Category: Blog Tour

Posted in Blog Tour, Spotlight

Spotlight and Blog Tour for A Flicker of a Doubt, A Fairy Garden Mystery by Daryl Wood Gerber

Posted on by Debbie


A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
by Daryl Wood Gerber

About A Flicker of a Doubt

A Flicker of a Doubt (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – California
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496741277
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496741271
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6DBQ5CM

Fairies are trending hard, especially when it comes to fairy garden décor in Walmart and Target and on Amazon. The latest installment in the nationally bestselling Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden mysteries is a perfect read for Laura Childs readers and all fans of whimsy and charm.

With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vickers’s estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event. It’s not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan’s ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet’s latest artistic protégé. Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d’murder.

There’s a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past. But when the cops focus on Meaghan’s business partner, who’s like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive, Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions. Fearing they’re missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light . . .

About Daryl Wood Gerber

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Fairy Garden Mysteries, Cookbook Nook Mysteries, and French Bistro Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense as well as stand-alone suspense. Daryl loves to cook, fairy garden, and read. She has a frisky Goldendoodle who keeps her in line. And she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and hitch-hike around Ireland alone. You can learn more on her website: httsp://darylwoodgerber.com

Author Links

WEBSITE FACEBOOK BOOKBUB YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM PINTEREST GOODREADS AMAZON NEWSLETTER

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 22 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

March 22 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, RECIPE

March 23 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

March 24 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT & PODCAST

March 24 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

March 24 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

March 24 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

March 24 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 25 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

March 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

March 26 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 26 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 27 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

March 27 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 27 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Authors, Blog Tour, Interview

Interviews with Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell, Authors of Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder

Posted on by Debbie

Today, I’m pleased to welcome authors Brenda Whiteside from Arizona and Joyce Proell from Minnesota to talk about themselves and their new release, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder: A Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery. Hello, ladies. Glad to have you on Ruff Drafts.

How long have you both been published?

What titles and/or series have you published and with which publisher?

Brenda: 14 years. I published one 5-book series (Love and Murder) with The Wild Rose Press. I also published single titles with them: Sleeping with the Lights On, The Morning After, Post-War Dreams, Amanda in the Summer. Have you self-published any titles? Please give details. I acquired the rights back to the 5-book series and have self-published under the series name Wild Horse Peaks. I have self-published another series, The MacKenzie Chronicles. It is a 3-book series. Both of these series are romantic suspense. My current project is the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries. This is self-published with a co-author, Joyce Proell. The first of three books released March 7, 2023. The second book will release in September, 2023.

Joyce: Ten years. The books are in this order: Eliza (Champagne Books), A Deadly Truth, A Burning Truth and A Wicked Truth (The Cady Delafield, Champagne Books) Amaryllis (Wild Rose Press) and Candy, Cigarettes and Murder (self-pubbed).

Tell us a little bit about your books — if you write a series, any upcoming releases or your current work-in-progress. If you have an upcoming release, please specify the release date.

Brenda: I’ve been concentrating on romantic suspense for years. Both of those series are set in Arizona. I enjoy writing from several points of view. Most of the books have three points of view: the heroine, the hero, and the villain. My current series is a cozy mystery. I’m having great fun with this more light-hearted genre. The first book in the series, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder released March 7. What makes writing this series so much fun is my co-author. The idea came from a twice a year ritual I have with my sister. We have a chocolate martini at an historical inn and saloon on our birthdays. We laughingly called ourselves the Chocolate Martini Sisters. The name conjured the story idea, and I presented it to Joyce. It’s been great fun creating the sisters and the mystery.

Joyce: Amaryllis and Eliza are historical romances. The Cady Delafield books are romantic suspense set in the late 1880’s. Candy, Cigarettes and Murder is the first in a series of cozy mysteries.

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?

Brenda: I want to continue on the cozy mystery path for at least another three books beyond the three Joyce and I have planned. Having a writing partner helps keep me on track. We have different styles in both writing and life so we balance each other. In fact, she has a much calmer approach, so she’s good therapy for me.

Joyce: I aim to challenge my mind, continue to perfect my craft, and deliver a product readers will love and enjoy, and hopefully, continue to read. My current energies focus on completing the next two books in the Chocolate Martini Sisters series.

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

Brenda: The current series, Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries, should have wide appeal. Mystery entertains regardless of age or gender. Since it’s cozy, a reader can expect to not have graphic violence or sexual situations. It’s a good whodunnit read.

Joyce: With the Chocolate Martini Sisters, any reader who loves a light-hearted mystery will do.

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

Brenda: Practice and keep at it. Every paragraph you write will be better than the last. Never give up. I’ve been lucky to have a group of critique partners who have helped me improve my craft over the years. I highly recommend finding a group to share your stories. And please, if you plan to self-publish, get yourself an editor.

J0yce: Keep your butt planted in the chair and write. Don’t fret with making it perfect. Revisions will soothe out the snags, add the pizzazz, and make it pretty.

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

Brenda: I wanted an agent and I had a stack of rejections. But I didn’t lose faith. That’s important. I gave up on the agent route and started submitting directly to small publishers. I was working fulltime at an outside job so just finding the time to write was a challenge. I wrote one of my books almost entirely in fifteen-minute sessions before work every morning. When a publisher accepted my first book, I was ecstatic.

Joyce: I worked in a vacuum, days alone typing. I believed once a writer finished their manuscript and sent if off to a publisher, an immediate contract for publication would appear. Nah. Such success stories happen only to the storied few. Most writers receive countless rejections. Many never find a publisher. For most writers, myself included, getting published is a long, frustrating slog.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?

Brenda: I have my critique partners. I belong to Arizona Professional Writers and Central Arizona Writers.

Joyce: Not at the moment. For years, I was in a critique group with fellow authors, and wear I met Brenda Whiteside, my co-author on the cozy series.

What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?

Brenda: I adore time with my granddaughter. I try to spend several days every few weeks with my mom who is 92. I have a fairy garden that takes up way too much time, but I love to play in the dirt (as my husband FDW calls it).

Joyce: I’m an avid reader of mysteries, thrillers and general literary fiction. I swim early in the morning. I love walking, and now that I have a puppy, I can’t wait for the snow to melt and long walks with my little buddy. I tend my flower garden in the summer. Baking is very relaxing, and testing the cookies when they’re still warm from the oven is a sacrifice I make to ensure a good result.

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

Brenda: I really am not fond of promo. But in this day and age, with the competition so fierce, an author has to put herself out there. My toughest challenge is allowing myself some personal time outside of writing.

Joyce: Analyzing a sentence and tweaking the words until the statement is bright, vivid and packs emotion is great fun. The toughest challenge is promoting me, and my work. I’m an introvert and naturally reserved and private.

What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?

Brenda: F U N! My partner is a mystery weaver extraordinaire. It’s great fun working with her. I have a good time with dialogue and the repartee between the sister I writer (Nic) and Joyce’s sister she writes (Em). I love setting the scene. Making it real for the reader.

Joyce: Cozies are essentially fun, upbeat adventures with a puzzle to solve. The stories often occur in bucolic settings with a cast of characters that are charmingly quirky, and who are always on hand to offer support and kindness when needed.

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

Brenda: Yes. I chose this one because it is from the point of view of Nic, who is my character to write. It says a little about the two sisters’ different personalities.

Nic stood in front of the dresser mirror. One last burst of warm air to her mane, and she switched off the hair dryer. After a quick brushing, she gave her head a shake and left her locks to hang loose on her shoulders. “I don’t know how you can’t jump to that conclusion,” she shouted at Em in the shower. “Jillian’s personality and motivations make her the prime suspect.” Her sister, always the cautious one, still had doubts about the hotel owner’s guilt in the murder. She held dangly yellow and silver earrings from her jewelry pouch toward the sunlight pouring in from the hotel room window. Glancing at her blouse on the bed, she liked the color combination. Inclining close to the mirror, she hooked them in her ears.

Em, now out of the shower, poked her wet head from the bathroom doorway. “I do think she’s a strong possibility, but we need more substantial facts. Throw me my robe, would you? And you might think about wearing one considering the curtains are wide open.”

She glanced down at mostly skin. “I had a two-piece bathing suit twenty years ago that covered less than my underwear.” To appease her sister, she lifted the green and yellow blouse from the bed and slipped it on.

Robed, Em drifted into the room toweling her brown hair, the highlights of auburn and gold not yet shining with the dampness. “I’m jelly after that massage.” She lifted the hair dryer, and leveled her with a big, green-eyed there-you-go-again face. “You were all set on Chef Payne being the murderer earlier. Remember?”

She zipped her stone-washed, skinny jeans, and held her comment until Em shut off the dryer. “Yes, I admit he seemed a likely candidate. His abrasiveness, added to his drive to move to an exclusive restaurant in the valley, creates a volatile situation. The man appears to act out of angry passion in all manners of his life—under his chef hat anyway.”

“And you know this how?”

“I have my sources.” She grinned, feeling cocky. “At any rate, murdering won’t get him the review he wanted. More important though, I’m not feeling it anymore.” And she always trusted her gut over her sister’s analytical reasoning.

Joyce:

“What the hell?”

The painful howl jabbed at the very core of Emma’s center. It hurt her ears. “Sounds like a wounded dog or a coyote.” She exited the car and quietly closed the door, afraid any noise would further frighten the distraught beast. “Pathetic thing.” Images of the animal’s bloodied leg possibly snared in a jagged trap sickened her.

“Sounds like its coming from behind the house or the nearby woods.” Without hesitation, Nic pounded up the walkway to Joe’s front stoop, shoulders rigid in a no-nonsense manner.

She hung back a second checking her surroundings. The house had a vacant appearance as though no one lived there, though why she couldn’t say. They had the correct address and assumed the black truck belonged to Joe. The house, a one-story with stone on the bottom third and logs comprising the balance of the structure, sat a good shouting distance from the neighbors. A decorative A-frame in rustic wood crowned the front door. Next to it stood five side by side windows. A vacant carport sat off to the right.

She hurried after Nic, wincing at another volley of ear-piercing yowls. The tormented sound set her nerves on edge. Nic rang the doorbell, then cupped her hand against the door’s window and peered in. “I don’t see him. Wow! That is one honking big L-shaped couch.”

“We’re not here to critique furniture.” She squinted through the window. The open-concept design afforded a view through the living room to the dining area and a bit of the kitchen. Two windows at the back flooded the space with late afternoon light. Next to the massive television mounted on the wall, a hallway led off presumably to the bedrooms.

“Joe. You in there?” Her sister’s elevated tone raised another beastly cry.

“He could be out back, trying to help that tortured critter.”

“C’mon. Let’s take a look.” Nic shone with a “take no prisoners” expression as she hurried from the porch, her sandals smacking against the steps. Ogres. Hurricane winds. Vicious animals. Nothing would get in her way.

“Nic! Wait! Let’s take this slow. What if we spook it?” She envisioned a yet to be determined creature attacking. A scan of the area revealed no weapon they might use for protection should the animal, crazed with pain and fear, pounce on them. Dang!

“Hey. Don’t worry.” Her sister resumed her purposeful march. “Animals love me.”

“Uh-huh,” she replied with an eye roll. This could be one of those situations where optimism had its limitations. She prayed it wasn’t. They followed the cracked, sloping concrete walkway between the house and the carport, bypassing a banged-up dumpster. At the back, steps led to an elevated wooden deck. Without warning, Nic thrust up her arm and paused.

“Geez, Nic,” she hissed, almost tripping. “I about ran into you.”

“Sorry.”

How unlike her sister to show restraint when rushing in with great abandon was more Nic’s style. The added caution prickled the hairs on her neck. Evidently, the dangers of the wailing animal hadn’t gone amiss. After checking left and right—Nic’s idea of aerial recon—she proceeded up the steps.

She followed, uneasy at the scrape and dragging noise against the planks of the overhead deck.

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

Brenda: I’ll toot my horn and say that my romantic suspense books have won awards. Also, if they would like to keep up to date on releases and bits and pieces of my life as well as be entered in quarterly gift drawings, an end of the year grand prize, and receive a free book just for joining, they can join BNG (Brenda’s Newsletter Group) https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac

Joyce: Candy, Cigarettes and Murder is a story about two mystery-loving sisters on a fun weekend getaway. When a murder occurs, they are excited to apply their sleuthing skills to finding the killer, an experience making for a memorable trip. It’s a wild frolic you’re sure to enjoy.

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

Visit Brenda:

https://www.brendawhiteside.com

Or on FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2

She blogs and has guests:

https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brendawhitesideauthor/

Join her Newsletter Group here:

https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac

Visit Joyce:

Author Joyce Proell

Joyce Proell/Author | Facebook

Joyce Proell (@jproell1) / Twitter

Joyce Proell (Author of Amaryllis) | Goodreads

www.amazon.com/stores/Joyce-Proell/author/B009K432O8

Joyce Proell Books – BookBub

Thank y0u both for your great interviews. I’m sharing your blog tour below. Best wishes on your new release.


Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell

About Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder


Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Wyatt, Arizona
Independently Published (March 7, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BN96RS4G

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.

Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder?

About the Authors


Joyce Proell is the award-winning author of Amaryllis, Eliza and the Cady Delafield mysteries: A Deadly Truth, A Burning Truth and A Wicked Truth. Along with her husband and little dog, Nellie, she lives in Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie. She loves to hear from readers.

Visit her website at: www.joyceproell.com

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joyce-Proell/author/B009K432O8

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6545483.Joyce_Proell

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda’s Website: https://www.brendawhiteside.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2

She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

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

Join her Newsletter Group here: https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 16 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

March 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 17 – I’m Into Books – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 18 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

March 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

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

March 22 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

March 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

March 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

March 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 26 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

March 27 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

March 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

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Posted in Blog Tour, Spotlight

Spotlight and Blog Tour for Dearly Beloved Departed by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Posted on by Debbie


Dearly Beloved Departed: A PIP Inc. Mystery
by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

About Dearly Beloved Departed


Dearly Beloved Departed: A PIP Inc. Mystery
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – California
Good Read Mysteries, an imprint of Good Read Publishers
Number of Pages: 241

Pat is hired by attorney Jason Forman to “get some dirt” on his daughter’s fiancé. Before she gets very far in her investigation, the young man is murdered. Did his past catch up with him or is what Pat fears, that there’s a serial shooter going after Christmas Eve grooms, the reason he was killed? Pat and her fiancé, Detective Sergeant Tim Lindsey, are planning a Christmas Eve wedding which means, if she’s right, he’s on the shooter’s hit list.

About Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Nancy Lynn Jarvis left the real estate profession after she started having so much fun writing the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series that she let her license lapse. She’s enjoyed writing about Regan and her husband, Tom, but decided it was time to do a new series.

PIP Inc. introduces protagonist downsized law librarian and not-quite-licensed Private Investigator Pat Pirard. “The Funeral Murder” is the second book in the series.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, Nancy worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.

Currently, she’s enjoying being a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Santa Cruz Women of Mystery.

Author Links

Website https://www.nancylynnjarvis.com/

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

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2918242.Nancy_Lynn_Jarvis

Purchase Link – This book’s release has been delayed. Follow Nancy Lynn Jarvis on Amazon so you are notified when the book is available.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 1 – I’m Into Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 2 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

March 3 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 4 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

March 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 5 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

March 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 6 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 9 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

March 10 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 11 – I’m Into Books – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 13 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

March 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Cozy Series, Interview

Interview of Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Bakeries and Buffoonery, the Fourth Magical Mystery Book Club Cozy Mystery

Posted on by Debbie

Today, I’m interviewing one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, Elizabeth Pantley from Washington state.

Welcome, Elizabeth. How long have you been published? What titles and/or series have you published and with which publisher? Have you self-published any titles? Please give details.

I’ve been writing parenting books for over twenty years with McGraw Hill, and am the author of twelve popular parenting books, available in twenty-seven languages, including the best-selling No-Cry Solution series. I began writing cozy mysteries when my youngest graduated from college and now have published ten mystery books in two different series: Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic, and the Magical Mystery Book Club.

Interesting. I haven’t read any of your parenting books, but I love both your cozy mystery series. Please tell us a little bit about them.

I have two magical cozy mystery series. The six-book collection for Destiny Falls, and the four available books for Magical Mystery Book Club. I’m now writing a novella for the book club series that will be part of an anthology – along with a dozen other prolific, well-known para-cozy authors! I’ll be sharing info about that soon in my newsletter.

 That sounds great. 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’ve found my rhythm writing these books, and four new ones per year is a schedule I can work with. I set out to write two books per year, so I’m chugging along at twice my goal! These books are so much fun they almost write themselves!

Wow! That’s wonderful. I know that feeling with my own two cozy series, the Cobble Cove and Buttercup Bend mysteries. It’s amazing how plots seem to come together, almost like magic, and how characters can lead stories forward.

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

I write for anyone who enjoys a lighthearted cozy mystery with main characters you’d love to be friends with. I would say my style is more along the lines of magical realism. The worlds in my books are ones you recognize and aren’t so different from yours – except that a vampire, shifter, or fairy lives in your town!

I love that. It makes your books so much fun.

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

I think Stephen King said it best. He said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” I suggest you read every day from the genre you wish to write in. Pick highly rated books with enthusiastic reviews. Then write, even if it’s not fantastic from page one, it will get better with practice.

 Excellent advice.

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

My path has been different from most because I wrote non-fiction for over twenty years. When I switched to fiction, I found it to be a whole new ballgame! I had to learn so much, it was a major pivot in my writing career. I did it one step at a time. But I’m getting the hang of it!

I think you’re doing terrific.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?

I am a member of Sisters in Crime – which provides an amazing amount of support and camaraderie. I’m also a member of several Facebook writing groups so daily doses of friendship and support.

I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime. It’s a great group.

What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?

I enjoy the wide outdoors. Hiking in nature is my favorite non-work activity. My four adult kids are hikers, climbers, and mountaineers – so I’m always getting an invitation to try something new!

Nice.

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

What I love most is creating fun experience for my readers – taking them away to another world for a grand adventure. I love reading reviews!!! I’ve been lucky that the vast majority are very positive, and those bring me great joy. I have an entire Wall of Fame in my office with all my favorite reviews posted!

My toughest challenge is handling all the marketing and administration. It takes a lot of time away from writing, but it’s critical to getting my books out to the world, so it’s time that must be taken.

I think most writers feel the same way about the business side of writing. I really like your idea of a Wall of Fame. It sounds like a perfect way to keep inspired.

What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?

Oh, my gosh! Absolutely everything! Writing stories, reading reviews, meeting my readers! It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in my work life.

It’s such a good thing to love what you do.

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

Of course! I would be happy to! Here’s a snippet from Bakeries and Buffoonery!

CHAPTER 1

A rhythmic tapping on the wall started somewhere near the front door. It moved down the hall toward us, and then Frank, our dashing Siamese library cat, burst into the room with the swagger he was so good at. The tapping continued, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor in a pulsating beat. He started to shimmy his shoulders and hum a tune. As if that wasn’t odd enough, he began to rap.

“Book club day is here.

Adventure, do you dare?

Tell me where we’re goin’

But I don’t really care.

Dead bodies they are waitin’

For some investigatin’

Lead the waaay—”

He looked up and stopped mid-rap, his extended claw in the air. He saw me and Glo sitting at the counter. His entire demeanor drooped.

“Seriously?” he grumbled. “That spectacular entrance and only two of you are here to witness it? What a complete and total waste of talent.”

“You could always go outside and wait. Come back when more of the group has gathered,” I suggested, taking a relaxed sip of my tea.

“Nah. The freshness is lost.” He jumped up onto the counter. “How about you make up for it by brewing me a pot of coffee?”

“What exactly are we making up for?” asked Glo, her brows lifted in question.

“Your lack of enthusiasm. Your inability to appreciate the art. Your failure to acknowledge the artist.”

“I won’t admit to any of that, but I can make you a pot of coffee,” I said.

“Thank you, Paige.” He took a deep breath, sat down, and settled in to begin grooming his tail.

“I’m happy to see that you’re so excited for book club day.” I took out a small bowl and a container of my favorite creamer, the one I knew he loved, too. I held up the bottle toward him. “You know this stuff isn’t good for you, right?”

“And yet it’s good for you?” His whiskers twitched. He walked across the counter, leaned over to look at the bottle and squinted at the label. “Corn syrup, mal-toe-dextrin, mono-digly-cerides, carra-gee-nan—”

“Yes, yes. I’m aware of the ingredients, but I don’t care to be reminded of them. I like the front label better: Caramel Cinnamon Cream.”

“But I don’t see caramel, cinnamon, or cream on this label, Miss Paige-o-paper. You told me you shouldn’t eat things you can’t pronounce.”

“And you could learn to keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself, because frankly I don’t give a—”

Glo snickered, then covered it with a cough.

“Do you want this delicious caramel cinnamon creamer in your coffee or not?” I asked the cat.

“Did I ever say I didn’t? Load me up, girl!”

What a great excerpt. Thanks for sharing. I just love Frank, the talking cat you created. He reminds me of my library cat, Sneaky who is also Siamese but only talks currently to the other pets in my book but has his own blog where he actually interviewed Frank. Their interview can be found here: https://wp.me/p7XcB0-1dZ

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

Every book in the Magical Mystery Book Club series can be read as a standalone, but it’s more fun to read them in order, so you can learn how the book club was created and meet the characters as they appear in the stories.

Excellent. That’s the same way with my two series. I try to include enough back story, so people aren’t lost, but it’s always better to read them in order if possible.

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

SERIES LINKS

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BB5R43N1

Goodreads: Magical Mystery Book Club:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/345907-magical-mystery-book-club

Goodreads: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic
https://www.goodreads.com/series/302365-destiny-falls-mystery-magic

Website:  https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/
Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyfallsmystery/
BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-pantley

International Amazon Links:

CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BB5R43N1
UK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BB5R43N1

AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BB5R43N1

Thanks so much for the interview, Elizabeth. I’m sharing your blog tour for Bakeries and Buffoonery.


Bakeries and Buffoonery: Magical Mystery Book Club
by Elizabeth Pantley

About Bakeries and Buffoonery


Bakeries and Buffoonery: Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Small Midwestern Town
Independently Published (February 15, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BLLCTKCM

It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a book called The Great Cake Rivalry, because, well … cake! They read the back cover and it’s unanimous. So off they go into another grand adventure into a town aptly named Frosting.

Frosting is a rural town in an idyllic setting. The people live quiet lives most of the year. But in the spring, things change. The Annual Cake Competition becomes the focus of every man, woman, and child. They take this competition seriously. The cakes are spectacular. The festival is fabulous. For a week there are contests featuring all kinds of cakes. The people of the community become official tasters and vote for the winning cakes in each category.

The grand finale is a display of finely decorated cakes, made by the town’s bakeries. The winner of the best design receives a prize package that would make any baker dizzy.

Sadly, this event has been tainted. Once a year, each one different, but all somehow related to this event, a person is murdered. The main investigator is stumped, but that could be because he’s an inept buffoon.

Can the book club help the people of this community figure out who is causing this disturbing pattern of deaths, and stop another murder from happening? Can they figure out why some of the citizens dress so oddly, and why they always wear those unique backpacks? All while they fill themselves to the brim with cake, of course.

About Elizabeth Pantley

Elizabeth Pantley is the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages.

She simultaneously writes the well-loved Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the new Magical Mystery Book Club series.

Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books. Visit her and sign up for her newsletter at www.nocrysolution.com

Author Links

Website: https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/
Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyfallsmystery/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-pantley

Purchase Link – Amazon

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 20 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

February 22 – I’m Into Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 23 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 24 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 26 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 27 – Elza Reads – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 28 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

March 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 2 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

March 2 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

March 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones by Heather Weidner

Posted on by Debbie


Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones: A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery
by Heather Weidner

About Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones

Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones:
A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Virginia
Level Best Books (January 17, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 277 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BS9ZN3DG
GoodReads Link – Coming Soon

When a beat-up suitcase full of bones washes up by the pier, the residents of the quaint resort town of Mermaid Bay are whipped into a hurricane-sized frenzy over the gruesome find in the middle of their Christmas in July festivities. The holly jolly mood retreats like the tide with everyone wondering who was in the suitcase.

Christmas shoppe owner, Jade Hicks, wades into the fracas when voodoo dolls and mysterious notes and posters about impending doom start popping up all over town, threatening to destroy the economy of a community that lives and dies by tourist dollars. Then tensions crest when the prickly bookstore owner is found strangled to death with a string of holiday lights.

Jade and her French bulldog Chloe, have to solve the crime before anyone else gets hurt and her business and the festival are forever tainted.
Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones is the first in the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries cozy series.

Six Things I Learned from My Dogs

By Heather Weidner, Author of STICKS AND STONES AND A BAG OF BONES

All of my cozy mysteries have fuzzy sidekicks. In my latest, STICKS AND STONES AND A BAG OF BONES, Chloe, the French Bulldog helps Jade Hicks run her Christmas Shoppe. Chloe thinks she’s in charge, but Neville, the Devil Cat, the store’s mouser knows better.

My husband and I share our house with a pair of Jack Russell Terriers, Disney and Riley. Life at my house is always an adventure. The Pair of Jacks have two settings, warp speed or sleep.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my fuzzy friends…

  1. Live in the now. Today is what’s important. The past and future don’t matter as much.
  2. Play hard. Life can’t be all work. Everything is a game to a Jack.
  3. Nap when you need to. You need to recharge every once in a while.
  4. Don’t waste a beautiful day inside. Go outside and have fun.
  5. Bark if you need to, but not too much.
  6. Wag and make friends. Relationships are important.

Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones is the first in the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries cozy series. Jade and the gang will also appear in Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir (2024) and A Tisket A Tasket, Not Another Casket (2025).

Disney Dog

Riley “helping” with the editing

Chloe, the French Bulldog

Neville the Devil Cat

About Heather Weidner

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime – Chessie, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

Author Links

Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1

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

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner

Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heather_weidner_author

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 15 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 16 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 17 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 17 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 17 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 20 – I’m Into Books – REVIEW, RECIPE

February 21 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 22 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

February 23 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – The Book Decoder – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 25 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 26 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

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Posted in Blog Tour, Spotlight

Spotlight and Blog Tour for Snuffed Out, the first Magic Candle Shop Mystery, by Valona Jones

Posted on by Debbie

Snuffed Out (Magic Candle Shop Mystery)
by Valona Jones

About Snuffed Out


Snuffed Out (Magic Candle Shop Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Savannah, GA
Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2023)
Hardcover 304 Pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639102051
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639102051
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XM5PKP7

Twin sisters Tabby and Sage co-own a candle shop, but will it all go up in flames in Valona Jones’ series debut, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Bailey Cates.

30-year-old fraternal twins Tabby and Sage Winslow own The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah. Sage is hot-headed and impulsive while Tabby is calm and collected, making them the perfect partnership. When one of their customers is found murdered, from a blow to the head, that partnership is put to the test.

Blithe McAdam had been seen in a heated argument with shop clerk Gerard, which immediately makes him suspect number one. The twins are convinced of Gerard’s innocence and start digging into Blithe’s past. But no one is cooperating. The neighbor who found the body isn’t talking, medical examiner Quig won’t give any details about the autopsy, and nasty rumors begin surfacing about the drowning of Blithe’s father years earlier—evidence that could seal Gerard’s fate.

Tabby and Sage dig desperately for the truth. But it’s not only their friend who’s in peril. With the clock ticking, the twins find themselves in the grip of an unseen and deadly energy that has seeped into their midst—and in the sights of a ruthless killer.

About Valona Jones

Valona Jones writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in Southern locales. Her work blends mystery and the unexplained, along with a sprinkle of romance. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and thankfully had a bank vault full of personal observations when she began to write fiction. Her forthcoming release, Snuffed Out, A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, is slated for January 10, 2023, release. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one. Visit her at https://valonajones.com

Author Links

Website: https://valonajones.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/valonajonesauthor

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valona-jones

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22140872.Valona_Jones

(Valona is not on twitter, Instagram, TikTok, nor Pinterest)

Purchase Links – Amazon Kindle – Amazon Hardcover – Nook – B&N Hardcover – Kobo –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 12 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

January 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 13 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

January 13 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 14 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

January 15 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR GUEST POST

January 15 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

January 16 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

January 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

January 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 17 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 18 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 19 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

January 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

January 19 – The Book’s the Thing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 20 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT*

January 20 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 21 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

January 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

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Posted in Blog Tour, Interview

Author Interview of Leah Dobrinska and blog tour for her new release, Death Checked Out

Posted on by Debbie

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Leah Dobrinska from Wisconsin to Ruff Drafts.

Hi, Leah. Please tell us how long you’ve been published and what titles and/or series you’ve published and with which publisher? Have you self-published any titles? Please give details.

I’ve been a published author for two years. I independently published my debut small town romance novel, Love at On Deck Café, in 2021. I published the second and third books in that series, Good To Be Home and Together With Together With You, earlier in 2022. Readers describe the Mapleton novels as heartwarming, exploding with charm, and full of the best sort of Hallmark love stories. Self-publishing was a humbling and transformative experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I learned so much and loved having complete control over the process. I hired professionals to help me along the way, including editors and a top notch cover designer, and I built a small following of devoted readers who are not afraid to shout from the rooftops about my books. I’m so grateful for the experience, and I love being an indie author.

I also love that I found a home with a publishing house for my debut cozy mystery, Death Checked Out. Getting to tap into the expertise and knowledge of the industry professionals at Level Best Books and having them back my cozy mystery series has been wonderful and a huge stepping stone for my career. I have a three book contract for the Larkspur Library Mysteries, so at least two more stories of Greta and the gang are forthcoming!

Congratulations! Tell us a little bit about your books — if you write a series, any upcoming releases or your current work-in-progress. If you have an upcoming release, please specify the release date.

Death Checked Out is the first book in the Larkspur Library Mystery series. It’s a library-focused cozy mystery set in a lakeside town in the Wisconsin Northwoods that’s perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lovers mysteries and Holly Danvers’s Lakeside Library mysteries. In Death Checked Out, we meet Greta, a glass-half-full kind of girl. She’s the library director in Larkspur, and she copes with the hard things in life with consummate cheerfulness. Unfortunately, her positive outlook takes a hit when murder darkens the idyllic streets of Larkspur, and not only does she find the dead body but she becomes a suspect in the murder investigation. With her librarian co-workers, the community, and her lawyer mom, Greta sets to work to clear her name and close the book on the murder before she’s checked out for good.

Death Checked Out is the first book in the Larkspur Library series. At the moment, it’s a three book series, but I’m always open to writing more! The next two books will publish in December 2023 and December 2024.

For fans of my small town romance novels, I hope to return to Mapleton in 2023, as well. I also have another series up my sleeve that I can’t wait to share in the New Year! It’s in a new genre to me, one that I’ve very excited about breaking into…*cough* rom-com *cough*.

Your series sound wonderful. I also write a cozy mystery series featuring a librarian in the small, fictional town of Cobble Cove, New York. My Cobble Cove series has six books and also features a library cat. I also started a new series featuring the co-owner of a pet rescue center. I just released the second book of that series and hope to start the third after the holidays. I’ve also written a rom com, but I prefer cozies and standalone mysteries. My books are published by two Indie publishers, Solstice Publishing and Next Chapter Publishing. I’m still seeking an agent and to publish with a larger publisher one day. I’ll be working toward that goal after I retire in a few days. I wish you luck and happy holidays!

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?

This is such a great question. It’s my greatest hope that with my books I’m putting something good, true, and beautiful into the world. I use that as my compass, but in short, I hope my stories spread a little joy!

In the next few years, I want to establish myself as a cozy mystery author, not only with the release of Death Checked Out this month but also with the two upcoming books in the series. I’d love to keep the Larkspur Library series going as long as readers want to keep checking it out. Pun fully intended!

I have another cozy mystery series that I’m very excited about running with, as well. The first book is written, but my goal will be to take it through several rounds of edits until it hits all the right notes. Once it’s ready, I’d like to take that out on submission to try to find a publishing house for it. That’ll take a lot of work, a lot of synopsis writing (and re-writing!), and a lot of waiting.

Alongside my cozy mystery efforts, I hope to continue to pursue my career as an indie romance author. Breaking into the rom-com genre is a big goal of mine, and to do so—and to juggle the multiple projects I seem to always find myself in the midst of—I have to set reasonable word count goals and deadlines for myself along the way.

Those sound like great goals. I also have many projects in mind for 2023 and beyond and am also planning a move next year, so I have to prioritize all these ideas and, like you, juggle multiple projects.

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

I’m hoping to attract readers who appreciate down-to-earth characters and quaint, charming settings. My books are happy and fun, so readers looking to be entertained and escape to beautiful fictional worlds are my target. I market my romance novels as being like Hallmark movies with a little less cringe…and I say that as a devoted Hallmark movie fan. I also love the Hallmark Mystery Channel, and I like to think that my cozies reflect that sort of style, as well. So, fans of the Hallmark Channel, I’ve got you covered!

People tell me that my books would also make great Hallmark Mysteries.

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

First of all, keep writing! Writing is like a muscle. It’ll get stronger the more and more you work it out. It’s like anything. The more you write, the more confident you’ll be, and the better you’ll get.

Second of all, be a reader! Read books in and out of the genre you’re writing. I have learned so much from other authors, and I find myself constantly inspired by and in awe of the creative outputs of those around me. I look up to so many authors, and I’ve learned more about the craft of writing from reading actual works of fiction than I have from reading books on the craft of writing.

Finally, never forget that the world needs your story, and no one but you can tell it. It’s easy to get sucked in to the comparison game and constantly be looking around to see what others are doing and how they’re doing it. While in some cases it’s great to learn from and be inspired by others, don’t lose sight of your unique voice and the story you have to share.

I couldn’t have answered that better. I agree completely with everything you said, especially the importance of reading that helps authors learn from others. As a retiring librarian, I’ve had the opportunity to read a variety of genres and both popular and Indie authors.

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

The greatest struggle for me on the path to publication was self-doubt. There’s a lot of waiting and wondering when you’re querying agents and again when you’re out on submission. It’s easy to let the inner critic get a little too loud and to start questioning whether what I’ve written is any good at all.

So very true.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?

I’m a member of the International Thriller Writers Association, and I try to participate in my local library writing events and the UntitledTown writing group in the Green Bay area.

Nice. I’m also a member of International Thriller Writers and also Sisters-in-Crime and the Cat Writers’ Association.

What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?

Shocking no one, I’d say that my favorite hobby outside of writing is reading. I’m a member of two book clubs, and I look forward to them all month. I also love running for exercise, and I’m a huge music fan. I have a particular soft spot for Taylor Swift and have been known to spout off her lyrics whenever they apply. When given a blank space, you’d be surprised at how frequently I can work them into a conversation.

Funny. I’m a big reader, too. I like to exercise, but my knees are now preventing me from running. I do low impact aerobics and walking. I also adore my two cats and enjoy playing with them.

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

My favorite thing about being an author is creating something that spreads joy. It follows then, that I love interacting with readers. My author newsletter is one of my favorite things. I love getting responses from subscribers and being able to interact and chat with them about all things books, writing, and life.

Let’s see. Challenges! I’d say the toughest challenge I face as an author is that writing isn’t my full-time gig. I’m a stay-at-home mom to four lovely and precocious little ones. They are my first priority, and getting to be at home with them is a great gift to me. It also sometime provides a unique hurdle to my writing efforts. Because I can’t always be writing. I get asked a lot How do you balance it all? The short answer is, I don’t. Something usually falls through the cracks, and something always has to give. I struggle with the guilt of not being able to be everything to everyone all the time, both on the mom side of things and on the author side of things. I’m always working to strike a balance!

I hear you. That is also a big challenge to me. Even though my daughter is an adult now, my full-time job made writing time difficult to find. Now that I’m retiring, I can devote myself more fully to it and to my family.

What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?

When I was little, I wanted to be Nancy Drew. I find myself feeling that way about all the heroines in the cozy mysteries I read, and in those that I write. I love the idea of crafting an amateur sleuth that readers can relate to, see themselves in, and root for. I also have to say that cozy mystery settings are my favorite thing to develop. Give me all the small town drama, local shops, and gorgeous locales. That, and the puns! I live for the puns!

Lol. I feel the same way about cozies. I love developing quirky characters and fun mysteries.

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

Death Checked Out

Four months ago, when Greta first met Franklin, he hadn’t given her the time of day. He had opened the door on her first visit only to shut it in her face before she could so much as say, “Hi, my name is…” But Greta was not to be deterred. She’d kept at him, and slowly, he warmed to her presence, especially when she offered to courier library books directly to him.

What could she say, she was not above bribing her way into someone’s good graces with the promise of books.

After a few seconds, the rough sound of wheels rolling across wood floor reached Greta’s ears, and she turned as the door swung inward. Franklin sat in his wheelchair a couple feet inside the entryway, but the smile she had ready for him died on her lips.

Franklin’s eyes blazed with disgust and his voice was as frosty as a Wisconsin winter. “I understand what you’re asking, but you don’t seem to understand what I’m telling you!”

Great excerpt. Thanks for sharing it.

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

I’d just like to say thank you! Of all the books you could read, I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to give mine some of your time. I hope my books make you smile. If you do enjoy them, please be generous with your stars and leave an online review. Nothing helps an author keep writing more than positive momentum in the form of hearing their books resonate with a reader.

I love interacting with fellow book lovers, so please don’t be shy. Sign up to receive my newsletter so we can email each month. Find me on Instagram or Facebook. I like to have fun with social media, and I hope you’ll join in!

Newsletter: https://leahdobrinska.com/newsletter

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3zB9eeg

Barnes & Noble Author Page: https://bit.ly/leahdbnhome

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatleahwrote

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leah-dobrinska

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

Thanks for the great interview, Leah, and I wish you the best on your new series and forthcoming cozies and Rom coms.

 


Death Checked Out: A Larkspur Library Mystery
by Leah Dobrinska

About Death Checked Out

Death Checked Out: A Larkspur Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Level Best Books (December 6, 2022)
Number of Pages ~300
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BHJJ1QRT

She’s used to checking out books. A death? Not so much.

Greta Plank, resident librarian in the small, lakeside town of Larkspur, Wisconsin, prefers her rose-tinted glasses extra rosy, thank you very much. Ever since a family tragedy landed her in Larkspur, she’s kept a happy-or-bust outlook. But Greta’s cheery resolve takes a hit when she finds the town recluse dead at the base of the stairs leading from his deck to the lake. What she assumes is a terrible accident Greta soon learns is something more sinister, and to make matters worse, new-to-town Detective Mark McHenry cites her as not only his primary source for the case, but his top suspect.

To clear her name and return to life as she knew it before the murder, Greta decides to do some clue cataloging of her own. After all, she’s got her master’s degree in library science with an emphasis in research methodology…how hard could a criminal investigation be? With the help of her fellow librarians and her lawyer mom, Greta begins checking out the pages of the murder, uncovering details about the recluse’s rare book collection and Larkspur’s real estate market as she tries to understand why anyone would have authored his death.

But with friends and neighbors stacking up as both victims and suspects, Greta must cross-reference the facts and put a hold on her idyllic worldview if she wants to get the full story without paying the fine of her life.

About Leah Dobrinska

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison and has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. As a kid, she hoped to grow up to be either Nancy Drew or Elizabeth Bennet. Now, she fulfills that dream by writing mysteries and love stories. Death Checked Out is her debut cozy mystery.

A sucker for a good sentence, a happy ending, and the smell of books—both old and new—Leah lives out her very own happily ever after in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she’s not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting local parks, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website, leahdobrinska.com.

Author Links

Website: https://leahdobrinska.com/

Newsletter: https://leahdobrinska.com/newsletter

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3zB9eeg

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatleahwrote/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leah-dobrinska

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

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N

Death Checked Out Purchase link (Barnes & Noble): Coming soon!

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 12 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT

December 12 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 14 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Elza Reads – REVIEW

December 16 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

December 16 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

December 17 – FUONLYKNEW – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 17 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 18 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

December 18 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

December 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

December 19 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 20 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

December 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

December 22 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 22 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 23 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 23 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, New Releases, Spotlight

Spotlight and Blog Tour for Roast Date: A Barks & Beans Cozy Mystery by Heather Day Gilbert

Posted on by Debbie


Roast Date (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
by Heather Day Gilbert

About Roast Date


Roast Date (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – West Virginia
WoodHaven Press (December 20, 2022)
Number of Pages ~250
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Z8NYHX9

BOOK SEVEN in the bestselling BARKS & BEANS CAFE cozy mystery series!!

Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.

After much cajoling, Macy gives in to her neighbor, Vera, and agrees to come to her book club’s Christmas party so she can share about the cafe. While public speaking isn’t Macy’s thing, she wants to brighten Vera’s lonely holiday season…and she can sell a little house blend on the side.

When a lively book discussion spirals into a public roast of the mayor—who happens to be sitting in their midst—things get uncomfortable. Soon afterward, the mayor shows up dead in Vera’s bathroom, and no amount of gingerbread cookies or eggnog can restore Vera to the club’s good graces. ‘Tis the season for Macy to find the murderer, or else Vera might be taking a long winter’s nap in a jail cell.

Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.

The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade
Book 4: Spilled Milk
Book 5: Trouble Brewing
Book 6: Cold Drip
Book 7: Roast Date

About Heather Day Gilbert

Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather’s realistic characters—no matter what century—feel like best friends. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginian can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.

Author Links

Webpage: https://heatherdaygilbert.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherdgilbert

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-day-gilbert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7232683.Heather_Day_Gilbert

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

December 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

December 20 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 20 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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

December 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

December 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 21 – Lady Hawkeye – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 22 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 22 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 22 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

December 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

December 23 – The Book Diva’s Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 23 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 23 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder

Posted on by Debbie


Sleuthing in Stilettos (A Resale Boutique Mystery)
by Debra Sennefelder

About Sleuthing in Stilettos


Sleuthing in Stilettos (A Resale Boutique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Lucky Cove, NY
Lyrical Underground (December 6, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1516111044
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1516111046
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VCWFVRQ

Kelly Quinn, owner of a high-end consignment shop, is a booster for her Long Island town’s small businesses—but now a store owner’s murder has brought big trouble . . .

Locals in Lucky Cove seem to harbor hostility toward Miranda Farrell, proprietor of a new shoe store. Nevertheless, Kelly invites her along to a Chamber of Commerce meeting. But soon afterward, Miranda’s body is found in her shop, with Kelly’s uncle—who’s had multiple public arguments with her—standing nearby. Could her uncle really have committed murder over a business dispute? Or is Miranda’s death related to her late husband’s long-ago embezzlement case?

Kelly feels compelled to investigate, despite her detective boyfriend’s objections—not to mention her commitment to promoting Small Business Saturday. But her effort to pump up sales may fall flat. After her presentation to the committee is sabotaged, the Chamber gives her the boot—and tongues start wagging. Now she has to do some fancy footwork to find the killer . . .

GUEST POST

How This Author Juggles Holidays and Book Releases by Debra Sennefelder

This is an exciting time of the year as well as a hectic time. We’ve just come off Thanksgiving and are now throttling full speed toward Christmas. And just for a little added stress (and joy!) I have a book release this month. I am so grateful for having a story I love, SLEUTHING IN STILETTOS, released out into the world. But with that gratitude comes a sense of overwhelm by all the things that need to be done.

This isn’t the first time I’ve faced this situation, so I’ve devised a coping mechanism. It’s my tried and true, the one reliable action I can take to keep me on course and out of that dreaded feeling of drowning in a pile of to-do lists. It’s being organized. And today, I’m sharing five tips with you that have helped me.

Create the lists. 

Don’t try and rely on your memory for all the things you need to do. Lists are so much better. You don’t need anything fancy. A notebook or pad will do. I like to do a brain dump of everything I need to do. Then, I sort those items. So, I’ll have a list for cooking, one for gifts, one for decorating, and one for promoting my new release!

Keep it all together.

How often have you sat down to wrap gifts only to find you don’t have the tape dispenser? Well, it has happened to me too many times to count, so now I keep all my holiday supplies together in a portable caddy. I can carry it from room to room and wrap all the gifts without having to hunt down the scissors. I also use this trick to keep all my holiday baking organized. 

Mark the date.

With so much going on between the holidays and my book release (plus writing a new book and planning the release of an upcoming book in June 2023), there are a lot of dates to remember. I use my Erin Condren planner daily. Still, this time of the year, I create a special holiday calendar to keep track of all the events we’ll be attending between Halloween and New Year. I simply use a blank monthly spread from my Google calendar. It’s not fancy, but it’s functional. 

Plan to eat.

Food is front and center for all the holidays. I’ve learned that menu planning keeps me from having to make a last-minute drive to the supermarket or stress over what to bring to a holiday party. When I menu plan, I include every event I have been invited to, such as a potluck, a cookie exchange, or a simple wine and cheese get-together. If you have children, don’t forget to include their social events. Next, I do a brain dump of all recipes I can make and the ingredients I need to buy. Then I can plan accordingly based on the date when I need to make the dish and when the ingredients go on sale at my local supermarkets.

Lights, tinsel, and decorate.

Decorating is one of the most fun things to do during the holiday season. But it can be stressful too. What I’ve learned over the years is to start early. For me, that’s Black Friday. I don’t shop (I know, Kelly Quinn is gasping right now at that statement), and instead, I turn on a Hallmark Christmas movie and bring up all the bins of decorations. This is one of the things I have marked on my holiday calendar. By tackling the decorations early and dedicating a block of time to the process, I have the whole month of December to enjoy all the festive décor.

I hope my five quick tips will be helpful to you this month. Because while I enjoy a fun holiday movie, I really love curling up with my pup, Connie, on the sofa with a cup of hot chocolate and a book. I think you do too. So getting ahead of some of the tasks we have to do this time of the year gives us a little more reading time.

I hope you’ll add SLEUTHING IN STILETTOS to your reading list. It’s a fun read (I know, I’m a little biased), and it’s one of my favorite Resale Boutique stories. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media or through my website.

Before you go, I’d love to know your tips for dealing with this busy holiday season. So please leave your tip in the comments section below.

About Debra Sennefelder

Debra Sennefelder 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.

Her first novel, THE UNINVITED CORPSE (A Food Blogger mystery) was published in 2018. 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, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She worked in retail and publishing before becoming a full-time author. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, Connie.

Author Links

WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/2lQwSNi
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: http://bit.ly/2qjwHyT
INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2EQh6da
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/2DpMPE8
BOOKBUB: http://bit.ly/2mkLpnz
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://amzn.to/2CcLsHw

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 5 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

December 5 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 6 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 7 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 9 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

December 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 –The Book Decoder – REVIEW

December 12 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 12 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 13 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

December 14 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

December 14 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

December 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 17 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 18 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Cowboys and Chaos, A Magical Book Club Mystery by Elizabeth Pantley

Posted on by Debbie

 


Cowboys and Chaos: Magical Mystery Book Club
by Elizabeth Pantley

About Cowboys and Chaos


Cowboys and Chaos: Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Current Day AND the Wild West in the 1880s
Better Beginnings, Inc. (November 20, 2022)
Number of Pages: 250
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BB1HS7XL

This is no ordinary book club! When the group chooses a book, they are whisked away from reality to find themselves totally immersed in the story. The characters, the setting, and the murder all come to life. In order to exit the book, they’ll need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a mystery that takes place in a quaint western town – in the old Wild West. That sounds like great fun, until they arrive in the dusty old town in the Arizona desert, among cowboys and saloons. They discover that the outhouse isn’t the worse thing about this trip.

The good news is that Paige, Glo, Zell, Frank, and the other members of the club discover plenty of surprises here, and they have a great time visiting a piece of history. They’ll get to live through many exciting moments as they unravel this cozy mystery story.

GUEST POST by Elizabeth Pantley

Little Known Secrets of the Wild West

My newest book is set in the Wild West of the 1800s. Although the story is fiction, I like to include as many accurate details as possible to keep the story real for my readers. While researching this era, I discovered many funny or odd things about the old West. Here are a few.

Hollywood Gets it Wrong

There’s the REAL Wild West and the Hollywood version of the Wild West, and they are often very different. All the leading men in Westerns are handsome, clean-shaven, neat, and well-spoken. In the real Wild West, being a cowboy was dirty work. They were often toothless, messy, dirty, and very, very hairy. No cowboy in the 1800s shaved every morning, and they often bathed only a few times a year! They likely had just a few years of schooling, so while smart when it came to rounding up cattle, they weren’t great at conversation.

Cowboys didn’t wear Cowboy Hats

Well, they were cowboys, and they wore hats, but those hats looked very different from today’s cowboy hats. In the 1800s men wore short-brimmed bowler and Derby style hats. These didn’t protect them from the desert sun, so eventually the pioneers created newer hats patterned after the Mexican vaqueros’ sombrero. Cowboy hats as we know them today weren’t born until 1865, and weren’t common until many years later.

Gunslingers didn’t fill the Town

Most men in the wild west were farmers who worked the plows and tended the farm animals. Certainly there were gunslingers, but they were the minority. Men didn’t roam the town wearing pistols. Street violence, hired guns, and quickdraw gunfights were rare.

Brothels were Commonplace

Most towns had a cathouse, and no one cared. These were a normal aspect of life in a place where men outnumbered women by huge percentages. Parlor house owners were often some of the wealthy in town and used some of their funds for the benefit of the community.

Few Gun Owners were Crack Shots

Ammunition was very expensive, so very few gun owners were skilled. They couldn’t afford to practice.

The Hollywood Wild West is More Fun

The real Wild West was filled with hard work, disease, and struggle. The Hollywood Wild West is fascinating and exciting. Guess which Wild West appears in Cowboys and Chaos?

About Elizabeth Pantley

Elizabeth Pantley says that writing her two Mystery and Magic book series is the most fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of her work say her joy is evident through the engaging stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, a beautiful inspiration for her enchanted worlds.

I’m wild about Elizabeth’s new series and can’t wait to read this book. Check out my previous posts about her first two Magical Mystery Book Club books: Book 1: https://wp.me/p7XcB0-1dZ and Book 2: https://wp.me/p6m4z7-3Gd

You can also read an interview of Frank, the cat on this blog: https://wp.me/p7XcB0-1dZ

You can also read about her Destiny Falls Magic and Mystery series in these blog posts:

https://wp.me/p6m4z7-38p

https://wp.me/p6m4z7-38S,

https://wp.me/p6m4z7-3vT

Author Links

Website: https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/
Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyfallsmystery/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-pantley

Purchase Links
Amazon Links:
US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BB5R43N1
CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BB5R43N1
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BB5R43N1
AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BB5R43N1

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 30 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 2 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

December 3 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 5 – Elza Reads – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 6 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 9 – ebook addicts – REVIEW

December 10 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 11 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – The Mystery of Writing – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 13 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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