Cafe au Slay: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Orchard Hollow) 
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Cauldron Press (April 24, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Piper Addison is not a normal witch. If she’s even a witch at all…

Life after the big four-oh isn’t so bad. Piper Addison, resident witch and coffee shop owner, finally found her groove. Business is flourishing, her ghost familiar is miraculously supportive, and she might even have a date for the weekend.

There’s only one small catch… A dead body puts Piper in an impossible situation.

Orchard Hollow’s biggest secret is about to be revealed, and Piper might be the only one who can save the town’s paranormal residents. If only she can get a handle on her strange magic.

If that wasn’t enough, the town sheriff trusts Piper to solve the case. Can she help catch the killer before the whole world finds out about magic?

Cafe au Slay is a paranormal cozy mystery, complete with an unlucky witch, a ghost familiar, and a feisty raccoon with a talent for getting into sticky situations.

 

 

Amazon

 

Available to read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Drink Recipe

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tsp Matcha powder
Oat milk (amount depends on how much you want to drink!)
Maple syrup or vanilla extract
1/3 c Hot water
Milk frother

 

Instructions:

 

1. Pour 1 teaspoon matcha powder into a bowl.
2. Add 1/3 cup of hot water and froth until smooth.
3. Add Maple syrup (or vanilla extract) to taste. Stir until it dissolves.
4. Warm oat milk on a stovetop or using an espresso machine steamer. Pour into a cup.
5. Add matcha mixture over top and froth until smooth and frothy.
6. Enjoy!

 

 

About the Author

 

A.N. Sage is a bestselling, award-winning author of young adult fantasy and mystery. She has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary.

A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night and their daughter who just might be.

A.N. Sage is a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.

 

Website * Instagram * Facebook * YouTube * TikTok

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bowled Over Americano (Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc. (April 11, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 263 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Sara Cain isn’t your typical thirty-two-year-old woman. Murder detective by day, writer and… sleuth by night? Just as long as there’s enough coffee to keep her going…

When her first novel gives her trouble, Sara goes for a walk to clear her writer’s block and ends up stumbling right into a real-life murder mystery. Magnum, an adventurous beagle, comes running off leash toward her in the local park, and she returns him home only to find his master dead on the entry floor.

Cliff Cunningham was a championship bowler with a mean streak and a temper, and police are pegging his Golden Pin bowling trophy as the murder weapon. While any number of people could have clocked a strike by knocking him on the noggin, the prime suspect is a friend of Sara’s mother—and she expects Sara to prove the woman’s innocence. A tall order, as the case isn’t officially hers and belongs to a rival detective.

But a promise is a promise, and Sara soon finds herself sleuthing undercover—and off the clock—in a world of polyester shirts and rental shoes. It’s not all bad, though, as she’s taking her friend and partner Sean McKinley along for the ride. They are better together than they’ve ever been split, and they’re not amateurs at finding killers.

Despite being up against small-town hijinks and colorful characters who threaten to roll their efforts into the gutter, they are having fun. That is, until they get close to the killer and a dangerous twist puts their lives at risk.

A completely addictive caper full of twists that offers up a serving of murder, a dollop of romance, and a dash of humor. This perfect blend of robust and sweet is bound to hit the spot with readers who are fans of Verity Bright, Tonya Kappes, and Agatha Frost.

 

 

 

Amazon * iTunes * B&N * Kobo * Google * Smashwords

 

 

Review

 

While reading this book, the story seemed very familiar. I wasn’t sure why until I realized that she took her short story, The Day Job is Murder, and added more details and extended the book.

I have always enjoyed Sara and Sean’s stories, so I was happy to see that she decided to take the series and rewrite them to extend them and share more of their lives.

Even though I had read this story previously, I certainly didn’t remember all of the details. It was like reading a new mystery! I sifted through the clues about who killed Cliff Cunningham and have to admit I was stumped. There are clues, but nothing that pointed me in the right direction…or I just missed them! I enjoyed Sear and Sara’s adventures while solving the crime and revisiting how they came together as a couple.

Malcolm, the beagle, grabs a piece of my heart. That always happens when there is a dog involved. I chuckled during the scenes where Sean admits that he is not an animal person. That will have to change if he wants to be with Sara.

I noted the nod to her Madison Knight series in this book by making it a TV series. I haven’t read this series yet, either, but I will one day!

This was still as good as the first time I read it, and I give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers readers police procedurals, hard-boiled and cozy mysteries, thrillers, and action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two beagles.

 

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

A Wealth of Deception (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
Traditional Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Vermont
Crooked Lane Books (April 18, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Danger, art, and a touch of romance collide in Trish Esden’s second exquisitely crafted Scandal Mountain Antiques mystery, perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland and Connie Berry.

Some people are willing to die for their art. Others are willing to kill for it.

When Vermont antique and art dealer Edie Brown discovers an unsettlingly dark collage by the famed reclusive “outsider” artist known only as Vespa, she opens a Pandora’s Box of deception and danger.

Edie teams up with Uncle Tuck and Kala to investigate the background of the collage but only uncover secrets that are more disturbing than the artwork itself. As Edie tracks down the validity of the piece, she stumbles into an art underground where some people are willing to kill to keep their schemes a secret.

Esden expertly crafts a complex cast of characters, a breathtakingly gorgeous setting, and a twisty plot that often poses more questions than answers.

 

 

 

Amazon * Indiebound * B&N * Apple Books * Kobo * Bookshop.org

 

 

Guest Post

 

 

 

 

7 Tips From a Flea Market Shopping Pro

 

Like Edie Brown, the main character in my Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series, I’m a fulltime antique dealer. As such, I go to a lot of flea markets in search of good deals on antiques and art. Below are my top 7 tips for flea market shopping.

 

1. Shop Early. Arrive an hour before the flea market officially opens. Being first in line to get into an indoor flea market means you’ll have a better chance of getting your hands on the best buys. At an outdoor flea market, you may even be able to sneak in early and get to see things as the vendors unpack—aka before the best items are gone.
2. Shop Late. If you love something but it’s priced higher than you want to pay, returning a short time before the flea market closes can give you leverage to dicker down a price. But don’t get your heart set on it still being there. Most super popular, low price, or appealing items sell before noon on the first day.
3. Cash is favored by most flea market vendors. But don’t just bring larger denominations: ones, fives, tens, and twenties are preferrable. Cash will also allow you to make a faster transaction (debit and credit card transactions can be slow at remote locations). This will allow you to buy something and quickly move on. Be sure to use precautions to keep your wallet, phone, and credit cards safe from electronic or physical theft.
4. Dicker. Dickering over prices is expected. First, if there isn’t a price tag on something you wish to purchase, don’t tell the vendor how much you’re willing to pay—make them name their price first. Once they state a price, make a reasonable but low counteroffer. They’ll counteroffer that amount. Except it if it’s fair. If it’s not—walk away. If you change your mind, you can go back and accept or ask if they’d reconsider your offer. Also remember that some vendors have firm prices. Respect their right to not dicker.
5. Be polite. If the vendor wants to chat, then listen to their stories. If the story is about an item you’re interested in buying, then take it with a huge grain of salt. It could be a total fabrication. Don’t block booths or tables, preventing other shoppers from looking around. This is just plain rude. Don’t act like a know it all—even if your positive a vendor is wrong. People give better deals to people they like.
6. Clothing and shopping bags. Wear comfortable footwear—no high heels—you’ll be walking on uneven surfaces and perhaps even in mud or soft earth. Carry a shopping bag or backpack. Bring packing materials such as newspaper if you plan on buying breakable items. Don’t assume packing supplies will be offered by vendors. If you hope to buy a lot or heavier items, then a wagon or wheeled shopping cart is a good idea. Have cardboard boxes in your car for transporting items. The benefit of cardboard over plastic is that they can be broken down and laid flat if you start to run out of space in your car.
7. Look carefully for repairs, damage, and fakes. The best rule of thumb when looking at a flea market item is to assume there is a problem. Take your time and check closely for damage and sneaky repairs. It’s not uncommon for paint or markers to be used to hide chips or scratches. Similarly, unscrupulous people have been known to use magic markers to color in threadbare areas of rugs and carpets. But don’t rely on just your eyes. Run your hands along an item’s surfaces. Do you feel any roughness that shouldn’t be there? Chips? Cracks? A piece of glassware, pottery, or china should make a sharp ‘ping’ sound when you flick it with your fingers. A dull sound indicates there is damage, even if you can’t see it without the aid of a blacklight. Another rule here is to trust your gut. If it’s telling you something’s wrong, then it probably is. Better to not buy an item than to get it home and then see that you messed up.

 

Bonus Tip—Love at first sight is your enemy at the flea market. Falling hard and fast for something you haven’t examined yet is the easiest way to make mistakes. Sure, it’s wise to stake your claim on an item so other buyers will clearly know you found it first and are interested—but take your time while examining it and dicker the price.

 

Have fun! I hope these tips help on your next flea market shopping trip.

 

 

About the Author

 

Trish Esden loves museums, gardens, wilderness, dogs and birds, in various orders depending on the day. She lives in northern Vermont where she deals antiques with her husband, a profession she’s been involved with since her teens. Don’t ask what her favorite type of antique is. She loves hunting for old bottles and rusty barn junk as much as she enjoys fine art and furnishings. Trish is the author of the Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series which explores the secretive and adrenaline-charged underbelly of the antique and art world.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Goodreads * BookBub

 

 

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

The Little Shop of Murders (Collected Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery Anthology
Pigeon Park Press (April 1, 2023)
Number of Pages – 260

 

Synopsis

 

Book shops, boutiques and small businesses are the lifeblood of small towns but what secrets lie behind those pretty display windows and in the alleyways behind these charming streets?

Step inside for a personal retail experience like no other!

‘The Little Shop of Murders’ collects together fifteen superb cozy mysteries written by some of the finest authors in the genre.

All author and publisher profits from the sale of this book go to children’s charities, helping those most in need.

 

Stories include:

 

Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait
It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight
Always and Furever by Eryn Scott
Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon
Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor
Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett
Secondhand Murder by J. New
The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan
Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Byrne
Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel
The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens
Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young
Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean

 

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

 

Review

 

If you enjoy a good mystery and discovering new authors, this is a great book for that. Not only do you get top-notch stories, but you might also find a new favorite author in the mix.

I have heard of a few of these authors, but not all, so I was excited to read stories to learn their writing styles and if these would be new authors for me to add to my ever-growing TBR list.

Each story is complete, with clues hiding or in plain sight and intriguing characters. Since these are short stories, there is not a lot of depth to the characters, town, or mystery; but that is to be expected since they are all short stories. There were a few that I wanted to know more about or be able to continue the story in other books. That may or may not be possible. I will have to look at the specific books to see if those characters continue into other books.

This is a great book to read over lunch or while waiting at a doctor’s office or other places. The stories are just long enough to keep you engaged but wrap up quickly if you are short on time.

Overall we give this 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

Victoria Tait

 

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world.  She’s drawn on her experiences following her military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings.  Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

 

Amazon

 

Carlene O’Connor

 

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mysteries, Home to Ireland Mysteries, and the new County Kerry Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into German, Estonia, and UK markets thus far, and the Irish Village Mysteries have been optioned for television. Readers are encouraged to get in touch via Facebook, Goodreads, Book Bub, or through the contact form on CarleneOConnor.net. An admitted wanderer, Carlene spends as much time in Ireland as possible while currently residing in California and Chicago. She is always up for joining events via Zoom or in person.

 

Amazon

 

Eryn Scott

 

Eryn Scott is the author of heartwarming cozy mysteries. Her Whiskers and Words cozy mystery series features deep friendships, strong families, a tight-knit small town, twisty mysteries, and a whole lot of adorable cats. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with a handful of beloved animals. She enjoys knitting, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and reading.

 

Amazon

 

Flora McGowan

 

Flora McGowan is the author of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries, novels and short stories. Her stories combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. Flora was born in Dorset and has spent most, but not all, of her life there, and many of her stories are based in this locale. Flora enjoys travelling, taking inspiration from the places she visits.

 

Amazon

 

Nikki Knight

 

Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City’s top all-news radio station, 1010 WINS, she writes mysteries including LIVE, LOCAL, AND DEAD, a Vermont Radio Mystery from Crooked Lane, and as Kathleen Marple Kalb, the Ella Shane and Old Stuff series. Her short stories appear online and in anthologies, and have been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. She, her husband and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.

 

Amazon

 

Diane Kelly

 

Diane Kelly writes funny stories that feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends. Diane is the author of over three dozen novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes white-collar crime series, the Paw Enforcement K-9 series, the House Flipper cozy mystery series, the Busted female motorcycle cop series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries series. Find Diane online at DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram, and on Facebook at her Author Diane Kelly page.

 

Dead as a Door Knocker

 

J New

 

J. New is the author of The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries. Immerse yourself in country house murders, dastardly deeds at English Church fetes, daring escapades in the French Riviera, and the secret tunnels under London in the award-winning series readers call ‘Miss Marple’ meets ‘The Ghost Whisperer.’ She also writes two contemporary mystery series: Tea & Sympathy featuring Lilly Tweed, former Agony Aunt now purveyor of fine teas, and Finch & Fischer with mobile librarian Penny Finch and her rescue dog Fischer at the helm. Jacquie lives in the North of England with her partner and an assortment of rescue animals.

 

London Lovett

 

London Lovett is a cozy mystery author and connoisseur of delicious baked goods.

Many readers have called her Port Danby Cozy Mystery series a ‘new favorite.’ Port Danby features a small-town florist with a powerful sense of smell. Lacey ‘Pink’ Pinkerton uses her impressive nose to help solve crimes as an amateur sleuth alongside her detective boyfriend, James Briggs. Blooms and Blackmail is a Port Danby short story.

You can keep up with London’s books and access some delicious recipes on her website.

 

Marigolds and Murder

 

Debbie Young

 

Debbie Young writes two popular cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Sayers, set in a Cotswold village, and Gemma Lamb, set at a girls’ boarding school. One book in each series was shortlisted for the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. She is founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, and a course tutor for Jericho Writers. She writes in the Plotting Shed at the bottom of her cottage garden. Her novels are now published by Boldwood Books and she is represented by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.  Amazon UK

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

ACF Bookens

 

ACF Bookens lives in Virginia’s Southwestern Mountains with two hound dogs and a very energetic preschooler. When she’s not writing, she enjoys watching shows with teenagers who are way cooler than she ever was and cross-stitch.

 

Website * Amazon

 

Kathryn Mykel

 

Kathryn Mykel is the author of the Award-Winning Sewing Suspicion – A Quilting Cozy Mystery. Kathryn is inspired by the laugh-out-loud and fanciful aspects of cozies. Kathryn Mykel aims to write lighthearted, humorous cozies surrounding her passion for the craft of quilting. Born and raised in a small New England town—Kathryn is an avid quilter.

 

Sewing Suspicion

 

Lise McClendon

 

Lise McClendon is the author of numerous novels of crime and suspense. Her bestselling Bennett Sisters Mysteries continue to charm readers worldwide. Her first mystery series was set in Jackson, Wyoming, featuring art dealer, Alix Thorssen. When not writing about foreign lands and dastardly criminals, Lise lives in Montana with her husband and has recently become a fan of sunny winters in the desert. She enjoys fly fishing, hiking, picking raspberries in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. She has served on the national boards of directors of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference.

 

Bennett Sisters Mysteries * Alix Thorssen series

 

 

Geraldine Byrne

 

Geraldine Moorkens Byrne is an Irish mystery writer, poet, and educator. She lives with her family in Dublin, where many of her stories are set, especially The Caroline Jordan series. When not dreaming up modern murder mysteries, she knits, crochets, and teaches classes on Irish folk traditions. Until 2021 she owned Ireland’s oldest family-owned music shop, the basis for “Requiem for a Violin.” Mrs. O’Brien and friends will return in their own series in 2023, The Music Shop Mysteries.

She also writes a magical cozy mystery series, The Old Bat Chronicles, under the pen name Nina Hayes.

 

Website

 

Millie Ravensworth

 

Millie Ravensworth has been writing (and sewing!) for years, and it seemed like a natural step to combine the two things in a series of cozy mysteries. She lives in England and has an adorable dog who likes to be at her side when she is sewing/writing, but he’d much rather she played fetch with his favourite toy!

Izzy King and Penny Slipper, who appear in the story in this collection, can also be found in the Cozy Craft Mystery books that are available to read now.

 

Amazon UK

 

 

Rachel McLean

 

Rachel McLean is an award-winning crime author who writes UK-based police procedurals. She is best known for the Dorset Crime series and the DI Zoe Finch series set in her home city of Birmingham. Book 1 in the Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021. Her new McBride and Tanner series is set around Loch Lomond in Scotland.

 

Amazon * Website

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

Digging Up Daisy (A Mainely Murder Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Maine
Berkley (April 4, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In a fresh new Maine-set cozy from author Sherry Lynn, Kinsley Clark must root out a killer before the killer roots out her.

At twenty-nine, Kinsley Clark is living the dream life she always envisioned for herself. She’s the proud owner of SeaScapes, a thriving landscaping company in wealthy Harborside, set on the rugged coast of southern Maine. Kinsley’s veins are filled with salty air, a myriad of colors, and the fragrance of fresh blooms. But one afternoon, while working at her aunt Tilly’s bed-and-breakfast, the Salty Breeze Inn, Kinsley digs up more than she bargained for—a high-heeled shoe. The once sparkly shoe, now caked in mud, is linked to a case the police had appropriately dubbed the “Cinderella Murder.”

Kinsley panics. Does this mean that her aunt and the inn are somehow connected to this murder? Will it scare away potential guests? Will it subject the inn to a rush of bad press? With Aunt Tilly’s reputation, and possibly her safety, on the line, Kinsley digs deeper into the crime to find out what the shoe was doing on her aunt’s property and who murdered Cinderella, whose real name is Daisy. As she investigates, more suspects rise to the surface, and eventually, Kinsley has to weed out a killer.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

 

 

Review

 

This new series will have you craving “lobstah” rolls and the scenic view of Maine. Just watch out for the dead bodies.

I always enjoy starting a new series to see what the author will bring to the table in regard to characters, settings, mystery, and small towns. The mystery starts off with a bang, but you don’t know why a shoe has been buried at the Salty Breeze Inn. Kinsley dives right into deciphering clues and trying to unroot the killer. The author does a great job of throwing red herrings into the mix. There is one character that really stands out as the potential murderer, but it just happens to be circumstantial. The true murderer was quite a surprise.

Since this is a new series, I don’t have a connection to the characters yet. I’m on the fence regarding Kinsley. She seems nice enough, but she is a little rough around the edges in this first book. I’m sure her character will continue to grow and become more well-rounded. There are a variety of characters that play an integral part in the story, but they seem a bit awkward too. But this is the first book, so I suspect the author will continue to expand their character.

I did love all of the plant talk, and I could imagine them in my mind with bursts of color decorating the landscape. I admire those that can garden because I cannot.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up and look forward to seeing how the characters and town expand.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Sherry Lynn spent countless summers on the coast of Maine, knowing she’d one day return to write about the magical location from her youth. Curious by nature, sleuthing became the perfect fit for her, and she has written multiple cozy mystery series under several pseudonyms. Currently, Sherry lives in the Midwest with her husband, but she dreams about one day retiring oceanside with a good book in her hand.

 

Penguin Random House * Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Instagram

 

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Eyes on the Road (The Tow Truck Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Colorado
Wild Rose Press (February 20, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Many businesses in Spruce Ridge, Colorado hire temporary international workers during the hectic ski season. One temp, Jaana Ivanov from Estonia, is found dead in her car at the bottom of a cliff, but the car crash was not an accident. Jaana didn’t just take her eyes off the road. She was murdered. Delaney Morran often feels vulnerable herself as the lone female tow truck driver in town, so when the victim’s sister asks Delaney to help find the killer, Delaney eyes everyone with suspicion. Delaney may not be the best at towing vehicles, but she’s pretty good at digging up clues.

 

 

Amazon * B&N

 

 

Guest Post

 

 

Writing From One Plot Point to the Next, and the Next and the Next, to the End

 

As the author of ten published mysteries, with additional books in the works, I’ve been asked how I can possibly write a 300-page story with complex characters, hidden clues, and plot twists. The question of how I keep everything straight includes the implied question of how I came up with the ideas in the first place.

There are all kinds of writers’ aids, from software for organizing timelines and character charts to corkboard methods. I’ve found using a simple blank calendar and a stack of notecards the best for me. Every writer needs to find their own way, and there are many books written on the subject. There are complex methods, academic methods, and unscripted methods, but the simplest one is writing from plot point to plot point. The simplicity is writing one piece of the plot at a time, instead of writing from the beginning to the conclusion which seems impossibly far off.

I’m not saying I came up with the original idea. Quite possibly it has been discovered by others. Quite possibly I’ve even read about this method at some point, then had an epiphany when I finally understood it, not realizing I’d read it somewhere. (If you came up with it, please tell me so I can give you credit! And, thank you!)

What is a plot point? First, you have to understand the difference between plotters and pantsers. A plotter creates a book outline; a pantser writes from the seat of her pants. I’m mostly a plotter, but allow for my story to take off in a different direction if it needs to. I base my plotting outline on one of the structures in Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody. I’m also a great fan of K.M. Weiland and her blog, HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com. Weiland does a great job of explaining plot points and why certain events (inciting incidents, pinch points) need to occur and where they need to occur.

Just thinking about the necessary plot points causes me to discover the next logical step of the story. Understanding what needs to happen is what makes it happen. I believe this is the same way pantsers work. They do their plotting on the fly. Me, I start with an outline.

Once I have my structure in place, I write however many scenes I need to get from one plot point to the next. I focus on that one piece. It makes the task manageable and keeps me going back to my computer day after day. I track my daily word count, but I don’t have a concrete goal. As I’m writing, I jot my scenes onto a calendar to keep track of continuity and make sure my character is not required to do the impossible all in one day. I also keep track of scenes on notecards. Finally, I reach the last plot point, the reveal scene, and the wrap up.

I’m making it sound easier than it is. Writing is hard work, no matter what, but if I were writing toward the end, I don’t believe I could get through that muddled middle or overcome the hurdle of being on page 100 and having 200 pages to go.

Readers enjoy complex characters and surprising twists without being aware of the underlying structure. They just read from point to point. So, write it that way. If you are a writer, are you a plotter or a pantser? If a reader, can you tell the difference when you read?

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

Karen C. Whalen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner parties, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Four Parties and a Funeral (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – New York
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In this fresh and witty cozy mystery series set amid an extended Italian-American family in Astoria, Queens, catering hall owner and amateur sleuth Mia Carina must solve a murder on the set of a reality show.

The June events schedule at Belle View is busting out all over—proms, graduations, and of course, weddings. There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard. But soon, Mia’s fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed . . .

Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia’s friends insist on getting in on the action. The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife—who’s also very minor British royalty—have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen “talent.” Even so, it’s a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show . . .

Murder might boost the ratings. But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime . . .

Italian recipes included!

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

If anyone had told Mia Carina that one day she’d wake up in bed next to a former male model,

she would have spit whatever she was drinking out of her nose.

Yet here she was.

Mia enjoyed a languid stretch and was rewarded with an angry meow from Doorstop, the Abyssinian diva who commanded the foot of the bed and was not happy about being woken up by an accidental nudge from Mia’s foot. Mia sat up and reached over to pet the annoyed cat. “Sorry,

sweetie. I didn’t know you were there.”

Doorstop made a sound that in human would have translated to “Yeah, right” and repositioned himself.

The male model still asleep next to Mia muttered something unintelligible and then said quite clearly, “Bacon and grape jelly.” Mia giggled. Shane stirred and opened one eye. “What?”

“You were talking in your sleep about work again. It’s adorable.”

Shane yawned and sat up. “What did I say?”

“Bacon and grape jelly.”

“Right. For the Kiwanis Club breakfast in the morning.”

“Practically our only event this month that isn’t a prom, graduation party, or wedding.”

Shane and Mia were coworkers at Belle View Banquet Manor, the party facility turned over to her “recovering mobster” father, Ravello, as payment for a gambling debt. Mia breathed a sigh of relief when Ravello asked her to help him run Belle View as a legitimate, entirely legal enterprise for the Boldano Family. She’d breathed sighs laced with lust and desire when Shane signed on at Belle View as operations manager. By Christmas, she and Shane had succumbed to their mutual attraction, but feeling guilty about the impropriety of a boss-employee relationship, they’d kept their romance on the down low for months.

Shane laced his fingers together and placed his hands between his head and the pillow. “Speaking of weddings, we need to find out if it’s okay to give Jamie and Madison cash as a present. I don’t see a bride in Connecticut carrying a satin sack for checks.”

Mia chuckled at the reference to the most important accessory to a bride’s outfit at the many Italian weddings she’d grown up with—the money sack. “At least not Madison’s family. They’re a little upscale for the sack. Nonna said that, in her day, sacks didn’t even exist. People just stuffed the checks or cash down the bride’s cleavage and, when that filled up, in the groom’s pockets or pants.”

“And now sacks are old school. Did I tell you that for the Castro-Pradeep wedding, I have to print out business cards they can hand out to their guests with their Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo account

information?”

“Ha. That’s a wedding favor I didn’t see coming.”

Shane’s extremely handsome face creased in a frown. “I still haven’t figured out what to wear to the barbecue.” He and Mia, along with Ravello, the Boldanos, and a Queens/Long Island contingent would soon be trooping up to Worthington, Connecticut, for a party hosted by Madison’s parents in honor of the happy couple.

“Me neither,” Mia said. “This is, like, a whole new world. Jamie showed me pictures of the Wythes’ house, where they’re hosting the party. It’s old and white.”

“Like Madison’s relatives,” Shane said with a sly grin.

Mia chortled, then wagged a finger at Shane. “Don’t. Be nice, you. It’s not her fault her family goes back a million years. Jamie said the house is, like, almost as old as the country, and her parents are super nice. They don’t act entitled at all. But what to wear, what to wear. Hmmm . . .” As Mia pondered this, she tapped an index finger painted with sparkly gold nail polish against her lip. The

other four nails were painted a soft sea green.

“They sail a lot in Connecticut,” Shane offered.

“Maybe stuff with anchors?”

Mia brightened. “Great idea. I’ll see what I can find online.”

Shane yawned, then leaned over to Mia, gifting her with a kiss that knocked all images of anchors and America’s founding fathers from her thoughts.

“I gotta go home and shower before work. It’s gonna be a day.”

Mia sighed. “I know.” Big Donny Boldano, Jamie’s father and technically the boss of all bosses to the Belle View crew, had begged Mia to hire Jamie’s older brother, Little Donny Boldano, to do something—anything—at the banquet facility. At the ripe old age of thirty-four, Big Donny’s namesake was still trying to find himself. This was to be his first day on the job. Mia and Shane’s plan was to let Little Donny figure out which angle of the catering business interested him the most and then place him there.

 

 

About the Author

 

Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award-winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father’s side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother’s family in Queens, and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She’s a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.

 

 

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Synopsis

 

An abandoned backpack. A damaged walking stick. A broken bridge. What happened on the Buckeye Trail?

Succulent-savvy sleuth, Molly Green spends her day tending her eco-friendly garden center, inherited from her beloved grandparents. She wants nothing more than to nurture her nursery and share her plant passion with the world.

When a hiker goes missing on the Buckeye Trail that runs behind the garden center and a bridge on the trail is damaged, the police suspect foul play. As clues mount up, Molly fears she may know who is to blame, perhaps someone in her own family.

To make matters worse, Molly must navigate the inconvenient appearance of a loquacious colleague, pulling her from her path to uncover the mystery of the broken bridge.

Can she discover what really happened that day on the trail? Or will the spikes and thorns surrounding this mystery take Molly out as well? Find out in the first book of the Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery series, The Broken Bridge.

 

 

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Review

 

This new cozy series has a lovely setting, fun characters, and just the right amount of tension when it comes to the murder.

Molly and May are twins that co-own a plant store with their cousin Shannon. It was inherited from their grandmother, but Molly and May are the driving force that keeps this store running and profitable. I like that Molly is very eco-friendly in her approach to gardening and plants. I also liked that she created unique arrangements using succulents.

There isn’t a large cast of characters, so it was fairly easy for me to narrow down the potential murderer. There were not a lot of clues to point the reader in any one direction.

We learn some things about Molly and May, but I feel like there will be more divulged in future books. I like both of their husbands and felt they helped round out the story.

I had to crack up when Molly came face to face with the killer and her actions and reactions. She does everything you think you shouldn’t do when facing a killer.

This series has great potential, and I look forward to reading future books and learning more about these characters and the box of keys.

We give the book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Iris March has a reputation for killing house plants and now she’s killing people off in books? Coincidence? Perhaps not. Iris has spent two decades working in the sustainability field and is usually either reading a book or on a trail. She lives in Ohio with her husband, son, and three cats.

 

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Synopsis

 

Just when everything is returning to the calm that Quinn Caine and her sidekicks, Ruff Barker Ginsburg and Sister Daria, are used to in their beloved town of Vienna, a Broadway star crash-lands into their peace and quiet. Former ‘player’, Chad Frivole, is Vienna’s prodigal son—the once notorious lothario has returned a Broadway star, ready to make a different kind of mark on his hometown.

Not everyone is celebrating the Tony-award-winner’s return. Chad’s a triple threat—with a cast of characters lining up to seek their revenge on him. So, when he turns up dead in his car, trapped with a sack full of snakes, Quinn can’t say she’s surprised—but promises handsome detective Aiden Harrington that she’s staying out of this local mystery.

That is, until someone starts threatening her brother’s life. It’s true, Sebastian ‘Bash’ Caine used to be a womanizer, just like Chad. And the killer doesn’t seem to care that he’s not that man anymore. Bash Caine is in the killer’s sights, and unless Quinn and her crew can find the killer in time, whoever it is will drag her brother into his final act on this mortal coil.

 

 

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Review

 

I think this might be a new favorite series! I have a lot of those if you follow any of my reviews. But this one has engaging characters and a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

Normally, I’m a stickler for starting a series at the beginning. However, this is only the second book, and I felt like there was enough backstory that I didn’t feel lost in any of the personal relationships that occurred in the series. The story is also told from two perspectives, Quinn and her cousin Daria. I had read books before that had multiple points of view, and they didn’t seem to work, or at least I was always confused when the voices changed. That is not true with this book. It was obvious to me when it was Quinn or Daria because they are very different. Daria is a novice nun; however, she is tested by Lucas and their attraction to one another. Will she go through with her vows, or was she just running away thinking that the convent was a safe place? There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end regarding Daria.

Quinn had a rough start in the first book; however, it has led to her relationship with Aidan, the local police detective. I really enjoyed watching their relationship and the respect that they have for one another. Quinn is inquisitive but manages to end up in the thick of things, even when she isn’t trying.

I also enjoyed the dog training that Daria and the nuns do at the convent. While that is just a small notation in the book, I thought it was a nice twist for that to be an area that they help in their community.

If you are squeamish about snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawlies, just be forewarned that there are some scattered throughout the book. It added an interesting twist to how people were murdered, especially once the killer is revealed and the truth comes to light.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, but I will probably have to wait a while!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Born in California and raised in South Florida, Harper Kincaid has moved around like a nomad with a bounty on her head ever since. Kincaid earned her master’s degree in Gender History and another in Clinical/Macro Social Work. She currently works as a psychotherapist.

 

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A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4^th in Series
Setting – California
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Fairies are trending hard, especially when it comes to fairy garden décor in Walmart and Target and on Amazon. The latest installment in the nationally bestselling Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden mysteries is a perfect read for Laura Childs readers and all fans of whimsy and charm.

With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.

There’s a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan’s business partner, who’s like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they’re missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Over One Thousand Characters

 

Character names are important. Think about these: Indiana Jones . . . James Bond. . . Hercule Poirot.  They’re iconic, right? Names can distinguish the character.  John Smith would never have resonated as an adventurous archaeologist.  Jim Bond just wouldn’t be as dashing as James. And Hercule? Can you even imagine another name for him?

Over the course of the past twelve years and twenty-seven published books, I’ve created over a thousand characters, and I have given “nearly” all a different name. [I think I named a couple of women Martha. Oops!] When I’m fashioning a character, I start with the alphabet. I like my characters in any single book to have names that are different from the other characters’ names; that way readers won’t get confused. So let’s say my main cast consists of Courtney, Fiona, Meaghan, Wanda, and Kipling. Now I bring in some cursory characters who might appear in book one, five, and eight. They still need names, so I add them to my list, and I’ll try to use other letters like Z=Ziggy and Y=Yoly. Then I come up with the guest cast. Suspects, victims, the occasional witness. How do I keep them all straight? I make a list for each book and each series, and I consult them regularly. Except for poor old Martha. Ha!

As to the personality that goes with a name, let’s think about that. Is Tammi going to act the same as Tamara? Is Nicole going to behave like Nikki? Nikki, with the double-K, is a strong sounding name. In my mind, she’s feisty and on-the-ball.  Nicole, on the other hand, sounds gentler, more refined, possibly an artist.  Now, I’m not saying that Nikki couldn’t be an artist and Nicole couldn’t be feisty, but for me, this is who they become . . . as I write them.

Funny story, and the reason why I use the alphabet list. . .

Early in my writing, in one of my books, my publisher had given me a bible with the names Amy and Amelia Well, both started with Am, and I found myself consistently making mistakes—typing Amelia when I’d meant to type Amy and vice versa.

Side note:  Have you ever read a book where there’s, say, an Ann, Amy, Analise, and Annabelle in the cast, or a similar combination, and after a while, you’re wondering who’s walking onto the page? Kid you not! I read a book with five men whose names all started with a J. And they were all in the same scene. Boy, was I confused.

Anyway, when I changed Amelia, who was shy and tentative, to Rebecca, her character made a U-turn.  Rebecca became plucky, coltish, and curious. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying all Amelia(s) are shy and tentative.  Look at Amelia Earhart.  Talk about personality.  But in my  creative mind at the time, Amelia didn’t have pluck.  Rebecca did!

Think about your friends.  Would you have named them differently?  How about your family?  Do any have nicknames that have stuck because that’s just who they are?  Peanut, Pooh, Rocko?

Names. I love coming up with them. I enjoy seeing how my characters take shape based on their names. I just hope I don’t run out of possibilities. There are only so many letters in the alphabet.

 

 

Excerpt

 

CHAPTER 1

 

Down by the spring one morning

Where the shadows still lay deep,

I found in the heart of a flower

A tiny fairy asleep.

~Laura Ingalls Wilder, “The Fairy Dew Drop”

 

Slam! Slam-slam-slam! Slam!

My insides did a jig. I dashed down the hall to the back of Open Your Imagination, dusting my hands off on my denim overalls while wondering what in the world was going on.

Fiona, the teensy righteous fairy that appeared to me the day I opened my fairy garden shop, fluttered to my shoulder. Her limbs and gossamer wings were trembling.

“What’s happening, Courtney?” she managed to squeak out. She hated loud noises. Hated surprises. I didn’t like them, either.

Pixie, my Ragdoll cat, trailed us. She mewed.

“Don’t worry, you two,” I said. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

I drew to a halt outside the storage room. The door opened and slammed.

When it opened again, I pressed a hand against it. “Hey! Stop! Meaghan, c’mon.”

The door opened wide, and Meaghan Brownie gawked at me. Her face was red, her eyes were ablaze with fury, and her curly hair was writhing like wild snakes.

“What the heck has you so angry?” I asked. I’d sent her to fetch a box of gemstones. I had plenty, so coming up empty wasn’t what was upsetting her.

“Nicolas!” She huffed. “He texted me. And . . . And . . .” She waggled her cell phone.

“Oo-oh!”

Nicolas was her ex-boyfriend, a temperamental artist. A few months back, she’d asked him to move out while her mother had needed comforting. He’d never returned.

“Oo-oh,” she repeated, before grabbing one of the Tupperware boxes filled with gemstones and skirting past me. She stalked toward the main showroom.

Pixie and I followed. Fiona flew above my pal, sprinkling her with a calming silver dust.

Fairies couldn’t change human behavior, but they could offer potions that might help the human solve problems. In this case, to find peace.

“He’s so . . . so . . . ”

Meaghan was not using her inside voice, but I wasn’t worried about her upsetting our customers. It was early. Nobody was in the shop yet. Not even Joss Timberlake, my right-hand helper. She’d asked for the morning off, so I’d invited Meaghan to help me prepare some items.

Why did I need help? Because yesterday Violet Vickers, a wealthy widow who donated to numerous worthy causes, had ordered an additional dozen fairy gardens to be used as centerpieces for the theater foundation tea she was serving on Mother’s Day. Why additional?

Because she’d already commissioned me to make a dozen very large, elaborate fairy gardens to be installed when Kelly Landscaping, my father’s company, completed the total redo of her backyard.

It was May first. I wasn’t hyperventilating. Yet. But I also wasn’t sleeping much.

“Let’s go to the patio,” I said. “I’ll bring some tea.”

“I don’t want tea,” Meaghan groused as she breezed out the French doors to the patio, the folds of her white lace skirt wafting behind her.

The shop’s telephone jangled. I decided not to answer. Whoever was calling would call back. Meaghan, my best friend who I’d met a little over ten years ago when we were sophomores in college, needed me more. I followed her, glancing at Fiona wondering why the calming potion wasn’t working. Fiona, intuiting my question, shook her head.

“Isn’t it a beautiful morning, Meaghan?” I took the box from her and set it on the workstation table in the learning-the-craft area at the far end of the patio. “Gorgeous, in fact.”

The fountain was burbling. Sunshine was streaming through the tempered-glass, pyramid-shaped roof. The leaves of the Ficus trees were clean and shiny. I’d already wiped down the wrought-iron tables and chairs and organized all the verdigris baker’s racks of fairy figurines.

Plus I’d removed dead leaves from the various decorative fairy gardens. Presentation mattered to me and to my customers.

Meaghan muttered, “Ugh.”

“Start at the beginning,” I said. “Nicolas texted you.”

“Yes.” She plopped onto a bench and rested her elbows on the table.

“What did he write?” I asked.

“He wants me back.”

I opened the box of colorful gemstones and ran my hands through them: hematite, labradorite, amethyst, obsidian, and more.

“But I don’t want him back,” Meaghan said.

Fiona landed on the rim of the box. Her eyes widened. “Are they for the fairy doors, Courtney?”

“Mm-hm.”

“They’re pretty.”

Not only was I making the gardens for Violet, but I had three upcoming fairy garden door classes scheduled. Fairy doors were miniature doors, usually set at the base of a tree, behind which might be a small space where people left notes or wishes for fairies. They could also be installed into a fairy garden pot.

“I mean, I used to,” Meaghan went on. “But I don’t anymore. We have nothing in common.” Idly, she drew circles on the tabletop with her fingertip. “I did the right thing, don’t you think? I did, didn’t I?”

Over the course of our friendship, I’d kept my mouth shut. Nicolas and Meaghan had never made sense. She was outgoing and personable; he was quiet, to the point of being morose.

Granted, he was a talented artist, and she, as a premier art gallery owner, appreciated his gift, but that was not enough to sustain a healthy relationship. Not in my book, anyway.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, and the French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she pens the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes the Aspen Adams novels of suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Daryl loves to cook, fairy garden, and read, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line!

 

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