Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Wouldn't it be Deadly by D.E. Ireland. This book is the first in the Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery series and was published last year. D.E. Ireland takes the wonderful characters created by George Bernard Shaw and expounds on their lives after the Embassy Ball in 1913. Higgins and Colonel Pickering have gone on two month tour of Spain, studying dialects. Upon their return to London Higgins discovers that Eliza has become the assistant of Maestro Nepommuck, giving diction lessons herself. Not only that, Nepommuck has been advertising is was he who transformed this Cockney flower girl into a lady. Seeking to give the blighter his comeuppance, Higgins delves into the Hungarians shady past-and gives the information to the papers. What Higgins didn't expect was for someone to then murder the Maestro and for Eliza to find the body! Now Higgins is the number one suspect and Eliza is out to clear his name.

Spotlight - Magic and Macaroons

I'd like to shine a spotlight on a July release: Magic and Macaroons by Bailey Cates. This book is the 5th book in the Magical Bakery Mystery series. I really love this series, but confess that although I own all of them...I'm behind in reading them!

From the back cover:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Some Enchanted Eclair comes a tale of delicious desserts and supernatural sleuthing. ...

For magical baker Katie Lightfoot, the only way to beat the Savannah summer heat is to whip up some really cool treats for the Honeybee Bakery's patrons. But when a meeting of the spellbook club is interrupted by a stranger collapsing on the floor of her shop, mumbling something about a voodoo talisman, Katie drops everything to begin investigating.

Her search for answers quickly leads her into a dangerous blend of Savannah's most potent witches, a powerful missing charm-and a killer who seems to be targeting the city's magical community. And with the case getting hotter by the second, Katie will have to work fast to track down the talisman and the killer before the timer runs out. ...

Recipes included.

A Musubi Interview and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Frankie Bow to the blog today. Frankie writes the Molly Barda Mystery series. The Musubi Murder, just released this month, is the first book in the series.

Kathy: When many people think of Hawaii they think of a perfect vacation filled with beaches and glorious weather. What made you choose it for a collegiate murder mystery?

FB: You’re right—most people do think of Hawaii as a vacation spot, which isn’t a bad thing, as our economy depends on tourism. But we’re also ethnically diverse, geographically isolated , and very expensive. My protagonist, Professor Molly Barda, is a mainland transplant. The reader can experience adjusting to life in Hawaii as Molly tries Spam musubi, learns to take her shoes off before entering someone’s house, and tries to understand Pidgin.


Kathy: Having worked on a college campus for many years, I know the intrigue and drama that can be found there. Have you had similar experiences and did they influence The Musubi Murder?

FB: First of all, I should state that Mahina State University is entirely fictional, and no one in the book is based on anyone I know. Having said that, I can say that at least one scandalous subplot in The Musubi Murder is based on a real news item. In that case, an administrator was sent to prison. As far as the characters, some of them may have elements of people I have met.


Kathy: A grisly prank causes the college problems. Did you pull pranks, not necessarily grisly ones, when you were younger...or now?

FB: One time, when I was very young and working at my first industry job, I had a sort of friendly rivalry with a coworker. I had an undergraduate degree from a state school, and my friend would go around flaunting his posh MBA. So to demonstrate the value of my degree, I suppose, I sneaked over to his workstation when he wasn’t there and edited his prompt (we were using a UNIX system). The next time he went to start his computer, he got an onscreen message telling him that his drive was being reformatted and all of his files were being deleted. It was very realistic and I was rather proud of my handiwork. I intercepted him as he was racing over to our IT department and told him the truth. He found the whole thing far less entertaining than I did. Bill, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

FB: I started reading Agatha Christie when I was around ten years old, and I’ve always liked mysteries with a touch of humor. I love Sarah Caudwell’s Hilary Tamar mysteries, which are beautifully written and hilarious, and describe all manner of bad behavior without ever getting graphic. I prefer it when the author draws a polite curtain over explicit sex or gore.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

FB: Yes, a children’s series.

The Adventures of Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat is part of the Molly Barda universe. Molly has an Alice Mongoose t-shirt and is a fan of the books.

The mongoose was brought in to Hawaii to get rid of the rats in the cane fields. That didn’t work out, because the rats were nocturnal, so the mongoose were asleep when the rats were out and about.

Alice Mongoose takes a ship to Hawaii to seek her fortune, and is horrified to find out on the way over that her job is to find and kill rats. Alice isn’t cut out to be a killer. She wears pearls and gloves and a print dress and a little cloche hat, and she loves to sit down at a properly-set table to a meal of eggs.

The first rat Alice meets in Hawaii is Alistair. She’s heard all about how rats are vicious and aggressive, but Alistair is very polite and gentle and he wears a little monocle, and is very nearsighted so he doesn’t realize at first that Alice is a mongoose, and they become friends.

I'm working with a very talented illustrator to "reissue" the work of Mary Pfaff, the (fictional) author of the Alice Mongoose books. A percentage of the sales will go to Three Ring Ranch, an exotic-animal sanctuary on the Big Island.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

FB: The Musubi Murder is Book One of the Molly Barda mysteries. Waiting in the wings are: 

Molly Barda and the Cursed Canoe

Molly Barda and the Black Thumb

Molly Barda and the Invasive Species

Molly Barda and the Blessed Event

And a prequel, tentatively titled The Case of the Defunct Adjunct.

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

FB: Rather than any single character, I like the friendship and interaction among the three main characters, Molly, biology professor Emma Nakamura, and newsblogger / part time composition instructor Patrick Flanagan. They needle one another constantly, but there is a very deep affection among the three of them.


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

FB: I write what I like to read: Mysteries with humor, no explicit sex or violence, but not completely on the “sweet” end of the spectrum. Sue Grafton’s books are a good example.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

FB: I sent the manuscript to Five Star, which has a great selection of classic and traditional mysteries, and fortunately they liked it and picked it up!


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

FB: Sarah Caudwell, Dorothy Parker, E.F. Benson, and P.G. Wodehouse. I would listen to the conversation and probably not say a word the whole time.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

FB: I’m reading The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis. It’s set at Oxford University, and has academic intrigue as well as time travel into the Middle Ages.


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

FB: I have to admit that writing has squeezed out a lot of my other interests. I have been known to leave my computer on occasion to attend a swing dance or tango event.


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

FB: Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam. Seriously, we have doomsday-prepper amounts of Spam in our pantry.


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

FB: After a frustrating day at work, I can sit down in front of my computer, pull up my word processor, and ask myself, “OK, who needs to die?”

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Frankie Bow

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THE MUSUBI MURDER August 2015

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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!”

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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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A Crushed Velvet Interview & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Diane Vallere to the blog today. Diane writes the Material Witness Mystery series and Crushed Velvet, the second book in the series, was just released this month!

Kathy: Polyester Monroe is about to open her fabric and notions shop, Material Girl. Do you sew?

DV: I do sew, more so now that I'm writing Poly's story than I did before that. Even when I go through dry spells, I sew in October when it's time to make costumes.

Kathy: Although I don't really sew I do enjoy looking through notions and using them in craft projects. Do you have a favorite notion?

DV: I can't explain why, but I love the notions aisle in the fabric store. I especially love all of the colorful zippers and seam binding. And racks of colorful thread. And buttons! Really, anything small and colorful.

Kathy: Fabric is fun. Do you have a favorite fabric?

DV: Lately I've been enjoying 100% cotton. Once it goes through the washer and dryer and is shrunk, I know it's always going to be the same size. Plus, it's easy to work with because it doesn't have a lot of stretch. Lastly, because of quilting, there's a huge assortment of whimsical patterns available.

Kathy: Poly's friend, Genevieve, owns a local tea shop. Are you a fan of tea? Do you have a favorite tea?

DV: I enjoy tea now and then. I generally drink Darjeeling, but mostly because I like saying the word.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

DV: Long before I knew there was an actual term for them, I enjoyed mysteries that had characters who I'd like to spend time with, ones who felt like regular everyday people. I liked falling into their worlds, experiencing their worlds, and reading about their pets. I've also always loved mysteries, having been a big fan of Trixie Belden, Connie Blair, Nancy Drew, and The Three Investigators, and cozies felt like grown up versions of these books.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

DV: I've written women's fiction, middle grade, and a more traditional mystery, but all are unpublished. When I have the time, I'd like to do the work on them and expand into other genres, but for now, I'm enjoying the cozy world.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

DV: The Material Witness series features Polyester Monroe, who inherits the fabric store where she was born. When she decides to reopen the long-closed store, it gives her life new purpose and opens the rest of her world up to possibilities.

The Madison Night series features an interior decorator who specializes in mid-century modern and watches Doris Day movies to teach herself the design styles of the fifties and sixties. Madison is in her late forties, has shut out the world after being hurt too many times, but is learning that it's never too late to take chances.

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

DV: This is a very tough question to answer, and I’m not sure that I can! I will say that I really like writing Vaughn McMichael and how he and Poly interact.

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

DV: I used to pass an old fabric store on my drive home from work. It was called House of a Thousand Fabrics. It looked like it had been around since the fifties. I couldn’t tell if it was open or not (apparently it was but has since closed), but I used to wonder what kind of treasures were inside, and then I thought, what if it had been closed but nobody ever emptied it out? That became Land of a Thousand Fabrics, the store that Poly inherited.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

DV: Probably a bit of vanity. I had so much fun writing books and creating characters that I wanted them to find an audience.

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

DV: Meg Cabot, Mildred Wirt Benson, Sue Grafton, and Judy Blume. And I’d ask Kendel Lynn, who is also an author, to co-host. Is that cheating?

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

DV: Really exciting stuff: Public Relations for Dummies and Web Design Demystified. I need a cozy—stat!

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

DV: I love watching old movies, especially when I get to see them in theaters. And reading, of course! I go through phases of sewing, decorating, sketching. I love wandering through antique malls and flea markets, looking for midcentury treasures. And for quiet time, I like to go to the beach early in the morning when nobody else is there.

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

DV: Oregano, popcorn, Japanese gyoza, and peanut butter.

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

DV: There will be at least one more Material Witness book, Silk Stalkings, which comes out in August 2016. In February, I have a new series called the Costume Shop Cozy Series. The first book is A Disguise to Die For.

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

DV: I love the days when I get completely lost in the story and forget about everything else. That’s when I know something is working!

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Spellcasting in Silk by Juliet Blackwell. This book is the 7th in her Witchcraft Mystery series, one of my all time favorite series! All is going well for Lily Ivory. She has a thriving business, her new romance is blossoming, and she's more accepting of herself and the friendships offered her. However, her quiet happiness is dimmed with the arrival of her friend, San Francisco Homicide detective Carlos Romero who requests her help with a botanica gone wild. Add to the problem, the curandera owner is jailed for her "part" in the suicide of a customer and her granddaughter has disappeared. But was it suicide, or was it murder? And what does the death of one of Maya's elders for her oral history project have to do with it? When it comes to the "special" missing girl I find I agree with Oscar, "She's trouble, is what she is." Yet Lily sees herself in young Selena and will do everything she can to help. Trouble is brewing, not only with the curandera, but a certain green eyed monster is trying to emerge as Sailor gets special training from his Rom "cousin" and Lily tries to get information from one time boyfriend, reporter Max Carmichael.  Will Lily be able to get her normal happiness back?

Rosie Genova - Guest Post - Review - Giveaway

A Guest Post  by Rosie Genova

So often when friends and family read an author’s books—particularly one written in the first person—they make the assumption that the author and the narrator/main character are one and the same. When my mom read my first book, an unpublished romantic comedy, she learned that the main character’s dad had died, and that the young woman’s mother was dating a man who owned several car dealerships. As she was reading, she turned to my father with a satisfied air and said: “Hah! She’s killed you and given me a rich boyfriend.”

Um, no, Mom. That’s not how it works.

In interviews though, I am often asked how much of my own experience informs that of my main character, Victoria Rienzi. Like Victoria, I worked in Italian restaurants. I appreciate good food. I love the Jersey shore, listen to Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra, and share her terror of boardwalk rides. But that’s about it. Here’s where my amateur sleuth and I part ways:

· I do not, under any circumstances, chase down murderers. That’s why God gave us 911.

· I am a bit—okay, quite a bit—older than Victoria.

· My father does not have a gambling problem and my mother does not have big hair. At least not now.

· I do not, alas, have two hunky guys vying for my attention. Those days are long gone, gentle readers.

· Her jokes, her real estate (a seaside cottage) and her legs are all much better than my own.

When I’m in the process of writing, however, in some ways, I become my narrator. I live inside her head, think her thoughts and feel her feelings. I get afraid when a suspect is on to her. I’m triumphant when she works out a piece of the mystery. And yes, I get a little vicarious thrill when those cute guys are fighting over me…I mean her.

But after I hit “save” and shut down that computer, the spell is broken. It’s something of a relief to go back to being Rosie, whose only puzzle to solve is the crossword and whose biggest mystery is that ever burning question: What am I going to make for dinner?

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Review

A Dish Best Served Cold by Rosie Genova
The Third Italian Kitchen Mystery

A storm is brewing on the Jersey Shore and soon Vic Rienzi finds herself in its midst. An old family friend, who also happens to be a dissolute, unwanted semi-nuisance, tells Vic he has stories to tell for her mysteries, but before he is able to tell anything he is found dead. Is he simply a victim of the hurricane, or a victim of someone who needed his silence? While most people believe his death was merely an accident, Vic and her sister in law start following a lead Stinky Pete gave; the name of Vic's great uncle. Vic and SIL soon uncover a family history with mob connections...connections that might still be alive with a desire to remain undetected.


Everyone has secrets. What lengths would you go to to protect yours? Secrets, and the protection thereof, are at the heart of A Dish Best Served Cold. Secrets come in all types, from family secrets to secrets kept from a prospective romantic partner, and more. In this book we are also are witness to the very protective nature of family; keeping secrets to save face and the family's good name and/or attacking those who threaten to expose the secrets of those you love. And secrets can also be a motive for murder, but which ones?

Rosie Genova has delivered another delicious addition to her Italian Kitchen mystery series. I'm once again transported to the Jersey Shore where I can feel the salt breeze on my skin and smell the oregano and simmering sauces emanating from Casa Lido. Genova captures the essence of family, the good and the bad, and combines it with a complex mystery. Genova deftly melds a great ensemble cast of fully developed characters with humor in a fully realized locale and creates a fun, cozy read. Despite a hurricane and murder, I want to spend time with Vic and enjoy Nonna's Bolognese!


Italian Recipes Included



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