LET HER GO: Lillian Dove Mystery
Suspense Mystery
3rd in Series
Horatio Press (November 6, 2018)
Paperback: 448 pages

Synopsis

Murder. Betrayal. Love Gone Wrong

With her ability to present clues without giving away the endings and offering surprising twists encouraging the reader to the next page, D. J. Adamson delves into a family tragedy ending up in murder and a teenage daughter missing. When Lillian Dove finds herself involved in the police investigation, she realizes the daughter holds the key to unravel who killed her mother.

It is three days before Christmas when Lillian Dove comes across Dr. Conrad standing out in front of his house, covered in blood. When going inside the house to help other members of his family, she finds his wife killed, his son seriously injured, and his teenage daughter, Peyton Clayton, missing. Even more shocking, the police suspect Dr. Conrad. Understanding how emotional dilemmas have strained the family emboldens Lillian to help Detective Jacque Leveque, Major Crimes Detective for the Frytown Police Department, find the prime witness to the Conrad truths.

Let Her Go is a nerve-wracking exploration into a family lost, and the extent love elicits both the good and the bad. In this Third Step in Personal Recovery Lillian works to find Peyton Clayton, while battling the worse arctic freeze in Frytown’s history, untangling human frailties, and confronting the ghosts of Christmas.

Character Guest Post

Today I’m lucky enough to have Dahlia, Lillian’s mother, visiting us and sharing her thoughts about her relationship with her daughter.  Thanks for joining us today Dahlia!

Sweet and Sour, A Mother-Daughter Relationship

As the protagonist, readers easily know Lillian Dove’s wants, dislikes, struggles, urges, and misadventures in the Lillian Dove Mystery series. But Dahlia—Lillian rarely refers to her as mother—is only known through Lillian’s eyes. Yet, Dahlia’s actions and reactions are just as complex as her daughter’s. What does Dahlia have to say to it all:

Some people might say I come across as an abusive mother. Well, I’m here to tell you, Lillian came into the world wailing, thinking life’s unfair. I tried to teach her that no matter what you want out of life, you’re going to get something different.  I know she blames me a lot. And that’s right I guess. Her father wasn’t there much in raising her. He had his own trouble. Not that I’m saying he didn’t love his daughter. He loved us all, and he did the best he could with what he’d been given. You can’t ask for more than that from any human being. I did the best I could, working two jobs, raising three kids. I tried to keep bad things from happening to that girl. Don’t think I didn’t. No matter what I did,  she was bound and determined to ruin her life. Doesn’t listen any better today. The girl’s lucky she doesn’t get herself killed, getting involved with the police, running after criminals.

Will we be close some day? I’d say were pretty close now. Mothers and daughters don’t always see eye-to-eye. But, I love my daughter.

About the Author

D. J. Adamson is an award-winning author for both her mystery novels and her science fiction novel. She is the editor of Le Coeur de l’Artiste, a newsletter which reviews books, and a blog, L’Artiste with offers authors the venue to write on craft, marketing, and the creative mind. D.J. teaches writing and literature, and to keep busy when she is not writing or teaching, she has been a board member of Sisters in Crime Los Angeles and Sisters in Crime Central Coast, a member of the Southern California Mystery Writers Organization, California Writers Club and Greater Los Angeles Writer’s Society. Her books can be found and purchased in bookstores and on Amazon.

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Synopsis

Merry Christmas from your new friends in Holiday, Texas:

The most celebratory town in the South!

When Jinx Jacobs’s motorcycle breaks down outside Holiday, Texas, the last thing she wants is to get stuck in the cheery little town, especially during the holidays. The whole place has gone Christmas crazy, but all she has to do is stay out from under the mistletoe—and do her best to keep that unnervingly attractive cop off her back.

Single dad and sheriff’s deputy Cash Walker doesn’t have time for romance, and yet something about the tempting loner twists his stomach up tighter than a tangle of tinsel. He may have finally found the missing piece in his life…but with Jinx so determined to avoid putting down roots, convincing her to stay may just take a Christmas miracle.

 

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Excerpt

Jinx breathed in the scent of pine trees. She’d expected Texas to be full of tumbleweeds and cactus, not beautiful rows and rows of pines. She raised her gaze to enjoy the view of Cash riding a few feet in front of her. Unlike her, he was an absolute natural on a horse. He swayed back and forth in the saddle, instinctively matching the horse’s gait with the movements of his body. He must have felt her gaze on his back; he twisted in the saddle to shoot a smile her way.

Her breath hitched. She’d never been this happy before. Never thought she deserved it. He brought out feelings in her that she didn’t know she was even capable of.

“Kenzie thinks she found a tree.” He pulled up, stopping his horse until she caught up. “Do we have enough ornaments for that?”

Jinx followed the line of his arm, her gaze resting on a giant pine that towered over its neighbors. “You’ve got to be kidding. That’s got to be at least, what, twelve feet tall?”

He shrugged and climbed out of the saddle. “Let’s measure. If we put it in the front room, we’ve got the height.”

“Yeah, but how in the world are you going to get that home?” She swung her leg over the saddle, trying to find the ground. Cash slung an arm around her waist, catching her before she tumbled into a heap.

“Need a hand there?” He slid her foot out of the stirrup and set her upright, both feet finally firmly planted on the ground.

“Thanks.” The tree appeared even taller now that she wasn’t sitting six feet off the ground.

“It’s perfect!” Kenzie trotted in circles around it on the back of her pony. “It’s the most perfectest Christmas tree ever.”

“You sure you don’t want to look at one of these?” Cash gestured around them to the sea of five- to six- foot trees.

“Nope.”

He smiled an apology at Jinx, a dad clearly wrapped around his little girl’s finger. “Let me get the saw.” He passed both sets of reins to Jinx. “Can you tie them up to a tree or something? They shouldn’t run, but they might not like the sound of the saw when I get it going.”

Jinx took the leather leads and loosely draped them around a branch of a tree. “Yeah, we’re going to need more ornaments.”

By the time Cash had sawed through the thick trunk of the tree, the sun sat directly overhead. “Y’all want to take a break for lunch before we head back?”

“Lunch?” Jinx wondered where they’d be able to grab a sandwich with nothing but trees and fields around them.

“Daddy and I packed a picnic.” Kenzie pulled something out of a pocket on the side of her saddle.

“When did you have time to do that?” She helped Kenzie spread out the blanket.

Kenzie beamed. “Are you surprised?”

“I sure am. You’re definitely making this a day to remember.”

Cash joined them on the blanket, spreading out the picnic feast. “PB&J, grapes, and Rice Krispies squares.”

“Perfect.” She meant it. The sun overhead, the man she’d been waiting for all her life next to her, and the promise of many tomorrows between them filled her heart with a joy she didn’t know she had the capacity for. “I think this is going to be my new very favorite best day.”

Kenzie giggled. “What’s a very favorite best day?”

It was a game she had played with her dad. She hadn’t thought about it in years. Hadn’t had a reason to. “Every time you have a really good day, you have to think to yourself…is this the very best day? Better than all the others? If so, then you can declare it as your new very favorite best day.”

“How many new very favorite best days can you have?” Kenzie picked a few grapes off of the bunch.

“As many as you want. But you can only have one at a time. That’s why it has to be the most very favorite best day ever.”

“And today is yours?” Cash asked.

“Yep.”

“Well then, it’s mine too.” He leaned across the blanket and kissed her on the lips.

“I want it to be my new very favorite best day too,” Kenzie whined.

Jinx laughed. “I already called it. You two have to find your own days. This one’s mine.”

“That’s not fair.” Cash nudged Kenzie. “What do we do when someone’s not being fair?”

Kenzie didn’t say anything, just sat there like she was thinking too hard. “We tell a grown- up?”

Jinx laughed again while Cash shook his head. “Not that kind of not fair. Jinx isn’t being fair because she won’t share her day. What do you say we tickle her?”

Kenzie’s eyes lit up, and she attacked, her fingers ready to deliver some serious tickles. Jinx tumbled over to the blanket, laughing so hard she snorted. This was the first. The first of her new very favorite best days. Her decision to stay with Cash and Kenzie meant she had an unlimited number ahead of her.

 

About the Author

Dylann Crush writes contemporary romance with sizzle and sass. A romantic at heart, she loves her heroines spunky and her heroes super sexy. When she’s not dreaming up steamy storylines, she can be found sipping a margarita and searching for the best Tex-Mex food in Minnesota. Although she grew up in Texas, she currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul with her unflappable husband, three energetic kids, a clumsy Great Dane, a rescue mutt and a very chill cat. She loves to connect with readers, other authors and fans of tequila.

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THE BIG INCH

Misfits and Millionaires #1

by

KIMBERLY FISH

Narrated by Sydney Young

 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance / WWII Spies

Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing

Date of Publication: August 1, 2018

Length: 10 hours, 22 minutes

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Fans of Pam Jenoff, Susan Elia MacNeal, and Kate Quinn will want to read the first book in a sparkling WWII historical fiction series, The Big Inch. Lane Mercer is a spy recovering from a disastrous mission in France when she’s assigned to protect the interests of the new federal project sending American oil to the Allies. Thrown into the high-stakes world of Texas oilmen, she’s inventing maneuvers on the fly to outwit would be counter-intelligence and Fascist sympathizers. Complicating her mission is a handsome con-artist who manages to be under her feet at the most inopportune times. Trapped between trusting her gut or trusting her informers, Lane has to learn to navigate a town that is laced with more intrigue than she’d ever have guessed, and she soon discovers that the life she might have to save. . .is her own.

Kimberly Fish’s well-researched writing drops readers into the colorful world of the American home front known so well to those who lived alongside the Greatest Generation. Buy The Big Inch today to begin this exciting first novel in a WWII series set in Texas.

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Praise

“Narrator Makes Book Exciting!” — 5 Stars Review on Audible

“Kimberly Fish’s writing style snatched me out of my easy chair.” — Vickie Phelps, author of Moved, Left No Address

“Kimberly Fish has a gift for combining conflict, emotion, and characterization to create a compelling story.” — Louis Gouge, author of Love Inspired Historical Four Star Ranch series

You can find my review of this book here

 

 

I learned so much about what goes into narrating a book from Sydney.  Thanks for sharing your insight!

How did you become an audiobook narrator?

I am, by profession, a lawyer. And because I believe that reading changed my own life, I read once a week to a 2^nd grade classroom throughout most of the school year.  I love the “pin drop” magic when all are listening on the edge of their seats. I’ve also long had voices when I read, which my son remembers me doing as far back as when I first read HARRY POTTER to him. This comes from being a seasoned Thespian (Actor, Vocalist, Director).

So I knew I had some ability. When I became an empty nester, I wanted to find a new passion I could work on in my now quiet home. I’m a lifelong writer and would love to voice my own work. Narration seemed a natural fit. So I took a class. Not just any class, but a good, super-in-depth one.

What cultural value do you see in audio books?

Audiobooks offer both escape and mental stimulation, and the ability to focus—in a world that is far too spoon-fed and cluttered.

Who has time to read?  I hear this often. And I sympathize. We are all busy. That is part of why I do most of my “reading” by listening to audiobooks. I listen when I drive solo. I listen when I cook solo. I listen when I work out and when I go for walks and when I garden, and I even give myself the gift of listening while I’m sitting on the back porch while my hands are busy with something else.  I always loved books on tape, so when I found Audible (the online audiobook service that delivers via an App), I was hooked.

What kind of preparation do you do before you start recording?

The key is to warm your voice up, just as you would when performing vocally.  Also, an audiobook is best if it is not rehearsed. Yes, you must know what all voices you will use, and you must research pronunciations. (Learning about “Jimplecute” in THE BIG INCH was fun!) Otherwise, if you memorize or rehearse too much, it comes across as inauthentic. You must trust yourself as a reader. The first read is usually the best because you are reacting instead of superimposing.

How do you keep the accents of your various characters straight?

Typically, there is a word or phrase that personifies the person’s “voice.” For example, I could always invoke Lane’s charge, J.R. Parson, by simply repeating his mantra: “Par for the course.”  Also, if I wasn’t sure, I would listen back.

Have you held any day jobs that helped your narration skills?

This made me laugh. I honestly don’t know a good lawyer who isn’t a good actor and well-voiced.  I think it’s part of the job description, isn’t it?

What did you enjoy most about narrating this book?

I loved the scenes with close interaction. Whether it was Emmie Tesco telling Lane to get a grip, or Lane and Theo figuratively dancing around each other, or Zeke getting Lane into trouble, those one-on-one moments have stuck with me.

Which of the characters from the book is most or least like you? Was this a challenge?

I’m far more a Tesco than a Lane, but I’ve experienced just about every emotion reflected in THE BIG INCH. I enjoy reading different characters and exploring about those who are not me. It’s the fun of it.

What projects are you working on at the present?

I recently finished another audiobook, this time a steamy romance, and I’m about to direct SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, so I’m holding off on any large project offers at the moment. Also, my own book, I AM HOUSTON (about young Sam Houston and his forgotten Cherokee tribe), is in the publishing exploration mode (I have an agent who is about to sub it), and I really hope to voice it. (Unless John Lee would voice it. Because, John Lee!)

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for almost 30 years. In the course of research for the Longview Chamber of Commerce 100-year compilation, she stumbled across a 1940s federal works project that was too good, too war-winning, not to be retold to a modern audience. In 2017, she released The Big Inch, her first WWII spy thriller detailing the crazy, big pipeline project that fueled the Allies to a win in Europe. The Big Inch has also been released as an audio download on Audible. That eye-opening novel was so consumed by readers, she quickly followed it with a second WWII spy thriller set in Longview, Harmon General. Both of these novels will be helpful to her work with the City of Longview’s 150^th birthday celebrations which begin in January of 2020. Comfort Plans, a contemporary novel also set in Texas, continues her love of history by weaving old letters into the renovation of an iconic Hill Country farmhouse.

Kimberly enjoys speaking on the value of weaving history and nostalgia into our plans as we grow our communities for the future.

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Sydney Young is a lawyer, award-winning writer and audiobook narrator from the Lone Star State. Her next theatrical project will be directing “SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE,” for the Paris Community Theatre stage (Feb. 2019), while her novel “I AM HOUSTON,” is being submitted for publication by the Loiacono Literary Agency. Sydney has long been a reading advocate, including with her readings to an adopted second grade class each year. She loved voicing THE BIG INCH for all of its authentic Texas voices and true characters, all while she learned the history of the East Texas oil effort for World War II.  Visit Sydney’s website for more information on her writings, theatre, and audio books.

 

║ Website ║ Facebook ║ Instagram ║ Twitter ║

 

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ONE WINNER! 

Choice of Audio or Signed Print Copy of The Big Inch 

+ $25 Amazon Gift Card + a WWII Themed Surprise Gift!

NOVEMBER 5-12, 2018

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

11/5/18	Joint Guest Post	Nerd Narration
11/6/18	Audio Book Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
11/7/18	Audio Book Review	Tangled in Text
11/8/18	Narrator Interview	StoreyBook Reviews
11/9/18	Audio Book Review	The Book Review
11/10/18	Audio Book Review	The Page Unbound
11/11/18	Guest Post	Momma on the Rocks
11/12/18	Audio Book Review	Kelly Well Read
11/12/18	Audio Book Review	Forgotten Winds

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Synopsis

The Agatha Award–winning author of Pressing the Issue returns to the Cookbook Nook, where Jenna Hart is busy decking the halls and ducking a killer . . .

The holidays are Jenna Hart’s favorite time of year, but just as she’s decorating the Cookbook Nook for all the festive events, her imperious older sister makes a surprise visit, anxious that her husband’s been more naughty than nice. To make matters worse, her father’s good friend Jake shows up on her doorstep with a frantic report that his friend has been murdered—trussed with Christmas lights and impaled with a tree star.

Worried that Jake was the intended victim, Jenna makes a list of suspects and checks it twice. Swapping her Santa’s hat for a sleuthing cap, she gets busy investigating Jake’s long-lost sister, his Grinch of a neighbor, and a stamp collector who covets Jake’s most treasured piece. When Jake himself is poisoned and nearly dies, Jenna knows she’ll have to do whatever it takes to corner the culprit before it’s lights out for Jake . . .

Includes tantalizing holiday recipes!

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Read an Excerpt here

About the Author

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

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House of Ashes: A Haunted Bluffs Mystery
Supernatural Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Lane Books (November 13, 2018)
Hardcover, 336 pages

Synopsis

A family patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.

Thirty-seven-year-old painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on whether it’s by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter―but now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations of her dream-weaving ex-husband.

Salvation seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the promise of companionship and much-needed help―until they vanish without a trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but determined to discover what’s happened to the young couple…even as digging into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own. Despite warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police―as well as an FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism―Cassie can’t help following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family’s dark curse destroys everything in its path?

Review

There are some days I want to read a suspense filled book and this one did the trick. There were so many stories to unravel, personal histories to understand, and a mystery to solve that I had a hard time putting this book down each night.  I also can’t discount the descriptive words of the town, Battersea Bluffs, the residents in the town, and the area in general.

The story starts off 80 years in the past with the deaths of Percy and Celeste, Cassie’s Great Grandparents that came to the US from England.  Throughout the book we get glimpses of the past which helps us understand the spirits in the home and Cassie’s quest to find the truth about her ancestors, her sister, and her newest friends that have disappeared.  The crux of the book focuses on Cassie’s new friends, Ashley and Vince, who have suddenly disappeared.  Is there foul play involved?  Did they leave on their own accord?  Are they even who they claim to be?  Cassie formed a bond with Ashley and Vince, even if she really doesn’t know the truth about them and their past, so when they vanish she is concerned about them and their safety especially since they left their dog behind.  As a dog lover, I would have thought exactly the same as Cassie, that something has happened because they loved Whistler and wouldn’t leave him behind.

The book moves at a somewhat slower pace which is good and bad.  Good because it layers of the mystery are peeled back like an onion, but bad because I wanted to know what the heck happened to Ashley and Vince!  There are several other minor mysteries encapsulated in this book – why Cassie’s sister Zoe won’t come back to Whale Rock?  Who is behind an art purchase?  Is the house haunted or are the spirits friendly?  What is the real story of the supposed curse on the family?  All of these play a minor part in the story and some even tie in to the disappearance.

There is a little bit of a romance too between Cassie and FBI agent Daniel, but she also has a past with a deadbeat ex-husband and a high school love that she has a fling with when she realizes the marriage is dying.  There is also Brooks, aka Chuckles, who has a thing for Cassie but also dated her sister in high school.  That kind of makes him off limits in Cassie’s mind.

I will admit that Cassie does not have her life together at 37.  Sometimes you just have to wonder how people like her make it this far in life, but at the same time wonder if there is an underlying psychological issue that is the root cause of her actions.

Many questions are answered in the book with some twists I didn’t expect and we might not have known if Cassie didn’t push for the truth from those she questioned about her family and the past, and about her missing friends.

We give this 5 paws ups for keeping us in suspense for the whole book!

About the Author

An author of fiction, Loretta Marion’s writing bridges the genres of mystery and suspense and women’s fiction, always with hints of romance and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological and paranormal. She creates strong but flawed and struggling characters as appealing as the rich atmospheric settings in which the stories take place.

Loretta is a true bibliophile and has loved reading and creating with words since she was a young girl. And that affection for the written word followed her like a shadow throughout her life as she put pen to paper crafting marketing and advertising copy, educational brochures, and newsletters. But her passion for writing fiction evolved from the unlikely world of hospice. As a volunteer, she set out to establish a Legacy Story program to honor and preserve the rich heritage of the fascinating people who were soon to leave this world. The meaningful experience inspired her to create her own interesting characters and stories. Her debut novel, The Fool’s Truth, was a twisty and suspenseful mystery with whispers of romance. Her newest novel, HOUSE OF ASHES – A Haunted Bluffs Mystery, is the first in a series published by Crooked Lane Books.

Though born and raised in the Midwest, Loretta fell in love with New England and has made it the setting for much of her writing. When not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey, and their beloved Mr. Peabody, a sweet, devoted and amusing “Corgador” (Corgi-Labrador cross).

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Murder in Her Stocking (A Granny Reid Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (October 30, 2018)
Hardcover: 304 pages

Synopsis

As the Moonlight Magnolia Agency revisits old memories on Christmas Eve, Granny Reid takes the reins back thirty years to the 1980s—back when she went by Stella, everyone’s hair was bigger, and sweaters were colorful disasters. But murder never went out of style . . .

Christmas has arrived in sleepy McGill, Georgia, but holiday cheer can’t keep temperamental Stella Reid from swinging a rolling pin at anyone who crosses her bad side—and this season, there are plenty. First an anonymous grinch vandalizes a celebrated nativity display. Far worse, the scandalous Prissy Carr is found dead in an alley behind a tavern. With police puzzled over the murder, Stella decides to stir the local gossip pot for clues on the culprit’s identity . . .

Turns out Prissy held a prominent spot on the naughty list, and suspects pile up like presents on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, the more progress Stella makes, the more fears she must confront. With a neighbor in peril and the futures of her beloved grandchildren at risk, Stella must somehow set everything straight and bring a cunning criminal to justice before December 25th . . .

Guest Post

The Frosting on the Cake by G. A. McKevett

Like many professional storytellers, I was raised in an environment rich with the sharing of family lore. Not all of it was sparkling or even repeatable in polite company, but it was entertaining, nevertheless.

One of the more prolific yarn spinners in my immediate circle was my father. Sunday afternoons, over an early dinner, he would tell and re-tell his life stories, many of which centered around the time he spent as a soldier in WWII.

“Squeaky and the Coconut Cake” was one of my personal favorites, and I’d like to share it with you now.

My father was a marine, stationed for a while in the Philippines, in a tent camp in the jungle. When the war finally ended, he returned home to southern Missouri, to his newly-widowed mother and younger sisters.

He brought with him a tiny monkey he had adopted, known as Squeaky, named after the little sounds he continually made whether he was happy and contented or wanting something—usually a food treat. He was so small that my father could tuck him into the front pocket of his shirt and button the flap, where Squeaky often took naps, close to the warmth of his “dad’s” chest.

The first Sunday after Dad’s return, my Grandma Cora Bell insisted that her non-church-attending son go to services with her and his sisters. Reluctantly, he did.

In celebration of his safe return from the war, Grandma had baked one of her delicious, moist, made from scratch, coconut cakes. It was a thing of beauty, which she placed in the center of the table before the family left. Everyone was looking forward to enjoying a generous slice of it, along with a pot of fresh, hot coffee, when they returned. But, alas, it was not to be.

While they were gone, the highly intelligent and ever-resourceful Squeaky, angry that he had been left behind, managed to escape from his cage.

The family returned to carnage.

They walked into the kitchen to find the usually immaculate room in chaos. Not only were flour and sugar bags torn open and their contents scattered, utensils pulled from cupboards and lying on the floor, and some dishes broken…but every single surface, both horizontal and vertical, in the entire room was covered with a thin coat of white stickiness.

Yes, coconut frosting. (My father would later say that he even scrubbed it off the top of the refrigerator and from the insides of the cupboard doors.)

It didn’t take long to find Squeaky. He was a gleeful little fellow. Sitting in the middle of the mangled cake. Casually licking coconut frosting from between his toes.

About the Author

G.A. McKevett is the author of the acclaimed Savannah Reid mystery series. Also writing under the name Sonja Massie, she has authored over 60 books ranging from cozy mysteries to historical romances, to nonfiction works on the history of Ireland. Her earthy humor and fast-paced plots delight her fans, while critics applaud her offbeat characterizations and incisive observations on human nature. Irish by ancestry, she has lived in Toronto, Ireland, and Los Angeles, but now resides in New York.

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Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (October 30, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Angie’s first auction may turn out to be her last—when she bids on a coat of arms that someone would literally kill to possess . . .

Tagging along to an estate sale with her fellow Needlepointer, antiques shop owner Sarah Byrne, Angie Curtis impulsively bids on a tattered embroidery of a coat of arms. When she gets her prize back home to Haven Harbor, she discovers a document from 1757 behind the framed needlework—a claim for a child from a foundling hospital. Intrigued, Angie is determined to find the common thread between the child and the coat of arms.

Accepting her reporter friend Clem Walker’s invitation to talk about her find on the local TV news, Angie makes an appeal to anyone who might have information. Instead, both women receive death threats. When Clem is found shot to death in a parking lot, Angie fears her own life may be in jeopardy. She has to unravel this historical mystery—or she may be the next one going, going . . . gone . . .

 

Excerpt

“What about this one?” I asked, passing several oil paintings and pointing to another large needlework. “It looks like a coat of arms.”

“It does. Although about a third of the stitching is gone. I wonder if it was done here, or in England? Stitching coats of arms was more common there. Americans didn’t have family crests or coats of arms.”

The coat of arms was in poor condition. The glass protecting it was cracked, and dirt had sifted onto the embroidery. Threads were broken or missing in several places, so only part of the crest was clear, and the linen backing was torn in several places. Still, it fascinated me.

“Is that an eagle?” I said, trying to make sense of what might have been part of a bird on the crest.

Sarah shook her head. “I’m not interested in it. No one wants someone else’s coat of arms, and that one isn’t in good enough condition to sell, anyway.”

“It could be repaired,” I suggested. “Gram is pretty good at that.” I kept looking at the crest, wondering who’d stitched it, and when. Who’d been proud of a heritage that included a coat of arms? The other embroideries were from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. I wasn’t an expert on American history, but I knew not a lot of Americans had bragged about their connections to nobility—especially English nobility—right after the American Revolution.

Or maybe the coat of arms was from another country? I didn’t know enough to guess.

“Why bother trying to repair it?” Sarah asked. “It’s not beautiful. It’s in poor condition. Its only value might have been to the person it represented, and, if it’s here, no one in his family wanted it.”

“But don’t coats of arms belong to families?” I asked.

“They were awarded to individuals, not families,” Sarah corrected. “Embroidered coats of arms originally were worn over armor, so knights could be identified when they were in competitions or battles.” She glanced at the embroidery in front of us. “I don’t see any identifying name, either of the owner or the woman who stitched it. In any case, I need to look at the other lots.” She made a couple of notes on her catalog. “I’ll bid on the four other samplers,” she said softly to me. “I’ll have to think about how high to go. That last sampler may be a budget-killer.”

“You go ahead. I’m going to wander and see what else is here,” I said.

Sarah headed for the cases of china, which had no interest for me.

I took one more look at the coat of arms. I couldn’t say exactly why, but it fascinated me.

About the Author

Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine. A fourth-generation antique dealer and the author of the Agatha-nominated Antique Print Mystery series, she loves all things antiques and Maine. She also writes historical novels for young people set in (where else?) nineteenth-century Maine.

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Synopsis

Callie Reed makes a long overdue visit to her aunt Melodie, who lives in a fairy-tale cottage in quaint Keepsake Cove, home to a bevy of unique collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Just as they’re beginning to reconnect, Callie discovers her aunt’s body on the floor of her music box shop. Grief-stricken, Callie finds she can’t accept Melodie’s death being called accidental. How could her strong and healthy aunt take such a fatal fall? And why was she there in the middle of the night?

As Callie searches for the truth, signs seem to come from her late aunt through a favorite music box, urging Callie on. Or are they warnings? If Callie isn’t careful, she could meet a similar deadly fate amid Melodie’s collection.

 

Review

I borrowed this book from the library since I have the 2nd book on my Kindle. I love cozies and this one was just a little different from what I am used to reading but not in a bad way at all. Someone dies but no one except Callie thinks that foul play might be involved. This sets up an interesting plot line and a variety of characters and a quaint shopping town with unique shop names.

I enjoyed getting to know the various people in the town and there are several “not so nice” characters but even then, those characters add depth to the story and the history of the town and relationships they had with Callie’s Aunt Melodie (the one who dies).

I did figure out who the killer was but not by any overt clues. I think it was just that the number of possibilities was limited in my mind and this character seemed the most logical.

I can’t wait to read the next book and take another visit to this Eastern town.

We give it 4 paws up

Synopsis

The Childs family faced the unthinkable… now they have a second chance.
~~~
The Childs family has endured a terrible tragedy, but the FBI’s shocking discovery has turned their lives upside down.

His kids have all moved on from the death of their mother, as has Isaac from the loss of his wife, but now that the FBI has finally solved the case, the Childs family must face the loss of Ramie all over again.

Each has their own relationships and their own lives, but all are upended due to unforeseen circumstances. As they maneuver these new lives, they must deal with love, heartache, and jealousy as a family, and the choices they face will not be easy.

Their decisions bring out the best in some… and the worst in others.
~~~
Evolved Publishing presents the second book in the “An American Family” series, contemporary suspense thrillers that explore one family’s trials and tragedies.

 

About the Author

I’m a professional thrifter who is happily married, the father of four children, and an avid runner. I was born and raised in Georgia and spent time in Oklahoma, California, Connecticut, and then Oregon, as an adult. I’m a graduate of Oregon State University and now reside in North Georgia, raising my family, near family.

My first book, The Earth Bleeds Red, was released in 2013. I took a few years off from writing to start my own business, and my second book, The Lights Will Never Fade, came out in Jan 2018. My new contemporary suspense/thriller series, An American Family, is coming in the fall of 2018 from Evolved Publishing.

I’m a bit of a free spirit who enjoys working from home, traveling around, looking for treasures to share, and creating worlds that otherwise would not exist. Thrifting and writing are my two passions, and I’m fortunate to be able to do both.

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A Different Kind of Reunion (A Gilda Greco Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (April 23, 2018)
Paperback: 236 pages

Synopsis

While not usually a big deal, one overlooked email would haunt teacher Gilda Greco. Had she read it, former student Sarah McHenry might still be alive.

Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first cooperative and willing, their camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.

Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?

About the Author

In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes cozy mysteries, paranormal romance, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

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