Friday, August 5, 2022

Shifting and Shenanigans - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Elizabeth Pantley back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Elizabeth writes the Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series and now the Magical Mystery Book Club series. SHIFTING AND SHENANIGANS, the first book in the new series, was released last month.


Kathy: You start a new series with SHIFTING AND SHENANIGANS. What made you decide to take a break from Destiny Falls and come to the Snapdragon Inn?

EP: I was reading a cozy mystery that I truly enjoyed. The setting and the people were so great – I was thinking how fun it would be to just hop inside that book for a while. And it hit me! What a great idea for a cozy mystery series! Once I starting pondering the possibilities for such a series I had to get it started!

Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

EP: The opening scene in the mystery book part was the first to come to me. What if the book club was reading an intense scene and suddenly, they were no longer reading – they were inside the book! Once that part was settled the story slowly unfolded in my mind and took some very interesting turns.
 

Kathy: In the Magical Mystery Book Club series the characters find themselves inhabiting cozy mystery books. If you could visit a fictional world, in any genre, what novel would you choose?

EP: Well, right now I’d dive into the second book in this series because it’s set on a cruise ship! I love to cruise, but since Covid began I haven’t been on a ship. I took a trip vicariously through the book club and had a grand adventure on a Hawaiian cruise!
 

Kathy: Have you ever been part of a book club? Was it similar to the one found in your series, in that a very diverse group get together and bond over books?

EP: I’ve twice been a member in a book club, and both were great fun. We didn’t fall into any books, nor did we get absorbed into any enchanted settings … but we had so much fun! The best book clubs, I think, are half book club and half social club. Good food, drinks, and neighborhood gossip all make the experience something to look forward to every week.

Kathy: Paige and Glo have a unique niece/aunt relationship. Have you ever had a familial relationship that was a true friendship?

EP: My family is very close, and we do cross the lines between family and friends. All four of my children are adults now, and I count them as four of my best friends. They invite me to do crazy things like hike up a mountain, climb a wall in an indoor climbing gym, or plant a full-out garden in my yard. The blend between family and friend is a true blessing.

Kathy: I adore Frank. I don't really have a question, well, too many that may be revealed as the series continues. I just want to say he's great.

EP: Thanks! I love Frank, too! He’s a fun character with a lot of spunk and way too much confidence. He has a very interesting background which we’ll learn more about in future books.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character in this series?

EP: I love them all, so don’t tell – but I happen to have a soft spot for Zell. She’s eighty and proud of it. She has zero filters, loves life to the fullest, and is up for just about anything. I want to be Zell when I’m eighty!
 

Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Paige?

EP: I have an unlimited number of ideas! Since the book club can enter any cozy mystery book in their vast library, the locations are endless! I can explore various themes I’ve never written about. I love to write books with a touch of the paranormal in a real-life setting. Something that’s so believable you can imagine it happening. Actually, I’m now writing book three and … I don’t even believe this one since it’s so different! … but they are going back to the Wild West, the land of the authentic cowboy!

 

Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

EP: You can expect many more new books in the Magical Mystery Book Club!

Readers can sign up for my mailing list to get notices and be part of my monthly contests: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/

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Review


SHIFTING AND SHENANIGANS by Elizabeth Pantley
The First Magical Mystery Book Club

Thirty and recently divorced, Paige Erickson is ready for a new start. Nothing could have prepared her for the adventure that awaits her when she and her eccentric Aunt Glo inherit the Snapdragon Inn. Though the fun loving pair spent many happy summers there, they were never allowed in the basement; now it's time. A treasure trove of books awaits them along with a book club they've been tasked to start. But these are no ordinary books and this will be no ordinary book club. The group is transported inside a book-and the only way out is to solve the murder! 

Do you ever wish you were a part of a cozy mystery? That's just what gets to happen to Paige, her Aunt Glo, and their newfound friends. I love how what they encounter is due to the fictional author's writing-be it the Disney plus Hallmark settings (lots of adjectives) or its author's errors. I like Paige and Glo-though they can be a bit silly. And I like getting to know all of the book club members. I hope we get to learn more of Frank's origins. What's interesting to note is while these characters are meaty, the characters they meet inside the book are rather one dimensional. I was captivated by the book club's story, but didn't find myself as invested in the mystery they had to solve. 

The First Magical Mystery Book Club Mystery is a totally unique book that turns a cozy mystery on its head and spins it around. If you think cozies are all the same, here's an author that totally breaks the mold, while still honoring the genre. Creative surprises abound while family and friendship remains constant.

SHIFTING AND SHENANIGANS brings a unique twist to the cozy mystery genre. A story within a story with a paranormal slant, I was enchanted by the setting and admittedly envious of the adventure. I can't even imagine what the author has in store for book club members, but I can't wait to find out.

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 Shifting and Shenanigans: The Magical Mystery Book Club by Elizabeth Pantley

About Shifting and Shenanigans

Shifting and Shenanigans: The Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery - 1st in Series
Setting - A magical off-shoot of Colorado
Independently Published (July 15, 2022)
Print length: ‎ 210 pages

Paige and her adventurous Aunt Glo inherit a country inn from eccentric GeeGee. They pack up and hit the road, arriving at the charming place they both loved since childhood. Finally! They can get into the secret room in the basement that GeeGee kept locked! They discover it’s a wonderful library filled to the brim with mystery books. But more than the room was a secret – it’s a magical place that houses enchanted books. Paige and Glo find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a murder mystery, along with a motley group of book club friends. The club will need to work together to solve the case in order to get out of the book and back to their home.

About Elizabeth Pantley

 

Elizabeth Pantley says that writing the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic book series is the most fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the beautiful inspiration for the enchanted Destiny Falls world.  

Author Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24811.Elizabeth_Pantley  

Website: https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/  

Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethpantley/  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nocrysolution/_saved/  

Blog: https://elizabethpantley.com/  

Purchase Link – Amazon – 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy! Thank you for the great feature as I launch book 1 of my new series! It was fun to visit with you. I look forward to sharing book two!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting and I look forward to Book 2!

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