Purr M for an Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome T.C. LoTempio to Cozy Up With Kathy. T.C. writes the Cat Rescue Mystery series. PURR M FOR MURDER, the first book in the series, will be released March 14, 2017.

Kathy: In PURR M FOR MURDER Sydney McCall and her sister, Kat, run a local animal shelter. Animal shelters do such important work. Have you ever volunteered or otherwise helped out your local shelter?

TCL: Not volunteered per se, but I have done a bit of fundraising and donated autographed books for them to sell to raise money for the shelter. And of course I’ve done my part by adopting my cats over the years from rescue groups and animal shelters!


Kathy: When the sisters get involved with murder Toby, a savvy orange tabby, is there to help out. Is Toby based on a real cat?

TCL: Yes, Toby is based on my own orange and white cat, MAXX. Maxx is what I call my “gentleman cat”. He is always very respectful and he loves to curl up next to mommy and snooze. Don’t’ get near him at food time, though, because then he turns from Dr. Jekyll cat into Mr. Hyde!!!!! Nothing separates Maxx from his food!


Kathy: My family currently consists of 5 cats, 2 rats, and a horse. Do you have furry (or feathered, finned, or scaled) family members?

TCL: The aforementioned Maxx, and his brother ROCCO. ROCCO is a feisty, twenty-five pound black and white tuxedo who provided the inspiration for my Nick and Nora mystery series. ROCCO is also the owner of his own blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com which he allows me to help him with (seeing as I have opposable thumbs for typing and he, sadly, does not)


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

TCL: I’ve always been a big fan of mysteries in general. They’ve always been my favorite ever since I devoured my first Nancy Drew book at age ten. After that I graduated to the “hard stuff” – Erle Stanley Gardner and Agatha Christie – and naturally gravitated to the cozy genre when I became a staunch devotee of Murder She Wrote.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

TCL: I actually started out writing horror, but that changed when I was told that unless you were Stephen King, there was no market for it. I’ve published a few horror/supernatural suspense books at a small press, and I’ve also self- published three romantic supernatural suspense novels under Toni LoTempio. I did write a novel about a vampire slayer who’s allergic to vampires, but so far my agent hasn’t been able to sell that one yet. J


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

TCL: I’ll talk about the new one first. The Cat Rescue series debuted from Crooked Lane this month. It centers around the McCall sisters, Sydney and her sister Katherine, also known as Kat. Syd returns to her hometown of Deer Park, North Carolina after a bad break up to help her sister run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Syd’s only in town a few days before stumbling across a corpse - Trowbridge Littleton, who recently vowed to close down Friendly Paws, the animal shelter run by Syd’s sister, Kat. With Kat high on the suspect list, Syd has to investigate a colorful roster of Littleton-haters, much to the consternation of Detective Will Worthington, her ex high school crush.

The Nick and Nora mystery series from Penguin/Random House centers around Nora Charles, an ex-true crime reporter who’s returned to her hometown of Cruz, California to take over running her late mothers specialty sandwich shopper and instead finds herself solving mysteries with the aid of a chubby yet dapper tuxedo cat named Nick!


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

TCL: I love whatever character I’m writing about at the time but if I had to pick one, I’d pick Nick the cat. There is so much of my own cat ROCCO in him that I find it impossible not to love him.


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

TCL: For the Nick and Nora series, it came to me watching a Thin Man movie on tv. For the Cat Rescue series, a coffee house was the original locale, but that changed when my publisher decided he wanted a series set in an animal shelter – cue the rewrite.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

TCL: Well, Penguin and Crooked Lane made me an offer I couldn’t refuse LOL. If you’re asking about the self-published ones, they were stories that I’d tried to interest an agent in but couldn’t, and I wanted to get them out there.


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

TCL: Hmmm…definitely JD Robb (Nora Roberts), Earl Stanley Gardner, Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe. That would make quite a group, wouldn’t it??????


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

TCL: I just finished Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs and I’m getting ready to start Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James. In addition to writing books, I also write a suspense column for Night Owl magazine and I am also one of their cozy mystery reviewers.


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

TCL: Besides writing, I enjoy reading, collecting antique books, playing with my cats and watching old movies or series on television. I also like to swim, and I used to bowl before my back went out on me.


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

TCL: Iced tea, Almond milk, leftover Chinese, turkey TV dinners


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

TCL: Book 2 in the Cat Rescue series is completed, and I have Books 3&4 outlined in the expectation that the series will continue on! J

Right now the future of the Nick and Nora series is still up in the air, but I do have books 4-7 completed. They will certainly see light of day--there just might be a short break while we get our ducks in a row.


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

TCL: Definitely the camaraderie I share with fellow mystery authors, and the wonderful fans that I meet! They make writing all worthwhile!

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Review 

PURR M FOR MURDER by T.C. LoTempio

The First Cat Rescue Mystery

After finding her fiance in bed with her secretary, Sydney McCall quits her job and moves back to North Carolina to help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter. Syd is planning a major event with the cats at a local bakery and everyone agrees it's a wonderful idea. Everyone, that is except the town Scrooge. Trowbridge Littleton is a rich, arrogant bully who happens to own most of Deer Park. When he threatens to not only shut down the event, but the shelter itself, Kat sees red. Syd decides to pay Littleton an early morning visit in order to reason with him, but finds her sister there as well and together they find his dead body.

With dreams of Nancy Drew and a one time desire to be a homicide detective, Syd aims to use her natural investigative instincts solve the crime herself. Aided by a wandering cat who finally chose his human, Syd begins to sort through the suspects, digging up far more dirt and many more motives than she ever imagined! Will she be able to clear her sister or will her former high school sweetheart arrest Kat for murder?

PURR M FOR MURDER is a delightful start to a new series. Personable characters, charming cats (including an extra special one) a nefarious victim, and a slew of viable suspects make this first book in the cat Rescue Mystery series a winner.

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Kneaded to Death - Review & Giveaway

Review

KNEADED TO DEATH by Winnie Archer

The First Bread Shop Mystery

After her mother is killed in a hit and run accident Ivy Culpepper returns to her hometown of Santa Linda, California. Grieving, Ivy finds comfort in the breads at Yeast of Eden, a bakery run by Olaya Solis. Deciding to take a bread class, Ivy is charmed by the owner and the friendly comaraderie of her classmates. A dispute outside the shop during break leads everyone outside, only to discover a fellow classmate sitting in her car...dead. 

The first Bread Shop mystery starts slowly, as if everything is weighed down by Ivy's grief. As the story progresses and Ivy gets more involved in investigating the murder, the bonds of grief lessen and the pace picks up. By the end, although there is still grief and always will be, Ivy discovers purpose and is free to live again.

KNEADED TO DEATH explores the mother/daughter bond. To what lengths will each go for each other and their beliefs? At the heart of this novel is the importance of a connection between women, not only mother/daughter, but surrogate mother/daughter, sisters, and friends. 

KNEADED TO DEATH is a solid start to a new series. Interesting and well developed characters and the fascinating dynamics between multigenerational women provide depth and meaning to a well crafted mystery with plenty of surprises.

Recipes included. In fact, I was thrilled that the recipe I most wanted was included. While I may never attempt to bake my own baguette I shall certainly give Oyala's gruyere and black pepper popovers a try!

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Purr M for Murder by T.C. LoTempio. This book is the first in the Cat Rescue Mystery series and will be released next week.

After finding her fiance in bed with her secretary, Sydney McCall quits her job and moves back to North Carolina to help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter. Syd is planning a major event with the cats at a local bakery and everyone agrees it's a wonderful idea. Everyone, that is except the town Scrooge. Trowbridge Littleton is a rich, arrogant bully who happens to own most of Deer Park. When he threatens to not only shut down the event, but the shelter itself, Kat sees red. Syd decides to pay Littleton an early morning visit in order to reason with him, but finds her sister there as well and together they find his dead body.

With dreams of Nancy Drew and a one time desire to be a homicide detective, Syd aims to use her natural investigative instincts solve the crime herself. Aided by a wandering cat who finally chose his human, Syd begins to sort through the suspects, digging up far more dirt and many more motives than she ever imagined! Will she be able to clear her sister or will her former high school sweetheart arrest Kat for murder?

Fatality by Firelight - Review & Giveaway

Review

FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT by Lynn Cahoon

The Second Cat Latimer Mystery

Cat Latimer is ready to put the unpleasantness of her last writing retreat behind her as she gears up for her second. She gets another odd group however, including a writer more interested in researching local history than writing, an intense poet, and a romance writer falling for a local bad boy. When the local bad boy turns up dead and Christina becomes a suspect, Cat knows she needs to step in. Cat gets more than she bargained for as she discovers her quiet Colorado town serves as the educational hub of mob families and her late ex-husband may not have been the louse she thought, instead he may have been working to protect her. As Cat sparks the interest of a connected visitor to the town, she also tries to evaluate her relationship with Seth...and find some closure with Michael. Will she be able to get through her second retreat and still get her word count in without any more dead bodies?

Lynn Cahoon delivers another fine mystery in FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT. The characters are well developed with solid backstories. Even the more minor characters are able to give glimpses of their lives beyond the page. The author is able to manage the current murder mystery with puzzles of the past, both compelling, and neither overshadowing the other.

FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT is a well written novel that wraps you up in coziness. The frigid Colorado temperatures are countered by the warmth of Cat and her friends, buffeted by the murder and puzzles that surround them.

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Hair is Gold - Guest Post & Giveaway

Hair is Gold 
by Nancy J. Cohen

While doing research for Facials Can Be Fatal, I came across the global human hair trade. The international marketplace calls it black gold, and it’s a trade worth nine hundred million dollars. Forty percent of the hair sold is made into extensions. Blonde is the most popular color because it can be dyed more easily. Wavy hair has the bestselling texture. The United States, Britain, and China are the three major world buyers.

How appropriate that my hairstylist sleuth, Marla Vail, discovers this information after one of her day spa clients dies during a facial. Here Marla is telling her colleague, Nicole, what she’s learned.

Nicole stuck a comb into the Barbicide jar. “If forty percent of the hair is used for extensions, what’s done with the rest?”

Standing by her station, Marla looked up the notes she’d written on her smartphone. “Shorter hair from men is used by chemical companies. The amino acids in hair have multiple industrial uses, including food additives. It’s cheaper than synthetic sources.”

“Eww. How would I know I’m eating it?”

“Look for an ingredient labeled L-cysteine. It can be used to leaven bread, for example.” Marla read from her notes. “Human hair is first dissolved in acid. The L-cysteine, isolated by a chemical process, is packaged and shipped to commercial bread makers. Other sources of this amino acid include chicken or duck feathers and petroleum by-products.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Listen to this. Most of the hair used to make the L-cysteine comes from the floors of barbershops and hair salons in China. There’s also a temple in India where people donate their hair to their god as an act of humility. They shave your head, then women sweep it up and throw it into a giant steel vat. It gets sold at auction to the international market.”

Nicole stared at the strands of hair littering their floor, the remnants of haircuts that the assistant had yet to sweep up. “So you’re saying we’re standing on a gold mine.”

“So to speak. I’ve even read reports of Russian prisoners having their heads shaved against their will, and the harvesting of hair from corpses.”

“Gross. I don’t think I’ll buy baked goods anymore.”

“It’s also a flavor enhancer and may have other uses in the food industry.”

“So how can you tell where the L-cysteine ingredient comes from, whether it’s animal in origin or synthetic?”

“There isn’t any way to tell if it’s not on the label. If you’re concerned, I’d suggest trying kosher goods or vegan items. They’d be a safer bet.”

“I think I’ve learned more than I wanted to know, thanks.”

As a writer, you never know when a tidbit of information you come across might be useful. I keep a clipping file, and any articles from newspapers or magazines that I find intriguing get put into this file. My interest in the human hair trade came from an article out of National Geographic dated years ago. This inspired my current research that ended up in Facials Can Be Fatal.

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Facials Can Be Fatal by Nancy J. Cohen

During the frenzy of the December holidays, the last thing salon owner Marla Vail needs is a dead body slathered in a green facial mask at her new day spa. The victim, Valerie Weston, was a major donor for Friends of Old Florida, a historic building preservation society. Marla’s stylists are scheduled to work backstage at their upcoming gala fashion show, but Val’s demise might put a crimp in their plans. Hoping to salvage her reputation, Marla determines to track down the suspects. As she learns more about Val, she realizes the benefactress might have stumbled onto secrets others would kill to keep. She’d better prepare for a body count that has nothing to do with hot stone massages and everything to do with murder.

View the Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/6OTw5232Eeg

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Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list, been selected by Suspense Magazine as best cozy mystery, and won third place in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, she is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

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LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW for your chance to win an ebook copy of Permed to Death (Bad Hair Day #1) revised Author’s Edition. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you should you win and leave your comment no later than 11:59pm EST Monday, March 6, 2017.

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