The House on Crow Mountain - An Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Rebecca Lee Smith to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Rebecca's latest release is The House on Crow Mountain.

 

In The House on Crow Mountain we meet portrait artist Emory Austen. How did you choose this unusual career for your protagonist?

RLS: Before I went to college, I thought I wanted to major in art but soon realized that my lack of drawing and painting talent was a going to be real drawback. Not far from where I live, there is a Smoky Mountain Tennessee town called Gatlinburg (right down the road from Dollywood), where artists used to set up shop on the sidewalk and paint portraits of tourists from the local ski resort. It was fascinating to watch them work, and I always thought it would be such an amazing gift to have. And seriously cool.


Kathy: Emory returns to the North Carolina mountains after her aunt's death. How does that setting influence the story?

RLS: Growing up, Emory’s aunt’s old Victorian house on Crow Mountain was the one place Emory felt she belonged, even though she thought her aunt didn’t want her there. The misty mountains on the Tennessee/North Carolina border, where the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains meet, have always seemed so magical to me, drawing me in, calling to me. I wanted Emory to feel that magic as well.


Kathy: Crows are unique animals with a good deal of folklore and mystery associated with them. Is there significance related to that in your choice of naming Crow Mountain as your homestead?

RLS: In an earlier draft, the mountain was actually named something else, but crows kept showing up in scene after scene until I took the hint and named it after them. Crows are indeed unique. They can recognize human faces, make and use tools, and when one of their own dies, the others gather around the dead crow to pay their respects. And then, there’s the fact that three or more crows is called a murder. A murder of crows. What mystery writer doesn’t love that?


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

RLS: For awhile, I tried writing romance, but for some reason, a dead body kept turning up in the manuscript with a mystery to solve. Also, I was reading a lot more cozy mysteries than romance, so I thought maybe that’s what I should be writing. I love creating a puzzle to solve, using quirky characters as suspects, unexpected twists and turns, and finally piecing things together so it all makes sense in the end. It’s so satisfying to me. Not to mention fun.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

RLS: My first two books were published in the romantic suspense genre.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

RLS: So far, The House on Crow Mountain is a standalone cozy mystery. But I’m not ruling out the possibility of developing it into a series. I love reading series.


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

RLS: Mrs. Etta Shipley, an elderly nursing home resident who becomes Emory’s friend and helps her solve the mystery. When I was growing up, both my grandmothers lived with me. I shared a room with my maternal grandmother until I was fifteen, and she was funny, sassy, and the most down-to-earth no-nonsense person I’ve ever known. I’m sure I based Mrs. Shipley on her. (I really hadn’t thought about that until now.)


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

RLS: I love to read, and after spending years working in theater honing my dialogue skills (and getting a little burned out in the process), writing seemed like the next logical step. Seeing a book cover with my name on it had always been a secret dream of mine, but it took years, writing several books that will never see the light of day, to get published.


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

RLS: I love this question! And wow. Okay…Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Nora Ephron, and Nora Roberts (because, in addition to picking her brain about the sheer volume of great work she can produce, she would just be so much fun.)


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RLS: I’m between books right now. I just finished a beautiful, lyrical book called The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister, and I’m ready (and excited) to start A Time to Swill, Book #2 in Sherry Harris’ Sea Glass Saloon mystery series.


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

RLS: Pre-pandemic, I loved hanging out at the local pub. But now, it’s mostly reading, writing, watching English murder mysteries, crocheting while watching English murder mysteries, deadheading the marigolds (one of the few plants the neighborhood deer won’t eat), and visiting with my (vaccinated) kids. I also walk a rather lively Jack Russell terrier named Wilbur twice a day, does that count?


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

RLS: Vanilla yogurt, pimento cheese, peanut butter, and Reduced-fat Triscuits.


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

RLS: I have Book One of a new series finished and ready to go to my editor. It’s about what happens when the richest, most despised woman in town leaves her fortune to an unemployed elementary art teacher out of spite, then turns up dead.


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

RLS: The surprised look on someone’s face when they ask what I do for a living and I say, “I write books.” 

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 The House on Crow Mountain by Rebecca Lee Smith

About The House on Crow Mountain

The House on Crow Mountain
Cozy Mystery Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wild Rose Press (July 14, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages

When her aunt suffers a stroke, New York portrait artist Emory Austen returns home to the North Carolina mountains to mend fences and deal with the guilt over her husband's senseless death. But that won't be as easy as she hoped.

Someone in the quirky little town doesn't like Emory. Is it the sexy architect who needs the Austen land to redeem himself? The untrustworthy matriarch? The grudge-bearing local bad boy? Or the teenage bombshell who has raised snooping to an art form? Even the local evangelist has something to hide. Who wrote the cryptic note warning her to "Give it back or you'll be dead? And what is 'it'? As the clues pile up and secrets are exposed, Emory must discover what her family has that someone would kill for.

About Rebecca Lee Smith

Rebecca lives with her husband and a dog named Wilbur in the beautiful misty mountains of East Tennessee, where the people are charming, soulful, and just a little bit crazy. She's been everything from a tax collector to a stay-at-home-mom to an award-winning professional actress and director. When she's not churning out small-town cozy-ish mysteries, she loves to travel the world, go to the Outer Banks for her ocean fix, watch old movies, and make her day complete by answering the Final Jeopardy! question. Her Southern roots and the affectionate appreciation she has for the rural towns she lives near inspire the settings and characters she writes about.

Author Links: 

Website - https://rebeccaleesmith.com/  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.l.smith.18  

Twitter - https://twitter.com/rbeccaleesmith  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B & N -

Book Excerpt

Could it be something of Kent's they were after? Something he’d kept hidden? He was good at keeping secrets. In fact, he’d been a master at it. After his death, I’d packed the few possessions he hadn’t moved out of the apartment and sent them to his parents. I’d kept nothing except the gold wedding band he’d thrown at me from across the room and his cell phone.

Kent’s death.

Hard to even think those words, much less say them out loud. It was all still so surreal.

Maybe everything that had happened in Bitter Ridge was karma. Maybe the Universe was finally giving me exactly what I deserved. Kent's death had been my fault. And no matter how much he had deceived me, or betrayed me, or reduced my sad little trusting heart to shrapnel, I could never forgive myself.

I laid my head on my knees and closed my eyes. I rocked my body back and forth, like a child trying to soothe itself when sleep will not come. Then at last, in the cool dark shadows of the night, I began to cry.

Oh, God, I am so sorry.

I hadn’t loved Kent for a long time. At the end of our marriage, I hadn't even liked him. But I had never wished him dead.

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Deadly Cypher - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm very pleased to welcome Rosalie Billingsthorpe to Cozy Up With Kathy. You can find Rosalie on the pages of DEADLY CIPHER by Kate Parker. This book is the seventh in the Deadly series and was released last week.

Hello, I’m Rosalie Billingsthorpe, also known as the Countess of Briarcliffe. I’ve kept my title secret from my colleagues at Bletchley Park because if they knew, they would treat me differently, and I don’t want to be treated as either an anachronism or someone special.

I lost two older brothers during the Great War, and I feel very strongly that I should do my bit for England this time. I’m fluent in German, and so I’m putting my knowledge to good use at Bletchley Park as a translator along with Olivia Redmond. Olivia is a good person, clever, and brave, and I believe she’ll find the person who killed our housemate.

Thorpe and I, Thorpe is what everyone calls my husband, don’t have any children, so I’m free to spend my week in Bletchley Park and then come home on the weekend to spend time with him. Thorpe was injured in a skiing accident a year after we were married, and he has had to use a wheeled chair ever since. The current in a long line of aristocratic businessmen, his family survived the depression in good shape, which helped the people that live on the estate and nearby to weather the economic downturn. Running the estate and nearby businesses he owns keeps Thorpe busy while I’m away in Bletchley.

We live in a huge, old manor house with carefully preserved Georgian and Queen Anne furnishings. From the size alone, and our employment of a chauffeur, a cook, and a caregiver for Thorpe, told Olivia my status when she came for a weekend visit. I only wish she could have arrived in the summer when the area, and our estate, look their best with thriving crops and flowers everywhere.

I’ll miss it next summer while I’m at Bletchley Park.

Another secret I keep from Olivia and the rest of the women at our billet is that I am a talented knitter. Several of our housemates knit for our troops, but since I am expected to turn in any knitting I do to the local WI near our estate, I don’t bother to knit at Bletchley.

I’m glad I met Olivia in Deadly Cypher, and I hope I have a chance to see her again in a later story in The Deadly Series.

Deadly Cypher is the seventh book in The Deadly Series of World War II mysteries by Kate Parker.

 

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Review

 

DEADLY CYPHER by Kate Parker

The Seventh Deadly Mystery

 

It's November 1939 and although fighting hasn't truly begun, England is at war. With her new husband working in parts unknown for the army, Olivia Redmond is once again conscripted to work for Sir Malcolm. A young woman working as a codebreaker has been murdered. Livvy replaces her, taking on her work to help the country as she tries to solve the woman's murder. Was it a jealous beau or is there a traitor in the mix? 

 

The start of the war is as cold as the winter temperatures around Bletchley Park. Gone are the carefree parties of summer, now a chill has taken hold of the country and it's up to Olivia Redmond to find a traitor working right beside her.

 

DEADLY CYPHER had me absolutely captivated. To me World War II started on September 1, 1939, I was unaware that the start of the war was considered a "phony war" in England. That's one of the things I love best about the DEADLY Mystery series, I'm always learning something new. It was fascinating to read about about Bletchley Park, the women working the TypeX machines, knitting projects, and the way civilians lived at the start of World War II.

 

I've always liked Livvy and I love how she's grown and is able to stand her ground. Continually put down by her father, she's able to know when she's right and is not afraid to speak her mind, in defiance of men in authority. The mystery here was ingenious. Fully fleshed out characters inhabit the pages and I didn't know who to trust. The ultimate clue was brilliant and I caught on just as Livvy got an inkling that she couldn't quite grasp.

DEADLY CYPHER is a richly developed mystery filled with historical details, tough women, and good people giving up life as they know it in order to help their country no matter the cost.

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 Deadly Cypher: A World War II Mystery (The Deadly Series) by Kate Parker

About Deadly Cypher

Deadly Cypher: A World War II Mystery (The Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery 7th in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press (August 24, 2021) Print length ‏ : ‎ 211 pages 

Could a murder at Bletchley Park cost Britain the war?

November, 1939. The British government has assembled a small group of intellectuals at an estate north of London as part of a top-secret codebreaking effort. Everything about it is clandestine. The facility is ringed with a veil of silence until one of the young female linguists is murdered.

Britain's counterintelligence spymaster tasks Olivia Redmond with finding the killer and the motive. Olivia is sent in alone, without clues or suspects.

Did the murder victim uncover a mole? Could Britain's program to break German enigma cyphers be compromised?

If Olivia fails, it could mean the destruction of Britain.

 

Deadly Cypher will be on sale until August 30, 2021 when it will be sold at full price.

Deadly Cypher, book seven of the Deadly Series, is for fans of World War II era spy thrillers and classical cozy mysteries, of intrepid lady sleuths with spunk and smarts. No explicit cursing, sex, or violence.

Order your copy today!

 

About Kate Parker

With her love of travel, Kate Parker sets her novels overseas. Once home from her research trips and armed with hot tea and chocolate, she can be found clicking away on her keyboard, hiking the hills of central North Carolina, and spoiling her 90 pound muse puppy. She'd tell you what she did before she retired, but then she'd have to use certain skills to eliminate you. She pens stories to entertain readers who enjoy action and murder in tales about plucky heroines, quirky characters, and difficult situations in a bygone era. Her stories are sweet, as in no graphic sex, violence, or language. Her heroines remain ladylike while chasing murderers and escaping danger. Well, as ladylike as scratching, punching, and kicking can be.

Author Links: 

Website – www.KateParkerbooks.com  

Deadly Series Website - www.thedeadlyseries.com  

Facebook – www.Facebook.com/Author.Kate.Parker/  

Deadly Series Facebook - www.facebook.com/thedeadlyseries  

Twitter – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-parker  

BookBub - http://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-parker  

GoodReads – www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123001.Kate_Parker  

Purchase Links - Amazon - Apple - Kobo - B&N  

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The Journalist - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE JOURNALIST
By David Gardner 

Jeff Beekle was a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, until the honor was stripped away when his witnesses recanted their stories. Now he's working as a tabloid reporter for his Uncle Sid, making up unbelievable stories to please the masses. Or at least the few who actually read the dreck. His article about a government prison for aliens turns out to be almost true. The prison isn't for aliens from outer space, or even illegal immigrants, but for ghosts. Now both the mob and the feds are after Jeff. The good news is that Jeff discovers he isn't the only one whose ancestors visit him giving bad advice. The bad news is that the feds want to capture them and if the spirits stay too long, not only will they disappear, so will all of their descendants. Including Jeff. 

THE JOURNALIST is a surprising book, not so much for the twists and turns, though there are many, but for the heart. There is a lot of humor, a lot of bad behavior, a lot of thrills, but deep down this is a story about family, love, and doing the right thing. As well as mobsters, feds, and ghosts!

Jeff is kinder than he wants to admit, a troubled soul who wants to make good and feels he doesn't deserve it. I love all of his ancestors, from the irascible Hiram to the kick-ass Colette, each of whom bring important aspects to Jeff and the plot. So many moments made me grin, from Jeff's vehicle and his dealings with a certain BMW to Janet's horoscopes and Willy. OK, Willy mainly made me shake my head as I grinned, but, still. The plot itself is ingenious and lot of fun and the visits to various Boston attractions were an added bonus.

I've done a bit of a deep dive, but if you're just looking for a bit of escapist fun with some irreverent guys, mafia goons, cons, pizza, beer, and explosions, this book fits that bill too! 

THE JOURNALIST is a book of redemption. It's also a fast paced funny thrill ride with a paranormal twist.

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

The Journalist

A Paranormal Thriller

by David Gardner

August 1-31, 2021 Tour

Synopsis:

If Jeff can't save his ghostly ancestors from disappearing, so will he.

Writing for a cheesy Boston tabloid, Jeff Beekle fabricates a whimsical tale about a mob-built CIA prison for ghosts.

Which turns out to be true.

Now both the mob and the CIA have Jeff in their sights.

Even worse, Jeff discovers that his great-grandmother is an inmate and that she and the other spectral residents are being groomed as CIA spies. (And why not? They're invisible, draw no salary, and won't hop into bed with enemy agents.)

To his horror, Jeff learns that ancestors held too long in earthly captivity will vanish as if never born, taking with them all their descendants, which includes him.

Can Jeff outwit the mob and the CIA, free his ghostly ancestors, destroy the prison and save himself?

Book Details:

Genre: Humorous Paranormal Thriller
Published by: Encircle Publications, LLC
Publication Date: February 10th 2021
Number of Pages: 322
ISBN: 164599144X (ISBN13: 9781645991441)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Book Trailer of The Journalist:

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

SCORPIO Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
Your ancestors are the raw material of your being, but who you become is your responsibility alone. Learn to turn your troubles into opportunities. Today is a good day to defrag your hard drive.

He hovers in the doorway at the far end of the newsroom, his feet not touching the floor. When he spots me, he glides forward, trailing diaphanous versions of himself that become smaller and smaller until they disappear. He wears leather chaps, an oversized black cowboy hat and high-heeled boots that almost bring him up to five feet. He has leathery skin and a drooping gray mustache.

It’s my great-great-grandfather Hiram Beekle, back for another ghostly visit.

He first showed up when I was six years old, right after I shot and killed my stepfather.

I’m the only one who can see him, hear him, talk to him.

As a kid, I would wet my pants and run away whenever Hiram showed up. Now he’s just a pain in the ass.

I turn back to my keyboard, hoping he’ll go away. I’m not in the mood for advice, taunts, prods, complaints, boasts.

He showed up last week to tell me to quit my job and find something better. Same thing the week before and the week before that. Probably why he’s back today.

I have to admit he’s right, but I’m sure as hell not going to tell him that.

Just four months ago I was a hot-shot investigative reporter for the Boston Globe. Now I write for a tacky supermarket tabloid, the Boston Tattler. Its newsroom is an open bay on the second floor of a ratty building that once served as a cheese warehouse that on humid days still smells of camembert. Out front are the marketing and distribution people, along with the office of the publisher, my Uncle Sid. Only he would hire a disgraced journalist like me.

I churn out fanciful tales about creatures from outer space, Elvis sightings and remedies for double chins. Some readers believe my stuff and some don’t. Those in between ride the wave of the fun and nonsensical and don’t care whether the stuff they’re reading is true or not.

Our larger rivals concentrate on noisy Hollywood breakups and soap-opera stars with gambling addictions. The worst of our competitors traffic in fake political conspiracies. But Uncle Sid stays with alien visitors, kitten pictures and herbal cures for chin wattles. He likes to point out that kittens and spacemen don’t sue. He’s been sued too often.

I type:

Although local sportswriters puzzle over the inconsistencies of Red Sox hurlers, the shocking truth is that—

“That’s crap, Jeff.”

Hiram has drifted around behind me to peer over my shoulder.

“Try ‘terrifying’,” he adds. “‘Shocking’ is overused.”

Hiram pretends he’d been a cowpoke, but in fact made a living writing pulp westerns.

I look around to see if anyone is watching, then turn back to Hiram and whisper, “Is that why you’re here, to dispense advice on adjectives?”

“That and to let you know I sense danger.”

“You’re always sensing danger. Just last week, you told me than an earthquake was…”

I stop whispering when Sherwood shuffles over, coffee cup in hand. He’s a doughy, middle-aged man who reads the dictionary for pleasure. “Another tale about space critters, Jeff?”

“A follow-up to last week’s. It’s Uncle Sid’s idea. He loved the national exposure.”

Sherwood nods. “You knocked that one out of the ballpark.”

Sherwood loves sports metaphors but hates sports.

One of my stories from the week before somehow got into the hands of a particularly dim U.S. Congressman who scrambled onto the floor of the House of Representatives to fume against the government agency for hiring a mob-controlled construction company to build a prison for creatures from the planet Ook-239c.

I kick off my sneakers, tilt back my chair and put my bare feet up on my desk. “What’re you working on today?”

“I’ve got a TV chef who’s gone on a hunger strike, identical twin sisters in Chattanooga who’ve been secretly exchanging husbands for fourteen years, and an eight-year-old boy in Brisbane who can predict the future by licking truck tires—the usual stuff.” Sherwood takes a gulp of coffee, shrugs, sighs. “Do you ever wonder what you’re doing with your life?”

“Sometimes. But who doesn’t?”

Again Sherwood sighs. I’ve never known anyone to sigh so often. His wife ran off with a termite inspector a few years back, and soon afterward he lost his professorship and his house. Sherwood was put on the earth as an example of what I don’t want to become.

“You should look for another job,” I say.

Sherwood shrugs, then ambles back to his desk. He doesn’t want another job because it would make him feel better.

But I want a better job so badly that I dream I’ve found one, then wake up to reality.

Hiram floats around front and shakes his head. “The little guy’s right—you should get a better job. And for that, you need to get that darn Pulitzer back.”

I delete ‘shocking’ and type ‘terrifying.’ “Think I’m not trying?”

“Try harder. Young people these days—”

“…don’t know the meaning of hard work,” I contribute. “Yeah, I know. Now go away.”

“No, you go away. You’re in deep trouble, young man. Two black-hearted sidewinders have ridden into town to—”

“That’s the ridiculous opening line from Rise From Ashes. A dreadful novel.”

“Dreadful? Do you know how many copies I sold?” Hiram says.

“The protagonist was an idiot who shot his own big toe off.”

“That had a solid plot purpose. And at least he shot himself, not a member of his own family.”

Whenever I piss Hiram off, he brings up the shooting.

“Screw you!” I whisper and turn back to my keyboard.

Green Monsters on the Green Monster!
Late last night, a sharp-eyed Boston Red Sox guard spotted a pack of green, three-eyed space monsters in Fenway Park. Authorities believe them to be the aliens who escaped from the secret government prison first brought to the public’s attention in last week’s Boston Tattler. The guard reported seeing the creatures scrambling up the wall that Red Sox fans have lovingly dubbed ‘The Green Monster.’
Green monsters attracted to a green wall? A coincidence? Unlikely. In fact, experts on the subject of aliens from outer…

“This little piggy—”

“Hey!” I jerk my foot back.

Melody has sneaked up on me. She likes to do that.

She wiggles my little toe again. “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy—well, you know the rest of the narrative.” She lets go of my toe.

“Actually, that felt good. Don’t stop.”

“That’s as much wiggling as you get, Jeff. You’re married.”

I pull my feet off my desk and rest them on the floor. “Separated.”

“That’s still married.”

Melody is my editor. She’s thirty-seven—three years older than I am. Her face is narrow and pretty, her hair red and wavy. She likes hoop earrings and has long feet.

She shuffles through the printout in her hands. “You sent me eight stories this week but promised me nine.”

“I’m still working on the last one. Did you know that a space creature has replaced the Red Sox mascot and has put a hex on the top of the batting order?”

“They’re already hexed,” Melody says. She eyes me for a long moment, then screws up her mouth. “I’m concerned.”

Here it comes again. “About my articles? About my bare toes? Or my collection of metal toys?” I reach across my desk, pick up the Spirit of St. Louis and fly it back and forth overhead.

Melody puts her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes. “Yes, all those things, Jeffrey, but in this instance, what I meant was I hate to see you wasting your talent writing this garbage. You’re the best writer I’ve ever edited. You deserved that Pulitzer.”

“Which they took back twenty-seven days later.”

“Most journalists would kill to have one for even twenty-seven days.”

Melody said that with a smile. She says most everything with a smile. It’s a pretty smile, but sometimes forced, as if she were trying to make herself happier than she feels. She’s the opposite of Sherwood, who wallows in gloom and wants to pull everyone down with him.

I say, “You always see the best in every situation.”

“Thanks.”

“It drives me batshit.”

Melody raps her knuckles on my desk. “I need the copy by two o’clock.” She raps her knuckles on the top of my head. “At the latest.”

I watch her go. I shouldn’t tease her the way I do. Melody’s not the hard-ass editor she pretends to be. She’s in fact a softy, smart and thoughtful. Also curvy.

Hiram says, “That young lady has a fine carriage.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” I say and pick up my typing where I left off:

Space lizards have the ability to slow down fast balls, strip the spin from curves and send knuckleballs off in…

Hiram says, “‘slow down fast balls’ is flabby and clumsy because ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ interfere with each other.”

“Un huh.” I keep on typing.

“Clementine’s coming to visit.”

“Oh?”

“She’s worried about Ebenezer.”

I look up from my keyboard. “What is it this time?”

“He’s missing.”

“Grandpa Ebenezer is always missing,” I say.

“Clementine thinks he’s in trouble.”

I delete ‘slow down fast balls’ and type ‘retard fast balls. “How can Ebenezer be in trouble? He’s dead.”

“I don’t like that word—and now you’re the one in trouble.”

I look up to see Uncle Sid coming toward me. Two burly guys walk with him, one on each side, clutching his arms.

My uncle looks scared. I hate to see that. I love the guy.

“Jeff,” he says with a quiver, “these two gentlemen want a word with you.”

I’ve watched enough local news to recognize the Ramsey twins—Hank and Freddie. Not gentlemen. Mobsters.

I get to my feet, pull Sid free from the pair’s grasp and wrap my arm around his shoulders. They’re trembling. “What in hell do you two want?

Hank steps closer and blows his cigar breath in my face. He has big ears and black hair combed straight back. At six feet three, he stands eye-to-eye with me, but he’s half again as wide. He says, “Did you write that idiotic story?”

“Which idiotic story? I write lots of idiotic stories.”

Freddie says, “Asshole!” and steps forward.

Hank reaches out to hold him back. “Easy.”

Although the two were born identical, no one has trouble telling them apart because Freddie had the front half of his nose lobbed off in a knife fight. This gives him a piggy look.

Hank says, “You know what I’m talking about, wiseass. Who told you about that government prison for space monsters?”

“Who? No one. I made it up.”

“You made it up?”

“I make up everything I write.”

Hank tilts his head back and half closes his eyes. “You made the story up?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

Hank pokes me in the chest. “Then how come it’s true?”

***

Excerpt from The Journalist by David Gardener. Copyright 2021 by David Gardener. Reproduced with permission from David Gardener. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

David Gardner grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, served in Army Special Forces and earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught college, worked as a reporter and sold women’s shoes.

He coauthored three programming books for Prentice Hall, wrote dozens of travel articles as well as too many mind-numbing computer manuals before happily turning to fiction.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Nancy, also a writer. He hikes, bikes, messes with astrophotography and plays the keyboard with no discernible talent whatsoever.

Catch Up With David Gardener:
DavidGardnerAuthor.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @davidagardner07
Twitter - @dgardner_author
Facebook - @david.gardner.33483

 

 

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Join In on the Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for David Gardner. There will be THREE (3) winners for this tour. Each winner will ONE (1) signed print edition of The Journalist by David Gardner (US Mailing Addresses Only). The giveaway begins on August 1 and runs through September 2, 2021. Void where prohibited.

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Journalist by David Gardner. This book is a standalone humorous paranormal thriller.

Jeff Beekle was a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, until the honor was stripped away when his witnesses recanted their stories. Now he's working as a tabloid reporter for his Uncle Sid, making up unbelievable stories to please the masses. Or at least the few who actually read the dreck. His article about a government prison for aliens turns out to be almost true. The prison isn't for aliens from outer space, or even illegal immigrants, but for ghosts. Now both the mob and the feds are after Jeff. The good news is that Jeff discovers he isn't the only one whose ancestors visit him giving bad advice. The bad news is that the feds want to capture them and if the spirits stay too long, not only will they disappear, so will all of their descendants. Including Jeff.

The Journalist - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome David Gardner to Cozy Up With Kathy today.

Kathy: THE JOURNALIST is described as a " humorous paranormal thriller", generally not three words that go together. Why group these relatively disparate genres into a cohesive whole?

DG: You’re right, the three words don’t go together, but each one is accurate. I have tried to write serious novels, but I always end up adding humor. That’s how I see the world.


Kathy: In THE JOURNALIST Jeff Beekle creates a fictitious story for a tabloid that turns out to be true. Do you ever read the tabloids? Have you ever read them and wondered if there was some truth behind even the most ridiculous sounding ones?

DG: I read tabloids off and on. The more unbelievable the story, the better. No, I do not believe what I read, but I always wonder if others do. I find it troubling that some people might actually believe the outrageous political articles that some tabloids publish.


Kathy: Jeff gets involved with some spirits. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

DG: No, I don’t believe in ghosts and have never had a ghostly encounter. When the end comes, however, I wouldn’t mind becoming a friendly ghost and spending my spectral time on the French Riviera.

Kathy: What first drew you to thrillers?

DG: The action. I was a Special Forces paratrooper when I was younger and didn’t know any better.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

DG: Not in fiction. I coauthored three elementary programming books for Prentice Hall, however, and have written way too many mind-numbing computer manuals.


Kathy: Tell us about your book.

DG: “The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller” (February 2021, Encircle Publications, LLC.)

Writing for a cheesy Boston tabloid, Jeff Beekle fabricates a whimsical tale about a mob-built CIA prison for ghosts, which turns out to be true and gets him into a world of trouble with the mob and the CIA.


“The Last Speaker of Skalwegian” (September 2021, Encircle Publications, LLC.)

DG: Desperate to salvage his teaching career as a linguistics professor, mild-mannered Lenny Thorson seizes the opportunity to document the Skalwegian language with its last living speaker, Charlie Fox. But Charlie is not who he claims to be, and Lenny finds himself in trouble with his dean, the police and a gangster boss.


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

DG: Colette, the protagonist’s ghostly great-grandmother. She was a high-kicking dancer at gentlemen’s clubs in Paris in the 1930s, then led a resistance unit during World War II until the Germans captured and executed her. She’s sexy and sassy and irreverent.


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

DG: My wife Nancy, also a writer, and I made a rest stop on the Interstate a few years ago, which gave me the opportunity to thumb through the tabloids. I spotted an article about a prison that the mob supposedly built for the federal government and another one about ghosts. It took just seconds to put the two together to form the foundation for a novel. The writing itself took two hard years.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

DG: I wanted to make people laugh and also to think.


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

DG: Carl Hiassen, Vladimir Nabokov, Jane Austen, Dave Barry


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

DG: “Celestine” by Kevin St. Jarre

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah


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

DG: I hike, bike, fool around with astrophotography and play the keyboard with no discernible talent whatsoever.


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

DG: Blueberries (frozen or fresh) for blueberry shortcake (much better than strawberries—give it a try), Greek yogurt, fresh carrots, canned whipped cream for the shortcake.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books?

DG: I’ve sent “The Accidental Spy” to my publisher (Encircle Publishers, LLC). It’s a whimsical thriller and a study in guilt and redemption. An unemployed professor takes a job in high tech only to discover that he’s hilariously unqualified. He outsources his job to a company in India and to his astonishment ends up as an accidental spy.


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

DG: I love to write. I get into my zone and stay there for hours.

Let me add my least favorite: I hate marketing my books.

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

The Journalist

A Paranormal Thriller

by David Gardner

August 1-31, 2021 Tour

Synopsis:

If Jeff can't save his ghostly ancestors from disappearing, so will he.

Writing for a cheesy Boston tabloid, Jeff Beekle fabricates a whimsical tale about a mob-built CIA prison for ghosts.

Which turns out to be true.

Now both the mob and the CIA have Jeff in their sights.

Even worse, Jeff discovers that his great-grandmother is an inmate and that she and the other spectral residents are being groomed as CIA spies. (And why not? They're invisible, draw no salary, and won't hop into bed with enemy agents.)

To his horror, Jeff learns that ancestors held too long in earthly captivity will vanish as if never born, taking with them all their descendants, which includes him.

Can Jeff outwit the mob and the CIA, free his ghostly ancestors, destroy the prison and save himself?

Book Details:

Genre: Humorous Paranormal Thriller
Published by: Encircle Publications, LLC
Publication Date: February 10th 2021
Number of Pages: 322
ISBN: 164599144X (ISBN13: 9781645991441)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Book Trailer of The Journalist:

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

SCORPIO Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
Your ancestors are the raw material of your being, but who you become is your responsibility alone. Learn to turn your troubles into opportunities. Today is a good day to defrag your hard drive.

He hovers in the doorway at the far end of the newsroom, his feet not touching the floor. When he spots me, he glides forward, trailing diaphanous versions of himself that become smaller and smaller until they disappear. He wears leather chaps, an oversized black cowboy hat and high-heeled boots that almost bring him up to five feet. He has leathery skin and a drooping gray mustache.

It’s my great-great-grandfather Hiram Beekle, back for another ghostly visit.

He first showed up when I was six years old, right after I shot and killed my stepfather.

I’m the only one who can see him, hear him, talk to him.

As a kid, I would wet my pants and run away whenever Hiram showed up. Now he’s just a pain in the ass.

I turn back to my keyboard, hoping he’ll go away. I’m not in the mood for advice, taunts, prods, complaints, boasts.

He showed up last week to tell me to quit my job and find something better. Same thing the week before and the week before that. Probably why he’s back today.

I have to admit he’s right, but I’m sure as hell not going to tell him that.

Just four months ago I was a hot-shot investigative reporter for the Boston Globe. Now I write for a tacky supermarket tabloid, the Boston Tattler. Its newsroom is an open bay on the second floor of a ratty building that once served as a cheese warehouse that on humid days still smells of camembert. Out front are the marketing and distribution people, along with the office of the publisher, my Uncle Sid. Only he would hire a disgraced journalist like me.

I churn out fanciful tales about creatures from outer space, Elvis sightings and remedies for double chins. Some readers believe my stuff and some don’t. Those in between ride the wave of the fun and nonsensical and don’t care whether the stuff they’re reading is true or not.

Our larger rivals concentrate on noisy Hollywood breakups and soap-opera stars with gambling addictions. The worst of our competitors traffic in fake political conspiracies. But Uncle Sid stays with alien visitors, kitten pictures and herbal cures for chin wattles. He likes to point out that kittens and spacemen don’t sue. He’s been sued too often.

I type:

Although local sportswriters puzzle over the inconsistencies of Red Sox hurlers, the shocking truth is that—

“That’s crap, Jeff.”

Hiram has drifted around behind me to peer over my shoulder.

“Try ‘terrifying’,” he adds. “‘Shocking’ is overused.”

Hiram pretends he’d been a cowpoke, but in fact made a living writing pulp westerns.

I look around to see if anyone is watching, then turn back to Hiram and whisper, “Is that why you’re here, to dispense advice on adjectives?”

“That and to let you know I sense danger.”

“You’re always sensing danger. Just last week, you told me than an earthquake was…”

I stop whispering when Sherwood shuffles over, coffee cup in hand. He’s a doughy, middle-aged man who reads the dictionary for pleasure. “Another tale about space critters, Jeff?”

“A follow-up to last week’s. It’s Uncle Sid’s idea. He loved the national exposure.”

Sherwood nods. “You knocked that one out of the ballpark.”

Sherwood loves sports metaphors but hates sports.

One of my stories from the week before somehow got into the hands of a particularly dim U.S. Congressman who scrambled onto the floor of the House of Representatives to fume against the government agency for hiring a mob-controlled construction company to build a prison for creatures from the planet Ook-239c.

I kick off my sneakers, tilt back my chair and put my bare feet up on my desk. “What’re you working on today?”

“I’ve got a TV chef who’s gone on a hunger strike, identical twin sisters in Chattanooga who’ve been secretly exchanging husbands for fourteen years, and an eight-year-old boy in Brisbane who can predict the future by licking truck tires—the usual stuff.” Sherwood takes a gulp of coffee, shrugs, sighs. “Do you ever wonder what you’re doing with your life?”

“Sometimes. But who doesn’t?”

Again Sherwood sighs. I’ve never known anyone to sigh so often. His wife ran off with a termite inspector a few years back, and soon afterward he lost his professorship and his house. Sherwood was put on the earth as an example of what I don’t want to become.

“You should look for another job,” I say.

Sherwood shrugs, then ambles back to his desk. He doesn’t want another job because it would make him feel better.

But I want a better job so badly that I dream I’ve found one, then wake up to reality.

Hiram floats around front and shakes his head. “The little guy’s right—you should get a better job. And for that, you need to get that darn Pulitzer back.”

I delete ‘shocking’ and type ‘terrifying.’ “Think I’m not trying?”

“Try harder. Young people these days—”

“…don’t know the meaning of hard work,” I contribute. “Yeah, I know. Now go away.”

“No, you go away. You’re in deep trouble, young man. Two black-hearted sidewinders have ridden into town to—”

“That’s the ridiculous opening line from Rise From Ashes. A dreadful novel.”

“Dreadful? Do you know how many copies I sold?” Hiram says.

“The protagonist was an idiot who shot his own big toe off.”

“That had a solid plot purpose. And at least he shot himself, not a member of his own family.”

Whenever I piss Hiram off, he brings up the shooting.

“Screw you!” I whisper and turn back to my keyboard.

Green Monsters on the Green Monster!
Late last night, a sharp-eyed Boston Red Sox guard spotted a pack of green, three-eyed space monsters in Fenway Park. Authorities believe them to be the aliens who escaped from the secret government prison first brought to the public’s attention in last week’s Boston Tattler. The guard reported seeing the creatures scrambling up the wall that Red Sox fans have lovingly dubbed ‘The Green Monster.’
Green monsters attracted to a green wall? A coincidence? Unlikely. In fact, experts on the subject of aliens from outer…

“This little piggy—”

“Hey!” I jerk my foot back.

Melody has sneaked up on me. She likes to do that.

She wiggles my little toe again. “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy—well, you know the rest of the narrative.” She lets go of my toe.

“Actually, that felt good. Don’t stop.”

“That’s as much wiggling as you get, Jeff. You’re married.”

I pull my feet off my desk and rest them on the floor. “Separated.”

“That’s still married.”

Melody is my editor. She’s thirty-seven—three years older than I am. Her face is narrow and pretty, her hair red and wavy. She likes hoop earrings and has long feet.

She shuffles through the printout in her hands. “You sent me eight stories this week but promised me nine.”

“I’m still working on the last one. Did you know that a space creature has replaced the Red Sox mascot and has put a hex on the top of the batting order?”

“They’re already hexed,” Melody says. She eyes me for a long moment, then screws up her mouth. “I’m concerned.”

Here it comes again. “About my articles? About my bare toes? Or my collection of metal toys?” I reach across my desk, pick up the Spirit of St. Louis and fly it back and forth overhead.

Melody puts her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes. “Yes, all those things, Jeffrey, but in this instance, what I meant was I hate to see you wasting your talent writing this garbage. You’re the best writer I’ve ever edited. You deserved that Pulitzer.”

“Which they took back twenty-seven days later.”

“Most journalists would kill to have one for even twenty-seven days.”

Melody said that with a smile. She says most everything with a smile. It’s a pretty smile, but sometimes forced, as if she were trying to make herself happier than she feels. She’s the opposite of Sherwood, who wallows in gloom and wants to pull everyone down with him.

I say, “You always see the best in every situation.”

“Thanks.”

“It drives me batshit.”

Melody raps her knuckles on my desk. “I need the copy by two o’clock.” She raps her knuckles on the top of my head. “At the latest.”

I watch her go. I shouldn’t tease her the way I do. Melody’s not the hard-ass editor she pretends to be. She’s in fact a softy, smart and thoughtful. Also curvy.

Hiram says, “That young lady has a fine carriage.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” I say and pick up my typing where I left off:

Space lizards have the ability to slow down fast balls, strip the spin from curves and send knuckleballs off in…

Hiram says, “‘slow down fast balls’ is flabby and clumsy because ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ interfere with each other.”

“Un huh.” I keep on typing.

“Clementine’s coming to visit.”

“Oh?”

“She’s worried about Ebenezer.”

I look up from my keyboard. “What is it this time?”

“He’s missing.”

“Grandpa Ebenezer is always missing,” I say.

“Clementine thinks he’s in trouble.”

I delete ‘slow down fast balls’ and type ‘retard fast balls. “How can Ebenezer be in trouble? He’s dead.”

“I don’t like that word—and now you’re the one in trouble.”

I look up to see Uncle Sid coming toward me. Two burly guys walk with him, one on each side, clutching his arms.

My uncle looks scared. I hate to see that. I love the guy.

“Jeff,” he says with a quiver, “these two gentlemen want a word with you.”

I’ve watched enough local news to recognize the Ramsey twins—Hank and Freddie. Not gentlemen. Mobsters.

I get to my feet, pull Sid free from the pair’s grasp and wrap my arm around his shoulders. They’re trembling. “What in hell do you two want?

Hank steps closer and blows his cigar breath in my face. He has big ears and black hair combed straight back. At six feet three, he stands eye-to-eye with me, but he’s half again as wide. He says, “Did you write that idiotic story?”

“Which idiotic story? I write lots of idiotic stories.”

Freddie says, “Asshole!” and steps forward.

Hank reaches out to hold him back. “Easy.”

Although the two were born identical, no one has trouble telling them apart because Freddie had the front half of his nose lobbed off in a knife fight. This gives him a piggy look.

Hank says, “You know what I’m talking about, wiseass. Who told you about that government prison for space monsters?”

“Who? No one. I made it up.”

“You made it up?”

“I make up everything I write.”

Hank tilts his head back and half closes his eyes. “You made the story up?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

Hank pokes me in the chest. “Then how come it’s true?”

***

Excerpt from The Journalist by David Gardener. Copyright 2021 by David Gardener. Reproduced with permission from David Gardener. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

David Gardner grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, served in Army Special Forces and earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught college, worked as a reporter and sold women’s shoes.

He coauthored three programming books for Prentice Hall, wrote dozens of travel articles as well as too many mind-numbing computer manuals before happily turning to fiction.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Nancy, also a writer. He hikes, bikes, messes with astrophotography and plays the keyboard with no discernible talent whatsoever.

Catch Up With David Gardener:
DavidGardnerAuthor.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @davidagardner07
Twitter - @dgardner_author
Facebook - @david.gardner.33483

 

 

Tour Participants:

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Murder at the Magic Cakes Cafe - An Interview & Review

I'm pleased to welcome Rosie Reed to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Rosie writes the English Village Witch Cozy Mystery series. MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE is the first book in the series and was released earlier this year.

Kathy: MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE features a café and all manner of supernatural beings in the English countryside. Which aspect most appealed to you when creating this series, the paranormal aspect, the foodie aspect, or the English countryside setting?

RR: All of them really! I’m very sensitive to my surroundings, so I get overwhelmed by how beautiful the English countryside is, and I love writing about all the greenery, flowers, aromas, and wildlife as a setting for the series. One of my favourite things to do in real life is share tea and cake with a friend, so the food and café aspect really resonates with me. As for the paranormal, I’ve been a life-long fan of humorous fantasy writer, Sir Terry Pratchett, and I’m very inspired by all the magical settings and creatures he came up with in his Discworld series.

Kathy: When Evelyn Eldritch is struck by lightning, her magical abilities are ignited. Have you ever wanted to have supernatural powers?

RR: Oh absolutely! Throughout the series, Evelyn often uses her magical powers to help DI Taylor solve murders by, for example, using the Lock-picking spell, Strength spell, and Shielding spell. But one thing I will say about Evelyn is that she also uses her humanity, empathy, and logic too. One of my main themes in the series is ‘coming home’ – accepting yourself for who you are. This is something magic can’t help with; it’s a very human experience.

Kathy: Maiden-Upon-Avon is a quaint English village that is also home to werewolves, witches, and vampires. If you could be any of these types, which one would you choose to be?

RR: It would be so much fun to be a witch, ohhh the power! The reason I love writing this series so much is that it’s only limited by my imagination – which is very vivid indeed!

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

RR: I’ve always loved puzzles and mysteries. I’ve been a fan of Agatha Christie for a very long time. I was previously writing romance, but after I suffered creative burnout, I took some time to just read – and I read all of Agatha Christie’s novels! Then I thought, hey I could write my own murder mysteries. I started reading cozy mysteries, especially paranormal, and I realised that I’d finally discovered the genre I was meant to write!

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

RR: As I said, I was previously a romance writer. I jumped on the ‘steamy billionaire’ romance genre several years ago, and I was doing okay. But really, my heart wasn’t in it, and it eventually led to creative burnout. I am glad I wrote all those romance novels though, because I learnt a lot about the craft of writing and also about self-publishing – all of which is helping me now. But saying that, I never want to burnout again, so I’m taking things at my own pace, and I will only ever publish a book in this series when I feel it’s ready.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

RR: The English Village Witch Cozy Series follows the adventures of novice witch Evelyn Eldritch, as she comes to terms with her magical powers, solves murders, and slowly melts the steely wall around the heart of Detective Inspector Alex Taylor! I’m currently writing Book Six – MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER, and Book Seven keeps trying to push itself into my brain! I love writing these books – I actually started the series to protect my mental health during the 2020 lockdown, and the series is still keeping me sane now!

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

RR: I have huge affection for Evelyn. She’s a bit clumsy and bumbling, but she’s kind-hearted – and she solves murders! I also have a crush on DI Taylor! ;)
 

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

RR: I’m a compulsive daydreamer, and I often turn real situations into stories in my mind. These characters have been with me in one way or another since I was a teenager, and this is how they’re currently expressing themselves. My aim is to give myself and readers a little holiday from reality in the lovely English countryside. I love the ‘controlled danger’ of murder mysteries, where justice is always done. I want to feel safe and secure in Maiden-Upon-Avon, enjoying the journey and adding humour and fun. It’s this ‘escapism’ that keeps me inspired.
 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

RR: I was enjoying writing the series so much that I wanted to share the enjoyment and escapism with other people. If readers enjoy my books, then that’s fab. But if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s okay too. I’m inspired by a quote by Bob Dylan, who says ‘It’s for myself and my friends that my stories are sung.’ This is exactly how I feel. My ‘friends’ in this context being the readers who enjoy my books. If I keep writing for myself and for those people, then I will enjoy the process.
 

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

RR: Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett would definitely be there! Also, I would love to chat to MC Beaton, the author of the Agatha Raisin books, as I love those. And Stephen Fry would have to come too. I started reading his novels in my late-teens, and I’ve recently been enjoying his Greek Myths trilogy.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RR: I’m re-reading all of Agatha Christie’s Poirot books at the moment, and I’m up to Black Coffee. I’m also re-reading all Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I’m up to Wyrd Sisters. My favourite books in that series are the ones that feature the city watch because they tend to be murder mysteries. I’m also reading a lovely non-fiction book called THE GENTLE MARKETING REVOLUTION, which is totally in line with how I currently feel about self-publishing and marketing. Be gentle and kind.


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

RR: Obviously I love reading and writing! But I’m also a massive music fan, and I enjoy swimming and yoga.
 

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

RR: Lots of different types of tea, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a few tins of butterbeans, and some chocolate for a treat.
 

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

RR: The thought of not writing the English Village Witch Cozy Series fills me with dread, so I know there are plenty more books in that series to come! Also, I’m currently working on a fun spinoff series for Evelyn’s senior witch, sex-mad granny, Joanie. As well as that, I’m planning a series featuring Evelyn’s cousin, Ruby, who is the assistant to a cranky witch private investigator in Marvelton – the magical land beyond the Standing Stones Portal. I will keep writing these books as long as I enjoy them!

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

RR: Definitely writing. I’m a compulsive daydreamer, and I would be writing my stories whether I was publishing or not. In the Gentle Marketing Revolution, I was asked to come up with my definition of success, and I realised that success for me is getting an email from readers who I’ve never met before, saying they’ve enjoyed my books. That feeling of proud excitement is worth more than money to me. I know myself how it feels to enjoy a book or film, and if I can give that enjoyment to other people, then that’s truly magical! 

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Review

MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE by Rosie Reed
The First English Village Witch Cozy Mystery

 

Life changes after you get struck by lightening. At least it does for Evelyn Eldritch. After that electrifying event Evelyn receives a phone call informing her the birth mother she never knew has just died and Evelyn has inherited a cafe in the English countryside. Happy to get away from London and her annoying older sister for a bit, she takes her nephew and heads to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon. But something is off about the town and its residents. When she learns it's possible her mother was murdered, Evelyn decides to suss out the truth, even if it means taking on a hunky detective and some scary villagers.

 

There's a lot going on in MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE. Almost too much. It's as if the author thought of almost every wonderful thing she wanted to put into her book and did it...and then added the kitchen sink. It's a bucolic English village, she owns a bakery/cafe, she discovers she's a witch, there are vampires, werewolves, and possibly ghosts! There's also romance. Evelyn is gobsmacked by the detective inspector and it's practically love at first sight between her nephew and her birth mother's assistant. Yet for all of these details, there's not much follow up. We don't get much baking, we don't get much backstory about the other supernatural beings, although the journalist and his wife are a cute couple, and we only get a smidge of Evelyn's training as a witch. I also was a bit dismayed at the prologue. Every Tarot reader worth their salt knows that the death card doesn't mean a literal death. While true in this case, other options should have been presented and Marilyn shouldn't have assumed someone was to die that very night!

 

If you don't think too hard, the first English Village Witch Cozy Mystery is an enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and if you get past Evelyn's snarkiness, she makes a fine protagonist. I love how Evelyn and the birth mother she never knew use the same euphemism. There are some heavier aspects that are more in tune with a traditional mystery, the detective's drinking problem and the reason behind it, for example, but everything else screams cozy...almost too much.

Fluffy, but fun MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE is a good escapist read.

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

 Murder At Magic Cakes Cafe (English Village Witch Cozy) by Rosie Reed

About Murder At Magic Cakes Cafe 

Murder At Magic Cakes Cafe (English Village Witch Cozy)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Publisher: ‎ Independently published (March 1, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 307 pages

In a flash, she had magic. Can she use it to solve a mysterious death in her family?

Climbing a tree in a thunderstorm was always going to be a stupid idea, but when Evelyn Eldritch is struck by lightning, her magical powers are switched on. And she didn’t even know she was a witch!

When Evelyn learns that her biological mother has died under suspicious circumstances, she makes a journey to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon, where the residents consist of werewolves, witches, vampires and one annoyingly handsome-yet-gruff policeman. But who should she suspect? Who can she trust?

And if juggling her magical training, her mother’s café, and the town’s eccentric residents wasn’t enough, another body turning up at the local cricket match shows she’s definitely in well over her pointed hat…

Murder at Magic Cakes Café is the first book in the adorable English Village Witch Cozy series, set in the beautiful English countryside. If you love plucky heroines, small-town whodunits, and a touch of retro nostalgia, then you’ll love Rosie Reed’s fun and flirty tale.

Buy Murder at Magic Cakes Café today. It’s simply electrifying!

Note from the author: Writing this series kept me sane during the very strange year of 2020. I do hope you’ll enjoy escaping into the beautiful surroundings of Maiden-Upon-Avon and having some fun with Evelyn and all the other magical beings who live there! Each book is set in a different season of the magical year - beginning with spring in Book One. You can enjoy a gentle journey around the village, whilst Evelyn tries to solve the murder. So, treat yourself now by taking the phone off the hook of life, and soaking awhile in the bathtub of the English countryside!

If you sign up for my newsletter today, you can download bonus FREE novella Merrie May Mayhem straight away! Just type this code into your web address bar: bit.ly/Rosiereed

About Rosie Reed

 

A Little About Me I love writing, daydreaming, and creating stories. I often write for fun, even when I'm not planning on publishing. But it's also wonderful to share my stories with you! I'm a massive Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett fan, so writing paranormal mystery comes instinctively! I love the understated gentle charm of cozies, and it's always such a pleasure to spend time in the company of the wonderful sleuths and magical characters that my fellow authors create. Writing the English Village Witch Cozy series helped to keep me sane during the very strange year of 2020. Evelyn and Alex have done a tremendous job of protecting my mental health, and it's my pleasure to share this comfort with you. I do hope you’ll enjoy escaping into the beautiful surroundings of Maiden-Upon-Avon, and having some fun with Evelyn and all the other magical beings who live there! So treat yourself now by taking the phone off the hook of life, and soaking in the bathtub of the English countryside for a while!  

Purchase Links - Amazon US - Amazon UK

The Secret Staircase - A Review

 Review

THE SECRET STAIRCASE by Sheila Connolly
The Third Victorian Village Mystery 

Kate Hamilton has gathered together a board to revitalize the small town of Asheboro, Maryland. Her plan is to recreate the town into the Victorian village it was when Asheboro was in its heyday. Feeling an affinity towards Henry Barton, the man who made Asheboro into a booming Victorian village, she decides to start by renovating his mansion, located on the outskirts of town. While Kate knows that unforeseen circumstances happen, she's in for a shock when she and her contractor find a body behind a wall. At least it appears to have been there since the 1880s and not someone newly deceased. But who is it? And how did it come to be there? As Kate and her team research Henry and his family, finding more questions than answers, it's soon obvious that the dead man on the secret staircase is just the start of her renovation problems.

Kate has several mysteries to work through in the third Victorian Village Mystery: whose body was left behind the wall in the 1880s, who put it there, who is the modern day killer, and will she ever realize her dream of revitalizing her town. I love how Kate calmly and methodically researches everything she needs to reach her goals, from finding her committee and construction crew, to figuring out what kind of man Henry was and learning his true history. I found myself most intrigued by the story of Henry and his mysterious Mary and became even more fascinated as the details began to emerge.

This is not a warm and cuddly type of mystery. Most of the characters have an edge, something that just doesn't sit right, or are downright repellent. Life, however, is not always a fuzzy feel good adventure, remember, as Cat Stevens said, there's a lot of bad and beware. THE SECRET STAIRCASE is more real in its honesty. I truly enjoyed this book and the many puzzles it provided.

THE SECRET STAIRCASE weaves together the renovation dreams of Kate Hamilton with the story of Victorian magnate Henry Barton with an ingenious plot that focuses on the present day while stories of the past seep through.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly. This book is the third in the Victorian Village Mystery series and will be released next week. This is also, sadly, the last book Sheila Connolly wrote.

Kate Hamilton has gathered together a board to revitalize the small town of Asheboro, Maryland. Her plan is to recreate the town into the Victorian village it was when Asheboro was in its heyday. Feeling an affinity towards Henry Barton, the man who made Asheboro into a booming Victorian village, she decides to start by renovating his mansion, located on the outskirts of town. While Kate knows that unforeseen circumstances happen, she's in for a shock when she and her contractor find a body behind a wall. At least it appears to have been there since the 1880s and not someone newly deceased. But who is it? And how did it come to be there? As Kate and her team research Henry and his family, finding more questions than answers, it's soon obvious that the dead man on the secret staircase is just the start of her renovation problems.

A Scone of Contention - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

A SCONE OF CONTENTION by Lucy Burdette
The Eleventh Key West Food Critic Mystery

 

Hayley and Nathan's honeymoon is not quite the intimate getaway they planned. Staying with Nathan's sister, Vera, and brother in law is only part of it. Not only is Miss Gloria accompanying them, but Nathan's mother has decided to join their visit to Scotland as well. While William has commandeered Nathan into a golfing tournament, Hayley and Miss Gloria are accompanying Vera to some of the more haunting places of Scotland as Vera attempts to finish the book she and her partners are writing. But something's rotten in the state of Scotland. First, one of the partners gets ill during a dinner party, with her spouse yelling "poison!", then the group witness a man fall to his death. It soon becomes obvious something more than artistic differences is driving these people apart. Will Hayley be able to sort out the truth? Will Hayley and Nathan have any romantic time together on their honeymoon? Or will a killer ruin it all?

A SCONE OF CONTENTION had me hankering for a scone from page one. And I still want one. A cinnamon scone or just a simple cheese scone, for which the author does provide a recipe, although I'd prefer a real one, warm from the oven and handed to me. While food definitely plays a part I was also intrigued by the thin places, where the veil between heaven and earth have lifted. I loved learning about them and would like to learn more.

While I wouldn't count SCONE OF CONTENTION as a great honeymoon, I certainly would rate it as a great mystery! A literary versus media conflict, most of the characters hiding things, and a determination to bring the truth out make this eleventh Key West Mystery a knock out. A feisty Miss Gloria who becomes vulnerable pulls at the heart strings and an ongoing mystery back home kept me engrossed.

Although the majority of the novel takes place in Scotland and not Key West, we still get to enjoy plenty of good food and the antics of the feisty Miss Gloria, and while we may not have the Key West pets, we do get the company of a few Scottish felines. We also get to visit some of the highlights of Scotland vicariously.

SCONE OF CONTENTION is a delightful mystery that shows how conflicts of the past can impact the present. I enjoyed this trip to Scotland with a nip of whiskey, a slather of butter on a hot scone, and a devilishly good mystery. My only hope is that Hayley and Nathan get a few days to themselves to celebrate a real honeymoon!

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A Scone of Contention: A Key West Food Critic Mystery by Lucy Burdette

About A Scone of Contention

A Scone of Contention: A Key West Food Critic Mystery
Cozy Mystery 11th in the Series
Publisher ‏: ‎ Crooked Lane Books (August 10, 2021)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

A murderer's out to spoil Hayley's honeymoon in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette's eleventh Key West Food Critic Mystery.

Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow and her groom, police detective Nathan Bransford, chose Scotland for their long-delayed honeymoon, hoping to sightsee and enjoy some prize-winning scones. But their romantic duo swells to a crowd when they're joined by Nathan's family as well as octogenarian Miss Gloria.

Nathan's sister Vera takes the women on a whirlwind tour of some of Scotland's iconic mystic places as research for a looming book project. But the trip takes a deadly tartan turn when a dinner party guest falls ill and claims she was poisoned. And then the group watches in horror as a mysterious tourist tumbles to his death from the famous Falkirk Wheel, high above the Forth & Clyde canal.

Vera and her friends deny knowing the dead man, but after observing their reactions to the fall, Hayley is not convinced. With one person dead, a second possibly poisoned, and the tension among Vera's friends as thick as farmhouse cheese, Hayley fears her long-awaited honeymoon might end with another murder.

Far away from home, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, eccentric characters, and a forbiddingly gorgeous setting, Hayley must call on all her savvy to keep a killer from striking again and then escaping Scot free.

About Lucy Burdette

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) is the author of 19 mysteries, including A SCONE OF CONTENTION, the eleventh book in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow. THE KEY LIME CRIME won the bronze medal for popular fiction in the Florida Book Awards. Lucy’s books and stories have also been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She's a past president of Sisters in Crime, and currently serving as president of the Friends of the Key West Library.

Author Links: 

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Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib  

Blogs: http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com http://www.jungleredwriters.com  

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