Coming soon - another Giveaway

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coming Tuesday, October 17.
Win a copy of Ellie Alexander's Death on Tap

Tightening the Thread

After searching for years for a family connection, Australian Sarah Byrne has found her uncle Ted Lawrence in Maine. In Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait, Ted plans to introduce Sarah to his children at his 75th birthday party.

Sarah asks her friend Angie Curtis to come to the party to support her when she meets the family. It's a busy day as the family begins to arrive. They misidentify Sarah as a housekeeper. None are friendly to her nor to each other, but Ted wants them to enjoy the weekend.

At the party, he introduces Sarah as his niece and he tells them he is planning to change his will. He plans to leave all his famous artist father Robert Lawrence's paintings to Sarah. Possibly worth millions, the three children are furious. He also reveals he has lung cancer and does not have long to live.

Needless to say he is right - the next evening at the clambake, he
falls ill and dies. Could he have eaten a clam from a Red Tide flat or was it murder? The family

seems more concerned that he hadn't changed his will rather than his death. As everyone searches for Ted's will tempers start to fray. When son Luke finds Jeremy trying to open the safe in Ted's office, he fires a gun into the safe to try to open it. The bullet ricochets and shatters a stained glass window.

Angie is worried about Sarah's safety and encourages her to leave the house. When more mayhem occurs at the house, Angie feels she needs to investigate. What her investigate reveals could make your head spin.

I very much enjoyed this latest in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries although I did miss the interplay between the Mainely Needlepointers and Angie's grandmother.

Margaritas and Murder

There's nothing more disconcerting than waking up with the early morning sun streaming through your open drapes, followed by a phone call from a friend and loud knocking on your front door. Mix in two policemen looking for your sister and it's Good Morning, Sunny.

In Margaritas & Murder by CeCe Osgood, Sunny Truly knows there has to be a better way to start her day. Detective John Rock wants to question her sister Lila about a friend - Joyce Elton - who either jumped or fell from her balcony into a tree. Unfortunately Joyce left behind the body of Ronald Brownfield in her apartment, dead from a gunshot wound.

Even though Joyce's parents want Sunny to clear their daughter, her boss from Haylock Investigations tells her to get back to her field investigation involving the Loganberrys. Sunny can't help herself and becomes immersed in the investigation to clear Joyce.

When Sunny connects Joyce and Brownfield to high roller Conrad Hollister, she thinks she has just

scratched the surface. She discovers Hollister and three others are the owners of a club called The Celelestial, where some sketchy things have been going on. She also discovers Joyce was not Brownfield's girlfriend. It was a woman named Ana Marie Sawyer, who now is not answering her phone and seems to have disappeared.

When someone bursts out of Ann Marie's house with her laptop, Sunny knows she is on the right track. But that track leads to danger and violence.

This is the first of the Sunny Truly Mysteries and I look forward to the next one. Sunny is smart, persistent and funny. She will make a good private investigator after she gets through her apprenticeship!

Interview with Susan Boyer

How many books have you published?
I currently have six published novels, all in the Liz Talbot Mystery Series, beginning with . My most recent release is Lowcountry Bonfire, and the next book in the series, LOWCOUNTRY BOLO, will be released April 10.

Lowcountry Boil

How did you become interested in writing?
I’ve loved books my whole life, and I’ve always had what most would call an overactive imagination. I’ve always wanted to write--English was one of my first college majors. (I took the samplers’ approach to education.) But it just wasn’t a feasible career path. Few people get a degree in English, then graduate and immediately earn a living wage publishing novels. Publishing doesn’t typically work that way. Some folks major in journalism, but I wasn’t interested in reporting. I wanted to make things up. So of course I studied computer business systems. I worked my way through various information technology jobs, eventually landing in a related position planning assortments for a chain of ladies apparel stores. By the time the company I worked for closed their doors in 2004, I was in a better position to pursue my dream. I fully committed myself to writing and haven’t looked back.

What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening, etc?
When I’m writing the first draft, I usually write eight or more hours a day, five days a week. Of course I get up occasionally and throw a load of laundry in or grab lunch. Weekends I try to take off for family time. After the first draft is down, I allow myself to incorporate more social media and aspects of the business end of writing into my day.

Under deadline pressure, I write best in a Hampton Inn (no other hotel will work) with absolutely no view of anything remotely interesting and a desk facing a neutral toned wall. I get up in the morning, go down for breakfast (and ask that they make up the room during that time) then go to work. I take a break periodically and pace the hall of whatever floor I’m on to get my steps in and work out plot problems. Sometimes I talk to myself during these strolls. Housekeeping staff, if they’re around, give me concerned looks. For lunch I eat something odd from the hotel shop. I snack on Lindor truffles and nuts. Dinner is whatever someone will deliver, often some variety of Asian food or Pizza. I basically isolate myself in my alternate reality until I’ve birthed a book.

Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?
The first stage is daydreaming, coming up with a crime. Then I write it out in detail—who did what to who, from the villain’s point of view. Next I outline how my detective will solve the case. The first draft comes next, but every day I read and edit what I wrote the day before, so by the time I’m finished, I’ve already edited it once. Typically I let it rest—step away for a few days, then dive back in with another round of edits. Then I print it out and edit again. Things always look different on paper. Once I’m reasonably happy with it, if time permits, I’ll send it to a beta reader. I comb through her notes for things I missed and make any changes that resonate with me. Then it goes to my editor.

Do you use real people and places as models for your books?
Most of the places are real. I chose the Charleston, SC area as my literary landscape because I love it so and visit as often as I can. We lived in Mt. Pleasant for a while, and I rode my bike to Sullivan’s Island most mornings. While the island of Stella Maris, where my protagonist, Liz Talbot lives, is a figment of my imagination, whenever my characters step off the island, the locations and businesses they visit are real. If Liz Talbot eats in a restaurant in Charleston, I have eaten in that restaurant, ordered what she orders, and I liked it very much. There are one or two exceptions to this, cases where I had to make up a business in Charleston, but I try to keep it real so my readers feel like they’re vacationing in the lowcountry.

There are some places I will model stories after, such as a home I used in Lowcountry Bordello. When I first started writing Lowcountry Bordello, I wanted to use a historic home South of Broad in Charleston. I know, because readers write and tell me, that they sometimes drive by places I mention in my books. My cousin lived in a beautiful Charleston single house not far from White Point Gardens. I asked her if her home could “star” as the bordello, and she thought this sounded like great fun. Unfortunately, after the book was written, but before it was published, my cousin sold her home. I had to put an author’s note in the book advising readers not to drive by looking for the floozies. To the best of my knowledge, this particular house has never been a bordello.

While I sometimes use turns of phrase, mannerisms, et cetera, that I pick up from real people, the characters in my novels are completely fictional, with an occasional public figure used fictitiously. Also occasionally, the names of real people are used as a result of them winning a character auction for charity.

Who is your favorite author?
I am such an eclectic reader, and I have many favorite authors. A random few of many are Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, Joshilyn Jackson, Lisa Gardner, Carl Hiaasen, Darynda Jones, Dean Koontz, Harlan Coben, and Mary Alice Monroe.

How do you promote your books?
I am very fortunate to have the support of my publisher, Henery Press, and the wisdom and creativity of a local marketing agency in my hometown. We use a combination of contests, digital campaigns, social media, and in-person events. I especially enjoy social media because it allows me to connect with my readers and learn more about them. We are always running fun contests so I encourage anyone who enjoys my books or this genre to follow me on social media and watch for our giveaways and events.

A Killer Location

The real estate business is not for the faint of heart. In A Killer Location by Sarah T. Hobart, Sam Turner is a rookie realtor working for Home Sweet Home Real Estate and dating handsome Police Chief Bernie Aguilar.

One problem though, Bernie is the ex-husband of her sister. Oops. At an Open House Sam gets a taste of the crazy lookie loos, including one who clogged the toilet, another who stole the small items on display and a woman with a dirty dog tracking mud on the white carpet.

But the worst is yet to come as she plans to bake cookies. Sam discovers a human finger, frozen solid, with a slim gold wedding band on it. Inside the ring is engraved "June 8, 1987. All my love, Everett." Everett is her boss' name.

During the tour of the backyard with the women and the dog, the dog escapes his leash and starts pawing through the yard. Before long the dog discovers a bone, then a body. When the body is identified as Everett's ex-wife and the owner of the house, Sam learns Marian was a partner in an investment company that was in trouble because of its shady dealings. 

When she finds another body in the house, Sam figures she is doomed. Then she learns her boss has

been arrested and the real estate agency is closed. Without the broker, Sam's license is suspended and her access to the MLS is cut off. Thoughts of losing her own new house have her struggling with what to do.

She sets out to prove Everett isn't the murder, but gets herself in more trouble, and she still has not told her sister she is dating her ex-husband. As her search for the killer becomes more involved, Sam finds herself faced with a dangerous killer.

I enjoyed A Killer Location and Sam is a believable character and truly wants to be a good realtor.

Spooky Sweet

From the beginning of this series, I have enjoyed Connie Shelton's character Samantha Sweet and her special treats. In Spooky Sweet, Samantha has finally realized she needs more space for the chocolate production portion of her business.

As her staff continues to bump into each other at the Sweet's Sweets, Samantha tries to figure out how she make the expansion work, especially now that she has a contract with her most important client Stan Bookman. The need for more space has taken on an urgency of its own.

While she is trying to decide, her husband Sheriff Beau Cardwell is called to a local cafe when the owner finds a bag of money. A young person, dressed in all black with shaggy hair sticking out of a black knit cap had been sitting at the booth where the bag was found. No one recognized the teen.

Beau is sure the money did not come from someone's stockpile from under a mattress and he calls a friend at the Treasury to check the serial numbers. He finds the money was transferred to the First Bank of Springer, an adjacent town and was part of a recent armored car robbery. The driver of the truck was critically injured by a gunshot.

In the meantime Samantha is feeling the pressure of her workload and visits her magic box again for

more energy. She also wonders if her quirky chocolatier, Bobul would return to help during the Christmas rush and bring some more of his special powders. Her architect friend Darryl shows Sam drawings for a separate site where she can produce and distribute the chocolates, but the cost is way over her budget.

Dismayed, she wonders what to do when a local realtor finds a Victorian mansion she is sure would be perfect for Sam's needs. Needless to say Sam is overwhelmed, but charmed by the possibilities. She begins the renovation process and moves her chocolate making to the new place.

Before long Sam begins to notice some odd occurrences in the carriage house and suddenly Beau's case and Sam's move collide with dangerous consequences.

Another stellar book from Connie Shelton. And yes, I craved chocolate while reading this book. Who wouldn't!

Raining Men and Corpses

Raina Sun knew it was a bad idea to have an affair with her graduate school advisor. But in Raining Men and Corpses by Anne R. Tan, worse still is lending him money, then lying to him about being pregnant.

When she stops by Holden's office the next evening, the department secretary Gail comes bolting out of the men's restroom exclaiming that Holden is dead. But Raina is in for another shock when the detective in charge turns out to be Matthew Louie, someone she knows very well - as in her ex-husband.

With her reporter friend Eden egging her on, Raina tries to figure out who killed Holden and why. What they uncover is missing grant money, secret affairs between staff members and an addicted sister.

When Raina's grandmother pops in for an unexpected visit, Raina knows there's either trouble ahead or at home. PoPo has always been an avid Matthew supporter and her best friend is his grandmother. PoPo is much hipper than Raina as she knows how to use the internet, sends texts and operates her smartphone with ease, plus

she has a way of finding out what is going on. When Raina learns Matthew has been living in Gold Springs for two years, she knows her grandmother was matchmaking again when she urged Raina to do her graduate work here.

With Eden at her side Raina keeps asking questions trying to learn who killed Holden and hiding from Matthew that she lied about the pregnancy.

The dynamic between Raina and PoPo adds to the allure of this book. Every family has its traditions and quirks, and Raining Men and Corpses portrays Raina's Chinese heritage in a way everyone can identify with.

Christietown

If there ever was a Cotswold-cozy development called Christietown, I'd be the first to sign up. In Christietown by Susan Kandel, the development comes to life, complete with a play featuring Miss Marple for the Grand Opening.

CeCe Caruso is moonlighting as an event planner for Ian Christie, the developer of Christietown who claims to be a distance relative of Dame Agatha. In keeping with the Christie theme, he asks Cece to produce a play featuring amateur actors in typical English village roles.

Cece has her hands full already. She is rewriting a portion of her Agatha Christie biography adding more information about the 11-day disappearance of the famous novelist, producing the play, getting married and awaiting the birth of her first grandchild. To add to the drama, her ex-husband, his fiancee and her mother turn up at her door. 

But more drama awaits as on the play's opening day, Liz Berman, the person cast as Miss Marple,

disappears. Cece jumps in to save the play, but soon finds her cast member dead. As she delves into the mystery, she discovers all is not what it seems at Christietown. Ruthless developers alleged to be former members of Mosad are pressuring Ian to keep selling the lots and houses.

As Cece digs more deeply, she discovers, just like Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, "It's all about the water." Without water, the land would be worthless. Cece wonders whether Liz had inadvertently discovered something while she was researching her part.

In the secondary plot, Cece provides the reader with excerpts from her Christie biography covering the 11-day disappearance. In these segments we learn some interesting and little known facts about the mystery author's case of amnesia and what her note to Archie Christie may have said.

I very much enjoyed Christietown especially as I am huge, huge Agatha Christie fan. The interspersed portions of Cece's biography were delightful.

Limoncello Yellow

Having just returned from New Orleans, it seems appropriate to review a book set in New Orleans. In Limoncello Yellow by Traci Andrighetti, Franki Amato discovers she is not cut out for police work, so she decides to join her friend Veronica Maggio at Private Chicks, Incorporated, in New Orleans.

Veronica sets Franki up in a bordello-style apartment across the street from a cemetery. Franki, superstitious because of her Sicilian heritage, doesn't think this is a good sign for her future success. When she meets her flamboyant landlady, former stripper Glenda O'Brien, she almost heads back to Austin.

On her first day at work, she discovers her office is situated in the French Quarter, conveniently located very near the iconic Cafe du Monde. Will she manage to solve cases or just spend her time eating beignets and drinking chicory coffee?

Her first case involves a financial advisor Ryan Hunter, who is the primary suspect in the murder of

his ex-girlfriend Jessica Evans. She was found strangled in a store she managed. Brusque, rude and not forthcoming about his relationship with Jessica, Hunter is not the ideal client, but Franki dives right into trying to solve the case.

Hunter portrays his ex-girlfriend as a vindictive, secretive bitch and he admits they had a verbal fight that drew the police. This makes him the leading suspect. Franki and Veronica try to learn more about the victim and they meet with their inside informant, a woman they call "Betty Friedan," a crime analyst for the New Orleans PD.

After some research, Franki discovers Jessican Evans was using a different name and was tied to a long-ago murder that took place in London. This information leads Franki to one of society's richest families and the son who was acquitted of the London murder and to the family of the first murdered woman.

Limoncello Yellow leads Franki through some of the iconic sites of the French Quarter, - The French Market, Jackson Square, Marie Laveu's Voodoo Shop, Bourbon Street and Royal Street. I had a great time reliving my lastest trip and watching Franki unravel this very complicated and confusing case.

I look forward to more of Franki's adventures in Nola.

Interview with Cindy Brown

How many books have you published?
Right now, I have four mysteries in the Ivy Meadows mystery series: Macdeath, The Sound of Murder, Oliver Twisted, and Ivy Get Your Gun. The fifth book, The Phantom of Oz, will be out in late January, and I’m working on the sixth book, Kill-a-lot, set at a Renaissance faire. I’m also a ghostwriter and have written two nonfiction books for clients. I’d like to tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.

How did you become interested in writing?
I’ve always been a big reader. I wrote a little bit growing up, but the bug really bit me when I was in my 30s. I was teaching theatre to kids and couldn’t find a play that had enough speaking parts for all my students, so I wrote my own. The kids loved it, the audience loved it, and I found that I really loved writing.

What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening, etc?
My days change a lot, with one constant: I always write. If I’m in first draft phase, I like to write in the mornings when the evil editor that lurks in my brain is not quite awake. I’m a bit sharper in the afternoons, so I like to do my editing and revisions then.

One thing I learned along the way (and something I have to remind myself of often) is that writing is not just sitting at the computer. It’s also researching and reading and daydreaming and allowing my subconscious a little bit of time to work on the book, too. I also really like to talk issues through out loud. Luckily, I have a great writers group, plus a group of writer girlfriends who get together for Think & Drink sessions.

Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?

Before I start the first draft, I know the plot points in my book--the big event that begins the story and the turning points for each act (I use screenplay structure as my model). I also know a lot about each of the main characters. That said, events and people and plot lines always change as I write the book.

Do you use real people and places as models for your books?
Places, definitely. Each of the theaters in the book is modeled on places where I worked, and readers familiar with Arizona will recognize real restaurants and parks, etc. Ivy lives and works in mostly in Phoenix, but The Sound of Murder is set in Sunnydale--a stand in for Sun City West; all of the places in Oliver Twisted (set aboard a cruise ship) are real; and Ivy Get Your Gun is set in a fictional Wild West theme town. I used Goldfield Ghost Town (in Apache Junction, just east of Phoenix) as my model, but set my town of Gold Bug Gulch on the west side near Wickenburg, partly so I could play around with the layout of the town, and partly because I didn’t want to kill anyone at Goldfield Ghost Town. I always fictionalize the place where someone is murdered. Just seems polite.

As far as characters: Each of them is a sort of amalgamation of people I have known or met. And there’s a little bit of me in a lot of the characters, especially Ivy and her uncle Bob.

Who is your favorite author?
That is such a tough question! If I were on a desert island with only one book, I would choose the complete works of Shakespeare. There’s so much there in terms of story and language and the understanding of human relationships. That said, on a regular basis I am more likely to read Tana French or Louise Penny or Elizabeth George.

How do you promote your books?
Anyway I can! Seriously, I think it’s hard to know what works, so I do a lot. I try to stay active on social media (though I fall offline from time to time when I’m deep in deadline land), I do a lot of in-person events (which I enjoy immensely), and I have a monthly email newsletter called Slightly Silly News (which you can check out here). And of course there are ads and giveaways and interviews, like this one. Thank you so much for having me!