Pleats and Poison - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Lucinda Race to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Lucinda writes the Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series. PLEATS AND POISON is the third book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In PLEATS AND POISON Claudia Grant is hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost, making her famous mac and cheese. Mac and cheese was never part of my Thanksgiving Day dinners. Was it on your Turkey Day menu? What's your Thanksgiving specialty?

LR: It wasn’t a part of mine either, but my son-in-law said it was on his table every year, so I thought it’d be fun to incorporate that into this story. Also I plan on making macaroni and cheese next Thanksgiving. I love traditions. 

Kathy: Claudia is a fashion-savvy psychic. Do you believe in psychics and mediums? Have you met any? 

LR: I have talked with a medium. She seemed to know a lot about me and my future, most of which came true. But I guess Claudia is more of a ghost whisperer and less psychic in that sense. 

Kathy: I am decidedly not fashion savvy? Are you? Do you follow fashion trends or even sew yourself? 

LR: I have sewn a lot in my life, from tailored jackets to Halloween costumes and Christmas stockings. As far as fashion is concerned, I don’t follow the trends, but I love classic looks and comfortable clothes. Give me a great pair of jeans, a soft blouse and blazer and comfortable cowboy boots and I’m happy. 

Kathy: Claudia has a best friend and a ghostly sidekick. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter? 

LR: I do believe in ghosts and angels. When I purchased my current home, my daughter was home alone and swore she heard heels clicking on the living room floor. It popped out of my mouth that it was George making sure she was doing her homework, and it stuck. 

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

LR: I’ve devoured mystery books since I could read. I’ve loved Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and of course Agatha Christie books are a perennial favorite. I never thought I could write one. I don’t plot books, I’m what’s called a pantser and I thought to write a great cozy I’d have to change how I write. But I gave it a try and found a method that works for me. It’s a blast! 

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

LR: I write small town contemporary romance and I have three connected series. 


Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

LR: The McKenna Family Romance Series” Strong Women and the Strong Men who love them. 

The Price Family Romance Series: Family, wine and second chances—the perfect vintage for happily ever afters.

The Cowboys of River Junction: Welcome to the small-town cowboy romance series where fans call these sweet romances: "stories chock-full of emotion.".

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

LR: Having a favorite character is like asking if I have a favorite kid. I love them all, but each main female characters in my books have snippets of my daughters. 

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

LR: Life inspires me. My favorite pastime is to sit and observe the smallest action or detail while people and daily activities swirl around me. It’s from those experiences that my stories are crafted. 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

LR: I love a challenge, and my husband asked, Why not? So I did and now 45+ books later, here I am. 

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

LR: Agatha Christie: Mystery

Nora Roberts: Romance and Suspense

Jane Austen: Romance/ Literary Realism

Dan Brown: Suspense 

Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

LR: The Vampire Knitting Club Mystery Series and a book on golf.

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

LR: I adore gardening, flowers and veggies. I love to read and my TBR list is HUGE and I love cooking and baking for family and friends. Oh and I just took up golf again after 2- years away from the links.

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

LR: Light cream, Coke, Salsa, and chocolate in the meat keeper. J
 

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

LR: For the Craft and Ghost Cozy Mysteries series, there will be more books, if I had to say now, at least 9 more. I also have a non-paranormal series I’m writing and another spin- off to the Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series, the Witches of Robins Pointe. 

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

LR: Meeting and talking with readers who may have enjoyed my books or who are interested in trying one for the first time. I love talking books with others, it makes me very happy.

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 Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race

About Pleats & Poison

Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Coastal Town of Drakes Bay
Publisher: ‎ MC Two Press
Publication Date: ‎ August 6, 2025
Digital Print length: ‎ 222 pages

Enjoy this humorous, small-town, psychic, cozy mystery by best-selling and award-winning Lucinda Race. A fashion-savvy psychic, one haunted Thanksgiving, and a pleated skirt that’s dressed to kill. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost—is all in a day’s work for Claudia Grant. Between whipping up her famous mac and cheese and debuting her boutique’s latest fall fashion, Claudia’s ready to impress her visiting mom and stylish grandmother. Her cozy coastal town of Drakes Bay is the perfect backdrop for family, food, and fresh starts—especially when Gram falls in love with a pleated skirt and sweater ensemble from Claudia’s shop. But when a spilled glass of orange juice leads to a shocking discovery—a guest at the neighboring Whistlers Inn is found dead, and the very same pleated skirt wrapped around her neck—Claudia's holiday cheer unravels fast. Now, with her best friend Beth and a ghostly sidekick in tow, Claudia must piece together a tangled mystery before the killer skips town... and before the secrets hidden in the folds come back to haunt them all. She’d rather be sewing hemlines than following clues—but if Claudia can’t stitch together the truth in time, someone else might be the next to check out… permanently. Pleats & Poison is the third book in the A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series from award-winning author Lucinda Race. Cozy up, settle in, and prepare to be haunted… in the best possible way!

About Lucinda Race

Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction who fell in love with cozy mysteries and romance novels as a young girl. While her childhood friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, Lucinda was already dreaming of crafting captivating novels filled with heart, hope, and happily ever afters.

Though her writing journey began with nonfiction, her passion for storytelling never wavered. She returned to her true calling—creating the beloved McKenna Family Romance series and the Paranormal Cozy Nook Bookstore Series—writing the kinds of stories she loves to read. Whether she’s weaving a heartwarming romance or a cozy mystery, her fingers practically fly across the keyboard.

Lucinda lives in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts with her little dog— a shih tzu mix rescue—who is always by her side. When she’s not immersed in writing mystery, suspense, or romance, she’s curled up with a book, devouring everything she can get her hands on.

Social Media Links: https://twitter.com/LucindaRace  

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LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucinda-race-947099140/  

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A Poetic Pox - A Guest Post, Recipe, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Samantha Hastings to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Samantha writes the Lady Librarian Mystery series. A Poetic Pox is the third book in the series and at the moment only the Audible version has been released.

Let Them Eat Twelfth Night Cake!

By Samantha Hastings

The twelve days of Christmas refer to December 25th to January 5th. During the Georgian era, the celebration of Twelfth Night was only slightly less popular than Christmas Day itself.

One of the most important parts of the celebration was the Twelfth Night cake. It was a large domed fruit cake with sugar-paste figures that decorated the top. Inside the cake was hidden both a pea and a bean. Everyone in the household, including servants, were given a slice of cake. Women were served from the left side of the cake and men from the right. The woman who found the pea and the man who found the bean became the ‘king’ and ‘queen’ of the night. Sometimes a clove was added as well for the ‘knave’ of the night. Twelfth Night was one of misrule, raucous fun, and everything turned upside down. Including gender roles. It was the night before Epiphany.

In the 1870s, nearly ninety years after this story, Queen Victorian removed Twelfth Night from official calendars. She believed that the celebrations were too rowdy and this holiday has become relatively forgotten.

*

It’s not quite a Twelfth Night Cake, but my family loves an Oreo Trifle and it’s super easy to make.

OREO TRIFLE

Ingredients:

· 1 baked 9/13” pan of Chocolate Cake (cake mixes are great)

· 1 8oz container of Whipped Cream

· 1 4.2 oz package of instant Oreo Pudding

· 2 cups of cold Milk

· 5-6 Oreos crushed up to sprinkle on top

Directions:

First, combine Oreo pudding and milk in a bowl. Whisk for 2 minutes and then let it rest in the fridge for at least 5 minutes.

In a trifle dish or a large bowl (preferrable clear one so that you can see the layers), add 1-inch squares of the chocolate cake for the bottom layer (about 1/3 of the cake). For the second layer, add 1/3 of the finished Oreo Pudding mix. For the third layer, add 1/3 of the container of Whipped Cream.

Repeat process 3 times.

Decorate the top of the trifle with crushed up Oreos. You can serve it immediately.

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 A Poetic Pox: A Lady Librarian Mystery by Samantha Larsen

About A Poetic Pox

A Poetic Pox: A Lady Librarian Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - 1786, England
Publisher: Dreamscape
First Audible.com Release Date: July 22, 2025
Listening Length: 8 hours and 18 minutes
Author: Samantha Larsen Narrator: Marni Penning

1786, England

It is the twelve days of Christmas, and Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop is happily juggling her duties as a new mother and a librarian to Catharine, the Duchess of Beaufort. Her employer receives a mysterious letter from an old paramour, the Marquess of Harwood, who is the biological father of Catharine’s son. He promises to leave his estate and fortune to Beau if he can see the boy before he dies.

Her elder son, Thomas Montague, has a terrible cold, so Catharine asks Tiffany to accompany her and Beau. When they arrive at the dilapidated abbey, they discover a dead body—only it isn’t the marquess, but his valet! Lord Harwood is alive, but unconscious with suspicious-looking pox marks on his hands. Tiffany wonders if the marquess is really dying, or if it is all poetic revenge? Especially when she discovers the secrets that haunt Rosedean Abbey.

Between breastfeeding and dirty diapers, Tiffany must discover who killed the valet and attempted to murder the marquess before anyone else dies.

©2025 Samantha Larsen (P)2025 Dreamscape First

About Samantha Larsen

Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, having tea parties, and chauffeuring her four kids. She teaches World Literature at Brigham Young University. Her young adult fiction books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections and her historical romances are published around the world. She also writes murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen that Publisher’s Weekly called “wildly enjoyable.”

Author Links: 

Website www.SamanthaHastings.com  

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

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BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-hastings 

 Purchase Links - Amazon B&N 

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Rocky Road to Murder - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

Today I'm happy to welcome Detective Jake Barlow to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Jake on the pages of the Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series by Lena Gregory. ROCKY ROAD TO MURDER is the sixth book in the series and was released this past week.

A Day in My Life 
By Detective Jake Barlow 

 

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jake Barlow, and I’m a detective with the Watchogue Police Department. I’ve always loved helping people. Even when I was a kid, I was the one who tended to stick up for the underdog or stay after class to help out a teacher or a student who needed help. So it seemed natural to choose a career that allowed me to help others. Plus, I’ve always been interested in solving puzzles.

Although, lately, it seems most of my interests revolve around Danika Delaney. I’ll admit I have a sweet spot for her, even if our first two dates ended pretty disastrously. Looking back, I can see the humor. There are two reasons I haven’t yet pushed to have a more serious relationship, even after blurting that I loved her in the heat of a particularly intense moment. One, I don’t think Dani’s ready, and I’m afraid if I push, she’ll bolt. And two, every time I turn around there’s another murder to investigate, and Dani’s right there in the middle of it.

I hate the thought of her and her friends being in danger, which they often are. But, and if you tell Dani I said this I will deny it, they’re good at it. Dani tends to see things from a perspective no one else does, and she’s great at solving puzzles. I just wish they’d stay off killers’ radar. I would like to see our relationship head in a more serious direction—if she could just stop stumbling over dead bodies and interfering in my investigations. But that’s one of the things I lov…uh…like most about her—she’s got such a good heart and always wants to help people out.

All that can make dating a little difficult. So, for the moment, I spend most of my time trying to keep her out of trouble. Not that she means to get herself into these messes (or so she keeps claiming), but the woman seems to be a magnet for trouble. 

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Review

ROCKY ROAD TO MURDER by Lena Gregory
The Sixth Coffee & Cream Café Mystery

Life can never be easy for Danika Delaney. She is thrilled to be attending the Independence Day party at the Rutherford Manor as well as providing their desserts when her mother calls to say Sunday's Independence Day party has been moved to Friday and Danika needs to provide the dessert. Two parties and two desserts on the same day? As her mother guilts her into agreeing (like she even had a choice) best friends Gwen and Eli convince her she can indeed do both. But mishaps at her mother's leads to tragedy at the Rutherford's when Dani finds Jake over their hostess's dead body, a parfait by her side. Could peanuts have gotten into her dessert despite all of the precautions taken? Or was it murder? When the husband fingers Dani for the crime she knows she has to investigate. 

What impressed me most about ROCKY ROAD TO MURDER, indeed all of the books in the Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series, is not just the well plotted mystery, but the love. I'm not even talking about the romantic love, which is nice, but the deep love of family and friends. These friends will do anything for each other...family too. There may be problems, but these people stick together no matter what. When trouble comes they are there to support...and add a few laughs. For this series is laugh out loud funny. From self deprecating remarks to slapstick action you'll be laughing even as you get the warm fuzzies. 

The mystery here was compelling. Did Dani or Eli make a deadly mistake by somehow getting peanuts in the order of a highly allergic person? Does Dani have a doppelganger or is someone trying to frame her? Could her family actually be responsible? Does her death have to do with her refusal to sell the property that's been in her family for generations? I loved how Dani and her friends investigated all possibilities and I loved Dani's brilliant distraction in the final confrontation. 

Scoops of delicious fun sprinkled with a few thrills and dollops of romance make ROCKY ROAD TO MURDER a spectacularly scrumptious mystery. 

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Rocky Road to Murder (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory

About Rocky Road to Murder 

Rocky Road to Murder (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 6th in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher: ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing (July 1, 2025)
Number of Pages - 220

From author Lena Gregory comes a tasty summer murder mystery...

Danika Delaney is thrilled that her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, has gotten a catering contract for the biggest party of the season, the Rutherford Manor Fourth of July gala. She’ll be providing desserts for the party as well as attending the exclusive event on Eastern Long Island.

However her path to the gala quickly becomes a rocky road...

Dani arrives at the event, only to find the gala's hostess, Cressida Rutherford, dead! What's worse, one of Dani's signature parfaits sits next to the dead woman, with what looks like peanuts in it—a food Cressida is severely allergic to. Amid the melted ice cream mess, Dani initially blames herself, thinking she made a mistake while rushing with the desserts. However she quickly learns that what appeared to be an accident was actually foul play, and suddenly Dani has to spring into action proving that she isn't the perpetrator. Along with her friends, Dani uncovers a string of people in Cressida's life who might have wanted the socialite dead. Can she prove her innocence and make sure the killer gets their just desserts?

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

• Newsletter: http://lenagregory.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9765d0711ed4fab4fa31b16ac&id=49d42335d1.
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Shudder Pulp - A Review

 Review

SHUDDER PULP by Vanessa Westermann
The Second Charley Scott Mystery 

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest, Ontario. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.

Tension continually ratchets up in the second Charley Scott mystery as events take on a macabre nightmarish quality, in artwork, in relationships, in the very atmosphere. Everything seems to have multiple meanings and everyone appears to have a sinister aspect that is slowly being revealed.

The mystery was as unique as the cause of death and I suspected everybody! Innocent people that were suspects in the first book were acting even more shifty and I thought they could be guilty this time around. I still don't trust Kayla. The drama is not just found in the mystery, rather there is an emotional maelstrom intensifying the action.

SHUDDER PULP will have you shivering with both fear and delight in this slow burning mystery. 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Shudder Pulp by Vanessa Westermann. This book is the second in the Charley Scott Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.

The Sketchy Christmas Tree - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Lucy Carol to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Lucy writes the Cozy Mystery Holiday series. THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE is the first book in the series and was released last month.

 

Kathy: THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE is told from the point of view of Sir Percival, who happens to be a cat. Why choose to have a cat as your protagonist instead of a human? 

LC: It’s because my real life cat, also named Sir Percival, inspired me. My Sir Percival loves to lay across my forearms while my hands are typing out my current story, although, he’s too heavy to allow it for more than a few minutes. He’s adorable and a complete clown. But when he goes into imaginary playtime, he wildly zooms back and forth like a crazed superhero on a desperate mission to save the day. I often wondered if he had an inner story that he was playing out. I was so charmed by the notion that he’s playing pretend, I got the idea to write out some murder mysteries, and use him as the detective who figures it out, and saves everyone! I’m sure he would love it if he could read. Lol!

Kathy: The town of Bisque, in particular Sir Percival's neighborhood, is a close knit community. I love the whole concept of a neighborhood Christmas party. Did you ever live in a neighborhood like this? Would you like to? 

LC: Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced that, years ago. And one year we were the ones to host it. There was so much food! Everyone brought something, and I had set up the table with make-your-own cocktail spirits, and wine. Quickly the table was loaded down with holiday foods and cheer. Our small house was so packed with people I could barely get to the dining table to swap out an empty tray of hors d’oeuvres for a new tray of fresh from the oven goodies. And yes, I had to look up proper spelling of hors d’oeuvres just now, haha. Conversations from every corner blended in with Christmas music, and I could hear laughter throughout the house. It was madness, but I loved every minute of it.

Kathy: I love Sir. Percival's attitude toward the sketchy Christmas tree as well as other sketchy trees. While my other cats don't mind plants and my Mystic doesn't bother the Christmas tree he makes it so I am unable to have houseplants anymore. Sigh. Are you able to have plants and cats? 

LC: No, and I share your sigh! I love plants and flowers, but Sir Percival chews on them the moment my back is turned. I had a beautiful bouquet in a vase of water, sitting on my desk. Sir Percival likes to nap on my desk while I write. He was showing marvelous restraint, ignoring the flowers and falling asleep. So I felt safe to run into the other room to refill my coffee. And … you guessed it … when I got back the vase was on it’s side, water all over the desk, and a flower in Sir Percival’s mouth. No more bouquets. If someone sends me one, I put it right outside my sliding glass door so I can still see it every day.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

LC: I started reading kid’s mysteries when I was about seven years old. I always had my nose in a book. My tastes obviously changed as I grew older, but I grew to miss the simplicity of those childhood books. I eventually realized that the cozy mystery genre is more gentle, like those earlier books, but more complex for an adult mind. I read Agatha Christie and Janet Evanovich, and enjoyed those kinds of stories.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

LC: I do. Mostly fantasy romance. I hope to publish in that genre.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.  

LC: In the whimsical small town of Bisque, filled with fur babies and friendly faces, the unthinkable can still happen, and somewhere a body drops. But also in Bisque, Sir Percival, a dapper cat detective with a gentleman’s code, stands sentinel. THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE is the first in a series of novellas that each have a different holiday theme.

I also write the Madison Cruz Mystery series. This series has a young woman sleuth, and a romantic side story that arcs over the course of the series. Madison is an actress, her mother is FBI, her grandmother is ex-KGB, and I have a blast writing the dialogue dynamics of this trio. It has over a thousand positive reviews and ratings. There are currently 6 books in that series. I’m considering marrying her off to her love interest, and starting a new series with them as a married couple. So much trouble and fun to get into together! Full disclosure: Clean words, no gore, violence is pretty mild. This series is technically a cozy mystery series, but there are moments when it’s barely a cozy due to the mildly steamy nature of Madison gradually falling in love. The sex is kept behind closed doors, with details left to your imagination.


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

LC: Right now, it’s Sir Percival! I’m having so much fun trying to see the world through the eyes of a brilliant cat detective who has to sneak out of the house to go investigate his latest case. I can’t wait for you to see what he gets into next.

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

LC: Agatha Christie for cozy mystery, and Sarah J. Maas for fantasy. And I’d bet those two would get along great.

Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

LC: Currently I’m reading TWO TWISTED CROWNS by Rachel Gillig. She’s a new-to-me fantasy romance author. I should probably invite her to dinner too!

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

LC: Right now I’m so busy with my gardening hobby, I’m sore every day, lol. I’m planting a lot more vegetables and flowers than usual. I also love jigsaw puzzles, and of course reading. There’s never enough time in a day for all the books.

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

LC: In the fridge there’s always half & half for my coffee, and butter for the popcorn. In the pantry there is always pasta to cook on a moment’s notice, and jars of marinara or alfredo sauces. This is making me hungry!

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

LC: Yes, and yes!

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

LC: Letting my imagination run amok!

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Review

THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE by Lucy Carol
The First Cozy Mystery Holiday

Brook and Theo Potter live a quiet and unassuming life in the quaint town of Bisque. They believe that their cat, Sir Percival, only goes outside with them in a wheeled cat carrier. Sir Percival has other ideas. You see he is a suave feline with a nose for detection. He also has a way to get outdoors to investigate when the needs arises and the night after a shifty tree arrives in his house, the need arose. Now Sir Percival will require the assistance of a new canine friend to solve a mystery and protect a neighbor.

THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE is an extraordinarily fast read. Both fast paced and short you could easily finish it in one sitting. Despite that, there is solid character development, especially with Sir Percival and Fidget. I love Sir Percival, a cat through and through he's stylish, good looking, and knows his worth. He had me laughing with his ability to be distracted, his thoughts about trees, and his method of leaving the house. His humans are a bit silly, but I think that's the point. 

The story was well crafted with multiple mysteries to muddy the waters. I appreciated how Sir Percival lay out the facts as he knew them to help him, and readers, solve the mysteries. I especially loved the puzzle of the "ghost" as well as its resolution.

THE SKETCHY CHRISTMAS TREE is a quick fun read that brings the joy of community and Christmas together with the help of a smart cat and a cute pup! 

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 The Sketchy Christmas Tree: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Cozy Mystery Holidays) by Lucy Carol

About The Sketchy Christmas Tree

The Sketchy Christmas Tree: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Cozy Mystery Holidays)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Pacific Northwest
Fevered Publishing (April 22, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 109 pages

Out on a limb for a killer!

In the whimsical small town of Bisque, filled with fur babies and friendly faces, lives a dapper cat detective, Sir Percival. With his keen intellect, a flair for the dramatic (and of course impeccable grooming), he believes he embodies the essence of a gentleman.

One fateful night, all seems well as Christmas lights and glittering snowflakes usher in a peaceful end to the day. But perched atop a towering Christmas tree, Sir Percival's vigilant gaze spots a shadowy intruder lurking near a home down the street! His concern for the spirited little dog who resides there, compels him to embark on a daring nighttime escapade. But the shocking discovery in the little dog's backyard is more than just a mischievous intruder--it's a dead body.

Determined to solve the mystery and protect their humans, Sir Percival enlists the help of his newfound friend, Fidget. Together, they unravel clues that lead them through a web of betrayal, eccentric neighbors, and buried secrets!

About Lucy Carol

Lucy Carol's top priority is to entertain you, and keep you turning pages. She writes mysteries for those who like it fun, fast, and don't mind losing a little sleep. Living and writing in the Pacific Northwest, she loves martinis, flowers, dancing, a good lipstick, and cake.

Author Links: 

Website https://lucycarol.com/  

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

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Pineapple Easter Egg - A Book Blast with An Excerpt & Giveaway

PINEAPPLE EASTER EGG

by Amy Vansant

April 10, 2025 Book Blast

Synopsis:

PINEAPPLE PORT MYSTERY SERIES

 

NOW OPTIONED FOR TELEVISION!

Every book can be read as a standalone mystery - hop in anywhere in the series!

USA Today, Amazon All-Star and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant has her Pineapple Port crew on an egg-cellent adventures near and far!

Easter eggs surround the body. One of them has a note. Charlotte teams up with Sheriff Frank to solve a cryptic murder in a do-or-dye situation...

Too bad she won't have help. Uncle Seamus and Bob accompany Declan to his charity swim in Tampa, Florida, only to find themselves in pursuit of a stolen life-sized Jimmy Buffett cutout. Darla and Mariska travel to the center of Florida to meet Mariska's newly found cousin at an art festival, where a man with a crush on Mariska bobs up in the lake and she's thrown in jail as a murder suspect. It's up to Darla and some very familiar locals to hatch a plan, solve the crime, and clear Mariska.

It's all very egg-citing!

A super fun and unique mystery full of hidden "Easter eggs" for you to spot! Famous actors anagram names, Jimmy Buffet song references - find them all!

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Classic Mystery
Publication Date: April 9, 2025
Number of Pages: 350
Series: Pineapple Port Mystery Series, 24
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One

Coby Karola stood over his sink, cleaning a dinner plate, when he heard something strike the window near his kitchen table. The noise was sharp. Loud. Too loud to be a bird.

“What the heck was that?” he said to no one, moving to the back door.

He cupped his hands around his face to peer out the window, but it was too dark to see.

He dried his hands on his pants and flipped the back porch light on. Nothing seemed amiss until his attention fell on the center of his unmowed lawn. Unnaturally bright specks of color scattered across an area about the size of a round picnic table—yellow, pink, purple…

Grumbling to himself, Coby opened the door. From the small landing, he saw the color blobs were equally round. Maybe a little oblong. Sort of like…

Eggs?

It was April...

Easter eggs?

Shaking his head, he walked out and bent to pick up one. It was plastic—the typical cheap, hollow plastic eggs people hid candy in this time of year.

Kids.

It was almost Easter. This stunt had to be kids thinking they were funny. This time of year, the residents’ grandkids visited Florida for spring break. Every spring was a nightmare of blaring speakers on golf carts wheeling around the neighborhood.

Coby shook the plastic egg and then cracked open a purple one. There was nothing inside. He picked up another to find it empty as well.

He snorted. If someone was going to take the time to scatter eggs around his yard, at least they could throw in a chocolate or two.

In the hopes of finding something, he kept at it, twisting one egg after the next. Distracted by curiosity, he never heard the stranger running up behind him.

The one with the hammer.

But then, that was the point.

Chapter Two

Charlotte padded into the kitchen to start the morning coffee, her oversized sleep shirt tapping her knees as she walked.

It was still a little strange to wake up in Declan’s house.

She’d given up thinking she’d ever live anywhere but Pineapple Port, the fifty-five-plus community where she’d grown up, but here she was—a whole three miles away in her husband’s house.

She didn’t mind.

Marriage was pretty cool.

Who knew?

She had a new pattern at Declan’s house, and it felt more and more like home every day.

Her soft-coated wheaten terrier, Abby, approached and sat, waiting to be taken for her morning walk. The dog had figured out her patterns faster than her mommy, but to be fair, all her patterns revolved around treats, so things were pretty straightforward for her.

Charlotte suspected Abby liked it better at Declan’s house. Declan had a pool and a fenced back yard, and the terrier could romp whenever she wanted—no waiting for official walks. Charlotte was pretty fond of that new aspect of their lives as well—

Hold on.

Charlotte stopped as something flashed in her peripheral vision. She glanced at the back slider doors in time to see a shadow pass the full-length shade.

Something outside was moving.

Something big.

It didn’t look like a stray cat passing by. It was bigger and more person-shaped. She knew Declan was in the bedroom, so that ruled him out.

She heard splashing and cocked her head.

Someone’s in Declan’s pool?

The splashing made her feel better. Thieves and killers didn’t usually take a quick swim before breaking into a house.

Goofball kids stealing a swim?

Probably. It was that time of year when grandkids came to Florida. People on vacation sometimes acted like vacation spots didn’t carry the same rules or consequences as back home. That’s when they ended up with kids in the pool and golf carts planted in mailbox posts.

Abby heard the intruder splashing and offered her opinion in the form of a deep-chested boof—that pre-full-bark noise all dogs made before completely losing their minds. The dog jogged to the door and entered the lowered shade from the side to peek outside.

Abby’s bark alone would probably scare away the kids—but she didn’t bark. Instead, her little nub of tail wagged.

Charlotte stood behind her failing guard dog but couldn’t see anyone from her angle. Whoever was in the pool had stopped at the far end, out of sight, but she heard someone say, “Whoo! Cold!”

She left Abby and hustled to the bedroom to wake up her husband.

“Declan,” she hissed, shaking him.

He cracked one eye open.

“Hm?”

“There’s someone in the pool.”

“What?”

Declan sat up, alarmed but clearly still half asleep. It didn’t look like his mind would be joining them for another minute or so. The man slept like the dead.

Must be nice.

“There’s someone in our pool,” she repeated.

“In the pool? The cleaning guy?”

“It’s Friday. It’s not the cleaning guy. He was yesterday,” she said, slipping into her robe.

Declan checked his watch and grunted. He stood and stretched. His eyes focused on her. It looked like his brain had caught up to the rest of him.

“There you are,” she said, giving him a quick kiss.

Abby barked twice, and Declan strode toward the living room in the sweat shorts he usually wore to bed without bothering to get dressed. Now, he was all business. Whoever was out there was lucky the man hadn’t had his coffee yet.

Charlotte followed. Declan grabbed a controller from the sofa table, opened the automatic curtains, and watched in stunned silence as someone stroked their way to the edge of his pool.

“Why would someone steal a swim at four in the morning?” asked Charlotte.

Declan switched on the back porch light as the swimmer grabbed the side and bobbed up for air. Noticing the lights and open blinds, he pulled the goggles over his bushy gray eyebrows and squinted at them from the water.

He waved.

“Is that Bob?” asked Declan.

“I think it is,” said Charlotte. “I should probably call Mariska and tell her her husband’s loose.”

Declan glanced over his shoulder at her.

“This is what I was afraid of. Your crazy has followed you from Pineapple Port.”

She smirked and smacked his arm.

“You knew what you were signing up for. No takebacks.”

Declan had experienced plenty of Pineapple Port insanity during their dating years. She, on the other hand, had never known anything else. She was young when she moved into the retirement community to live with her grandmother after her mother died. When her grandmother also passed, the community let her stay, though she was far from the minimum fifty-five years old.

By the time she met Declan, she’d gotten so used to the crazy that she’d stopped noticing it—until she saw it through his eyes. Turns out, life was strange growing up as a retirement community’s young mascot.

Mariska and Bob the Morning Swimmer had served as her foster parents and lived across the street from her in Pineapple Port— though, apparently, now Bob lived in their pool.

Declan opened the slider, and Abby shot out, tail-wagging hello to the familiar man in the pool.

“Whatcha doin’, Bob?” asked Declan.

“I’m getting a quick swim in before we go,” said Bob, patting Abby while she licked the water off his arm.

Declan scowled. “Before we go?”

Charlotte put her knuckles against her lips.

Oh no.

She saw where this was heading.

I think I messed up.

“I’m coming with you to the charity swim in Tampa,” said Bob.

Charlotte nodded.

Yep, I messed up.

Declan turned to look at her. The whites of his eyes flashed, signaling either annoyance or panic. Probably both.

“Hey sweetheart, did you tell Bob I was going to a charity swim in Tampa today?” he asked in a sing-song voice.

His frozen smile answered her question.

Annoyed. Definitely annoyed.

She winced. “I might have mentioned it to Mariska.”

Her husband let out a slow, steady breath. She’d seen him do that move a few times before. One or more of the Pineapple Portians were usually nearby when it happened. Or, Declan’s Uncle Seamus—but a Seamus Sigh came with extra teeth gritting. He was the only thing crazier than the residents of Pineapple Port.

“I’m guessing you’d like to carpool there with me?” he asked Bob.

He’d given in fast. Like her, he’d figured out it was always easier to just accept the crazy was happening.

“That be great,” said Bob. “We should grab some breakfast here first.”

“Sure, the pool always comes with a complimentary breakfast.” Declan turned. “Maybe you could start on that, darling?”

She stuck her tongue out at him and moved to the kitchen to scoop extra coffee into the machine.

It was official—she’d been swept into the nuttery. She should have run away the second she saw it was Bob and not a killer taking a quick dip, pre-murder spree.

She turned on the stove and found a pan.

“Ask Bob what he wants—”

“Eggs!” called Bob, lowering his goggles back over his eyes. “And bacon. And toast. And orange juice!”

Declan nodded and left Abby outside to run around the pool, chasing Bob back and forth as he swam. He’d almost shut the door when Bob popped up again.

“Coffee!” he yelped.

Declan signaled he’d heard and turned to Charlotte.

“What have you done?” he asked.

She laughed. “I’m sorry. It never occurred to me he’d want to go with you. He hasn’t been into swimming for years.”

“I suspect it has more to do with the beach bunnies in Tampa than the swimming,” said Declan.

She snorted a laugh. “You said beach bunnies—you’ve been hanging out with the oldies too long.”

He smirked. “Well, whose fault is that? I’m just glad it wasn’t Seamus—”

“Top o’ the mornin’ to ye,” said Seamus as he burst through the front door.

***

Excerpt from Pineapple Easter Egg by Amy Vansant. Copyright 2025 by Amy Vansant. Reproduced with permission from Amy Vansant. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant has written over 40 books, including the fun, thrilling Shee McQueen series, the rollicking, twisty Pineapple Port Mysteries, and the action-packed Kilty urban fantasies. Throw in a couple of romances and a YA fantasy for her nieces...

Amy specializes in fun, exciting reads with plenty of laughs and action -- she tried to write serious books, but they always ended up full of jokes, so she gave up.

Amy lives in Jupiter, Florida, with her muse/husband and a goony Bordoodle named Archer.

 

Catch Up With Amy Vansant:

AmyVansant.com
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