Category: Guest Post

Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Mystery in the Margins by L.L Gray

Posted on by Debbie


The Mystery in the Margins: A Cozy Mystery (Havenwood Paranormal Cozy Mysteries)
by L.L. Gray

About The Mystery in the Margins


The Mystery in the Margins: A Cozy Mystery (Havenwood Paranormal Cozy Mysteries)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heroic Rose Publishing (August 25, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 258 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195887339X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1958873397
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 258 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1958873217
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1958873212
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CR81NTNC
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A quaint bookshop, a sprinkle of magic, and a dash of mystery.

Harper Sullivan yearns for a place to call home, preferably with a delightful bakery nearby. When news arrives that she’s inherited her great-grandmother’s bookshop in the charming town of Havenwood, Harper eagerly seizes the chance. Unbeknownst to her, the quaint bookshop carries more than just shelves of stories—it harbors inherited mysteries and a touch of magical mayhem.

But instead of the cozy haven she envisioned, Harper finds herself entangled in inheritance drama, a surprising cousin rivalry, and a daring book thief on the loose. Can she use her wits and witchy powers to untangle the mystery and safeguard her dreams from unraveling before they even begin?

Crack the case today! Grab your copy and solve the mystery!

GUEST POST

When I started writing The Mystery in the Margins, I didn’t set out to create a world where a rabbit argues with a Maine Coon over chair rights or where the biggest mystery might be how someone makes a baked Brie so good it could bring a tear to your eye.

Wait—scratch that.

That’s exactly the world I set out to create.

Havenwood is a magical town built for magical mundanes—not the kind who gallivant off to steal gold from dragons or save kingdoms, but the kind who have just a sprinkle of magic to make life more interesting. Like being able to bake the perfect cheese puff. Or charm your plants into blooming year-round. Or, in one memorable case, make the world’s most amazing Camembert but fail spectacularly at every other cheese.

At first glance, Havenwood might seem like any other quaint small town, but it has a way of surprising you—just like it surprises Harper Sullivan when she moves there to take over her late Granny Bea’s bookshop, Sullivan’s Spellbooks. On paper, it’s everything Harper’s ever wanted: a cozy shop full of stories, a bakery nearby, and the chance to build a life of her own.

Reality, however, has other plans.

Instead of the peaceful haven she imagined, Harper is greeted by police tape, a rival bookstore trying to swipe her customers (and her patience), and a daring book thief targeting the town’s rarest treasures. As if that weren’t enough, her obnoxious cousin Thaddeus shows up, seemingly intent on complicating her inheritance. Harper’s idyllic plans unravel faster than a poorly tied shoelace, and as the mysteries pile up, so do her doubts. Is she cut out to follow in Granny Bea’s footsteps? Is Havenwood the magical refuge she dreamed of, or will it prove too much for her to handle?

But Havenwood has a way of making chaos feel almost… charming.

Take Honey DeLuca, for instance. The town’s resident baking phenom can whip up pastries so delicious they should come with a warning label. Her brownies? Practically a spiritual experience. Her fruitcake? Well, let’s just say even magic has its limits. Then there’s Sheriff Jackson, Havenwood’s no-nonsense werewolf lawman, who somehow keeps the town’s quirks in check while rocking a mustache that could star in its own western. And, of course, there’s Luna, Granny Bea’s snarky rabbit familiar, who alternates between clever sidekick and walking chaos generator, depending on the day.

Havenwood isn’t about epic battles or chosen ones. It’s about the quiet, everyday magic that sneaks into your life: the smell of freshly baked cookies floating down Enchanted Lane, the way autumn leaves seem to dance as if they’re in on some secret, and the comforting hum of community that ties it all together. It’s about the unexpected moments that remind you how extraordinary life can be, even when it’s messy.

But even in a town like Havenwood, mysteries lurk in unexpected places.

What happened to the rare books in Granny Bea’s collection? Why are they so valuable, and why would someone go to such lengths to steal them? Who is the man in the trench coat Harper keeps spotting around town, always seeming to appear when she least expects it? And most importantly, what’s the secret ingredient in Pixie Pastries’ signature chocolate chip cookies? (Seriously, someone has to find out.)

As Harper tries to piece together the clues, she quickly learns that being a bookshop owner in Havenwood is no ordinary job. For one, she’s constantly balancing her responsibilities with the magical quirks of her customers and her own family drama. Thaddeus, her opportunistic cousin, has made it clear he doesn’t think Harper deserves the inheritance. Add in the Puddletons, the odious couple running the rival bookstore The Dusty Tome, and Harper’s to-do list starts looking more like a recipe for disaster.

Still, it’s not all stress and sleuthing for Harper. One of the things she loves most about Havenwood is its sense of community. Whether it’s a kind word from Bella, her best friend, or a perfectly brewed cup of tea from Aunty Agatha, there’s always someone ready to remind Harper that she doesn’t have to face life’s challenges alone. Even when the challenges involve overly ambitious rabbits and a Maine Coon with a dramatic streak.

When I created Havenwood, I wanted to show that magic doesn’t have to be about saving the world to matter. It can be in the quiet moments: a perfectly timed recommendation from a friend, a cup of tea that feels like a hug in a mug, or the shared laughter over something as ridiculous as a ninja rabbit arguing chair etiquette with a very stubborn cat.

The Mystery in the Margins is my love letter to small-town magic, to the people who remind us that even the ordinary can be extraordinary, and to the unexpected moments that make us pause and smile. It’s about solving mysteries, yes, but it’s also about finding the magic in yourself and the people around you.

So, if you’re dreaming of a cozy town where magic isn’t just in the air but in the hearts of its people, Havenwood is waiting for you. Just don’t forget to check your seat—because if Luna catches you in hers, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do.

About L.L. Gray

L.L. Gray writes warm, witty, and whimsical cozy mysteries filled with magic, mystery, and a dash of humor. Her books transport readers to charming worlds where lovable characters navigate twists and turns with a touch of magic. A lifelong lover of fantasy and myths, L.L. Gray blends humor and heart, crafting stories that feel like coming home. When she’s not writing, she’s often battling gnomes and other magical mischief-makers with her kids or connecting with readers online.

Author Links

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 3 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

February 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – Frugal Freelancer – CHARACTER INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

February 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

February 10 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW

February 11 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

February 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

February 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

February 16 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW- AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Blog Tour and Guest Post for Soft Serve Sleighing by Lena Gregory

Posted on by Debbie

Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

About Soft Serve Sleighing


Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Long Island, NY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing (January 28, 2025)
Number of Pages – 226
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DLHPWDNT
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From author Lena Gregory comes a delightfully delicious cozy mystery…

With most of Eastern Long Island closed down for a blizzard, Danika Delaney and her friends are holed up in her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, with ice cream and hot chocolate. However, their plans to wait out the storm in cozy company are interrupted when a popular YouTuber and her two companions show up at the door—they’ve been trapped by the storm, and Dani generously offers to serve them breakfast. But her generosity isn’t rewarded in kind, as the reviewer then tries to extort money from Dani in exchange for a good review! When the storm finally clears, Dani is happy to have seen the last of them.

Or so she thought.

Dani and her friends decide to go sleigh riding the morning after the storm clears, but instead of a winter wonderland, they find the extorting YouTuber…dead! To make matters worse, Dani suddenly finds herself accused of the woman’s murder. Intent on restoring her reputation, Dani sets out to prove she didn’t do it. This is one storm she’s not sure she can weather…

GUEST POST

Hi all! My name is Lena Gregory, and I’m excited to share a little bit about Soft Serve Sleighing the fifth novel in my Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series with you.

 

S is for Snow Day. Which Dani and her friends are all set to enjoy before a popular YouTuber shows up and blows up their plans.

O is for Outrage! Dani and her friends are outraged when the woman attempts to extort money from her in exchange for a good review.

F is for Fat Chance. Dani’s polite response to the offer.

T is for Tension. Dani spends all day worried that the YouTuber will give her a terrible review and ruin the reputation she’s just started to achieve.

S is for Storm. Unfortunately, this is one storm Dani might not be able to weather.

E is for Escape. With the fear of a damaging review hanging over her, Dani and her friends decide to escape for the day and go sledding.

R is for Rumors. The Watchogue gossip mill is working overtime to keep up with rumors of extortion and murder.

V is for Vengeance. Could vengeance possibly be the motive behind Brynleigh’s murder? And if so, was it a local resident that did the deed?

E is for Ethel. Or in Danika’s case, her best friend and partner in crime, Gwen Rothberg. (The Ethel to her Lucy, according to Detective Dreamy)

S is for Sledding. Which should have been fun, if not for a not to gentle landing amid a pricker bush that contained more than just thorns.

L is for Love. An unexpected declaration.

E is for Eli. A.K.A. Elijah Sinclair, Danika’s barista at the Coffee & Cream Café, who is a hero in his own adorable way.

I is for Infidelity. An age-old motive for murder.

G is for Gunshot. When a gunshot rings out, one of the Coffee & Cream Café gang goes down.

H is for Homicide. Which Danika Delaney insists she didn’t commit, despite what the evidence might indicate.

I is for Interference. Danika, once again, interferes in her sort-of boyfriend, Detective Jake Barlow’s, murder investigation.

N is for Nerves. Dani’s nerves almost get the better of her when she winds up in a dangerous predicament.

G is for Goal. Will Dani achiever her goal of exonerating herself and finding a killer?

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 28 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

January 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 31 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

January 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – Frugal Freelancer – CHARACTER INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

February 1 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

February 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 4 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 4 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 6 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

February 6 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 7 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

February 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 10 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 10 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Donor 73101 by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Posted on by Debbie


Donor 73101: A PIP Inc. Mystery
by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

About Donor 73101


Donor 73101: A PIP Inc. Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Good Read Mysteries (August 15, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 243 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8990936607
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DC5H77N2
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Aiden O’Rourke needed cash to help pay for college so he made money by selling his sperm. He was young, attractive, smart…and popular. Now many years later, his offspring are coming forward—eleven of them and counting—and connecting on a website they created called Donor73101.com.

Pat Pirard, Santa Cruz County Law Librarian turned PI, is approached by next door neighbors Tina and Robin who want to start a family. Because Tina was conceived via sperm donation, they want to be 100% certain that their baby and Tina won’t have the same father.

It doesn’t take Pat long to determine that Aiden O’Rourke was Tina’s sperm donor. It also doesn’t take her long to discovers that one by one, his offspring are being murdered. By whom and why? Well, that’s a mystery.

Excerpt

Although it was only a few minutes past 6:30pm, it was dark, not unexpected in Santa Cruz in early January. The Uber driver popped his hatchback and offered to help them with luggage. Tim declined, moving the four suitcases―one for him and three for Pat―on to the sidewalk.

Pat started to pick one up. “Leave it,” Tim instructed. “We can come back outside for those in a minute, but before we bring in suitcases, I want to carry my bride across the threshold.”

Pat giggled. “I’m a modern woman. No carrying needed.”

“That may be, but I’m feeling old-fashioned at the moment.” He smiled at her, put one arm around her back just above her waist, and attempted to scoop her into his arms.

She slipped away from him, laughing as she did. “I bet you can’t catch me before I get inside on my own, my old-fashioned caveman,” she flirted, heading for the front door.

“I can be a caveman if that’s how you want to be carried, but you’re being carried,” he said, his tone full of playful mischief. He gave chase and tossed her over his shoulder when he caught her.

Pat squealed, but was laughing too hard to resist, which is how she came to greet her tail-wagging Dalmatian, Dot, who jumped against Tim’s backside in an attempt to get her head up high enough for the backward slung Pat to scratch her ears; her cat, Wimsey, who abandoned his rule about avoiding Tim and rubbed against his legs, and Tina and Robin, their pet-sitting next-door neighbors, butt-first, draped over Tim’s shoulder.

GUEST POST

Why I write cozy mysteries

Besides cozies, I’ve written one other type of novel, “Mags and the AARP Gang.” That book was heavily influenced by everyone in it and in some ways that book wrote itself, though. Mags dictated much of it and the character of Melvin, who was only supposed to have a cameo role in the book kept telling me, “I’ve had an interesting life, you need to use more of it.” By the end of the book, he even felt that he had written it.

As I said, the story was a dictation by Mags who began as an annoying voice in my head interrupting me when I was almost finished with one of my cozies, “The Widow’s Walk League,” book four in my Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series, and a book I loved writing. Mags kept tapping me on my shoulder in a palpable way as I sat alone in my office working, and when I finally yelled at her to stop it and leave me alone because I was almost finished with TWWL announce that I should, “write fast because I’m eighty-three, have a story to tell, and don’t know how much time I have left.”

I did as she told me, and when I was ready, sat at my computer with a blank screen, no idea what was going to happen, and asked, “Okay. Who are you?”

“My name is Margaret Broadly Benson,” she said, “but you can call me Mags.” Writing that book was such an adventure because I usually write mysteries where I at least need a timeline before I start so I know who knew what when and don’t get lost. For my cozies, by the time I start writing I’ve done a backstory or psychological profile of the characters so I know who they are and why they act the way they do. I also always have the story in mind and usually have some sort of outline of it, an idea for the cover, and certainly the title.

I’ve always loved mysteries, especially what are now called cozy mysteries where sex, violence, and harsh language my take place, but are implied and off page. That’s because my grandmother encouraged me to read her favorite author, Agatha Christie.

When I decided—at age fifty-nine—that I was bored and would see if I could write a mystery as a game, I had just finished reading everything Tony Hillerman wrote and thought I could use my real estate profession as my Navaho Nation and Santa Cruz, where I live, as my Big Reservation, but smaller like a village inhabited by Miss Marple. I knew all my characters—I had worked with them—and I had real estate stories to tell because they had either happened to me or to my talkative associates. Having a real estate agent become an amateur sleuth worked well, and while my first book, “The Death Contingency,” is not my best effort, I learned as I told the story, and by the end of it, was confident if not yet happy with everything I wrote. Most Importantly, I had written a cozy mystery and loved doing it. I wrote for me because it was fun; if others read my books and enjoyed them, that was gravy. It turns out many readers do enjoy the books.

Cozies are my love, and along the way to writing more of them I got sidetracked editing a cookbook, “128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes.” The cookbook with recipes featured in cozy mysteries come from all over the world as well as timeframes from the Ice Age to today because you can find cozies in all those settings. Becoming part of the cozy mystery writer community is one of the best things about writing cozies because the writers in this category are some of the most generous and kind, as well as talented writers out there.

After seven real estate mysteries, I was ready for a new series, cozy, of course. For it, I relied—okay stole—the identity of a friend who had been the Santa Cruz Law Librarian for many years. She’s also an unlicensed private investigator, a good thing since being a professional law enforcement officer or private investigator forces those protagonists into police procedurals instead of cozies where a key requirement is that the protagonist is an amateur sleuth who investigates and solves mysteries while doing something else for a living.

My friend Pat became PIP Inc. Mysteries’ Private Investigator Pat, business cards and all. She’s only been a PI for seven months, but they’ve been incredibly life changing and adventurous days. In her fifth investigation, “Donor 73101,” Pat has to unravel the mystery of who is killing the offspring of sperm donor, Aiden O’Rourke. With a little help from her best friend Syda Gonzales and sheriff sergeant Tim Lindsey she does while keeping cozy the whole way.

About Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Nancy Lynn Jarvis wore many hats before she started writing cozy mysteries. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz, and as a realtor.

Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. She has written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries; five PIP Inc. Mysteries; a stand-alone novel “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers; edited “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes,” and short story anthologies, “Santa Cruz Weird,” and “Santa Cruz Ghost Stories.”

Author Links
Website Facebook Goodreads

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 8 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 9 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 11 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Buried on a Sundae by Lena Gregory

Posted on by Debbie


Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

About Buried on a Sundae


Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Long Island, NY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing (August 27, 2024)
Digital : Number of Pages 225
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW1B4V2Y

From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new mystery…

Things have been looking up for Danika Delany’s business—her uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island. But for her love life? Not so much. After a disastrous date with Detective Jake Barlow, Danika lets her best friends, Gwen and Eli, talk her into a night out at the hottest new nightclub in town. Only, while there, Dani finds her sort-of boyfriend secreted in the shadows on the beach behind the club with crime boss Patrick Johansen’s wife, Angelique! An upset Dani leaves without giving Jake a chance to explain, but when he doesn’t get in touch the next day, she takes a long walk along the beach to reevaluate her love life. That’s where she suddenly stumbles across Angelique’s body buried in the dunes near where she last saw her with Jake. Sure that Jake is innocent—of murder at least—Danika and her friends set out to prove Jake had nothing to do with her murder and stop a killer…before they strike again!


GUEST POST

Evolution of My Writing Process

By Lena Gregory

One of the first interview questions I ever answered as a writer was, “Are you a plotter or a panster?” To which I adamantly declared I was, and would always be, a panster. Well, like most things in life, you can never be too sure what’s going to change. My first novel came in at a whopping 100,000 words. When it was published, it had been ruthlessly—and sometimes tearfully—cut to 54,000.

When I first started writing, I would sit at my computer each night and write whatever came to mind. Usually, what came to mind led to a satisfying conclusion—often with only a few minor tweaks to the storyline. Then one day, I painted my hero into a corner I couldn’t find a way out of. I eventually did, but I was never quite satisfied with the outcome.

When I started my next book, I was careful to outline the progress of the story and the ending so I wouldn’t have the same problem. That worked out so well, I started plotting everything. I plotted the number of words in each chapter, whose head each scene would come from, how many words would be in each scene. I made sure each point-of-view character got an equal amount of time. Needless to say, too much of a good thing hindered the writing process, and I ended up with a major case of writer’s block.

Now I’ve found a nice balance between the two. I plot the major parts of the story. I don’t plot the ending. I never decide how a book is going to end or who the killer is until the entire story has been written and gone through several rounds of edits. Once the rest of the story is in good shape and ready to go out for submission, I write the ending. I love being surprised when I find out what happens.

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 27 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

August 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 30 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 31 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

September 1 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 1 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

September 2 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

September 2 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

September 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 3 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 4 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

September 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

September 5 – MJB Reviewers -SPOTLIGHT

September 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 6 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEAST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

September 6 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

September 7 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 9 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Guest Post and Blog Tour for In the Event of Murder by Cynthia Kuhn

Posted on by Debbie


In the Event of Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery)
by Cynthia Kuhn

About In the Event of Murder


In the Event of Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Colorado
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (August 20, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639100709
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639100705
Digital https://amzn.to/3xRh1X8

It’s the star-studded event of the season in Silvercrest, Colorado—but some of the guests might not make it to the last dance alive in the second charming installment of the Starlit Bookshop mysteries from Agatha Award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn.

Nestled on the banks of a breathtaking Rocky Mountain river and dotted with delightful boutiques and galleries, Silvercrest, Colorado, is a book lover’s paradise. Bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is looking forward to attending the annual Silvercrest Library Gala, a glamorous evening with celebrities including the legendary Whitney Willton, currently on the hit crime show Chasers, and her niece, party-planner-to-the-stars Lyra Willton. Gala Week is full of exciting activities honoring both page and screen, and library board president Tabitha Baxter is basking in the glow of her successful launch—until Lyra is found dead.

With the gala only days away, the board asks Emma for help, despite Tabitha—her longstanding nemesis—bristling over the choice. Emma agrees, even though she is already in charge of a classic mystery panel at her family’s bookstore, Starlit Books, which turns out to have its own challenges. Meanwhile, Whitney, who is aware of Emma’s sleuthing skills, begs her to find the killer. The case grows more complex with the disappearance of several priceless objects, an attack on one of the attending celebrities, and other predicaments. Emma searches for clues while handling every unexpected twist and turn leading up to the extravagant affair. But when the guests step onto the red carpet, a killer still lurks in the shadows—and murder just might become the main event.

GUEST POST

Not Always The Way We Think

I have gone back and forth about this post.

This is a cozy, after all! Blue skies and butterflies.

But I keep feeling as though I need to share something a little different. So here goes.

All books are challenging to write, in the sense that they require effort and energy. But In the Event of Murder was more difficult. Not because of the content—I loved writing these characters and telling their stories!—but because of what was going on during the development of it.

I even had surgery the day after I turned this book in the first time. Can still remember how happy I was to have made it, to have hit the deadline.

And I thought once the surgery was over, I’d just get back into the swing of things. Write up a storm. Produce, produce, produce.

But I had no idea that it would take over a year to heal. And right when I could see the light at the end of the tunnel: surprise–I had to have another surgery!

This was bigger and took longer to heal (still happening, actually).

Point is: it took far too long to finish.

But I learned something. It may not look like we planned, but as long as we keep going, we’re going to get somewhere new.

It’s not unlike the amateur detectives of the cozy genre, when you think about it. They don’t zoom straight to a solution…they bob and weave, go up and down, and just keep pushing.

Slow and steady wins the race, as they say. Doing the best we can do is enough.

(Can anyone relate? Wishing you all the best with your projects too.)

————————–

Cynthia Kuhn writes the award-winning Starlit Bookshop Mysteries and Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries. Originally from upstate New York, she lives with her family—including one very sweet, very barky springer spaniel—in Colorado. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

About Cynthia Kuhn

Cynthia Kuhn writes the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries, which focus on a bookseller solving crimes in an artistic mountain community, and the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries, featuring a professor-turned-amateur-sleuth. Her work has also appeared in Mystery Most Diabolical, Mystery Most Edible, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD, and other publications. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

Author Links

Website: https://cynthiakuhn.net

Blog: http://chicksonthecase.com

Twitter/X: http://www.twitter.com/cynthiakuhn

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 20 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

August 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

August 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 21 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 26 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW

August 26 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 27 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

August 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 29 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

August 31 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 2 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

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Guest Post and Blog Tour for Peach Tea Smash by Laura Childs

Posted on by Debbie


Peach Tea Smash (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs

About Peach Tea Smash


Peach Tea Smash (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
28th in Series
Setting – South Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (August 6, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593201019
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593201015
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CLKSY4GV
Audiobook ASIN B0CVLG7ZGL

Murder at an Alice in Wonderland–themed event threatens to send Theodosia Browning through the looking glass in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

During the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill, Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

GUEST POST

Inspiring Quotes from Favorite Authors

by Laura Childs, New York Times

bestselling author of Peach Tea Smash.

Sometimes, the most difficult part about writing is getting started. Whether you’re writing mystery, romance, a thriller, or even a short story, that blank computer screen can be awfully daunting. In order to light a fire under myself – and inspire you if you’re a would-be author – I’ve compiled a few quotes from favorite authors that give insight into how they got themselves juiced up and motivated.

William Faulkner says “Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” And Jack London says “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” I totally get what theses guy are saying. Sometimes, when I sit down to write a new Tea Shop Mystery I have an idea, but I don’t know where I’m going with it. So I try to think of an exciting opening – a robbery, stabbing, poisoning, fire, or body being tossed from a building – then kind of build from there. Once I’ve developed a few exciting paragraphs, they begin to grab my imagination and help springboard me on to a few more pages – and then to a completed chapter.

Okay, now I need to turn those first few pages into an actual story complete with plotlines, additional characters, twists, and maybe even another murder. How does a writer go about doing exactly that? Ray Bradbury says “First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow it.” Which makes total sense to me. If you send your hero/protagonist on a quest and make it damn hard for them, they’ll stumble, make mistakes, and uncover clues along the way.

And then, of course, you keep writing. Terry Pratchett says “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.” And E.L. Doctorow says “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” As the author of 57 mysteries, I don’t believe in writer’s block either. There’s so much out there – spooky, trippy new ideas or ripped-from-the-headlines craziness – that there’s plenty to go around. Find your idea, grab it, gnaw on it, exploit it, and write it!

Along the way, try not to lose your sense of humor. In the words of Robert Benchley “It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.” And Isaac Asimov says “If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.” And Margaret Atwood says “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” Ah, these authors certainly had the right attitude and a healthy dose of tenacity.

What about editing a book you might ask? Well, John Irving says “Half my life is an act of revision.” And the very prolific Stephen King says “When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.” And Jodi Picoult says “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

Of course, as a writer of fiction it’s critical that you absolutely believe in yourself. Somerset Maugham says “If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.” And Erica Jong says “I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.”

Perhaps the author quotes I enjoy most are ones that are upbeat and see light at the end of the tunnel. Octavia E. Butler says “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.” And J.K. Rowling says “Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.”

Really, truer words were never spoken.

Love to you and good luck with your writing!

Laura Childs

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that takes place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: Website – Facebook

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenquinRandomHouse

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 6 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW

August 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – story.book.lady – REVIEW

August 7 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

August 9 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUST POST

August 10 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 13 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

August 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 14 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 16 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

August 16 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 17 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 18 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 19 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

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Blog Tour and Character Guest Post for Cooking to Death by Marcy Blesy

Posted on by Debbie

Cooking to Death: Stirring the Pot
(The Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series)
by Marcy Blesy

About Cooking to Death


Cooking to Death: Stirring the Pot (The Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published (June 14, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8323615087
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D21LBL3M

A Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series:

Twenty-four-year old Vivien Belcher–Ms. B, for obvious reasons–teaches a full class of kindergarten students in Southwest Michigan in a Lake Michigan beach town. Trying to maintain control of her overly enthusiastic students while managing life as a fully-fledged adult, Vivien’s life is balancing as perfectly as a gymnast sticking her landing until the scale tips when she receives an unlikely and unwelcome text message from her ex-boyfriend…her dead ex-boyfriend.

Trapped in the Transitional World and having to atone for his many sins in life, Kasper must “make good” by helping to solve the murder of his beloved high school lunch lady. The problem? It’s hard to solve a murder as a ghost. But Kasper doesn’t count on Vivien’s reluctance to help him, not to mention her doubt. And he really doesn’t count on his reaction to Vivien moving on with relationships in her life that don’t include him.

What ensues is hilarity and frustration as Kasper’s time is running out to convince Vivien to help him. Being a ghost is hard. But so is being a new teacher.

Character Post 

Hi. My name is Vivien Belcher. The kids in my kindergarten class call me Ms. B, for obvious reasons. I’m in my second year of teaching. Teaching is H-A-R-D! I love it, though. I guess you could say that teaching is my passion. Things are interesting this year. Yesterday I had to interrogate my students after we found the fish in our fishtank floating belly up. I’m an excellent interviewer, though, and before long I had figured out the culprit. All of my sleuthing skills come from my experience working with five and six-year-old children. Ask the right questions and be persistent, and you can figure most anything out.

Those skills come in handy now that I’m having to do a favor for my jerk of an ex-boyfriend solving a murder mystery that to everyone else looks like a simple heart attack of an elderly woman. This elderly woman just happens to be the old lunch lady at my high school who hated me and most everyone, for that matter, except for my then-boyfriend Kasper. Mrs. Green had a thing for the troubled kids.

As if my days aren’t hard enough, out of the blue I got a text message on my old phone. It wasn’t any old text message, either. It was Kasper. Hearing from the jerk after five years would have been bad enough. But, the real kicker is this: Kasper’s been dead for years. Now he’s contacting me and asking me to help him solve Mrs. Green’s murder so that he can say he did something good and be freed from the Transitional World where he’s been stuck. I don’t want to help him. But he’s messing with my life and interfering in my relationships, especially with our school librarian Zeb Malone. The only way to get Kasper out of my life for good is to solve this mystery. Why must my life be so complicated?

Marcy Blesy is the author of The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series which has sold thousands of books in the hilarious whodunit series.

About Marcy Blesy

Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books including the popular cozy mystery series: The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series. Her adult romance mystery series includes The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach, set in Michigan. Her children’s books include the best selling Be the Vet series along with the following early chapter book series: Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat.

Marcy enjoys searching for treasures along the shores of Lake Michigan. She’s still waiting for the day when she finds a piece of red beach glass. By day she teaches creative writing virtually to amazing students around the world.

Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it.

Author Links

Website www.marcyblesy.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550966870826&mibextid=kFxxJD

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marcy_blesy?igsh=MXhlYXpibnhoeWkyNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211756265-cooking-to-death?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9iB56fL6mx&rank=1

Purchase Links – Amazon

Book 2: Dribbling to Death (Taking His Shot) August 2024, Preorder Now!

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 30 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 31 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 1 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 1 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 2 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 5 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – Ruff Drafts – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 8 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

August 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour for Moved to Murder by Gianetta Murray

Posted on by Debbie


Moved to Murder: A Vivien Brandt Mystery
by Gianetta Murray

About Moved to Murder


Moved to Murder: A Vivien Brandt Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – South Yorkshire, England
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Troubador Publishing Ltd (June 5, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CXJB9KVH

Vivien Brandt (forty-something editor, librarian, and future interior designer extraordinaire) has spent decades dreaming about a life in England, and thanks to her marriage to second husband Geoffrey, her dreams are finally coming true. She and her cat Sydney (who is considerably less excited about leaving the warmth of California) are the newest inhabitants of a cosy South Yorkshire village.

But as Vivien meets the locals – including the vicar, a charismatic politician, and a pair of troubled teenagers – she finds she still has a lot to learn about her new home. Especially after she discovers a body in it.

Now she must work with her neighbor Hayley and a somewhat mistrustful police inspector to uncover the village’s secrets and find a killer. Preferably, before the killer finds her.

Because it seems when the chips (crisps?) are down, the only common language between America and Britain… is murder.

GUEST POST

Cozy Rules

The first of my Vivien Brandt cozy mystery series, Moved to Murder, is now available through most book retailers. It features a fortysomething Californian who meets and marries a Brit, causing her to move to a small South Yorkshire village with her reluctant Siamese cat Sydney. In addition to remembering not to call trousers “pants” and that lemonade is actually Sprite, Vivien must navigate the cultural idiosyncrasies of this foreign land to discover secrets her new neighbors do not want exposed in order to find a killer.

But why did I choose to write a cozy mystery series? After all, romantasy, psychological thrillers, and cookbooks are the market leaders these days! (With the notable exception of Richard Osman, of course, but he is an exception to just about everything.)

The fact is, I decided when I started this career a couple of years ago that I wanted to write what I love. And I love a good cozy mystery.

If you’re reading this, you probably already know the most common rules for creating a cozy mystery: No graphic gore or sex, no animals shall be harmed, there may be a hobby or craft involved, and there should be lots of character development. In many cozies, the murder doesn’t even happen in the first half of the book while we learn to know and love the characters before one of them is taken from us!

But for me, the cozy contains two other elements that warm my heart and soothe my soul.

First, they go well with humor, like Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, or Turner and Hooch. The world can be a very gloomy place to live in at times. Escaping to a country village where the murders are fictional and the locals frequently indulge in witty repartee is just the ticket for forgetting what ails you. In Moved to Murder, a lot of the humor comes from the fact that Vivien is an American trying to fit into a very British lifestyle, and often failing miserably.  But it’s a cozy so, never fear, she has supportive friends and a loving (and pretty hot) husband to see her through.

The other satisfying feature of cozies is their commitment to seeing justice done. There are no escaped serial killers here, determined to wreak havoc in a future installment. No women kidnapped and tortured for chapters on end. Murderers are caught through the clever detecting of a kindly police inspector or an amateur detective (or both) and humanely sent to jail to rethink their ways. Sometimes the victim is practically begging to be killed, nasty person that he is, and you actually find yourself sympathizing with a killer! But no matter, in the cozy world right is right and killing is wrong and a debt must be paid, even if that payment is occasionally creative.

Now, as with all rules, these are made to sometimes be bent or even broken. Agatha Christie’s works contain some quite gory murders, and few of the Golden Age writers are laugh-out-loud riots. But I find that satisfying as well, that there’s enough leeway to allow the creative cozy writer to produce works that suit a range of readers. Whether you like your cozies to feature a hobby, some romance, or a touch more police procedure, there’s something for everyone.

I hope you enjoy Vivien’s adventures, learn a bit of British slang, and have a chuckle or two as she blunders her way through British society. There may be a snarky detective inspector and some interior decorating, but I promise you the animals are safe as houses!

About Gianetta Murray

Like her protagonist, Gianetta is California-raised and moved to England twenty years ago after marrying her British husband. She has worked as a technical writer, knowledge manager, and librarian in both countries and is currently owned by two cats who are unimpressed by her accomplishments but willing to tolerate her in return for food.

Author Links: Website – https://gianettamurray.com, gianettamurray | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Purchase Links – US Link: Moved to Murder UK link: Moved to Murder

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

July 16 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

July 17 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

July 18 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

July 18 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

July 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

July 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 22 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 22 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 24 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 24 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

July 25 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post

Guest Post and Blog Tour For Venetian Bind by Lawrence E. Rothstein

Posted on by Debbie


Venetian Bind
by Lawrence E. Rothstein

About Venetian Bind


Venetian Bind
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Venice
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wild Rose Press (May 15, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509254153
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509254156
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CX5T3CP5

In Venetian Bind, Detective Marko Korb and his associate Kelan Su, a Chinese-American woman, must hunt down a murderer and prevent a devastating terrorist attack in the romantic city of Venice.

Korb, a fat, egotistical, and brilliant detective, and Kelan Su, a former Chicago police officer, licensed attorney, and martial arts expert, arrive in Venice to investigate the murder of Stefan Pakulić, a former Serbian paramilitary leader and accused war criminal.The daughter of a Bosnian expat who had rescued Korb from Pakulić’s clutches during the war is a suspect in the killing. Korb is torn between finding the murderer and his sympathy for the Serbian’s killer—the Venetian bind.

The investigation leads to Pakulić’s connection with Italian neo-fascists planning a terrorist action in Venice. It takes Korb’s genius and the intrepid sleuthing of Su to find the murderer, forestall the terrorist action, and protect the daughter of Korb’s rescuer.

GUEST POST

As a university professor teaching law courses, I often created hypothetical cases for the students to analyze and discuss according to the case law we were studying. This experience was one of the inspirations for writing detective novels after retiring from both a legal and a teaching career. Here is an example that plays off the situation in the movie My Cousin Vinnie.

HIGH AND STONED BUSTED IN ALABAMA

Billie Bob High and Joe Don Stoned, both 21 years old, were arrested in Jasper County, Alabama for armed robbery, murder, the illegal possession of a weapon and for theft of a mint green, 1963 Pontiac Tempest.  Deputy (pronounced “deppitee”) Sheriff Ewall Goodalboise first saw the defendants standing on the sidewalk outside of the Moonshine Bar & Grill with a six pack of beer.  The Deputy was driving back to the Sheriff’s Office at the end of his shift.  Goodalboise, a twenty year veteran on the force, didn’t like their looks.  As he said, “I seen such shifty characters too many times not to be all-fired suspicious that evil doin’s was afoot.”  However, he was unable to say exactly what prompted him to stop his car, get out and ask for their identification.  Although they both provided valid driver’s licenses, he then spun Billie Bob around and told him to put his hands up against the wall and patted down the outside of his clothing looking for weapons.  He found a .357 magnum pistol stuck in the back waistband of Billie Bob’s pants underneath his loose Hawaiian shirt.

He removed the gun and put cuffs on Billie Bob.  Before he patted down Joe Don, he told him to “put that theah sixah down on the sidewalk.”  Joe Don complied, whereupon the Deputy patted him down finding something long and hard that felt like a switchblade knife.  Upon removing it from Joe Don’s pocket, he pressed the button and out popped —— a car key.  “Whereabouts is the car that this key is fer?” asked Deputy Goodalboise.  “The green one up yonder,” answered Stoned, pointing vaguely at a mint green vintage 1960s car parked up the street.   The Deputy then reached down for the six pack, saying: “If ya gonna drive, boy, I’d bettah keep this here sixah.”  He turned it around to note the brand and noticed that its price sticker was from the Sack O’ Suds over in Beechum County.

Suddenly, Deputy Goodalboise remembered that the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office received an inquiry that day from Sheriff  Farley over in Beechum County about a mint green, 1963 Pontiac Tempest,  two boys and a .357 magnum. The information had been requested by the attorney, Vincent Gambino, representing two New York City boys on trial for armed robbery and murder at the Sack O’ Suds. He pushed his hat back, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and drawled: “Well, well, well!  You boys’ll both have to come with me.  It seems y’all maght have some questions to answer over to Beechum County.”  He spun Stoned around, pulled his hands behind his back and clapped on another pair of cuffs.

Prior to trial the boys’ attorneys move to suppress all evidence pertaining to the pistol, the car key, the six pack label and any statements made by the boys concerning the car.  The trial judge suppresses the evidence and the prosecutor takes an immediate appeal as there is no case without this evidence.  The state supreme court affirms the decision of the trial judge and the defendants file a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. The petition is granted.  Discuss the constitutional arguments and cases that will be raised.

ANALYSIS

Remember this case would have gotten to the Supreme Court around the year 2000. Please excuse the lack of legal citation and full discussion of cases.

  1. Does the 4th amendment (through the 14th) apply to Deputy Goodalboise’s stop of High and Stoned to ask them for identification? Yes, but not an arrest, only a limited interruption to their freedom of action.  Since Terry v. Ohio, this means a less restrictive standard – reasonable suspicion rather than probable cause.  It is reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed and the suspects are linked to criminal activity.  Reasonable suspicion, however, is not just a hunch or a feeling.  It must be based on specific stateable facts that relate the suspects to criminal activity.  In Terry, Officer McFadden had observed Terry and his colleagues walk repeatedly past a jewelry store, look inside, and stop and confer with each other out of sight of the store.  In Illinois v. Wardlow, a more recent extension of Terry, the officers observed the suspect running from the police presence in an area known for drug trafficking carrying an opaque paper bag.

High and Stoned were doing nothing unusual at all and certainly nothing that could be linked to criminal activity.  The Deputy admitted that he could not state exactly what made him suspicious of criminal activity or of danger to himself.  As for the danger issue, when questioned, they produced valid identification and did nothing more to create reasonable suspicion.

  1. If the initial stop and frisk violated the 4th Amendment, then all evidence seized as a result of that stop is inadmissible. The fruit of the poisonous tree.   Mapp v. Ohio.
  2. How might we rehabilitate the initial stop? While the Deputy did not say so, we might argue that he possessed facts that made his decision reasonable, i.e. he knew of the Jasper County inquiry about two boys whose descriptions were given.  He might have unconsciously realized that High and Stoned matched the description, even though he only consciously remembered the inquiry later.  We might be breaking new legal ground here with regard to a good faith exception.
  3. If we have rehabilitated the initial stop on the suggested grounds, then the Deputy also had reasonable suspicion of danger. He was then entitled under Terry to frisk, i.e. is to conduct a limited patdown of the outside of the clothing in a search for weapons.  He feels the gun clearly and can now pull it out.  He has probable cause to arrest High now.  He may also frisk Stoned for the same reason.  Finding something that feels like a weapon allows him to pull it out and determine if it is a weapon (it appeared to be a switchblade knife when viewed).  However, can he push the button once he has protected himself from its use?  Probably yes since the possession of a switchblade is also illegal and he would have grounds for an arrest and search incident to a lawful arrest. Chimel v. California.  Similarly, he may look at and manipulate the six-pack as an arrest search (but not if only a stop and frisk). Finding the key, can he now ask what the key is for and use that information to gather further evidence?  This is more problematic as he did not give the Miranda warnings although both could be considered in custody, probable cause being established and both being frisked and relieved of possible weapons.  On the other hand, he might have been prepared to let Stoned go once he determined the key case was not a weapon and therefore Stoned was not interrogated in a custodial situation.  This could be indicated because he asked to keep the six pack if Stoned were driving.  Miranda v. Arizona.

About Lawrence E. Rothstein

I am a retired lawyer and university professor who has published in constitutional law, privacy law, political theory and labor law. Born and raised in Chicago, I am now residing with my wife and family in beautiful southern Rhode Island. I have lived and traveled widely in Europe. As an avid reader of crime fiction, I have always wanted to write detective novels. As a lover of food and cooking, I include many scrumptious meals and some recipes in my novel and on my website.

Webpage: www.Rothsteinsmysteries.com;
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Rothsteinsmysteries;
GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209521954-venetian-bind

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N

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July 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

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July 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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July 12 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

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July 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 14 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

July 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

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Blog Tour and Guest Post for Ghost and the Haunted House by Carmen Radtke

Posted on by Debbie

 


Ghost and the Haunted House
(Genie and Adriana Darling Cozy Paranormal Ghost Mysteries)
by Carmen Radtke

About Ghost and the Haunted House


Ghost and the Haunted House (Genie and Adriana Darling Cozy Paranormal Ghost Mysteries)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Fictional small town in New England
Independently Published (May 29, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D47ZLQWP

Could quaint Cobblewood Cove be a hotbed for black magic?

Genie and her ghostly great-great-aunt Adriana have been too busy with their gelato business and helping with the restoration of the old speakeasy to notice that something isn’t quite right in their small town.

Until pranks with touch of the macabre haunt the neighborhood, right before Halloween.

But it gets worse.

When a locked room murder case points straight at a connection to dark forces, the sleuthing duo fears for the living – and the not-quite so departed.

Can they root out the evil in their midst before it ends Adriana’s happy afterlife – forever?

About Carmen Radtke

Carmen Radtke has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.

She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter.

When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life.

The shaken but stirring novel made it to the longlist of the Mslexia competition, and her next book and first mystery, The Case Of The Missing Bride, was a finalist in the Malice Domestic competition in a year without a winner. Since then she has penned several more cozy mysteries, including the Jack and Frances series set in the 1930s and the Genie and Adriana Darling series.

Carmen now lives in Italy with her human and her four-legged family.

GUEST POST

How (not) to write

Picture this. A quiet, airy room, with a mood board for pictures on the wall, a noticeboard with plot points, character names and a rough chapter outline next to it. The scent of freshly brewed coffee refreshes my senses, and peace reigns supreme while I create a whole world with the touch of my fingertips.

Except, it’s all fiction.

This is how I would love to work ideally, although my first choice will forever be scribbling away in my notebooks in the cafés of Montparnasse in the early 1920s, and then go home and type up my masterworks. Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein have a lot to answer for.

At least my workspace is also slightly on the bohemian (translate: messy) side, and that no matter its size or location.

Reference books are piled up, in case my memory fails me. Crumpled pieces of paper with illegible notes abound – note to self: buy decent pens or work on your handwriting for goodness’ sake. Half a dozen small notebooks in which I keep notes on – well, anything.

Their actual usefulness is highly suspect due to the myriad of entries that make no longer sense.

One example: The source? An excellent question, you will agree. If you know the context. The source of the Nile? The source of money? That flaky pastry I can still taste on my tongue and feel on my hips? I’ve got no idea.

Alas, if I ever throw away these notebooks, their importance will reveal itself the instant the recycling van speeds away. At least it’s in a good tradition; wasn’t it J.K. Rowling who jotted down the original Harry Potter idea on a napkin?

The coffee mug is filled with herbal tea, to tell my brain once and for all that the coffee-break is over and a little bit of help would be nice, thank you very much.

Oooh, there’s a leftover biscuit. I’ll munch it, and then I’ll seriously get down to work. I promise.  Now let me just find the spoon to stir my tea, and check my emails one last time.

The funny thing is, on a good day it still takes me close to an hour from intending to write to physically put words onto the screen, but then I get lured in to this world that I not so much create as give in to. I write until my eyes blur, or the cat, an elderly rescue with lots of serious health issues, cries for attention.

That’s the hardest bit, the struggle to end a writing session. I’ve developed a way to write with the cat on my lap for a while, but there’s only so much time I can twist myself into a human pretzel before everything aches.

On a bad day, when all the words appear clumsy and ring wrong in my ears, I argue with my characters, and myself, and I curse myself for the mess on my too small desk. Because I can’t possibly be expected to create magic on the page under these challenging circumstances, right?

Now, if I could have that quiet, airy room, where no cat scratches at the door to complain about being shut out, or amble through the leafy streets of Paris on my way to my favourite writing jaunt or a congenial drink with like-minded people of style, wit and sophistication, surely it would be different. Instead, I sip the by now cold tea, give a bitter laugh, and walk away.

Luckily, I have something Hemingway didn’t have; a group of supportive writers who constantly check emails and Facebook to commiserate with me and others or cheer me on.

Which is why you find me still here, at my creatively arranged desk, marvelling at the worlds I can create, and the wonders I can find in my bohemian arrangement. I think I spotted a stapler I’ve been searching for ages.

It’s hard to believe I’ve written more than ten novels under these conditions, but there they are, ranging from period mysteries to contemporary, traditional to ghost cozy, and one work of literary fiction.

Over the course of penning the Alyssa Chalmers mysteries, Jack and Frances mysteries, Eve Holdsworth mysteries, and now the Genie and Adriana Darling mysteries, I’ve researched different eras, different towns and countries, upper class and working class, and lived vicariously through my characters (including a certain amount of envy).

Yet I’m always excited to return to them. They’re my friends. Sometimes they defy me, or exasperate me, or lead me astray, but they’re always there. Even if I can’t chronicle their adventures in a café in Montparnasse.

My latest move allowed me to upgrade from a tray to a room with a mood-board on the wall. Alas, it’s also freezing in winter, stifling in summer, and too far from the cat to spend more than an hour or two there . . .

Author Links:

Website – www.carmenradtke.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/Carmen-Radtke-1958399947738868/

Twitter/X – https://www.Twitter.com/CarmenRadtke1

Purchase Links: Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

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July 1 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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July 2 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 3 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – RECIPE

July 4 – OFF

July 5 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 5 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

July 6 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

July 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

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July 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 8 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 9 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 9 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

July 10 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

July 10 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

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