Night of the Living Bread - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm happy to turn the blog over to Greer Gooder today. You can find Greer on the pages of the Sugar & Spice Mystery series by Mary Lee Ashford. Night of the Living Bread is the fourth book in the series and was released last month.

Hello Cozy Readers,

Greer Gooder here and I’m thrilled someone finally wants to hear from me. I’m not just in Night of the Living Bread as was mentioned above. I’m actually in all the Sugar & Spice Mysteries. You see, I’m Sugar’s landlady. That might sound like an old-fashioned word but I don’t know what the modern version would be so I’m sticking with landlady.

Sugar moved to St. Ignatius, Iowa and started up a community cookbook business with Dixie Spicer, whose family by the way has lived her for generations. About the same time, I got to thinking I was ready to move to a retirement community. After all I’ve been retired for a while. I don’t mind telling you my age. I’m 81, almost 82 though I sure don’t feel it at all. Inside I still feel as young as when my Louis and I bought the place. And though Louie has been gone for years now, I always thought I’d stay in our house until I kicked the bucket. But my friends Freda, Nellie, and Bunny had moved to The Good Life retirement village and they were having so much fun. Potlucks, a book club, cards, and yoga that you do sitting down. The truth is I kind of felt left out.

So the arrangement with Sugar was perfect. It allowed me to make the move and try out The Good Life and it gave her a place to live while she and Dixie attempted to make a go of their business. My new place is smaller but I’ve found I don’t mind having less space to keep up. Less time for cleaning, more time for reading, I say. And Sugar was a-okay with renting as is so I didn’t have to bother with cleaning out all the stuff in my attic. If I need something, the girl hunts it down and brings it to me. That’s the just the kind of person she is – kind, caring, and not afraid to stand up for what’s right. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be like Sugar. I don’t have a daughter, I have a son who is a poop, but that’s another story for another time.

Back to Sugar who is one smart cookie. She and Dixie have been instrumental in helping the local sheriff with a couple of murder investigations and now it seems there’s been another one. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to kill Marla Mercer, our local Historical Society’s board chair. Everyone loved her. But Sugar went to meet her about a cookbook project and found her dead – stabbed with a bread knife. Can you imagine?

I can’t and I read a lot of murder mysteries so I’m pretty versed on possible motives. But I’m sure Sugar and Dixie will get to the bottom of things. They’re that good. And, of course, I’m available to help. 

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 Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries) by Mary Lee Ashford

About Night of the Living Bread

Night of the Living Bread (Sugar & Spice Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Iowa
Publisher: ‎ Oliver Heber Books (May 27, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 223 pages

Sugar Calloway and Dixie Spicer are up to their aprons in community cookbook projects, but Sugar can't resist when the Jameson County Historical Society asks for their assistance with a cookbook featuring bread recipes. But they’ve barely begun when suddenly troubles are on the rise. Marla, the board’s president is stabbed with a bread knife, her best friend, Mame, is a suspect & some dough (of the money kind) is missing. As Sugar and Dixie try to save the cookbook project and help Mame, things take a twist with a second body. But what’s the connection? And who in St. Ignatius has been keeping secrets? And, mostly importantly, will Sugar and Dixie be able to figure out whodunnit before the killer catches up with them and they are toast.

About Mary Lee Ashford

Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. Prior to publishing, Mary Lee won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest and was a finalist in Murder in the Grove’s mystery contest and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger contest.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.

She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops and blogs about creativity and the writing craft.

She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.

Author Links: 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/maryleeashford1  

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-lee-ashford  

Threads - https://www.threads.net/@authormaryleeashford  

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authormaryleeashford/  

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17806883.Mary_Lee_Ashford

• Purchase Links

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Kobo -  

Book 1 - Game of Scones is FREE now and through this tour. 

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The Thief's Heart - A Spotlight

I'm pleased to shine a spotlight on a different type of book today. The Thief's Heart by Kathleen Shoop is the fourth book in the historical fiction series inspired by her family's real heirloom letters from the 1880s! 

Blurb:

Des Moines, 1892. After losing their promised inheritance, the Arthur family’s luck finally changes. An extraordinary woman, Violet Pendergrass, provides refuge for them to rebuild their broken lives. Or has she?

Handsome fifteen-year-old Tommy Arthur has one foot in manhood and the other dragging up the rear of his boyhood years. He strives to protect and provide for his family, but turning to booze when scared or worried creates as many problems as solutions. Unsure of who he can trust, fiery redhead Pearl Riverside challenges and excites him at every turn, softening his heart toward the idea that goodness exists in the world. 

Tension builds between Tommy and his mother as her affection for a generous man increases. At the same time, distance grows between Tommy and his twin sister, Katherine, as each chooses secrets over family. Violet Pendergrass demands more from Tommy and he begins to question her motives. 

When disaster strikes for Tommy’s little sister, Yale, the actions of a sinister judge, a crooked minister, and the infamous charlatan, Dreama, are revealed. Facing more jailtime as vigilante mobs form, the clock runs down on Tommy’s chance to take responsibility for his own choices. Is it too late for him to save his family, to open his heart and fully love those who need him as much as he needs them? 

About the Author:

 Bestselling author Kathleen Shoop holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. For more information, visit her at: www.kshoop.com.

Death by Proxy - A Spotlight & Giveaway

I'm happy to shine a spotlight on Death by Proxy by Paula Darnell today. This book is the third in the DIY Diva Cozy Mystery series and was released last month.

Here's an excerpt:

 “Duane Harris Wesson! Is that your idea of a proposal?”

If I'd been standing, I'd have put my hands on my hips, but I was sitting beside Wes on the sofa in my den. He'd just suggested that a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi would make a great honeymoon, but he hadn't asked me to marry him!

“Uh, definitely not.” My boyfriend grabbed a pillow, placed it on the tile floor in front of me, and knelt on the plush cushion. He took my hand. “Laurel, sweetheart, I love you, and I'd love for us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

He fumbled in his jacket pocket for a moment before pulling out a small velvet-covered box. He opened it and took out a spectacular diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” I said breathlessly, and Wes slipped the stunning ring onto my finger.

Bear, my chocolate Labrador retriever, had been snoozing on his bed in front of the fireplace, but sensing that something was up and not wanting to be left out, he came over and sat in front of me, next to Wes, and put his head on my lap.

Wes put one arm around me and the other around Bear, as I leaned forward to kiss him.

“Think I can get up now?” Wes asked.

“Yes.”

“Good,” He rose and sat beside me. “That's a relief. When you called me by all three of my names, I knew I had to up my game. When I was a kid, my mom used to say that to me when I was in trouble.”

“Well, you're redeemed. Not many men would tolerate a dog nudging his way into a proposal. You're a very special man, and I love you madly.”

Wes took me in his arms, and we managed a proper kiss before Bear began gently prodding us with his nose.

“Don't worry, Bear,” Wes reassured him, as he scratched behind the inquisitive dog's ears. “You'll always be part of our family.”

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

Death by Proxy: A DIY Diva Mystery by Paula Darnell

About Death by Proxy

Death by Proxy: A DIY Diva Mystery Cozy Mystery  

3rd in Series Cozy Cat Press (November 2019) 

Print Length ~220 Pages 

With preparations for her upcoming wedding to handsome Wes Wesson, a Center City police lieutenant, on track and her DIY Bridal Crafts class at Hawkeye Haven's community center wrapped up, DIY Diva Laurel McMillan looks forward to a calm pre-nuptial week to finalize her wedding plans. There's only one problem: the week turns out to be anything but calm. Laurel and Wes narrowly escape being run down in the parking lot of their favorite restaurant. Laurel's bridal shower is interrupted by a mysterious stranger who sends Laurel's lovable chocolate Labrador retriever Bear into a frenzy, and when Laurel and Wes go to meet Lisa, their real estate agent, at a house she promised to show them, they discover Lisa's sister's body floating in the pool. Strangely, Lisa seems more concerned with selling houses than she does with her sister's death. After Lisa's mother inadvertently reveals family secrets, Laurel wonders whether Lisa could have killed her own sister. Will the mayhem and murder stop before Laurel discovers the key to the killer's game plan?

About Paula Darnell

An instructor at five colleges over the years, Paula Darnell most often taught the dreaded first-year English composition classes, but she’s also been happy to teach some fun classes, such as fashion design, sewing, and jewelry making. Paula has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and a Master’s degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Like Laurel, the main character in Death by Association, Paula enjoys all kinds of arts and crafts. Some of her memorable projects include making a hat and a cape to wear to Royal Ascot, sewing wedding gowns for both her daughters, exhibiting her textile and mixed-media artwork in juried art shows, and having one of her jewelry projects accepted for inclusion in Leather Jewelry, published by Lark Books. She sells some of her jewelry and hair accessories in her Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/PaulaDJewelry.

Paula’s interest in DIY craft projects and fashion led to her writing hundreds of articles for print and online national publications.

Living in a guard-gated community governed by a homeowners’ association gave Paula the idea for the setting of Death by Association. She finds that residing in an HOA community can be both a blessing and a curse. A Happy-New-Year greeting from her community association called on residents to “start the new year by reviewing your Rules and Regulations booklet,” something unlikely to top anyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions.

Paula lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband Gary and their 110-pound dog Rocky, whose favorite pastime is lurking in the kitchen, hoping for a handout.

Author Links:
Author’s website – https://www.pauladarnellauthor.com/  
Twitter – https://twitter.com/PaulaJDarnell  
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18782445.Paula_Darnell  
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/paulad0057/  
Etsy shop – https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulaDJewelry  

Purchase Links – Amazon 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Death by Design - A Recipe & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Paula Darnell back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Paula writes the DYI Diva Mystery series. Death by Design is the second book in the series and was released last month.

Traditional Version of Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich on Plain Hamburger Bun 

 

Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Since Death by Design: A DIY Diva Mystery is set in Iowa, I thought it would be fun to include a recipe in the book for a popular menu item at hundreds of restaurants across the state. Of course, everybody makes it a little differently. My daughter and I got together to come up with our own version of this Iowa favorite, and this is the recipe that Laurel's cousin Tracey uses when she makes pork tenderloin sandwiches for Laurel and herself in Design, A DIY Diva Mystery.

Many people have never heard of a pork tenderloin sandwich, especially if they have never lived in the Midwest. The sandwich is especially popular in Iowa where it's been on restaurant menus all over the state for decades. The traditional version of the sandwich, features a six- to eight-inch-diameter flattened, breaded, and fried piece of pork tenderloin on a regular size hamburger bun. Of course, if you prefer, it can be dressed up with a larger fancy bun and all sorts of veggies and condiments. People who prefer the traditional version of the sandwich usually tend to select fewer condiments, which may be limited to dill pickles and mustard or ketchup.

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

½ cup whole milk

2 eggs

½ cup flour

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 sleeve saltine crackers

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

peanut oil

4 hamburger buns

1.     Cut pork tenderloin into four equal pieces. Cut about three-quarters through each piece and spread to butterfly it. Put in a large sandwich bag or cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until about ¼-inch thick.

2.     In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, add milk, and beat well. Set aside.

3.     Pulverize the crackers in a food processor or by putting them in a one gallon baggie and pounding them with a mallet.

4.     In a flat pan mix flour, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper.

5.     Dredge tenderloins, one at a time, in egg mixture, and then in the crumb mixture, coating well on both sides so that the coating is as thick as possible without dropping off.

6.     Pour about ¾ inch to one inch of peanut oil into an iron skillet, large enough to accommodate each breaded tenderloin piece.

7.     Heat oil to 350 degrees over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, pan fry each breaded tenderloins piece, one at a time, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

8.     When done, remove from oil, and drain on paper towels.

9.     Serve on a bun with condiments of your choice.

Makes four sandwiches.

Dressed-Up Version of Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich on Large Onion Bun

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Death by Design: A DIY Diva Mystery by Paula Darnell

About the Book

 

Death by Design: A DIY Diva Mystery  

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series  

Cozy Cat Press (June 20, 2019)  

Print Length: 184 pages 

DIY Diva Laurel McMillan rejoices when her student Jennifer's peacock pillow wins a design contest; that is, until Jennifer's husband Matt is smothered with the very same pillow. When the police confiscate her prize-winning pillow, Jennifer freaks out, and Laurel fears that Jennifer may be more upset about losing the pillow than about Matt's death. But the police arrest disgraced nurse Edna Elkins, not Jennifer. Begging Laurel to find the real killer, Edna insists she's innocent, but Laurel's not so sure, and when Laurel encounters Jennifer while walking her lovable Labrador retriever, Bear, she's left with more questions than answers. Should the crafty DIY Diva play DIY Detective or does Edna really belong in jail?

Includes recipes and pillow project instructions.

About Paula Darnell

An instructor at five colleges over the years, Paula Darnell most often taught the dreaded first-year English composition classes, but she's also been happy to teach some fun classes, such as fashion design, sewing, and jewelry making. Paula has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and a Master's degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno. Like Laurel, the main character in Death by Association, Paula enjoys all kinds of arts and crafts. Some of her memorable projects include making a hat and a cape to wear to Royal Ascot, sewing wedding gowns for both her daughters, exhibiting her textile and mixed-media artwork in juried art shows, and having one of her jewelry projects accepted for inclusion in Leather Jewelry, published by Lark Books. She sells some of her jewelry and hair accessories in her Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/PaulaDJewelry. Paula's interest in DIY craft projects and fashion led to her writing hundreds of articles for print and online national publications. Living in a guard-gated community governed by a homeowners' association gave Paula the idea for the setting of Death by Association. She finds that residing in an HOA community can be both a blessing and a curse. A Happy-New-Year greeting from her community association called on residents to “start the new year by reviewing your Rules and Regulations booklet,” something unlikely to top anyone's list of New Year's resolutions. Paula lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband Gary and their 110-pound dog Rocky, whose favorite pastime is lurking in the kitchen, hoping for a handout  

Author Links:

Author's website - https://www.pauladarnellauthor.com/  
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PaulaJDarnell  
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18782445.Paula_Darnell
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/paulad0057/  
Etsy shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulaDJewelry  

Purchase Links - Amazon

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