Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Monday, mystery on April 22, 2019

A Dream of Death (A Kate Hamilton Mystery)
Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Lane Books (April 9, 2019)
Hardcover: 320 pages

Synopsis

On a remote Scottish island, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton wrestles with her own past while sleuthing a brutal killing, staged to recreate a two-hundred-year-old unsolved murder.

Autumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high. A recently published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.

Guest Post

THREE TRUTHS AND A LIE: The Perils of Following Advice

by Connie Berry

Author of the Kate Hamilton Mystery series

Have you played the game? It’s an icebreaker, a fun way to get acquainted, and usually calls for two truths and a lie. Today I need three truths because my topic is advice on writing, and there’s plenty of it out there to be had.

Years ago, when I first dreamed about writing a mystery series, I threw up a website and started blogging. One of my original topics was “What I Wish I Had Known.” I asked five mystery writers I admired to think about what they wished they’d known starting out. One of them, I hoped, would reveal the secret, the piece of advice which—if followed—would lead swiftly to a finished manuscript, an agent, and a publisher. Instead, I got a dose of reality: persevere, read widely in your genre, keep learning, build a community. Excellent advice.

But is all the writing advice out there worth taking to heart? Here’s my take on it. Three truths and a lie.

#1. Write what you know.

TRUE. Each writer has a built-in reserve of experiences, memories, and observations on which to draw. Among the most life-shaping experiences for me was growing up in the antiques trade. My parents were collectors first, then opened a shop, specializing in fine objects from Europe and the Orient. In our house, antiques weren’t a hobby but a way of life. Weekends frequently meant setting up a booth at an antique show. Family vacations were thinly disguised buying trips. Our house looked a bit like a museum—a crowded one. My father’s unspoken motto was “if one is good, three is better.” Every flat surface in our sprawling ranch-style house was occupied by something—an ivory figurine, a cut-glass bowl, a collection of silver snuff boxes, a life-size bronze head of Beethoven, a marble statue of The Three Graces.

I made my protagonist, Kate an antiques dealer. Write what you know.

Notice, however, the advice doesn’t say “write what you’ve lived.” Knowing something and living something are different things. Happily, a writer doesn’t have to commit murder to write about it. That’s where research comes in.

#2. Write what you love.

Also TRUE. Years ago, my thesis advisor told me to choose a topic I could live with for many months. I chose Shakespeare comedies and enjoyed every minute of the research and writing. I remembered this advice when I set out to plan my first book. Writing a 300+-page novel would take a lot more time than writing a 75-page thesis on The Role of the Audience in Shakespeare’s Comedies. So while my protagonist, Kate, is an antiques dealer—the world I knew—I put her in the UK, a place I love. I’m fond of the large city in Ohio where I live—I really am—but if truth be told, my heart yearns for that “sceptered isle…[that] precious stone set in a silver sea…that England.” (William Shakespeare, Richard II). There’s nowhere I’d rather be, physically or in my imagination—than Britain. I’ve never regretted my decision to write what I love.

#3. Write what pleases you.

A LIE—at least for first-time authors. The hard truth is, we must write what readers want to read. We must write what agents and publishers believe they can sell. That means learning the “rules.” A lifetime of reading and a master’s degree in English didn’t teach me about eliminating adverbs, avoiding exclamation points like the plague, and leaving white space on the page. I’d never heard of such things as head-hopping, info dumps, limiting dialogue tags, and avoiding passive voice. Established authors can break the “rules.” They often do. Unpublished writers don’t have that same luxury.

#4. Finish the book.

TRUE. Anne Enright, the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction, was quoted in The Guardian as saying, “The way to write a book is to actually write a book. A pen is useful, typing is also good. Keep putting words on the page.” She also said, “The first twelve years are the hardest,” but we won’t go into that now.

Some manuscripts will never see the light of day. A few, to be sure, deserve to be abandoned as quickly as possible. But these exceptions don’t alter the fact that a writer must, sometime, actually finish a book. One of the mistakes I made early on was polishing words that would never make it into the final draft. I wasted time, lots of it, because revising is easier and more fun for me than putting words on a blank page. What I needed was to push ahead and finish the book. Only then did revision make sense. Every part of a book—chapters, scenes, paragraphs, sentences, even words—must be evaluated in light of the whole manuscript. Some writers claim they don’t really know what the book is about until they’ve finished the first draft. Some don’t write the opening scene until they’ve written the ending.

What advice have you been given—in writing or in life? Have you followed it? What advice have you ignored?

About the Author

Like her main character, Connie Berry was raised by charmingly eccentric antique collectors who opened a shop, not because they wanted to sell antiques but because they needed a plausible excuse to keep buying them. Connie adores history, off-season foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Millie.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, mystery on April 19, 2019

Sifting Through Clues (A Cookbook Nook Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Beyond the Page (April 23, 2019)
Print Length: 235 pages

Synopsis

The Agatha Award–winning author of Wreath Between the Lines returns to the Cookbook Nook, where culinary mysteries are giving everyone food for thought . . .

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked . . .

Includes tasty sweet and savory recipes!

Amazon – B&N  – Kobo  – Google Play

 

About the Author

Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber writes the French Bistro Mysteries as well as the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries.  As Avery Aames, she pens the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense which includes the titles DAY OF SECRETS and GIRL ON THE RUN. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Goodreads * Pinterest * YouTube * BookBub

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Spotlight & #Giveaway – Sifting Through Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber #cozy #CookbookNookMystery @AveryAames @DarylWoodGerber
Posted in 4 paws, Giveaway, mystery, Trailer on April 18, 2019

Panic Point

Pepperman Mystery Series

Book Two

by

Bill Briscoe

  Genre: Mystery / Crime Fiction / Stand-Alone

Publisher: self-published

Date of Publication: March 26, 2019

Number of Pages: 248

Scroll down for Giveaway!

When Earl’s bride Morgan vanishes in the Smoky Mountains on their honeymoon, the former Navy SEAL is certain she’s been abducted. The park rangers disagree, and after a storm washes away any potential evidence, they call off the official search. Then another man loses his daughter in the same area. Can one last lead help Earl find Morgan before he loses her forever?

Amazon ║ Barnes and Noble ║ Kobo ║ Apple

This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be the last!  I think I read this all in one night.

This story is fairly fast-paced from the moment that Earl meets Morgan, to their wedding and honeymoon six months later.  They say you never know where you find love and for Earl and Morgan it was in the dentist office with Morgan treating Earl’s bad tooth.  Now I’m not sure I would want to go camping on my honeymoon but more power to those that like something a little different.  However, the honeymoon does not go as planned when Morgan is abducted from their campsite.  I can’t even imagine what she (or anyone in a similar position) endures at the hands of their captor(s).  The one upside is that Earl has his family supporting him and to Earl, a family is more than just those that are related to you.  I appreciated the stories of how some people came into the family and the hand that Earl extended to someone that was helping him find Morgan as they added a deeper human element.

The story really picked up steam when Earl is contacted for a special mission to rescue women being held in the hills of Tennessee.  I don’t want to spoil anything but I was intrigued by the group of men, their skill sets, their backgrounds, and that they were willing to take on this mission to save these women.  Granted Earl has a personal motive but anyone else could have walked away.

There are some lighter moments and others that make you want to cheer because justice is being served.   I did have an uneasy feeling about one character and turns out I was right to feel that way but you’ll have to read the book to figure out who I might be talking about and how they fit into the plot.

I don’t think I would put this book in the mystery category, maybe more suspense or thriller, but either way, it was still an enjoyable read and we give it 4 paws up.

Bill grew up in the oil and gas refinery town of Phillips in the Texas Panhandle. After graduating from college with a master’s degree, he spent most of his career working for a major insurance company as an agency manager and consultant.

As his retirement was on the horizon, he had an idea about a book. That story, Pepperman’s Promise, became the prequel to The Pepperman Mystery Series, and Perplexity and Panic Point, the next two books in the series, are now available.

Bill and his wife of fifty years live in West Texas.

Twitter ║ Facebook ║ Email ║  Website

GoodreadsAmazon Author Page ║ BookBub

 

——————————————–

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: Autographed Copies of the Full Pepperman Mystery Series

Two Winners: Autographed Copies of Panic Point

April 16-26, 2019

(U.S. Only)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on this tour

4/16/19 Book Trailer Texas Book Lover
4/16/19 Notable Quotable Hall Ways Blog
4/17/19 Excerpt Chapter Break Book Blog
4/17/19 Excerpt The Clueless Gent
4/18/19 Review StoreyBook Reviews
4/19/19 Review #Bookish
4/20/19 Scrapbook Page All the Ups and Downs
4/20/19 Character Interview Max Knight
4/21/19 Review That’s What She’s Reading
4/22/19 Author Interview Forgotten Winds
4/22/19 Series Spotlight Book Fidelity
4/23/19 Review Reading by Moonlight
4/24/19 Promo Books and Broomsticks
4/25/19 Review The Page Unbound
4/25/19 Review The Love of a Bibliophile


blog tour services provided by

Posted in Cozy, mystery, Spotlight on April 14, 2019

Bat Wings, Rings & Apron Strings: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels)
Cozy Mystery
10th in Series
Self-Published (April 6, 2019)
Print Length: 299 pages

Synopsis

A delicious wedding. A sour and supernatural curse. Will this baker’s next bite be her last?
With her wedding to Hank fast approaching, Imogen Banks has come a long way from the magical contest that brought her to Bijou Mer. But when conspirators seek to sabotage the witch’s big day, she fears her latest recipe for happiness will end in disaster. And after the prince falls horribly ill, Imogen and her friends must solve one more dark mystery before her love and kingdom perish.

Speeding through a menu of suspects as long as the guest list, Imogen clashes with a vengeful monarch and a calculating assassin. But as the minutes tick down to seconds, saving her home and her fiancé may require walking away from everything she loves.

Can Imogen create one final concoction to stop a war and marry her soul mate?

Bat Wings, Rings and Apron Strings is the magical conclusion to the Spells and Caramels cozy witch mystery series. If you like witty characters, mystical intrigue and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s tasty whodunit.

 

About the Author

A native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh.

In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).

Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

 | 
Comments Off on Spotlight – Bat Wings, Rings & Apron Strings by Erin Johnson @EJohnsonWrites #cozy #SpellsandCaramelsmystery
Posted in Cozy, Guest Post, mystery on April 13, 2019

 

Murder at the Marina (A Kelly Jackson Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Lyrical Underground (April 2, 2019)
Print Length: ~200 Pages

Synopsis

She’s got to solve this—or her friends are sunk . . .

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is fond of the Doblinsky brothers, Ivan and Rudy, members of the Silver Sentinels, a crew of crime-solving senior citizens in their Northern California seaside hamlet. After she discovers a jewel-encrusted dagger—with what appears to be dried blood on the blade—on their fishing boat, they share their family history with Kelly, and she learns that the knife may be part of a set from their long-ago childhood in Russia. Its sudden reappearance is eerie, but the mystery grows much more serious when a body is found on the boat. The victim was staying at Kelly’s inn, in town for a Russian Heritage Festival, and some of the organizers were clearly harboring some bitterness. But the story behind this murder seems as layered as a nesting doll—and Kelly’s feeling completely at sea .

Guest Post

A Contribution to Our Lives

by Janet Finsilver

 

In my Kelly Jackson mystery series, all of my books have dogs with special abilities. Wait! Did you just say you’re not a dog person so you’re not going to finish reading this post? Have you ever bought a mattress? You might be wondering what dogs and mattresses have in common. Read on.

Not long ago a friend purchased a new mattress. She found herself itching after the first night and wondered if bed bugs might have arrived with her new addition to the bedroom. She knew companies often picked up and disposed of old mattresses when they were replaced by new ones. Had that happened during the delivery of hers? Concerned, she did some research and decided to hire a man and his team of terrier mixes that were trained to find bedbugs to check out the situation.

The man arrived and the two little dogs began to tear around the bedroom.  They searched but gave no signal of finding anything. Their owner took them outside and planted a scent to test them to see if they were off that day. Upon bringing them back in, they immediately went to what he had hidden. My friend could now “rest easy” knowing her house was free of bedbugs.

Dogs trained to find bedbugs? You bet. Termites as well. They are being used very successfully in England in old mansions. Without dogs, floors would need to be torn up to find these pests. The animals can locate exactly where they are which saves time and money on costly repairs.

In the second book in my series, Murder at the Mansion, I introduce Jack and Jill, two rescued beagles. They are trained to find bedbugs, termites, and by the end of the book, dry rot. Their owner drives them from one location to another in a motor home with a slogan on the side: “Bedbugs? Termites? If you’ve got ’em, they’ll find them. Get the four-legged pros on the job and have a restful sleep tonight.” Larger than life photos of the dogs are plastered on the side of the vehicle.

My first book, Murder in Redwood Cove, features Fred, a basset hound trained to detect cancer. Murder at the Fortuneteller’s Table has Princess, a feisty Chihuahua that is a retired hearing assistance dog. After she became hard of hearing, a black Chihuahua named Sargent took her place. The same book includes Jake, a Bernese Mountain dog trained to help people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Enter a Goldendoodle named Max in Murder at the Mushroom Festival. He’s a seizure-alert dog that also knows how to find mushrooms. My fifth book, Murder at the Marina, comes out April 2, 2019. In it a police bloodhound named Gus plays a role in helping to solve the crimes.

I’ve really enjoyed researching the contributions dogs make to our lives. My books aren’t dog books per se, but they do give me an opportunity to share some interesting information with my readers.

On another note, I’ll be sure to ask some questions about the delivery of my next mattress to ensure its cleanliness such as, “Will old ones be in the same vehicle? Has the carrier been used for mattresses that might have bugs?”

Hopefully, this information will help you with your next mattress purchase…and you’ll be interested in learning more about how dogs help us in our lives.

About the Author

Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet majored in English and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. She loves animals and has two dogs–Kylie and Ellie. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. MURDER AT REDWOOD COVE, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Her second book, MURDER AT THE MANSION, was released on June 7, 2016. Book 3, MURDER AT THE FORTUNE TELLER’S TABLE was released on March 14, 2017.

 

FacebookTwitterPinterestWeb

Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on April 7, 2019

Chutes and Ladder: A Silicon Valley Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
BGM Press (March 12, 2019)
Print Length: 195 pages

Synopsis

Dead friend. Free fall. Girl Scouts. Can Uncle Marty untangle the mystery before things really get out of control?

Juggling a budding relationship, demanding job, and mischievous nieces, Marty Golden struggled to keep his head above water — even before his friend’s death. Trying his best to be a good boyfriend and fun uncle, Marty had his own ideas for the weekend until his cunning sister tricked him again.

Convinced his friend’s death was no accident, Marty tries to summon superhero powers but merely manages to bumble along as an amateur sleuth. When Marty’s cousin shows up, she wreaks havoc with his plans and pulls him into yet another mystery.

As threats blossom, Marty doubles down now that his family’s involved. Besides, it’s poor manners to let your friend’s death go unsolved.

Can Marty figure out what happened before a killer, or his imagination, gets to him?

Chutes and Ladder is the second novel in a refreshingly modern mystery series set in Silicon Valley. If you like clever humor and wacky side characters, you’ll love this twisty mystery.

Review

Marty is back for more of his antics along with his two precious nieces and a co-worker that seems to be topping him when it comes to American sayings.

This is a good follow up to the first in this series, Uncles and Ants.  I still wonder about Marty and how he inserts himself into the cases and seems to think he is part of the investigative team.  I also wonder about his state of mind and as much as he jumps around and to conclusions, I still wonder if he is on the spectrum or leaning that way.  Despite that, I enjoy Marty’s quirkiness because it adds that little something that every story needs to make it stand out.

The mystery was engaging and while I had some suspicions as to the guilty party, I did not figure it out until it was revealed.  I think there were enough clues buried in the text but I enjoyed that it wasn’t obvious and it made me think about the potential motives of the suspected characters.

The book does leave you hanging on one fact – Marty’s sister’s car was totaled in the first book and in this one, she is waffling between what wacky color she is going to paint her new car….but it isn’t revealed which means I have to read the next book to find out!

Overall I have enjoyed this series and wonder what the author could come up with for the next book.  We give it 4 paws up.

 

About the Author

In my family, I was born first — a fact my sister never lets me forget, no matter what milestone age she hits.

For most of my life, I’ve been inventing stories. Some, especially when I was young, involved my sister as the villain. As my sister’s brother for her entire life, I’m highly qualified to tell the tale of the evolving, quirky sibling relationship in Uncle and Ants: A Silicon Valley Mystery.

My writing skills were honed in years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley. While my high-tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, we called these marketing collateral, emails, and ads.

My family and friends would tell you that Marty’s character isn’t much of a stretch of the imagination for me, but I proudly resemble that remark.

Website * Facebook* LinkedIn * Goodreads * BookBub

 

Giveaway

 

Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Spotlight on April 5, 2019

 

Murder in Tranquility Park (A Ferrara Family Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (March 26, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

Alberta Scaglione and her twentysomething granddaughter, Jinx, love to spend time—and solve crime—together . . .

Ever since Alberta Scaglione inherited her spinster aunt’s Cape Cod cottage, she’s been enjoying the good life in Tranquility, New Jersey, with her black cat, Lola. But since things are mostly quiet in this town, she finds other things to do—like joining Jinx for morning jogs in Tranquility Park. She has to do something to stay healthy, as long as it doesn’t involve Jinx’s healthful tofu sausages and gluten-free pasta. But when they stumble across a treehouse hidden in the trees, and a dead body underneath it, they take a detour into solving a murder. Now the Ferrara ladies will have to exercise extreme caution to avoid a permanent decline in their health . . .

Includes Italian recipes from Alberta’s kitchen!

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

About the Author

Italian by birth, Jersey by upbringing, J. D. Griffo is an award-winning playwright and author who has written ten novels, over twenty plays, and a handful of screenplays that have yet to see the light of day.

Griffo studied Journalism and Marketing at New York University, graduating magna cum laude many, many years ago, as well as Creative Writing at the New School and Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

And the J. D. stands for the author’s mother – Jean Dolores – who absolutely loved to read and tell stories.

Twitter * Instagram

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on April 4, 2019

 

The Hidden Corpse (A Food Blogger Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (March 26, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Former reality TV baking show contestant and recent divorcée Hope Early is trying to find her recipe for success as a food blogger—but murder keeps getting in the mix . . .

When Hope’s elderly neighbor perishes in a home fire, she can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. Only the day before, Peggy Olson had called her over, having burned a pot on the stove while she was sleeping and filling the house with smoke. In fact, she couldn’t even remember cooking. Clearly, it was dangerous for the woman to live alone.

But it turns out she wasn’t alone. When a second body is discovered in the basement of the burned house, suddenly what appeared to be a tragic accident is beginning to look like premeditated murder. As rumors spread like wildfire, Hope is determined to sort out the facts and smoke out a killer, but she might be jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

goodreads-badge-add-plus

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

Review

I do enjoy a good cozy mystery that revolves around food and blogging especially when the recipes are so enticing!

Hope has her hands full between competitive bloggers, the loss of a neighbor, and wondering if the romance part of her life will ever turn around.  She is cautious in the last part due to a bad marriage but I think it holds her back more than it should but this is a small part of the book.  The loss of her neighbor and the disappearance of someone from her town throws Hope smack dab in the middle of a mystery that she, of course, has to solve.

I felt like the mystery was well written because I did not suspect this character in the slightest.  I bumbled around with Hope trying to decipher the clues the author has peppered throughout the book, but alas the author was too smart for me!  There are several possibilities but the reveal might just surprise you as it did me.  It didn’t help that there were a few bloggers all participating in a photography class with Hope that have their own motives and don’t know how to place nice.

Mystery aside, the personal interactions are interesting to watch.  I feel like Hope lets her sister run roughshod over here and needs to stand up for herself.  Why would she let her sister talk her into doing a tea for someone just days away?  Hope is a pleaser but it throws her into some tight situations.  Then there is Ethan, the sheriff in town.  They are friends but I think they both want more but are afraid to move in that direction.

Overall we enjoyed this second book in the series and can’t wait to see what will be cooking in the next installment in this series.  We give this 4 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.

Website – Facebook – Goodreads – Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

great escape button160

 | 
Comments Off on Review & #Giveaway – The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder #cozy #FoodBloggerMystery @DebSennefelder
Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Historical, mystery on April 2, 2019

 

 

Deadly Deception (The Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
JDP Press (March 22, 2019)
Paperback: 316 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Everyone hides secrets. Some provoke murder.

Olivia Denis discovers her father kneeling over the body of a man…a man who supposedly drowned in the Channel years before. Olivia wants to ring for help, her father wants to hide the body, but a mysterious phone call brings Scotland Yard to the murder scene.
Olivia can’t stand by and let her maddening, disapproving father hang. To prove his innocence – and learn his secrets – she must work with a master spy. The search for clues takes Olivia to the continent and the Kent countryside, Hastings and London, pushing her deeper into the world of danger and deception.

As war between Germany and Britain stalks closer, the hunt for a Nazi collaborator intensifies. With a mounting death toll, Olivia knows she must unmask the killer or be the next to die.

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

A note from a Reader

 

It all began with an email sent to my website. Marcia Wheeler wrote me to say, “A good tale let down by the supposedly mid-20th Century English narrator using 21st Century American English.” She then went on to point out where I had used words that marked me as an American rather than the upper-middle or upper-class English woman who’d grown up between the two World Wars. (I’m not that old, either!)

It was the most helpful email I’ve received on my website.

Among the common mistakes I make is that the English call it autumn, not fall. I need to go through my manuscripts and replace like with as if or as though. An elevator is a lift, my characters should tidy up, not wash up, and a closet is a wardrobe.

I always thought parlour was British. It’s not. The word is drawing room, sitting room, or living room, depending on the size and nature of the house or flat. And here I thought living room was very American. So much so that I use drawing room or sitting room, and give living room a pass in my stories. Home alone should be sitting at home by yourself.

I learned that instead of holding something funny, it would be awkwardly or oddly. English schools don’t end in graduation, only universities do. Courgettes (zucchini squash) and aubergines (eggplant) weren’t commonly found in English cooking before World War II. Food must have been pretty dreary and along the lines of potatoes, gravy, cabbage, and boiled carrots

I asked her about gazebo, which features in my current work in progress, the second in the Milliner Mysteries. I was trying to describe a small covered shelter in a park that looked like a small bandstand. Was I ever relieved to find out that was a good word to use in the story.

Marcia also told me about pantries and larders for Deadly Deception, the fourth in the Deadly Series. A larder is specifically for food. A pantry could be the Butler’s pantry or used for storage.  A scullery is a room off the kitchen used for laundry, which Americans would call a laundry room. This is helpful for me not only in my writing but in watching PBS and BritBox TV shows.

The men running the jail where Olivia’s father is kept are called warders, not guards. The warden in the US who is in charge of a prison is called the governor in Britain. What we call a yard, front or back, is called a garden in England. An American truckload would be a lorryload in England. A sedan isn’t a four-door car in England. They would either call it a car or a saloon.

These are just some of the differences between American and British England that Marcia taught me. As is obvious, I had a lot to learn to make certain Olivia sounded correct for her time and place in society.

Marcia kindly read through Deadly Deception and corrected places where I used the American term rather than the British one. I believe it’s made the experience of reading this book easier from the point of view of slipping inside Olivia’s head and seeing England in the 1930s all around her.

The Deadly Series, including the latest, Deadly Deception, can be found in e-books and paperbacks at your favorite online retailers, including:

 

AmazoniBooksB&NKobo

 

About the Author

 

Kate Parker grew up in Washington, DC, spent several years along the Carolina coast, and now finds herself in the Colorado front range. All the time, she has been busy plotting to spend more time in her favorite city, London, where her books are set. So far, she hasn’t been able to build a time machine, so she has to visit historical sites and books to immerse herself in the details of life in bygone days.

2019 will see the publication of her fourth Deadly Series book, Deadly Deception, as well as a novella, The Mystery at Chadwick House. Chadwick House will both be for sale at the usual retailers plus given away to the readers of her newsletter. It is her first contemporary mystery. Later in the year, Kate plans on publishing the second Milliner Mystery. Her daughter has informed her this year she will also become the servant of a large, exuberant dog.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Inspirational, mystery on April 1, 2019

Like A Tree (A Davis Morgan Mystery)
Inspirational Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
CrossLink Publishing (March 26, 2019)
Paperback: 175 pages

Synopsis

The movie industry spreading across Georgia has finally made its way to the little foothill village of Adairsville. Bookseller and police chaplain, Davis Morgan along with a young female clerk discover the body of a member of the movie company on a historic site at the foot of a large oak tree. Davis, despite his promise to his wife, cannot resist investigating the mystery. He and his young pal, policeman Charley Nelson, quietly dig into the case even though it is officially under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff. There is no shortage of suspects: the mysterious red headed man, sister of the victim, the fiancée and others. During the investigation an already troubled Charley is framed for a drug crime, and Davis receives word that an old enemy is on his way to Georgia after escaping from prison to make good on a threat against him. Late one afternoon it all comes to an astonishing conclusion beneath the same sprawling oak where it started.

Amazon * Author Website

 

Character Guest Post

Small-town girl. That phrase has described me all my life, and I have, until recently, been content to be known as such. Born and reared in Adairsville, I spent my school years here. After graduation, it just seemed the logical thing to continue living at home with my widowed mom, Rita Edison, while taking classes at nearby Georgia Highlands College. When the clerk’s job at the 1902 Stock Exchange came along, it seemed perfect. I like walking down Main St. and knowing most of the people I meet and having them call me by name. I like telling visitors about Adairsville and its history. I love hearing the church bells on Sunday morning and knowing Miss Helen will be sitting next to the aisle on the same pew on which her parents sat for fifty years. I like helping with the Great Locomotive Chase Festival every October. I cannot imagine life without an October funnel cake. So, after high school, my life rocked along as usual for a couple of years.

That is, until Devan Rhodes rocked my world.

Everyone was excited when the movie company came to town to film a remake of The Great Locomotive Chase. The actual chase happened during the Civil War and passed right through Adairsville, so shooting it here makes a lot more sense than the Northeast Georgia location of the first make of the movie. Devon, being the site director, was one of the first members of the crew to arrive and ate lunch at the Maggie Mae Tea Room, here inside the Stock Exchange, a couple of times a week. I was flattered when he seemed to take an interest in me. He started coming in more often and staying to chat when I wasn’t busy with other customers. Of course, at first, I thought he was just a flirty Hollywood type. I couldn’t believe it when he asked me out on a date-me, Janie Edison, just a small-town girl. My mom was worried about me dating him, but he was a true gentleman, and we had so much fun. We talked and talked. We liked a lot of the same things, and Devon had been to so many wonderful places. We even attended a play in the theater upstairs here in the Stock Exchange. Mr. Hollywood complimented the director and the actors after the play. I could tell they were thrilled. He also invited my mom to come along and made great strides in winning her approval. For the first time in my life, I began to consider what life beyond Adairsville might be like. Those thoughts became dreams as we spent more and more time together. Those dreams grew until….

I think I will remain a small-town girl. I still know most of the people I meet. The church bells still ring, and Miss Helen still sits in her pew. The Festival will take place this October, but my dreams went away the afternoon Davis Morgan and I discovered Devon’s body under the big oak tree at Spring Bank.

About the Authors

Danny & Wanda Pelfrey are a husband/wife team who in the past wrote helpful non-fiction books and material. Recently they have turned to producing “mysteries with a message.” Their stories are usually set in a small southern town in Georgia called Adairsville. Danny grew up in a poverty situation where he was often without access to TV for entertainment so he found books. It was not unusual for him, in his high school years, to read three or four books a week. So his love affair with books developed early. Danny received a degree from Point University and a Master of Ministry from Kentucky Christian University. He spent many years serving pastorates with churches in several states. Danny is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Wanda started her writing career writing curriculum for various publishers. Among books she has authored is the popular, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CHILD’S TEACHABLE MOMENTS. She spent twenty-four years as a primary teacher in a Montessori school. She enjoys quilting and has never lost her love for reading. The Pelfreys have two daughters and five grandchildren. LIKE A TREE is the fourth Davis Morgan Mystery on which they have collaborated.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway