June 2023 – Ruff Drafts

Blog Tour and Excerpt for Bomb Blast, A Thriller by Solange Ritchie

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Debbie

Bomb Blast: A Thriller
by Solange Ritchie

About Bomb Blast

Bomb Blast: A Thriller
Thriller
4th in Series
Middle River Press (February 24, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1946886432
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1946886439
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BWZH8M65

In the fourth novel in the Dr. Catherine (Cat) Powers series, top FBI forensic pathologist and special agent Dr. Cat Powers is called as two Syrian-born bombers wreak havoc on “soft targets” in the United States.

Starting with the New York Stock Exchange, these bombers are intent on causing as much murder and mayhem as they can. As their bombing spree takes them cross-country, Cat is appointed the eyes and ears of the president of the United States. Teamed with Special Ops and bombing expert Sam Patterson, Cat must figure out who these bombers are, what their motives are, who is funding them, and ultimately, if they can be caught. As the bombings become more violent and deadly, Cat and Sam are in a race against time to catch these savage killers before they kill again.

Will they succeed or will the bombers avoid detection and escape?

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER EIGHT:

March 14. 3:40 a.m.

Chicago Fire rolled up to the inferno, sirens blaring. The air was

filled with black smoke mixed with the toxic smell of melting and

burning fibers, carpet, fabric, furniture, plastics, and even people.

The smell was of acrid chemicals—all being burned together.

A battalion chief was barking orders over the roar of the fire and sirens,

“I need Hook & Ladder Company 5. Right now. As high as we can go.”

The firemen got to work connecting lines to hydrants trying to

douse the flames that they can reach with high-pressure water hoses.

From the looks of it, any sprinkler system inside the Water Tower either

wasn’t working properly or wasn’t working at all. Firemen were

shouting at one another to get water on the flames.

Fast.

But fast was not fast enough.

Cat could smell the caustic fire from a half block away. Within a

minute, Cat was on the scene with Sam. She was facing north towards

the lake, looking straight at the leading edge of the biggest, blackest,

most ravenous fire she had ever seen.

My God, how did it get so big so fast?

She felt goose bumps rise on her skin.

I’m not ready for this.

She felt overwhelmed by the initial sight of it.

The sheer scope and fury of it.

Ahead of her, the line of fire was huge, rolling through everything

it touched, like a hungry animal feeding on hapless prey. Consuming

all in its path. Feeding with each second. Growing with each second.

And up, up, up, until Cat had to bend her neck to see the top of it. This

close, she couldn’t only see the fire, she could feel its heat on her skin.

She had seen dramatic fires before but never one like this. Nothing as

overwhelming in its strength and fury as this sight. The whole front

line of the flames burning hot as it marched ever upward.

Ashes flittered through a strong breeze coming in from the north

in front of Cat’s eyes. Cat could feel the storm winds’ intensity growing

each minute. It was at her back coming off Michigan Avenue just

where it meets the beginning of the Magnificent Mile.

Cat could hear the fire’s roar grow as she got closer. The only word

to describe the sound was thunderous—like a low rumbling, roaring

sound all around her that seemed to grow louder with each second.

Then the sound turned into more of a howling, as the wind picked up

a clip off Lake Michigan feeding the fire with oxygen. All around her,

small pieces of things that were on fire swirled in the air. The trees that

lined Michigan Avenue bowed and leaned in the approaching storm.

Beyond the shores of Lake Michigan, a black oily layer of clouds, Cat

watched a funnel cloud form, dip, and rise back up into the sky like a

gossamer ghost. If she hadn’t witnessed it for herself, she would hardly

have believed it was there at all.

But as dramatic and ominous as the storm was, as Cat turned her

attention back to the fire, the scene above Michigan Avenue was far

more frightening. People in the apartments across the street and down

from the Water Tower were glued to the sight of the fire in their own

apartments. Cat could make them out—standing next to floor-toceiling

windows, their faces frozen in fear. Some were shouting. Some

seemed to be praying.

Cat knew they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, hearing, and

smelling.

It’s like a horror movie that won’t stop.

She gazed up. Before her, the scene was utter chaos. The top floors

of the Water Tower were almost fully engulfed by flames. The flames

seemed to have a mind of their own. She watched as they licked the

outside of the building and curled upward from floor to floor. The

fire blew out windows and then retreated into the interior shell of the

structure. This fire was ferocious. That much was clear.

Looking up through the smoke directly into the heart of the fire,

Cat knew that oxygen, furniture, people’s bodies, as well as a strong

northward wind off the lake were feeding it. The sound was terrifying.

Deafening. Like a train that wouldn’t stop. She watched the fire whirl,

twist, and grow—consuming objects in its path—consuming people.

Good God.

Sam had a look on his face that told Cat he was thinking the same

thing. With all the conflict and war and chaos he has seen in his life,

she was sure, he has never seen anything like this. Sam was silent, taking

it all in. Cat knew what he was thinking because she was thinking

it too.

How many people would die tonight?

About Solange Ritchie

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, http://www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website: https://www.authorsolange.com/

Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486

Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

June 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

June 24 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 25 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

June 26 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 27 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

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retirement

Six Month Retirement News: Farms, Gardens, Concerts, and Travel

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Debbie

It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since I retired from the library, but I’m still doing substitute work there and am also attending virtual and in-person events as a patron.

June was a very busy month. It started off with lots of fun events. On June 1st, my friend and I visited the Long Island Yarn and Farm, where I got some great ideas to add to my next Buttercup Bend cozy mystery, The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian.

On June 3rd, I attended a reenactment featuring Theodore Roosevelt and performances by horseback riders at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.

On June 4, my daughter and I visited three North Shore private gardens as part of Old Westbury Garden‘s Garden Days. The first featured a lovely Japanese garden; the second had a beautiful stream; and the last overlooked Long Island Sound.

As far as my writing in June, my poem, “The Jungle” was published in the 2023 Nassau County Voices in Verse anthology, and my publisher sent me the cover for my third Buttercup Bend mystery, The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian.

On June 17, I attended the Hicksville library’s summer reading opening program outside in the library’s courtyard that featured the Penny Lane Band playing Beatles tunes. There were free snacks, gelato, and Italian ices. Inside, I viewed the new furniture that was added to the main floor.

From June 19-21, my daughter and I went down to the Carolinas to a design studio to select the colors, appliances, and other details for the house that we’re building in South Carolina. We stayed at the Drury Inn in Charlotte where we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast and dinner buffets as well as popcorn snacks throughout the day. We also stopped by the lot for our house and saw a deer across the street.

When we came back, we attended the Midsummer Nights at Old Westbury Gardens that featured a jazz concert and refreshments. Rain had been forecasted, so they moved the concert indoors, but the gardens were lovely with lanterns strung across them and all the summer flowers in bloom. Thus, June ended as great as it began. My next update will be in the fall. Have a great summer!

Blog Tour, Interview

Author Interview and Blog Tour for Murder at the Pontchartrain by Kathleen Kaska

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Debbie

Murder at the Pontchartrain
by Kathleen Kaska

About Murder at the Pontchartrain

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941237940
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941237946

“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.

My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.

I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not.

So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Welcome to Ruff Drafts, Kathleen. Please tell us where hail from?

I live in Anacortes, Washington, a small town on the coast. I have the mountains and bays outside my window. But since I’m a Texas gal, I spend much of time in my home state. My family, the Gulf Coast, and TexMex Tacos keep pulling me home.

Nice. How long have you been published? What titles and/or series have you published and with which publisher? Have you self-published any titles?

My first book was released in 1996. It was the first of three mystery trivia books, each published by a different publisher.

The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book: Citadel Press

The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book: Renaissance Books

The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book: Globe Pequot reissued the updated Holmes book in 2020.

My next series was the Kate Caraway Animal Rights Mysteries, published by The Wild Rose Press. There are three books in that series: Run Dog Run, A Two Horse Town, and Eagle Crossing, which recently won first place in the Murder and Mayhem category of the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Each book in this series features an animal-right issue.

My Sydney Lockhart mysteries are published by Anamcara Press. These are lighthearted, humorous, and set in the early 1950s at different historic hotels.

Murder at the Arlington (The Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas)

Murder at the Luther (The Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas)

Murder at the Galvez (The Galvez Hotel in Galveston, Texas)

Murder at the Driskill (The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas)

Murder at the Menger (The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas)

Murder at the Pontchartrain (The Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans)

The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story is a biography published by the University Press of Florida.

Earlier this year, I wrote a children’s book with my grandniece, who is six years old. I wanted us to work on a special project together. She told me the story and drew the pictures. Then, I added the final touches. The title is Rapunzel and the Sea Monster. This book is self-published, available on Amazon, and she gets the royalties.

Wow! You are very prolific. I love that you helped your young niece write a book. I’d wanted to do that with my daughter when she was young. I wish I had. Kids have such imaginations.

Tell us a little bit about your books.

My Kate Caraway series, Run Dog Run, is set near Austin, Texas, and involves greyhound racing. A Two Horse Town deals with saving wild mustangs in Montana, and Eagle Crossing features a wildlife rehab facility for injured birds located on Lopez Island, Washington. Eagle Crossing was released in October 2022 and won first place in the Mystery and Mayhem category of the Chanticleer International Book Awards contest. The idea for this series came to me when I was a volunteer for Wildlife Rescue in Austin, Texas. Our purpose was to rescue orphaned and injured wildlife and, if possible, return them to the wild.

The Sydney Lockhart books came about from my love of traveling. My husband and I search for historic hotels in which to stay. On one trip to the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, our room was not ready, and we had to wait about two hours. My imagination kicked in, and I envisioned a dead body in the bathroom of our room. Then Sydney showed up and told me the story. That was when I discovered I could write humor.

So interesting. Describe your goals as a writer. What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? What are you planning to do to reach these goals?

I will continue to write my two series, but I like trying new things. I just finished a quirky British detective mystery set in a small village on the Cornish Coast and a gritty hardboiled mystery set in the 1940s in Manhattan. Those will be ready to submit by the end of the year.

I also have two mystery series: The Cobble Cove and Buttercup Bend mysteries. I hope to continue both of them, as well and also write other standalones. Like you, I enjoy trying new genres.

What type of reader are you hoping to attract? Who do you believe would be most interested in reading your books?

Readers who like humorous cozy mysteries will enjoy the Sydney Lockhart series. They have been compared to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Evanovich was a significance influence on me to start writing humor. The series is considered historic because it is set in the fifties. It also appeals to young women because my main character, Sydney Lockhart, is a feisty, sassy young woman who’s trying to make it in a man’s world. There weren’t many female private detectives during that decade, and Sydney is ahead of her time. I also have a lot of male readers who enjoy this series. One fellow who lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the setting of Murder at the Arlington, told me he read the entire book in the lobby of the Arlington Hotel.

I love that story.

What advice would you give other authors or those still trying to get published?

Do not give up. And in the meantime, keep honing your writing skills. If you’re having trouble finishing a WIP, join a critique group. Receiving help and advice from other writers keeps you on task. Writing is a lonely business; reaching out to other writers keeps your mind fresh and your imagination active.

Great advice.

What particular challenges and struggles did you face before first becoming published?

Before I gained the courage to write fiction, I tried my hand at different things: travel writing, writing stage plays, short stories, and even science writing for textbooks. When I started writing books, I went the agent route and found one quickly, so that part was easy. But challenges and struggles come with being a writer. It’s like riding a roller coaster that never stops.

I hear you. I’m still trying to land an agent. I began by writing for my college newspaper and then writing articles for pet magazines, but I was also writing full-length mysteries and short stories that I hadn’t published. I still have those manuscripts, some handwritten. I now have 16 published books by two Indie publishers, and the 17th is coming soon.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?

I belong to the Skagit Valley Writer’s League, the Houston Writer’s League, Whatcom Writers and Publishers. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Authors Guild.

I belong to Sisters in Crime and am thinking of joining MWA and the Authors Guild.

What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?

Birding, running, and watching baseball. I have many friends who enjoy birding; and getting together with them is a blast, especially when we spot a rare bird. Running is a great way to let my mind wander to generate new ideas. My husband and I also love taking roads. Getting outdoors and seeing something new helps clear my mind and get my priorities straight. And during baseball season, watching a game is a great way to unwind. I won’t reveal my favorite team; you might hate me.

Lol. I’m not into baseball. I enjoy walking and am looking forward to moving to a more rural area next year where I can be closer to nature. Maybe I’ll take up birding, too.

What do you like most and least about being an author? What is your toughest challenge?

Creating something out of nothing is what I love. It never gets old, and I never take it for granted. When the ideas start rolling, I get them down immediately. The toughest challenge is having so many ideas pop into my head that I don’t have time to develop all of them.

I feel exactly the same. It’s a challenge. So many ideas, so little time to write them all.

What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?

I like writing what I like reading. Cozies help me unwind and relax when the world seems too insane and the news is troublesome.

I agree.

Can you share a short excerpt from your latest title or upcoming release?

Murder at the Pontchartrain is the sixth mystery in the Sydney series. It will be released by Anamcara Press on June 28. It is set at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans. This city has so much to offer, and I couldn’t help but use some of its culture and charm in the plot. I bring in the practice of voodoo, the festivities of Bourbon Street, and the eeriness of the swamps located nearby.

This excerpt features Sydney and her bubble-headed blonde cousin, Ruth, discussing the hotel. Sydney is trying to focus on the case she’s investigating, and Ruth is more interested in the goings-on involving the Pontchartrain.

“Hey, look at this.” Ruth held up the hotel’s brochure, kicked off her heels and crawled into my bed. “It says Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire while staying here.”

“Yeah, I heard that.”

“I wonder which room he stayed in.”

“The concierge could probably tell you.”

“Why would any playwright name a streetcar Desire as part of the title?”

“Go see the play.”

“He could have named it, Streetcar Named New Orleans or Streetcar Named Louisiana.”

“Ruth! He named it Desire after the street in New Orleans named Desire.”

“Why would anyone name a street Desire? What’s wrong with Oak Street or Elm Street, or Main Street?”

“I can’t answer that, Ruth. But you have to admit that the title A Streetcar Named Main, doesn’t have the same ring to it. It’s flat. Something named Desire has a sultry, maybe passionate or erotic feel.”

“Hmmm, now that I think about it, why would anyone name a child Tennessee?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he was born in Tennessee.”

“Thank goodness, he wasn’t born in Massachusetts.”

That’s great. Thanks for sharing.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or your books?

I also write the humorous blog, “Growing Up Catholic in a Small Texas Town,” because sometimes, when you find yourself taking life too seriously, you just have to laugh.

That’s the truth.

Please list your social media links, website, blog, etc.

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska

https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B001K88UMQ

https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kaska-942aa511/

https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Kathleen+Kaska

Thanks so much for the interview, and best wishes on your new release and blog tour.

About Kathleen Kaska

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6^th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

Author Links

Website http://www.kathleenkaska.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

Instgram https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/www.kathleenkaska.com

Purchase Links – Anamcara Press – Amazon

Tour Participants

June 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

June 15 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 20 – Indie Author Book Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 21 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 24 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 27 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

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Blog Tour, Spotlight

Spotlight and Blog Tour for Murder to My Ears, an Octavia Fields Mystery by Rebecca McKinnon

Posted on June 25, 2023 by Debbie

Murder To My Ears (An Octavia Fields Mysteries)
by Rebecca McKinnon

About Murder to My Ears

Murder To My Ears (An Octavia Fields Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (June 30, 2023)
Print Length 260 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C7LT56BD

Octavia Fields should know better than to judge things by their appearance. After all, most people don’t expect a nomadic hippie to be a classical violist—let alone one who runs a seasonal music shop at Aerie Pines, the summer home of the Aerie Peaks Symphony.

But when her business season starts off on the wrong note, it’s obviously the persnickety concertmaster’s fault. If he hadn’t turned up dead—leaving Octavia to find his body— she wouldn’t have to deal with the handsome detective who isn’t sure what to think of her impressive arrest record.

With symphony members cornering Octavia to pass on “evidence” by way of sotto-voce rumors, it shouldn’t surprise her to learn the helpful musicians aren’t the only ones who believe Octavia’s helping with the investigation. When a threatening letter arrives, it’s clear the killer thinks she’s playing harmony to the detective, too.

When the detective doesn’t appear to be making progress on the case, Octavia decides it’s up to her to solve the mystery—before the killer hears their cue to silence her!

About Rebecca McKinnon

Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Website/Social Media Links:

Website – https://rebeccamckinnon.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaMcKinnonAuthor

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamckinnon_author/?hl=en

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4993788.Rebecca_McKinnon

Purchase Link – Amazon –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 21 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 22 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 22 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

June 24 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Jane Reads – REVIEW

June 26 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 29 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 30 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

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Reviews

Review of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

Posted on June 24, 2023June 24, 2023 by Debbie

****4 stars

The main character of this novel, Emily, the author of a cozy mystery series, is in trouble. She’s been sick for months with a mysterious illness. Her husband has cheated on her, and they are in the midst of a divorce. Her best friend, Chess, a popular non-fiction self-help author, wants to help her. She suggests a summer away at a villa in Italy. Emily wants to go but becomes hesitant after learning that the villa was the scene of a murder that took place in the 1970’s of a musician who stayed there with his girlfriend and some friends. Despite Emily’s concerns, she takes the trip.

At the villa, Emily researches the murder. She becomes so wrapped up in it that she starts to write another book based on her findings and puts aside the cozy mystery she’s late in submitting to her publisher. When Chess learns what Emily is working on, she offers to co-write the book. Emily doesn’t want her to do that.

As Emily makes further discoveries into that old murder and sees similarities between her and Mari Godwin, the woman whose boyfriend was killed and who wrote a bestselling book after the murder, she believes the book Mari wrote holds a clue to what really happened that summer night at the villa.

Further revelations serve as plot twists to the novel which features flashbacks to the time of the murder. I felt the main plot of this gothic-like tale focused more on the friendship between Emily and Chess and how staying at the villa changes them. Without revealing the ending and the twists, the story kept me intrigued but seemed to lack the punch I expected. I’d still recommend it as a read for those who enjoy books that include flashbacks and eerie settings. I also found the descriptions of the authors and their writing process interesting because I write both cozy mysteries and other genres.

Blog Tour, Guest Post

Blog Tour and Guest Post for Passport to Spy, A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman

Posted on June 17, 2023 by Debbie

Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery
by Nancy Cole Silverman

About Passport to Spy

Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Historical Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Germany
Level Best Books (June 6, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 268 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BXCGY2Y5

After losing her job as an investigative reporter for The Phoenix Gazette, Kat Lawson has a new gig. The FBI has asked her to work undercover as a reporter for Travel International to cover Munich, Germany’s festive holiday scene—an excuse to get close to Hans von Hausmann, a very charismatic and popular museum curator suspected of hiding a cache of stolen masterpieces believed to be part of the World’s Largest Art Heist. The job comes with lots of perks: airfare, travel expenses, the opportunity to see the world…and for a seasoned reporter like Kat, nothing she can’t handle. But, when a trusted source is found dead, Kat realizes the tables have been turned. Armed with evidence that will expose a cache of artwork stolen from museums and the homes of wealthy Jews during the 2nd World War, Kat must find a way to avoid being caught by the German Polizie, who have enough evidence to charge her with murder, and those who want her dead to keep their hidden treasures forever secret. The hunter has become the hunted; now, Kat has a target on her back.

GUEST POST

The Story Behind the Story

As a young woman, I lived in a small medieval Bavarian town near Munich, Germany. I was an Air Force wife in the early 70s, a little more than twenty-five years after the war had ended. Most of the Germans I met were maybe just a few years younger than me, and those older, anxious to look forward and not back at a time that had reflected the worst of their country. At the time, I remember being asked by my then-husband’s commanding officer if I might join a group of wives to host a luncheon for some local women who wanted to practice their English. It turned into a regular monthly coffee klatch—one of the highlights of my years there—with six or seven German housewives who liked to bake. We’d meet monthly at one of their homes, usually apartments, or when the weather prevailed, for a garden party at one of the community gardens. It was always delicious. And fattening! I don’t think there’s such a thing as a low-fat German dessert. Everything was made with real butter and lots and lots of cream. There was no way I could get away with just sampling each woman’s cake. It might have been an international incident if I did. Instead, I ate a healthy portion of each, and in addition to the desserts, drank lots of black coffee splashed with schnapps and finished off with an eier liqueur, German eggnog, that had I been wearing socks, would have knocked them off.

I left Germany in 1976. I had learned enough shopper’s-Deutsch to navigate my way around medieval villages, where early on, I had managed to find some porcelain factories that set up their kilns inside barns to make ends meet. I even bought a porcelain chandelier that once hung above a cow stall and, to this day, hangs in my mother’s apartment. My travels allowed me to start a shopper’s newsletter for military wives looking to buy gifts like hand-carved wooden nativity scenes, nutcrackers, candies, and Christmas ornaments while visiting places off the beaten path that tourists might not know about.

My experience in Europe opened my eyes not only to a country of beautiful lakes, mountains, and people but of secrets that, until years later, I had no idea existed. It wasn’t until 2012, nearly thirty-seven years after I had left Germany, that I heard a story about a routine customs check at the Swiss border, a border I had passed through many times, that would lead to the discovery of 1500 hidden works of art in a Munich apartment. Blocks from my old stomping grounds.

And thus began my research…

Passport to Spy is based on the life of Hildebrand Gurlitt, a once-successful museum curator who had worked with the Nazis to destroy what Hitler considered to be degenerative art while looting masterpieces and the homes of wealthy Jews and some of Europe’s best museums.

After the war, Gurlitt argued that he only did what he needed to survive and had helped save art that would have otherwise been destroyed. However, records—and the Germans did keep a detailed accounting—show that the sale of such art was used to help finance the Third Reich. And what the Nazis didn’t sell, destroy or secure for what was to be the Fuhrer’s Museum, Gurlitt took for himself.

As the war dragged on and the Allied bombing increased, the Nazis hid their treasures in mountain caves, salt mines, and castles like Neuschwanstein.

All might have been lost and forgotten were it not for groups like the Monuments Men, who attempted to return what today art historians call The World’s Largest Art Heist.

At the war’s end, Gurlitt avoided prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials, claiming he was one-quarter Jewish and a victim of Nazi persecution. But rather than walk away, Gurlitt had one final trick up his sleeve and a lot of moxie. He tracked down the allies’ collection center where those works of art—some Gurlitt had stolen and others part of the Nazi’s cache—were being housed, and with a stack of forged papers, approached those in charge and claimed the art in question belonged to his family. Shockingly, he was allowed to truck hundreds of stolen masterpieces away.

Under German law, it wasn’t illegal to own stolen art, and Gurlitt believed the spoils of war were indeed his, and upon his death in 1956, the entire collection was passed on to his son, Cornelius Gurlitt. It was Cornelius Gurlitt who attracted the attention of the Swiss/German border police, which ultimately led to the discovery of a hidden cache of stolen art in a Munich apartment.

The story was one I couldn’t stop researching. Gurlitt’s Hoard wasn’t the only cache of hidden treasures found after the war. And the Germans rush to report it. The story was finally reported to the press two years after the initial find.

When I finished my research, I couldn’t help but think back to my time in Germany and wonder how close I might have come to stumbling upon some hidden cache while researching little-known shopping sights. I believe the story picks the writer; in this instance, Gurlitt’s Hoard picked me, and Passport to Spy is a ripped-from-the-headlines attempt on my part to fictionalize the tale while keeping the essence alive.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio, beginning her career in college on the talent side as one of the first female voices on the air. Later on the business side in Los Angeles, she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman retired to write fiction. Her short stories and crime-focused novels—the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries, (Henry Press) are both Los Angeles-based. Her newest series THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, (Level Best Books) takes a more international approach. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.

Author Links

Website www.nancycolesilverman.com Facebook Nancy Cole Silverman | Facebook Goodreads: Nancy Cole Silverman (Author of Shadow Of Doubt) | Goodreads

Purchase Links – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 6 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 7 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

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June 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

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June 12 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

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June 15 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

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June 17 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 18 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Reviews

Review of The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson

Posted on June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 by Debbie

****4 stars

I found this to be an interesting novel about two women, Ann and Miriam, who form a friendship in the 1940’s when they work together as embroiderers for designer, Normal Hartnell, where they are chosen to embroider Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown. Because this is such a special project, they’re asked to keep their work secret.

As Ann and Miriam work together, they discover things about one another that they haven’t been able to share with others. Ann lives with her sister-in-law, now a widow because Ann’s brother was killed in the war. Miriam, who is Jewish, lost her whole family in the war and was imprisoned but survived. The two of them strike up a close relationship and end up living together when Ann’s sister-in-law moves to Canada. But an unfortunate turn of events, causes Ann to move to her sister-in-law’s home after she and Miriam complete the wedding gown.

Years later, during which the two women haven’t been in touch, Ann passes away. She leaves her granddaughter, Heather, a package with her name on it. The package contains a sample embroidery. This causes Heather to question her grandmother’s history because Ann or Nan, as Heather calls her, never talked much about her past. Heather decides to go to England to find out why she was left the embroidery and how it was connected to her grandmother.

I enjoyed the way each woman’s story was told in alternate chapters and the coincidences that Heather discovers as she pursues her grandmother’s past. The main focus of the book was the friendship between Ann and Miriam and what each brought to the other. The information about the wedding gown, embroidery, and the royal palace were also interesting. While the book wasn’t based on real women, Hartnell was the designer commissioned for the gown who had seamstresses and embroiderers working for him.

If you enjoy historical fiction and novels about the royal family told from a different aspect, you’ll like this novel.

Blog Tour, Guest Post

Blog Tour and Guest Post for How the Murder Crumbles, A Cookie Shop Mystery by Debra Sennefelder

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Debbie

How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
by Debra Sennefelder

About How the Murder Crumbles

How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (June 20, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639102809
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639102808
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BG13HTC6

Debra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.

Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state, and home to Mallory Monroe’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.

But things aren’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.

Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there’s always a murder or two for good measure.

GUEST POST

Where Ideas Come From by Debra Sennefelder

As an author who has published many books, I get many questions about my writing process. But the one that never fails to pique people’s curiosity is: “Where do you get your ideas from?” While that question is a no-brainer for me, what’s truly challenging is knowing which ideas have what it takes to become a full-fledged novel. It’s not just about having a brilliant idea; it’s about having one that can sustain an entire book. Sometimes lightning strikes, and I know right away that I have a gem on my hands – a story that will leave readers glued to the pages. And let me tell you, that’s an indescribable feeling. Fortunately, I experienced that thrill while writing my latest release, HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES.

Sometimes inspiration strikes out of the blue. I might hear a news story or witness an event that sparks an idea for a story. Other times, finding an idea isn’t quite so straightforward. Finding the perfect concept for the next book could take weeks, if not months.
HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES is the first of a new series, and writing this book was no easy feat. After all, when you’re starting from scratch, there’s so much to consider – the characters, the setting, the plot, and so on. But with my experience, I knew I had the skills to pull it off. And what made this project extra special was that I teamed up with my agent to dream up the series idea – so you know it’s going to be good!

I knew I wanted to write another culinary themed cozy mystery series, and I wanted it set in Connecticut. The idea of a bakery intrigued me, but it needed to have a twist that made it different from other bakery cozy mysteries. That’s when I stumbled across cookie bouquets and down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and YouTube I went. Not only did I come out of that research session with ideas, but I also came out of it wanting to bake cookies.

Once I knew what my protagonist’s career was, I began brainstorming her character. Next, I developed the secondary characters in the series. Then I turned to plotting the murder. A nickname popped into my head: Queen Bea. I knew she was the murder victim. By the end of that session, I knew all about Bea and what she did to get herself murdered. With that information, I could create the suspects in her murder. It was so much fun.

Looking back on the process, I can see how each idea built on a previous idea to create the story I wanted to write.
I hope this insight into where this author gets her ideas helps you better understand the writer’s brain. Sometimes it can be a scary place, but it’s always entertaining.

About Debra Sennefelder

Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series, the Resale Boutique Mystery series, and the Cookie Shop mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie, and Billy.

Author Links

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June 12 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 12 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

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Reviews

Review of Weyward by Emilia Hart

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Debbie

*****5 stars

Interesting story about a female line of witches that features three women from different times: Kate who lives in 2019; Altha who lived in 1619; and Violet who lived in 1942. These women have faced challenges in their lives. Kate is married to an abusive husband; Altha was on trial for practicing witchcraft; and Violet was raped by a relative. They all have an interest in nature from insects to plants. Kate is an entomologist. Escaping from her husband after learning she’s pregnant, Kate goes to her great aunt Violet’s cottage that she inherited. There she discovers secrets that are tied into her family.

I enjoyed this story, although I thought the women-centered viewpoint was overemphasized. However, the twist at the end earned it five starts from me. This is the author’s first book, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for COLLECTING CAN BE MURDER, A Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mystery by Jennifer S. Alderson

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Debbie

Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries)
by Jennifer S. Alderson

About Collecting Can Be Murder

Collecting Can Be Murder (Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – France
Traveling Life Press (May 31, 2023)
Approximately 250 Pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZPHKHGQ

Coming out of retirement can be deadly…

After tragedy struck three years earlier, art sleuth Carmen De Luca vowed to never work in the field again. But fifty is too young to fill her days with water aerobics and bingo, so when her former partner calls and begs for her help, Carmen gladly agrees.

Yet after their first assignment – the recovery of a rare medieval prayer book from an eccentric collector living in rural France – goes horribly wrong, Carmen ends up in the crosshairs of both the local police and a murderer!

With her target dead and the stolen book missing, she and her partner will have to pull out all of the stops to sleuth out the true killer’s identity – before their stay in France becomes permanent.

Introducing Carmen De Luca, an art sleuth with a nose for mystery and the job of locating valuable artwork stolen from museums around the world. If you love strong and resourceful heroines, puzzling mysteries, and a dash of art history, pick up Collecting Can Be Murder now!

Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries:
Book One: Collecting Can Be Murder
Book Two: A Statue To Die For
More adventures coming soon!

These mysteries contain no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

GUEST POST

Creating a New, Fictional World

By Jennifer S. Alderson

Starting a new series is an exciting adventure because anything is possible. Yet, it is

also a daunting task for the same reason!

After releasing my nineth novel in the Travel Can Be Murder series, it was time to

start on a new idea that had been niggling in the back of my brain for months, but I

hadn’t yet worked up the courage to try writing it.

The biggest obstacle was that I wanted to write this series in first person – something

that terrified me immensely. First person means everything is told from the narrator’s

perspective, which makes it quite restricting to plot and write in comparison to third

person. Yet it can be a delight to read – if the author does it right.

The impetus to create a new, fictional world, was being invited to write a short story

for an anthology entitled, A Bookworm of a Suspect. It took several tries before I

finally found Carmen’s voice, but I now quite enjoy writing from her first-person

perspective!

The resulting story, A Book To Die For, inspired the characters and plotlines for the

Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. While I had a solid idea of what Carmen did

for a living, I still had to flush out the kinds of assignments she would be given, as

well as the supporting cast of characters and types of settings she would be visiting.

Choosing the Right Settings

The settings of the novels in my Travel Can Be Murder series and Zelda Richardson

Mysteries were important to the storylines, and the locations often influenced the

kinds of murder mysteries my protagonists had to solve. Because travel is important

to me, I want to make certain that the setting is also meaningful in this new series,

even if the specific location is no longer as important to the storyline or plot.

So the next task I had, was deciding how to infuse these books with travel, in a

different way than I had previously done. Which is why I decided to have the settings

in Carmen’s books be restricted to “fancy places” members of high society enjoyed

gathering in – luxurious chateaus, villas, castles, museums, and yachts, for example.

Carmen does share information with the reader about where she is at, but the focus

is not on traveling around the city or country, but on a specific location or two. Not to

say that my art sleuth does not hit the road now and again!

In book one, she is inside of a French villa for the entire novel, which makes it the

least travel-oriented of the novels. Yet in book two, A Statue to Die For, she is on a

boat sailing up the Belgian Coast and makes a stop in Antwerp. So she is also

sharing her perspective on locations not central to any of the books in my other two

series. Books three and four will take readers to lesser-known locations in the

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Italy.

Light on Art History

The choice to make Carmen an art sleuth, instead of a plain ole’ detective, has to do

with my personal love of art and culture! It gives me an excuse to learn something

new about an object or artist, as well as share my passion for art with readers.

However, I had already written four art mysteries and didn’t want to rehash the same

kind of storylines. The Zelda Richardson books are quite heavy on art history, which

is why I chose to make the Carmen books lighter qua tone and level of historical

information relayed to the reader.

This also helped to simplify the research needed for each of the Carmen mysteries.

For the Zelda books, I spent six to nine months researching plot lines

because those mysteries are tied to the missing artwork’s history.

For the Carmen books, the missing object’s history is not necessarily connected to

the mystery central to the story. Which meant I only needed a few weeks to find a

great painting, sculpture, rare book, or other cultural treasure that is either truly

missing, or could be. For example, in book one, Collecting Can Be Murder, Carmen

is searching for a rare illuminated manuscript – the Avron Book of Hours – that does

not really exist. However, the art historical information Carmen relays to readers in

the book about these ancient prayer books origins, contents, and history, is.

I hope I’ve made you curious about Carmen De Luca’s adventures and hope you’ll

join her on a mission or two!

About Jennifer S. Alderson

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

For more information about the author and her upcoming novels, please visit http://www.JenniferSAlderson.com.

Author Links

Website: http://www.jennifersalderson.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferSAldersonauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSAauthor

Instagram: https://instagram.com/JSAauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-s-alderson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JennifeSAlderson

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 12 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT