Tuesday, January 31, 2017

A Palette for Murder - Spotlight & Giveaway

A Palette for Murder by Sybil Johnson

a-palette-for-murder-front 
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Henery Press (January 31, 2017) Paperback: 268 pages ISBN-13: 978-1635111415 E-Book ASIN: B01M74ZIL3 goodreads-badge-add-plus

Synopsis

A killer heat wave settles over Seagull Lane...
Summer’s sizzling in Vista Beach, the home of computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson. The abnormally high temperatures are hard on everyone in the quiet Los Angeles county beach community, especially the city’s homeless population. Residents are doing everything they can to stay cool, including leaving windows open to catch the faintest breeze. Not the best idea when a string of burglaries is plaguing nearby towns.
Still, Rory doesn’t expect to find her neighbor’s body just a few doors down. When suspicion falls on a friend and fellow painter, Rory must discover the truth before the police paint the wrong picture and send her friend away permanently.
SybilJohnson_2_cropped

About The Author –

Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

 

Author Links

Website: www.authorsybiljohnson.com Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/sybiljohnsonauthor Twitter: www.twitter.com/sybiljohnson19 GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/SybilJohnson Publisher: http://henerypress.com/paint-the-town-dead/ Purchase Links Amazon B&N iTunes KOBO

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Monday, January 30, 2017

Snowmen in Paradise - Spotlight & Giveaway

Kathi Daley's Tj Jensen Mystery series is being released by Henery Press and the second book in the series, SNOWMEN IN PARADISE, is on sale through February 4, 2017.



Synopsis: 
 
Winter Carnival comes to Serenity, and with it Tj finds her schedule busier than ever. Not only is her ski and snowboard team heavily involved in demonstrations and local competitions, but her ragtag choir is about to debut in their first live performance. To make matters even more complicated, someone has killed Travis Davidson, a town favorite son, world-class snowboarder, and Olympic hopeful. Tj is determined not to get involved in the subsequent investigation until she learns the prime suspect is Chelsea Hanson, her high school boyfriend Hunter Hanson’s sister. Although there’s no shortage of Sereninites with a grudge against the hometown hero, even Tj has to admit there’s good cause to suspect Chelsea of the murder. Balancing bridesmaid duties, Winter Carnival obligations, show choir duty, and after-hours investigation, Tj sets out to prove Chelsea innocent.


Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/snowmen-in-paradise


Kathi is graciously sponsoring a giveaway. The prize is a copy of SNOWMEN IN PARADISE - Kindle or Paperback - NON US Kindle only. Simply leave a comment on this blog post no later than 11:59pm EDT Wednesday, February 1, 2017. Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I may contact you, should you be the lucky winner!
 

Sunday, January 29, 2017

One Dead Two to Go Interview and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Elena Hartwell to the blog today. Elena writes the Eddie Shoes Mystery series. ONE DEAD, TWO TO GO is the first book in the series.


Kathy: Private Investigator Edwina “Eddie Shoes” Schultz has a unique relationship with her adrenaline-junkie mother, Chava. Are their similarities between their relationship and you and your mom?

EH: My mother and Chava are very different people, but there are some similarities to our relationships. I love to travel with my mom and in a lot of ways she is my best friend. We don't bicker like Chava and Eddie sometimes do (and we've never solved a homicide together!) but we love spending time together. My mom is one of my first beta readers, so she's very involved in my process as well. I trust her judgment about issues in my manuscripts, and she knows a lot about human behavior. She's also a great resource for me to ask questions about some specific areas of research I do for my work.


Kathy: How has working in the theatre influenced your writing?

EH: Spending over twenty years in the theatre has influenced my writing a lot. I have always had a good ear for dialogue, part of why I've been successful as a playwright, but so many years working with actors and scripts has honed that as well. Playscripts are also great tools for understanding story structure. There isn't any room in a play for unnecessary actions or dialogue - so it helps me be concise and stay tight with my scenes. But I think the biggest influence it has had is on my ability to collaborate. Authors who have never worked with anyone else might struggle with editor suggestions or publisher demands for rewrites. I've been working with directors, other playwrights, actors, and producers on new plays for years and collaboration is part of the process. I embrace feedback from my editors and look to them to help make my work the best it can be, rather than seeing it as an adversarial relationship. Even when I don't agree with a note, I trust that there's something not working with that passage and I know I need to figure out what's wrong and fix it one way or another.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

EH: This is a great question, because I think it speaks to the issue of genre and genre descriptions. Cozies technically use amateur sleuths, so my PI series is an outlier - but my work shares so many characteristics with cozies, I would say I write cross-genre. Cozy/Private Eye. Although my protagonist, Eddie Shoes, is a professional private investigator, her mother Chava is an amateur. Cozies don't have graphic violence or sex. My series doesn't use graphic violence or sex - my murders are offstage and even the gun battles in book one are humorous rather than gritty. I read a wide variety of books in the mystery/thriller category, including works that are very graphic, but I've always loved that you can write mysteries in less violent ways. There is something very satisfying about the "whodunnit" part of the mystery genre that doesn't require skin-crawling, gut-turning specificity. I started out reading the books my granny read - especially Tony Hillerman and Agatha Christie, so that kind of novel has always been on my bookshelf.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

EH: As a playwright, I write for the stage, which doesn't have such specific genre assignments for writers. A playwright might write a comedy followed by a serious drama and no one thinks twice about it. It's only in the literary world that there appears to be this question of whether or not to cross into different genres. I find that very interesting. Currently, I'm only writing in mystery, but we'll see what the future brings. If I write some of the kinds of stories I explore on the stage as novels, it would change my genre.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

EH: Eddie Shoes is a private investigator. Her mother, Chava, is a card-counting poker player who has been kicked out of Vegas and shows up on Eddie's doorstep. The two join forces, albeit somewhat reluctantly on Eddie's part, and solve homicides. One Dead, Two to Go is out now, Two Heads Are Deader Than One launches April 15, 2017, and Three Strikes, You're Dead comes out April 15, 2018. I'm finishing up the first draft on book three now.


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

EH: I do love Chava, she makes me laugh. I'm also very fond of Debbie Buse, who appears in book two and continues into the rest of the series. She's based on a real person and was part of a donation I did for Serenity Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation in Hobart, Washington. The reason she's in the book and the fun I had creating a fictional character based on a real person makes her very special to me.


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

EH: My husband and I were on a road trip and out of the blue he came up with the name Eddie Shoes. It was totally random and not connected to anything specific. I thought ... that's a great name for a private investigator. That's where the whole thing started.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

EH: It would never occur to me to write something this complex and not intend to have it published or produced. I might write short pieces on occasion that are just for me, but even shorter things are usually for my blog or with a specific intention. As a professional writer, I don't do this for fun, even though I love doing it, this is my job.


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

EH: Tough question! So many to choose from. Probably J.R.R. Tolkien, CS Lewis, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Parker. That would let us cover the gamut of conversation from religion to philosophy to politics to mystery novels, and also be very witty.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EH: Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger.


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

EH: Most of my free time is spent with our horses. My hubby and I have two, Jasper, a big Palomino Paint and Radar, a chestnut solid Paint. They are wonderful and I love working with them. I'm also an amateur landscape painter.


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

EH: Cheese. Chocolate. Coffee and Cream.


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

EH: I'm working (in my head) on books four and five in the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series while I finish book three. I like to be thinking a book or two ahead because I'm sprinkling seeds into the current book.


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

EH: I live in my head, so it's nice that can be my day job. I'm always surprised when I discover everyone around me isn't making stories up in their heads 24/7. Plus I get to work in my jammies.


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Friday, January 27, 2017

Color Me Dead Interview & Review

I'm pleased to welcome Teresa Trent back to Cozy Up With Kathy with a new series. COLOR ME DEAD is the first book in the Henry Park Mystery series and was released earlier this month.


Kathy: You start a new series with COLOR ME DEAD. Was there a specific inspiration for this series?

TT: There were several. I lived in Colorado from the age of eleven until the year after I graduated from college. When I write my mysteries, I try to use places I am very familiar with. Once I figured out I wanted this one to be in Colorado, it just flowed. The element of art was important to me because I wanted my psychic to be able to express herself in a unique way. I have a son with Down Syndrome, and we are active in the disability community in Houston. The character of Gigi was inspired by a friend’s daughter and other young people I’ve met with cerebral palsy.


Kathy: Gabby Wolfe has a unique ability to see "the despair of the dead". Have you met people with similar abilities?

TT: Not really, but I’ve always been fascinated by them. I’ve long been a fan of the Long Island Medium, Dead Files, and other shows. I’m just like everybody else that watches these shows and find myself wondering whether or not I think the “reading” is for real. Even though I am interested in this process, I would never want to have those abilities. I’d be back to sleeping with the light on!


Kathy: We also meet a rambunctious beagle named Luigi who loves junk food. Is Luigi based on a real dog, or is he purely a work of fiction?

TT: Luigi is based on my beagle, Goliath. Goliath was the dog I had when I was a little girl, and I guess when I started writing about Colorado, a rascally beagle showed up in the manuscript! Luigi likes Cheetos, but if I remember right, Goliath was more into pork rinds.


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?

TT: I am a plotter and then a replotter. I could never write a story without a plan. I admire people who can do that! My process has evolved over the years and is a combination of computer files and handwritten pages. My husband told me I never write a book the same way twice. I think I have a bad case of “inventing a better mouse-trap.”


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?

TT: I enjoy connecting with my readers and getting a chance to show my work to people who might not have known about it. It is a great opportunity for an author to do blog tours and interviews like this one. I am so happy I can offer COLOR ME DEAD for free on Amazon, January 23-27. I’ve used the free days on Kindle several times and have never been disappointed. As far as dislikes, times have changed and my readers are scattered all over the world. I don’t do many bookstore table displays anymore. Most people buy ebooks not paperbacks, and unless I’m someone like Nora Roberts, it’s not an effective marketing strategy.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

TT: Later this spring, the seventh book in my Pecan Bayou Mystery Series, ’Til Dirt Do Us Part will be coming out. I hope I can come back to visit and tell you about Betsy’s latest brush with murder. You might have already figured out this one is a gardening mystery. If you would like to keep up on my new releases, here is where you can sign-up for my newsletter and get a free Pecan Bayou Novella, A Heart for Murder.


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

Review


COLOR ME DEAD by Teresa Trent
The First Henry Park Mystery 

Gabby Wolfe returns to her childhood home of Henry Park, Colorado with two jobs, to start work as an illustrator for children's book author Clarence Bradford, and look after her younger brother, Mitch, a magnet for trouble. Gabby's always seen snippets of things to come, but now she starts to draw a disturbing image, and it's not from one of Clarence's stories. Reconnecting with old friends and making new enemies Gabby tries to make sense of what she sees, only to discover a talented young artist is seeing the same visions. It's too late to save the woman they're seeing, but will they be able to discover the killer?

Teresa Trent pens a winner with her first Henry Park Mystery. We're introduced to a reluctant psychic, her ne'er do well brother, a direct sales guru with cerebral palsy, and a lovable dog named Luigi. While the natural environment is pristine, the characters are a little rougher around the edges. With plenty of bad habits and foibles these characters provide a multitude of motives as well as the moxie to deal with adversity...and each other.

I appreciate so much about this book, especially the subtlety with which Trent writes about Gabby's psychic abilities; truly developing their importance and the way Gabby and others view this gift. In COLOR ME DEAD Teresa Trent takes a picturesque town adds interesting characters and a unique mystery to create a successful start to a new series.

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COLOR ME DEAD is currently free on Amazon, but the offer is only good through today, so take advantage while you can!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading COLOR ME DEAD by Teresa Trent. This book is the first in the Henry Park Mystery series and was released earlier this month. 

Gabby Wolfe returns to her childhood home of Henry Park, Colorado with two jobs, to start work as an illustrator for children's book author Clarence Bradford, and look after her younger brother, Mitch a magnet for trouble. Gabby's always seen snippets of things to come, but now she starts to draw a disturbing image, and it's not from one of Clarence's stories. Reconnecting with old friends and making new enemies Gabby tries to make sense of what she sees, only to discover a talented young artist is seeing the same visions. It's too late to save the woman they're seeing, but will they be able to discover the killer?

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

The Blessed Event - Book Blast

Amazon has priced The Blessed Event by Frankie Bow at just 99⊄ for the month of January! (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
The Blessed Event (The Professor Molly Mysteries) Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (June 10, 2016) Paperback: 344 pages ISBN-13: 978-1943476251 Kindle ASIN: B01GW5WUAE
Synopsis "You may wonder what my least-favorite student was doing in my living room. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, he was now my stepson." Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawaii working on her research and adjusting to married life. But when a visit from her new husband's relatives coincides with a murder, Molly wonders what she's married into--and realizes she might have a killer under her roof.
author-photo-b-squareAbout The Author
Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining.
In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.
Author Links Webpage Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Goodreads Purchase Links Amazon    

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Review & Giveaway - Time Out

Review


TIME OUT by Suzanne Trauth
The Second Dodie O'Dell Mystery

With a continued partnership with the Etonville Little Theatre Dodie O'Dell's latest idea is an outdoor food festival with a 1940s Brooklyn theme to correspond with the play, Arsenic and Old Lace. As usual, the theatre is having its own issues, especially with guest director, Antonio Digenza, and his young wife, Tiffany. Dodie is having issues of her own between Henry's niece, Honey "helping" at the restaurant and wondering if she has a relationship with the Chief of Police or not. But when Antonio drops dead after eating a plateful of festival food, both restaurant and theatrical production may be kaput, even if it wasn't the knishes that did him in!  

When the hairs on the back of her neck stand up Dodie O'Dell knows that something's wrong. Those hairs stood up a few times in this second Dodie O'Dell Mystery. TIME OUT is a story and a mystery about relationships. Dodie's new relationship with Henry's niece, Honey, is one frustrating affiliation as is the confusing relationship she has with Etonville's busy Chief of Police. There's also the relationship between the Windjammer restaurant and the Etonville Little Theatre (ELT), Dodie's relationship with the theatre members, and their relationships with each other. Trauth brings in new blood to the ELT in the form of guest director, Antonio Digenza, and his young wife. Antonio's relationships are key to the mystery itself!

TIME OUT provides a satisfying second act to the Dodie O'Dell Mystery series. Well rounded characters, plenty of humor, and an intimate look at community theatre and family restaurants enhance the mystery. So grab a black and white cookie, but perhaps pass on the elderberry wine, and take your own time out to enjoy this delightful mystery.



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Friday, January 20, 2017

Review - A Fatal Twist

Review


A FATAL TWIST by Tracy Weber
The Fourth Downward Dog Mystery

While training to be a doula, Kate witnesses an ugly scene involving a cheating doctor, his mistress, and a nurse. The ugly scene replays when Kate accompanies Rene and Sam to the opening of a new birthing center, where Rene will be giving birth. This time, however, the nurse in question isn't a co-worker, but his wife! Afterward, Kate nearly collides with said wife, who is also her yoga student, running from the employee break room. As Kate enters in an attempt to clean up after a culinary dispute between her friends, she discovers the murdered body of the philandering doctor.

Murder isn't the only mayhem in Kate's life, however. Michael has brought two rescued puppies into their household. Cute as anything, but just as rambunctious and destructive, the two are bent on wreaking havoc. Will Kate survive being involved in yet another murder as Michael attempts to be a puppy foster father?

Tracy Weber has once again delivered a smart, funny mystery with some down to earth realism. Animals are wonderful companions, but in reality, everything is not sunshine and roses. Issues evolve and hard, unhappy decisions must be faced. Tracy Weber does not shy away from these harsh realities while she also shines a light on the horror of backyard breeders.

I find the development of the characters fascinating, especially Tiffany and her relationship with Kate. While I would have happily called the police and had Tiffany hauled to jail in KARMA'S A KILLER, it seems Kate's actions may have been more appropriate. All of the characters are growing and I enjoy seeing the happy progression.

The mystery itself is complex with a dastardly victim and lots of suspects with plenty of motives. In addition to the murder, there is a second crime, which at first seems a totally separate issue, but eventually has readers wondering if they may be connected after all. The mystery, the characters, the humor, and the important dog and rescue knowledge imparted combine to make A FATAL TWIST a mystery not to be missed.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Time Out by Suzanne Trauth. This book is the second in the Dodie O'Dell Mystery series and was released yesterday!

With a continued partnership with the Etonville Little Theatre Dodie O'Dell's latest idea is an outdoor food festival with a1940s Brooklyn theme to correspond with the play, Arsenic and Old Lace. As usual, the theatre is having its own issues, especially with guest director, Antonio Digenza, and his young wife, Tiffany. Dodie is having issues of her own between Henry's niece, Honey "helping" at the restaurant and wondering if she has a relationship with the Chief of Police or not. But when Antonio drops dead after eating a plateful of festival food, both restaurant and theatrical production may be kaput, even if it wasn't the knishes that did him in!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Riverman - Spotlight & Giveaway

The Riverman

by Alex Gray

on Tour January 9 - February 15, 2017

Synopsis:


Fans of atmospheric police procedurals will love watching Glasgow vividly come to life with the shocking twists and turns that have made Alex Gray an international bestseller
When a dead body is fished out of Glasgow’s River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. But an anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test give Detective Chief Inspector William Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer finds only more unanswered questions.
What is the secret his widow seems to be concealing? Was the international accounting firm facing financial difficulties? What has become of the dead man’s protégé who has disappeared in New York? And when another employee is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become much more disturbing. Lorimer must cope not only with deceptions from the firm, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: January 10th 2017
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 0062659138 (ISBN13: 9780062659132)
Series: A DCI Lorimer Novel, #4
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Goodreads 

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE

April
THE RIVERMAN
The riverman knew all about the Clyde. Its tides and currents were part of his heritage. His father and others before him had launched countless small craft from the banks of the river in response to a cry for help. Nowadays that cry came in the form of a klaxon that could waken him from sleep, the mobile phone ringing with information about where and when. It wouldn’t be the first time that he’d pulled someone from the icy waters with only a hasty oilskin over his pajamas.
This morning, at least, he’d been up and doing when the call came. The body was over by Finnieston, past the weir, so he’d had to drive over the river towing a boat behind him on the trailer. He was always ready. That was what this job was all about: prompt and speedy response in the hope that some poor sod’s life could be saved. And he’d saved hundreds over the years, desperate people who were trying to make up their mind to jump off one of the many bridges that spanned the Clyde or those who had made that leap and been saved before the waters filled their lungs.
George Parsonage had been brought up to respect his river. Once it had been the artery of a great beating heart, traffic thronging its banks, masts thick as brush-wood. The tobacco trade with Virginia had made Glasgow flourish all right, with the preaching of commerce and the praising of a New World that was ripe for plucking. The names of some city streets still recalled those far-off days. Even in his own memory, the Clyde had been a byword for ships. As a wee boy, George had been taken to the launch of some of the finer products of Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry. But even then the river’s grandeur was fading. He’d listened to stories about the grey hulks that grew like monsters from the deep, sliding along the water, destined for battle, and about the cruise liners sporting red funnels that were cheered off their slipways, folk bursting with pride to be part of this city with its great river.
The romance and nostalgia had persisted for decades after the demise of shipbuilding and cross-river ferries. Books written about the Clyde’s heyday still found readers hankering after a time that was long past. The Glasgow Garden Festival in the eighties had prompted some to stage a revival along the river and more recently there had been a flurry of activity as the cranes returned to erect luxury flats and offices on either side of its banks. Still, there was little regular traffic upon its sluggish dark waters: a few oarsmen, a private passenger cruiser and the occasional police launch. Few saw what the river was churning up on a daily basis.
As he pushed the oars against the brown water, the riverman sent up a silent prayer for guidance. He’d seen many victims of despair and violence, and constantly reminded himself that each one was a person like himself with hopes, dreams and duties in different measure. If he could help, he would. That was what the Glasgow Humane Society existed for, after all. The sound of morning traffic roared above him as he made his way downstream. The speed of response was tempered by a need to row slowly and carefully once the body was near. Even the smallest of eddies could tip the body, filling the air pocket with water and sending it down and down to the bottom of the river. So, as George Parsonage approached the spot where the body floated, his oars dipped as lightly as seabirds’ wings, his eyes fixed on the shape that seemed no more than a dirty smudge against the embankment.
The riverman could hear voices above but his eyes never left the half-submerged body as the boat crept nearer and nearer. At last he let the boat drift, oars resting on the rowlocks as he finally drew alongside the river’s latest victim. George stood up slowly and bent over, letting the gunwales of the boat dip towards the water. Resting one foot on the edge, he hauled the body by its shoulders and in one clean movement brought it in. Huge ripples eddied away from the side as the boat rocked upright, its cargo safely aboard.
The victim was a middle-aged man. He’d clearly been in the water for some hours so there was no question of trying to revive him. The riverman turned the head this way and that, but there was no sign of a bullet hole or any wound that might indicate a sudden, violent death. George touched the sodden coat lightly. Its original camel colour was smeared and streaked with the river’s detritus, the velvet collar an oily black. Whoever he had been, his clothes showed signs of wealth. The pale face shone wet against the pearly pink light of morning. For an instant George had the impression that the man would sit up and grasp his hand, expressing his thanks for taking him out of the water, as so many had done before him. But today no words would be spoken.There would be only a silent communion between the two men, one dead and one living, before other hands came to examine the corpse.
George grasped the oars and pulled away from the embankment. Only then did he glance upwards, nodding briefly as he identified the men whose voices had sounded across the water. DCI Lorimer caught his eye and nodded back. Up above the banking a couple of uniformed officers stood looking down. Even as he began rowing away from the shore, the riverman noticed a smaller figure join the others. Dr. Rosie Fergusson had arrived.
‘Meet you at the Finnieston steps, George,’ Lorimer called out.
The riverman nodded briefly, pulling hard on the oars, taking his charge on its final journey down the Clyde.
Excerpt from The Riverman by Alex Gray. Copyright © 2017 by Alex Gray. Reproduced with permission from HarperCollins | WitnessImpulse. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:


Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. After studying English and Philosophy at the University of Strathclyde, she worked as a visiting officer for the Department of Health, a time she looks upon as postgraduate education since it proved a rich source of character studies. She then trained as a secondary school teacher of English.
Alex began writing professionally in 1993 and had immediate success with short stories, articles, and commissions for BBC radio programs. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers' Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
A regular on the Scottish bestseller lists, she is the author of thirteen DCI Lorimer novels. She is the co-founder of the international Scottish crime writing festival, Bloody Scotland, which had its inaugural year in 2012.

Connect with Alex Gray on her Website  & on Twitter .

 

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Don't Miss Your Chance in this Giveaway!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Alex Gray and William Morrow. There will be 3 US winners of one (1) PRINT copy of The Riverman by Alex Gray. The giveaway begins on January 9th and runs through February 23rd, 2017.
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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Review - Dead and Breakfast

Review


DEAD AND BREAKFAST by Kate Kingsbury
The First Merry Ghost Inn Mystery

Melanie West was looking for a change when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asked her to move to the Oregon coast to become her partner in owning and running a bed and breakfast. Leaving the remnants of a nasty divorce and a boring job as a financial analyst behind, Melanie joins her grandmother and starts to transform the house into a B & B. Although they had heard rumors that the house was haunted, the pair certainly did not expect to find a skeleton during their renovations. The police halt the remodeling until a detective can further investigate this cold case. But, Liza is not one to sit idly by and she convinces her granddaughter that they need to investigate themselves so they can open the inn on time and start earning the money they desperately need. Meanwhile the sounds of male laughter when no one is near and small items found in odd locations add to Liza's conviction, and marketing plan, that there truly is a ghost, while unnerving Melanie, who doesn't believe that ghosts exist.

What a fun start to a new series. Melanie and Liza make a great team: the down to earth Melanie and the exuberant, willing to take a chance Liza, who continually tried to get Melanie to stop calling her Gran! Despite some of the physical limitations that come with age, Liza is the younger fun loving soul who longs to solve the murder. Melanie, though younger in years, is weighed down more with the unpleasant realities of the world. What makes me appreciate this mystery is that Melanie doesn't go into it by declaring she has to solve the crime. Instead, she intends to do what most logical people would do, leave it to the police. It's infinitely more realistic that she would play along with her grandmother rather than pursue the murder head on.

Kate Kingsbury gives us a cold case mystery, a new murder, and the possibility of a ghost, not to mention the ongoing puzzle of Melanie's missing mother. Told with a deft, engaging style the first book in the Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series is a delight!

Friday, January 13, 2017

Towhee Get Your Gun - Spotlight & Giveaway

towhee-get-your-gun 

Towhee Get Your Gun
by J.R. Ripley

2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (January 3, 2017)
288 Pages

Synopsis:

When Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms volunteers to act in a local production of Annie, Get Your Gun, she finds herself upstaged by a killer waiting in the wings . . .
Who’s got time for birdwatching? Amy has enough to do running her shop, fighting attempts by the town planning commission to demolish her old Victorian house, and rescuing an injured towhee. Yet somehow she allows herself to get roped into performing in the Ruby Lake, North Carolina, community theater’s new musical after some cast members get injured by mysterious mishaps. The production seems plagued by bad luck, but events turn tragic when a member of the company is found murdered in a locked dressing room.
Trading in her binoculars for a magnifying glass, Amy steps into the role of amateur sleuth and soon discovers the victim ruffled a lot of feathers. With a flock of suspects, Amy will need to beat the bushes before the cagey killer takes flight. After all, the show must go on . . .

About The Author:





J.R. Ripley is the pen name of Glenn Meganck, the critically acclaimed author of the Tony Kozol mystery series. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, he has chaired the Edgar committee for Best Original Paperback novel and served on the Best Short Story Committee. As a member of the International Association of Crime Writers, he has served on the Hammett Award committee for Best Novel. When not writing books, Glenn is writing songs, often singing them to the consternation of his audience and neighbors, or involved in one of his many passions, none of which have involved any of the dead bodies that seem to keep cropping up in his mysteries. For more information about him, visit glennmeganck.com.

Author Links
Purchase Links:
Amazon

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Fatal Twist by Tracy Weber. This book is the fourth book in the Downward Dog Mystery series and was released Sunday!

While training to be a doula, Kate witnesses an ugly scene involving a cheating doctor, his mistress, and a nurse. The ugly scene replays when Kate accompanies Rene and Sam to the opening of a new birthing center, where Rene will be giving birth. This time, however, the nurse in question isn't a co-worker, but his wife! Afterward, Kate nearly collides with the wife, who is also her yoga student, running from the employee break room. As Kate enters in an attempt to clean up after a culinary dispute between her friends, she discovers the murdered body of the philandering doctor.

Murder isn't the only mayhem in Kate's life, however. Michael has brought two rescued puppies into their household. Cute as anything, but just as rambunctious and destructive, the two are bent on wreaking havoc. Will Kate survive being involved in yet another murder as Michael attempts to be a puppy foster father?

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Review - The Elusive Elixer

Review


THE ELUSIVE ELIXIR by Gigi Pandian
The Third Accidental Alchemist Mystery

Shocking truths from the past are revealed as Zoe travels to France to hunt for a cure for Dorian who continues to turn into stone. As Zoe copes with these revelations upon her return to Portland, even more secrets are revealed and the dangers of not untrue alchemy prove deadly. Will Zoe be able to save Dorian without sacrificing herself, or anyone else? Will Max be able to accept all that Zoe is? 

In this third book in the Accidental Alchemist Mystery series Zoe is faced with multiple trials. In trying to find the key to save Dorian, while keeping her identity as an alchemist quiet, she is confronted with information that challenges what she believed and believes to be true.

Ultimately, this novel is about sacrifice. What are you willing to do to save someone else, or yourself?

THE ELUSIVE ELIXIR is a tautly written mystery that combines the vagaries of truth with sacrifice. Gigi Pandian has the ability to transport you into her world with visceral details. I believed I was actually climbing the steps of Notre Dame, watching the bees swarm with the scent of honey and cloves in the air, and feeling the desperation of her characters. Yet everything is not all dark and dire, there is humor here as well, especially as we get to know Leopold. This third book in the series held me captivated and left me satisfied with an intriguing whiff of things to come.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

A Second Chance Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Sofie Ryan to the blog today. Sofie writes the Second Chance Cat Mystery series. Telling Tails, the fourth book in the series, was released January 3rd!


Kathy: In the Second Chance Cat Mystery series Sarah Grayson is adopted by a rescue cat named Elvis. Have you ever been adopted by a cat? Or other animal?

SR: I have. Several years ago I was adopted by a big ginger tabby named George. He lived several streets away but he spent part of each day with me. His former owner had been a city councilor and it was fun to talk politics with George. He would listen intently with his head cocked to one side and meow very indignantly when he heard the mayor’s name!


Kathy: Sarah owns a secondhand shop. Lots of bargains and treasures can be found in those types of shops. Do you frequent them yourself? What's the best thing you ever found there?

SR: I love thrift shops and second hand stores. One of my favorite finds is my art table. All it needed was a coat of paint. I use the table every day. My breadmaker came from a thrift store. So did my briefcase.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

SR: I like mysteries because I can make sure the good guys get justice and the bad guys are punished. That doesn’t always happen in real life.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

SR: I’ve also written several young adult novels and I write poetry. I don’t usually show anyone the poetry!


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

SR: The Second Chance series features Sarah Grayson, her cat Elvis, the Angels--a group of senior citizen detectives, and Mr. P., the world’s oldest computer hacker. The books are set in North Harbor, Maine.

The Magical Cats mysteries, which I write as Sofie Kelly, are set in Mayville Heights, Minnesota. Kathleen Paulson is the head librarian there. Her cats, Owen and Hercules, have a “magical” ability to solve crimes.


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

SR: I don’t really have a favorite character but I do have a soft spot for Elvis.


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

SR: I didn’t have a specific inspiration for the series, but several of my mother’s friends did inspire Rose, Charlotte and Liz. Those friends were nothing like the stereotypical image we have of senior citizens. They made me laugh and like their fictional counterparts, they were always drinking tea and trying to feed me.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

SR: I like to tell stories. When I was a kid I’d make up stories to tell my friends.


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

SR: Kurt Vonnegut, because Welcome to the Monkey House is one of my favourite books. Margaret Maron, because The Bootlegger’s Daughter is a perfectly written mystery. I’d invite Stephen Hawking because I’ve read A Brief History of Time several times and there are still parts I don’t understand. (And I could ask him about being on The Big Bang Theory.) And I’d have to invite Phoebe Gilman. She wrote one of my favorite children’s books, Jillian Jiggs.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

SR: I’m reading Shadow of a Doubt, an account of the murder of Canadian businessman, Richard Oland. I’m also reading The Whole She-Bang 3, an anthology of mystery short stories.


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

SR: In the good weather we do a lot of hiking. This past summer we visited six different waterfalls and I shared the photos on my website. I run (a little) and I swim. That all makes me seem way more athletic than I really am!


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

SR: Lactose-free milk, coffee, apples and flour (for making bread.)


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

SR: There will be another Magical Cats book in October—A Tale of Two Kitties. And I’ve just finished the next Second Chance Cats story.


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

SR: I really like telling stories to people. I never imagined when I was making up stories to entertain my friends that someday I’d be doing it as a job. It’s also fun to hear from readers from all over the world and hear about their cats.


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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury. This book is the first in the Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series and will be released January 10th.

Melanie West was looking for a change when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asked her to move to Oregon to become her partner in owning and running a bed and breakfast. Leaving the remnants of a nasty divorce and a boring job as a financial analyst behind, Melanie joins her grandmother and starts to transform the house into a B & B. Although they had heard rumors that the house was haunted, the pair certainly did not expect to find a skeleton during their renovations. The police put a halt to the remodeling until a detective can further investigate this cold case. But, Liza is not one to sit idly by and she convinces her granddaughter that they need to investigate themselves so they can open the inn on time and start earning the money they desperately need. Meanwhile the sounds of male laughter when no one is near and small items found in odd locations add to Liza's conviction, and marketing plan, that there truly is a ghost, while unnerving Melanie, who doesn't believe that ghosts exist.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Child's Play - Book Blast

Child's Play

Merry Jones

January 3 Book Blast

Synopsis:


Since her husband’s murder two years earlier, life hasn’t been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She’s selling her house and delving into new experiences―like learning trapeze.
Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle’s school principal, who’d tormented Ty as a child, is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty’s former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty.
Ty’s younger brother, Seth, is in Elle’s class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?
Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she’s the only adult he’s ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he’s been wrongly condemned. But when she’s assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?
Before Elle discovers the truth, she’s caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she’s forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Suspsense
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 1608091910 (ISBN13: 9781608091911)
Series: Elle Harrison Thriller #3 (Each can be read as a Stand Alone Novel)
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Goodreads 

Read an excerpt:

I was the first one there.
The parking lot was empty, except for Stan’s pickup truck. Stan was the custodian, tall, hair thinning, face pock-marked from long ago acne. He moved silently, popped out of closets and appeared in corners, prowled the halls armed with a mop or a broom. In fourteen years, I couldn’t remember a single time when he’d looked me in the eye.
Wait—fourteen years? I’d been there that long? Faces of kids I’d taught swirled through my head. The oldest of them would now be, what? Twenty-one? Oh man. Soon I’d be one of those old school marms teaching the kids of my former students, a permanent fixture of the school like the faded picture of George Washington mounted outside the principal’s office. Hell, in a few months, I’d be forty. A middle-aged childless widow who taught second grade over and over again, year after year, repeating the cycle like a hamster on its wheel. Which reminded me: I had to pick up new hamsters. Tragically, last year’s hadn’t made it through the summer.
I told myself to stop dawdling. I had a classroom to organize, cubbies to decorate. On Monday, just three days from now, twenty-three glowing faces would show up for the first day of school, and I had to be ready. I climbed out of the car, pulled a box of supplies from the trunk, started for the building. And stopped.
My heart did triple time, as if responding to danger. But there was no danger. What alarmed me, what sent my heart racing was the school itself. But why? Did it look different? Had the windows been replaced, or the doors? Nothing looked new, but something seemed altered. Off balance. The place didn’t look like an elementary school. It looked like a giant factory. A prison.
God, no. It didn’t look like any of those things. The school was the same as it had always been, just a big brick building. It seemed cold and stark simply because it was unadorned by throngs of children. Except for wifi, Logan Elementary hadn’t changed in fifty years, unless you counted several new layers of soot on the bricks.
I stood in the parking lot, observing the school, seeing it fresh. I’d never paid much attention to it before. When it was filled with students, the building itself became all but invisible, just a structure, a backdrop. But now, empty, it was unable to hide behind the children, the smells of sunshine and peanut butter sandwiches, the sounds of chatter and small shoes pounding Stanley’s waxed tiles. The building stood exposed. I watched it, felt it watching me back. Threatening.
Seriously, what was wrong with me? The school was neither watching nor threatening me. It was a benign pile of bricks and steel. I was wasting time, needed to go in and get to work. But I didn’t take a single step. Go on, I told myself. What was I afraid of? Empty halls, vacant rooms? Blank walls? For a long moment, I stood motionless, eyes fixed on the façade. The carved letters: Logan School. The heavy double doors. The dark windows. Maybe I’d wait a while before going inside. Becky would arrive soon, after she picked up her classroom aquarium.
Other teachers would show up, too. I could go in with them, blend safely into their commotion. I hefted the box, turned back to the car. But no, what was I doing? I didn’t want to wait. I’d come early so I could get work done without interruption or distraction before the others arrived. The school wasn’t daring me, nor was I sensing some impending tragedy. I was just jittery about starting a new year.
I turned around again, faced its faded brown bricks. I steeled my shoulders, took a breath and started across the parking lot. With a reverberating metallic clank, the main doors flew open. Reflexively, I stepped back, half expecting a burst of flames or gunfire. Instead, Stan emerged. For the first time in fourteen years, I was glad to see him. Stan surveyed the parking lot, hitched up his pants. Looked in my direction. He didn’t wave or nod a greeting, didn’t follow social conventions. Even so, his presence grounded me, felt familiar.
I took a breath, reminded myself that the school was just a school. That I was prone to mental wandering and embellishing. And that children would stream into my classroom in just three days, whether I was ready or not.

 Author Bio:

Merry Jones is the author of some twenty critically acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been translated into seven languages. Her previous Elle Harrison novels have been THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE and ELECTIVE PROCEDURES. Jones lives with her husband in Philadelphia.

Catch Up with Merry online: Website , Twitter , & Facebook 


January 3, 2017 BLAST Participants:


Tour Participants:

Next Month Merry will be touring with her new book Child's Play. The following sites, and more, will be hosting reviews, interviews, guest posts, and MORE Giveaways! Drop by to learn more about Merry and her great new book!

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Merry Jones. There will be 2 winners of one (1) eBook copy of Child's Play by Merry Jones. The giveaway begins on January 3rd and runs through January 9th, 2016.
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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy New Year 2017!

Happy New Year 2017! I'm wishing you lots of pleasurable reading ahead. May we discover new series and find authors that are new to us. Let us enjoy the work of authors we know and love and catch up on series in which we've fallen behind as well as start those on our TBR piles!

I read 62 books this past year and read books which started with 15 different letters of the alphabet! May I accomplish even more this year.

I hope share even more authors, interviews, reviews, and books with you in 2017. Make sure you stop by both here and on my Facebook page during the coming year. Keep in touch. Leave me a note, tell me about your reading, what you enjoy seeing on my blog, and perhaps ideas on what you'd like to see! Above all, have a healthy and happy New Year!