Grand Slam Murders (A Bridge to Death Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

After four bridge players are poisoned, newspaper reporter Wendy Winchester sets out to catch a killer who’s not playing with a full deck . . .

When the four wealthy widows who make up the venerable Rosalie Bridge Club never get up from their card table, this quiet Mississippi town has its first quadruple homicide. Who put cyanide in their sugar bowl? An aspiring member and kibitzer with the exclusive club, Wendy takes a personal interest in finding justice for the ladies.

She also has a professional motivation. A frustrated society columnist for the Rosalie Citizen, she’s ready to deal herself a better hand as an investigative reporter. This could be her big break. Plus, she has a card or two up her sleeve: her sometimes boyfriend is a detective and her dad is the local chief of police.

Partnering up with the men in her life, Wendy starts shuffling through suspects and turning over secrets long held close to the chest by the ladies. But when a wild card tries to take her out of the game, Wendy decides it’s time to up the ante before she’s the next one to go down . . .

Guest Post

Hello, Mystery Readers!  My name is Wendy Lyons Winchester, and I am in the midst of a quadruple homicide investigation.  But I’m not a police detective—I’m a newspaper reporter in my hometown of Rosalie, Mississippi, an eccentric and multi-layered, historic Mississippi River port.  Three  years ago I returned to my hometown of Rosalie with a journalism degree from Mizzou and took the only newspaper position available to me at the time: writing the social column.  Which is another way of saying I do fluff pieces on weddings, baby showers and sip ‘n sees.  It is way past time for me to move on.  (If I have to describe another bouquet, I will hurl!)

Unfortunately, the four wealthy widows who comprised the exclusive Rosalie Bridge Club were all recently poisoned during one of their bridge luncheons.  Someone stirred cyanide-laced sugar into their coffees, and they were all DOA at the Rosalie General Hospital.  The town was shaken to its roots, and I was among the most traumatized.  The Gin Girls, as they had nicknamed themselves due to their fondness for the juniper berry brew, had recently admitted me to the club as a fledgling member, and I was slowly learning the fine points of the social game of bridge in my spare time.

Thinking on my feet, I went to my impossibly-sexist editor, Dalton Hemmings, and proposed that he allow me to do a series of features on the ladies and their families.  He approved the assignment, but what he doesn’t know is that I plan to do enough research to solve these crimes myself, and then Mr. Hemmings will have to consider giving me a promotion to full-time investigative reporter.  I also have an advantage in that my father, Bax, is chief of police, and my sometimes boyfriend, Ross, is a police detective.  I expect a leak or two from their official investigation to fall from their lips in my daily encounters with them.

I invite you to follow me as I question one suspect after another and eventually figure out the monstrous solution to these Grand Slam Murders when the Rosalie Police Department cannot.

About the Author

R. J. Lee follows in the mystery-writing footsteps of his father, R. Keene Lee, who wrote fighter pilot and detective stories for Fiction House, publishers of WINGS Magazine and other ‘pulp fiction’ periodicals in the late ’40’s and ’50’s. Lee was born and grew up in the Mississippi River port of Natchez but also spent thirty years living in the Crescent City of New Orleans. A graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) where he studied creative writing under Sewanee Review editor, Andrew Lytle, Lee now resides in Oxford, Mississippi.

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Murder, She Meowed (A Pawsitively Organic Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Kristan “Stan” Connor loves concocting tasty organic treats for dogs and cats—and she also loves her fiancé, pub owner Jake McGee. But she’s not so enthusiastic about finding a dead body at her own bachelorette party . . .

Stan and Jake’s wedding will soon take place on the town green in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, followed by a reception at their beloved Irish pub filled with friends, family, and their four favorite canine companions. Stan just has to endure the traditional girls’ night out first. Male strippers jumping out of gigantic cakes aren’t her preferred entertainment. But the hired hottie never gets around to taking it all off . . . because someone takes him out first with one of Stan’s kitchen knives. A heartbroken Stan recognizes the victim as one of the delivery men from the local farm—who must have been moonlighting for some extra cash. Now the guest list has turned into a suspect list—and Stan’s making a vow to find the killer . . .

Includes Gourmet Pet Food Recipes!

Guest Post

Today I am lucky to have Liz Mugavero here today sharing how she researches her books.

I get asked a lot how I do research for my books. The answer is, in lots of ways. I read, I Google, I talk to experts when I need to. I’ve even spent the day at a dairy farm for one of my books. But by far, my favorite research experiences have been involving law enforcement.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the Citizens’ Police Academy in my old town. I jumped at the chance to participate in the 11-week program because, well, you know me—I love this stuff. Crime, law enforcement, the whys of murder and mayhem, how it all fits together. I take every chance I get to do a deeper dive into how law enforcement works, the things cops  see and how it affects them.

Like the time I went to the fabulous Writer’s Police Academy. We did building searches, shot guns and dug up bodies from a shallow grave. Or the time when, as a journalist, I was asked to participate in a weekend-long SIG SAUER Academy program on handguns. Then there was the (now retired) chief of police whom I drafted as my consultant for another book. All of those experiences were invaluable.

Research like this has a huge impact on how I come up with ideas for a book and how I write about investigating a crime and other tactics. But it also helps me plot the book, develop characters, and ensure my setting fits with the story and the crime.

So I went into the program with the attitude of, Cool, I get to do more research, have more hands-on training, get to know some local police and hopefully get a contact on the force who’ll take my never-ending questions.

I have to admit, I was also curious about what I would find—both in town, and on the force. This town had a reputation. I’d lived there for about seven years before I took the course, and really only passed through on my way to work and home, or visit the food co-op, the gas station or a restaurant.

(Note – It’s kind of complicated, but I lived in the larger town and was not covered by the local police. Only the city district had its own force, and the rest of the town was covered by the state police.)

But it’s always good to get some understanding of your surroundings, right? So off I went, buoyed by the promise of SWAT teams and K9s and maybe, just maybe, getting to taser someone. I was like the nerdy kid looking forward to the first day of school.

I wasn’t disappointed. Sgt. Glode and Cpl. Miller, who ran the program, did a phenomenal job. This was the second iteration of the academy. There were about 30 of us—double the amount they expected, but they didn’t want to turn anyone away. The whole point, they said, was to educate the people of the town so they could take the message about what they do and how they do it back to the rest of the population.

Each week they focused on a different topic, and every officer on the force contributed. Some weeks had more than one topic, depending on subject matter. SWAT week, for instance, took the whole three hours. We got to see the weapons, sit in the MRAP (mine resistant, ambush protected military vehicle donated to the town), and even beat down a steel door with a battering ram.

During K9 week, we got to meet the three police dogs, all sworn officers, and watch them sniff out drugs their handlers had stashed for our benefit. During Use of Force week, we did drills—facing off with potential assailants and handling whatever situation arose. Some were able to talk their way out of it, others had to fight, still others had to taser. (Yes, I got to use the taser.) It was fun. It was also scary when you saw how fast things could go wrong.

Given the amount of news coverage lately about police use of force, this exercise was definitely timely. And so important, especially for people who have no experience with law enforcement and how they do their jobs. Experiencing it, even in a role-playing capacity, gives a whole new perspective. Now they can sort through the facts of a specific incident before passing judgment on either party for their actions. As another police officer so succinctly put it, “All lives matter.”

So what’d I learn, aside from the mechanics of tasering someone? Here’s a few:

You can’t judge a community by reputation alone. Every place has its problems. This place is lucky to have such a dedicated group of men and women protecting its citizens.

Riding a police bike through an obstacle course is really, really hard. You have to go wicked slow. For the record, I didn’t do it. I knew I would fall off the bike. Or take out most of the cones.

Cops get scared, too. I suppose I knew this already, but in a sure, everyone gets scared sort of way. These officers have to deal with serious, sometimes deadly situations. I give them major credit for hitting the streets every day. Give them some support and respect.

We all need to be part of the solution. Towns and cities won’t improve if everyone is fighting each other. Citizens who’ve taken courses like this can help simply by bringing the message to the rest of the public. Get everyone talking to each other and working together. It’s got to make a difference.

My grandfather was a policeman for nearly 30 years. He started out walking the beat and finally became a detective. He shared some stories with me, but not nearly enough before he died 18 years ago. Every time I get to do something like this, I feel like he’s finding a way to share more of his stories with me.

I’m thankful I got to be part of it. And I’m thankful to all the officers out there for their service.

P.S. The ride-along was fabulous, too!

About the Author

Liz Mugavero has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen (not many at the time). After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing bad, angst-filled poems, short stories and even a storyline for a soap opera–all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals despite all the usual questions including, “So are you going to be an English teacher with that degree in English?” or, “That writing thing sounds nice, but how are you REALLY going to make a living?”

She went on to get a master’s in writing and publishing and spent time in journalism, PR, and presently, corporate communications. And she’s confident this writing thing IS the way to make a living.

Aside from writing, she loves animals (has a houseful), the beach, reading other writers’ masterpieces and Starbucks coffee.

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A Murderous Marriage (A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Hardcover: 304 pages

Synopsis

Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, are preparing for a wedding, but it may not be the happy occasion everyone hopes for . . .

Since the Great War, some family fortunes have suffered, including those of the Renshaws. Despite being the granddaughter of an earl, Julia Renshaw is under pressure to marry for money—and has settled for Gilbert Townsend, a viscount and a wealthy industrialist. He is decades older than Julia, and it’s clear to her sister Phoebe—and to Eva, who has been like a surrogate mother to the girls—that this is not a love match. Nevertheless, the wedding takes place—and in a hurry.

At the reception aboard the groom’s yacht, there appears to be tension between Gil and several guests: his best man, a fellow veteran of the Boer War; his grouchy spinster sister; and his current heir, a nervous young cousin named Ernest. The bride is also less than pleased when she discovers that her honeymoon will be more crowded than expected—with Gil’s pretty secretary, among others, coming along.

That very night, Julia pounds on her sister’s door, brandishing a bandaged hand and reporting a hot-tempered outburst on her new husband’s part. Julia is feeling doubt and regret about her hasty decision, but returns to the boat. Then the next morning, before the yacht can depart the harbor, Gil’s body is found in the water below—and Phoebe and Eva must discover who pushed him over . . . before the Renshaws’ social standing is irreparably stained by Julia’s arrest for his murder . . .

About the Author

Alyssa Maxwell knew from an early age that she wanted to be a novelist. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles of all kinds drew her to the mystery genre. She and her husband reside in Florida, where she loves to watch BBC productions, sip tea in the afternoons, and delve into the past.

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Synopsis

DIY Diva Laurel McMillan learns that the high walls and guarded gates of Hawkeye Haven can’t protect her community. When Laurel takes her pampered, chocolate Labrador retriever, Bear, for an early morning walk, she finds her friend, security guard Bessie, bleeding and unconscious at her guardhouse post. If the attack on Bessie isn’t enough to set the resident’ nerves on edge, the murder of Victor Eberhart, the unpopular president of the powerful homeowners’ association, certainly does the trick. Despite teaching DIY classes and writing project instructions for her latest book, DIY for Dog Lovers, Laurel manages to squeeze in time for some DIY detective work. But as she gets closer to the truth, Victor’s killer would like nothing better than for the DIY Diva to take a dive.

Project instructions and dog treat recipes included.

About the Author

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

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

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

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

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

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The Gun Also Rises (A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Kensington (January 29, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Synopsis

TO RECOVER A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT . . .

A wealthy widow has asked Sarah Winston to sell her massive collection of mysteries through her garage sale business. While sorting through piles of books stashed in the woman’s attic, Sarah is amazed to discover a case of lost Hemingway stories, stolen from a train in Paris back in 1922. How did they end up in Belle Winthrop Granville’s attic in Ellington, Massachusetts, almost one hundred years later?

WILL SARAH HAVE TO PAY WITH HER LIFE?

Before Sarah can get any answers, Belle is assaulted, the case is stolen, a maid is killed, and Sarah herself is dodging bullets. And when rumors spread that Belle has a limited edition of The Sun Also Rises in her house, Sarah is soon mixed up with a mobster, the fanatical League of Literary Treasure Hunters, and a hard-to-read rare book dealer. With someone willing to kill for the Hemingway, Sarah has to race to catch the culprit—or the bell may toll for her . . .

Guest Post

It seemed like such a great job opportunity. Who wouldn’t want to get paid to organize and price a collection of mystery books? Add to that that I would be doing it in a lovely mansion with an attic that was a clean, well-lighted place to work. Hi, I’m Sarah Winston and I run a business organizing garage sales in Ellington, Massachusetts.

And it was great until I made a huge find! Hemingway manuscripts that were stolen in 1922 and thought to have disappeared forever. Hadley Hemingway was taking the train from Paris to Lausanne, Switzerland to meet Ernest. She thought he’d be delighted when she packed his Nick Adams manuscripts along with the carbon copies so he could show them to a friend. Once on the train, Hadley stashed her luggage and went in search of a bottle of water. When she came back the bag with the manuscripts was gone. Never to be seen again until I found them in Miss Belle’s attic almost one hundred years later.

I took the manuscripts straight down to Miss Belle and explained what they were. She looked so shocked. I confess I did wonder if it was shocking that I’d found them or shock that they were in her house. She quickly professed she no prior knowledge of their existence. If Miss Belle was lying she really deserves a best actress award.

So by now, you must be asking what isn’t great about this find? Oh, it’s what happened next. Something that I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I left the manuscripts with Miss Belle. She asked me to and it is her house so I couldn’t say no. Miss Belle wanted to think about how they could have possibly ended up here. Her exact words were, “Give me a few minutes alone, please.” And as I walked out of the room I heard her say, “How can this be?”

After continuing to sort through a stack of old Nancy Drew mysteries I decided to go back down and check on Miss Belle. As I went down the stairs I hear a thump and a cry. Not good. When I ran into Miss Belle’s study she was on the floor with a knot swelling up on the side of her head. The overnight case was nowhere to be found.

Miss Belle beseeched me to go in search of the manuscripts. I won’t tell you all of the details here, but it didn’t go well. And even though we tried to keep it quiet word got out that the manuscripts and been found then lost again. I swear people lost their minds. Reporters swarmed the town and this crazy group of people who called themselves The League of Literary Treasure Hunters were everywhere I turned. It got so bad I wasn’t even able to stay in my own apartment.

The only way to return to some sense of normalcy was to figure out who stole the manuscripts. It wasn’t easy and what happen shocked even me.

About the Author

Agatha award nominated author, Sherry Harris, started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.

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Picture Not Perfect (The Not So Reluctant Detectives)
Cozy Mystery/Romance/Humor
2nd in Series
Self Published (January 21, 2019)
Print Length: 230 pages

A picture tells a story. But is it the truth?

When the police find pictures of Melanie hanging up at her murdered colleague’s house, they’re convinced he was stalking her. Maybe she even killed him. Melanie was not being stalked! And she certainly didn’t kill her supposed stalker – as if. But Mel – always up for a bit of drama – jumps at the chance to go search for the real killer. When Mel’s ex-boyfriend, Owen, discovers her plans, he pulls out all the stops to ensure she’s safe and to win her back. No matter what happens with the murder investigation, he’s not letting her go. With the police setting their sights on Mel, he may need to jeopardize his own career on the police force to protect her.

Will Mel find the real killer before the detectives arrest her for murder?

Review

I had a love-hate relationship with this book.

On one hand, I loved the book and the mystery portion because I did not suspect the killer until the clues were all revealed at the end and it was quite a surprise how it all came together. I also loved the addition of Pru, the English Lit teacher that somehow found herself dragged into the middle of Melanie and Terri’s shenanigans. I even loved how we learned more about Melanie and Owen’s relationship and what went wrong or why Melanie broke it off with Owen.

On the other hand, I did not like Melanie at all, or very little. She was like the Energizer Bunny on speed and while we learn why she is this way, I felt like it was over the top and no sane person would jump to as many conclusions as she did throughout the book. While I know she is a suspect in her fellow teacher’s murder and wants to clear her name, it was just too much for me.

I should note that the first book had Terri as the protagonist and I enjoyed that book. Probably because Terri is calmer. There will be a third book that features Pru and based on what we know about her character I think it will be more like the first book.

Overall I did enjoy the book and do recommend it, just be warned that Melanie will be all over the highway with her theories and suspicions.

We give this 4 paws up

About the Author

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But practicing law really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out running a B&B wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

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Murder Wears a Little Black Dress (A Resale Boutique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Lyrical Underground (January 22, 2019)
Paperback: 200 pages

Manhattan fashionista Kelly Quinn thought she’d left her upstate New York town far behind . . . until the Seventh Avenue expat returns home to revamp her grandmother’s consignment shop into an upscale boutique—and unwittingly sets a trend for murder . . .

After her rising career as a Manhattan buyer is derailed, Kelly has mixed feelings about relocating back to Lucky Cove, in spite of her big plans for the soon-to-be-renamed Curated by Kelly Resale Boutique. What’s left of her luck starts running out when a customer puts on a black lace dress that triggers visions of someone being murdered. As if the haunted “Murder Dress” isn’t enough to kill business, the psychic’s doppelganger cousin has just been found bludgeoned to death.

Was Maxine LeMoyne the real target or was it a case of mistaken murder? With some creepy pre-Halloween bargain hunters walking the night and Kelly suddenly a person of interest, a second murder rocks the close-knit town. Now Kelly could be the one who ends up talking to dead people when she’s stalked by a killer determined to take her out in high style . . .

Review

The first book in a new series and it was very enjoyable! I love cozies anyway and this one checked off all the boxes of what I expect – a protagonist that inserts themselves into an investigation while not being a detective/police officer, red herrings, twists in the plot and with the characters, multiple suspects..the list goes on.

I have not read many series that center around a thrift/consignment store and so I found this one quite interesting since Kelly took over this store when her grandmother died and they have different objectives to make the store a success. Kelly has a background in fashion so it makes her the perfect person to run the shop. Granted she wants to put her own stamp on the shop but comes across resistance from her grandmother’s best friend and employee, Pepper. Change is hard but eventually, both Pepper and Kelly come to a mutual understanding.

The mystery itself was hidden well and I did not expect the twist at the end. I supposed I should have seen it coming because there are some subtle clues hidden in the text.

There is another mystery that isn’t revealed yet – who is Lulu that runs a blog and is spilling some information about Kelly’s shop that may or may not help? I can’t wait to find out how long the identity of this blogger remains a secret.

We give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie and Billy.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Romance Writers of America.

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Broken Heart Attack (Braxton Campus Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Independently Published (November 25, 2018)
Paperback: 270 pages

Synopsis

When an extra ticket becomes available to see the dress rehearsal of King Lear, Kellan tags along with Nana D and her buddies.

When one of them dies of an apparent heart attack in the middle of second act, Nana D raises her suspicions and asks Kellan to investigate the death. With family members suddenly in debt and a secret rendezvous between an unlikely pair, Kellan learns that the Paddingtons might not be as clean-cut as everyone thinks.

But can Kellan find the killer, or will he get caught up his own stage fright?

Braxton Campus Mysteries

Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)

Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)

Flower Power Trip – #3 (Early 2019)

Other Books

Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)

Father Figure (April 2018)

About the Author

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.

When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball,, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!

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Fashions Fade, Haunted Is Eternal (A Haunted Vintage Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (December 18, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

A photo shoot in a graveyard ends in a grave shooting . . .

Cookie Chanel—owner of the chic clothing store It’s Vintage Y’All in Sugar Creek, Georgia—has been hired to dress models for a fashion shoot. The spread will be featured in Fashion and Style magazine’s October issue—so the models are posing in a cemetery. As someone who can see and talk to ghosts, Cookie’s not spooked by the location. But she is surprised when a new ghost appears, decked out in 1920s couture. And she’s shocked when she hears a gunshot. Then a model runs toward her, saying the grumpy photographer has been edited out of the picture – for good. With help from her ghostly pals, Cookie must zoom in on the truth before she’s the next to strike a final pose . . .

Don’t Miss Cookie Chanel’s Shopping Tips!

Guest Post

Unlike the main character in my Haunted Vintage Mystery Series, I don’t have a ghost hanging around all day and night. Though I have visited my share of locations that are reported haunted. I thought I’d list a few of those places and the supposed paranormal activity that occurs.

1. Whispers Estate is a bed and breakfast in Mitchell, Indiana. The house has been featured on paranormal TV shows and has quite a bit of documented paranormal events. On my overnight stay I experienced several unexplained events. It’s a spooky place!
2. Jailer’s Inn- I stayed overnight in a cell! Thank goodness it wasn’t because I’d been arrested. Jailer’s Inn made the Travel Channel’s list of 10 Most Haunted Places. This former jail is now a bed and breakfast. Ghostly sounds and apparitions have been reported. Perhaps the inmates from bygone days are still serving out their sentences. One of the creepiest parts of the place is the courtyard outside. Hangings occurred there so it’s kind of eerie to try to enjoy your breakfast there on a sunny summer morning.
3. Next door to the Jailer’s Inn is the Talbot Tavern. Reportedly many famous people from the past stayed at the tavern. Including Abraham Lincoln and Jesse James. It’s claimed that the bullet holes from when Jesse James shot at the wall are still there today. The southern cuisine like bourbon BBQ ribs and cheese grits are reason enough to visit. However, if you want the possibility of seeing a ghost with your dinner you might want to stop in for a meal.
4. Perryville Battlefield. One the biggest Kentucky Civil War battles was fought there. This is one of my favorite places on earth. The landscape is beautiful and peaceful. A huge change from the days of the Civil War battle which once took place. Apparently, some of the soldiers are still hanging around. There are even accounts of hearing a ghost horse.
5. Louis Cemetery *1 is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans. Many people have reported seeing ghosts wandering around the old tombs. I braved a tour of the place in the daytime. After dark might be more than I could handle.
6. Morgan is located on Mobile Point at the end of Scenic Fort Morgan Peninsula. This Civil War fort is obviously full of history but is it full of ghosts too? With breathtaking views of the water and beaches to enjoy, it’s definitely worth the trip. You might run into a specter or two.

About the Author

Rose Pressey enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. The paranormal has always captured her interest. The thought of finding answers to the unexplained fascinates her.

When she’s not writing about werewolves, vampires and every other supernatural creature, she loves eating cupcakes with sprinkles, reading, spending time with family, and listening to oldies from the fifties. Yeah, she loves Elvis. She can’t help myself.

Rose lives in the beautiful commonwealth of Kentucky with her husband, son and two sassy Chihuahuas.

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Botched 4 Murder (Sophie Kimball Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (December 18, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages

Synopsis

Bowled over . . .

Sophie “Phee” Kimball is getting dragged into the drama again at her mom’s Arizona retirement community. A new board member wants to get rid of two golf courses and replace them with eco-friendly parks, and some of the residents are pretty teed off about it. On top of that, her mother’s book club friend Myrna is being pushed out of the bocce league. These seniors are serious about winning, and Myrna’s dragging them down. She’s so bad at bocce, in fact, that when a community mem.ber’s dead body is discovered while Myrna’s practicing for a tournament, she assumes it was one of her own errant balls that killed the woman.

But before Myrna can be tossed off the bocce court and into criminal court, the police find an arrow in the victim’s neck. It looks like this was no accident—and Phee and her investigator boyfriend Marshall will have to team up to bounce a killer into the slammer . . .

Guest Post

It’s Not Start up Fatigue, It’s Distraction Fatigue

By Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp, writing as J. C. Eaton

Juggling three mystery series can be daunting, but we’re retired and we should have plenty of time. So how come we don’t? We finally figured out what’s preventing us from maximizing our work time. Other authors have said it’s something called “Start–up fatigue,” but we beg to differ. You see, every time we sit down to write, we find ourselves immersed in something else. It’s a new phenomenon and we’ve named it “Distraction Fatigue.” Frankly, the fault rests with all those cute icons on our computer screens.

Inevitably we have to check our emails. Yikes! What would happen if we missed some compelling bit of news or messages? And those messages all have tentacles. We can spend hours just dealing with someone’s lost dog or the selection of a restaurant that all of our friends can agree on for breakfast tomorrow.

“Not Panera Bread again. We were just there.”

“What about the Corner Bakery?”

“They went out of business.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. It’s been replaced by another Starbucks.”

And so it goes. Then there’s our banking. Ann absolutely cannot concentrate until she knows for certain that no one has hacked into our paltry accounts to rob us of tomorrow’s breakfast money. So we wind up checking those. Another half hour…

Of course, there are the book rankings. Inevitably one of us will sneak a peek at our latest Amazon or Barnes and Noble ranking for a particular book and then drive ourselves nuts over it. And if that’s not distracting enough, there’s Goodreads, which really should be termed, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for Authors.” If we get a great review, we revel in it. If not, Jim ignores it and Ann mopes around. Another distraction.

Then, the mother of all distractions – Facebook. We spend lots of time wishing people a happy birthday and commenting on cute kitties, adorable grandkids, and food other people have eaten. We push the LIKE buttons endlessly and watch videos that range from forest animals crossing streams in winter to crazy people climbing up mountains that even a seasoned mountain goat wouldn’t attempt. Yep, lots of lost time here.

There is one bit of good news. Now that both of us have reached Medicare age (Still not sure how that happened), we no longer have to log into our health insurance company and list the exercises we did for the day in order to reap rewards. Ann usually wrote “Vacuum and dust,” while Jim wrote “cleaning the litter box.” Whew! One less distraction…

Suddenly we remember our website and race off to make a post that will either be engaging, or immediately ignored. Anyone’s guess.

Finally, we’re ready to write. But by now, we really are fatigued. The good news is that we’ve figured out a cure. We just need to find an old word processor that has no internet capability. Then we might have a fighting chance to get our next novel penned. LOL

NOTE: Our posts tend to be tongue-in-cheek so don’t take us too seriously.

About the Authors

Ann I. Goldfarb

New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, she has authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington) set for release in June 2017. In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name.

James E. Clapp

When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb. His first novel, Booked 4 Murder (Kensington) is set for release in June 2017. Non-fiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching.

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