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Posted in Blog Tour, Characters

The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady – Character Guest Post

Dianne Ascroft's avatar

Cathy Carter is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, the first novel in the Buttercup Bend mystery series.

Welcome, Cathy. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady is the first of the Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series. It’s the first one in which I help solve a crime. I’m reluctant at first because I’m somewhat shy, but my more aggressive friend, Nancy, brings out the amateur sleuth in me. Together, we help investigate the murder of Maggie Broom, Buttercup Bends “Cat Crazy Lady” who just happened to leave my pet business a substantial amount in her will and much more than she’s left her brother and sister, both of whom the sheriff suspects…

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post: MEET THE CHARACTERS FROM THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY

shellelp's avatarI Read What You Write!

Meet the Characters from The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady
By Debbie De Louise

Instead of a blurb, excerpt, or a plot synopsis, character profiles are a great way to introduce readers to a book. Here are some of the characters from The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady: Buttercup Bend Mystery #1. I hope you enjoy meeting them.

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Cathy Carter is the main character of The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady. She lives in Buttercup Bend which is a lovely small town in the Catskills of upstate New York with her grandmother, Florence and Siamese cat, Oliver. She co-owns a pet cemetery, Rainbow Gardens, and rescue center, Rainbow Rescues, with her brother, Doug, who lives next door with his pregnant wife, Becky. She and Doug are orphans. They lost their parents five years ago in a car accident. Cathy was injured in the accident and…

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Posted in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery

Spotlight and Blog Tour for Bayou Book Thief: A Vintage Cookbook Mystery by Ellen Byron


Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery)
by Ellen Byron

About Bayou Book Thief


Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New Orleans Louisiana
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (June 7, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593437616
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593437612
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09FPJHVGK

A fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans after her showboating actor husband perishes doing a stupid internet stunt. The Big Easy is where she was born and adopted by the NICU nurse who cared for her after Ricki’s teen mother disappeared from the hospital.

Ricki’s dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular former Garden District home of late bon vivant Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet, the city’s legendary restauranteur. Ricki is excited about turning her avocation – collecting vintage cookbooks – into a vocation by launching the museum’s gift shop, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware. Then she discovers that a box of donated vintage cookbooks contains the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired after being exposed as a book thief.

The skills Ricki has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations. But both her business and Bon Vee could wind up as deadstock when Ricki’s past as curator of a billionaire’s first edition collection comes back to haunt her.

Will Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware be a success … or a recipe for disaster?

About Ellen Byron

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Bayou Book Thief will be the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. She also writes the Catering Hall Mystery series under the name Maria DiRico.

Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. An alum of New Orleans’ Tulane University, she blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster. Please visit her at https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Author Links

Newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/CateringHallMysteries/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/

Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-dirico

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23234.Ellen_Byron

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19130966.Maria_DiRico

Purchase Links

AmazonB&NKoboGoogle BooksAlibrisIndieBoundPenguinRandomHouse

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 8 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

June 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 8 – Island Confidential – REVIEW

June 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 9 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 10 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

June 11 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

June 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

June 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

June 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

June 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 16 – The Mystery Section – RECIPE

June 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 17 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

June 17 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

June 18 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – GUEST POST

June 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

June 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

June 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour

Blog Tour, Excerpt, and Giveaways for Mysteries, Midsummer Sun and Murders: A Cozy Mystery Anthology

Mysteries, Midsummer Sun and Murders: A Cozy Mystery Anthology
by Hillary Avis, Benedict Brown, Catherine Coles, Paula Darnell, Connie B. Dowell, Ellen Jacobson, Joann Keder, Patti Larsen, Cate Lawley, Gayle Leeson, Daisy Linh, Rimmy London, R.B. Marshall, Megan Mayfair, Wendy Meadows, Phillipa Nefri Clark, Michele Pariza Wacek, Erin Scoggins, Cathy Tully, Victoria LK Williams and Carly Winter

About Mysteries, Midsummer Sun and Murders


Mysteries, Midsummer Sun and Murders: A Cozy Mystery Anthology
Aye Alba Publishing (June 21, 2022)
Number of Pages ~1600
Digital B09K9NN64X

Poisonous picnics, burgled barbeques, deadly deckchairs… and midsummer mayhem!

From a brilliant bunch of amazing authors, including multiple prizewinners and USA Today best sellers, comes this wonderful collection of 21 summer-themed cozy mysteries.

Featuring peril at the pool, blood on the beach, and felony at the festival, these fabulous stories—21 brand new and exclusive tales—will keep you entertained until long after the sun has set.

With stories from Hillary Avis, Benedict Brown, Catherine Coles, Paula Darnell, Connie B. Dowell, Ellen Jacobson, Joann Keder, Patti Larsen, Cate Lawley, Gayle Leeson, Daisy Linh, Rimmy London, R.B. Marshall, Megan Mayfair, Wendy Meadows, Phillipa Nefri Clark, Michele Pariza Wacek, Erin Scoggins, Cathy Tully, Victoria LK Williams and Carly Winter, you’ll surely find some of your favourite authors and discover some great new writers within the ~1600 pages of this set.

This collection will only be available for a limited time so don’t miss out – grab yourself a bargain today!

Excerpt

The High Tide Deception by Patti Larsen

You know how fun it is to go to the beach, get some sun, swim in the ocean, lounge back with a good book and a cold drink and really settle into a hot, beautiful summer escape?

Not how my day was going.

When I’d taken the job as an infiltrate for a new sand sculpture competition, I have to admit, I jumped on it without looking into the actual position I’d accepted. See, I’d been working hard lately, doing what I’d only come to discover I did best—pretending to be someone else and spying on other people to make sure they toed the line for whoever paid me to rat on them.

Okay, I know how that sounds, but I honestly loved being a deception expert and aside from the few (yes, more than a few) bodies I’d stumbled over, the jobs I’d taken up until now had been relatively simple and an easy paycheck.

I swiped at the sweat making it through the bandana I’d wrapped around my head, scowling at the reminiscence of my second job working in a greenhouse. I’d sworn I’d never take another assignment like that one. Certainly hadn’t come here to Fairmile, Virginia, to lug, lift, heft and hurl mounds of sand into a giant pile for three days.

Which, I’m sure you’re now realizing from my rambling and unhappy mental state, was exactly what I ended up doing.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t opposed to physical labor or sunshine or sand or the ocean or anything to do with summer. It was the unique combination of those elements that had me knee-deep in a shifting pile, blisters long formed on my hands despite the gloves I wore, sweating out my weight in water as the late August sunshine had its way with me.

“No, no. I said more sand here.” I scowled sideways at the tall, silver-haired man who snapped orders like a career general, the target at least not me this time, but one of the other team members helping unload the last of the specially imported sand that would form the base of the giant creation he planned to erect before the end of competition on Sunday. He’d already assembled the wooden frames we now filled with—and then compacted—with sand. The sound of someone using a hand tamper nearby only added to my headache. Though it was more him than anything driving me toward a migraine.

Since I was the newbie—grunt slave, in other words—I’d borne the brunt of his dissatisfaction since I showed up this morning. While Martin Littlefield might have been a world-renowned artist and sand sculptor, the man had an attitude like a beat-up old truck—loud and nasty.

I was this close, I have to admit, to dumping my shovel, forfeiting the payout and getting my fine behind back to Marigold before I did something I’d regret. Only the tenacious drive instilled by my Very Sparkly and Super Fantastic Special Agent dad, Andrew Walker, kept my stubborn self from telling Mr. High and Fighty Littlefield where he could shove his tons of precious sand. Instead, I grit my teeth and dug in while the sound of screaming, laughing children, the faintest breeze carrying scents of ice cream and pretzels and suntan lotion mixed with the matching sounds of exertion from the three others shifting piles of sand into various wooden shapes for our lord and master had me firmly deciding from now on, no matter how good the job sounded?

Research, Petal Morgan. Lots and lots of research.

About The Authors

About Ellen Jacobson

Ellen Jacobson is a writer, cat lover & obsessed with chocolate. She writes cozy mysteries and romantic comedies including the Mollie McGhie Mysteries and the Smitten with Travel Rom-Coms.

You can find out more on her website (ellenjacobsonauthor.com), sign up for her newsletter (https://www.subscribepage.com/m4g9m4).

About Patti Larsen

I’m a multiple award-winning writer with a passion for the voices in my head. With many (many!) titles across many (many!) genres, all in happy publication, there’s no end in sight…

That being said, I’m short (permanent), happy (I have the best life ever) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can’t seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my multiple cats, pug overlord and lady and Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

About R.B. Marshall

Like my amateur sleuth, Izzy, I’m a dressage-riding computer geek who loves coffee – but there the similarity ends. She is far smarter than me, and a lot younger! I hope you’ll join me in discovering where her curiosity leads to next…

Pretty much all my books are set in my native Scotland, and my mystery stories are no exception. You’ll meet colourful characters solving perplexing puzzles in the most glorious landscape imaginable. Throw in a castle or two, the occasional royal, and maybe even a delicious cake shop, and you’ll have the recipe for my new series.

I also write fantasy and clean romance/women’s fiction, as Roz Marshall: http://viewAuthor.at/RozMarshall

and Historical Romance telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots, as Belle McInnes: http://viewauthor.at/BelleMcInnes

About Hillary Avis

Hillary Avis writes cozy mysteries about smart women who persist until they uncover the truth—about themselves, about their communities, and of course about any unsolved murders.

She grew up in a small town on the west coast, went to college in a small town on the east coast, and now lives in beautiful Eugene, Oregon. She has two charming children, three fluffy dogs, and two practically perfect felines named Mystery and Intrigue. She also has too many chickens and one very patient husband.

When Hillary’s not reading, writing, or editing, she bakes bread, makes pottery, drinks coffee, and streams The Great British Bake-Off, but not all at the same time.

About Cate Lawley

Cate Lawley writes humorous, action-filled mysteries that frequently contain a paranormal twist.

When Cate’s not tapping away at her keyboard or in deep contemplation of her next fanciful writing project, she’s sweeping up hairy dust bunnies and watching British mysteries.

Cate is from Austin, Texas (where many of her stories take place) but has recently migrated north to Boise, Idaho, where soup season (her favorite time of year) lasts more than two weeks.

She’s worked as an attorney, a dog trainer, and in various other positions, but writer is the hands-down winner. She’s thankful readers keep reading, so she can keep writing!

Paranormal cozy mystery series:

-Vegan Vamp Mysteries

-Night Shift Witch Mysteries

-Death Retired Mysteries

-Cursed Candy Mysteries

Cozy mystery series:

-Fairmont Finds Canine Cozy Mysteries

Cate’s sweet romance series:

-Love Ever After

-Lucky Magic

For bonus materials and updates, visit her website to join her mailing list: www.CateLawley.com

About Rimmy London

Posted in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery

Blog Tour and Podcast for THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY

My new cozy mystery, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, the first Buttercup Bend Mystery, will be on tour with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours from June 14 to June 27. The tour schedule is below. Please follow the tour for excerpts, guest posts, and giveaways.

THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 15 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – GUEST POST

June 16 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 19 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 20 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW (Cozy Wednesday)

June 23 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST

June 24 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 26 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

June 27 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

I was also featured on the Once and Future Authors podcast where I spoke about my cozy mysteries and other books. Check the show out here:

 

Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Valued for Murder: A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery by Victoria Tait


Valued for Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

About Valued for Murder

Valued for Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kanga Press (June 10, 2022)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TRXWWNG

An antiques show. A dead diva. For an amateur sleuth the truth is not always crystal clear.

Dotty Sayers is enjoying her job in a Cotswold auction house. When she’s offered a place on an antiques TV show, she nervously agrees to a makeover and is surprised by the admiring glances she receives. Working on set at a historic country hotel, she realises all that glitters is not gold when at the bottom of the circular staircase, one of the experts is found dead.

Was the death accidental or something shadier? Dotty promises to leave the investigation to the police, but as this amateur sleuth appraises the dead woman’s estate, she can’t help unveiling clues. But when she returns from viewing a priceless sculpture, and finds her British blue cat missing, she knows that life does not imitate art.

Can Dotty tell a fake from the real deal and identify the killer?

Guest Post – Antique Television Shows

The death in Valued for Murder occurs during the filming of a fictitious antique TV show, The Antique Tour, when a celebrity expert is killed.  A potentially priceless bronze sculpture, which is brought to the show by a member of the public, is also featured in the story.

Before I started writing the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, I re-watched the 1980s British show, Lovejoy, about a loveable rogue and shady antiques dealer who was always out for a quick buck.  However, his conscience usually got the better of him, and as he had a talent for discovering hidden treasures, he always extricated himself and his friends from whatever scrape they were in.

My advanced readers have enjoyed the antique show setting.  In the UK, the number of shows relating to antiques, auctions, and associated themes, such as architectural restoration, have steadily increased.  The original programme, The Antiques Roadshow, is popular in both the US and the UK, as I believe, is Antiques Roadtrip.

So why are these shows so popular?  People love a rags to riches story and the dream that an object gathering dust in their garage or attic is worth a fortune.  This concept is one of the themes in Valued for Murder.

Many people have an object which has been handed down as a family heirloom, which they are very attached to.  Seeing similar people with similar items on the television creates an emotional link and brings them back to watch the program each week.

As viewers, we love watching the reaction of the owners to the valuation of their items, but we also enjoy the personal stories behind objects.

The shows have also helped the antique industry, particularly in jewellery, with members of the public becoming aware of the wide range of antique jewellery, much of which is affordable, and they seek it out to buy.

There are also reports that despite of the pandemic, or maybe because of it, there is rising interest period pieces over modern equivalents and that vintage pieces and family heirlooms are making a comeback.  The trend for upcycling is leading people to repurpose items they didn’t think worth keeping into something useful or fun.

Shows in the UK such as Bargain Hunt are popular, as everyone likes the chance of buying a piece and selling it at auction for a profit.  And if they make a loss, it doesn’t matter as they are spending someone else’s money!

Antique fairs are increasing in popularity and the customers who visit are more knowledgeable than ever before.  While some are looking for a bargain, to make a profit, I would caution that it is best to buy items you like and want to live with.

And if you think you have an item of value or interest you’d like to take to a show?  Look up the relevant show’s website and find out what you need to do.  Antiques Roadshow, for instance, is only allowing visitors who have applied for tickets, although this is free to do.

I hope you enjoy Valued for Murder and future episodes of your favourite antique shows.

About Victoria Tait

I was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. But I fell for an Army Officer, and I’ve followed him from Northern Ireland, up to the Scottish Highlands, across to Africa and the Kenyan Savannah, back to the British Cotswolds, and we are now living in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Southern Europe.

I never expected to be an author, but all this moving is not ideal for holding down a job. Instead, I’ve taken the experiences of the places I’ve lived to write vivid and evocative cozy mystery books with determined female sleuths.

I have two fast-growing teenage boys, and together we’ve learnt to ski on the Bosnian mountains. I also enjoy horse riding, mountain biking and I’ve started running as a way to improve my physical fitness, mental wellbeing and shed some excess pounds.

Author Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/victoria-tait

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriataitauthor/

For access to exclusive content, giveaways and freebies, sign up for my newsletter at my website: VictoriaTait.com

Website: https://victoriatait.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/VictoriaTaitAuthor/_saved/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20373879.Victoria_Tait

Purchase Links – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 10 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

June 11 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 11 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

June 11 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

June 12 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

June 12 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 14 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 16 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

Enter the Giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/lhltms/valued-for-murder

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Posted in short stories

10 Benefits of Writing Short Stories by Maggie Bloom

10 Benefits of Writing Short Stories

There are many benefits to writing short stories. Perhaps one of the most underrated is that it can help you become a better writer. When you are forced to focus on creating a tight, well-written story in a shorter amount of time, you learn to be more efficient with your words. You also learn how to hook your reader and keep them engaged throughout the entire story. Here, we will discuss 10 benefits of writing short stories that can help improve your writing skills and help your business grow.

1.  You Will Communicate With Clarity

It is no secret that clarity is important in writing. When you are able to communicate your ideas clearly, your readers will be able to understand your message and take action. When you write short stories, you learn how to be clear and concise with your words. This skill will carry over into your other writing endeavors, such as creating marketing materials or website content.

2.  You Will Develop a Strong Voice

Your voice is what sets you apart from other writers. It is what makes your writing unique and interesting to read. When you write short stories, you have the opportunity to experiment with different voices and tones. You can try out various writing styles until you find the one that fits you best. As you develop your voice, you will also find it easier to stay true to your brand.

3.  You Will Eliminate Stress

Writing can be a stressful endeavor. But it doesn’t have to be. One of the benefits of writing short stories is that it can help you eliminate stress. When you write a short story, you don’t have to worry about creating the perfect plot or developing complex characters. You can simply focus on telling a good story. And once you’re done, you can move on to the next project without any lingering stress.

4.  You Will Build Confidence

Writing can be a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out. But with short stories, you can build your confidence gradually. Each story you write will give you the opportunity to improve your skills and become a better writer. As you build your confidence, you’ll find it easier to take on bigger projects.

5.  You Will Improve Your Research Skills

Writing short stories can also help you improve your research skills. When you write a short story, you often have to do a lot of research to ensure the accuracy of your facts. This research can be used to improve your knowledge in other areas as well. For instance, if you’re researching a historical fiction story, you may also learn more about history in the process.

6.  You Will Gain Awareness of Your Reality

Writing can be therapeutic. It can help you make sense of your thoughts and feelings. And it can also help you gain awareness of your reality. When you write short stories, you have the opportunity to explore different aspects of your life. You can examine your relationships, your career, and even your own mental health. This self-awareness can be beneficial in many areas of your life.

7.  You Will Overcome Tough Moments Faster

Everyone goes through tough times. But with writing, you can overcome these moments faster. When you write about your struggles, you can gain a better understanding of them. And once you understand your problems, it becomes easier to find solutions. Writing can also help you release any pent-up emotions, which can lead to a sense of relief.

8.  You Will Live More Focused

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But when you write, you can live more focused. When you sit down to write, you have to focus on your story. This focus can help you see the world around you in a different light. You may also find that your writing helps you to focus on your goals and achieve them.

9.  You Will be Happier

Writing can make you happier. When you write, you get to explore your imagination and create something new. This process can be both fun and therapeutic. And when you share your stories with others, you may also find that they appreciate your work. This appreciation can lead to a sense of satisfaction and happiness.

10.  You Will Meet New People

Writing can also help you meet new people. When you share your work with others, you may find that you have something in common with them. This commonality can lead to new friendships and relationships. You may also find that you meet new people through writing groups or workshops. These connections can enrich your life in many ways.

There are many benefits to writing short stories. These benefits can help you in your personal and professional life. If you’re looking for a way to improve your writing skills, or if you simply want to enjoy the process of writing, consider writing a short story. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

Author Bio: Maggie graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in communication and writing. In her spare time, she loves to dance, read, and bake. She also enjoys traveling and scouting out new brunch locations.

Posted in Blog Tour, New Releases

Guest Post and Blog Tour for the Physicist’s Daughter

The Physicists’ Daughter: A Novel
by Mary Anna Evans

About The Physicists’ Daughter


The Physicists’ Daughter: A Novel
Historical Fiction
Poisoned Pen Press (June 7, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1464215553
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1464215551
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TGB4BVK

The Nazis are no match for the physicists’ daughter.

New Orleans, 1944

Sabotage. That’s the word on factory worker Justine Byrne’s mind as she is repeatedly called to weld machine parts that keep failing with no clear cause. Could someone inside the secretive Carbon Division be deliberately undermining the factory’s war efforts? Raised by her late parents to think logically, she also can’t help wondering just what the oddly shaped carbon gadgets she assembles day after day have to do with the boats the factory builds…

When a crane inexplicably crashes to the factory floor, leaving a woman dead, Justine can no longer ignore her nagging fear that German spies are at work within the building, trying to put the factory and its workers out of commission. Unable to trust anyone—not the charming men vying for her attention, not her unpleasant boss, and not even the women who work beside her—Justine draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.

Guest Post by Mary Anna Evans

It Never Hurts to Know How Things Work, or How I Came to Write a Historical Novel With the Very Science-y Title of The Physicists’ Daughter.

When I was in college, I had a chemistry book subtitled: “The Central Science.” The arrogance of that subtitle made my physics classmates snicker, as they were pretty sure that their science was the central one.

This kind of rivalry goes on between people in all disciplines. I’m sure that historians think that archaeologists should spend more time in archives and that archaeologists think that historians should get out in the field and put their hands on things that historical people actually used. I would bet that paleontologists think that historical archaeologists should stop wasting their time on “new” stuff. And cosmologists almost certainly think that the further you get from the dawn of time, the less important your field of study is.

However, I’m going to go ahead and attract the slings and arrows of chemists by saying that physicists have a pretty good claim on the title of “The Central Science,” since physics describes the ways that the molecules of various chemicals move and connect and disconnect. At rock bottom, physics is about the way things work.

Since the long-ago time when I earned a BS in engineering physics, I’ve done a lot of jobs that don’t seem to have much to do with science at all. The job that seems furthest from my science-y background is writing novels, but I’m here to tell you that those studies come in handy every day. Let me say, once and for all, that my professors were correct when they said, “A degree in physics will prepare you for darn near anything.”

“How so?” you might ask. Well, in my experience, you come away from studying science, in general, and physics, in particular, with a deep appreciation for the relationship between cause and effect. And what better way to describe the plot of a page-turning novel than as a series of incidents that flow inexorably toward an exciting ending, from one event to the next? A reader wants to finish a story believing that it couldn’t logically have ended any other way.

These are the ideas I brought with me to The Physicists’ Daughter, the story of a Rosie-the-Riveter-type worker who finds herself up against a spy trying to sabotage the factory where she builds the boats and planes that Allied soldiers took into World War II. My character, Justine Byrne, knows science because her physics professor parents taught it to her, but the people around her don’t expect a woman to know such things in 1944. They don’t expect her to be able to weld. They don’t expect her to be able to solve their codes. They don’t expect her to be able to tell that none of the frightening things happening around her are accidents. Nobody in Justine’s world expects a well-behaved, twenty-one-year-old woman to be a threat to anyone at all, especially not to the Axis powers that are trying to take over the world, wiping out people who aren’t like them in the process.

Justine doesn’t accept situations that don’t make sense. When somebody tells her something that simply cannot be true, she looks for the truth. She is driven to find out why things are the way they are. Justine’s knowledge of science—her bone-deep understanding of cause-and-effect—is the thing that she brings to the fight against the Nazis. It is her secret weapon in the war against Hitler.

Because the Nazis are no match for the physicists’ daughter.

About Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans is the author of The Physicists’ Daughter, the first in her series of WWII-era historical suspense novels featuring Rosie-the-Riveter-turned-codebreaker Justine Byrne. Her thirteen Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries have received recognition including the Benjamin Franklin Award, a Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal, the Oklahoma Book Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals. She is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches fiction and nonfiction writing, including mystery and suspense writing. Her work has appeared in publications including Plots with Guns, The Atlantic, Florida Heat Wave, Dallas Morning News, and The Louisville Review. Her scholarship on crime fiction, which centers on Agatha Christie’s evolving approach over her long career to the ways women experienced justice in the twentieth century, has appeared in the Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie (coming September 22, 2022), which she co-edited, and in Clues: A Journal of Detection. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers-Camden, and she is a licensed Professional Engineer. She is at work on the second Justine Byrne novel, The Physicists’ Enigma.

Author Links

Website: https://maryannaevans.com/

Twitter: @maryannaevans

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-anna-evans

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12395.Mary_Anna_Evans

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Posted in Reviews

Review of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

*Note: This book was an advanced reader’s copy from Net Galley. It will be published on November 8, 2022, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Q4lDgG

***3-stars

I was looking forward to reading another Lisa Unger book, but I found this one disappointing. The theme was a good idea: three couples spending time at a secluded cabin with all amenities included — a chef, hot tub, and a list of activities to “get back to nature.” Mako, a rich tech guy whose sister, Hannah, worships, planned and paid for the weekend..

Prior to their weekend away, at Christmas, the family all receive an Origins DNA test from an anonymous source. No one knows who placed them under the tree, and no one will admit to putting them there.

Six months later, Hannah and her husband, along with Mako and his wife and Hannah’s close friend and her boyfriend, move into the cabin during an approaching storm. Their host and builder greets them, a man who they don’t realize is watching them from cameras placed around the property. There are also two unidentified persons staying in the small cabin nearby, a man and a woman who we meet through separate POV scenes.

One other addition to this book is the story of a family’s murder on the same land before their “cabin” was built and a ghost that is said to haunt the place. I found the characters, all privileged and proud of it, except for Hannah and her husband, who seemed more appreciative of their circumstances. There were some twists, but they weren’t that surprising. It’s a decent book but not the one I expected.