All That Shines (Glitter Bay Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc. (March 1, 2021)
Print Length: 250 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When Sage Miller’s sister Laken decides to host a fashion show as a grand opening for the new location of Vintage Sage, she’s not amused. Even less so when she discovers her sister hired a Hollywood fashion designer to help. Not only does the designer show up in the middle of renovations, but he drags along his protégé.

Then she finds Sebastian Hayward III, dead in her store.

Suddenly it seems half of Los Angeles—all unwelcome guests from Laken’s past—appear in Vintage Sage seeking something Sebastian had in his possession. Sage has to deal with renovations, a fashion show, and a murder before she and Laken come unglued.

 

 

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Character Guest Post

 

If all the world is a stage, I’m one of those people backstage cleaning up everyone’s messes and painting the scenery. I might look like a fiery redhead, but I have no desire to attract anyone’s attention. Which is why it bothered me so much when Sebastian Hayward III arrived in town with his purse-packing, heel-wearing sidekick Hamlet. Too much drama for me. Whenever they walked into Vintage Sage, my second-hand boutique, I ducked out the backdoor and left my sister to deal with them as well as the grand opening fashion show she was planning. I wanted nothing to do with any of it.

Laken, my younger sister, had met all kinds of people in her world travels as a professional model. It was the first time she’d ever brought any of those people home though. Suddenly, I went from never meeting a fashion designer in my life to tripping over them. Everyone seemed to want something that Sebastian had kept hidden from us all.

Then someone murdered Sebastian in my store and I’m the one who found his body. Suddenly, I became the proud mentor of my own sidekick. Quinn Evans, the fashion designer formerly known as Hamlet. To be honest, I wasn’t that surprised when Quinn told us she was a woman and we were stuck with her for a while. What surprised me the most was how quickly she and I seemed to bond. We did have her boss’s murder to solve, so that helped draw us together.

When Quinn came out with the truth, it had a bigger effect on me than I could have imagined. The more she told me about her life and her dreams, the more my own mind began to open up to the possibilities. She even convinced me to appear in Laken’s silly fashion show. Can you believe it? I’m an introvert. I didn’t want to strut my stuff down a runway.

Then she bullied me into trying on one of her designer gowns. I couldn’t believe I could ever look so good. The stunned expression on my friend Andy’s face bowled me over, especially when he took photos. Ugh! Those better not end up on social media. Of course, once Laken saw me wearing that dress, all bets were off. I was going be in that fashion show even if they had to tie me to a chair.

Aside from catching a killer, the fashion show wasn’t as horrible as I expected. I even caught myself thinking we could do it again sometime. Oh boy. Quinn and Laken are rubbing off on me. Part of me wonders what we’ll get up to next.

Another part of me is afraid to find out!

Have a great day,

Sage Miller

 

 

About the Author

 

Diane Bator is the author of several mystery novels—and series. She’s a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime Toronto, International Thriller Writers, and the Writers Union of Canada. When she’s not writing, she works in a small, professional theatre which will one day be subjected to immortality in a whole new series.

 

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Murder in First Position: An On Pointe Mystery
Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Level Best Books (November 24, 2020)
Paperback: 260 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Ballerina Leah Siderova knows the career of a professional dancer is short. But rarely is it as brief as that of her rival, Arianna Bonneville, whose rise to stardom ends when she is stabbed in the back.

New York City police detective Jonah Sobol fixes upon Leah as the prime suspect. After all, she was the one who found the body, she had the most to gain from Arianna’s death, and it was her name Arianna whispered, just before she died.

Leah is desperate to clear her name, and she begins her own investigation, collaborating with her best friend and her ballet coach. As the three dancers sort through backstage intrigues, attempted blackmail, and a tangle of romantic liaisons, the noose around Leah’s neck grows tighter.

Ballet, with its merciless discipline, is all Leah has ever known. Is that enough to keep her one step ahead of the police—and the killer?

 

 

 

 

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Character Guest Post

 

Today we are lucky enough to have Ballerina Leah Siderova sharing her thoughts on what it is like to be in the spotlight.

 

From the audience’s perspective, everything is beautiful at the ballet. Talk to any ballerina, however, and you’ll soon learn life as a professional dancer is brutally hard. And brutally short. The fierce and unrelenting competition engenders plenty of backstabbing, but that’s supposed to be a metaphor. Not actual murder. And anyway, I didn’t do it.

Of course, everyone says that, but in my case it was true. On that fateful day when my scheming rival tried to take over my life, the morning began as it always does, with plenty of coffee and no breakfast. Several hours later, it wasn’t the lack of food that made me ill. It was the sight of my rival’s dead body. It didn’t help that the costume mistress found me holding a pair of bloody scissors. And I really wish the dying girl’s last words hadn’t been my name.

Nearly all of my colleagues have deserted me, the press has written me off, and social media trolls are exploding the capacities of their various platforms. In other words, the police are getting ready to send me away for a very long time. Well, maybe not that one really good-looking detective. He seemed sympathetic. But everyone else is eager to convict me for a crime I didn’t commit.

I do have some friends. Madame Maksimova, my longtime teacher and coach, believes in me. So does Gabi, my best ballerina friend, who is now a wife and mother. And speaking of supportive mothers, hell hath no fury like an Upper West Side mom determined to clear her daughter’s name. I don’t have quite as much confidence in my lawyer, Uncle Morty. He’s an expert in real estate law, so if your problem in nonpayment of rent, he’s your guy. Felony murder? Not so much. But he is family, and in my situation, that counts for a lot.

I wish I could tell you about my life outside ballet, but honestly, ballet is my life. Occasionally, I think about getting married, or even having a kid, but so far, those items haven’t made it to the top of my to-do list. My most recent boyfriend pulled the plug on our relationship when I was on tour in Paris, and by the time I returned to New York, he was otherwise engaged. As in, engaged to be married. It’s only a matter of time before that two-timing creep and his fiancée move to Brooklyn, have an environmentally sustainable wedding, and start having gifted children.

I’m not bitter, of course. They’re doing the normal things I’ve heard normal people do but have never had the time or inclination to explore for myself. The possibility of a long prison sentence is another potential hurdle to learning how other people live.

I’m facing a grim future. But with the same determination and dedication I’ve brought to the most beautiful of all the arts, I’m going to survive. And I’m going to dance again.

 

 

About the Author

 

Brooklyn-born Lori Robbins began dancing at age 16 and launched her professional career three years later. She studied modern dance at the Martha Graham School and ballet at the New York Conservatory of Dance. Robbins performed with a number of regional modern and ballet companies, including Ballet Hispanico, the Des Moines Ballet, and the St. Louis Concert Ballet. After ten very lean years as a dancer she attended Hunter College, graduating summa cum laude with a major in British Literature and a minor in Classics. Her first mystery, Lesson Plan for Murder, won the Silver Falchion Award for Best Cozy Mystery and was a finalist in the Readers’ Choice and Indie Book Awards. Murder in First Position is the first in her new mystery series, published on November 23, 2020, by Level Best Books.

She is currently working on the second book in both series. She is also the author of “Accidents Happen” a short story that will appear in the 2021 Malice Domestic anthology: Murder Most Diabolical. Robbins is a vice president of the NYC chapter of Sisters in Crime. She is also a founding member of the Damsels of Distress, a group that offers writing workshops and book readings. She is an expert in the homicidal impulses everyday life inspires.

 

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Save the Date by Ellen Fannon

 

Adult Fiction (18 +), 329 pages

 

Fiction Romance

 

Publisher: Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications

 

Release date: October 2020

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

What if you were given the chance to rekindle the flame with your first love? What happened to all those girls who were mean to you in school? Should Hannah Jensen take the chance of attending her high school reunion to find out?

Hannah hasn’t been back to her hometown in more than twenty years. Now, a widow, raising a teenaged daughter, she has the opportunity to go home for her twenty-fifth high school reunion. The invitation to the reunion stirs up a lot of old memories at the same time she is dealing with loneliness, the challenges of single-parenting a teenager, people who want to “set her up” with eligible men, her own insecurities, and her eccentric family.

The story interweaves the present with scenes from Hannah’s past and her fantasy of “happily ever after” with her high school boyfriend in a humorous and entertaining manner. Her feelings from being “shunned” by the cool kids resurface as she reflects back on her time as a teenager. There are several roadblocks on Hannah’s journey from a teenager through her present. The growing pains and amusing situations in which she finds herself are ones to which we all can relate. As she walks the path of self-discovery, she also discovers the most important life lesson of all–her relationship to God.

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

A recent “Peanuts” comic strip shows Snoopy standing beside his mailbox reading a letter that says: Dear Contributor, We are returning your stupid story. You are a terrible writer. Why do you bother us? We wouldn’t buy one of your stories if you paid us. Leave us alone. Drop dead. Get lost. Snoopy’s thought bubble says, “Probably a form rejection slip.”

Some days I feel like Snoopy, except I receive form rejection emails. They are usually a tiny bit gentler, such as “Thank you for your interest in our publishing company. However, your submission does not meet our needs at this present time. We wish you success in finding the best place for your submission.” What is implied, but not overtly stated is, “Such as the trashcan.”

I have been to writing conferences, taken courses in how to do all the right things to get my writing accepted by agents and editors, meticulously and painstakingly done everything I was told to do in terms of preparing proposals and endorsements, spent big bucks on professional editing, and jumped through bizarre submission hoops only to be turned down.

But at least I know they looked at my submission long enough to hit the pre-programmed reject button. The ones that are the most frustrating are the ones who never respond in the first place when I send them a submission. Most of the time I don’t even receive a rejection. I receive nothing. Wouldn’t you think in this digital age, an automatic form letter could be generated saying, “We received your submission, don’t want it, and don’t bother us again?” Instead, I am left hanging as to whether or not my submission even made it to their inbox. Should I resubmit? If I keep filling up their inbox, will they finally acknowledge me?

My mother taught me to always respond when someone contacted me, whether I wanted to or not. When I become famous, I’m going to remember that advice and not ignore the little people. Or perhaps I’ll just have my agent respond with a form letter.

 

About the Author

 

Award-winning author Ellen Fannon is a practicing veterinarian, former missionary, and church pianist/organist. She originated and wrote the Pet Peeves column for the Northwest Florida Daily News before taking a two-year assignment with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. She and her retired Air Force pilot-turned-pastor husband have been foster parents to more than 40 children, and the adoptive parents of two sons. Her first novel, “Other People’s Children,” is a humorous account of the life of a foster parent. She is a regular contributing author for One Christian Voice, and her stories have been published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series as well as Lifeway’s Open Windows devotional booklets, among many other publications. Her third novel about a veterinarian entitled “Don’t Bite the Doctor” will be released in 2021. She lives in Valparaiso, Florida, with her husband, sons, and assorted pets.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

 

 

Giveaway

 

Autographed copy of SAVE THE DATE by Ellen Fannon (USA only) (1 winner) (ends Mar 26)

 

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Synopsis

 

Sixteen-year-old star basketball player, Luc Ponti wins an important tiebreaker game for the Palo Alto Vikings with a three-point basket during the last few seconds of play. He is simultaneously critically injured with a flagrant foul by a player from the opposing team. Luc dies for several minutes but is revived after having a near-death experience (NDE). He inexplicably begins to develop superpowers, which change the course of his life and have a profound impact on the world.

Luc becomes caught in a tangled web of espionage, blackmailed by the CIA to use his powers of remote viewing to spy for them. This creates conflict in his life, most significant—how can he pursue his long-time dream of playing varsity ball for a top college; major in engineering; and possibly go pro after graduation. I Can See Clearly is the story of a talented teenager seeking the Meaning of Life and his Life Purpose, while fighting the grip of the CIA.

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“If you love a great story with profound wisdom woven into it, you will love I Can See Clearly. Not only does the story take us into the thrilling world of a new kind of superhero, it also explores a theme that is dear to any seeker’s heart: that we must make our life’s journey a quest to find and fulfill our true Life Purpose. . . . I highly recommend that you read this book and enjoy its many levels of adventure and wisdom.” — Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., New York Times best-selling author of The Big Leap and Conscious Luck

“I Can See Clearly is an engaging story of enlightenment. Beneath Luc Ponti’s journey toward understanding his life purpose lies spiritual guidance on how to use our innate gifts to make the world a better place!” — Joe Robert Cole, co-writer of the Black Panther screenplay; writer-director of All Day and a Night

“Jim Cusumano has created unforgettable superheroes for the 21st century. If you like Marvel and DC, you’ll love what Jim has cooked up for our postmodern world. He has created characters who live, breathe, feel, and dream while standing on the shoulders of the greatest that the East and West have to offer—including the power of quantum and spiritual physics to help us find our life purpose. A must-read!” — Jon Katzman, former president of New Regency Television; TV and film producer

“An enormously entertaining novel that brilliantly integrates metaphysics, espionage, and ethics. Unputdownable!” — Jill Kramer, author and literary agent

 

 

Guest Post

 

How I Made A Difference By Doing Things My Way

by James A. Cusumano

 

 

I‘ve been an entrepreneur nearly all my life, practiced in the fields of entertainment, science, and technology. At times, people have asked how I managed such a diverse number of pursuits. One important point is that I always tried to draw on my strengths—what I knew best—and find a creative way to connect that with a need that would make a difference.

The sense of purpose and passion generated by this approach was always more than enough to help me achieve what I had set out to do—often more. I think the following story may help explain the general philosophy behind my thinking over the years.

It was June 1969, and although I’d been out of grad school for two years, working as a research scientist, I was still smack dab in the middle of rock and roll, singing every weekend at clubs in New Jersey and Manhattan. After 10 years as an entertainer and recording artist during one of the most exciting periods of contemporary music, I found it difficult to cut the umbilical cord. I’d been on the road with many of the pioneers of rock and roll music. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Little Richard, among others, were my constant companions.

 

 

 

On a dreamy Friday evening, I was driving my red 57’ Chevy convertible with the top down, soaking up a warm summer breeze, the radio blasting out what today are referred to as “oldies but goodies.” I was on my way to Danny’s Hideaway on Route 22 in Union, New Jersey, where the group I was with was booked for several weekends. During a commercial, I impatiently flipped through the stations and stumbled on to easy-listening music. And there it was, I heard it for the first time, “Ol’ Blue Eyes” singing “My Way.” I could not get myself to change the station back to rock and roll. The melody and the lyrics touched me deeply. I have probably sung My Way a thousand times since then and I never tire of it.

The song, written by French artists, Claude François and Jacques Revaux, was put to haunting English lyrics by Paul Anka. My Way was custom made for Sinatra. The lyrics, more often than not, touch the soul of anyone who’s been an entrepreneur. Certainly, Frank was one in his own right.

For me they paint a vivid picture of a man at the end of his life, looking back on his journey.

And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain.
My friend I’ll say it clear, I’ll state my case of which I’m certain.

These lyrics embraced me even more so as I progressed along my path from rock and roll to corporate America, to founding and leading the growth of two public technology companies, to making and releasing a feature film, to my life now in Prague as a holistic hotelier and an author.

I’ve lived a life that’s full, I traveled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

Mine has been a life of many ups and some downs, and it most certainly has been full. I spent a good part of my professional career founding and leading the growth of ventures that have made a difference in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America—and what a ride it’s been! Often, I was on a path that “experts” said would never work. But, just like “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” I had the brilliant counsel, guidance, and support of a few dedicated “giants” along the way. So when Frank sang My Way, he didn’t necessarily mean his life was a solo journey; however, in the end, it was he who looked destiny straight in the eye and took personal responsibility for his final decisions—so, yes it was My Way.

Regrets I’ve had a few, but then again too few to mention.
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption.

Sure, I had regrets on occasion, like taking on two wealthy investors who ruthlessly pulled their funding during the early stages of our company, forcing us to lay off 20 percent of our talented team—some were close friends. But something always lifted me up again, and I could see that precious light on the distant horizon. An inner voice propped me up more than once; “Don’t give up! Dammit! Follow your dream!”

I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway.
And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

We planned and planned, and it didn’t always work out, but “mistakes” for us were “learnings,” and they were minor compared to our successes. It’s been a journey I will never forget.

Yes there were times I’m sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all,
And I stood tall and did it my way.

Yes, there were times we pursued projects I wasn’t sure we could deliver, but with the unmitigated dedication of our inspired management team and employees, we made it happen. In less than five years, we grew our pharmaceutical business from five people to 2,000 with sales of $500 million and a billion dollar market value on the NASDAQ stock exchange. We had to jump through hoops for the Security Exchange Commission, but our creative financial and legal teams always found a way, and everyone in the company shared in the dream—and in the rewards.

We were driven with intense personal passion because we saw ourselves creating technologies that enabled us to manufacture critically needed drugs at low cost and without environmental impact. All of us had someone in the family who could not readily afford their monthly prescription bills. We wanted to make a difference.

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried, I’ve had my fill, my share of losing.
And now as tears subside, I find it all so amusing.

Sure, I’ve laughed and cried along the way. With two beautiful daughters, watching my wife lose her battle with breast cancer was more than a personal tragedy—it tore at my soul for quite some time. But the Universe has been good to me and eventually gifted me with a beautiful soulmate—inside and out. And now, we work as a team, following our dream, doing our best to make this a better world.

To think I did all that, and may I say not in a shy way.
Oh no, oh no, not me, I did it my way.

As I look back over the years and contemplate my journey, I’m deeply grateful for the people I met along the way, compassionate “giants” who helped me, who cared for me, who loved me, who helped me trust my inner voice.

For what is a man, what has he got, If not himself then he has not.
To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows,
And did it my way.

Those lyrics have inspired me for nearly five decades, through my darkest hours.

I believe when that final moment knocks on my door, it won’t be about the money or the “toys,” and it won’t be the awards or festive celebrations. It will be, “Did you make a difference? Did you put at least a small dent in the universe? Did you show compassion, love and understanding to those you met along the way? Did you follow your heart, your soul, that inner voice?” I hope to respond with a resounding “yes,” and four final words . . .

It was My Way!

 

 

About the Author

 

James A. Cusumano is chairman and owner of Chateau Mcely, chosen by the European Union as a leading Green, 5-star, Castle Hotel and Spa in Central Europe, and by the World Travel Awards as The World’s Leading Green Hotel. Chateau Mcely offers holistic programs for body, mind, and spirit, which promote the principles of Inspired and Conscious Leadership, and finding your Life Purpose and Long-Term Fulfillment.

 

Website * Amazon

 

 

 

 

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Arson
(The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Independently Published (February 19, 2021)
Number of Pages – 100

 

Synopsis

 

Bernadette didn’t smoke. The fire couldn’t have been an accident!

Oh boy, the gray-haired knitters are at it again. Of course, they are. It’s been way too long since they ‘solved’ a mystery. But the investigator determined the fire at the craft store was caused by an unattended lit cigarette. Arson isn’t even a remote possibility. Except the owner Bernadette didn’t smoke and now she’s dead.

When Bernadette’s granddaughter asks me to look into the matter, the knitters practically cheer. They are on the case!

But is there even a case? Or are we seeing murder and arson where there’s merely smoke?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

 

 

Hold the Coffee
(The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Independently Published (March 19, 2021)
Number of Pages – 100

 

Synopsis

 

Oopsie. The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives accused the wrong person of murder.

Poor Milly is furious after being hauled into the police station to be interrogated. She is not letting those knitters get away with pointing their fingers at her! Absolutely not. Instead, she insists they solve the murder and clear her name.

Naturally, the knitters jump at the chance to solve another mystery. They don’t care if the victim was hated by one and all. They’ll find the murderer!

Can the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives wade through the suspects to find the actual killer?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Guest Post

 

When in doubt – start with the murder.

 

I was recently asked to give a lecture at the French school to a class of middle graders about writing mysteries. I’m not sure I’m the right person to give a lecture on the topic, but I was flattered and said yes anyway. I spent quite a bit of time researching and writing a lecture. I’ve given talks to readers before, but those are always about me and my writing – not about writing itself. As you can imagine, I found it a little daunting to face a room full of non-native English speakers and talk about writing.

In the end, I put together a lecture about the eight elements necessary to write a mystery. I was actually quite proud of myself as I feel like I just throw things together when I write. The students were allowed to ask question after the lecture and oh boy did they have a lot of questions. Almost all of the questions came back to two issues: How do you start your story? And how do you end your story?

The answer to those questions is – for me at least – the same. You start and end with the murder itself. If you don’t know where to start, figure out the who, what, where, why of the murder and work backwards. If you don’t know how to end, start at the end with the revelation of the who, what, where, and why of the murder.

As I begin writing book six in the Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives series, I was reminded of this advice as I was a little stuck. Okay, I was more than a little stuck. I usually have a notebook full of ideas for a story before I even start writing, but I had bupkis. What did I do? I actually followed my advice and started with the murder. Once I had the murder figured out, the rest started to fall in place.

When in doubt – start with the murder.

 

 

About the Author

 

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

 

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Double or Muffin (A Merry Muffin Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Publisher: Beyond the Page (February 23, 2021)
Paperback: 234 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In the new Merry Muffin Mystery, baker Merry Wynter must solve a disturbing crime among opera singers before the culprit decides it’s curtains for her . . .

 

When a reality TV show for aspiring opera singers descends on Wynter Castle, Merry’s got her hands full catering to the endless demands of the distinguished judges and ambitious contestants. Then mysterious rumors about the cast and crew begin to surface, suggesting that some of their performances may be filled with false notes. When a dogged reporter with an eye for scandal who’s been covering the competition is attacked and left for dead, Merry’s determined to discover who orchestrated the heinous deed.

Her long list of suspects is filled with eccentric personalities, including a promiscuous tenor known for making unwanted overtures, a pampered young prodigy and her meddlesome mother, and a quiet up-and-comer whose shadowy uncle may have ties to the underworld. As the musical contest and Merry’s investigation near their finale, she’ll have to act fast to keep a conniving contestant from plotting out her final act . . .

 

 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play

 

 

Guest Post

 

Belling the Cat

 

By: Victoria Hamilton

 

There is an old fable about a group of mice who decide that to lessen the danger of a mouse-hunting cat, they would need to tie a bell around his neck to warn them of his approach. There is a moral to the tale, of course, about how easy it is to come up with a plan, and how difficult it can be to find a way to accomplish it.

That is particularly apt for a writer of mysteries. We often start out knowing what we need a character to do, but too often we’re not sure if it’s possible. And if it is possible, how to achieve it.

Pre-internet I’d spend hours at the library researching one tiny detail at a time, and failing that on the phone trying to track down an expert who could (and would!) answer a question. We’re fortunate indeed to find ourselves now in the age of online research capability. A partial list of topics I researched while writing Double or Muffin, #7 in my Merry Muffin Mysteries, is revealing, to say the least. It includes, but is not limited to: towns in Lithuania, steroid use among opera singers, types of kitchen knives, how to supply a craft services table for a TV production crew and, last but not least, how to get a camera on a cat.

Yes, a camera.

On a cat.

How do you do it? Well, the amusing answer is ‘very carefully’, but there are ways and means. And YouTube videos. If you like cats and you’re interested, just look on YouTube for ‘cat’s eye view cameras’ or something similar and you will find cats set loose in the world with cameras mounted on their backs.

How does that come in to Double or Muffin? If you read the Merry Muffin Mysteries you are familiar with Becket, the outdoorsy wandering ginger cat who survived a year in the wild before Merry arrived at Wynter Castle. You’ll just have to read Double or Muffin to find out what adventure Becket gets into this time! He’s quite the hero of the story.

So, dear readers, what is the weirdest thing (that you can openly confess to) you’ve looked up online? Tell me, do!

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Victoria Hamilton is the bestselling author of several mystery series including the national bestselling Vintage Kitchen Mysteries and Merry Muffin Mysteries. She does, indeed, collect vintage kitchenware and bake muffins. She drinks tea and coffee on writing days, and wine other times. It doesn’t do to confuse days. She crochets (a little), paints (a little) and reads (a lot). A solitary being, she can be coaxed out of her writing cave for brownies and cat videos.

She started her writing life as Donna Lea Simpson, bestselling author of Regency Romances, paranormal historicals and historical mysteries, and still has a soft spot for the Regency period.

If you Google ‘Victoria Hamilton’, you will find listed first a famous actress who starred as the Queen Mother in the series The Crown and as Charlotte Brontë in ‘In Search of the Brontës’. That’s not the Victoria who writes mysteries.

No, really, it’s not!

 

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The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives by Tim Darcy Ellis

Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 246 pages

Literary fiction, historical fiction, religious historical fiction

Publisher: Tellwell

Release date: 2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

The Secret Diaries Of Juan Luis Vives chronicles the epoch-making adventures of Spanish humanist Juan Luis Vives. The novel begins as Vives writes in self-imposed exile in Bruges, Spanish Netherlands in 1522. He is on the run from the Spanish Inquisition which has devastated his Jewish family in Valencia. Later, Thomas More invites Vives to the English court to tutor princess Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The plot reaches its climax as Vives navigates the murky world of English politics during the reign of King Henry VIII, ever trying to negotiate an escape from Spain for his family, and for the Jewish people. The early modern period in Europe was a time of incredible instability. Economic depressions were the norm in Northern Italy, the Holy Roman Empire, and large swaths of England and France. Wars were endemic, with power politics and religion playing leading roles in massive bloodletting. Despite the darkness, great men and women of courage and intellectual curiosity also defined the age as one of scientific discovery, humanism, and scholarship. One of the great titans of the early modern period was Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives. In the novel, Vives is the embodiment of the cosmopolitanism of the intellectual elite during the Renaissance. As a secret follower of Judaism, and thus a major outlaw according to the thinking of his own Catholic monarch, Vives walks a swaying tightrope. He was a genius and a philosopher who had a lot to say (he has since been dubbed ‘The Godfather of Psychoanalysis,’ Zilboorg 1941, and the ‘Father of Psychology,’ Watson, 1915), however, if he speaks too loudly not only his survival but that of his entire people hangs in the balance. Along the way, the reader is given close up and intimate and unique views of well-known figures such as Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More and his devoted daughter, Margaret Roper.

 

 

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Praise

 

“A fast-paced and richly engaging story about an intriguing historical figure… Ellis writes all of this with marvellous gusto that’s more reminiscent of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall (2009) than of a more traditional Tudor novel.” – Kirkus (starred review)

“In this beautifully detailed, thrilling historical novel, author Tim Ellis brings back to life the largely forgotten Juan Luis Lives, a Spanish Jew and leading Renaissance humanist…This enthralling story is sure to please lovers of high drama, international intrigue, momentous history and psychological thrillers.” – Blueink (starred review)

“With its clear portrayal of inner conflict, The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives is a provocative, multicolored historical novel that examines hidden faith… Ellis’s intricate biographical novel approaches the Spanish scholar and Renaissance humanist through absorbing journal entries.” – Foreword Clarion

“A fast-moving, highly enjoyable historical drama, which features one of Western civilization’s most interesting men during the dazzling age of the Renaissance. Ellis draws his characters so wonderfully, and none is better than the lead. The smart, charming, and earnest humanist is depicted as the embodiment of a better world to come.” – Indiereader Review

 

 

Guest Post

 

How did your personal experiences shape your life as a writer?

 

It is a fascinating question; thank you. The question affords me the luxury of looking back over my reading life and tying it into the periods of my life that have shaped me into the writer that I am today.

At the age of five, I inherited the four weighty, leather-backed volumes of ‘Hutchinson’s Illustrated Story of the British Nations.’  It was England in the early seventies, winters were cold and dark, and apart from festivities and family functions, there wasn’t always a lot else to do but to read. The original volumes were written between the two world wars, and the images, from the stone age through to the end of the First World War, were so vivid that they gave me an indelible blueprint of British and world history. I lingered over the Tudors and Stuarts, so full of passion, plot and treachery.

I lost myself in the wandering of what life was like for the ordinary people during that period. I wondered what life had been like for immigrant and minority communities. Watching Alex Hailey’s Roots (1976) made me question how assimilation happened and what part of folk and family memory could be passed down to succeeding generations? That questioning has played out in The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives, set in London and Flanders’ secretive Spanish and Portuguese communities in the 1520s.

After standard English children’s fiction such as Enid Blyton (much criticised but much loved), I read classics such as The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkein, 1955) and the War of the Worlds (HG Wells, 1898). I studied the Greek classics at school. I swore that EV Rieu’s 1950 translation of Homer’s The Iliad would be my desert island book. At the time, south-east England seemed so safe and boring, although I can see that that sense of safety was, in retrospect very hard-won. It was indeed a precious time and place to be brought up.

I studied Medieval archaeology at University in York (1985- 1988), which was a great adventure, travelling on digs throughout England and northern France. Archaeology, being more scientific than I had imagined, took me away from literature, somewhat, but furthered my connection to material culture. If I am writing about sixteenth-century England, I know what the houses of the poor looked like what those houses were made from. I know what working Londoners ate and how they scraped a living. I have seen and felt the ceramic ware they had at their dinner tables, the rubbish they discarded, and I can understand the consequences of the population shift to London, and other cities, from the country. This inside awareness of day-to-day life has given me an ability to write historical fiction with confidence and authenticity.

While working for the Museum of London in the late eighties and nineties, I read the great European writers such as Dickens, Hardy, Chekhov and Zola, who still influence me. It was a time when to read the classics, was essential to your social standing, and I was playing catch-up. Later I found relief in American Literature such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) and JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1949). There was a clarity and a crispness about those books that felt new to me. With my newfound interest in twentieth-century American fiction, I then read and studied Maya Angelou, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Poetry was always at the forefront of my reading, and writing and I was a longterm subscriber to Stand Magazine and Poetry Review.

I have been fortunate to have lived in different countries. Through my work in health (having changed careers on moving to Australia in 2000), I have met many interesting people, many of whom are also great readers. These relationships have inspired me. The internet allows me to connect with peers who are fascinated in niche history, culture, and philosophy. For example, a patient of mine recently inspired me to listen to an interview with the 92-year-old linguist, Noam Chomsky, still sharp as a knife. I am interested in the process of ageing; what keeps some engaged and vital right up until the very end, and how others fade away so soon. I have written this into my novel, with a touching relationship between Vives and the ageing physician to King Henry VII, Thomas Linacre.

My healthcare work has also helped me understand the kinds of diseases and injuries that plagued sixteenth-century Europe populations. Men like Vives came from the Spanish Jewish tradition, where understanding health and medicine was considered essential. He used that knowledge in his quest to build sanitary hospitals and care facilities for the poor and disabled, both mentally and physically. Although there is room for improvement, I certainly don’t take the healthcare systems we have today for granted. Yes, I can undoubtedly say that my life events have presented me with a rich playing field of ideas and plenty of material to continue writing historical fiction.

 

 

About the Author

 

Tim Darcy Ellis (BA BSc, MHSc) is a writer, physiotherapy business owner and formerly a professional archaeologist. Tim studied Archaeology at the University of York (BA Hons 1988) and as a professional archaeologist, worked on sites throughout England and Wales. He held posts at the Museum of London and the British Museum’s medieval galleries. Tim is currently Managing Director and Principal Physiotherapist of Excel Physiotherapy and Wellness. He qualified as a physiotherapist at the University of East London in 1998. He moved to Sydney in 2000 where he completed his master’s degree in 2002. Tim is chief writer of Excel Life magazine: writing and teaching extensively on health and wellness and specializing in the treatment of complex hip and pelvic pain.

 

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Bait and Witch – A Witch Way Librarian Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (December 29, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Librarian Josie Way moved to small-town Oregon to lay low. Instead, thanks to newfound magic abilities—and a killer on the loose—she’s leapt out of the frying pan and into a cauldron of trouble . . .

 

Josie Way loved working among the Library of Congress’s leather-scented stacks—until she uncovered corruption and made herself a target. As Wilfred, Oregon’s new librarian, Josie can stay undercover until the case goes to court. But life in this little town isn’t as subdued as she expected. The library, housed in a a Victorian mansion, is slated to be bulldozed. Still digesting the news that her safe haven is about to become scrap lumber, Josie discovers a body in the woods . . .

Almost as shocking, Josie learns that she’s descended from a long line of witches—and her powers have suddenly sprung to life. With help from a spoiled alley cat who just may be her familiar, Josie’s thumbing through a catalog of suspects, hoping she can conjure a way to save her library—and her life . . .

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Writing a novel is loaded with little pleasures, and for me one of the greatest is creating the town where the story takes place. In Bait and Witch, librarian Josie escapes Washington, D.C. for tiny Wilfred, snug against Oregon’s coastal mountain range. I had a lot of fun building Wilfred, a failing timber town on the verge of reinvention, from scratch, and a big part of the fun was naming people and places.

First on my list was the library. Sure, I could put the library in some municipal building, or, Wilfred being a small town, the back of the post office. But wouldn’t it be more fun to have the library in an old house? Say, a Victorian mansion? Yes! My heroine Josie would live in the top floor’s former servants’ quarters. I’d place the home on a bluff overlooking the—hmm, my friend’s Chihuahua has a cute name—Kirby River.

Following the pet theme, I named one character’s grandchildren after another friend’s Dachshunds, Buffy, and Thor. A good friend, Lalena Dolby, became the town’s trailer park psychic, and I included a role for her terrier mutt Sailor.

And then there’s Bait and Witch’s most significant animal role, that of Josie’s cat Rodney. While I don’t know any animals named Rodney, people who’ve met my black cat Bitsy la Mouche will note some striking similarities.

The best part is that there’s still room for the town to grow! I hope you’ll pick up Bait and Witch and come visit Wilfred in its pages. Josie, her cat Rodney, and her fellow Wilfredians look forward to welcoming you.

 

 

About the Author

 

Angela M. Sanders writes the Amazon bestselling Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing Mysteries and The Booster Club Capers. Under the pen name Clover Tate, she’s the author of the Kite Shop Mysteries (Berkley), which Romantic Times praised for their “well written wit and intrigue.” Angela’s articles on food, personalities, and perfume have appeared in a variety of magazines, and her monthly newsletters have nearly 2,000 subscribers. She interacts with readers on Facebook and Instagram and is a prominent blogger for Now Smell This, which garners 1.5 million monthly page views. Angela has two cats—one of whom is black of course—a witch’s freckle in her left eye and learned to read tarot cards from a pagan priestess.

 

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Wedding Bear Blues (A Teddy Bear Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (December 29, 2020)
Paperback: 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When a heartless killer ruins a Valentine’s Day wedding, teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman vows to solve the crime . . .

 

At the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha will be selling plenty of bride and groom teddy bears come springtime. But this Valentine’s Day weekend, she’d take any of those silent, stuffed couples over the real thing. Sasha and her sister Maddie are bridesmaids at Cissy Davidson’s upcoming wedding in Silver Hollow. Cissy is fuming over the worst choice of best man—the jerk who broke her sister Debbie’s heart—and the groom-to-be won’t budge in his decision. At the rehearsal dinner you could cut the tension with a wedding cake knife.

That is, until best man Dylan is found dead, impaled with an ice pick. Although jilted Debbie is the most likely suspect—the blood on her dress doesn’t help her case—the bride begs Sasha to prove her sister’s innocence. If anyone’s going to walk down the aisle, Sasha will first need to find the cold-hearted killer who iced Dylan . . .

 

 

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Guest Post

 

WRITING A MYSTERY

 

As Meg Macy, I write the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries. As Meg Mims, I write western historical mysteries plus sweet holiday romance short stories and novellas. As one half of the D.E. Ireland team, I write the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins historical mysteries. All in all, enough under my belt to lend credibility. I’m here to tell readers how easy writing a mystery is – just kidding! It’s not. Is there anything easy about it? Sure! The beginning.

I have loads of ideas in notebooks, scraps of paper, pieces of napkins, even docs in my laptop. Character sketches. Setting details. Research photos. I’ve trolled Pinterest for photos of actors and actresses who might help spark how a protagonist might look, how they would act (via a role in a movie), how they might sound. It helps to ground that character in “fictional reality” – that’s a conundrum, isn’t it? I’ve written scenes, first chapters, even multiple chapters to see if and how that idea would take shape as a full story. Like I said, beginning is the fun part.

The grueling part for a story in any genre is taking that beginning and then “fleshing it out”. I prefer Michael Hauge’s three-act (and six-stage) structure. Yes, it’s hard. And complicated. It makes a writer think about what a character wants (goals) versus conflicts (why they can’t get what they want), and maybe throwing in either a romantic entanglement or emotional journey they face. So what’s the big deal about adding mystery? That’s where it gets much, much harder.

Sure, drop a body in a book. Readers love a good murder. But they also want to see the killer brought to justice – it doesn’t always happen in real life. So in addition to the regular story, there’s a secondary structure of who did it (don’t forget you need multiple suspects to muddy the waters), why the killer did it (explained at the end after the confrontation/climax), where the murder took place (and often not at the spot where the body is found), when (timeline is important in establishing suspects’ alibis) and with what – the weapon. And don’t forget secrets and lies.

Add even more complications to a contemporary mystery, with modern forensics like fingerprint and DNA evidence (not always a problem in a historical before all that came about), body trauma, etc. Usually, the official investigators never want amateurs butting into their business – especially Miss Marple, and even Hercule Poirot had detractors. No wonder Agatha Christie was a genius and continues to be a bestseller to this day.

Have I ever written a mystery where I don’t know who the killer is? Never. But at times, the characters surprise me with a twist on that. And yes, mysteries need a good twist to spice things up, plus red herrings to lead the reader away from the truth. I don’t mind reading a mystery where I can figure out the killer easily, or early on, but not when the motive doesn’t make sense or isn’t explained well. Like I said, adding a mystery to any plot structure adds to the complications. I have loved the process. I’ve also hated it, at times. And I always hope my readers will be a little forgiving, like I am with other authors, if the book doesn’t completely satisfy.

So leave a review for an author, and keep in mind that writing a book is never a piece of cake. It’s like running a whole bakery. Now I’m hungry for cake. And the mystery is spice, pistachio, or chocolate?

“Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.” Olin Miller

“Writing is easy. All you do is cross out the wrong words.” Mark Twain

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Meg Macy is a voracious reader, from first grade, and by 3^rd grade wanted to write her own stories. Being a late bloomer, she waited until after career, marriage, and childbirth – and then won a Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best First Book in 2012 with Double Crossing. After co-writing the Agatha Award nominated Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins historical mystery series, Meg began writing the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries. Wedding Bear Blues is the fourth book, and she hopes to keep writing beyond this horrible pandemic when life seemed to be “on hold” for so many. Meg spent way too much time doing puzzles, binge-watching TV, and somehow managed to deliver book five, Bear A Wee Grudge, to her patient editor. She also read A LOT! Always a good thing.

 

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Abide With Me: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Amazon White Glove (November 17, 2020)

Number of Pages – 300

 

 

Synopsis

 

Change is afoot at Gwenafwy Abbey. Ten new nuns from a convent in Los Angeles join the community of Anglican sisters bringing energy, youthful enthusiasm, and more electronic equipment than Sister Agatha could have imagined. The arrival of the new nuns brings something else to the Abbey—a bit of unexpected notoriety. Claire MacDonagh, an ambitious young reporter for The Church Times, interviews the new sisters for a feature story. Murder is the last thing on anyone’s mind when Claire is found dead on the beach, her mobile phone in the sand. A tragic death, says Constable Barnes. A selfie gone bad. Meanwhile, Sister Agatha is unconvinced and puts on her detective’s hat, only to find herself in the midst of a tangled murder mystery. Her suspect list includes everyone from the new sisters to Reverend Mother to the beloved archbishop of Wales. Time is running out as Sister Agatha uncovers a shocking reality. Will she reveal the truth hidden in an ancient document before it is too late?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

 

The women at my church knit prayer shawls. Their shawls are beautiful, multicolored creations. Each one reveals an intricate pattern. The colors are always warm, the yarn comforting. They come in all shapes and sizes. The shawls fulfill a vital ministry since they are created for people in need of warmth—spiritual and physical. I often take a prayer shawl with me when I visit someone in the hospital. Or I might take a prayer shawl to a person who is housebound. Once I took a prayer shawl to a person who had lost their dog.

I tell the recipient of each shawl that the woman who knitted it prayed as they knit. So that each stitch is a prayer and as they (the housebound person, the grieving person, or patient in the hospital) wrap themselves in the shawl, they are wrapping themselves in the prayers of church women.

The women meet once a week and knit together. It is a supportive fellowship for them. Not only do the shawls give support and care to their recipients, but the women in the group give support and care to each other. When COVID began, the women knitted on zoom. Then as the weather improved, they moved to the center of the town common, circling their folding chairs and dropping their knitting bags on the grass. Now they are meeting at a church member’s house where they can sit far apart while wearing masks. I have occasionally sat in on the group although I’m not a knitter. I can see how much they enjoy each other’s company and how important they are to each other. Every woman knows the other’s story. A husband is going in for a test. A new grandchild late in arriving. An adult child needs prayer. The joys and concerns of life are celebrated in the midst of clicking needles and glasses of wine.

But recently, they stopped knitting prayer shawls. They have turned to yarn bombing.

 

 

I had to look it up. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

“Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fiber rather than paint or chalk. It is also called wool bombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting, or graffiti knitting.”

Guerilla knitters. I choose that name for them.

The women are doing their yarn bombing for particular project called “Yarn Storm” at the Tower Hill Botanical Gardens in Worcester. The women have been “given” a tree at Tower Hill to yarn bomb—a Weeping Cherry tree. When they talk to me about the tree (which they have photographed, measured, and occasionally visit), it felt as if the tree had become part of the knitting circle. Almost as if it were now a member.

 

 

They are knitting all sorts of accouterments for the tree: green yarn willows, birds, a trunk cozy (or tree skirt or bark pantaloons. I’ve no idea what you would call it, but you get the idea), even a tiny handcrafted swing to hang pleasantly from one of the branches.

Although Tower Hill would not describe any of their yarn bombers as “activists,” I know my church women are absolute activists. All of them care fiercely about nature. They love gardening and animals and children. They feel true stewardship for the planet. Therefore, the change from prayer shawls to yarn bombing is for them a new ministry.

 

 

That unsuspecting weeping cherry tree doesn’t know how lucky it is. It will soon find itself wrapped in the prayers of a group of church women. It will take into its bark and leaves and roots the very breath and life of powerful and prayerful women. It will be like the tree in the book of Daniel, “The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches….”
Never underestimate the power of women in the church. You never know what they might do next.

 

 

About the Author

 

Jane Willan wants to live in a world where everyone has time to read their favorite books, drink good coffee, and walk their dog on the beach, but until that can happen she enjoys life as a pastor and writer. When she’s not working on a sermon, or hiking with her husband, Don, you can find her rereading Jane Eyre, binge-watching Downton Abbey, and trying out new ways to avoid exercise.

 

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