the challenges of community theatre into a backdrop for murder. The mystery itself is compelling and well plotted. Character foibles add intrigue as well as red herrings as Dodie and Chief Bill Thompson search for the truth. Dodie is a down to earth, likeable protagonist with enviable organizational skills and a penchant for trouble. The spark of romance between Dodie and Bill adds an extra dimension to the mystery as each needs to balance what information is shared with the other.

Suzanne Trauth introduces us to a new world in SHOW TIME. Family restaurants, community theatre, and charming small town New Jersey make Dodie, as well as readers, feel at home. Despite many issues, murder included, one must never forget that in the end it's show time!

Grilling the Subject - Recipe, Review, and Giveaway

 BACON-WRAPPED PORK LOIN

 Daryl Wood Gerber

A couple of summers ago, I found a recipe for bacon-wrapped pork loin. My husband saw it and salivated. Anything bacon, right? Over the fourth of July, I decided it was so good, I had to make it again. It’s perfect for a big group. Super moist.

Yes, it takes a little work. In fact, the wrapping of the bacon around the loin is sort of like making papier mache. Remember doing that as a kid? Every Christmas, my mom would have us make papier mache ornaments to give to the grandparents. We would take a light bulb and, using flour and water and strips of newspaper, wrap that bulb until it was covered. We let the papier mache dry, and then whack! -- we crushed the inside of the light bulb so that the ornament would shake and rattle. So much fun. Then we would paint it and sprinkle it with glitter.

Say, wouldn’t that make a great idea for a party décor for a barbecue? Get a bunch of light bulbs, doll them up, and then string them up. You could even hand a couple of them to kids to shake like maracas.

~~ You know what? I think I’m in a creative mood today. Finally. Maybe it means I can make sense out of my next novel, which seems to be moving incredibly slowly!!

                                                     BACON-WRAPPED PORK LOIN

Ingredients:
(serves 6-8)

1 pork loin - 6 pounds
1 pound of bacon

For the Rub:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ginger

For the Glaze:
1 cup honey
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon white or black pepper

Remove all fat and silver skin from the pork loin. This means you have to peel it back, gripping the skin with your hand as you run the knife under the silver part. It takes a bit of time.

On a cutting board, lay out a package of bacon, slightly overlapping each piece.

Mix dry rub and season the pork loin.

Set the pork loin on the bacon and wrap the bacon around the top. Overlap the tips of the bacon and secure with toothpicks. Note: wet the toothpicks so they won’t burn on the grill.

Insert a meat thermometer at the end of the meat.

Set your grill for indirect heat (meat should not be over direct heat). Here’s how to do that on a gas grill: Turn on the grill to get it to the desired temperature. Now turn off the “center” burner. If doing this over coals, heat your coals until nice and gray. Now push the coals to the sides, leaving a space between them.

Set the loin over the center “off” burner or over the “space” between coals.

Cook, covered, at 350°F for about 45 minutes.

When the internal temperature of pork loin reaches 120°F, start glazing. Glaze every 5 to 10 minutes until the pork loin reaches an internal a temperature of 140°F. It takes about a half hour. Remove the loin from the heat and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Serve extra glaze as a sauce.


Bio:
Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author DARYL WOOD GERBER ventures into the world of suspense with her gripping debut novel, GIRL ON THE RUN. Daryl also writes the bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As AVERY AAMES, she pens the bestselling Cheese Shop Mysteries. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote”. In addition, she has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and hitchhiked around Ireland by herself. She absolutely adores Lake Tahoe, where GIRL ON THE RUN is set, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky. Visit Daryl at www.darylwoodgerber.com.


GIVEAWAY:
Today I’m giving away one copy of your choice of any of my published books. Leave a comment and tell me what do you you like to do at a summer party to have fun.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/darylwoodgerber
Twitter: @darylwoodgerber
Website: www.darylwoodgerber.com

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Review

GRILLING THE SUBJECT by Daryl Wood Gerber
The 5th Cookbook Nook Mystery

Nobody likes a nasty neighbor. But when Sylvia Gump is found murdered it's Jenna's dad, Cary, who becomes the prime suspect. The Wild West has come to Crystal Cove, California and with it an old colleague of Jenna's, one Shane Maverick. Shane is no longer a dumpy ad man, but rather the too fit promoter with a pregnant girlfriend and a flirtatious nature. He also wanted to buy a house that Sylvia coveted. He got the house, but did he also want Sylvia dead? Or was it Sylvia's henpecked husband, Ronald, who claimed to see Cary running from the murder site? Or any of the other neighbors tired of Sylvia claiming communal property as her own and having loud parties; D'Ann Davis, diva of the screen, or Ava, the real estate agent who also had a thing for Shane?

While Cary may not want Jenna's help she's bound and determined to give it to him, even as she senses a mysterious someone is stalking her.

GRILLING THE SUBJECT is a book about the past, choices and changes made and the impact on today. It's also a book about loyalty, perseverance, and pushing through. And we mustn't forget secrets. Daryl Wood Gerber wrangles these subjects into an enjoyable mystery set in cozy Crystal Cove, California with a Wild West backdrop. Fun western themed tricks and foods add charm and a touch of nostalgia as Jenna once again pursues the truth.

Recipes Included.

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Don't forget to answer Daryl's question (What do you you like to do at a summer party to have fun?) in a comment on this post no later than 11:59pm Sunday, July 31, 2016. Be sure to leave an e-mail address as well so that I may contact you should you win. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter too!


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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Midsummer Night's Mischief by Jennifer D. Hesse. This book is the first in the Wiccan Wheel Mystery series and was just released yesterday.

Keli Milanni, a practicing Wiccan, is a young lawyer with a promising career. At least it was promising until the long lost Shakespearean folio her client discovered turns up missing after the elderly woman's funeral. Now the family is blaming Keli and Keli's firm wants her gone so as not to besmirch the company name. In order to save her job Keli is out to find the folio...and perhaps find the love she was casting for.

Spotlight - An Address to Die For

Address to Die For (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)

New Series Cozy Mystery Lyrical Underground (July 19, 2016) E-book - 320 pages ASIN: B01B0KK5P8

For professional organizer Maggie McDonald, moving her family into a new home should be the perfect organizational challenge. But murder was definitely not on the to-do list . . .

Maggie McDonald has a penchant for order that isn’t confined to her clients’ closets, kitchens, and sock drawers. As she lays out her plan to transfer her family to the hundred-year-old house her husband, Max, has inherited in the hills above Silicon Valley, she has every expectation for their new life to fall neatly into place. But as the family bounces up the driveway of their new home, she’s shocked to discover the house’s dilapidated condition. When her husband finds the caretaker face-down in their new basement, it’s the detectives who end up moving in. What a mess! While the investigation unravels and the family camps out in a barn, a killer remains at large—exactly the sort of loose end Maggie can’t help but clean up . . .

About The Author

Mary Feliz has lived in five states and two countries but calls Silicon Valley home. Traveling to other areas of the United States, she’s frequently reminded that what seems normal in the high-tech heartland can seem decidedly odd to the rest of the country. A big fan of irony, serendipity, diversity, and quirky intelligence tempered with gentle humor, Mary strives to bring these elements into her writing, although her characters tend to take these elements to a whole new level. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and National Association of Professional Organizers. Mary is a Smith College graduate with a degree in Sociology. She lives in Northern California with her husband, near the homes of their two adult offspring. Visit Mary online at MaryFeliz.com, or follow her on Twitter @MaryFelizAuthor.

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Meet Lucy Mondello - Guest Post & Giveaway

MEET LUCY MONDELLO

Mary Marks

Hello, hon. My name is Lucy Mondello.

I’ve been married to my husband Ray for nearly fifty years. We both grew up in Wyoming and moved to LA where we raised five wonderful sons. Over the years I’ve come to realize an interesting thing about growing older. I no longer have to be afraid of what people think of me. I can pretty much do whatever I want and people will hardly notice. (Well, Ray notices, but he’s a pretty tolerant guy.)

I mean, unlike other cultures where older people are looked up to, seniors in America are virtually invisible. Unless, of course, they’re Willy Nelson.

I met Martha Rose seventeen years ago in a PTA meeting where our kids went to school and we’ve been best friends ever since. One recent Tuesday, we all got together to work on our quilts like we normally do. Martha, Birdie, and our newest friend, Jazz Fletcher. Jazz designs men’s wear, but he’d started a second business sewing custom made clothing and accessories for dogs (he has the cutest Maltese named Zsa Zsa) .

Anyway, we were all sitting around shooting the breeze when he told us about two unsuccessful attempts to deliver a package to a client nearby. Something seemed off, and Martha got suspicious.

As soon as she suggested driving over to check on the woman to see if she was okay, I got one of my bad feelings (I have ESP). I said we should call the police, but nobody listened to me. So against my better judgment we all drove to this woman’s house. I was right. Turns out she’d been murdered.

Well, my husband had a cow when he found out, because this wasn’t the first time I’d been involved in a something like that. Birdie and I had helped Martha solve four other murders. Ray was clear as day when he told me not to get involved, seeing as how a couple of times I’d been in actual danger and he feared for my life.

I tried my best to stay out of it. Honest. But when the police suspected Jazz of being the killer, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. And dang if I didn’t get caught up in the excitement of looking for answers once again. Of course, I never did tell Ray what we were up to.

Poor Martha has had several close calls. As a matter of fact, you might say I’ve saved her life a couple of those times. Coming from Wyoming, Ray and I know our way around guns, and own a couple. So in the past, when things got a little dicey, I insisted Martha take my Browning semiautomatic .22 caliber pistol for self defense. It’s a good thing I did, because she’s had more than one occasion to use it.

And that’s the part of being invisible that works like a charm . Nobody really notices three “ladies of a certain age” when they run around looking for clues and talking to people. And if they do notice, they don’t take us seriously. Except, maybe, for the killer.

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Book Blast - Planted

Planted by C. T. Collier

Planted (The Penningtons Investigate) 1st in Series Cozy Mystery Asdee Press (July 22, 2016) Print Length: 309 pages ASIN: B01FOVMCPK

Synopsis:

Planted is book one of the new mystery series, The Penningtons Investigate, from award-winning author C. T. Collier. The Penningtons, Lyssa and Kyle, are both PhD’s, and when their clever minds start asking questions, clever killers can’t hide. It’s Monday of spring break when Professor Lyssa Pennington’s backyard garden project unearths a loaded revolver. With no record of violence at their address and no related cold case, the Tompkins Falls police have no interest. But the Penningtons and a friend with the State Police believe there a body somewhere. Whose? Where? And who pulled the trigger? The Penningtons’ canvass of their quiet neighborhood turns up disturbing secrets about the family who lived in their house for decades and another ill-fated family a few doors away. No one seems to know how to contact the only sons of either family. The few facts they have about them don't add up and, since the gun was buried about the time both young men disappeared from Tompkins Falls, the Penningtons feel compelled to find them and make sure all is well. Lyssa follows the money story and finds twenty million dollars, a neighbor who’s not what he seems, and a long-buried rivalry. Kyle goes after homicide data in six states and finds a body. Their next surprise is a murderer who will go to any length to conceal the crime.

About The Author

C. T. Collier grew up in Seneca Falls, NY, left the area for college and jobs, and always wanted to return to the Finger Lakes. Today she lives in a beautiful small city on one of the prettiest of the Finger Lakes, not unlike fictional Tompkins Falls on lovely Chestnut Lake. Most days you’ll find her writing in her tiny office looking out on a woods populated with fox, deer, wild turkeys, and songbirds. In her career as a tech-savvy college professor she has been endlessly fascinated with campus intrigue. Entirely fictional, Tompkins College is no college and every college.

Author Links: Website: https://drkatecollier.wordpress.com Facebook: kate.collier.315 Twitter: @TompkinsFalls Purchase Link Amazon

JULY 22, 2016

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Grilling the Subject by Daryl Wood Gerber. This book is the fifth in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series and will be released August 2nd.

Nobody likes a nasty neighbor. But when Sylvia Gump is found murdered it's Jenna's dad, Cary, who becomes the prime suspect. The Wild West has come to Crystal Cove, California and with it an old colleague of Jenna's, one Shane Maverick. Shane is no longer a dumpy ad man, but rather the too fit promoter with a pregnant girlfriend and a flirtatious nature. He also wanted to buy a house that Sylvia coveted. He got the house, but did he also want Sylvia dead? Or was it Sylvia's henpecked husband, Ronald, who claimed to see Cary running from the murder site? Or any of the other neighbors tired of Sylvia claiming communal property as her own and having loud parties; D'Ann Davis, diva of the screen, or Ava, the real estate agent who also had a thing for Shane?

While Cary may not want Jenna's help she's bound and determined to give it to him, even as she senses a mysterious someone is stalking her.

Recipes Included.

A Final Fondue Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Maya Corrigan to the blog today. Maya writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries series. Final Fondue, the third book in the series, was released June 28th.

Kathy: When I was a little kid I remember my mother always getting out the fondue pot when entertaining, at least for adult occasions. Were fondue pots a special thing when you were growing up?

MC: Though my mother never served fondue at home, it was popular when I was a teenager. I got married in my early 20s and received a fondue pot as a wedding gift, as did many others who married at that time. One pot wasn’t enough to hold a fondue party. I bought a second one so that I could serve different types of fondue. When fondue was no longer popular, my pots went to a thrift shop. I lived to regret that move. While writing Final Fondue, I bought a vintage pot similar to the one I received as a wedding gift so that I could try out recipes.


Kathy: In Final Fondue Val helps her grandfather perfect his chocolate fondue. My mom usually made a cheese fondue. Do you have a preference? Or a special fondue recipe?

MC: I’m partial to chocolate fondue. Final Fondue includes two recipes for dessert fondue: First Fondue (the Swiss Toblerone milk chocolate recipe that started the chocolate fondue craze) and Fast Fondue (my updated dark chocolate fondue made in a microwave, no special fondue pot required).


Kathy: Do you currently break out the fondue pot for parties?

MC: My book launch party for Final Fondue will feature cheese and chocolate fondue. I also plan to serve my grandsons fondue when they visit because they love dipping their food in sauces.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

MC: I enjoyed reading the classic mysteries of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh, as well as the pioneers of the modern cozy, like Carolyn Hart, Joan Hess, Dorothy Cannell, and Nancy Pickard.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

MC: The Art of Deceit, my literary suspense-romance, won the Daphne du Maurier Award and the New England Readers’ Award for unpublished mystery/suspense and was a finalist in the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Competition. Since I began writing my cozy series, I haven’t had the time to look for a publisher for that book, but I plan to do that next year.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

MC: My Five-Ingredient Mysteries feature café manager Val Deniston and her grandfather, the Codger Cook, who solve murders in a historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore near the Chesapeake Bay. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

MC: Granddad is my favorite character. He serves as Val’s confidante and sidekick, although he would say she’s his sidekick. He’s good for comic relief when his cooking experiments go awry. Because they have different value systems and challenge each other’s assumptions, Val and Granddad arrive at conclusions that neither would reach alone. They make a good team though their relationship is not always smooth. They have typical male-female and old-young conflicts, as well as generational differences in food, cooking, and eating that I enjoy exploring in the book.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

MC: I based the grandfather character on my father. I grew up in a traditional family with a stay-at-home Mom who planned and cooked every meal we ate. When she was 82, she underwent chemotherapy, which left her barely able to get out of bed for months. So my father, at age 85, took over the cooking and housekeeping, doing all the things for her that she’d done for him for the previous 60 years. He continued cooking even after my mother recovered and often boasted about how few ingredients he used to make dinner. That’s the story behind Granddad’s obsession with five-ingredient recipes.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

MC: I wrote my first novel when I was thirteen, pecking it out on a manual typewriter. As I finished each chapter, I gave it to my best friend and watched her read it. It thrilled me to see her smile and laugh. Knowing I'd created a story that entertained someone made me want to be a writer. I spent a lot of my professional life writing nonfiction, including academic papers and technical manuals—not the most entertaining fare, but that’s what people paid me to write. Now I’m thrilled to be writing fiction again and hoping that my books are as entertaining as what I wrote when I was thirteen.


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

MC: I enjoy wit and verbal fireworks, so I would invite Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, and Tom Stoppard. I also enjoy mixing guests from various backgrounds at dinner parties. Those four wrote in different eras and a variety of genres. Though they might not agree with each other, the conversation among them would sparkle.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

MC: I’m currently enjoying Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. While reviewers have praised the book, many ardent Jane Austen fans feel Sittenfeld doesn’t do justice to the depth of Austen’s characters. She does, however, create believable 21st-century characters and conveys the complexities of modern marriages. She also satirizes society through its courtship rituals, just as Austen did two centuries ago.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

MC: When not reading or writing, I enjoy cooking, crosswords, trivia, tennis, and snorkeling.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

MC: Only 4? I keep a lot of different kinds of food around. Here are 4 items I can’t live without and would go out to buy in the middle of the night if I ran out of them: butter, garlic, crusty bread, and eggs.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

MC: I’m currently writing the 4th book in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series and have a contract for a 5th book in the series.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

MC: As a left-brain person, I’ve found it wonderful how my right brain gets into the act. I have an outline and many details worked out before I start writing a book, but in the process of writing, my creative side kicks in and tells me to go in a different direction from the way I’d planned. So the story changes as I go along. Sometimes I go to bed with a lingering writing problem. I can’t figure out how to liven up a scene between two characters or where to insert a clue. The next morning I wake up knowing what to do because my subconscious has been busy during the night. It’s a great feeling to use the whole brain.


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Review - A Toxic Trousseau

Review

A TOXIC TROUSSEAU by Juliet Blackwell

The 8th Witchcraft Mystery

Lily Ivory is surprised when she is served papers and finds herself being sued! Autumn Jennings is claiming that Oscar attacked her in Aunt Cora's Closet and is seeking compensation. But Autumn is no ordinary customer. In fact, not only does she run a high end vintage clothing shop she's also in debt to the witchy godfather of San Fransisco - Aidan Rhodes. When Lily and Maya go to Autumn's store to attempt to work things out-they find her spouting paranoid ideation while holding a gun on them and ultimately collapsing. Despite the prompt arrival of paramedics Autumn dies in the hospital. When doctors and police suspect poison Lily and Bronwyn top their suspect list. Now Lily needs to find out what's really going on. Could it have something to do with Autumn's latest clothing addition? With Sailor and Oscar for support Lily searches for the truth while handling city matters for Aidan and preparing for the Nebulous Big Nasty which is heading their way. 

A TOXIC TROUSSEAU is unique in that the mystery takes a more meandering path. In fact, we're not sure what the mystery really is. The mystery of the trousseau, of the curse, of the house, of the death, and who and where is Scarlet; all these questions entwine Lily, along with the mysterious satchel and the job with which Aiden has tasked her. Instead of a simple mystery story it's more of a preparatory book, setting the stage for a huge magical showdown. By the end of the book we have a much clearer view of that Nebulous Big Nasty heading their way, as well as a group of reinforcements coming to town.

Lily and her friends continue to delight. These characters are imbued with such spirit and vitality, it's sometimes difficult to believe they're fictional. Character development has been an integral part of this series, deepening the bonds connecting the characters, both with each other and readers. Lily has grown so much, yet she still manages to keep a sense of innocence, awkwardness, and charm even as she has become a powerful woman. Part of that power has come from her ability to accept help and friendship from others. While a part of her will always be a solitary witch, she can count on the love and friendship of others to support and encourage her, even as she supports and encourages them. And while Sailor remains swoonworthy, it is Oscar who has truly captured my heart!

Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft series continues to be one of my most favorite series. A TOXIC TROUSSEAU is a multifaceted mystery including a local legend involving a curse, a fictional representation of the famous Winchester House, and a fascinating part of fashion history which combine to create a captivating story.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Toxic Trousseau by Juliet Blackwell. This book is the 8th in her Witchcraft series and was released earlier this month.

Lily Ivory is surprised when she is served papers and finds herself being sued! Autumn Jennings is claiming that Oscar attacked her in Aunt Cora's Closet and is seeking compensation. But Autumn is no ordinary customer. In fact, not only does she run a high end vintage clothing shop she's also in debt to the witchy godfather of San Fransisco- Aidan Rhodes. When Lily and Maya go to Autumn's store to attempt to work things out-they find her spouting paranoid ideation while holding a gun on them and ultimately collapsing. Despite the prompt arrival of paramedics Autumn dies in the hospital. When doctors and police suspect poison Lily and Bronwyn top their suspect list. Now Lily needs to find out what's really going on. Could it have something to do with Autumn's latest clothing addition? With Sailor and Oscar for support Lily searches for the truth while handling city matters for Aidan and preparing for the Nebulous Big Nasty which is heading their way.

Prepping for the Preppers - Guest Post & Giveaway

Prepping for the Preppers

By Alice Loweecey 

I’m not making this up.

Well, not all of it. This is a story about how research slithers its tendrils into real life. That sounds like the plot of a horror novel, and these ideas did start with horror novel research.

In Nun but the Brave, Giulia infiltrates a cult of Doomsday Preppers. Oh, the Prepper research! Tactical bacon (it’s a real thing on Amazon; promise). Water purifier systems demonstrated by perky models. Reams of advice on protecting your apocalypse hoard from desperadoes.

Its purpose: the individual’s survival post-nuke. Or post-Electromagnetic Pulse. Or post-Zombie Apocalypse. Note the Tactical Bacon above. Who would want to live in a world without bacon? Or coffee? Or chocolate?

I leave out booze, because it’s become easier than ever to create beer and mead and moonshine in one’s own basement. But even if your neighborhood Prepper group raises bacon the hoof (aka pigs), coffee and chocolate are tropical plants. It’s unlikely my corner Starbucks will be operating post-ZA.

Thanks to my horror novel research, I learned I can grow tea on my desk, coffee in my backyard, and cacao in a greenhouse—and I live in one of the snow capitals of the US.

I’m not saying it’ll be great coffee or tea or cacao, but when one’s stores of ground coffee (no electricity post-nuke, so forget about that fancy whole bean grinder) are used up, a backup plan will be flowering.

When Giulia visits the Preppers, she’s surprised to see coffee growing in their gardens. Surely a coffee hound like Giulia would’ve considered growing her very own in her huge vegetable garden? But Giulia isn’t merely a coffee addict; she’s a coffee gourmand. Because when she tries this home-grown brew, well, let’s just say Starbucks doesn’t have to worry about losing a customer.

Tea, on the other hand, is not Giulia’s favorite. It is a favorite of her creator, and if my cats would leave the plant alone, I’d sure try growing my own tea on my windowsill.

A cacao tree is not in my future, because there are only so many hours in the day. If my choice is to grow my own beans, grind them up, and perform all the other steps required to create the food of the gods—chocolate—I’ll head to the grocery store and buy some Guylian seashells. (If you’ve never had these luscious creations, hie thee to the store post-haste! They’re also great for people watching their weight, since they’re so rich you can’t eat more than two, max, per sitting.

Now that I’ve made all y’all crave coffee and chocolate, my work here is done. And if anyone decides to take advantage of my research and grow any of these plants, please send pictures! I’m on Facebook and Twitter and you can always contact me through my website. I’m off to brew some very strong coffee.

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Read to Death

I'm so happy to welcome Terrie Farley Moran back to the blog. Terrie pens the Read 'em and Eat mystery series. Read to Death, the third book in the series, was released this past week.

 
Kathy: In Read to Death the gang takes a day trip to the beautiful Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Do you enjoy taking similar day trips?

TFM: Hi Kathy, it’s great to be here and yes, sometimes I do like day trips. (I am now singing the Beatles song. “She was a day tripper…” Musically, I am way too suggestable.)
I actually took the guided tour of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates about two years ago and I was amazed at how much work Edison did in his Florida laboratory. Apparently he was not one for long vacations. His botany experiments were fascinating. I can verify that everything mentioned in Read to Death about the Edison and Ford Estates is accurate right down to it being the home of the largest banyan tree in the continental United States.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

TFM: I think that a one word answer would be “secrets”. People keep all kinds of secrets tightly locked inside their hearts. And sometimes a word or a gesture from someone else can scare them into thinking the secret is no longer safe. And when that happens…

I also wanted to show the massive impact snowbirds have on Florida. They are huge contributors to Florida’s economy and I wanted you all to see how easily the snowbirds slip into community life during winter season and then slip right out again come spring.


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Sassy Cabot and Bridgy Mayfield?

TFM: Not at this time. Read to Death is the final book under my existing contract with Berkley. If the book sells really, really well and appears to be on an upward sales trajectory especially during the first few weeks after release, then we may see another book. It is too soon to tell. (So get out there and buy, people, buy. And please ask your library to order a copy for you as well. End of commercial break.)


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

TFM: Definite pantser here. I wish I had the discipline to outline and plot. Although I know writing is difficult no matter how you approach it, I have a sneaking suspicion that plotters are more organized so they may be less anxiety ridden while working on a project. Alas, I will probably never know for sure. I don’t see plotting on my radar screen.


Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

TFM: Hands down, my favorite part of marketing is meeting, either in person or via social media, so many members of the cozy mystery community. I have developed strong, warm friendships that I believe will last a lifetime. On the down side, marketing takes up a huge amount of time and a fair amount of money, which are two resources that I’d rather spend other ways. I could use the time for writing and the money to buy cookies and ice cream for my grandkids.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

TFM: Right now I am working on a proposal for a cozy series called Arts and Drafts, which takes place in New York State in a fictional town called Wishing Well located in the general vicinity of the real town of Tuxedo.

As you know I have been fortunate enough to work with Laura Childs on her scrapbooking series. Crepe Factor will be released this October.

I am thrilled to join a fabulous array of mystery writers who have a short story, “The Boggy Bayou Caper” in the Bouchercon 2016 anthology Blood on the Bayou, edited by Greg Herren. The anthology will be released at Bouchercon New Orleans this September. All proceeds will directly benefit the New Orleans Public Library. (Dare I say it again? Buy, people, buy.)

Thanks so much for letting me visit and good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway.

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

Review

Read to Death by Terrie Farley Moran
The Third Read 'Em and Eat Mystery

Sassy and Bridgy give their Cool Reads/Warm Climate book club a grand finale by hosting a tour of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Upon their return to the Read 'em and Eat Cafe however, an ending they never expected occurs. Bridgy, instead of finding her lost sunglasses, finds the body of their murdered bus driver. Her unusual apology when Sassy appears on the scene has sheriff's deputies raising eyebrows so Sassy quickly calls in legal reinforcements. Surely Bridgy isn't responsible, but who is? The book club member who seems to have disappeared, a sailor with a grudge, someone from his past? When being questioned by law enforcement, not only is it handy to have a lawyer, but it's good to have your mother-so both Bridgy and Sassy's moms arrive to provide support, even though friction remains rife between Bridgy's mom and aunt. Can the Brice babes get along? Will Bridgy be exonerated? Will Sassy play nice with Lieutenant Anthony?

Sharing details about life in Florida brings readers right into Sassy and Bridgy's world, whether it's emergency preparedness planning for hurricanes or shopping in unique boutiques. I love being an armchair traveler and Read to Death also gave me the opportunity to learn about the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Moran delves a bit deeper into familial relationships in this book. The bond between mothers and daughters, as well as sisters, is explored. While troubles and differences are part and parcel of being a family, so is love and support.

Terrie Farley Moran gives us another winner with Read to Death. Adjusting to life with the snowbirds and their inevitable departure creates a different sense of community, but that sense of community is strong in her Read 'em and Eat series. Unique characters filled with personality inhabit her pages providing plenty of fodder for the mysteries they encounter.

Recipes Included.

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Killer Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Vicki Vass to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Vicki pens the Antique Hunters Mystery series. Killer Finds, the third book in the series, was released earlier this year.

Kathy: Anne Hillstrom is an antique hunter. Do you collect antiques?

VV: Yes, I based the series on the weekends I spent antique shopping with my real-life friends Anne and CC. We would go antiquing every weekend and as a writer I began chronicling our adventures. Though we never stumbled across any real-life murders.


Kathy: What's your favorite style of antique? Do you have a favorite period or type of object?

VV: I've gone through several periods. When I first started antiquing, we had just bought our house so I looked for pieces to fill the space, including an Eastlake framed picture, several jadeite bowls and a 1920s brass flower stand. Currently as my house is out of space, I have been buying antique fine jewelry. In terms of time periods, I veer toward Edwardian pieces, Victorian and occasionally art deco.


Kathy: In Killer Finds Anne's identity has been stolen. What an absolute nightmare. Have you had to deal with such a horror?

VV: Not on such a large scale. I've had my credit card information stolen a few times. I received a call one time from Chase asking me if I was checking into a hotel in Toronto while I was sitting at home in Chicago. I also had my debit card used in Florida while I was at home. These were very scary situations.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

VV: I've loved cozy mysteries forever. I grew up on my mother's Nancy Drew books and then evolved into reading Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr. I changed the spelling of my first name after reading the Vicki Barr mysteries. I've also read all Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. I enjoy putting the puzzle pieces together and getting involved in the actual solving of the case.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

VV: I have a science fiction novel that I wrote with my husband, which was recently published by Zharmae press. It is called the Lexicon and loosely based on my travels to Sudan, Africa.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

VV: The antique hunters mystery series is about two best friends who love to shop for antiques and collectibles, and trouble seems to find them. I recently started a second series, called Alex Kustodia Mysteries, about a gem hunter. I love gemstones and have always dreamed of traveling the world to find them. I also publish a series called Neighborhood Watch based on the not-so-real-life adventures of my next-door neighbor.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

VV: I don't necessarily have a favorite character though I am partial to Alex in Gem Hunter. She is Russian like me. She is fearless and shares my love of gemstones.


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

VV: I was inspired by my weekly excursions with my girlfriends as well as a certain pair of flowered capri pants that my friend wears.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

VV: I was hoping that readers would enjoy my characters as much as I do.


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

VV: This is an interesting question. I feel like I should say something literary like Fitzgerald, who I love, or Steinbeck. I would love to meet Jane Austen. I've read her books over and over. I would also invite Margaret Mitchell because I admire her writing and she shares my journalistic background. Then that leaves me with L.M. Montgomery who wrote Anne of Green Gables (I've read her journals, she is very interesting). My last choice would be Stephen King because his books keep me up at night and I want to know how he lives in his world.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

VV: Not as much as I'd like as we just brought home a 10-week-old puppy but it doesn't stop me from having three or four books going at once. I am almost finished with the Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, and I am also reading Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt by Arthur Vanderbilt. Those are both research for the next antique hunters mystery as the girls visit the Biltmore, Vanderbilt estate, in Asheville, N.C. I am also reading A Lasting Passion, the letters of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov. This is research for my next Gem Hunter book. For light reading, I am reading The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan. I just finished the Woman in the Photo which I found very interesting.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

VV: My hobbies include antique shopping. reading and playing with my puppy.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

VV:Diet Coke, skinny pop, chocolate and water. Like my character Anne Hillstrom, I am on a low-carb diet so I am trying not to keep junk food in the house. Chocolate and popcorn do not count as junk.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

VV: I just completed the first draft for the fourth book in the Antique Hunters series and am working on the fifth book and the second book in the Gem Hunter series.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

VV: I love creating my characters and developing their worlds.

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Read to Death by Terrie Farley Moran. This book is the third in the Read 'em and Eat Mystery series and was just released yesterday!

Sassy and Bridgy give their Cool Reads/Warm Climate book club a grand finale by hosting a tour of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Upon their return to the Read 'em and Eat Cafe however, an ending they never expected occurs. Bridgy, instead of finding her lost sunglasses, finds the body of their murdered bus driver. Her unusual apology when Sassy appears on the scene has sheriff's deputies raising eyebrows so Sassy quickly calls in legal reinforcements. Surely Bridgy isn't responsible, but who is? The book club member who seems to have disappeared, a sailor with a grudge, someone from his past? When being questioned by law enforcement, not only is it handy to have a lawyer, but it's good to have your mother-so both Bridgy and Sassy's moms arrive to provide support, even though friction remains rife between Bridgy's mom and aunt. Can the Brice babes get along? Will Bridgy be exonerated? Will Sassy play nice with Lieutenant Anthony? Only time will tell.

Recipes Included.

Spotlight - To Brew or Not to Brew

I recently took part in two book exchanges and I thought I'd shine a spotlight on one of the books I received,,,,: To Brew or Not to Brew by Joyce Tremel. This book is the first in the new Brewing Trouble Mystery series and was released in December of 2015.

From the back cover:

A Brewmaster with a Head for Sleuthing.

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

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

Recipes Included

Spotlight - The Irises

I'd like to shine a spotlight on The Irises by Cynthia Lott. This book is the second in the Southern Spectral Series.

From the back cover:

In 1979 New Orleans, detective Roy Agnew is thrown into another murder investigation. Re-entering the world of the supernatural, he realizes that he may be the only person able to stop a killer. In order to catch a paranormal murderer, Roy must rely on the one thing he struggles with the most: his faith.