The Uninvited Corpse (Food Blogger Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing—until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .

Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .

One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon—who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

Review

What I like about this first book in a new series – it has food, a blogger, and a murder!  Yup, all my favorite things to happen in a cozy mystery.  Ok so maybe there are more things I like, but I found this new series to be intriguing.  Hope has had her 15 minutes of fame on a reality television show and now she is quite content back in the town where she grew up, writing a blog, and creating new recipes.  She has had some hard knocks in her life.  She has a strong character and s fiercely loyal to her friends and family.  She even fancies the local sheriff, a long time friend and now possibly more.

I liked that there was no shortage of suspects.  There were quite a few people at the party that could have killed Peaches, but her sister is not one of them despite being the prime suspect in Peaches murder.  I kept trying to rule out characters but it was tough, and when the true murderer was revealed I was quite shocked!  The author did a great job of hiding the true killer until the end.

I always enjoy reading the first book in a new series because you never know if there is a winning idea behind the series or not.  I think the author has a great series and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

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.

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Prestige, Privilege & Murder (A Stacie Maroni Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series 
Self Published (January 10, 2018)
Print Length: 182 pages

Synopsis

Money isn’t worth killing for, or is it?

When her estranged husband is murdered, Stacie Maroni Noth is quickly identified as the main suspect. With divorce papers not yet signed, she may get a substantial inheritance – a clear motive in the eyes of both Noth’s family and the police. His family and law firm strive to keep up the pretense that all is above reproach and idyllic. In her quest to prove her innocence, however, Stacie discovers she’s not the only one with a motive for murder. Could it be a colleague at the prestigious law firm where he worked? Or is it tied to the victim’s stance on domestic violence? Or maybe even his threats to reveal family secrets? Whatever the true motive may be, it soon becomes clear that Stacie might be the next victim.

 

About the Author

Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance and scifi/fantasy are her preferred choices for leisure reading. Christa also has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories to the Cold Creek series, Christa has joined many other reader/writers in writing one genre she enjoys reading – the cozy mystery. The series started with Murder at Cold Creek College; Murder in the Arboretum is the second in the series. Murder at the Grill is the third. Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast who is well published in nonfiction and technical venues.

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Giveaway

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Title: Don’t Call Me Cupcake

Author: Tara Sheets

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Zebra Shout – Kensington Publishing

Series: The Holloway Girls

Synopsis

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island …

Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes charms into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes  |  Books-A-Million

Excerpt

“You.” A woman’s voice called behind him, and he turned to see the cupcake girl marching toward him. She was still wearing that black-and-white frilly apron. With her blond ringlets flying around her delicate face and flinty sparks in her gray eyes, Hunter felt like he was about to be attacked by a sexy Goldilocks.

He searched behind him as she approached, to make sure she wasn’t talking to someone else. “Me?”

She stopped in front of him, a little out of breath from her march down the street. Her chest lifted and fell intriguingly over the white apron lace, but her rosebud mouth was pursed tightly and Hunter took a step back. He had seen that look on women before. Goldilocks was not happy.

“Yes, you,” she said through gritted teeth. “You lied to me. You’re not a tourist.”

“Uh,” Hunter glanced around for a moment. “I’m not?”

“No, you’re not.” She stepped in close, grabbing the pastry box out of his hand. She peered inside and glared up at him in accusation. “And of course. You had to go and eat all three of them, didn’t you?”

He blinked. “But, I paid for them, remember?”

“That’s not the point. You. Ate. Them.”

“Yes,” he said carefully. Maybe Goldilocks liked to spike her morning porridge. “They were delicious?”

“Ugh.” She stomped her foot and he tried not to smile. She was irritated, yes, but so damn adorable. Even if she was a little bit odd.

“You shouldn’t have eaten them because you weren’t being honest with me. You’re not just a tourist passing through. You’re the new owner of that.” She pointed to the empty waterfront building that would soon be his fancy new café and restaurant.

“Yes.” He held out his hand and gave her his best smile. “I’m Hunter Kane.”

She frowned back at him, ignoring his hand. “I know who you are. And you should have told me that before I gave you those Sweet Success cupcakes.”

“Why?”

“Because I own Fairy Cakes, and now your business is going to take away all my customers.” She looked so upset that Hunter felt a twinge of pity for her, even though she was being ridiculous. Competition was the name of the game in any industry, and restaurant ownership was no exception. “Look, I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s just business. And why would my eating your chocolate cupcakes be a problem anyway? It’s not like I’m going to steal the recipe or something.”

“Ha,” she scoffed. “As if you ever could. My cupcakes are special, and everyone on this island knows it.”

“Oh . . . kay.” He still wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at.

“And now you’ve gone and eaten them.” She threw her hands up in the air.

Hunter frowned down at her. “Well, excuse me, ma’am. I thought that was the whole point of buying them.”

She jammed her hands onto her hips. “First of all, I’m twenty-five years old. Don’t call me ‘ma’am.’ Save it for old ladies with lapdogs.”

“Fine, Cupcake.” He shouldn’t have said it. He knew it. But something about her righteous indignation made him want to tease her. She gasped, her eyes narrowing on him like an angry feline. He was so dead.

 

 

About the Author

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee.  She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too.  When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub

Giveaway

Tara is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner an Alex & Ani cupcake charm bracelet and a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake. Two (2) Runner-Up winners will receive a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

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Clues in the Sand (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Self Published
Release Date – March 15, 2018
Print Length: 191 pages

Synopsis

To Rick Atwood’s dismay, the police find a body on the beach near his Seaside Cove B&B. The dead woman held a pottery shard from an ancient rice bowl, which the cops believe is a clue to her murder.

The chief suspect is Flynn O’Connor, a female archaeologist known for her hatred of treasure thieves. Trouble is, Rick’s daughter Alex sees Flynn as a role model and will not believe her friend is a killer.

Alex pressures her dad as only a ten-year-old can to prove Flynn is innocent. The mayor is also making demands—for Rick to stay out of the investigation. With his daughter and the mayor at odds, Rick sees trouble brewing. He knows too well how much Alex loves sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Especially when there’s murder involved.

Guest Post

Thanks for having me here today. Let me do a quick introduction. My name is Richard J. Atwood. I’m a former New York journalist with a ten-year-old daughter. We moved to Seaside Cove a little over a year ago, and that’s when my life started to spiral out of control.

As a writer, I’d say Clues in the Sand is the second installment in the little saga we call life in Seaside Cove. As a parent, I’d call it an unmitigated disaster. That’s right, a disaster. I say that because I don’t know of any parent who wants their child exposed to danger. But that’s exactly the problem—my ten-year-old daughter Alex is precocious and too smart for her own good. Let me tell you what she’s done.

It all began over the summer when Alex was playing matchmaker for me and our cook, Marquetta. In reality, Marquetta is one part cook, one part confidante, and one part business adviser. When my grandfather, Captain Jack, died, she kept the B&B running until Alex and I could relocate. I wasn’t sure about moving to a small town after the way things were going in New York, but I decided to chuck it all and give this a try.

I was surprised because Alex became infatuated with Marquetta almost immediately. To be truthful so did I. That, however, is a complication none of us need in our lives. Let’s face it, I’m a single parent trying to run a business and raise my daughter. That’s quite enough on my plate. It’s a point on which Alex and I disagree completely. She calls me lame; I tell her she’s oversimplifying things.

Then there’s the murder itself. A woman died on the beach. She was holding a Ming Dynasty rice bowl fragment in her hands. Deputy Cunningham asked me to give him some advice because he doesn’t have much experience in solving murders. I don’t either, but I covered enough of them as a reporter to make me the town expert. In fact, one of our guests—who also happens to be the main suspect—went so far as to call me Detective Innkeeper.

I was not pleased about the title, but that leads to the third problem, the mayor. Mayor Carter was quite upset when she learned I was consulting with the deputy. The poor guy is overworked because the Chief of Police doesn’t do much and the other deputy has been ill lately. Whether the mayor was justified in her little rant or not, I did not want to cause problems for us. Alex, however, disagreed. Again.

The fourth problem is I think Alex is corrupting Marquetta. When we arrived here, Marquetta was on the straight and narrow. She ran a tight ship thanks to the lessons she’d learned from Captain Jack. But lately, I’m seeing changes. And who else would be behind those changes? My daughter.

Problem number five, and the largest by far is Alex’s persistent efforts to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s once again spying on our guests, investigating them, and I believe she might even have gotten Marquetta in on the act. This is just getting so out of hand.

The bottom line is, I think I’ve lost control of my daughter and my cook; the mayor is mad at me, and there’s a killer running around town. If that’s not enough to qualify as an unmitigated disaster, I don’t know what is.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find Alex. I’m pretty sure she’s got her nose somewhere it doesn’t belong.

* * *

About the Author

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who only stole cars when it was legal. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He’s currently working on the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

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Natural Thorn Killer (A Rose City Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Cut down among the flowers . . .

Britta Johnston might be a late bloomer, but after leaving her deadbeat husband and dead-end job, she’s finally pursuing her artistic passion at her aunt Elin’s floral boutique, Blooma, in Portland, Oregon. It’s on the banks of the Willamette, in a quaint district of cobblestone paths and cherry trees. The wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest vintages is a tasty bonus, offering another kind of bouquet to enjoy. But things aren’t as peaceful as they look.

For one thing, someone’s been leaving dead roses around—and a sleazy real estate developer who wants the waterfront property has put a big-money offer on the table. Then, after a contentious meeting of local business owners, he’s found on the floor of the shop, with Elin’s garden shears planted in his chest. And before the police decide to pin the crime on her beloved aunt, Britta will have to find out who arranged this murder . . .

Hudson Booksellers * IndieBound * BAM 

Guest Post

Today I welcome Kate to StoreyBook Reviews.  Today she shares some tips on flower shops and the best way to preserve the flowers while on display.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog today! One of the things that I loved most about writing Natural Thorn Killer, the first book in my new Rose City Mystery Series, was getting to interview and spend time with florists. I learned enough in the process of researching the day to day working life of a real floral designer to fill stacks and stacks of future books. In addition to learning the tips and tricks of the trade, I heard a handful of horror stories about nightmare clients and bridezillas—perfect material to tuck away for when I’m working on the next book and need a villain.

Spending time in gorgeous flower shops surrounded by bright, colorful blooms and intoxicating aromas was a sensory experience. One of the things that surprised me the most was the amount of work that goes into preparing each stem. I learned in my research that most independent flower shop owners procure each and every flower on their own. They start their mornings at the wholesale flower market, perusing row after row of vendors who bring flowers in mass to sell. It’s a bit like the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, only with florists bartering over the best heirloom roses and chocolate sunflowers.

Once a florist has secured a fresh assortment of flowers, seedpods, and greenery they return to their shops. From there they process each stem. This involves giving every stem a quick trim at an angle in order to ensure that the flower can absorb water and that a scab doesn’t form on the stem. After the flowers have been trimmed they are plunged into a special bath of warm water, sugar, bleach, and lemon juice. This mixture can help extend a bouquets life for over a week. Some of the florists who I spoke with in my research said they guarantee every vase of flowers that leave their shop. If it begins to wilt or droop in the first few days, they’ll gladly allow their customers to return it for a fresh one. That’s how confident they are in their process of preserving flowers.

The next time you purchase a bundle of flowers at a farmer’s market or pick them from your backyard, try this trick to preserve their life and keep them looking bright and cheery!

Here’s Britta and Aunt Elin’s recipe for Love Juice:

Love Juice—Aunt Elin and Britta’s simple solution for preserving fresh cut flowers. When purchasing flowers at your local floral boutique or picking them from your garden be sure to immediately place them in warm water. While they are soaking, mix one cup of tepid water with a teaspoon of sugar, bleach, and lemon juice or vinegar. Stir the mixture. Then cut a half inch off each flower stem at an angle. Fill a vase with tepid water, add the love juice, and arrange the stems. Love juice will help extend the life of your arrangement. Change out the water and repeat the process every three or four days.

 

About the Author

 

Kate Dyer-Seeley writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Publishing, featuring a young journalist, Meg Reed, who bills herself as an intrepid adventurer in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme. Only Meg’s idea of sport is climbing onto the couch without spilling her latte.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.

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Check out the other blogs on this tour – some have giveaways!

March 26 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 27 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW

March 27 – Valerie’s Musings – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 28 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

March 29 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 30 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 31 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 31 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

April 1 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

April 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

April 2 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

April 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

April 3 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 4 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

April 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

April 5 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

April 5 – A Blue Million Books –  AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 6 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

Title: REQUIEM FOR A RESCUE DOG QUEEN
Author: M.K. Scott
Publisher: Sleeping Dragon Press
Pages: 240
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Synopsis

Pre-school teacher turned private eye Nala Bonne, and her opinionated dog, Max, have a nose for evil doings in Circle City. They’ve recently gone to the dogs, make that rescue dogs. Not everyone in Indianapolis has a soft spot for a homeless pup. Someone has it out for the dogs and the people who love them. A midnight call jolts Nala and Max into action as they rush to the aid of a local rescue dog queen, but it may already be too late.

Excerpt

Forget about it and enjoy the moment. Her hair streamed behind her as the boat picked up speed. Even though it had been a hot Indian Summer day, going this fast on the water chilled her. The windbreaker she brought just in case would solve the issue but would cover up the flirty top she’d donned for the date. Should she be comfortable or becoming?

A loud noise interrupted before she could decide. The lake remained empty and calm, except for the wake behind the boat. Using her flat hand as a sun shield for her eyes, she peered toward the shore to figure out who might be playing the same trio of notes repeatedly. No one on the shoreline, which only deepened the mystery. It sounded so familiar. In an aha moment, she realized it was her phone. Unfortunately, the realization forced her to open her eyes in her dark bedroom.

The red numerals on her clock indicated it was one-thirty in the morning. It was too late or too early for anyone to call. The sound stopped when she realized the tune had been the one she assigned to Karly, her best friend. Karly would only call her this late if it was an emergency. A cold canine nose touched her hand as she reached for her phone on the nightstand.

“Go back to sleep, Max. It doesn’t involve you.”

Even though it was dark and Max was a black German shepherd mix, she would have sworn the dog cocked his head and gave her an oh, really look. The damp nose disappeared with the sound of dog nails on the wood floor as Max settled on the floor. She could hear him mutter under his breath, “We’ll see.”

Yeah, dealing with a talking dog could be problematic at times. Her fingers found the phone which now had a glowing dot on the dashboard for notifications. Before she could call back, the phone rang again, vibrating in her hand. Karly again.

“Why in the world would you be calling me in the middle of the night?”

Her friend’s breathless voice gasped out. “We need your help!”

Review

I didn’t realize this was the 2nd book in a series when I picked it up to read. After finishing this book, I want to go back and read the first book because I like the premise – a talking dog and a teacher turned PI.

I found this book to be quite amusing at many turns and the mystery kept me guessing as to who was involved in the kidnapping of Fiona – the Rescue Dog Queen, since she won/inherited a lot of money and decided to build a dog compound outside the city and rescue dogs that were in danger of never finding a home. I was surprised at who was behind the crime and especially since there was no murder as there usually are in mystery novels.

Interesting relationships between Nala and Elvin, her parents, and Karly. But they all work! Oh and I love her cursing is naming cookies. Made me hungry

The only thing I didn’t like was that it took awhile to figure out why Max could speak (about 4 chapters) and I would have liked more background right off the bat so I could understand the history of Nala and Max.

We give it 4 paws up

About the Author

M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are a fun series to create and read.

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Book Title: The Clock Flower by Barbara Casey (Book 3 of The F.I.G. Mysteries)
Category: YA Fiction, 208 pages
Genre: Mystery / Fantasy
Publisher: Gauthier Publications, The Hungry Goat Press Imprint
Release date: February 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (There is light profanity and some threat of violence.)

Synopsis

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was seven years old by her mother. Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan. Accepted to Yale University.

Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan. Accepted to MIT.

Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an automobile accident when she was sixteen. Exceptionally gifted in music and art. Orphan. Accepted to Juilliard.

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again.

​Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

Interview

We are very excited to have author Barbara Casey here with us today answerng some questions about her writing, and the newest book in the FIG Mystery series, The Clock Flower.  I hope you learn as much as I did about Barabara and these books!

The Clock Flower is the third book in the FIG Mystery Series. What can you tell us about it?

It is such a pleasure to be here with you, Leslie. Thank you for inviting me.

The FIG Mystery Series involves three orphaned girls from different backgrounds and geographical locations who wind up at the same orphanage. They are known as the FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) because all three have IQs in the genius range. In addition, each girl’s genius focuses on a special ability. Dara, the most outgoing of the three girls, has an understanding of foreign and obsolete languages. Mackenzie is the problem-solver and is a genius in all things involving math. Jennifer, the most belligerent of the three, expresses her genius through her art and music. In the first book, The Cadence of Gypsies, their teacher and friend, Carolina, takes them to a small village in Italy to try to discover her own background. In Book 2, The Wish Rider, the three FIGs and Carolina go to New York City where Dara has learned her mother might be. The Clock Flower is Mackenzie’s story, and it takes place in China.

Your characters are so vivid in each book. Do you have a favorite?

I really don’t. I love them all. Each book presents its own unique problems and mystery to solve. Each FIG goes through so much in trying to find the answers she is searching for and why she was an orphan. I feel their pain and fear, but there are also laugh-out-loud moments of pure joy usually brought on when the FIGs feel the urge to “express themselves” in an effort to combat boredom.

In The Clock Flower, the FIGs leave the orphanage and start attending the universities where they have been accepted. Will you keep Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women in your story?

Wood Rose plays an important part in the FIGs’ lives and will remain so in this book as well as the final book in the series. That also means that many of the same characters will not be left behind—the headmaster at Woodrose, for example, and his long-suffering secretary, Miss Bell, Jimmy Doake, the security guard and his old hound dog, Tick, and, of course, Lyuba, Carolina’s gypsy mother.

You write for both young adults and adults, fiction and nonfiction. Do you prefer one over the other?

I started out writing only fiction, and I love it. However, a couple of years ago one of my publishers asked if I would be interested in writing a nonfiction book for adults to be included on his publishing list. I have to say, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would—especially doing the research. The book is Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, and it has gone on to win several awards in addition to being optioned for a major film. Last year I decided to write another nonfiction book for adults—Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave. It has also won several awards, and I just learned that it has also been optioned for a major film. As far as having a preference, it all depends on what my writer’s voice is saying. Sometimes it is talking about something that is strictly from my imagination. Other times it talks about the challenges of writing someone’s true story.

Leslie, thank you again for your interest in my writing. I sincerely appreciate it and wish you and your bloggers all my best. – Barbara

About the Author

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction true crime and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. Barbara is also a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Fitz, a miniature dachshund; and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts.

Website

Giveaway

Prizes: ​ Win a paperback copy of The Clock Flower + a $10 Amazon GC (open to USA & Can / 1 winner) or win a gifted Kindle copy of The Clock Flower + a $10 Amazon GC (open to USA only / 3 winners)

(ends April 7, 2018)

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Uneasy Prey (A Zoe Chambers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Pennsylvania
Henery Press (March 27, 2018)
Paperback: 286 pages

Synopsis

On the way to the emergency room, an elderly woman regains consciousness long enough to inform paramedic Zoe Chambers that her fall down the basement steps was no accident. Before she can say more, she succumbs to her injuries, launching Zoe and Police Chief Pete Adams into the investigation of a burglary ring targeting the area’s vulnerable senior citizens.

Zoe—in spite of Pete’s objections—takes it upon herself to act as protection detail after the con men, disguised as water company employees, set their sights on Zoe’s beloved former landlady. It’s a decision that eventually puts Zoe in harm’s way.

With Zoe already recovering from one close call, Pete must race against time to stop the crime ring—and a dangerous killer—before they strike again.

About the Author

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2014 and BRIDGES BURNED was nominated for the 2015 Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel. UNEASY PREY, the sixth in the series, is set for release on March 27.

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THE FLEECING OF FORT GRIFFIN

by

PRESTON LEWIS

Genre: Western Humor

Publisher: Wild Horse Press

Date of Publication: May 19, 2016

Number of Pages: 234

2017 Elmer Kelton Award from the West Texas Historical Association:

Best Creative Work on West Texas

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When the young Englishman Baron Jerome Manchester Paget arrives in 1878 Fort Griffin with a satchel full of money to start a buffalo ranch and find a bride, a horde of colorful swindlers from throughout Texas arrive to help themselves to a rich serving of his naiveté to frontier ways.

With a passel of oddball characters and more twists and turns than a stagecoach trail, The Fleecing of Fort Griffin pits the baron against crooked gamblers, a one-eyed gunfighter, a savvy marshal, conniving females, a duplicitous cavalry officer and a worldly stump preacher.

To stay rich, the baron must stay alive!  And to stay alive, the baron must rely on a fourteen-year-old orphan and a rooster that serves as his guard animal.  Even so, the odds and the cards are stacked against the Englishman and his bold vision of becoming the baron of bison in West Texas.

Written by Spur Award-winning author Preston Lewis, a master of western plot twists and humor, The Fleecing of Fort Griffin takes readers on an unconventional and uproarious journey through the Old West and some of its unsavory characters.

Praise

“… a work of colorful and humorous fiction,” Albany Review

“The Fleecing of Fort Griffin by Preston Lewis of San Angelo is one of the funniest westerns I’ve ever read.”  Glenn Dromgoole, Texas Reads

“If you’re looking for a delightful tale, check out The Fleecing of Fort Griffin.”  Bryan Eagle

Which character from The Fleecing of Fort Griffin is most or least like you?  There’s probably a little of me in all the characters in my books.  In The Fleecing of Fort Griffin, I most identify with the orphan Sammy Collins, who like me is an observer of everything, though he doesn’t quite understand it all.  That’s much the way it is with writing as things happen that you don’t fully understand, they just appear on the screen and you wonder where you came up with them.

Who’s your favorite character in Fleecing?   G.W. “God Willing” Tuck, the Baptist preacher who seems to prefer doing what is earthly rather than Godly.  His miracles always seem to help himself and his shills.

Why did you set you western caper in Fort Griffin?    Fort Griffin is my favorite town in all of the Old West, surpassing in my mind Tombstone, Dodge City and Deadwood for dramatic possibilities.  Fleecing is my third novel to be set all or partially in Fort Griffin.  The first was The Lady and Doc Holliday about the fabled romance between Holliday and legendary lady gambler Lottie Deno.  The second was Bluster’s Last Stand, the fourth book in my Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series.  Now Fleecing.

Why do you keep coming back to Fort Griffin?  First of all, it was the most important town in West Texas in the aftermath of the Civil War.  Second, several threads of Old West history were sewn into the fabric of Fort Griffin, starting with the Comanche heritage before white men arrived and then the military heritage from the post that was set up to deal with the Indian threat. Then it was an important place for the buffalo hunters who killed off the Great Southern Herd.  Then came the ranching and trail drive era.  From its settlement in the late 1860s until its ultimate demise after the fort was abandoned and the Texas Central Railroad bypassed the community for rival town Albany, Fort Griffin was a lawless community that drew some of the most famous and infamous men in Old West, including Pat Garrett, Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, John Wesley Hardin, John Selman and John M. Larn as well as such legendary women as Lottie Deno and Mollie McCabe.  It’s a great town to set a western tale in as it has about every type of frontier history, save for mining history.

What became of Fort Griffin?  Fort Griffin began a long decline after the railroad bypassed it, though the rural community held on until the 1930s when it finally lost its post office.  Today one building remains from the original town while some mock buildings have been built to represent those in the original town.  Today Fort Griffin State Historic Site offers a visitor center and ruins of the military post, including the mess hall, barracks, first sergeant’s quarters, bakery, powder magazine, and the original hand dug well.  The site is also home to the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd.  Although Albany effectively killed Fort Griffin when it got the railroad, the citizens of Albany preserved the history of the pioneer West Texas Town.  Each summer the citizens of Albany produce the annual Fort Griffin Fandangle, the oldest outdoor musical in Texas, and keep alive the history of the once important West Texas frontier community.  Fandangle is produced on two weekends in June, using community residents to represent many of their own ancestors in the musical.  It’s a Texas institution.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?  I now write full-time, but before I retired I wrote part-time.  I’ve come to understand that writers face two problems—time and money.  Some writers can handle money problems, and some can handle time pressures, but few can handle both.  For instance, I could not handle the pressure of having to make my living for me and my family fully from writing.  I might have done it, but I didn’t know and I could not leave my family at risk for my potential failure as a writer.  On the other hand, I can handle time pressures and can manage my time well enough to work a job full time and then carve out enough time to write fiction on the side.  Now that I am retired, I have all the time I need to write.

What are some day jobs that you have held?  Have any of them impacted your writing?  I started out in newspapers so I learned early how to write on deadline and how to force myself to write, even when things might not be coming easily.  Then in higher education communication and marketing I got a variety of writing experience from scripts to brochure copy to magazine features.  I created and edited a university magazine, which is a good experience in working and editing with other writers. 

What’s something interesting, fun, or funny that most people don’t know about you? I am reading my way through The Complete Peanuts, every comic strip Charles Schulz did on Charlie Brown and the gang for the newspapers between 1950-2000.

What is your favorite quote?  “I cannot live without books”—Thomas Jefferson and “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please”—Mark Twain.)

What is your next project?  I am completing research on the trail drive era for the fifth volume in my Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series.  Tentatively titled First Herd to Abilene, this will put my protagonist promoting the first cattle trail to Abilene and actually leading the drive to Kansas.  In the process Lomax encounters, among others, Joseph G. McCoy, Jesse Chisholm, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.  This volume in the memoirs will cover the backstory of the Lomax and Hickok relationship referenced in Bluster’s Last Stand, volume 4 in the memoirs.

When do you have enough research?  Generally, never because there is always more information out there and more information that can help give greater authenticity or humor to you narrative.  However, at some point you have to start writing and make do with what you have.  Often research is a more fun than writing, but at some point, you must begin to put your story or concept into words and leave the research behind, even though research is sort of a paid vacation for novelists.

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of 30 western, juvenile and historical novels, including The Fleecing of Fort Griffin, a western caper published by Wild Horse Press.  Fleecing won the 2017 Elmer Kelton Award from the West Texas Historical Association (WTHA) for best creative work on West Texas.

Lewis is best known for his comic novels in The Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series.

Bluster’s Last Stand, a novel about Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn, is the latest volume in the well-received series that began with The Demise of Billy the Kid.  Subsequent books in the series—The Redemption of Jesse James and Mix-Up at the O.K. Corral—were both Spur Finalists from Western Writers of America (WWA).

Blood of Texas, Lewis’s historical novel on the Texas Revolution, received WWA’s Spur Award for Best Western Novel.  His True West article on the Battle of Yellowhouse Canyon won a Spur Award for Best Nonfiction Article.  In addition to his two Spurs from WWA, Lewis has earned three Elmer Kelton Awards from WTHA.

Lewis’s novels have appeared under the imprint of national publishing houses such as Bantam, Zebra and HarperCollins and of regional publishing companies like Eakin Press and Wild Horse Press.  His short works have appeared in publications as varied as Louis L’Amour Western Magazine, Persimmon Hill, Dallas Morning News, True West, The Roundup, Journal of the Wild West History Association and San Angelo Standard-Times.

A native West Texan and current San Angelo resident, Lewis holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Baylor and Ohio State universities.  He earned a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University.  He is a past president of WWA and WTHA.  Lewis is a longstanding member of the Authors Guild and an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

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———————–

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

1ST PRIZE: Signed Copy of The Fleecing of Fort Griffin

+ Choice of Any One Book from the H.H. Lomax Series

2ND PRIZE: Signed Copy of The Fleecing of Fort Griffin

MARCH 20-29, 2018

(US ONLY; email addresses collected will be used by author for distribution list)

 

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

3/20/18	Excerpt 1	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/21/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
3/22/18	Author Interview	Book Fidelity
3/23/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
3/24/18	Excerpt 2	The Love of a Bibliophile
3/25/18	Author Interview	StoreyBook Reviews
3/26/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
3/27/18	Excerpt 3	Books and Broomsticks
3/28/18	Scrapbook Page	A Page Before Bedtime
3/29/18	Review	Forgotten Winds

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Cinco de Murder (A Taste of Texas Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Texas
Berkley (April 3, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan serves up more Lone Star justice in this spicy mystery from the author of The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole.

It’s fiesta time in Broken Boot, Texas, and tourists are pouring into town faster than free beer at a bull roping for the mouthwatering Cinco de Mayo festivities. Tex-Mex waitress Josie Callahan, her feisty abuela, and even her spunky Chihuahua Lenny are polishing their folklórico dances for Saturday’s big parade, while Uncle Eddie is adding his own spicy event to the fiesta menu: Broken Boot’s First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off.

But Uncle Eddie’s hopes of impressing the town council go up in smoke when cantankerous chili cook Lucky Straw is found dead in his tent. And when Josie’s beloved uncle is accused of fatal negligence, she, Lenny, and the steadfast Detective Lightfoot must uncover who ended the ambitious chilihead’s life–before another cook kicks the bucket.

Excerpt – Chapter One

Folklórico Rehearsal

On such a gorgeous May morning, what could be better than a power walk to Cho’s cleaners with my long-haired Chihuahua, Lenny? The morning sun had tossed a wide blanket of gold over the Davis and Chisos mountains, awakening the piñon pines and the weeping junipers from their slumber, illuminating the bluegrass and scrub so they looked like desert jewels. The plan had been to retrieve my abuela’s folklórico costume and burn some extra calories. And though we made good time—considering the length of my canine sidekick’s pencil-thin appendages—the morning sun galloped down Broken Boot’s cobbled streets while I paid Mr. Cho with a crumpled five-dollar bill and a coupon for a dozen free tamales.

“Yip.” Lenny lapped from the pet fountain in front of Elaine’s Pies, soaking his black-and-white coat.

“¡Vámonos, amigo!” If we were late to the final dance rehearsal before the   Cinco de Mayo parade, God only knew when Senora Marisol Martinez, our matriarch, would permit me to call her abuela again.

During my first few months back home, I was elated to find I could accomplish tasks in far less time than in the crowded thoroughfares of Austin. Almost a year later, I was forced to admit the slower pace of our dusty little town didn’t aid me in my quest to check things off my list. It merely encouraged me to meander.

On that happy thought, Lenny and I raced down the sidewalk toward Milagro. Suddenly I tripped over the plastic clothes bag, nearly kissing the pavement with my face. “Whose great idea was it to rehearse this early?”

“Yip.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

When we barreled through the front door of Milagro, the best, and only, Tex-Mex restaurant on Main Street, I expected the folklórico rehearsal to be in full swing. Instead my best friend, Patti Perez, glared at me, which only made me smile. I was wise to her marshmallow center, in spite of her ghostly Goth appearance.

“Sorry,” I mouthed. After all, it had been my idea for all of us to join the local folklórico troupe—my way of embracing life back in good old Broken Boot, Texas.

“About time,” she chided as I draped Senora Mari’s costume over a stack of hand-painted wooden chairs. In my absence, the other dancers had cleared the dining room to create a dance floor on the beautiful Saltillo tiles.

“I would have called,” I began.

“But I was trapped in a dead zone,” we said in unison. Service was so bad in Broken Boot and its outlying communities that folks were slower here than in the rest of the country in ditching their landlines.

“Where’s Anthony?” When our headwaiter offered his newly formed mariachi band to play for our first performance, I didn’t have the heart to say no. Beggars can’t be choosers, or look a gift band in the mouth.

“Tsk, tsk.” Across the room, Anthony’s new fiancée placed her hand over the bar phone’s mouthpiece. Though christened Lucinda, we’d quickly dubbed her Cindy to avoid calling her Linda, my aunt’s name, and vice versa. “He says his truck has a flat tire.” She scowled at whatever Anthony said next and responded with a flurry of Spanish.

“Who doesn’t keep a spare in the desert?” Patti, whom I referred to as Goth Girl if for no other reason than to hear her snort, delivered this line with a deadpan expression and a flick of her rehearsal skirt.

“Yip,” Lenny said, chasing after her ruffles.

Goth Girl snapped her head in my direction and gave me the stink eye. “Tell me you replaced your spare.”

“Uh, well, not yet, but I will after Cinco de Mayo.” Money was a bit tight, what with the loss of tourists during the winter months.

To my right, Aunt Linda, a stunning middle-aged woman with warm chestnut hair, modeled her bright-colored skirt better than any fashionista in Paris. “That’s what you said about Valentine’s Day.” She was my late mother’s older sister. She might look great in her Wranglers, but she and rhythm had never been introduced.

“And Saint Patrick’s,” chimed in Senora Mari, executing a double spin. This morning she wore a rehearsal skirt of black-tiered lace along with her Milagro uniform of peasant blouse, gray bun at her nape, and large pink flower behind her ear. No matter how much I rehearsed, none of my moves could compare to her sassy head turns and flamboyant poses. Who knew my seventy-something, four-foot-eleven   abuela would turn out to be the star of our ragtag troupe?

A sharp clapping interrupted our chatter. “Let’s try it on the counts,” cried Mrs. Felicia Cogburn, mayor’s wife and self-appointed dance captain.

“Yip,” Lenny agreed.

“Why is that dog here?” Mrs. Cogburn demanded, her hands raised in mid-clap.

“He has a key role, remember?” My abuela smiled, an expression so rare on her dear weathered face it made folks uncomfortable.

Mrs. Cogburn blinked several times. “Of course.” Before she could begin, a small truck landed at the curb with a bed full of musicians, trumpets and guitars in full serenade. The band stopped playing long enough to hurry inside.

“¡Ay, Dios! Senora, I had to borrow a spare. Mine was flat.” Anthony waved his friends into a semicircle just inside the door.

Senora Mari thrust a finger into the air. “So you say.” She snapped her head dramatically to the side. “Play.”

With a worried look, Anthony counted off, and the group of dark-haired men and boys began to play the “Jarabe Tapatío”, the Mexican hat dance. I spied a familiar face on trumpet. Anthony’s little sister Lily gave me a wink and a nod.

As the trumpets and guitars played, Mrs. Cogburn called out, “And one, two, three, four.”

“Where’s your skirt?” Patti asked as we twirled first right and then left.

“Ah, chicken sticks.” I dodged the dancers, ran up the stairs to my loft apartment, and retrieved my long skirt from a chrome dining chair.

“Yip, yip, yip,” Lenny cried from the bottom of the stairs.

“Sorry.” I found his straw hat on the yellow Formica table and made it downstairs without mishap. “Here you go, handsome.” I perched the hat on his head and tightened the elastic under his chin. As we danced, Lenny would spin in place on his back legs, melting the hearts of the crowd faster than fried ice cream in August.

 

About the Author

Rebecca Adler grew up on the sugar beaches of the Florida Gulf Coast. Drawn to the Big Apple by the sweet smell of wishful thinking, she studied acting on Broadway until a dark-eyed cowboy flung her over his saddle and hightailed it to the Southwest.

Prior to writing women’s fiction, Gina always found a way to add a touch of the dramatic to her life: dinner theatre in Mississippi, can-can club in Florida, and playing a giant Furskin in the New York Toy Fair, plus the occasional play and musical.

She’s currently content to pour her melodramatic tendencies into writing her Taste of Texas culinary mystery series. Set in far West Texas, her humorous stories are filled with delicious suspense and scrumptious Tex-Mex recipes. Her alter ego, Gina Lee Nelson, writes sweet contemporary romances with a sweet, Southern-fried flavor.

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