Spotlight & Giveaway - Putting on the Witch

 Putting on the Witch by Joyce and Jim Lavene

 

Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mysteries) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Berkley (October 4, 2016) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425268278 E-Book - ASIN: B01AHKXHTS

Synopsis

With their coven’s spell book still missing, Molly and Elsie—along with their ghostly friend Olivia, her daughter Dorothy, and her boyfriend Brian—are all on edge, especially now that Dorothy’s infamously wicked father is back in the picture. So when they receive an invitation to an exclusive Witches Ball, the ladies jump at the chance to dress up and have some fun.

The castle locale is spectacular and the party is hopping, but the festivities come to a swift end when a member of the Grand Council of Witches is murdered. With the whole place on lock down, the coven is determined to find the cunning killer, even with an angry council and a real Spanish Inquisitor breathing down their necks...

About The Authors

Joyce and Jim Lavene wrote award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They had written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. Joyce passed away October 20, 2015 and Jim passed on May 5, 2016. They are missed by family, friends and their many fans.

www.joyceandjimlavene.com www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
  
Purchase links: Amazon - Barnes and Noble 

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In Memoriam - Jim Lavene

In Memoriam 

Jim Lavene

The mystery world had a great shock yesterday. Author Jim Lavene died. It's been just over 6 months that his wife and writing partner suddenly died, and now his death, again sudden and completely unexpected.

I hope his family can find solace and we can all find joy in the works Jim left behind. On a purely selfish note I will miss the books that never made it to light; the continuation of so many series I loved, characters and places trapped in amber. The Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series, the new Christmas Tree Valley Mystery series, The Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mystery series, and the Peggy Lee Gardening Mystery series, just to mention a few of my favorites, not only of their mysteries, but of all mysteries.

The world has lost an incredible team, an unparalleled partnership. One can only hope that Jim and Joyce are together again, writing on another plane of existence, happily reunited.

I hope you'll leave a comment sharing any memories you have of Jim, or your favorite book or series that he penned. 

Life as a Woman in a Man’s World - Guest Post & Giveaway

Life as a Woman in a Man’s World

by J. Lavene

I’m not the woman I used to be. Unlike the costumed balls of my younger days, my life now is no masquerade. Nothing less than complete immersion in my life as Jacks Jackson will allow me to get my revenge for Jonathon’s murder. I can’t afford to be anything less than hard-as-nails. I must be a man, a detective and sharp-shooter. I must always be Jacks.

            It’s not that there aren’t women doing detective work. Allan Pinkerton is more than willing to have a woman in the field. Even the NYPD hires female detectives now.

            But women can’t get into all the places male detectives can and don’t get the same level of respect. I need that respect and the power it accords to find my fiancé’s killer.

            So the lie goes deeper than a lie. The mask is no longer a mask. My family most likely believes I’m dead, abducted and killed by some criminal element. It’s better to be thought of as deceased than for my parents to know I’m living as a gunslinger in the rural wilderness. No one can come looking for me. No one can know Julia still exists.

            With the exception of Lil Stockton: Lil knows my secret. She recognized me as Jacks in the early days of my career with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Time with Lil allows me a few precious moments where I can enjoy the luxuries of a hot bath, a warm bed, and a sympathetic ear. Everyone believes we’re lovers, and we let them—another layer of the façade that is Jacks Jackson.

            Of course, Allan Pinkerton knows too. He’s a shrewd businessman who cares more about results than any petty notions of gender. I’m his best performing agent, and my natural talent and training with firearms makes me a force to be reckoned with.

            But Pinkerton uses his knowledge of the criminal underworld to string me along. I know he does it, and I let him.

            Having to be Jacks requires every minute of every day. Julia’s anguish transformed me into another person: a hardened man driven towards justice.

            The days of languishing debutante are over, but is it true that Julia is really dead? Is Jacks all that will be left when I kill the man who destroyed my life? Or will any part of me even make it out alive?

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Meet Lady Alice - An Interview and Giveaway

I'm very pleased to welcome Lady Alice to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can read about Lady Alice in the short story "Alice in Renaissance Were-land" which can be found in Gone by Midnight, a short story collection by Joyce and Jim Lavene.

Kathy: Lady Alice, where did you learn your formidable blade wielding skills?

LA: I was Daisy Reynold’s best apprentice. She is the Master Armorer at Swords and Such.


Kathy: What type of opponent is your favorite to fight? Why?

LA: I love to fight demons. They have such a witty repast as their fighting. It makes the fight so much more interesting.


Kathy: Are zombies your least favorite foe? Is there another kind you dislike to fight?

LA: Zombies are the worst. They do nothing but hack and slash mindlessly. At least when you fight orcs or ogres they drool a bit.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about the Renaissance Village?

LA: It has to be the camaraderie that everyone shows each other. And then there’s the prince, sigh.


Kathy: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?

LA: I usually take in a play or listen to the minstrels playing when I’m not practicing my martial arts.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite food?

LA: That would have to be a rare steak with lots of potatoes to go with.

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Sweet Pepper Hero By J.J. Cook. This book is the fourth in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series and was just released last week.

Things are heating up in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee and it's not from the peppers!  Stella and the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade are back and trying to be the best volunteer fire department in the state. Stella has her work cut out for her as she not only has squabbling co-assistant chiefs, a pushy businessman trying to take advantage, recipes to prepare and vet for judging, and a missing ghost! Add to that, it appears the whiskey wars are back and deadlier than before as illegal stills are exploding and one moonshiner has been shot. Is Stella in their sights?

Recipes included.

Review & Giveaway - Murder Fir Christmas

Review

Murder Fir Christmas by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The First Christmas Tree Valley Mystery

Murder Fir Christmas opens with Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle returning to her home town to take over for the retiring agent just before Christmas. While the people are friendly, perhaps overly so, Bonnie is faced with more than she anticipated-a call out to a fire, requiring the rescue of wildlife, and facing two murders at the scene, including that of the man she's replacing. Add a mysterious old man with a huge stag, and a hint of the supernatural and I'm already hooked. And I didn't even mention the young wolf or the good looking guy!

Joyce Lavene died suddenly before the completion of this novel, but you would not know it. The words flow seamlessly as Jim was able to complete this most wonderful book. Joyce may be gone from this world, but she lives on in their work and I think she may have helped from beyond to finish this book!

The Christmas Tree Valley Mystery series is actually a spin-off of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series by J.J. Cook (one of the Lavene's pen names). While you don't need to have read the parent series to appreciate this new one, those who are familiar with the first series will have greater understanding, for not only do we interact with those characters, we learn more about them and find even deeper ties.Like the parent series, Murder Fir Christmas is a hearty book. It's filled with well developed, interesting characters, a finely paced mystery, a slow brewing romantic interest, and intrigue in many areas on many levels to keep readers engaged.

Murder Fir Christmas is just about the perfect gift. The Lavenes take a down to earth Federal agent dealing with arson and murder, yet add a touch of the magical blending Native American lore and a love and respect of animals to create a picture perfect mystery.

Recipes included.

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Currently Reading...

I just started reading Murder Fir Christmas by Joyce and Jim Lavene with Chris Lavene. Sadly, Joyce Lavene died before this book was completed, but Jim plugged on and finished this first book in the Christmas Tree Valley Mystery series.

This series is actually a spin off of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series Jim and Joyce write under the name J.J. Cook. Christmas Tree Valley is located right next to Sweet Pepper and Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle has already met Sweet Pepper Fire Chief Stella Griffin...and former Chief Eric!

Murder Fir Christmas opens with Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle returning to her home town to take over for the retiring agent just before Christmas. While the people are friendly, perhaps overly so, Bonnie is faced with more than she anticipated-a call out to a fire, requiring the rescue of wildlife, and facing two murders at the scene, including that of the man she's replacing. Add a mysterious old man with a huge stag, and a hint of the supernatural and I'm already hooked. And I didn't even mention the young wolf or the good looking guy!

Recipes included.

Currently Reading. . .

I just started reading Dickens of a Murder by Joyce and Jim Lavene. This book is the first in a new series for the Lavenes, the Canterville Book Shop Mystery series. If you're a regular reader of this blog, or are a follower of cozy mysteries, you are aware of the untimely death of Joyce Lavene last week. I'm pleased to bring Joyce back to my world by reading her (and Jim's) new book.

The story starts in mid November as we meet Simon Canterville and Lisa Wellman, a unique duo who, while knowing each other for about a year, just became partners in a new venture-a book store. Looking at their Victorian shop they see a man and ponder what he's doing on their roof. While still attempting to figure out the truth of the matter the police arrive on the scene, but it's not just any patrol office, it's the Deputy Chief of Police, who happens to be Lisa's ex-husband. Unfortunately, the man on the roof is not the cable man, he's a dead man!

In Memoriam - Joyce Lavene

In Memoriam

Joyce Lavene

The world lost a gifted writer and a wonderful woman with the sudden death of Joyce Lavene.

Joyce was no stranger to Cozy Up With Kathy having visited numerous times with gust posts and interviews. In fact, just the other day I sent her some questions for her upcoming visit to promote A Dickens of a Murder, a brand new series for the Lavenes. Although I never met her in person, I know she was thoughtful and generous, helping fellow writers and spending time with readers. A massive influence online, Joyce welcomed readers to her Facebook pages and threw wonderful parties.

Joyce has left us with an amazing number of wonderful books, written with her husband, Jim. I was first introduced to their writing years ago when I read Pretty Poison, the first book in the Peggy Lee Gardening Mystery series. I loved that series and was thrilled when they recently brought Peggy back. One of my favorite series of all time is their Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series, written as J.J. Cook. I also adore their darker series The Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mysteries. Such gifted writers with amazing ideas, they just kept coming up with great new series-I was thrilled when they announced two new series: the Canterville Book Shop Mystery series (come on, a book shop where the owners are visited by literary ghosts? How marvelous is that?) and the Christmas Tree Valley Mystery series, a spin off from my favorite Sweet Briar Fire Brigade series. These are just some of the wonderful series penned by this amazing couple, whether they wrote as Joyce and Jim Lavene, J.J. Cook, or Ellie Grant.

Joyce may be gone and her absence certainly felt, but we can easily see her again for she lives on in the words she wrote and the books she created. While I will miss her interviews and chatting with her during her online parties, I can still visit with her. All I need do is open up one of the many books she gave us and read her work. She will be right there with me again.

I hope you'll leave a comment sharing any memories you have of Joyce, or your favorite book or series that she penned.

A Banshee Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene back to the blog. They have a new series out! Be My Banshee is the first book in their Purple Door Detective Agency and was released August 19th.

Kathy: The Purple Door Detective Agency is such a great name. I see purple as a mystical color (as well as my favorite) and a door a means of entry, an opening to a new world. Did you intend the name to have meaning? How did you come up with it?

J&JL: Thanks for having us here today!

I love purple too! I agree it is a mystical color, the color of royalty, and deep thought. I thought we should call it the Purple Door Detective Agency when I read the old story about how a purple door means a witch lives there. And since the story centers on a witch, it seemed apt!


Kathy: If you were running a paranormal detective agency (or a regular one for that matter) what type of magical beings would you prefer to hire. Are there any you would not like working in your agency?

J&JL: I think witches are smart and resourceful. They would always be an asset. Some shapeshifters would be good. Probably not demons or mermaids since they tend to be too unreliable.


Kathy: Aine is a bean sidhe. Did you do particular research on this type of fairy? Since she's looking for an O'Neill heir I would say you did!

J&JL:  Yes. We did a lot of research on the beane sidhe which is why she can change into three forms. These are the forms she’s been seen as during the last few hundred years. She would be a strong and loyal partner if you could get her involved in what you were doing. Sunshine Merryweather, our witch, manages it.


Kathy: You write multiple series simultaneously. Do you sometimes discover you've accidentally put characters in the wrong series while writing?

J&JL: No. Not ever. It’s not like Peggy Lee could be in a mystery with magic in it or we could put a mermaid into the Pumpkin Patch Mystery. It’s hard to realize unless you write how your life is impacted by these characters. And while we may write a lot of books, I also have many family members and friends that I would never confuse with any others.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this series?

J&JL: Sunshine was really the inspiration. We were looking for a younger witch who wasn’t afraid to use her magic, unlike the older witches in the Retired Witches Mysteries. She needed a partner in her detective agency and we found Aine, deciding she would be perfect. Jane was actually a character from a book we started writing years ago and didn’t finish. The three ladies seem to work well together.


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Sunshine Merryweather and Aine?

J&JL: Well Aine and O’Neill have a walk-on role in our November 2015 book, The Canterville Book Shop Mysteries, although the only paranormal in that series is a ghost. We started thinking that most people wouldn’t recognize a magical creature as long as they look human, and set out to prove that theory. Sunshine and Aine will be back next year with their new mystery.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

J&JL: Sure! My favorite part of any interview!

November 2015 – A Dickens of a Murder, part of the Canterville Book Shop Mysteries. Simon Canterville and Lisa Wellman try to get a book shop open in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia in time for the holidays when they find a dead man on the roof of their Victorian home.

December 2015 –Murder Fir Christmas is first in the new Christmas Tree Valley Mysteries which is set in the world of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee.

That book is followed by Fat Tuesday Fricassee, the third book in the Biscuit Bowl Mysteries. It’s Mardi Gras in Mobile Alabama, home of the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck, but things aren’t all fun and games as Zoey and her father are involved in a murder at a krewe party.

January 2016 – The fourth book in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries, Sweet Pepper Hero, is out with the fire brigade stamping out murders and fires caused by a whiskey war with the help of the ghost of the previous fire chief, Eric Gamlyn.

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Be My Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene. This book is the first in their new Purple Door Detective Agency Mystery series.

A purple door often signifies that a witch resides inside, and thus is the case with the Purple Door Detective Agency. Sunshine Merryweather is a witch who is seeking to add another magical partner to her agency since her lover and business partner was savagely murdered. Aine is a member of the beane sidhe, also known as banshees, who has come to the agency for help finding the last member of the O'Neill family. With the insistence of Mr. Bad (not his real name), another agency partner, Aine and Sunshine agree to work together to try to solve both of their problems.  As fate has it, the detective investigating the murder in question is none other than Aine's O'Neill. Will O'Neill be able to see Aine for who she really is? Will Sunshine discover who killed her lover and wreak vengeance upon him? Will we find out who or what Mr. Bad really is?

The Last Confederate Gold - Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

The Last Confederate Gold

By George Burris, Staff Reporter

From Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About

By Joyce and Jim Lavene

I’ve lived in Misty River, Virginia all my life. I’ve heard stories since I was a small child about missing Confederate gold that might or might not have saved the South’s cause.

It was this reporter’s information that a wagon of gold collected from Confederate sympathizers inspired many treasure hunters to take up picks and shovels.

The event takes place in 1861 as Jefferson Davis decides to move the capitol of the Southern States from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia. This was in part to keep Virginia from leaving the cause and in part to keep the roughly estimated $30 million in gold from falling into Federal hands as Sherman marched through the South.

The money was taken secretly by wagonload during the dark night. Outriders protected the already heavily guarded wagons but several were reported lost during the trek.

One of these wagons was guarded by three men from Misty River. The three – led by the legendary Big Mike Denning – were close to home when they were ambushed by rogue Union forces. They barely fought them back and took shelter at a friendly farm for the night.

During that long night, the three men discussed hiding the gold until they were reunited with other members of their unit that were supposed to follow. They hit upon a plan to do just that, and with the help of the farmer, they hid the gold and lay claim to a large tract of land they swore to share.

These were trying times of hunger and fear. No one was sure what would happen or how the war would end. The three men stayed close together, watching over the treasure that could help their cause.

They didn’t realize the passage of time until a rumor was heard that Robert E. Lee was surrendering to the Union Army. Already there was word that President Jeff Davis had fled the capitol in Richmond. No one knew what was true. There were no newspapers to report, no TV or radio to tell people who sheltered in their homes that it was safe to come out.

The war ended. The gold was never found. Treasure hunters have searched far and wide for it, mostly deciding that it is to be found on the Denning farm. But if pick and shovel could reveal it, that moment has not happened.

I ask how many more will die before this elusive gold is found and recovered – if ever? Big Mike Denning and his comrades did a good job hiding their deed.

I have interviewed the present owners of the farm, Elizabeth and Thomas Denning. They tell me countless treasure hunters visit their farm each year. Each one is a nuisance and they ask that they stop trying to find the gold.

“If it was here, “ Tommy Denning said. “Someone would’ve found it by now. In the meantime, this land is private property and anyone who doesn’t respect that might find himself with a load of buckshot coming his way!”

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

Review


Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The First Pumpkin Patch Mystery

Sarah Tucker has returned to Misty Falls, Virginia in order to sell her grandparents property; property that was once a thriving pumpkin farm and a place of joy. Now the property is an overgrown, dilapidated shell of its once vibrant self. Misty River Pumpkin Patch was abandoned by the family when Sarah's grandparents vanished without a trace. Returning to a place of wonderful memories, a place she hasn't been since she was 12, brings more questions than answers and Sarah decides to look into the old investigation and try to discover what really happened to her grandparents.

While Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About is the first in the series, readers may recognize some of the characters. How is that possible? This book is a spin off from the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery series. Like any good spin off, Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About is a solid book in its own right and is no way dependent on the series from which it evolved. In fact, you won't miss anything if you haven't read the Peggy Lee books. If you have, you'll see some familiar faces.

I enjoyed this "perhaps you can go home again" novel. They say you can't go home again, and perhaps you can't; at least not back to the way things were. That doesn't mean that you can't go back and make things different and even better! Old thoughts and dreams resurface as does the possibility to take a chance and do something new, all the while trying to solve more than one mystery. In addition to the great character dilemmas we are also faced with many a mystery. The original, the disappearance of Sarah's grandparents, the current murders, and the lost confederate gold! The Lavenes handle them all, masterfully weaving them together into a taut mystery!


Farm Fresh Recipes Included.


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Currently Reading...

I just started reading Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Joyce and Jim Lavene. This book is the first in the new Pumpkin Patch Mystery series and was just released at the end of July.

Sarah Tucker has returned to Misty Falls, Virginia in order to sell her grandparents property; property that was once a thriving pumpkin farm and a place of joy. Now the property is an overgrown, dilapidated shell of its once vibrant self. Misty River Pumpkin Patch was abandoned by the family when Sarah's grandparents vanished without a trace. Returning to a place of wonderful memories, a place she hasn't been since she was 12, brings more questions than answers and Sarah decides to look into the old investigation and try to discover what really happened to her grandparents.

Farm Fresh Recipes Included.

A Fatal Fairies Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Fatal Fairies is the 8th book in their Renaissance Faire Mystery series and is being released today!

Kathy: Fatal Fairies is a Renaissance Faire take on It's a Wonderful Life. Is It's a Wonderful Life one of your favorite films?

J&JL: Yes! We’ve always enjoyed it. We thought it would be fun to create something different from the idea with a fairy godmother.


Kathy: What makes It's a Wonderful Life in its many incarnations such a special story?

J&JL: We think it’s the idea that there is always hope and that sometimes you can get a do-over. Wouldn’t most of us like to have one?


Kathy: Apple Blossom is such a great fairy name. How did you decide to add fairies to your Renaissance Faire Mystery series?

J&JL: We love fairies! They are such fun creatures. Our main character, Jessie Morton, isn’t especially fond of them because they flirt with her husband, Bailiff Chase Manhattan, but we like them anyway!


Kathy: Jessie has a fairy godmother. Do you ever wish you had a fairy godmother? Would you be tempted to make a wish?

J&JL: We think a fairy godmother – like any other wish-giver – would be a two-edged sword – which is what we portrayed in the book. You get a gift on one hand, but what do you have to give up to receive it? You have to be careful what you wish for – as Jessie found out the hard way.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

J&JL: Sometimes people forget how great their lives really are and they need a reminder of how bad they could be. An appreciation of life was our inspiration for the story in Fatal Fairies.


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

J&JL: We’d like to see her get pregnant and have a baby at some point but not sure she’s ready for it yet. We’re very interested in Steampunk. The next book might have a Steampunk theme.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

J&JL: Our next mystery is Give’em Pumpkin to Talk About, available in August. That is followed by Be My Banshee in September, the first in the Purple Door Detective Agency series. After that is the next Retired Witches Mystery in October, Looking for Mr. Good Witch.

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Dead Girl Interview Plus a Review and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene back to the blog. Today we're talking about Dead Girl Blues, the second in their Taxi for the Dead series.

Kathy: In the Taxi for the Dead series we see a wide variety of paranormal characters. In addition to zombies, we also have a ghost and sorcerers. Why the variety?

J&JL: We really wanted to have the idea in the story that if zombies are possible, anything is. We chose Skye as a police officer to be one of the least likely people to believe this could happen and gave her an ‘I’ve seen everything’ attitude for this reason. We’re all so sure about the world we think we live it. But what if that world is turned upside down?


Kathy: Zombies seem to be quite popular nowadays. Why do you think that is?

J&JL: Probably the out of control fear many people feel today with world crisis after world crisis. I think many people really believe the end of the world is coming – why not zombies?


Kathy If you were on your deathbed and approached by Abe (or someone similar) would you take his deal and work with him in order to live another 25 years?

J&JL: I honestly don’t know. Skye has a powerful motivation. My kids are grown. That being said, most people would cheat death if they could, I think.


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

J&JL: When we were kids, we read all kinds of crazy stories about zombies, ghouls, and ghosts. But they weren’t brain eating zombies. They were people who crossed the wrong person or took the wrong turn. We wanted to get away from the brain-eating and back to the idea that people could be granted extended lives with magic.


Kathy: This series is a little darker and a little grittier than your other series. Was there a reason to write a not so cozy cozy?

J&JL: The characters come to you and you find a vehicle for them. I can’t imagine Skye being different than she is – gritty and a little sad. But she has a story to tell and we’ve enjoyed telling it. We never set out to write cozy mysteries, they kind of came to us. Sometimes other stories come too.


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

J&JL: Skye meets her father in Dead Girl Blues. She believed she was an orphan so this is a new shock for her. In the next book, she’ll meet her mother and learn the secrets to why they abandoned her and who she is.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

J&JL: Gladly! We have a new Peggy Lee Garden Mystery, Killing Weeds, coming out in May. It’s the tenth anniversary of that series. We also have a new Missing Pieces book out in June, A Watery Death – and book 8 in the Ren Faire Mysteries in July – Fatal Fairies! Thanks for asking.


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Review

Dead Girl Blues by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The Second Taxi for the Dead Mystery

Three years in to her contract with Abe, the Zombie Master, things aren't going well for Skye Mertz in this second Taxi for the Dead Mystery. Abe's sorcerer has been killed and someone is somehow turning zombies into ghosts and making them disappear. In addition, Debbie's husband's "condition" is getting worse and Skye discovers other "accidents" are occurring just as the one that killed her husband and almost killed her. Lucas has been helping her, but could he really be an evil sorcerer instead of a helpful housemate? Remaining alive for her daughter's sake is much more difficult that she thought!

Dead Girl Blues is a book of discoveries. When the body of Harold the Great, Abe's sorcerer, is discovered Skye is called in to investigate his murder. That task leads Skye to Harold's replacement, Artemis. What she discovers then is death changing. The discovery of not only what Artemis is doing, but who he really is, leads to a revelation about who she really is. Skye also discovers more about the death of her husband and the truth of her feelings towards Lucas.

While the Taxi for the Dead series fits the definition of a cozy mystery (amateur sleuth, no graphic sex or violence) I don't consider it a true cozy. I called the first in the series a "not so cozy cozy" and that remains true in Dead Girl Blues. A cozy mystery has a cozy vibe; its location and atmosphere make it a comforting place where you want to spend time, despite the abundance of murders. While I'd like to visit this part of Tennessee via the books, it certainly isn't warm and inviting. That's not to say Dead Girl Blues and the Taxi for the Dead series is all dark, dangerous, and gritty. There's plenty of humour too. I still giggle as I picture Lucas running from the hedge clippers!

While I don't consider Dead Girl Blues a cozy, I believe that cozy readers will appreciate its family values and the universal truths found within. It's a unique series with unconventional characters that tells a great story. I read and enjoy all types of books and I certainly enjoyed this one. I look forward to discovering more about the characters along with what happens next.


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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Dead Girl Blues by Joyce and Jim Lavene. Three years in to her contract with Abe, the Zombie Master, things aren't going well for Skye Mertz in this second Taxi for the Dead Mystery. Abe's sorcerer has been killed and someone is somehow turning zombies into ghosts and making them disappear. In addition, Debbie's husband's "condition" is getting worse and Skye discovers other "accidents" are occurring just as the one that killed her husband and almost killed her. Lucas has been helping her, but could he really be an evil sorcerer instead of a helpful housemate? Remaining alive for her daughter's sake is much more difficult that she thought!

Review - Broken Hearted Ghoul

Review

Broken Hearted Ghoul by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The First Taxi for the Dead Novel

Joyce and Jim Lavene start a new series with Broken Hearted Ghoul. It's a little darker, a little grittier, and quite compelling. Skye Mertz is not your average cozy heroine. She's a former cop and a current zombie. Not the mindless shuffling sort, but a zombie nonetheless. Skye was near death after a horrible car crash which left her husband dead when she was approached by Abe, a zombie master, who gave her an option other than death-work for him and live for 20 more years. Unwilling to see her daughter an orphan she took the deal. Now she raises her daughter, Kate, with the help of her mother-in-law, who happens to be a ghost, and drives a taxi for the dead-picking up fellow zombies whose 20 years are up and returning them to Abe.

Something is not quite right, neither with her perky new partner's family life or her job as zombies are being murdered before their time is up.Then an amnesiac sorcerer appears out of the blue, seeming almost too good to be true. Is he?

I enjoyed this not so cozy cozy. A little darker, showing that life isn't always pleasant. Sometimes you have to make tough choices and buckle down and just do what needs to be done in order to survive. I love the many layered characters-each a mystery unto themselves. Is Addie only cranky because she's dead? Or because of her son's death and the fact that she never approved of Skye? Who exactly is Lucas? A sorcerer from the past? How and why did he come to the present? What is Brandon's story and what the heck is going on in Debbie's house? I can only hope we get to peal back more layers and learn about these multifaceted characters. By the end of the book we've solved the mystery of who was killing Abe's zombies before their time, but the Lavene's leave us with more puzzles.

Joyce and Jim Lavene deliver a pulse pounding paranormal mystery incorporating a  unique and varied cast of characters. If you're looking for a cozy that's a little darker and a little different, you've come to the right place in Broken Hearted Ghoul.
 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Broken-Hearted Ghoul by Joyce and Jim Lavene. This book is the first in their Taxi for the Dead Paranormal Mystery series. Skye Mertz was in a horrible wreck which killed her husband. Dying, she was approached by Abe, a zombie master, and offered 20 years of "life" working for him. With a 5 year old daughter, about to be an orphan, she readily agreed. Now she works collecting fellow zombies whose time is up and returns them to Abe. Pretty easy work for a former cop-even when they run. Skye has now been given a partner, a human working in place of her husband-who Skye discovers is not a zombie, but isn't human either. Questioning what he is, as well as what exactly happens to the zombies once their time is up, Skye meets a mysterious man. If only she could just do her job and raise her daughter with the help of her dead mother-in-law, but I think things are about to get complicated!

Magical Mystery Tour for Spell Booked

I'm thrilled to welcome Joyce and Jim Lavene and the Magical Mystery Tour for Spell Booked. The Giveaway for this tour is REALLY special and unique.

Kathy: You write several series set in different locations. How did you decide upon Wilmington, North Carolina as the setting for your Retired Witches Mystery series?

J&JL: Thanks for having us here today, Kathy! We LOVE Wilmington. When you walk by the Cape Fear River, the history of the place embraces you. And just the name – Cape Fear – who wouldn’t want to write a mystery set there? All the old houses that made it through pirate raids, the smugglers caves, and the cobblestones make it easy to imagine what it was like when Blackbeard spent time there.


Kathy: What made you decide to write about witches...and retiring witches, at that?

J&JL: Witches have gotten a bad rap through the years. We wanted to portray them as ordinary people who can sometimes do extraordinary things and have great respect for the earth and human nature. The part about retired witches was tongue-in-cheek. Just the idea that there could be witches of a certain age who could have some problems with their magic seemed humorous to us. The story is meant to be funny.


Kathy: Did you base the witches in Spell Booked on those who practice Wicca, or follow a similar path? Did you consult any witches or Wiccans as part of your research?

J&JL: Yes. Most of the story is based on Wiccan teachings. There are some aspects that are more magical than what you’d expect to find, but we tried to stay true to the witches we know. The witches we’ve let read the story thought it was funny and enjoyed the read.


Kathy: There are many famous literary and cinematic witches. Do you have any favorites?

J&JL: Not really, although we enjoyed the Witches of East End. We wanted our witches not to be as cute, pretty, or sexy. Just a few mothers, teachers, and lifelong friends.


Kathy: I absolutely adore the cover of Spell Booked! Can you tell us about your covers and cover art? Did you give any suggestions as to what the covers should be like? Did you have any say in the matter at all? Do you know your cover artist?

J&JL: The Berkley Prime Crime artists are exceptional, aren’t they? The cover art for Spell Booked was based on what we talked about with our editor, even down to the cats! Mary Ann Lasher did the artwork for the cover and the design was by Lesley Worrell. I should also mention the great interior designs by Laura K. Corless too. We love the steaming cauldron effect!


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Molly and Elsie?

J&JL: We just finished writing the second book in the series, tentatively titled Looking for Mr. Goodwitch. Molly and Elsie will be further involved with training their new witch, Dorothy, with her mother, Olivia, looking on. They’ll have to keep looking for their missing spell book, and will be involved with the Grand Council of Witches – whether they want to be or not!


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

J&JL: In 2015, we’ll have the third Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery, In Hot Water, out in January along with the e-novella for the Biscuit Bowl series, Gator Bowl. In February, the second Biscuit Bowl Mystery, Fry Another Day, will be out. And in September, the next Retired Witches book will be out. Plus a few other surprises! Sweet Pepper and Biscuit Bowl are both written under a pseudonym, J. J. Cook., but all the books are from Berkley.


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Review

Spell Booked by Joyce and Jim Lavene
The First Retired Witches Mystery

The magical powers of Molly, Elsie, and Olivia are fading and they need to find witches to replace them so that they may pass down their spell book and retire to Boca Raton. They have their eye on recruiting Dorothy, a young librarian who doesn't even know she's a witch when tragedy hits. Olivia is murdered and their spell book stolen. Could another witch be killing witches to get their powers? Will Molly and Elsie be able to stop a powerful witch? Will they be able to retire to Boca with their family none the wiser of their magical abilities? Will they solve the murder of Olivia? Or die trying?

Life can be difficult if you're a witch, especially if you're a witch of a certain age. Friends for years, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia have never greatly explored their powers, using them mainly to help with household tasks. Cleanse the air. Fire rage. Now, their powers are fading, and worse, misfiring, so they're looking for new witches to train to take their place so that they can enjoy retirement in Boca.

Joyce and Jim Lavene take an interesting look  at witches in their new paranormal mystery series. What happens when witches with fading powers are forced to deal with a powerful witch; a witch with more power than the three combined even in their prime?! Forced to keep non-magical family members in the dark is difficult enough, it's even worse for Molly whose husband of 30 years is the homicide detective investigating the death of her good friend.

I enjoyed this take on the magical community; showing the down to earth, dare I say, mundane, world of witches, the bureaucracy of the Council, keeping secrets from loved ones. I also appreciate the fact that these women of a certain age continue to  look for romance and just plain sex.

Spell Booked kept me guessing. Who was good, who could be trusted, and who was the rogue witch? Joyce and James Lavene created a world where magic and mundane live together yet separate-even in the same households.

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Now for the REALLY special giveaway. The prize is a handwritten grimoire (a book of spells), a print copy of Spell Booked, a willow wand, and a velvet bag to carry it in! Each blog on the tour has a set of words that are clues. When all the words are put together they make a Witch's Spell.

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The Wild Horses of the Outer Banks - Guest Post & Contest

The Wild Horses of the Outer Banks

By Joyce and Jim Lavene



The wild horses of the Outer Banks in North Carolina are a stubborn breed of independent mustangs. They still roam free north of the town of Corolla, and other spots in the coastal environment. They survive in remote areas where tourists flock to take their pictures, spending days and dollars to visit them in their habitat.

These horses are believed to have descended from Spanish mustangs that made the swim from abandoned ships to the island. They survived shipwrecks and wild seas to graze peacefully along the full-length of the Outer Banks. There were thousands of the horses in centuries past but their numbers have dwindled as man has encroached along this stretch of water known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

We, as writers, are always wondering, asking what if something might be different than everyone thinks it is. What if the wild horses came before the Spanish? What if their history is older than we thought? What if the people who brought them here had darker reasons for being here?

In Dae’s Christmas Past, book six in the Missing Pieces Mysteries, we explore the possibilities of what brought the wild horses to the Outer Banks with our psychic mayor, Dae O’Donnell.

Dae loves her home, Duck, (a real town) and uses her psychometric skills to help find missing people and things. She, and pet psychic Mary Catherine Roberts, may be the only ones who can help the wild horses learn the truth about their past.

The wild horses are protected now from present-day hunters and those who might otherwise hurt them. Dae and her friends want to make sure the horses continue to live free, in a place of safety, where thousands of people can appreciate their beauty.

Would you like to win an e-book copy? Leave a comment about wild horses no later than Tuesday, November 11, 11:59 pm EST. Also be sure to leave your e-mail address and the format of your e-reader. Thanks and good luck!

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