Author: Debbie

I'm a retired librarian and the award-winning author of the Cobble Cove, Buttercup Bend, and SOUP THE SUPERNATURAL KITTEN cozy mystery series and other novels, short stories, poems, articles, and a novella. My books include CLOUDY RAINBOW, REASON TO DIE, SEA SCOPE, MEMORY MAKERS, TIME'S RELATIVE, MEOWS AND PURRS, MEMORIES AND MEOWS, A MIXED BAG OF CAT TAILS, and A MYSTERY BOX OF CAT TAILS. My Cobble Cove cozy mystery series published by Solstice Publishing consist of 6 books: A STONE'S THROW, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, WRITTEN IN STONE, LOVE ON THE ROCKS, NO GRAVESTONE UNTURNED, and ROCK A BYE BYE BABY. My standalone short story collection featuring the Cobble Cove characters is SNEAKY'S SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY AND OTHER COBBLE COVE STORIES. My Buttercup Bend series published by Next Chapter Publishing includes THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY, THE CASE OF THE PARROT LOVING PROFESSOR, THE CASE OF THE LLAMA RAISING LIBRARIAN, THE CASE OF THE WHALE WATCHING WEDDING PLANNER, THE CASE OF THE REPTILE RESCUING RESCEPTIONIST, and the forthcoming CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER. I've also written a paranormal romance, CLOUDY RAINBOW, and short stories of various genres published as eBooks and in anthologies published by the Red Penguin Collection. My poetry appears in the Nassau County Voices in Verse and the Bard's Annual. My latest book is SUITCASE STORIES, a collection of mostly mystery short stories. My forthcoming standalone gothic mystery is LOOKING FOR LUCY. I'm a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writers' Association. I live in South Carolina with my husband, daughter, and 3 cats.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! A Gift and a Way for You to Help Pets and the Ukraine

Posted on March 17, 2022March 17, 2022 by Debbie

Even if you’re not Irish, I’d like to give you a St. Patrick’s Day gift. My cozy mystery story, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, is free today, March 17, through the weekend. Pick up your copy here: mybook.to/BarkTree

Would you like to help support a good cause? Red Penguin Books is publishing “Where Flowers Bloom: Poems and Essays of Strength, Hope, and Resilience,” to raise funds to aid the Ukraine people. They’re seeking submissions until March 25 and also have a Kickstarter campaign.

For details, see: https://redpenguinbooks.com/ukraine/

Thanks to those who voted for Hermione in America’s Favorite Pet Contest. She’s now #1 in her group but still needs more votes until 6 PM PDT time on March 17 to stay in the contest and enter the quarter finals.

You can vote once each day for free or buy votes that raise funds for the PAWS Foundation to help pets. Please make St. Patrick’s Day and St. Gertrude’s Day (Saint of Cats) lucky for Miss Hermione on March 17.

Vote here: https://americasfavpet.com/2022/hermione-cf74

Uncategorized

Harry’s Kitty Korner #25: Please Vote for my Sister

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Debbie

Sneaky The Library Cat's Blog

Meow, there. It’s Harry aka Harold. For those who aren’t aware, despite my lady’s constant posting and messaging, my sister, Hermione, is running for America’s Favorite Pet. Now I don’t hold a grudge about why she was chosen to enter and not me. In fact, I support her all the way and encourage you to vote for her daily with a free vote and also buy PAWS votes that raise funds for animals. The PAWS votes count double today (Tuesday, March 15). They make your money go further to help Hermione and other pets.

I honestly think my Sis deserves to win. Take a look at these photos of her. Isn’t she adorable? Not as adorable as me, but quite cute. It runs in the family.

So please don’t delay. Hermione needs your vote to remain in the race. The next cut will be March 17…

View original post 29 more words

author news

Mid-March Updates, W.I.P’s, and More

Posted on March 12, 2022March 13, 2022 by Debbie

I hope you’re all doing well and looking forward to spring. I know I am. Although the weather’s been back and forth this month so far, it should settle into a steadier pattern soon. Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward this Sunday for Daylight Savings Time if you’re in an area that observes it.

I wanted to post some updates about my writing. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have a cover for the first book of my new cozy series, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, and I’m also still waiting for edits to start. However, during my wait, I’ve completed another standalone novel that I’m editing and will submit to an agent or publisher soon. It’s too early for me to share any details except that it involves time travel.

I’m also reprinting my cat book, Pet Posts: the Cat Chats, with a new cover and title. This book will also be published in hardcover, large print, paperback, audio, and eBook with wide distribution. In addition, I’m about to begin work on another Cobble Cove story, tentatively titled Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery. I’m considering using this as the main story in a print collection of the previous five stories (the collection will also be available as eBooks and free on Kindle Unlimited), but I know some readers still prefer print and have asked for these stories in that format.

Talking about collections, I’ve also submitted a poem and an essay to Red Penguin Books for their Ukraine fundraiser, Where Flowers Bloom: Poems and Essays of Strength, Hope, and Resilience. They are still seeking stories until March 25 and also have a Kickstarter campaign. For details, see https://redpenguinbooks.com/ukraine/

I’ll also be writing something for the first Long Island Authors Group anthology.

In April, I’m planning an Easter giveaway. More on that in my April newsletter. To subscribe, complete the pop-up form at https://debbiedelouise.com, or send me your email.

Lastly, I’d like to ask a favor. If you’re on Facebook, could you please vote for my cat Hermione, who is running in America’s Favorite Pet Contest? She’s already passed through two rounds but needs votes to get into the quarter finals on March 17. You can vote every day for free and/or purchase PAWS votes that raise funds for the PAWS Foundation that helps animals. PAWS votes sometimes count double for a short time, as indicated on the voting page. I would also appreciate any shares of her campaign link: https://americasfavpet.com/2022/hermione-cf74

To read why Hermione thinks she deserves your vote, check out her post here: https://wp.me/p7XcB0-1aE

Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, Recipe

Blog Tour, Spotlight, and Recipe for Casino Queen, the first Night Hawk Casino Cozy Mystery, by Cara Bertoia

Posted on March 11, 2022March 11, 2022 by Debbie

Casino Queen (Night Hawk Casino Series)
by Cara Bertoia

I was born in the South, Charleston, SC to be exact, so I learned at a young age that everything goes better with Coke, but a Pepsi is also fine. When I saw this recipe, I had to try it, I don’t know if it’s the sugar in the Coke or the bubbles, but this is the tenderest brisket ever. I make a holiday dinner for twelve and it disappears as soon as I set it on the table. It was also great for potlucks at the casino. The best part, there are only four ingredients and minimal preparation. I prefer to cook this in a slow cooker, but you can also roast in in the oven at 350 degrees.

Recipe:

Coca- Cola Brisket:

Ingredients:

Brisket: I would recommend buying a pound for every person. There will be shrinkage.

1 jar of Heinz chili sauce, (if you can’t find this I have substituted Thai chili sauce)

1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 can of Coca-Cola, Pepsi can be substituted

The night before pierce the brisket with a fork and marinate it in the Coke.

Early the next morning mix the other ingredients together. Place everything in the slow cooker for 10 hours low, or 5 hours high. Really you can do taste tests until the brisket is so tender it melts in your mouth. Let me know what you think.

About Casino Queen

Casino Queen (Night Hawk Casino Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Wild Rose Press (March 16, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509240918
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509240913
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09PJWMG9Z

Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino where she is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.

Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert of Southern California. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of often unique guests, and growing revenue while rooting out corruption.

In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns, you have to gamble like your life depends on it. Because it often does.

I love to see any of you out there reading Casino Queen. Send me a picture to carabertoia@yahoo.com, and I will post it to social media.

About Cara Bertoia

Growing up in a strait-laced Southern family, I was always fascinated with casinos. In my twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, I drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe. Well, I can tell you that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake. My mother highly disapproved of my working in a casino, “a place so bad it has ‘sin’ in the middle.”

Eventually, I succumbed to pressure from the family and returned east to take a high-tech job in Boston. I also began working on my MFA in writing at Emerson. I wanted to write the first realistic novel about casino life from the perspective of an experienced table games dealer. I am always amazed that normal and sometimes quite intelligent players become absolutely clueless in the casino. They repeat superstitious nonsense and no amount of logic can change their position, maybe my novel will.

While in Boston I was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, I spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. I was awed by the wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in Leningrad.

I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my Scottish husband Ray. We went to work at the Spa Casino in Palm Springs. We now live in Hollywood, Florida, where I write about my casino years while wistfully gazing out at the ocean.

Author Links

Cara Bertoia’s Blog

Twitter

Cara Bertoia – Author (godaddysites.com)

Cara Bertoia (@carabertoia) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook

TikTok: tiktok.com/@carabertoia

GoodReads Cara Bertoia

BookBub Cara Bertoia

Purchase Links

Amazon – Barnes and Noble

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Reviews

Shepherd.com: A Unique New Book Recommendation Site

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Debbie

Have you discovered Shepherd.com? If you enjoy reading books and are looking for some great recommendations or are an author who would like to find another way to promote your work, check out this site created by entrepreneur Ben Fox as an alternative to Amazon and Goodreads.

Fox explains his vision for the website. “I want Shepherd to be a place that makes book discovery fun online. I want it to evoke the same feeling that you get when you wander around your local bookstore, but in vastly different ways given the limitless nature of the internet. And, while doing this, I want to help authors bump into new readers who are the most likely to be interested in their book. It is a hard world for authors and I want to make it easier for them to connect with readers in some cool ways.”

Shepherd.com launched in April 2021. In January 2022, Fox and his team launched a new front page, search, and topic sections called bookshelves. Bookshelves help visitors browse through books with subjects such as World War 2, dragons, grief, and many other topics. Fox says that “The next step is to bring in genres so that on the bookshelves you can filter to see only historical fiction, history, or other genre types. And then we will also add genre pages where you can filter by topic. So you can be on a science fiction page and filter to see only books about cyborgs or artificial intelligence or other fun ways to discover amazing books. Once we have that base in place, I have a lot of plans to create more new and unique ways to find books. Slowly but surely, we will make book browsing online less like buying toothpaste :).”The way Shepherd.com works is that an author can submit short recommendations of five book titles on a particular subject. For instance, I have a cozy mystery series, The Cobble Cove mysteries, that feature a librarian as the main character. I recommended five other first books of cozy mystery series that also include libraries and librarians. Here’s the link to my page on Shepherd.com: https://shepherd.com/best-books/mystery-series-featuring-libraries-and-librarians

Here is a list of a few other book recommendations featured on Shepherd.com:

https://shepherd.com/best-books/historical-mysteries-to-enlighten-your-imagination

https://shepherd.com/best-books/mysteries-set-in-space

https://shepherd.com/best-books/mystery-when-you-really-want-to-hug-the-detect

Shepherd.com isn’t only for mysteries or fiction. Here are some other lists:

https://shepherd.com/best-books/on-space-exploration

https://shepherd.com/best-books/the-history-of-paris

https://shepherd.com/best-books/changing-how-you-see-history

Shepherd.com had 67,000+ unique visitors last month. Fox works with a team that helps with different aspects of the site. Learn more about the Shepherd team here: https://forauthors.shepherd.com/team, and check out the exciting plans for Shepherd.com as outlined in its 2022 Roadmap: https://forauthors.shepherd.com/roadmap

Cats

Hermione’s Kitty Korner #25: Five Reasons Why I Should be America’s Favorite Pet — Sneaky The Library Cat’s Blog

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Debbie

Meow, there! This is Hermione. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m in the running for America’s Favorite Pet. Thanks to Debbie campaigning for me, I’ve already made it to the Top 10 (my current position is 4). But the competition is tough. That’s why I want to explain the reasons I should get […]
Hermione’s Kitty Korner #25: Five Reasons Why I Should be America’s Favorite Pet — Sneaky The Library Cat’s Blog

Reviews

Two Time-Travel Book Reviews

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Debbie

I read two very good but very different time-travel novels. Here are my reviews of Doorway to Murder by Carol Pouliot and When Are You Today? by Keith Carey.

*****5-stars

Doorway to Murder is the first book in the Blackwell and Watson cozy time-travel mysteries. I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more of the series. It blended several genres from time travel to cozy mysteries to historical fiction.

The characters were described. Olivia Watson is a current-day freelance researcher with a kitten named Mr. Moto and three girlfriends. She lives alone in the small town of Knightsbridge. Detective Steven Blackwell lives in 1934 in the same place and in the same house. Somehow, through a trick of time, they are able to see one another and even visit their retrospective years.

Olivia ends up helping Steven on a murder case, but the outcome affects her present. There’s plenty of room for more mysteries in this excellent series that currently has three books. I highly recommend it for fans of cozy mysteries, time-travel tales, and historical fiction.

Purchase link: https://bit.ly/3hG1fTv

Series Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B1GSDHB?

*****5 stars

When Are You Today? is the first novel by Keith Carey. It’s a time-travel tale with a Christian theme. The concept is unique, an alarm clock built in the 1930’s that present day siblings Carl and Sheila Jarliguez purchase and discover that it transports them to a different year in the past or future each day when they wake up.

Carl and Sheila are very close and recently lost their parents in an accident. As they rise each morning to a different tune reflective of the year in which they’ve arrived, they experience historical events in and around their hometown of Pasadena, California. They face danger and meet both friendly and hostile people. Their adventures include attending the first Rose Bowl Parade, meeting Albert Einstein, attempting to prevent Bobby Kennedy’s assassination, and traveling to Kuala Lumpur via future rocket.

This book contains both fun and serious moments and was well researched. There’s a twist at the end that some might see coming through clues left by the brother and sister’s mother. I recommend it for those who enjoy Christian and time-travel novels. A great first book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/344gEJT

If you’re in a time-travel reading mode, you might also consider my novel, Time’s Relative, and my short story, The Mistaken Mission.

Purchase link: http://mybook.to/timesrelative

Purchase Link: mybook.to/mistakenmission

Freebies and Special Offers

Travel Through Time with TIME’S RELATIVE for 99 cents Until February 27

Posted on February 19, 2022February 21, 2022 by Debbie

For less than a dollar, you can travel through time with a librarian, computer programmer, detective, and two cats. Book your trip here by February 27: http://mybook.to/timesrelative

It’s the fall of 1998, and librarian Samantha Stewart is looking for a new job. After seeing an ad for a high-paying position at a company called Virtual Software that entails research and travel, Sam investigates the company and learns that its president has gone missing, and that it’s currently being run by the vice-president Greg Parsons.

Before Sam makes it to the interview, she’s visited by a strange woman who introduces herself as Jane Oldsfield: a time traveler whose mission Greg Parsons is trying to prevent.

Sam ignores the woman and goes on the job interview anyway. Soon, she finds herself involved not only with Greg Parsons, but also Philip Montmart, a chain-smoking detective with a vendetta for his wife’s killer, and the time-traveling Oldsfield and her feline accomplice.

Witnessing world events that have yet to happen in her lifetime, including 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, Y2K hysteria and the COVID pandemic, can Samantha figure out Oldsfield’s plans?

Read what reviewers are saying:

*****Prepare yourself for a thrilling roller coaster ride of a story that will make you hold your breath as you flip the pages as fast as you can read them. Loved it!!

*****I loved the characters in this book.

*****A very fun, fast-moving story. I loved the author’s use of time-travel and “rules”, very original. Being an animal lover, I really liked the cats in the story. A good read!

Reviews

Review of Pets on the Prowl: An Animal Mystery Anthology edited by J.K. Larkin

Posted on February 12, 2022February 12, 2022 by Debbie

*****5 stars

If you’re an animal lover and a mystery fan, you’ll love this collection of twelve pet mysteries by talented authors.

“Stealing Roscoe” by John M. Floyd is the first story in the anthology. Taking place on a college campus, it involves the dog napping of a bulldog that’s the mascot of the school’s sports team. The next story in this collection, “Murder Gone A-Stray” by Debbie De Louise (me) features an officer who is invited to attend the will reading of a rich, old man whose children may have played a role in his death. When Officer McDonald arrives at the mansion, she discovers that she must spend a night at the house with the relatives and a cat who has witnessed his master’s murder. “The Catbird Seat” by Dawn DeBraal is told in the point-of-view of a cat who also witnesses a murder. “Troubles in Paradise” by Kathy Chencharik features a cat who interacts with other neighborhood animals in a search for missing pets.

Not many would consider a cockroach a pet, but the main character considers it her mascot and uses it as inspiration for revenge in Jeffrey A. Lockwood’s “La Cucaracha.” Another unusual addition to this collection is “My Best Friend is a Ghost Who Happens to be a Dog Named Rosie” by Stephen Johnson. This is a story about a young girl who meets up with a canine ghost on Halloween who helps solve the case of missing pets.

“Fetch” by Ken Goldman was one of my favorites in this anthology. It has a supernatural element to it and involves an old man and his dog who begins to bring home human bones. The ending is quite a twist. “The Daring Duo of Shady Elm” by Shari Held features a Siamese and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as the main characters. The cat and dog help solve neighborhood burglaries. “The Three Lives of Thomasina Bug” by Elizabeth Elwood is a cute story about a cat who, with his favorite toy, leads police to where illegal drugs are hidden.

“His Sister’s Keeper” by Matt McGee features a wildlife sanctuary employee whose brother alerts her about a bear blocking traffic on a busy road. Arriving at the scene with her dog, she figures a clever way to deal with the bear without harming it. “Null and Void” by Rashmi Agrawal is another unusual tale. This one involves a woman whose boyfriend asks her to get a divorce from the dog she married at the request of her parents. Last, but not least, David Lange’s “Bessie’s Cap,” is a fun romp of an adventure involving two raccoons in an air and space museum who set out to discover the thief of two historic aviation artifacts. Lots of fun as they interview the mice and other inhabitants of the museum while trying to avoid the snake.

I highly recommend this book of pet mysteries which is another fine addition to the Red Penguin Collection edited by J.K. Larkin. Pick up your copy here: https://amzn.to/34Ul1qT

Freebies and Special Offers

Valentine’s Book Sale and Free Audio Offer

Posted on February 11, 2022 by Debbie

Two of my books are on sale from Friday, February 11. to Monday, February 15. My romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, and my cozy mystery, Love on the Rocks, are only 99 cents on these dates.Purchase Link: mybook.to/Jackebook

Jackie Riordan’s in trouble . . .

When her jewel-thief father is caught in the middle of a heist, Jackie makes her getaway to his ex-jail pal’s apartment. a man called Ace, who lives in an upscale neighborhood of Chicago. What she doesn’t count on is falling in love with him and becoming his partner in crime. She also doesn’t expect to compete with Ace’s old flame or deal with his cat Roxie who causes her allergy attacks.

All bets are off . . .

After Jackie discovers clues left by her father which lead her to a treasure that Ace may have stolen, she contemplates her next move. Should she trust Ace and believe her father gave him the money, or head home to her mother, a religious hypocrite who would have no qualms about ratting out her own daughter to the cops?

Things that sparkle aren’t always Diamonds . . .

Before Jackie can decide who the good guys really are, she finds herself atop the Willis Tower carrying her father’s ashes in her pocket and aiding Ace in the largest jewelry heist of his life. Things go terribly wrong, and Jackie’s only choice seems to be to walk away from Ace or face imprisonment.

Purchase Link: mybook.to/cc4

It’s February in the small town of Cobble Cove. Love is in the air . . . but so is murder!

When Alicia helps plan a Valentine’s Day Party at the Cobble Cove library that also includes a surprise for her newlywed friend, Gilly, things go wrong when a mysterious box of chocolates addressed to the director turns out laced with poison.

Clues Lead to A Dead Suspect

Although Alicia promised John she’ll no longer meddle in crime investigations, she and Gilly set out to find the person threatening Sheila who murdered the courier of the deadly candy. The three people they suspect include the professor from California who’s been romancing Sheila while she assists him with research for his book; the obnoxious patron Rhonda Kleisman who threw coffee at the director after refusing to pay for a damaged book; and a visiting widow staying at Gilly’s inn who’s unnaturally curious about Sheila and earns the nickname of Madame Defarge for her interest in knitting.

New Cat in Town

While Alicia and Gilly are trying to solve this new Cobble Cove mystery, Sneaky is introduced to Gilly’s new kitten, Kittykai, a calico she brought home from her honeymoon in Hawaii. It’s not like at first sight, but the two cats eventually become friends. They also both play a part in foiling the killer’s murder attempts, but will Alicia and Sheila survive unscathed?

My time-travel novel, Time’s Relative, is now available on audio. A limited number of free copies are available. Contact me for information.