May 2022 – Ruff Drafts

June Author News: A Triple Treat for Cat Lovers

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 by Debbie

This June, I have three treats for cat lovers: the first book of a cozy mystery series, a collection of cozy mystery stories, and a non-fiction cat book.

The first book of my new Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, was recently published by Next Chapter. It is on widespread distribution and is available on many book sites, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others.

Cathy Carter and her brother Douglas own a pet cemetery and animal rescue center in the small, upstate New York town of Buttercup Bend.

After the local “Cat Crazy Lady,” Maggie Broom, is found dead in her home, Cathy is stunned to learn that Rainbow Gardens and Rainbow Rescues is the recipient of most of Maggie’s estate.

Maggie’s estranged brother and sister come to town and are upset with the terms of their sister’s will. Sheriff Leroy Miller is convinced one of them killed Maggie.

When another person turns up dead, Cathy sets out to solve the murders with her reporter friend, Nancy Meyers. But who really wanted to kill the “Cat Crazy Lady,” and why?

Get your copy here: https://books2read.com/u/bOzPdN

For excerpts, guest posts, and a giveaway, follow the blog tour on Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours from June 14 -27: https://bit.ly/3wK0Uaq

Just published by Solstice Publishing, Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery and Other Cobble Cove Stories. This collection includes four previously published eBooks, including the award-winning, Sneaky’s Christmas Mystery and the new title story. It is available in paperback and eBook and is free on Kindle Unlimited.

This collection of short stories includes four previously published Cobble Cove mysteries that appeared exclusively as ebooks along with a new story. The collection features the award-winning Sneaky’s Christmas Mystery, Sneaky’s Summer Mystery, KittyKai’s Easter Mystery, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, and the new title story, Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery.

Each of these stories includes a note from the author explaining her inspiration for it and a cover image. If you’re a fan of the series, a cozy mystery lover, and/or a feline fancier, you’ll enjoy these mysteries that feature the pets in starring roles with Alicia, the librarian.

Get your copy here: mybook.to/CCcollection

Follow the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour here from July 18-25: https://bit.ly/3LRVVIZ

Also coming soon from Next Chapter Publishing, Memories and Meows.

Ever wonder what cats are thinking? If your cats could write a blog, what would they talk about? In this collection, you’ll meet Debbie De Louise’s current cats and two from the past who share their everyday activities, health concerns, behavior issues, and more.

Floppy relates his hospital experience, gives advice about taking pills, and discusses feline diabetes. His sister, Holly, talks about her weight issues, describes how she made the change from a feral to a house cat, and even writes a fictional story featuring her fur and human family members. Harry talks about the merits and perils of being a black cat, shares his bad habit of wire and shoelace chewing, and even gives tips about how to cope with a crisis. His sister Hermione reveals her fascination with high and low places, discusses how she mastered the cat flap door, and even reviews the Cat Writers’ Association Conference.

If there’s a feline in your home or you enjoy reading about these quirky, beautiful, wise, and inspirational creatures, you’ll find these fur-st person tails from the cats’ point of view a purrfect read.

I’m sure you’ll find my three new releases the cat’s meow.

Reviews

Review of The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Debbie

*Note: This book was an advanced reader’s copy from Net Galley. It will be published on July 12, 2022, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3lNWTLO

*****5-stars

April Clarke-Cliveden is the “It Girl.” She has everything — looks, brains, and plenty of money, thanks to her rich parents. When Hannah Jones becomes her roommate at Pelham College in Oxford, they become best friends despite the disparity in their social standings. They also become part of a group of students who hang out together. Hannah is attracted to Will, a member of this group, but he becomes April’s boyfriend.

The book alternates between Before and After. The “After” refers to the murder of April and how Hannah, ten years later, learns that the man convicted of the crime has died in prison. Hannah, now married to Will and expecting his child, starts to relive that awful experience from her past when a reporter asks to speak with her about it. The reporter claims there is new evidence that points to the innocence of the man, a porter who’d worked at the college, and whom April’s testimony helped put behind bars.

While Will doesn’t condone Hannah’s becoming involved again, she is determined to learn the truth of what really happened the night she found her roommate dead. Because April enjoyed playing pranks on people and was sleeping with more than one man at Pelham, there are quite a few suspects, including Hannah’s husband.

I found it hard to put this book down. The atmosphere was well depicted, as were the characters. I had difficulty figuring out who-dun-it because there were so many likely suspects. When I finally realized who killed April, it was right before this information was revealed. I enjoyed the twists and turns, and I found the ending action-packed. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological mysteries. This isn’t my first book by Ruth Ware and won’t be my last. She is one of my favorite new authors.

Blog Tour

Excerpt and Blog Tour for Something Shady At Sunshine Haven: The Accidental Detective Series by Kris Bock

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Debbie

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective)
by Kris Bock

About Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Arizona
Tule Publishing (April 7, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195489449X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1954894495
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097WJYYBZ

She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

Excerpt from Chapter 1

My childhood home had faded in the harsh Arizona sun and now showed its age—rather like me. I’d never dreamed of living here again after thirty years of traveling the world.

This is temporary. You’ll find a way out.

“Do you need help?” My sister had already hinted that picking me up at the airport had been one more burden in her busy life.

“I got it.” I eased out of the car and limped to the trunk to retrieve my travel backpack, still getting used to my new cane. My thigh throbbed where the doctors had dug out the shrapnel and stitched it back together with Frankenstein scars. My usual fast stride was an awkward hobble up the walkway. My luggage might have been “light,” considering it held everything I owned, but it still nudged the airline’s weight limit.

The front door opened, and I forced a smile. Jen disappeared inside, and Dad and I stood face-to-face.

Our smiles faltered. I dropped the backpack and stumbled into his arms. Tension drained out of my body. I blinked back tears and felt his frailty, the tremor in his hands. He smelled like Dad with a hint of a newer scent, something that only seemed to come from old men.

“Welcome home,” he whispered.

“It’s good to be home.” I needed to rest and heal, and where better to do that than in my parents’ house? In a few weeks—I promised myself weeks, not months, and definitely not years—I would be well enough to return to journalism. “How’s Mom?”

“Good. Well, you know. She’s settled in. She can’t wait to see you.”

I didn’t ask if she’d remember me. I hadn’t noticed signs of Alzheimer’s on my last visit, but that had been a year ago, and Jen assured me Mom had faded fast.

“Hey, a friend of yours runs the care home. She gave me a message for you. Said it was urgent.” He shuffled through the mail on the little table by the door.

I couldn’t think of any friends in Arizona. I hadn’t had any here since my childhood. My friends were scattered around the world, wherever news was happening. If she ran the nursing home, she might hope I’d write a story on the facility to promote it, or do some free PR work. Drat. Were people going to treat me like I had nothing better to do than give away my time?

Double drat. I did not, in fact, have anything better to do. And I wanted a nap.

Dad handed me an envelope. I leaned on the door and propped my cane against the table so I had two hands to tear open the envelope. The handwritten message inside was brief:

Kitty—Please come see me ASAP. I need your help.

—Heather Garcia

“She sounded . . .” Dad hesitated. “She asked about your journalism and begged me to bring you in as soon as possible.”

About Kris Bock

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers

Find Kris:

Website

Blog

GoodReads Author Page

BookBub

Amazon US Author page or Amazon UK page.

Purchase Links –

Amazon Kindle – Amazon Kindle UK

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 25 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 25 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 27 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

May 28 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

May 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 30 – Novels Alive – SPOTLIGHT

May 31 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 31 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

June 2 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 2 – Rebecca M Douglass, Author – REVIEW, GUEST POST

June 3 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 3 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 4 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

June 4 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 5 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

June 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

June 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 6 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

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Reviews

Review of The Girl Who Survived by Lisa Jackson

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Debbie

*Note: This book was an advanced reader’s copy from Net Galley. It will be published on June 28, 2022, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3NnjAlQ

*****5-stars

I chose this book because I’m a fan of the author’s, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Kara McIntyre suffered a horrible trauma on Christmas Eve when, at seven years old, she witnessed the massacre of her family. Although her step brother, Jonah, and step sister, Marlie, survived, Marlie disappeared that night and hasn’t been found in twenty years. Jonah was tried for the murders of his step siblings and found guilty. However, due to a technicality discovered twenty years later near Christmas, he was released from prison.

When other murders begin taking place of people involved with the McIntyre’s, the police believe Jonah is striking again. One detective isn’t too sure, and Kara, receiving odd text messages that may mean her sister is alive, wants to remember the truth of that terrible night to finally learn what really happened. Teaming up with the reporter whose father died saving her, Kara returns to the cabin where her family had spent that Christmas season.

I highly recommend this book to those who like dark fiction and enjoy thrillers with twists.

Cozy Mystery, New Releases

Sharing Good and Bad News Including a New Release

Posted on May 19, 2022May 19, 2022 by Debbie

As some of you might know, I lost my handsome 14-year old cat, Stripey, to cancer on Friday, May 13. He’d been sick for some time, losing weight rapidly and becoming very weak. We tried a prednisone shot which only helped briefly but got him through Mother’s Day, my birthday, and my husband’s birthday. We made the decision to send him to Rainbow Bridge because his quality of life was deteriorating. He could hardly walk, eat, or do any of the things he once enjoyed. It was so sad to see him that way. He is now with his friend, Oliver, the Siamese I lost four years ago. Even though I still have two cats, there’s someone missing in my house. The three “mouseketeers” are down to two. It hurts, but I know it was our only choice.

They say when it rains, it pours. After putting Stripey to sleep, my daughter and I tested positive for COVID. We had ignored some earlier symptoms thinking they were allergy-related and having other things on our minds. But once we starting running fevers, we took tests to check. They were positive. My husband tested positive the next day, so the whole family had caught it. We are on the mend but still have symptoms and are quarantining.

But when it pours, a rainbow sometimes appears afterwards. I’m happy to announce that the first book of my new cozy series, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, has been published by Next Chapter. This book will be available in several formats including paperback, hardcover, large print, eBook, eventually audio, and it may also be translated. It will be distributed on several platforms including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Kobo, Scribd, Overdrive, and many others. For now, I have the universal link to the Amazon purchase page. When I receive the universal link to all the places that sell it, I will update this post. If you have a favorite online booksite, just check and see if it’s available there yet.

Purchase Link: mybook.to/cclady

Without sharing any spoilers, I’d like to introduce a few of the characters in the book.

Hi, I’m Cathy Carter, and the main character of The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady. I live in Buttercup Bend which is a lovely small town in the Catskills. I live with my grandmother, Florence and Siamese cat, Oliver. I co-own a pet cemetery and rescue center with my brother, Doug, who lives next door with his pregnant wife, Becky. Doug and I are orphans. We lost our parents five years ago in a car accident. I was injured in the accident and have a scar on my cheek. It wasn’t the only scar I received. I became very shy and withdrawn and found it easier to be around animals. Opening the pet business helped me, as did my friend, Nancy and my work as a photographer for the Buttercup Bugle, the town newspaper. You’ll learn more about me in the book. I hope you enjoy it.

Here are a few of the other characters you’ll meet in The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady:

Florence Wilson, my grandmother, a self-reliant widow who meets a strange yet charismatic man named Howard Hunt at a church square dance. She enjoys needlework and gardening.

Douglas Carter, my brother, who works at the Buttercup Bend Post Office and is married to Becky and has two dogs, Max and Millie.

Maggie Broom, the murder victim, who was known in the town as “The Cat Crazy Lady.” She enjoyed playing BINGO but kept to herself and the dozens of indoor and outdoor cats that she cared for. Relatively new in town, she arrived two years ago and had not made many friends before she was found murdered.

Nancy Meyers, my best friend, who convinces me to join her in investigating Maggie Broom’s murder. Nancy is outgoing and likes to flirt. She has her eye on the town’s vet and the deputy sheriff, while I’m interested in my gardener.

Brody Broom, Maggie’s brother, who is the prime suspect in the murder. After the will is read, he and his sister aren’t happy with what they are left. Brody has been in trouble with the law since he was 15, Sheriff Miller believes he is guilty of his sister’s murder, but I learn some things about him that make me believe in his innocence.

Keep an eye out for more updates on the book and its upcoming blog tour with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in June.

Cozy Mystery, Guest Post

Guest Post, Recipe, and Blog Tour for Cover Art

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Debbie

Why is Death by Chocolate a Favourite Fantasy?

Vanessa Westermann

In my family, we have a number of self-confessed chocoholics. There’s something about the complex, roasted flavours, the melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s addictive.

Studies have shown that chocolate can induce euphoria and have a calming effect. In fact, European pharmacies in the past used to dispense chocolate as a medicinal drug. Chocolate really can make you feel better (unless you eat an entire bag of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses in one road trip).

But, if chocolate can be medicinal, can it also be toxic? Both sweet and bitter, delicious and deadly?

Death by chocolate may be a favourite fantasy, but death by poisoned chocolate is another matter entirely.

In Cover Art, Charley Scott is thrilled to be running a summer pop-up art gallery in cottage country. But, beneath the surface of this peaceful lakeside village, darkness lurks. Local chocolatier, Matt Thorn, is struggling with his father’s death and his legacy of deception. As Matt plans to expose his father’s secrets, a man is found dead, the result of eating Matt’s chocolates. Charley will have to see past the obvious, to find the killer.

The idea of writing a mystery, involving death by chocolate, was sparked years ago. My mom took part in a workshop run by a local chocolatier about how to make truffles and Belgian pralines. She came home with recipes covered in hand-written notes, samples, a chocolate-stained apron and a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into a chocolatier’s workshop. We tried out the recipes in our own kitchen, chopping blocks of chocolate and tempering it to a glossy sheen.

I still savour that moment. And isn’t that an interesting turn of the phrase?

Taste, emotion and memory are intertwined. A familiar flavour can recall a positive, or negative, experience and take you right back to that time and place. That’s why writers use sensory descriptions — taste, touch, scent and sound — to bring their settings to life.

In Cover Art, Matt’s workroom is at the back of his shop, called Chocoholic’s. You’ll see copper pots suspended from the track lighting. A twenty-pound crate of oranges, ready to be hand sliced and candied, shoved to one side. You’ll feel the air, chilled to a brisk eighteen degrees Celsius, kept constant by the PVC strip curtains hanging over the door. You might hear the crackle of tempered chocolate shrinking and releasing in the molds as it cools or the riff-heavy leads and gravelly vocals of vintage BTO, blasting through the overhead speakers. You’ll breathe in the scent of single origin Guittard chocolate — a spicy, heady aroma of tobacco, plums, and black cherries.

To be able to add those sensory details to my story, I read cookbooks, like David Lebovitz’s The Great Book of Chocolate: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide and Gale Gand’s Chocolate and Vanilla. I browsed confectioners’ websites and visited artisan chocolate shops.

Before writing Cover Art, I would have said that my favourite chocolate was dark. The darker, the better. I did not like white chocolate, at all. Then I visited Warkworth, Ontario’s Centre & Maine Chocolate Company and tried their Gin & Tonic bar. White chocolate and lime zest, laced with juniper essential oil, and coriander. It’s incredible. I infused this flavour into Cover Art — it’s the first chocolate Charley samples in Matt’s store. If you want to try the Gin & Tonic for yourself, you can order it online from Centre & Maine (https://centreandmainchocolate.com/ ).

Besides reading cookbooks and eating chocolate, I also tried my hand at some practical research. Below is my recipe for chocolate espresso truffles, combining both dark chocolate and white chocolate, along with that shot of caffeine that fuels my writing process.

Chocolate Espresso Truffles

Makes c. 70 truffles

Ingredients:
300 g. white chocolate
300 g. bittersweet couverture or good quality bittersweet chocolate (70%)
1 tbsp espresso powder (or to taste)
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Using a serrated knife, cut the white chocolate and bittersweet couverture into pieces, as small as possible (no larger than 1 ½ cm chunks). Place the chocolate and couverture pieces in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a saucepan of simmering water and gently melt the chocolate, stirring with a spatula. Once melted, stir in the espresso powder.
Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Pour the melted chocolate-couverture mixture into the loaf form and let cool at room temperature for 5-6 hours.
Carefully remove the now firm chocolate from the loaf pan, by holding the edges of the baking paper. Remove the baking paper from the chocolate. Using a large, sharp kitchen knife cut the chocolate into rows, 2 cm thick. Then cut those rows into 2cm squares.
Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl. Use a fork to dip the chocolate squares into the cocoa powder, coating them evenly. Then place the enrobed chocolate squares into a strainer to shake off the excess cocoa.
The chocolate truffles can be filled into plastic bags or stored in a tin—perhaps an empty coffee tin, for a fun twist.

These chocolate truffles will keep for 2-4 weeks in the fridge. If you can resist them!

Whip up a batch, grab a copy of Cover Art and indulge in murder and chocolate

Cover Art (A Charley Scott Mystery)
by Vanessa Westermann

About Cover Art

Cover Art (A Charley Scott Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada
Cormorant Books (May 17, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 440 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1770866426
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1770866423

Charley Scott is thrilled to be running a summer pop-up gallery in cottage country. Returning to the lakeside village, not on vacation but as an artist, she’s determined to turn her hobby into a career.

But, beneath the surface of this peaceful town, darkness lurks. There’s a history.

Local chocolatier, Matt Thorn, is struggling with his father’s death and his legacy of deception. As Matt plans to expose his father’s secrets, a local is found dead, the result of eating Matt’s chocolates.

Luckily, art is all about perspective and Charley’s always had a keen eye. Can she see past the obvious and find the killer?

About Vanessa Westermann

An avid reader of mysteries, Vanessa Westermann is a former Arthur Ellis Awards judge, holds an M.A. in English Literature, as well as a Bachelor of Education, and has taught creative writing. Her debut mystery, An Excuse for Murder, was published in 2019. At the heart of all of Westermann’s stories are strong female protagonists inspired by the heroines in her own life. She currently lives in Ontario.

Social media links:

Blog: https://www.vanessa-westermann.info/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanessasPicks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaWestermannAuthor

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18861715.Vanessa_Westermann

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/vanessa-westermann

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Indigo

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 13 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 13 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

May 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 17 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

May 18 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

May 19 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 23 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GUEST POST

May 25 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

May 25 – Drink Coffee and Read Books – REVIEW

May 26 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

May 26 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

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Reviews

Review: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Debbie

*****5-stars

*Note: This book was an advanced reader’s copy from Net Galley. It will be published in August, 2022, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3lg4536

I was reading this book as I quarantined from COVID, and I finished it in two days. I definitely intend to read more books by this author. I was caught up in this story about a woman, Liv, who lost her short-term memories every time she fell asleep. This rare type of amnesia was thought to have been caused by a trauma she witnessed two years ago while working at a magazine called Cultura in New York City and dating a man named Marco.

The book is told in alternating chapters from the present time to two years ago, and there are also chapters that go back two days and a day. The current time takes place in twenty-four hours and begins with Liv awakening in a cab which she doesn’t remember boarding and being dropped off at a Brooklyn apartment that she shares with her friend, Amy. When she tries to enter, she realizes her purse is missing and, when she knocks, other occupants of the apartment answer and tell her that this is their place. Also missing her cell phone, Liv borrows a phone to call Amy and then Marco. Neither one answers her.

Not knowing what to do, she leaves the apartment and then realizes that she’s carrying a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. Dumping it in a trash bin, she notices some writing on her hand with the name of a local bar and the words, “Stay Awake.” At the bar, she is greeted by the bartender who seems to know her, even though she doesn’t recognize him. A news channel is showing a breaking report about a murder of an unidentified man who was stabbed in an apartment rental. A clue left at the scene were the words “Wake Up” written in the victim’s blood on the window.

As the book flashes back and forth in time, readers learn that Liv is suspected of the murder that she can’t remember. Her previous trauma is also described as well as the people from her past, one of whom might be framing her for the murder.

I highly recommend this excellent thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was stumped as to the identity of the killer until a few pages before it was revealed.

Cozy Mystery, Spotlight

Spotlight, Blog Tour, and Giveaway for Margaritas, Mayhem, and Murder: An Andi Anna Jones Mystery by Mary Cunningham

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Debbie

Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder (An Andi Anna Jones Mystery)
by Mary Cunningham

About Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder

Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder (An Andi Anna Jones Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Florida/Cancun/Las Vegas
Wild Rose Press (April 27, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509241086
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509241088
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09QXR7WKX

Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent and amateur sleuth, puts aside her resentment of her father’s widow and books a sixtieth birthday cruise to Cancun for Ruby and three friends. Never does Andi imagine the cruise will include the murder of a has-been lounge singer—or that Ruby might be the main suspect.

Flirting with more than danger after arriving in Mexico, Andi connects with charming local sheriff, Manual Gonzales. An embarrassing night involving the sheriff, too many margaritas, and a Mariachi band, can’t quell her determination to clear the name of her ex-stepmother.

While gathering clues and interviewing witnesses, however, she suspects dear old step-mom isn’t the only one in jeopardy.

About Mary Cunningham

Author, Mary Cunningham, grew up on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana. Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired her imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn.”

Through the author’s horrifying stint as a travel agent, Andi Anna Jones sprang to life. The adult/mystery series gives extra meaning to the phrase, “Write what you know.” Cunningham has several books published, including Cynthia’s Attic, a five-book middle-grade fantasy, women’s lifestyle/humor book, WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty, Ebooks, Christmas With Daisy and Ghost Light. A biography of an army brat, turned UConn and WNBA basketball player, will be published in the spring of 2022.

She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Sisters In Crime-Atlanta Chapter, International Thriller Writers, Inc., and the Carrollton Writers Guild.

When she gives her fingers a break from the keyboard, Mary enjoys golf, swimming, and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where she makes her home with her husband and adopted, four-legged, furry daughter, Lucy.

Author Links

Website: http://www.marycunninghambooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycunninghambooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaryCunningham
Amazon Author Page: com: Mary Cunningham: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/367223.Mary_Cunningham
GoodReads Link – Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder by Mary Cunningham | Goodreads

Purchase Link – Amazon – B&N –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 5 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

May 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

May 9 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 10 – The Mystery Section – GUEST POST

May 10 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Reviews

Review of A Rip Through Time by Kelly Armstrong

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Debbie

****4-stars

*Note: This book was an advanced reader’s copy from Net Galley. It will be published in late May, 2022, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3sy1HJ2

The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because the ending was a letdown for me. I’m thinking it makes room for a sequel or series. Otherwise, A Rip Through Time was a great read. If you like time-travel books like I do, you’ll enjoy it.

Mallory is a current-day detective who is transported into the body of Catriona, a young, Victorian maid in the household of a mortician and his sister after being nearly strangled by a stranger in an English alleyway. As Mallory tries to fit into the era and dynamics of the place in which she finds herself, she becomes attracted to Dr. Gray and, under the guise of losing her memory from her near-death experience, she pretends to be Catriona. She demonstrates her interest in mortuary science and detecting work, so when a body turns up that’s been tarred and feathered, she assists Dr. Gray in his examination of it.

Despite the circumstances that she finds comfortable, Mallory seeks a way to return to her own time. On her day off, she goes to the spot where she encountered her strangler, but she’s unsuccessful in finding a way back. Believing that if she finds her attacker, who she feels has followed her back into this time, she might be able to fix the rip in time, she sets out to solve the murders that have been taking place in town including ones that mimic those of Jack the Ripper that are occurring decades later.

Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Bear Witness, an Alaska Untamed Mystery by Lark O. Jensen

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Debbie

Guest Blog Post, by Linda O. Johnston, who wrote Bear Witness, the first Alaska Untamed Mystery, under the pseudonym Lark O. Jensen:

Whodunnits and Wildlife

What do writers who love animals, and also love to read and write cozy mysteries, do for fun?

Well, at least some of them, like me, write cozy mysteries that contain animals! Are you surprised? 😊

That has been the case with all the various cozy mystery series I’ve written, from the Kendra Ballantyne Mysteries to the Pet Rescue Mysteries, the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries, and even the Superstition Mysteries. They all contain dogs, my favorite animals.

And now? More animals, including wildlife! My new book BEAR WITNESS is an Alaska Untamed mystery, the first in a series. Does it contain a dog? Of course! It’s Sasha, a husky, whose name means “defender,” and in addition to being a wonderful companion, that’s what Sasha does: defend people.

Sasha belongs to Stacie Calder, the series protagonist. Stacie is a naturalist, by education and vocation, and because of her love of animals. Right now, she lives in Alaska and provides tours during the warmest seasons on a tour boat owned by a family with an entire fleet of tour boats. Yes, she points out animals, some wonderful wildlife, while Sasha comes along with her

Stacie loves to show tourists the seal mamas and babies on ice floes in the waterways where they travel, as well as birds in the sky and wolves and bears along the shore. She likes the people she works with, too, including the captain and assistant captain of her boat and the staff in addition to herself, as well as most of the tourists she helps to watch all those wonderful animals.

You note I said most of the tourists. Some who take sightseeing trips with them aren’t particularly nice, especially a few who are snooping and trying to learn all they can about running that kind of tour boat, since they want to buy their own and go into competition. They even talk about it, to each other, and to those who work on the tour boat.

Not exactly a good way to make friends onboard, at least not with those who are in charge.

And one of those passengers who says he wants to become a competitor winds up dead. He disappears one day, and his body is found in the water when they take the same journey the next day. Who finds him? Sasha, with her wonderful sense of scent, discovers him off the side of the boat, along the shore.

It turns out he was murdered.

As I said, Stacie is a naturalist and doesn’t consider herself any kind of detective. But when one of her favorite people, the captain of her tour boat, winds up being considered the main suspect, she has to try to find the answer. There are other suspects too. Stacie herself even argued with the murder victim, so to some extent she has to investigate to protect herself.

She’s not the only one investigating, of course. Among other authorities, Officer Liam Amaruq of a new wing of the Alaska State Troopers winds up officially looking into it. Stacie likes Liam. They even start developing a bit of a relationship, although he doesn’t really want her snooping.

Yes, it’s a cozy mystery.

I got the idea of this kind of mystery series while I was on an Alaskan cruise a few years ago. No, my dogs weren’t with me, but I took one of those boat tours in the Juneau area and was highly impressed with the wonderful wildlife pointed out by the tour guides on that boat. Seals and whales and porpoises in the water, various birds in the air, and bears and wolves on the shoreline landscape.

My animal-lover writer mind got into business and started brainstorming about how I could use what I saw in a story, even a series.

The Alaska Untamed Mysteries are the result!

By the way, I also write Harlequin Romantic Suspense novels, and most of them also contain—what else?—dogs.

Bear Witness (An Alaska Untamed Mystery)
by Lark O. Jensen

About Bear Witness

Bear Witness (An Alaska Untamed Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Alaska
Crooked Lane Books (May 10, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1643858963
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1643858968
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CD3RWVD

Alaska tour boat guide Stacie Calder faces the deep freeze in this scenic cozy series debut perfect for fans of Paige Shelton.

No nine-to-five cubicle career will suit Stacie Calder—the naturalist much prefers working in the great outdoors. Specifically, the spacious and spectacular Alaskan wilderness, whose rugged charms she shares with sightseers on the top deck of the tour boat where she works. But one May afternoon, Stacie’s passengers see more than glittering glaciers, frolicking harbor seals, climbing bears and soaring seabirds…they also witness a man lying dead in the frigid Alaskan waters. And it seems likely that someone gave him a fatal push.

Stacie didn’t know the unfortunate victim, but he sure wanted to know a lot about her. He spent most of his final afternoon bombarding her with questions quite awkward to answer. And when he wasn’t in her hair, he was arguing incessantly with the boat’s beleaguered crew. Which makes for a suspect list about as long as the passenger manifest. Furthermore, as police helicopters relentlessly circle her boat in search of any clues, Stacie is shaken to find herself on that suspect list.

Before the tour boat reaches shore Stacie—accompanied by her beautiful blue-eyed husky, Sasha—must deduce just who sent the testy tourist tumbling into the turgid waters and have the authorities take custody. Because if she can’t, then the killer might aim a fatal ice-cold stare at Stacie.

About Lark O. Jensen

Lark O. Jensen is the pseudonym of Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer. Lark has written Bear Witness, the first Alaska Untamed mystery for Crooked Lane. Linda has written the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series and the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink and the Pet Rescue Mysteries and Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and her stories often involve dogs.

Author Links

Website: www.LindaOJohnston.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston/

Purchase Links

Amazon Barnes & Noble

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