Where There's Smoke... - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome E. J. Copperman to Cozy Up With Kathy today. E. J. writes the Haunted Paint Store Mystery series. WHERE THERE'S SMOKE... is the second book in the series and was released this week.

Kathy: WHERE THERE'S SMOKE... has librarians being threatened for supposedly giving children pornography. This theme is unfortunately quite timely as certain people are trying to get any material that they don't believe in out of public spaces. Indeed I just read about legislation in more than one state that could imprison librarians for having material "harmful to minors". Why is it important to shine a light on this topic?

EJC: For exactly those reasons. I find it despicable that people a.) want to ban certain books from libraries and b) blame librarians for keeping “objectionable” material on their shelves. My eldest child is a librarian, and a good one, and the idea that people think librarians should be imprisoned for doing their jobs scares me to death. If you don’t want your children to read certain material, pay closer attention to what they’re reading and leave everybody else alone to choose the reading materials they want.

Kathy: In the Haunted Paint Store Mysteries Laura consults with her father, a former police detective who happens to be dead. Laura is unsure if he's really a ghost or if he's a product of her grieving brain. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had an otherworldly experience?

EJC: I will never tell you if I believe in ghosts because my readership would be annoyed with me no matter what answer I give you. Have I ever had an otherworldly experience? There was this incredible chocolate cake my wife made for one of my birthdays…

Kathy: This series also features a happily married couple in the lead roles. Why did you choose this route? To avoid romantic "will they won't they storylines"? Or show a solid marriage? Or did Laura just tell you that she was married?

EJC: I haven’t been in the dating world for 40 years and from what I’ve seen of it, I’m glad. I wanted to show a stable relationship because I don’t see many of them in my own reading. Maybe that cuts down on the amount of suspense in the story, but I don’t care. And I told Laura she was married, which she considered a relief.

Kathy: All of your series have a great deal of humor in them. Why do you like to infuse your mysteries with laughter?

EJC: Why wouldn’t I? I have no patience for deadly serious art forms. I don’t want to see the “feel bad” movie of the year. I can be sad on my own; I don’t need any help. I happen to have a knack (some people think) for writing comedy, and my greatest reward is a reader telling me what they laughed at in my book. After all, I write comedies with a mystery in them, not the other way around.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

EJC: I’m not a fan of graphic violence; it tends to upset my stomach. I don’t want to get into that headspace. I don’t write any “on-screen” sex scenes because I believe I would be bad at that. The thing about not using certain words I have an issue with. Having a character trip over a murdered corpse an say, “Golly gee!” takes me right out of the story. I don’t get gratuitous with it, but I think all the words in the language are fair game. Your mileage may vary.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

EJC: I have enough trouble writing in this one.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

EJC: Laura Meehan inherits her late father’s paint and wallpaper store in her old home town, and finds her dad “living” there when she opens the place. He’s an ex-police detective who bought the store when he left the force. So when something mysterious happens, he want to take a look at it and find the culprit. Laura is more or less along for the ride.

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

EJC: Yes. Harpo Marx. Because he created a real character strictly out of antics without saying a word (although now you can get a CD of him narrating “Peter and the Wolf,” which is a delight.

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

EJC: My father owned a paint store for 40 years. That was inspiration enough.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

EJC: Going door-to-door and reading it to people seemed time consuming and would involve a lot of walking.

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

EJC: Oh, wow. Irwin Shaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lisa Lutz and Robert B. Parker. Should be an interesting dinner.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

EJC: I’m rereading A CATSKILL EAGLE in the Spenser series. Because Parker could really keep a story moving forward, and I want to have some of that.

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

EJC: I like watching baseball. Other sports bore me to tears. I play acoustic guitar very badly, and I do far too many crossword puzzles.
 

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

EJC: Pretzel nuggets, ground beef (you can do so many things with it), caffeine-free Diet Coke because I like beverages that don’t have anything in them, and dark chocolate-covered almonds. My wife has stuff like green beans and lettuce.

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

EJC: Next year will see the third Haunted Paint Store novel, HOW TO KILL A GHOST, and after that, we’ll see.

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

EJC: Readers. 

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

Review 

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE... by E. J. Copperman
The Second Haunted Paint Shop Mystery 

 

Books have always been important to Laura Meehan and libraries a safe haven. That's why, after moving back to her hometown and taking over her father's paint store, she volunteers at the local library one night a week. The day after Laura learns that someone is threatening the librarians, accusing them of giving pornography to children, someone sets a fire in the children and young adult section of the library. Fortunately the library was closed at the time so no one was hurt. Unfortunately, Evelyn, the head librarian, was seen walking away from the library early that morning and no one has seen her since. While she might not consider Evelyn a good friend, Laura admires her and intends to find her, especially when the arson investigator seems to think that Evelyn set the fire herself!. With the help of her tech savvy husband and the ghost of her father, a former police detective, Laura will set out, not only to find Evelyn, but prove her innocence.

 

Although this is the second book in the Haunted Paint Store Mystery series, it is my first entry and I had no problem jumping in as it works perfectly as a stand alone mystery. That being said I would have enjoyed seeing how things began, and how her semi adversarial relationship with Detective Watson started. There's tons of snark, but behind everything is a finely drawn mystery with a happily married couple at its center. I like how Laura isn't sure if her dad is really a ghost or a figment of her imagination, and I appreciate her seeing a therapist.

 

I am pleased that WHERE THERE'S SMOKE...tackled the issue of book banning and the scary fact that librarians are being threatened by self righteous bigots for doing their job. If you don't like a book, don't read it. Libraries and their books are for everyone and everyone should be safe there. And don't tell me what I can and can't read.

 

With suspicious behavior, some twists and turns, and more than a few chuckles WHERE THERE'S SMOKE... is an inventive and finely crafted mystery.

 

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

 Where There's Smoke . . . (A Haunted Paint Store Mystery) by E.J. Copperman

About Where There's Smoke . . .

Where There's Smoke . . . (A Haunted Paint Store Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 
Setting - New Jersey 
Publisher: ‎ Severn House 
Publication Date: ‎ August 4, 2026 
Print Length: ‎ 256 pages

Paint store owner Laura Meehan must prove her amateur sleuthing skills (again!) when her small town’s public library starts burning in this installment of the Haunted Paint Store cozy mystery series.

Don’t mess with a paint store owner’s safe haven! Laura Meehan has her hands full with her paint store, but also with another case (that she will definitely leave to the police to solve)! The Sea Breeze Public Library is burning and it’s clear from the beginning that it must be arson. Who would want to burn a library down and why? Was it a group of moms protesting what they see as inappropriate book content? Maybe it was someone who didn’t like a title they lent? Or is there something more alarming going on? As a library volunteer, Laura simply has to find out, and together with her IT-savvy husband Roy and her ex-detective father’s ghost (real or imagined still yet to be determined), she stumbles upon a lot of obstacles on her quest to find the truth—and maybe even an arsonist who might strike again! A light-hearted cozy mystery with a paranormal twist and Copperman’s signature wit, humor, and zaniness. Perfect for fans of Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries and Cleo Coyle’s Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, as well as funny and cozy mysteries by Janet Evanovich, Elle Cosimano, and Amanda Flower.

About E.J. Copperman

E.J. Copperman is a figment of someone’s imagination. Sometimes E.J. writes as Jeff Cohen. Where There’s Smoke is his 36th published mystery. But he says he doesn’t write mysteries; he writes comedies that have a mystery in them. It’s up to you to decide if that’s true.

Website Instagram

Giveaway 

Where There's Smoke . . . (A Haunted Paint Store Mystery) by E.J. Copperman   https://kingsumo.com/g/1ypdqy1/where-theres-smoke-a-haunted-paint-store-mystery-by-ej-copperman 

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Where There's Smoke... by E. J. Copperman. This book is the second in the Haunted Paint Store Mystery series and was released yesterday.

Books have always been important to Laura Meehan and libraries a safe haven. That's why, after moving back to her hometown and taking over her father's paint store, she volunteers at the local library one night a week. The day after Laura learns that someone is threatening the librarians, accusing them of giving pornography to children, someone sets a fire in the children and young adult section of the library. Fortunately the library was closed at the time so no one was hurt. Unfortunately, Evelyn, the head librarian, was seen walking away from the library early that morning and no one has seen her since. While she might not consider Evelyn a good friend, Laura admires her and intends to find her, especially when the arson investigator seems to think that Evelyn set the fire herself!. With the help of her tech savvy husband and the ghost of her father, a former police detective, Laura will set out, not only to find Evelyn, but prove her innocence.

ZigZag Girl - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review

ZIGZAG GIRL
By Ruth Knafo Setton 

Lucy Moon is one of THE Moons, the preeminent magician family. With her two best friends, Lucy has created an amazing new show for the Midnight Casino in Atlantic City. But on opening night Van is nowhere to be found. While Lucy and Stormie are able to get through the majority of the show, the finale is a different story. It is a recreation of the illusion of the woman sawed in half, once performed by Cleo, the ghost who haunts the theatre. With no Van, who was supposed to play Cleo, and Stormie too tall to fit inside the original box, it's up to Lucy to perform the illusion, despite her terror of that trick. But when she opens the box to get inside she finds Van-dead. Determined to find justice for her friend Lucy begins a hunt for the person who killed her, but in doing so must confront her own past and a danger she can barely imagine.

Haunted is the theme of ZIGZAG GIRL. Characters are haunted by their past. Little Nick, Cleo, and Lucy are haunted, even tormented, by a past they can't escape. Aside from her Da, Aunt Maize, and Stormie, Lucy can't truly trust anyone. From the sleazy lighting operator to the nightclub owner, fellow magicians, whoever is Van's mysterious new boyfriend, these suspects bring shivers...and not of the good kind. Drawn to fellow magician Elvis Jones, Lucy gets shivers that electrify, but also terrify. Who is he? Could he be the killer?

I loved how the past and present intersected and I loved Bird. The slow reveal of Lucy's background, the horrifying past of Little Nick, combined with the story of Cleo and her loves and tragic death increase the tension turning a murder mystery into a taut suspenseful thriller.

The majority of the novel is written in present tense. This is what I disliked about the book. Present tense writing just sounds wrong, stilted and odd. In many cases I can only read a few pages without giving up. ZIGZAG GIRL had enough dialog and sections not written in that tense that at times it wasn't as jarring. Plus the story was so compelling I had to discover the truth and happily reached the end.

Thrilling storylines and heightened drama with unexpected twists and turns ZIGZAG GIRL is a novel that grabs you and never lets go. 

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

 

ZIGZAG GIRL

by Ruth Knafo Setton

March 2-27, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Zigzag Girl, by Ruth Knafo Setton, is a twisty contemporary mystery with a touch of magic, set in Atlantic City and the eerie New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lucy Moon, a brilliant young magician with a mysterious past, works in the town’s theatre, staging performances of enchantment and conjure. But one night, during the ‘Sawing a Woman in Half’ trick, Lucy discovers her friend’s body in the box, dead. As Lucy digs deeper, she uncovers a trail of murders and suspects. With the help of a fierce group of female magicians and mystics, she must expose the truth before she becomes the final act.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published by: Black Spring Press
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Number of Pages: 376
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | The Black Spring Press Group

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Atlantic City
Wednesday October 17
24 years later

Nine minutes to the finale.

Hand me a flower and I’ll transform it into a dove. Shoot me from a cannon and I’ll come out smiling. But lock me in the box and saw me in half, I’ll scream bloody murder.

Unheard of for a Moon – a member of America’s most famous magic family – to be terrified of that creaky old standard, the sawing box. But you’re hearing it now.

In exactly nine minutes, Charlie, our production manager, and Van, my friend and co-star, are supposed to reenact the famous Sawing a Woman in Half illusion as it was performed by Magnificent Morelli and his assistant Cleo West in this theatre during World War Two.

The classic poster hangs in the dressing room: a man with slick black hair and a thin moustache gesturing to a pretty strawberry-blonde who holds a Statue of Liberty torch.

Between them is the infamous sawing box. Black letters slash across the top of the poster:

MAGNIFICENT MORELLI! MAN OF MYSTERY

At the bottom:

NIGHTLY IN THE SCARLET ROOM WORLD-FAMOUS ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK

There’s one problem. Van should have been here two hours ago.

My best friend and other co-star, Stormie, and I managed to get through the show to this point because we’re used to working together and because even in the midst of frenzy, Charlie is an oasis of calm. We call it the Charlie effect. He quickly redesigned the order of illusions to make up for Van’s absence.

But Van still hasn’t shown up, so Charlie will saw me in half in Cleo’s original sawing box. This is not the contemporary sleek or transparent sawing box you see on a Vegas stage, but the real thing. Pure old-school; a deep, long wooden container that resembled a coffin. No openings for head or feet. No clamps for neck or ankles. The kind of box in which the magician’s assistant is completely locked inside, head to toe. If that’s not horrifying enough, this is the same box in which Cleo’s murderer placed her body.

Good publicity for a haunted theatre on Halloween, says Charlie.

At five-seven, I’m two inches shorter than the box. Stormie, coming in at a fraction under six feet and 190 pounds, can’t even squeeze inside.

Hanging right next to Morelli is our poster:

HALLOWEEN THRILLS, CHILLS & BLACK MAGICK! REBEL MAGIC
STORMIE, VAN, & LUCY BLACK WIDOW THEATRE, 13TH FLOOR – if you dare! MIDNIGHT CASINO, OCT 17 – NOV 10

Van and I flank Stormie – a magical version of Charlie’s Angels. As if instead of fighting crime, we resolve to change the world, one trick at a time. In the middle, Stormie towers over Van and me in an orange and black dashiki gown, enormous hoop earrings glinting through her copper- black hair that falls in long ropelike locks. On Stormie’s left is Van, a tiny silvery futuristic superhero who sometimes bills herself as ‘Kickass Korean Babe’ – spiked hair, jumpsuit, thigh- high boots with four-inch heels, and a gleaming knife in each hand. On Stormie’s right, I sparkle in my red-hot Miss Scarlett dress and stilettos. That’s me, on the corner of woo-woo and fuggedaboutit – a magic wand in one hand, a cannoli in the other.

Tonight is our opening night, and it means something big to all three of us: our breakthrough as sisters of magic, an opportunity to make our name in the good old boys’ world of magic, and for me, a chance to make my name without the Moons holding me up on stage.

Van wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Her silver jumpsuit is hanging on the wheeled rack, her knives ready for action. She’s not answering her phone, but during the intermission, she left Stormie and me a message: Emergency. Start without me.

Stormie’s golden-brown eyes were huge, her olive skin sallow, making the freckles stand out. ‘Emergency?’ Her voice is shrill. ‘That is not a Van word.’

‘An accident?’ ‘She’d tell us. No, it’s MLD.’

For the past couple weeks, Van has kept her new boyfriend on the lowdown. Boyfriend is normal – Van juggles men like her knives. Keeping him secret is not. Stormie calls him, ‘MLD,’ short for Mysterious Loner Dude.

‘Van would not miss our opening night for a guy, no matter who he is.’ ‘Then where is she?’ Stormie shook her fingers in my face. ‘Look at my hand. The girl’s giving me shpilkes.’ Whenever she’s emotional, Stormie brings out the Yiddish words her Jewish Nana taught her.

‘If by shpilkes, you mean bad vibes, I’ve got ’em too.’

Chapter 2

Seven minutes to the finale.

Backstage, hands trembling, I tug on Cleo West’s very own Stars n’ Stripes gown, slithering into the shimmering satin. Too short for me. Seams fraying – it’s been let out and tightened more than once. Cleo must have gained and lost weight during the war years.

I sit at the vanity, tightly clip my hair and pull on a long reddish-blonde wig. I hate wigs, they suffocate me and give me an instant headache.

Trapped, wrapped and bundled inside the constraints of hair and layers of fabric, my heart staccatos. When did the theatre get so cold? The scent of lavender crawls over my flesh, the sign that the Widow’s resident ghost, Cleo, is in the house. When you grow up with an Irish witch as an aunt, you accept the presence of ghosts. Doesn’t mean you like them, but you come to terms with sharing the space. According to Auntie Maze, ‘Cleo wants us to see the cracks and stains left behind by the past. When she slams doors or turns off lights, she’s saying, “Look! There’s something you’re not seeing!”’

I add final touch-ups to my stage make-up and check my reflection from every angle. I glimpse pinpricks of light in the mirror. Next to my reflection a woman’s face appears, rippling as if she’s underwater. Her fiery-gold hair wavers. Ice-pale eyes meet mine. Two Cleos in the mirror.

I grab the edge of the table. This is the first time she’s shown herself to me! Just in case she’s really there and I’m not losing my mind, I whisper, ‘You’re not real, Cleo. You’re dead. Look, I’m just pretending to be you for an hour, okay? Now please go away.’

She stares at me through the glass. Her lips move. I lean forward, press my face to the mirror, straining to hear.

Cleo disappears, and a large black figure looms in the mirror. Moves closer.

I jolt to my feet and whip around.

A man wearing a black hoodie. At least he’s real, not a ghost. He pushes back the hood. Dark hair falls past his chin.

‘What’s going on here?’ he demands.

Shifting on my feet, I keep my hands low at my sides, ready to punch. ‘You need to leave now.’

He steps closer. He’s half a foot taller, his strong-boned face scowling, his eyes bitter as black coffee. ‘Where’s Van?’

‘Not here.’

‘She said I could come backstage.’

‘Who are you?’ Is he Van’s mysterious guy?

Stormie arrives, breathless. ‘You’re on in five,’ she says to me, and then slits her eyes at the stranger. ‘Elvis Jones! What are you doing here?’

This is Elvis Jones? Definitely not the cheesy overweight Elvis impersonator in a white jumpsuit I imagined when I saw his poster:

Elvis Jones Magic in Hell

Midnight Show No one will be admitted after the door is shut.

I found the blurb pretentious and, on principle, refused to see his show. If I’d known what he looks like, I might have taken a chance. He watches me with a sardonic grin as if he knows what I’m thinking.

‘Hi, Stormie,’ he says. ‘I’m looking for Van.’

‘She hasn’t arrived. Yet.’

He retreats toward the door. ‘I’m outta here.’

Stormie and I watch him leave, and she mutters, ‘What the hell has that girl been up to?’

‘I’m scared for her.’ I hear the words and wish I hadn’t said them.

‘Maybe her phone died, and she’s stuck somewhere. She’s gonna show up.’

***

Excerpt from Zigzag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton. Copyright 2025 by Ruth Knafo Setton. Reproduced with permission from Ruth Knafo Setton. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Born in Morocco and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Ruth Knafo Setton is the author of the novel, The Road to Fez (Counterpoint Press). Her honors include awards and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, PEN, CineStory, Nimrod, Cutthroat, Writer’s Digest, and residencies at Hedgebrook, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a multi-genre author whose fiction, creative nonfiction, screenplays, and poetry have won many awards and appeared in journals and anthologies. A former Fiction Editor of Arts & Letters, she has taught Creative Writing and Multicultural Literature at Lehigh University and on Semester at Sea.

Catch Up With Our Author:

RuthSetton.com
Tips, Tricks, & Tea with Ruth (Substack Newsletter)
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @ruthsetton
Instagram - @rksetton
Threads - @rksetton
X - @RuthSetton
Facebook - @ruth.setton

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Real Magic Awaits: A Giveaway That's Not an Illusion 🎩

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Zigzag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton | Gift Card

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ZigZag Girl - An Interview. Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Ruth Knafo Setton to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Ruth is the author of ZIGZAG GIRL which was released today!

Kathy: In ZIGZAG GIRL we meet Lucy Moon, a stage magician. When I was a kid, my dad took me to a magic store and we bought a few tricks to try. Have you ever tried to practice magic?

RKS: I've been studying magic with master magicians for years—I've been sawed in half, in thirds, and locked in a straitjacket. They encourage me to perform bits of magic when I give readings and talks about Zigzag Girl, but so far I haven't done it—my magic is on the page. But you never know.


Kathy: Do you enjoy watching magicians perform? Do you have a favorite?

RKS: I love watching great magicians—too many favorites to list, but Jeff McBride, Penn & Teller, Derek DelGaudio, Luna Shimada, Carisa Hendrix, and Derren Brown are among them. For a moment we transcend reality, reminded of the wonder and mystery we live in. I like to leave the theater feeling transformed inside.


Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

RKS: Curiosity—I was so nosy as a kid, I followed strangers and kept a detective notebook full of clues. I always wanted to know what made people tick, who they were behind closed doors, and to me, a writer is just a detective with a pen. My favorite books were mysteries, so it was inevitable I'd write one.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

RKS: My first novel, THE ROAD TO FEZ, is a literary coming-of-age story about an eighteen-year-old girl who returns to Morocco, the land of her birth, to discover who she is. I've also written a YA novel that hasn't been published yet, along with many short stories, essays, and travel writing that have been published. But mystery and secrets find their way into everything I write.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

RKS: A writer needs to be read—to connect with readers, to give back what I was given as a child. When I came to America as a little girl, not speaking the language, I found my first friends in books. Characters and writers opened the world for me, and I wanted to do the same for others.

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

RKS: This would change depending on my mood, but today: Colette, because she was the first writer I loved, writing about girls and women with honesty and passion; Kafka, because he woke me up to the possibilities of what a writer can do—and I just want to hug him. I'd also invite Lee Child, because Reacher! And because he's kind. And Karin Slaughter, because I love her books and she's funny as hell.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RKS: I always have a stack of books next to my bed—friends' books, mysteries, thrillers, literary novels, romances, historical fiction. I belong to two book clubs, and I'm always reading, sometimes three books at once: starting one, in the middle of another, finishing a third. I can't imagine life any other way.


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

RKS: Reading and travel are my passions—I've been devouring books since I learned to read, everything from literary fiction to mysteries to cookbooks, no restrictions. I've sailed three times on Semester at Sea, teaching creative writing on a university campus that travels the world. I also love photography and archaeology—in my travels I'm drawn to ruins and ancient sites, walking in the past.

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

RKS: Cheese, honey, chocolate, berries.

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

RKS: It's not a series yet, but I have more stories in mind for the characters and magic world of Zigzag Girl. I'm also working on a new book now—a mystery-thriller that roams the Mediterranean. I've been dreaming about this one for years, so I'm excited to finally finish it.

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

RKS: Writing takes me into other worlds and lets me live other lives—when I'm writing, anything is possible. I'm free and fearless, exploring the world with my imagination and my pen. Later comes revision and rejection, but in the act of creation, there are no limits to where I can go and what I can do.

 

ZIGZAG GIRL

by Ruth Knafo Setton

March 2-27, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Zigzag Girl, by Ruth Knafo Setton, is a twisty contemporary mystery with a touch of magic, set in Atlantic City and the eerie New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lucy Moon, a brilliant young magician with a mysterious past, works in the town’s theatre, staging performances of enchantment and conjure. But one night, during the ‘Sawing a Woman in Half’ trick, Lucy discovers her friend’s body in the box, dead. As Lucy digs deeper, she uncovers a trail of murders and suspects. With the help of a fierce group of female magicians and mystics, she must expose the truth before she becomes the final act.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published by: Black Spring Press
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Number of Pages: 376
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | The Black Spring Press Group

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Atlantic City
Wednesday October 17
24 years later

Nine minutes to the finale.

Hand me a flower and I’ll transform it into a dove. Shoot me from a cannon and I’ll come out smiling. But lock me in the box and saw me in half, I’ll scream bloody murder.

Unheard of for a Moon – a member of America’s most famous magic family – to be terrified of that creaky old standard, the sawing box. But you’re hearing it now.

In exactly nine minutes, Charlie, our production manager, and Van, my friend and co-star, are supposed to reenact the famous Sawing a Woman in Half illusion as it was performed by Magnificent Morelli and his assistant Cleo West in this theatre during World War Two.

The classic poster hangs in the dressing room: a man with slick black hair and a thin moustache gesturing to a pretty strawberry-blonde who holds a Statue of Liberty torch.

Between them is the infamous sawing box. Black letters slash across the top of the poster:

MAGNIFICENT MORELLI! MAN OF MYSTERY

At the bottom:

NIGHTLY IN THE SCARLET ROOM WORLD-FAMOUS ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK

There’s one problem. Van should have been here two hours ago.

My best friend and other co-star, Stormie, and I managed to get through the show to this point because we’re used to working together and because even in the midst of frenzy, Charlie is an oasis of calm. We call it the Charlie effect. He quickly redesigned the order of illusions to make up for Van’s absence.

But Van still hasn’t shown up, so Charlie will saw me in half in Cleo’s original sawing box. This is not the contemporary sleek or transparent sawing box you see on a Vegas stage, but the real thing. Pure old-school; a deep, long wooden container that resembled a coffin. No openings for head or feet. No clamps for neck or ankles. The kind of box in which the magician’s assistant is completely locked inside, head to toe. If that’s not horrifying enough, this is the same box in which Cleo’s murderer placed her body.

Good publicity for a haunted theatre on Halloween, says Charlie.

At five-seven, I’m two inches shorter than the box. Stormie, coming in at a fraction under six feet and 190 pounds, can’t even squeeze inside.

Hanging right next to Morelli is our poster:

HALLOWEEN THRILLS, CHILLS & BLACK MAGICK! REBEL MAGIC
STORMIE, VAN, & LUCY BLACK WIDOW THEATRE, 13TH FLOOR – if you dare! MIDNIGHT CASINO, OCT 17 – NOV 10

Van and I flank Stormie – a magical version of Charlie’s Angels. As if instead of fighting crime, we resolve to change the world, one trick at a time. In the middle, Stormie towers over Van and me in an orange and black dashiki gown, enormous hoop earrings glinting through her copper- black hair that falls in long ropelike locks. On Stormie’s left is Van, a tiny silvery futuristic superhero who sometimes bills herself as ‘Kickass Korean Babe’ – spiked hair, jumpsuit, thigh- high boots with four-inch heels, and a gleaming knife in each hand. On Stormie’s right, I sparkle in my red-hot Miss Scarlett dress and stilettos. That’s me, on the corner of woo-woo and fuggedaboutit – a magic wand in one hand, a cannoli in the other.

Tonight is our opening night, and it means something big to all three of us: our breakthrough as sisters of magic, an opportunity to make our name in the good old boys’ world of magic, and for me, a chance to make my name without the Moons holding me up on stage.

Van wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Her silver jumpsuit is hanging on the wheeled rack, her knives ready for action. She’s not answering her phone, but during the intermission, she left Stormie and me a message: Emergency. Start without me.

Stormie’s golden-brown eyes were huge, her olive skin sallow, making the freckles stand out. ‘Emergency?’ Her voice is shrill. ‘That is not a Van word.’

‘An accident?’ ‘She’d tell us. No, it’s MLD.’

For the past couple weeks, Van has kept her new boyfriend on the lowdown. Boyfriend is normal – Van juggles men like her knives. Keeping him secret is not. Stormie calls him, ‘MLD,’ short for Mysterious Loner Dude.

‘Van would not miss our opening night for a guy, no matter who he is.’ ‘Then where is she?’ Stormie shook her fingers in my face. ‘Look at my hand. The girl’s giving me shpilkes.’ Whenever she’s emotional, Stormie brings out the Yiddish words her Jewish Nana taught her.

‘If by shpilkes, you mean bad vibes, I’ve got ’em too.’

Chapter 2

Seven minutes to the finale.

Backstage, hands trembling, I tug on Cleo West’s very own Stars n’ Stripes gown, slithering into the shimmering satin. Too short for me. Seams fraying – it’s been let out and tightened more than once. Cleo must have gained and lost weight during the war years.

I sit at the vanity, tightly clip my hair and pull on a long reddish-blonde wig. I hate wigs, they suffocate me and give me an instant headache.

Trapped, wrapped and bundled inside the constraints of hair and layers of fabric, my heart staccatos. When did the theatre get so cold? The scent of lavender crawls over my flesh, the sign that the Widow’s resident ghost, Cleo, is in the house. When you grow up with an Irish witch as an aunt, you accept the presence of ghosts. Doesn’t mean you like them, but you come to terms with sharing the space. According to Auntie Maze, ‘Cleo wants us to see the cracks and stains left behind by the past. When she slams doors or turns off lights, she’s saying, “Look! There’s something you’re not seeing!”’

I add final touch-ups to my stage make-up and check my reflection from every angle. I glimpse pinpricks of light in the mirror. Next to my reflection a woman’s face appears, rippling as if she’s underwater. Her fiery-gold hair wavers. Ice-pale eyes meet mine. Two Cleos in the mirror.

I grab the edge of the table. This is the first time she’s shown herself to me! Just in case she’s really there and I’m not losing my mind, I whisper, ‘You’re not real, Cleo. You’re dead. Look, I’m just pretending to be you for an hour, okay? Now please go away.’

She stares at me through the glass. Her lips move. I lean forward, press my face to the mirror, straining to hear.

Cleo disappears, and a large black figure looms in the mirror. Moves closer.

I jolt to my feet and whip around.

A man wearing a black hoodie. At least he’s real, not a ghost. He pushes back the hood. Dark hair falls past his chin.

‘What’s going on here?’ he demands.

Shifting on my feet, I keep my hands low at my sides, ready to punch. ‘You need to leave now.’

He steps closer. He’s half a foot taller, his strong-boned face scowling, his eyes bitter as black coffee. ‘Where’s Van?’

‘Not here.’

‘She said I could come backstage.’

‘Who are you?’ Is he Van’s mysterious guy?

Stormie arrives, breathless. ‘You’re on in five,’ she says to me, and then slits her eyes at the stranger. ‘Elvis Jones! What are you doing here?’

This is Elvis Jones? Definitely not the cheesy overweight Elvis impersonator in a white jumpsuit I imagined when I saw his poster:

Elvis Jones Magic in Hell

Midnight Show No one will be admitted after the door is shut.

I found the blurb pretentious and, on principle, refused to see his show. If I’d known what he looks like, I might have taken a chance. He watches me with a sardonic grin as if he knows what I’m thinking.

‘Hi, Stormie,’ he says. ‘I’m looking for Van.’

‘She hasn’t arrived. Yet.’

He retreats toward the door. ‘I’m outta here.’

Stormie and I watch him leave, and she mutters, ‘What the hell has that girl been up to?’

‘I’m scared for her.’ I hear the words and wish I hadn’t said them.

‘Maybe her phone died, and she’s stuck somewhere. She’s gonna show up.’

***

Excerpt from Zigzag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton. Copyright 2025 by Ruth Knafo Setton. Reproduced with permission from Ruth Knafo Setton. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Born in Morocco and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Ruth Knafo Setton is the author of the novel, The Road to Fez (Counterpoint Press). Her honors include awards and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, PEN, CineStory, Nimrod, Cutthroat, Writer’s Digest, and residencies at Hedgebrook, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a multi-genre author whose fiction, creative nonfiction, screenplays, and poetry have won many awards and appeared in journals and anthologies. A former Fiction Editor of Arts & Letters, she has taught Creative Writing and Multicultural Literature at Lehigh University and on Semester at Sea.

Catch Up With Our Author:

RuthSetton.com
Tips, Tricks, & Tea with Ruth (Substack Newsletter)
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @ruthsetton
Instagram - @rksetton
Threads - @rksetton
X - @RuthSetton
Facebook - @ruth.setton

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Last Wool and Testament - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on the latest release in a series that has the most adorable covers! Last Wool and Testament by Peggy Ehrhart is the twelfth book in the Knit and Nibble Mystery series and was released last month.

Blurb:

Spring has sprung in Arborville, New Jersey, and Pamela Paterson and Bettina Fraser are keeping busy with their knitting group, Knit and Nibble. But it looks like April showers have brought May murders . . . 

Fiber artist Ingrid Barrick has just been found dead in her ransacked house, but the fact that she’d seemed a bit troubled lately—and had been obsessively doodling pictures of bees—has the Knit and Nibblers wondering if this was really a burglary gone bad like the police think. There had been tension with a neighbor who was fuming (and sneezing) over the ragweed in Ingrid’s garden—but allergies don’t seem like grounds for murder.

As they chat with a local beekeeper, learn more about Ingrid’s knitwear-designer ex, and look into a suddenly cancelled tapestry exhibit, Pamela and Bettina are intrigued to find more nature-themed sketches by Ingrid. The question is which of these many threads will lead to the truth about her unnatural death . . .

Murder on the Steel Pier - A Review

 Review

MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER by Rosie Genova
The First Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery 

In celebration of her March 31st birthday Tess Mancini headed to Atlantic City to celebrate. But after too much tequila she wakes up with a hangover and the biggest April Fool's Day surprise of all. Instead of her hotel room Tess finds herself in what appears to be an old-fashioned B&B. Without her phone! Somehow she knows where things are and soon discovers when. Tess Mancini has stepped into the life of her Great Aunt Theresa in 1955. If that weren't enough, her hot-headed brother (well, Theresa's brother, her grandfather) is accused of murdering one of the guests at their boarding house. With some innate knowledge and the words of Theresa in her head Tess will have to figure out what happened to her aunt, how to get home, and clear her grandfather of a murder charge so that she can be born! 

I love a good time travel story and MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER certainly qualifies! With WWII in the recent past and the Civil Rights movement in the near future I loved how the book incorporated aspects of both in this 1950s setting. I also love how Tess encountered two very important real people and while not explicitly giving their names I knew exactly who they were! I also liked how Tess was able to appreciate some things of this time, such as the fashion and the quiet, while glad certain other aspects of the past remain there.

The first Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery isn't a complete fish out of water story. Tess struggles with a lot of the differences in 1955, but she has an in with Theresa. While Tess doesn't know how to drive a stick, Theresa does and thus Tess can. Theresa also provides a knowledge of who's who and how to properly handle certain situations. Tess may be up a creek, but she has a paddle! I appreciate how Tess is able to give some spunk and sass, surprising people who see a more quiet "good girl". 

The mystery itself was well plotted with plenty of red herrings, twists and turns, and more than one surprise. I really enjoyed the varied characters and how they interacted with each other with Tess pushing the boundaries of Theresa's time, with a little help from her great aunt.

Wonderful characters, loads of period detail, and an intricate mystery combine to make MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER a delightfully unique start to a new series.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova. This book is the first in the Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery series and was released Monday!

In celebration of her March 31st birthday Tess Mancini headed to Atlantic City to celebrate. But after too much tequila she wakes up with a hangover and the biggest April Fool's Day surprise of all. Instead of her hotel room Tess finds herself in what appears to be an old fashioned B&B. Without her phone! Somehow she knows where things are and soon discovers when. Tess Mancini  has stepped into the life of her Great Aunt Theresa in 1955. If that weren't enough, her hot headed brother (well, Theresa's brother her grandfather) is accused of murdering one of the guests at their boarding house. With some innate knowledge and the words of Theresa in her head Tess will have to figure out what happened to her aunt, how to get home, and clear her grandfather of a murder charge so that she can be born! 

Murder on the Steel Pier - A Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER

by Rosie Genova

April 1, 2025 Book Blast

Synopsis:

THE TESS MANCINI TIME TRAVEL MYSTERY SERIES

 

Greetings from the Nifty Fifties…

The morning after a blowout birthday celebration in Atlantic City, crime reporter and party girl Tess Mancini wakes up in an unfamiliar place—1955. Bread is eighteen cents a loaf, Ike occupies the White House, and the Boardwalk is crawling with vintage cars and vintage wise guys. A bewildered Tess is sure of only two things: One, she’s not crazy, and two, the clothes are fabulous. Somehow, she’s living the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa, who disappeared decades before Tess’s birth.

In her 1950s existence, Tess is a reporter at the local newspaper, living at a boarding house owned by her Zia Antonetta, an Italian immigrant with a big secret. It turns out Theresa has a kid brother, teenaged troublemaker Val Mancini—aka Tess’s paternal grandfather. Though determined to return to her own time, Tess’s curiosity takes over. What happened to the first Theresa Mancini? And is Tess’s trip through time connected to her aunt’s fate?

But when young Val is accused of murdering a boarding house guest, a Nazi in hiding, Tess ends up with two investigations on her hands—and now stuck in time until she can prove Val’s innocence. As she searches for answers, she finds allies in a dishy police detective and a suspiciously charming fellow reporter. The clock is ticking for Tess to find a way home, but first, she has to keep her grandfather off Death Row.

Because before Tess can get back to the future … she needs to make sure she has one.

Praise for Murder on the Steel Pier:

"Murder on the Steel Pier is impossible to put down, offering an irresistible blend of mystery, history, and time travel. I felt like I was in 1950s Atlantic City along with heroine Tess. Unlike her, I didn’t want to leave! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for Tess’s next adventure."
~ Ellen Byron, Agatha Award-Winning Author

"Awesome book! This stylish, creatively written and highly entertaining mystery will keep you turning pages long past bedtime."
~ Terrie Farley Moran, award-winning author of the Murder, She Wrote series

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery
Published by: Two Roses Books
Publication Date: March 31, 2025
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 979-8-9911241-1-9
Series: The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | AppleBooks | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

From Chapter 1

Someone was smoking a cigarette. I sniffed, and spikes of pain started at my chin and shot through the top of my head. Oh God, make it stop, and I promise I’ll never touch another drop of tequila. Being another year older was bad enough—did I have to be punished for it, too? My nose twitched as the smoke teased my nostrils and caressed my olfactory nerves. I’d quit a month ago, but the longing for a cig came roaring back.

With my eyes still closed, and my head nailed to the pillow, I had one coherent thought: This is supposed to be a smoke-free hotel. As far as I knew, it was also bird-free, but the chirps and twitters assailing my ears were clearly coming from feathered creatures. Then again, it’s Atlantic City. Maybe the birds were part of the hotel show. Ever so slowly, I slid my hands from under the covers and cupped them over my ears.

“Please, birdies,” I whispered. “Stop singing.” Geez, they sounded close enough to be in my room. I exhaled, yoga style. C’mon, Tess, time to open your eyes. You can do it. Actually, I couldn’t, as my lashes were glued together. (Had I slept in my make-up? Not a good sign.) Still covering my ears against the piercing bird song, I fluttered my left eyelid and squinted.

Big, fuchsia-colored roses seemed to scream at me from the wall. And sun—blinding, eyeball-searing sun—streamed in through an uncovered window. And not a hotel window bolted shut and draped to keep out that awful light, but a wooden one with glass panes. And across the top, a ruffly white curtain.

Okay, not my hotel. So where was I? My empty stomach grew queasy; I wouldn’t have gone home with a stranger. Though I did remember a cute blond guy playing the slots next to me, but it was all so … blurry. I eased open the other eye. Across the room was a vanity table draped in more white ruffles. Somehow, I doubted the blond guy lived here.

This place was obviously some kind of historic inn or something, but that still didn’t explain how I’d gotten here. I looked down at the sheets, also decorated with roses. Only these were little yellow ones. Somebody sure liked her florals.

“So weird,” I muttered. Hands shaking, eyes half closed, I felt around for my phone, but my fingers landed on a string of beads. I let go of the necklace and blinked hard, trying to ignore the little flashes of pain behind my eyes. Next to me was an old-fashioned nightstand; on it was a lamp with a frilly pink shade, an analog alarm clock ticking loudly, and the “necklace,” which had a cross hanging from it. A face stared at me from a black-and-white photo. I shifted closer, peering at a guy with slicked-back hair, thick brows, and dark-lashed eyes. Across the bottom of the picture was a name, signed in blue ink. I frowned at the image. Who the heck was Tyrone Power? Was he someone’s boyfriend? Or part of the décor?

Hangover and rubber legs be damned, I had to get moving and find my phone. But before I could get a big toe out from under the covers, a knock sounded at the door. I sat up in the strange bed, holding my throbbing head as though it were a soft-boiled egg.

“Tess? Are you awake yet?” The voice on the other side of the door had a slight Irish brogue. “Can I come in, then?”

“Yes,” I croaked. Whoever she was, she knew my name. Despite the sunlight, the room was chilly, and I huddled under the cotton blankets as the woman bustled in holding a small tray. I sniffed coffee and toast, and when she set it down on the nightstand, my stomach gurgled audibly.

“Now,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron, “we served breakfast some time ago, and when you didn’t come down, I knew you’d be oversleepin’ again. Your auntie will have my hide and your own if you don’t get down to that kitchen.” She crossed her ample arms and sent me a stern look. “You know we don’t serve anyone in their rooms, guests or otherwise, but Carolina insisted I bring you your coffee. Said you’re no good without it.”

I looked up at a broad-shouldered woman in a green housedress. Over that was an apron in a loud, orange-and-green pattern of forks and spoons. Her thick white hair, twisted into a bun, was bright against her weathered skin. Her small dark eyes gave the impression of two raisins set in a gingerbread face. I’d never seen her before in my life.

“Sorry, Mrs. Flaherty.” How did I know that? It surely must have been her name because she didn’t correct me. I sat up quickly, my mouth hanging open in shock, and the blankets slipped to my waist.

Mrs. Flaherty took a step closer to the bed and narrowed her eyes at me. “Just what are you wearing, missy?” What was I wearing? I glanced down at the cursive “T” stitched on the pocket of my favorite monogrammed PJs. Expensive ones. And why did she care? I opened my mouth to answer, but Mrs. F got there ahead of me. “They’re silk,” she hissed. “And black, for the Lord’s sake.”

“Uh huh,” I said slowly, wondering if she commented on the nightwear of all her guests. Still, I pulled the blankets up to my chin.

“Best not let your auntie see them. Don’t know how in the world you afford such things,” she grumbled. “Eat up quick now, and bring down that tray when you’re through.”

“Okay,” I whispered, staring at the door she closed behind her…

***

Excerpt from Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova. Copyright 2025 by Rosie Genova. Reproduced with permission from Rosie Genova. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Proud Jersey girl Rosie Genova is a multi-genre author. Her work includes a Jersey shore cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries, and The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, set in 1955 Atlantic City. She is also the author of standalone suspense and a couple of rom-coms that presently live in her computer files (but are longing to be released into the wild). A former teacher and journalist, Rosie’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur magazine and The New York Times. The mother of three sons, Rosie still lives in her favorite state with her husband, too many dusty antiques, and a charming mutt named Lucy.

Catch Up With Rosie Genova:

www.RosieGenova.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @RosieGenova
Facebook - @RosieGenova

 

 

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Seams Like the Pefect Crime - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to allow Anastasia Pollack to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Anastasia on the pages of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series by Lois Winston. Seams Like the Perfect Crime is the fourteenth book in the series and was released last week.

My name is Anastasia Pollack, reluctant amateur sleuth of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries by author Lois Winston. Sometimes my head spins when I think about the changes that have occurred in my life over the last two years. Not so long ago, I was living the American Dream with my husband, two great kids, a home in the suburbs, and a job I loved as crafts editor of a women’s magazine.

The one fly in the ointment was my cantankerous communist mother-in-law who was living with us while she recuperated from a hit-and-run, but Karl, my husband, had assured me her stay was temporary. He didn’t want her in our home any more than I did.

Then Karl dropped dead in Las Vegas, and life has never been the same. I felt like such a cliché—the clueless wife who knew nothing of her husband’s affair. Only Karl’s affair had been with Lady Luck, and his luck had run out. He left me, not only permanently stuck with his mother but also his loan shark, having gambled away everything—including money we didn’t have. The loan shark didn’t care, which I’ve since learned is SOP—standard operating procedure—for loan sharks. Being a Jersey girl, you’d think I would have known that.

You might also think all the above would be enough of a triple whammy for any clueless wife, right? Far from it. My author saw to that, starting with the day I returned to work after Karl’s funeral and discovered the dead body of our fashion editor glue gunned to my desk chair. Suddenly, I found myself with a second career as a reluctant amateur sleuth. It was either that or wind up railroaded for a murder I didn’t commit.

You know the old saying, if you want something done and done right, do it yourself? I’ve learned the hard way that “most likely suspect” and “actual killer” are often far from one and the same. However, too often law enforcement zeroes in on the former without digging further to find the latter. Since that first murder, there have been so many more dead bodies that I’ve lost count. I’ve also nearly lost my own life on several occasions.

However, life has improved significantly since Lois first introduced me in Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun. Much of that has to do with photojournalist (and possible spy), Zachary Barnes. We first met when I rented the apartment above our detached garage to him. No spoilers here, but let’s just say, in the ensuing books in the series our relationship has progressed well beyond the renter/landlady stage.

However, one thing hasn’t changed. The dead bodies keep coming. In Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth book in the series, one occurs right across the street from us. Thanks to my author, I get sucked into the investigation, even though I never even met the guy. He’d only moved in three days earlier.

I’m still trying to figure out what Lois Winston has against me. I asked her once. She said it wasn’t personal and handed me some nonsense, about the need for goals, motivations, and conflict in fiction. When I suggested she’d given me plenty without the addition of more dead bodies, she rolled her eyes.

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

 Seams Like the Perfect Crime (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) by Lois Winston

About Seams Like the Perfect Crime

Seams Like the Perfect Crime (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 14th in the Series
Setting - New Jersey
Independently Published (February 4, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 285 pages

When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?

Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.

After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.

When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?

Craft projects included.

About Lois Winston

USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother who had other ideas. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception.

Then Lois’s writing segued unexpectedly into the world of humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, thanks to a conversation her agent had with an editor looking for craft-themed mysteries. In her day job, Lois was an award-winning craft and needlework designer, and although she’d never written a mystery—or had even thought about writing a mystery—her agent decided she was the perfect person to pen a series for this editor.

Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes fourteen novels and three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries and has written several standalone mystery novellas. Other publishing credits include romance, chick lit, and romantic suspense novels, a series of romance short stories, a children’s chapter book, and a nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency.

Author Links: 

Website: http://www.loiswinston.com  

Newsletter sign-up: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dc9t0bjl00  

Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com 

Booklover’s Bench: https://bookloversbench.com  

The Stiletto Gang: https://www.thestilettogang.com  

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston  

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston  

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Phoning in a Murder - A Spotlight & Giveaway

 Phoning in a Murder (Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series) by Elaine L. Orr

About Phoning in a Murder

Phoning in a Murder (Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery 14th in Series
Setting -The fictional town of Ocean Alley at the Jersey Shore.
Publisher: ‎ Lifelong Dreams Publishing (June 30, 2024)
Paperback: ‎ 181 pages

Lots of teachers are irritated by students paying more attention to their cell phones than what's going on in the classroom. Some would like to see their school ban cell phones during the school day. They don't hold out a lot of hope for a cell phone ban, so they work around them.

More than most faculty, the band director at Ocean Alley High School doesn't want students to have phones in class, and he especially doesn't want the band distracted by them when they march on the football field. Imagine his reaction when one goes off during the National Anthem. When no student will apologize, Mr. O'Halloran cancels band practice the week before a big competition. Talk about a good way to tick off students, parents, and band boosters. With Scoobie's brother Terry as one of the bass drummers, Jolie and family have strong opinions. But someone is a lot more upset. At least the knitting needle in the band director's neck seems to say so.

If Jolie hadn’t been the first to find the man, she would be less insistent to know what happened to him. What really gets the Ocean Alley crew invested is the last two people the school security system shows talking to Mr. O'Halloran – Scoobie’s brother and his best friend. Rumors abound.

With appraising houses, running the food pantry, and keeping four-year old twins in line, Jolie has her hands full. Scoobie’s best friend George is always willing to butt into a mystery. Sometimes that’s helpful. Other times, not so much.

About Elaine Orr

 

Elaine L. Orr has authored more than 30 works of fiction, including four mystery series. What makes her fiction different from other traditional mysteries? Some might say the dry humor (only a few say lame), but she thinks it is the empathy her characters show to others. Fiction doesn’t always have to be profound. But it can contain people whose paths we cross every day — whether we know it or not. Her books include the fourteen-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, which is set at the Jersey shore. Behind the Walls was short-listed for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. “Reading any Jolie Gentil book is like spending time with cherished friends. That feeling grows as the series continues.” Phoning in a Murder came out in late June 2024. The River's Edge series takes place among the cornfields of Southeastern Iowa, along the Des Moines River. A fired news reporter switches to landscaping, but still digs up trouble. Demise of a Devious Neighbor was a Chanticleer shortlister in 2017 The Western Maryland mountains, near Deep Creek Lake, host the five-book Family History Mystery Series. The Unscheduled Murder Trip received a B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2021.. Small-town Illinois is the setting for the Logland Series, which features Police Chief Elizabeth Friedman -- a police procedural with a cozy feel. Amid the mystery and laughs, Final Cycle, set during a Christmas season, shows why it’s important to assist those who are difficult to help. Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, Common Ground. Her novella, Biding Time, was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. Falling into Place is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion. (It’s also Elaine’s favorite book.) In the Shadow of Light is the fictional story of Corozón and her family, who are separated at the U.S./Mexico border. A member of Sisters in Crime and the Independent Book Publishers Association, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. She now lives in Springfield, Illinois.  

Author Links: 

Website https://www.elaineorr.com  

Blog https://elaineorr.blogspot.com  

Twitter/X https://twitter.com/ElaineOrr55  

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Knitmare on Beech Street - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Peggy Ehrhart to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Peggy writes the Knit and Nibble Mystery series. Knitmare on Beech Street is the tenth book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In Knitmare on Beech Street a reclusive widow's death sets gossip and ghostly speculation flowing. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

PE: I don’t believe in ghosts, though I wouldn’t swear to that if I had to spend the night alone in a spooky house. I’ve never had a ghostly encounter, but I have friends whose good sense I respect and who are convinced that non-corporeal beings dwell among us. Conversations with these people led to the ideas that turned into Knitmare on Beech Street.

Kathy: Tassie Hunt who inherited the widow's old Victorian had a career debunking paranormal phenomena. Have you ever been on a ghost hunt or watched shows about ghostly investigations?

PE: No to both questions.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

PE: I was drawn first to mysteries in general. The cozy mystery wasn’t yet a “thing,” but the form I enjoyed was the traditional mystery—the Agatha Christie style from which the cozy developed. When I was in grad school, one of my friends was an avid mystery fan and she introduced me to the genre. After a day spent reading Beowulf or Paradise Lost, it was really a treat to relax in the evening with an engaging story that could sometimes even keep me up beyond bedtime because I just had to find out who did it!

When I decided to try my hand at writing fiction, I thought it would be easier to find a publisher for a mystery than for more serious fiction because mysteries are so extremely popular. My first few attempts at writing mysteries—never published—were in the traditional mystery style, as were the two mysteries I published with Five Star Press, a small press that was willing to consider unagented manuscripts—in other words, submitted directly by the author. They were set in the world of a struggling blues band, so not exactly cozy.

I realized that if I wanted to attract an agent and sell my work to a larger publisher, I should cultivate a style more in line with what was popular—and cozies had obviously become very popular. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and crafts, which make up a large part of the cozy universe, and I’ve lived in a pleasant small town for half my life—so I was well acquainted with the typical cozy setting.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

PE: I haven’t written anything but mysteries for many years, but I devoted much of my earlier writing life to nonfiction writing on topics relating to medieval literature, which was my specialty in grad school. I enjoyed those projects too, and that experience certainly gave me good writing habits—basically, just sit down and do it!

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

PE: In my Knit & Nibble mysteries Pamela Paterson, an attractive widow in her forties and founder of a knitting club in charming Arborville, NJ, uses her knowledge of yarns and fiber arts to solve murders that baffle the police.

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

PE: My favorite character is Bettina Fraser, Pamela’s friend and co-sleuth. Bettina is a composite of friends I’ve loved over the years—warm, outgoing, and loaded with personality. She’s quite the contrast to the more reserved and cerebral Pamela.

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

PE: I love the British mystery series like Midsomer Murders and, though it’s not exactly cozy, watching it gave me a lot of ideas for the Knit & Nibble series—the beautiful houses and gardens, the frequent scenes involving tea and goodies, the villages inhabited by eccentric people unaware of their eccentricities. Cozies are fun when they include humor, and I try for a very subtle sort of humor that pokes fun at the foibles of characters who are set in their ways.

The knitting club, nicknamed Knit and Nibble, is composed of six people—the same six people since almost the start of the series. At this point, we know them quite well and can predict who will be chatty, who will be grumpy, who will complain that people eat too much sugar, who will argue with whom and what they will argue about . . .

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

PE: I was actually recruited to write the Knit & Nibble series, by an agent who sells a lot to Kensington and had been told by an editor there that Kensington would like to acquire a series set in the world of a knitting club. A writer friend of mine gave him my name, for which I will be forever grateful. I learned to knit as a teenager, so I definitely had the background to take on such a project.

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

PE: Jane Austen, George Eliot, Raymond Chandler, and Dorothy Sayers

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

PE: I usually read non-fiction when I’m actively writing because I don’t want to get another fiction writer’s voice in my brain. My sister gives me books related to fashion and fiber arts and crafts, with the idea that they can inspire topics for the articles my protagonist edits in her day job as associate editor of a craft magazine. I just finished The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives, by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux. Next on the list is The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, by Virginia Postrel.

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

PE: I’ve always loved to cook—all kinds of things. I have a big collection of cookbooks and I’m always trying new recipes. I knit and crochet and do needlework. Instead of going to the mall these days, I go to estate sales and rummage around through the often very nice things that people no longer need. I often find lovely yarn-relayed craft items that someone made by hand and I often buy them and repair them if they need tender loving care.

Each of my Knit & Nibble mysteries includes a recipe and a knitting project at the end. I have a lot of fun creating recipes and knitting projects for these “bonus features.” Each of the books has its own page on my website and pictures of the bonus feature food and knitted creations appear there. A separate tab, “Yarn Mania,” opens a blog where I record photos and descriptions of my estate-sale finds: https://peggyehrhart.com/category/yarn-mania/

I also play the guitar.


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

PE: Olive oil, good cheese, pasta of all sorts, tomatoes.

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

PE: I’m just now writing a Knit & Nibble novella to be included in Kensington’s 2025 St. Patrick’s Day-themed novella collection, Irish Soda Bread Murder. My novella will be called An Irish Recipe for Murder. When I finish that, I’ll start Knit & Nibble #12.
 

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

PE: I like the fact that I can reach people beyond my immediate circle of family and friends with my ideas. Many—even, maybe, most—writers grow up as bookworms, quite shy and self-contained. They may be surrounded by people who aren’t interested in the things they’re interested in and don’t even understand why a person would be interested in those things.

Writing is like enclosing a message in bottle and tossing it on the waves hoping it reaches a receptive reader.

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

 Knitmare on Beech Street (A Knit & Nibble Mystery) by Peggy Ehrhart

About Knitmare on Beech Street

Knitmare on Beech Street (A Knit & Nibble Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 10th in Series
Setting - Charming fictional town of Arborville, in northern New Jersey
Kensington Cozies (November 28, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback: ‎ 320 pages

Knit and Nibble member Pamela Paterson, and her best friend, Bettina, stumble on a body in a once grand Victorian house when they join a group welcoming new residents to Arborville—and must figure out if old secrets killed the new neighbor . . .

When Pamela, Bettina, and their friends show up at the Voorhees House to greet its new owner, they’re met with a most unwelcome sight: a dead body on the kitchen floor. Tassie Hunt just inherited the old Victorian, which had been occupied by a reclusive widow for many years and had a reputation for being haunted. But Tassie would have been unlikely to be spooked since her career involved debunking such paranormal phenomena.

Her demise sets off a new flurry of gossip and ghostly speculation in the New Jersey town, of course—and it’s tempting to think spirits were indeed involved considering there’s zero evidence so far of foul play. A nosy neighbor reports strange lights and sounds, and a man obsessed with the Victorian era starts photographing the place from the street. But it won’t take long before Pamela and Bettina are moving in on a killer . . .

Excerpt

Pamela led the way down the steps, down the narrow concrete path, and along the sidewalk, until they reached another concrete path. From this path, steps led up to another porch, smaller and with a plainer railing, onto which the back door opened. Saying “I’ll try again,” Marlene hefted the gift basket and headed up the steps. As she pressed the doorbell, the rest of the group joined her on the porch one by one. Marlene turned away after a few minutes and much enthusiastic pressing of the doorbell. “No answer,” she murmured. “And I was sure ANGWY was clear about the date and time.” She shrugged, edged past the others, and started down the steps. Bettina, however, stepped closer to the door and tipped her head to peer at the doorframe. “I’m not sure it’s closed all the way,” she said and gave the door a tentative push. The door swung open easily. After a shrug and a glance at the other women, Bettina raised a stylishly shod foot and stepped over the threshold. “Tassie?” Her voice rang out with a cheerful lilt. “Hello? It’s the ANGWY committee.” She disappeared inside, but a moment later she was back in the doorway. Her cheer had vanished, leaving her face a wan canvas that made her careful makeup appear garish. Ignoring her heart’s sudden lurch, Pamela took a few quick steps and joined her friend in the doorway. Bettina backed up against the door, anchoring it in a fully open position, and Pamela slipped past her into the kitchen. A woman lay sprawled on the ancient linoleum, a slender blonde woman wearing a light cotton robe printed with small flowers in shades of blue and lilac . . .

About Peggy Ehrhart

Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a doctorate in Medieval Literature. Her Maxx Maxwell mysteries, Sweet Man Is Gone (2008) and Got No Friend Anyhow (2011), were published by Five Star/Gale/Cengage and feature a blues-singer sleuth.

Peggy is currently writing the Knit & Nibble mysteries for Kensington Books. Her amateur sleuth, Pamela Paterson, is the founder and mainstay of the Arborville, New Jersey, knitting club, nicknamed Knit and Nibble. Knitmare on Beech Street is book #10 in the series. Peggy herself is an avid crafter, dating from her childhood as a member of the 4-H Club in rural Southern California.

Peggy is a longtime member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She regularly attends mystery-writing conferences and participates in conference panels. She also gives talks on mystery fiction at libraries and other venues in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

Author Links: 

Website: www.PeggyEhrhart.com  

Yarn Mania Blog on my website: https://peggyehrhart.com/category/yarn-mania/  

Goodreads Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/534678.Peggy_Ehrhart/blog  

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