Synopsis

Shopkeeper Belle Meyer doesn’t know she’s selling killer cookware at The Wild Goose – a small corner kitchen shop in northern Maryland’s Walnut Creek Square. Belle’s life is upturned like a bread loaf pan when Luke “Smack Your Lips” Knight, the town’s zany baker, is found dead in a house fire hours after Belle sells him the fatal 12-inch non-stick skillet. Not even a spider web frosted cake can sweeten The Wild Goose’s haunted reputation. Now Belle’s in the case deeper than lobster fried in peanut oil, to which she’s allergic. To catch the killer, Belle stirs up the investigation, much to the chagrin of seasoned Detective Edwin Hawkes. The hard-boiled detective warns her to stay away from the case, but Belle doesn’t listen. With the help of Pickles, the store’s 10-pound tabby cat, Belle sleuths after cooking demos, interrogates cookware customers and tries to thwart a store break in. She will stop at nothing until the suspect’s goose is cooked!

Review

I thought this was a good start to a new cozy series. It checks off all the boxes – small town, the sleuth is not a PI or police officer, lots of characters to choose from for the killer, and a love interest for the sleuth. And the main character has a shop that is tied to food and cooking, that is a win for me any day of the week!

Belle is quite an interesting character. She is running a cooking supply store that has been in her family for a few generations. She has a cat named Pickles (the story on how Pickles got her name is in the book so won’t ruin that surprise) that she brings to the store. I will say that is not always a wise decision as she has had to write off quite a few dishes and such thanks to Pickle’s antics. She has a boyfriend that writes the crime beat for the local paper. Plus mom is hoping he will pop the question sooner rather than later.

As it happens with most first books in a cozy series, the main character is a suspect in whatever murder has taken place and has to investigate who might be the true culprit. Belle is like most, a little awkward in her sleuthing skills (something she will probably get better with over time), but manages to ferret out the truth. I was VERY surprised at who the killer was once revealed. Was never on my radar other than I didn’t like this character. Lots of great misdirection.

We give it 4 paws up.

Read an Excerpt Here

About the Author

Mary Birdie is currently a copy editor for a company in Washington D.C. She worked for nearly three years at a kitchenware store where she learned all about cookware – from Silpats to sparkling water makers. Her favorite dessert to make (and eat) is the Eton Mess.

She lives in a Maryland suburb with her fish McGuffin. Kill It By Skillet is her first book in The Kitchen Shop Mystery Series.

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Tied Up with Strings (A Serebral Seniors Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Imajin Qwickies, An imprint of Imajin Books (December 11, 2017)
Print Length: 85 pages

Synopsis

An Imajin Qwickies® Mystery/Crime Novella

Big mysteries often come in small packages…

When curmudgeonly private detective Betty Grape visits a young friend, who is housesitting in a remote village in England for Christmas vacation, something seems out of place. Her friend, Catia, is visibly nervous. Is she worried about the young men in the decrepit caravan in next door’s back garden? Or is Catia involved in the disappearance of the homeowner’s invalid wife?

As an American, Betty discovers the locals are full of friendly gossip but taciturn about solid facts. Though they are determined to keep Betty from butting in on their territory, she blunders through the social morass of narrow-minded foreigners and their broad Dorset accents. Can she unravel the tight knots of this mystery? Will she find the perpetrator under thickly thatched rooves or behind floral chintz curtains?

Review

If you are looking for a mystery that is condensed into a novella that gives you all the wonder of a longer book, then look no further. While only 85 pages in length, the book wraps up a murder and introduces some intriguing characters that will leave you very satisfied at the end.

How fun it would be to visit England at Christmas time. That is what Betty Grape is doing – visiting the daughter of a friend and making sure she is not alone for the holiday. But something seems off about the house that Cat is housesitting and there is something about the owners. Many things do not add up in her mind. It’s a good thing she is a detective because she puts those skills to good use.

I liked that there was a character on the Autism spectrum. I thought that his characteristics were much like I see in those on the spectrum. All of the characters were interesting and in a small way, I wish the book had been longer so I could get to know them all better.

I can’t say too much because this is a novella and the story moves along at a good pace, and to reveal much more would give away the ending.

We give this 4 paws up

 

About the Author

Madeline McEwen is an ex-pat from the UK, bi-focaled and technically challenged. She and her Significant Other manage their four offspring, one major and three minors, two autistic, two neurotypical, plus a time-share with Alzheimer’s. In her free time, she walks the canines and chases the felines with her nose in a book and her fingers on a keyboard.

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Murder in the Cards (Psychic Poker Pro Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Self Published (July 1, 2018)
Print Length – 252 Pages

Synopsis

Tiffany Swanson is finally living the dream when she quits her stressful job to become a poker pro. Except her dream job doesn’t turn out to be so perfect when she picks up the troubling vision of a murdered man from one of her opponents. Even more disturbing, Tiffany didn’t know she was telepathic.

Before long she finds herself spending more time investigating a homicide than playing cards. But with an entire wedding party to suspect and only one weekend to pinpoint the guilty party, how will Tiffany ever figure out “whodunit” in time?

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As part of Paige Sleuth’s third annual “Buy in July” event, $1 from every Paige Sleuth book purchase (excluding ebook purchases of Murder in Cherry Hills) will be donated to the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County (C5). C5 is a volunteer-powered organization that seeks to reduce the number of cats euthanized every year by trapping and spay/neutering feral cats in the Las Vegas area before releasing them back into their communities

Review

The pages of this book just flew by and before I knew it the killer was being revealed and the story was ending.

This is a creative profession for a cozy. There are books that have psychics or other paranormal aspects, but this is the first time it is paired with someone that is also trying her hand at being a professional poker player. I see so many possibilities for this in future books!

Tiffany may be 38, but her parents, or at least her mom, sees her as much younger and that she needs to have a “real” job and provide her with grandchildren. But as Tiffany has left her stressful job for trying her hand at playing poker for a living, she discovers that she may be more like her Aunt Tuna than she ever realized. The interactions between Tiffany and her family are probably ones we encounter in our own lives.

Tiffany has a lot to accept with this new gift and she also has to figure out how to harness the gift of psychic sight. She doesn’t do a great job in this book using it to her advantage, but at the same time, she is still trying to figure out how to utilize the gift.

I enjoyed this book and think that this series has some good potential. This particular book is short – 129 pages per Amazon, but a lot happens within those pages.

We give this 4 paws up.

About the Author

Paige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen. She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats’ demands, she writes. She loves to hear from readers so feel free to Email Paige.

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Giveaway

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Synopsis

Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. With the help of Rick Bonito, her new partner, her business is flourishing. When Amelia is hired to search for her client’s grandparents, the case takes them to Ireland. Kate must learn about her heritage. Who are her grandparents and could they still be alive after all these years? Why did her parents leave Ireland suddenly and move to America? Is there more to this case than meets the eye?

Review

One day I’d like to visit Ireland just for some of the towns and sights mentioned in this book! The author paints a picture of the country (or at least the parts mentioned) which allowed me to imagine the people and towns in my mind. I liked how many of the homes/businesses were painted brighter colors – or at least a couple that Amelia and Rick visited.

In the first book (Bali Mystery), Amelia and Rick have discovered they are interested in each other. However, Amelia has a firm rule about not being involved with anyone she works with because it could get dicey if things went south. That changes a little bit in this book as a relationship grows and it forces Amelia into reconsidering her working relationship with Rick.

This mystery has her looking for relatives of a young woman, Kate, that discovers she was adopted. There are a few other surprises at the end, but one you can probably figure out as it gets closer and Amelia is tightlipped about what might be more than they expected when first taking the case. There is a little bit of danger to Amelia during her search for Kate’s family, but nothing that she and Rick can’t handle.

I do wish that Amelia wouldn’t have kept Rick in the dark about what she thought the bigger mystery was, after all, they are working more as partners than employer/employee. Perhaps she will be more forthcoming in future books.

We give this 4 paws up

 

About the Author

I was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and have made my home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. I have been happily married for 42 years and am the mother of six daughters and have five wonderful grandchildren.

After my family began to leave the nest, I decided it was time to finish what I had started long ago. I decided to go back to college and get a degree. It had been 30 years since I had been to college and it was one of the most frightening things I had ever done. I had to learn how to study and take tests all over again. The first day of college, I was a nervous wreck and wondered if I could do this, but with the support of my husband and children, I was able to graduate. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre and Music at Southern Utah University and received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts in 2002. During the meantime, I cut a CD named “Romantic Love Songs of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert.”

I have enjoyed writing short stories and novels for several years but it took a lot of courage to begin submitting them. After “Melinda and the Wild West” was published, I entered it in the Reader Views Literary Contest and my book was chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the “Reviewers Choice Awards 2007.” It was one of the top ten out of hundreds of other entries.

I have traveled throughout the United States, teaching people to write their family history and autobiography. I have traveled to seventeen states and given over 500 workshops. I am the author of six historical sweet romances, four mystery adventure novels, a children’s book, and a new cozy mystery series. All of my books are family friendly.

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Promised Lies

A Detective Blanchette Mystery Book 1

by Marguerite Ashton

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Synopsis

Detective Lily Blanchette has a lot on her plate…

Her sister Celine has recently been murdered and her parents are on the brink of divorce. Now she’s lead on a multiple murder investigation.

Six months after Lily’s sister’s death, the bodies of two young women are discovered. One look at the way the bodies have been posed and Lily knows her sister’s killer is back.

And she’s determined to get him.

When Lily visits the family of victim Tanya O’Neal, she learns the woman had arranged to meet a man going by the handle CtryGeek23 on the social networking site Scatter.

Lily thinks finding the man behind the account is key to solving the case.

But CtryGeek23 is very clever, and Lily has her work cut out for her. As she digs around, clues point her to a local brewery where she discovers the body of another young woman.

The more Lily digs, the more she thinks there is more than one murderer at work, and CtryGeek23 is the mastermind.

But who is he?

And how will they catch him?

As the investigation comes to life, death hits closer to home, and Lily discovers she may not be who she thinks she is at all.

Filled with plot turns, suspense and mystery, Promised Lies will leave you wondering how well anybody knows anyone…

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Trailer

Synopsis

Speaking second-hand truths can be deadly …

Detective Lily Blanchette will stop at nothing to solve a murder. Her current case involves the killing of an undercover cop working to bring down the mob for prostitution and drugs.

But Lily’s usual laser-like focus on the case has been disrupted.

Two weeks earlier, she learned she was pregnant by her murderous husband whom she’d killed in self-defense. Unsure whether to keep her baby or place the child of this cruel man up for adoption, Lily keeps the pregnancy a secret from her colleagues.

Under mounting pressure to solve the case, Lily arranges a sit-down with a local mob boss only to find out her suspect is also wanted by them. But before Lily can warn her team, she and her new partner, Jeremiah, are shot at, and another body is found.

When she discovers Jeremiah has a connection with the underworld, she is pulled into a conflict that swirls around the boss’s son who’s hell-bent on revenge.

To add to the complexity of the situation, Lily learns that her victim might still be alive if it wasn’t for opportunistic Assistant District Attorney, Ibee Walters, who has a twisted vision of justice.

As Lily gets closer to finding the killer, she unravels ugly secrets that point to Ibee and Jeremiah – placing Lily’s life and her unborn child in danger.

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Trailer

About the Author

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer’s Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research.

She’s a workaholic who hides in her writer’s attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible. She can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

 

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Giveaway

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Bamboozled (The Mah Jongg Mysteries)
Cozy Mysteries
2nd in Series
Self Published (April 3, 2018)
Paperback: 272 pages

Synopsis

Essential oils distributor Dorcas Wiley is the boss everyone loves to hate. So when she turns up dead, killed by her own trophy, disgruntled saleswoman Cathy Broderick is the obvious suspect in her murder. Despite opportunity, motive and incriminating evidence, Cathy declares her innocence and enlists her mah jongg pals—Sydney Bonner and her cronies Marianne, Micki and Kat—to help save her from the death penalty.

Hot off a recent and nearly deadly investigation, the women are cautious about putting themselves in peril again. Syd’s spouse isn’t thrilled about another mystery in their lives, either, but he can’t resist the plea of Cathy’s husband. Soon, Syd is leading the way as they tangle with grumpy salespeople, the victim’s estranged husband and boyfriend, a mysterious housekeeper, a litigious customer, an annoyed sheriff and Cathy’s own arrogant lawyer.

The women have their own issues to deal with in their central Florida town of Serendipity Springs. Kat faces a health challenge, Micki fields a mysterious inquiry from her ex, Marianne has a chaotic anniversary and Syd wrestles with her husband over who’s really in charge. But nothing puts everyday life into perspective like the moment when their investigation brings them face to face with danger.

Guest Post

Cruises

Living in Florida part of the year, it’s natural that I might be familiar with ocean cruises. I’ve been on four in the western Caribbean and one around four of the Hawaiian islands. My husband and I will be taking another cruise this summer, through the internal passages of Alaska. These experiences served as my basis of information as Trip Bonner, spouse of one my main characters in Bamboozled, the second book in my Mah Jongg Mystery series, plans an Atlantic repositioning cruise.

A repositioning cruise occurs when a cruise line moves a ship that has been operating on one side of the Atlantic, like the Caribbean, to Europe for the next season or vice versa. These trans-Atlantic cruises tend to be cheaper, because the cruise line wants to fill as many beds as possible while moving the liner. Friends who have taken one of these cruises rave about them. Several days at sea offer plenty down time for reading, relaxing and getting to know the other passengers. Thus far, I’ve resisted, not sure how I would react to so much time without land in sight. But there’s one on my bucket list.

Trip has had a difficult time adjusting to his own retirement. To cope, he has taken on various projects, often without thinking through the commitment until he must turn to his wife, Sydney, for help. In the first book, Craks in a Marriage, he organizes a community follies event. Though she does her best to remain on the sidelines, in the end, due to circumstances beyond her control, she finds herself in the limelight. In this book, his golf buddies convince him to plan this cruise, assuring him that he can get all or some of his fare free if he signs up enough travelers. The Bonners could easily afford to pay full fare for such a voyage; it’s the challenge of getting a group together that appeals to Trip’s need for validation.

Like most of his projects begin, the details seem pretty straightforward to Trip. All he has to do is tell his friends about this golden opportunity and sit back while they sign up. What he hasn’t planned on is human nature. Everyone has their own idea when this cruise should take place, where it should go and with which line. Even when okay with those items, some have roommate issues or worry about a spouse traveling alone without them.

From necessity but also as a temporary means of escape, the cruise planning takes a back seat when Trip agrees to help his wife and her friends investigate a local murder to help clear the name of one of their mah jongg buddies. But that doesn’t prevent potential cruisers from emailing him their views, second-guessing his decisions and even tracking him down at the grocery store, when all he wanted was find his favorite brands of chips and dip.

How about you? Have you ever taken an ocean cruise? If not, what has prevented you? Time? Finances? Fear?

 

About the Author

Barbara Barrett started reading mysteries when she was pregnant with her first child to keep her mind off things like her changing body and food cravings. When she’d devoured as many Agatha Christies as she could find, she branched out to English village cozies and Ellery Queen.

Later, to avoid a midlife crisis, she began writing fiction at night when she wasn’t at her day job as a human resources analyst for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and one novella, she has returned to the cozy mystery genre, using one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Not only has it been a great social outlet, it has also helped keep her mind active when not writing.

Bamboozled, the second book in her “Mah Jongg Mystery” series, features four friends who play mah jongg together and share otherwise in each other’s lives. None of the four is based on an actual person. Each is an amalgamation of several mah jongg friends with a lot of Barbara’s imagination thrown in for good measure. The four will continue to appear in future books in the series.

Anticipating the day when she would write her first mystery, she has been a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America for over a decade. She credits them with helping her hone her craft.

Barbara is married to a man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.

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

June 28 –  Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 28 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

June 29 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

June 29 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 30 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 30 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

June 30 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

July 1 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 1 – cherylbbookblog – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

July 1 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

July 2 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

July 2 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

July 3 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

July 3 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

July 4 – Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 5 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

July 5 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

July 6 – Fiction Obsession – REVIEW

July 6 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

July 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

July 7 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

July 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

July 8 – Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 

Bad Time To Be In It (A Blu Carraway Mystery)
Mystery
2nd in Series
Henery Press (July 10, 2018)
Paperback 254 Pages

Synopsis

The past is never past. Sometimes it repeats itself. And sometimes it comes back to pay a visit. Blu Carraway, flush with cash and back in business, never had it so good. Or so he thought. The reality is his love life is in shambles, his business partner is spending too much time with women half his age and not enough time on the job, and someone close goes missing. Blu’s business partner goes off the rails, his friends show their true colors, and he realizes that getting closure sometimes means walking away from everything. With a case from the past gone wrong twice, a loved one in trouble, and an unanswered marriage proposal, it’s a bad time to be in it for Blu Carraway Investigations.

 

About the Author

David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. In It For The Money is his fourth mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife call South Carolina home.

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Giveaway

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Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: Cozy Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: July 24th, 2018
Publisher: Bluestone Valley Publishing

WSJ Bestselling Author Judith Lucci – Gawd Almighty & the Corn

WSJ Bestselling Author Cindy Bell – Murder at Pawprint Creek

WSJ Bestselling Author Colleen Mooney -Dog Gone and Dead

USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Author Amy Vansant – Summer Teeth

WSJ Bestselling Author Colleen Helme – A Midsummer Night’s Murder

WSJ Bestselling Author Kim Hunt Harris – The Murder of Bandera Bandito

USA Today Bestselling Author Anna Celeste Burke – A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff

Ava Mallory – A Dream Stray-Cation

Sandi Scott – Croquembouche Murder

Susan Boles – Death on the Beach

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever – Toxic Tech

Anne R. Tan – Just Lost and Found

Bonus recipes from the authors are included!

Pre-order for just $0.99

Review

While I haven’t read all of the stories in this compilation, I have enjoyed what I have read so far. I think my favorite was Toxic Death by Sam Cheever. I was totally surprised when the murderer was revealed, did not see that one coming at all! And of course there were dogs involved and I love any story involving dogs.

All of these shorter stories gave me a taste of what the authors normally write and if I haven’t picked up their books before, I’m adding them to my towing TBR pile because I got caught up in some of the characters and want to know more about them and the crimes they help solve.

This is a great way to get a little taste of some potentially new cozy authors to you and could get you hooked on a few new authors.

We give it 4 paws up

About the Authors

Judith Lucci

Dr. Judith Lucci is a Wall Street Journal and best-selling Amazon. She is an award-winning author of the Alexandra Destephano Medical Thriller and the Michaela McPherson “Two Sleuth’s and a Dog” Crime fiction series. Her newest series, Artzy Chicks, releases next month and features a group of , eccentric, talented but zany artists in their Art Gallery at a Mountain Resort.

In 2017, ‘Viral Intent’ (Book 3) Alexandra Destephano Series) was awarded a Gold Medal by Readers’ Favorites for ‘Best Political Thriller’. as was her crime thriller ‘The Case of Dr. Dude’ (Michaela McPherson #1) for a Gold Medal for ‘Best Amateur Sleuth for 2017. ‘The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year‘ won an additional gold medal for ‘Best Holiday Read’ of 2017.

Her favorite things are reading, writing art and animals. In her spare time she teaches painting, loves up on animals and raises money for needy causes. Judith lives with her 4 dog family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She loves to connect with her readers and is available at email. Check our her website at Website. and sign-up for a free copy of Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center.

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Cindy Bell

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Cindy Bell, has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. When she is not reading or writing she loves baking (and eating) sweet treats or walking along the beach with her energetic cocker spaniel, thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on. Cindy is the author of the Chocolate Centered, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Wendy the Wedding Planner, Heavenly Highland Inn and the Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series.

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Colleen Mooney

Colleen Mooney was born and raised in New Orleans along with everyone else in her family. She is a Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and writes a cozy mystery series set in New Orleans called The New Orleans Go Cup Chronicles and the fourth book, Death By Rum Balls was released in December 2017.

Since January 2017 Colleen organized a Sisters In Crime chapter in New Orleans, has been elected President and has a planned a Mystery Writers’ Conference for June. She is currently working on her 5th book in the Brandy Alexander series.

In New Orleans, she’s been a member and active in many Mardi Gras Krewes, Super Krewes, and organizations. Colleen says she has never met a parade she didn’t like.

She’s an ardent animal lover and the Director for a breed rescue, Schnauzer Rescue of Louisiana for the last fifteen years. She has rescued and placed over 350 abandoned or surrendered Schnauzers. She loves to write and writes about what she loves. Colleen says, “New Orleans is where it all happens for me.”

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Amy Vansant

Amy Vansant is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author specializing in fun, comedic reads about accident prone, easily distracted women with questionable taste in men.

So, autobiographies, mostly.

Ha!

But seriously: She writes happy romantic comedies, mysteries, and urban fantasies. Amy is the former East Coast Editor of SURFER Magazine but the urge to drive up and down the coast interviewing surfers has long since left her. She’s a dog-lover who works at home with her goofy husband and loves interacting with fans, so stop by her blog or Twitter and say hi!

Website

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Colleen Helme

Colleen Helme is the author of the bestselling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, a wildly entertaining and highly humorous series about Shelby Nichols, a woman with the ability to read minds. When asked if reading minds is something Colleen wishes she could do she says, “No way! It gets Shelby into so much trouble that I would never want that ability.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. Besides writing, she loves reading, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.

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Kim Hunt Harris

Kim knew she wanted to be a writer before she even knew how to write. When her parents read bedtime stories to her, she knew she wanted to be a part of the story world. She started out writing children’s stories, and her stories grew as she did. She discovered a gift for humor and a love for making people laugh with her tales, and the Trailer Park Princess series was born.

Kim loves to not only make her readers laugh and entertain them with a good mystery, but also to examine the issues the everyday people face…well, every day. Issues like faith and forgiveness, perseverance and tolerance. Set in Lubbock, Texas, the fun books feature a cast of quirky characters, outrageous situations, a drama queen of a dog, and from time to time, a tear or two.

Kim lives with her husband of more than thirty years and two teenage kids in Texas.

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Anna Celeste Burke

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author!

Welcome! Join me to get a free eBook–just click on this link

Life is an extravaganza! figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge.

On my way to Oahu to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had met in San Diego and married in Tijuana, I was nabbed by the police as a runaway. When the police let me go and the rock band broke up, my husband and I had to find another way to survive. Our next stop: Disney World where we trained to be chefs, courtesy of the Walt Disney World University. A GED for my husband and many more years of education landed us in academia at The Ohio State University. Retired now from my role as a professor of social work and behavioral science, I have picked up a long-time interest in writing fiction. I’m still married to the same sweet guy and live with him in the Palm Springs area. In addition to reading and writing fiction, I enjoy painting, hiking, hanging out with my handsome husband and tending to my Siamese kitties.

An award-winning and bestselling author I enjoy snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! My books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California–the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark also set here in the Coachella Valley.

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AVA MALLORY

AVA MALLORY has been a grade school teacher, a psychiatric technician, a dementia unit nurse manager, and a Hospice nurse. She has embarrassed herself in front of handsome celebrities, won vocal contests much to the chagrin of her children, survived a  major earthquake, and nearly drowned when she mistakenly thought a YMCA lifeguard asked her to dive into the deep end on her first day of swim lessons. She and her eternally annoyed children share their home with a massive collection of books and a never-ending supply of new book ideas.

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Sandi Scott

Sandi Scott is a cozy mystery reader who finally found the courage to write the stories in her head and share them with others. She fell in love with mystery books when she first started reading Agatha Christie eons ago, although her favorite female sleuth will always be Harriet the Spy. She loves dogs, her family, her readers, and sweet treats — not necessarily in that order.

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Susan Boles

Susan Boles is the award-winning author of the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery Series and also writes romantic suspense in the Brotherhood Protectors series.

A lifelong long love of all things mysterious led Susan to write cozy mysteries. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were the first to show her that girls can be crime solvers. Agatha Christie showed her that even small towns have big secrets. And Phryne Fisher showed her lady detectives can be outrageously individual. She lives in Mississippi with her rescue mini dachshund, Lucy, and her rescue cat of no particular breed, Zimba.

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Sam Cheever

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books.

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Anne R. Tan

Anne R. Tan fell in love with storytelling in elementary school, but decided to study engineering so she could get a “real job.” Her day job is her vacation from home and she moonlights as a writer to keep the voices inside her head under control. She is a toddler wrangler and a part-time short-order cook for her family. She is married to her version of Bob Vila who believes everything needs to be fixed, even if it’s already working. The koi fish in her pond are the only sane members of her household.

 

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Murder Made to Order (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (June 19, 2018)
Paperback: 196 pages

Synopsis

To save her cozy Florida diner, Gia Morelli must choke down a heaping helping of murder . . .

New York native Gia Morelli is just getting used to life in Florida when she gets word that the town government wants to shut down her pride and joy: the charming little diner known as the All-Day Breakfast Café. A forgotten zoning regulation means that the café was opened illegally, and hardboiled council president Marcia Steers refuses to budge. Gia is considering hanging up her apron and going back to New York, but before she gives up on her dream, she discovers something shocking in the local swamp: Marcia Steers, dead in the water. There’s a secret buried in the books at town hall, and someone killed to keep it hidden. To save her café and bring a killer to justice, Gia and her friends will have to figure out a killer’s recipe for murder . . .

Excerpt

Gia stepped over a large branch blocking the path through the woods, then patted her pocket—for the millionth time—to make sure her canister of bear spray was still there. Though she enjoyed their walks, which allowed her to spend time with Thor and provided both of them some much needed exercise, her nerves sometimes got the better of her. This morning was no exception.

Thor trotted happily alongside her, sometimes darting ahead, but always staying on the trail and within sight.

She didn’t have the heart to call him back, even though she wasn’t in the best mood this morning and her mind was a million miles away. Unfortunately, her hectic schedule at the café didn’t allow much time for hiking, or anything else for that matter. So she trudged on, despite wanting to go home and spend her morning curled up with a good book.

Savannah and Trevor had both insisted early morning hikes would clear her head and help her get used to living at the edge of the forest. Though they did help her focus better, they did nothing to help her embrace her new surroundings. If anything, they terrified her even more. Looking into the woods surrounding her property and not knowing what lurked just behind the tree line gave her the creeps, but hiking the local trails and actually seeing snakes, alligators, and other critters, some of which she couldn’t even identify, brought nightmares.

And yet, here she was… She’d been looking forward to hiking the new trail, but her mind was too cluttered with everything else to focus on enjoying the peaceful morning. She sucked in a shaky breath, the humidity making her chest heavy. “Don’t get too far ahead, Thor.”

The big, furry dog, who still hadn’t quite grown into his chunky paws, stopped at the sound of her voice, turned back to her, and tilted his head, then waited for her to catch up.

“Good boy.” She petted his head. “At least, you’re having a good time. You sure do love these early morning walks, don’t you?”

He dropped his tongue out and panted.

“Come on. There’s supposed to be a lake up ahead. I’ll get some water out when we get there, and we can rest for a few minutes and have a drink.” She hefted her small backpack farther onto her shoulders and started forward.

The trail was becoming more overgrown, the brush encroaching on the open space. When it forked, she hesitated. She’d looked at the map at the edge of the parking lot, but she couldn’t remember which way to head. The path to the left held less vegetation and seemed to be used more often, so she turned that way. Most likely, all the trails would converge at the lake anyway, so it probably didn’t matter.

A line of sweat trickled down the side of her face. Gia wiped it away, slid an elastic band off her wrist, and tied her hair back. Winter in Florida was a whole lot different from winter in New York. Though she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she missed it. The cold bite of winter air—which would freeze her lungs when she inhaled. The beauty of snowflakes falling and blanketing the entire city in white—which would turn to black slush a few days later, leaving puddles of muck scattered wherever she tried to walk, soaking her feet and splashing from tires if she ventured too close to the street. The warmth of a cozy fire and a mug of hot chocolate on the coldest of nights—of course, it wouldn’t be the same without someone to cuddle with.

She sighed.

No matter how many times she went over the same arguments in her head, they didn’t change the fact she had no clue what she wanted to do. Who knew? Maybe the zoning error would prove to be a blessing in disguise, the shove she needed to return home.

But she had good friends in Boggy Creek, people who’d stood by her and accepted her. And yet when it came right down to it, she still couldn’t help feeling like a visitor. New York had always been, and would probably always be, home.

The sound of dried leaves and palm fronds crunching beneath footsteps pulled her from her indecision.

“Thor, come.”

Thankfully, he obeyed the command, and she clipped his leash to his collar. He would never hurt anyone, but sometimes he got a little overenthusiastic about greeting new friends, and not everyone appreciated a strange dog, no matter how well-meaning, jumping up on them.

“Heel.” She kept him close to her side and angled herself so she’d be between him and whoever was coming toward them.

 

About the Author

Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children.

When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.

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Giveaway

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Tail of the Dragon (A Zodiac Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Midnight Ink (August 8, 2018)
Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti never thought murder would be part of her practice, but when her former boss and current client asks for help she agrees to go undercover at his law firm. Three people have received death threats and the only common denominator between them is a case long settled–the infamous Bank of San Francisco fire. Julia’s astrological expertise provides clues but no one wants to listen. Before she can solve the mystery, two people are dead and her own life is in danger. Julia must unmask the killer before he, or she, takes another life.

Review

If you want a surprise ending, this the book to read! I was blown away by the twist at the end. Never even on my radar as I was trying to figure out who was killing the lawyers.

This series intrigues me because of the astrology aspect and houses that the sun and moon and all that are in at different times and how that might affect your life. Granted I didn’t understand a word of what was written, but I know there is a lot of truth to the charts, sun signs, etc.

It was nice to see that Julia perhaps received a little closure to how her fiance died. The case is still unsolved, but there is a small movement forward from a neighbor. Perhaps this will let her find love again with someone new and there is some chemistry with Adam.

The mystery is well written because while the “evil” character was a small blip on my radar, there was not a lot of revealing clues to let me figure out the mystery. There are a lot of hypotheses thrown out there as to why the lawyers were being murdered but which one is the right one?

Great series and I can’t wait to read the next book.  We give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Midnight Ink.  She was fascinated by astrology at an early age and this was the inspiration that gave birth to Julia Bonatti, San Francisco astrologer, and her newspaper column Ask Zodia.  Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.  Connie lives in Los Angeles with her family and a constantly talking cat.

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