Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Happy Release Day- When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day

Happy Tuesday! It is released day for Maddie Day - When the Grits Hit the Fan is book three in the Country Store Mystery series.



This is the third book in the series and being a fan from book one I was pulled right in, like visiting an old friend. This series keeps getting better and for me this was the best one yet. I hope you will add this to your reading list. You won't want to miss it. I'm looking forward to seeing what Robbie and her friends will get into next time.









Series: A Country Store Mystery (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (March 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1617739294






Despite the bitter winter in South Lick, Indiana, business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder rattles the small town, can Robbie defrost the motives of a cold-blooded killer?

Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University’s Sociology Department at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile. It’s all due to Professor Charles Stilton, who seems to thrive on heated exchanges with his peers and underlings, and tensions flare one night after he disrespects Robbie’s friend, graduate student Lou. So when Robbie and Lou go snowshoeing the next morning and find the contentious academic frozen under ice, police suspect Lou might have killed him after their public tiff. To prove her friend’s innocence, Robbie is absorbing local gossip about Professor Stilton’s past and developing her own thesis on the homicide—even if that means stirring up terrible danger for herself along the way . . .



About the Author:




Maddie Day is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-nominated author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and three cats in Massachusetts.

As Edith Maxwell, she write the Local Foods Mysteries (Kensington Publishing) and the Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Midnight Ink).

You can find all Maddie's/Edith's identities at www.edithmaxwell.com. She blogs every week day with the other Wicked Cozy Authors at wickedcozyauthors.com. Look for her as Edith M. Maxwell and Maddie Day on Facebook and @edithmaxwell and @maddiedayauthor on Twitter.


Friday, March 24, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet

Happy Friday! It is a brand new series with a new to me author. Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet is a first in the Whiskey Business Mystery series. Released on March 21st.











File Size: 1886 KB
Print Length: 275 pages
Publisher: Alibi (March 21, 2017)
Publication Date: March 21, 2017
Sold by: Random House LLC






When Abi inherits her uncle’s quaint and storied single malt distillery, she finds herself immersed in a competitive high-stakes business that elicits deep passions and prejudices. An award-winning photojournalist, Abi has no trouble capturing the perfect shot—but making the perfect shot is another matter. When she starts to receive disturbing, anonymous threats, it’s clear that someone wants her out of the picture. But Abi’s never been one to back down from a fight.

Arriving on the scene with her whisky-loving best friend, Patrick, and an oversized wheaten terrier named Liam, Abi seems to put everyone in the bucolic village on edge—especially her dour but disturbingly attractive head distiller. Acts of sabotage and increasingly personal threats against Abi make it clear that she is not welcome. When one of Abi’s new employees is found floating facedown in a vat of whisky, Abi is determined to use her skills as an investigative journalist to identify the cold-blooded killer and dispense a dram of justice before he strikes again. But distilling truth from lies is tricky, especially when everyone seems to have something to hide.







About the author:




Melinda Mullet was born in Dallas and attended school in Texas, Washington D.C., England, and Austria. She spent many years as a practicing attorney before pursuing a career as a writer. Author of the Whisky Business Mystery series, Mullet is a passionate supporter of childhood literacy. She works with numerous domestic and international charities striving to promote functional literacy for all children. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.

Author Links

Webpage – http://melindamullet.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mulletmysteries/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mulletmysteries



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Saturday, March 18, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Elementary,She Read by Vicki Delany

Happy Saturday! I am thrilled to be on this blog tour. Vicki Delany has a brand new series, Elementary,She Read  was released on March 14th.



Elementary,She Read is the first in the Sherlock Holmes bookshop mystery series. Shelockians will love this book. A Strong cast of characters with an eye for solving the case and a great story that will keep you engaged until the end. I enjoyed this book and as a Delany and Sherlock fan I am looking forward to the next one.










Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (March 14, 2017)
Hardcover: 320 pages






Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop–located at 222 Baker Street–specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.


The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman’s suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it’s a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.




About the Author:





Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers. She is the author of twenty-three published crime novels, including standalone Gothic thrillers, the Constable Molly Smith series, and the Year Round Christmas Mysteries. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she is the national bestselling author of the Lighthouse Library cozy series.

The first in Vicki’s Sherlock Holmes bookshop series, Elementary She Read, will be released in March 2017 from Crooked Lane Books.

Vicki lives and writes in Prince Edward County, Ontario. She is the past president of the Crime Writers of Canada.

www.vickidelany.com Facebook: Vicki Delany & Eva Gates and twitter: @vickidelany and @evagatesauthor



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Thursday, March 16, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table by Janet Finsilver

Happy Thursday! Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table by Janet Finsilver was released on March 14th.


Fun and witty characters bring you into this story that keeps you turning the pages until the end.Leaving you wanting more you will be hooked on this series. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one.









Paperback: 190 pages
Publisher: Lyrical Underground (March 14, 2017)
Language: English







Poisons, prophecies—and a peculiar past . . .

When a local woman begins searching for a couple she hasn’t seen since the 1960s, Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast manager Kelly Jackson and the crime-solving group, the “Silver Sentinels,” are quick to help out. They’re also quick to guess that they’re in over their heads after the woman is found dead beside the body of a Greek fortune teller—and a fellow Sentinel gets attacked. As Kelly juggles work and her responsibilities at a food and wine festival in town, she and her sleuthing posse must confront a killer obsessed with old secrets . . . and solve a murder mystery more than fifty years in the making . . .



Guest Post:

The Kelly Jackson Mystery Series
by
Janet Finsilver

My series takes place in Redwood Cove, a small fictitious town based on Mendocino, California, on the Pacific coast in the northern part of the state. While the natural beauty of the area attracts tourists, because of Mendocino’s remote location and the twisty roads a visitor needs to travel to get there, the community offers a wide array of events and festivals as an additional way to tempt visitors.

My husband and I enjoy vacationing in the area. We’ve attended a number of the activities offered over the years. I decided to use Mendocino as the place where my mysteries take place for a number of reasons. I thought it would be fun to include the events in my series. The scenery is breathtaking with constantly crashing waves against rock cliffs and majestic towering redwoods. The town and surrounding area has been designated as the Mendocino and Headlands Historic District. Many of the buildings are from the 1800s. The Mendocino Presbyterian Church dedicated on July 5, 1868, is still in use. There are strict rules that need to be adhered to when building or remodeling so the town has an “Old West” charm about it that adds another appealing aspect to Mendocino.

I’ve woven an event into each of my books. In Murder at Redwood Cove my affair is called A Taste of Chocolate and Wine Festival, although A Taste of Chocolate, Wine, and Ale is the name of the actual happening. Huge tents are set up and numerous tables are filled with— you guessed it—chocolate, wine, and ale! The Mendocino area is known for the wine grown in the region and wine tasting is part of many of the activities.

Whales migrate past the Mendocino area so the town hosts a Whale Festival in honor of the giant mammals. Whale Frolic in Murder at the Mansion is based on this event. The morning starts with chowder sampling. The doors of the Crown Hall built in 1901 are flung open and people flood in. One side of the room is lined with tables holding huge pots of steaming soup. Representatives from the local restaurants donating the chowder ladle samples for attendees. In the afternoon local establishments offer wine and appetizers throughout the town. It’s a fun, full day!

Winesong takes place in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and is a magical experience. I used it to create Wine and Flowers in Murder at the Fortuneteller’s Table. Walkways meander through redwood trees and grassy open areas. Tables filled with wine and food occupy each glen. Many different types of musicians play at various spots. The money raised benefits the Mendocino Coast District Hospital.

The botanical gardens are woven into Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table by more than just the festival. It is the site for several action scenes. My protagonist, Kelly Jackson, is helping at one of the tables where people can learn about happenings throughout the year. She goes over the day before to familiarize herself with where she’ll be working. The day doesn’t go quite as planned and Kelly gets an unexpected ride of sorts.

It’s a wonderful community, and I’ve gotten to know a number of people who live there. Tourism supplies a large part of Mendocino’s income. I thought if I could do something to encourage people to go there, I’d be benefiting the town. Hence, I write not only about the beauty of the area, but the fun things to do on a visit, including the festivals, in my books and on social media.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some of the background for the series and more about the town of Redwood Cove. Happy reading!




About the Author:






Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY best-selling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. She worked in education for many years as a teacher, a program administrator, and a workshop presenter. Janet majored in English and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. She loves animals and has two dogs–Kylie and Ellie. Janet has ridden western style since she was a child and was a member of the National Ski Patrol. One of the highlights of her life was touching whales in the San Ignacio Lagoon. MURDER AT REDWOOD COVE, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Her second book, MURDER AT THE MANSION, was released on June 7, 2016.


Author Links

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/janetfinsilverauthor/?fref=ts
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JanetFinsilver
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/janetfinsilver/
Web – http://janetfinsilver.com/



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Monday, March 13, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Pekoe Most Poison by Laura Childs

Happy Monday! I am excited to be part of this blog tour. Laura Childs 18th book in the Tea Shop Mystery series was released on March 7th.


Pekoe Most Poison was one of the best ones in the series. I couldn't put it down. Once you start you get so involved in the story you lose track of time and you are at the end. This one is so good it did just that. I am already looking forward to the next one. And don't you all just love the cover!











Series: A Tea Shop Mystery (Book 18)
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 7, 2017)
Language: English






Synopsis 


In the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, Theodosia Browning attends a “Rat Tea,” where the mice will play…at murder.

When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health.

But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat.

The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse…

INCLUDES RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS




About the author:






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 fund raising 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 take 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:
Webpage – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31




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Sunday, March 12, 2017

Blog Tour and giveaway- Purr M For Murder by T.C.LoTempio

Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to be on this blog tour. T.C. LoTempio has a brand new series releasing on March 14th. Purr M for Murder( A Cat Rescue Mystery) is an enjoyable and fun read. The fresh new cast of characters will keep you going and the story is so well written you won't be able to put this book down.









Series: A Cat Rescue Mystery (Book 1)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books; First Edition edition (March 14, 2017)
Language: English







Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat–along with Littleton’s dead body.

Local homicide detective Will Worthington–who just happens to be Sydney’s old high school crush–is highly suspicious of the sisters’ involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton’s death–until the killer notices she’s pawing a little too closely at the truth.




Character Guest Post:

Toby, Savvy Orange Tabby and Amateur Sleuth!
(Purr M for Murder, T. C. Lotempio)

Hello, my name is Toby. Up until a little while ago I was a resident at Friendly Paws Animal Shelter in Deer Park, North Carolina. I liked it there, but I yearned for the day when I’d find my perfect human – the yin to my yang, so to speak. I think that’s the main reason I developed a knack for being able to slip out of my cage and out of the shelter and wander around the streets of Deer Park at night. I’ve always considered myself a pretty independent fellow, but let’s face it, there’s a lot to be said for a nice soft fleece bed, toys to play with and three squares a day! I’d pretty much given up on finding that perfect human to share my catly life with…and then Syd walked into my life!

Syd is Sydney McCall. She’s the sister of Katherine “Kat” McCall, the director of Friendly Paws. The shelter was in trouble, and Kat called upon her sister who’d recently left her j ob in NY, to help. Syd has a lot of savvy marketing experience that Kat thought would come in handy with fundraising. The minute Syd looked at me, hunkered down in my cage, I just knew…and so did she. The fact that we share a love of mysteries doesn’t hurt, either. I admit to having a yen to be like other feline detectives, Nick and Midnight Louie for example. And Syd’s been a closet detective since she read her first Nancy Drew! So when she and Kat stumbled across that dead body, I couldn’t help but toss her a clue…or two.

Believe you me, as long as there are msyteries around the town of Deer Park, Syd will be solving them – with an assist from yours truly, that is. Meow!


About the author:





While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She (and ROCCO, albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuted Dec. 2, 2014. Followed by #2, CLAWS FOR ALARM. #3, CRIME AND CATNIP, was released in December. She, Rocco and Maxx make their home in Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York. Catch up with them at www.tclotempio.net and www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com

Where to find them:

ROCCO’s blog:
www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com

Website:
https://www.tclotempio.net/



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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Death by Chocolate Lab by Bethany Blake

Happy Thursday! Death by Chocolate Lab by Bethany Blake was released on February 28th.



This is the first book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series and she really has a hit with this one. I enjoyed it and loved the new characters and the story keeps you interested. Pet lovers will be hooked on this one.











Cozy Mystery
New Series
Kensington (February 28, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages







Pet sitter Daphne Templeton has a soft spot for every stray and misfit who wanders into the quaint, lakeside village of Sylvan Creek. But even Daphne doesn’t like arrogant, womanizing Steve Beamus, the controversial owner of Blue Ribbon K-9 Academy. When Steve turns up dead during a dog agility trial, Daphne can think of a long list of people with motives for homicide, and so can the police. Unfortunately, at the top of the list is Daphne’s sister, Piper—Steve’s latest wronged girlfriend.

Certain that Piper is innocent, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, Daphne sets out to clear her sister’s name—and find Axis, Steve’s prize-winning chocolate Labrador, who went missing the night of Steve’s death. Aided by Socrates, her taciturn basset hound, and a hyperactive one-eared Chihuahua named Artie, Daphne quickly runs afoul of Detective Jonathan Black, a handsome and enigmatic newcomer to town, who has no appreciation for Daphne’s unorthodox sleuthing.

Can a free-spirited pet sitter, armed only with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and her two incompatible dogs, find the real killer before she becomes the next victim?

Includes recipes for homemade dog treats!




About the Author:






Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.



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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Blog tour and giveaway-The Art of Vanishing by Cynthia Kuhn

Happy Tuesday! The Art of Vanishing A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery by Cynthia Kuhn was released on February 28th.









Series: A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery (Book 2)
Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: Henery Press (February 28, 2017)
Language: English






Synopsis

When Professor Lila Maclean is sent to interview celebrated author and notorious cad Damon Von Tussel, he disappears before her very eyes. The English department is thrown into chaos by the news, as Damon is supposed to headline Stonedale University’s upcoming Arts Week.

The chancellor makes it clear that he expects Lila to locate the writer and set events back on track immediately. But someone appears to have a different plan: strange warnings are received, valuable items go missing, and a series of dangerous incidents threaten the lives of Stonedale’s guests. After her beloved mother, who happens to be Damon’s ex, rushes onto campus and into harm’s way, Lila has even more reason to bring the culprit to light before anything—or anyone—else vanishes.



Lila is back in book two of the Lila Maclean Academic series and strange things are happening that she is determined to find out who is causing them and why. I was on the edge of my seat in this fast-paced read. The author keeps you captivated until the last page. Looking forward to what will happen next time.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean academic mystery series. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Literary Mama, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD and other publications. She teaches English at Metropolitan State University of Denver and serves as president of Sisters in Crime-Colorado. Visit her at cynthiakuhn.net or @cynthiakuhn.

Author Links

Webpage: cynthiakuhn.wordpress.com
Blog: mysteristas.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiakuhnwriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cynthiakuhn
Twitter: @cynthiakuhn



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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Blog Tour- Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon

Happy Sunday! Lynn Cahoon is here today with her newest book in the Cat Latimer series. Fatality by Firelight was released on February 28th.








Series: A Cat Latimer Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington (February 28, 2017)
Language: English



Synopsis

Cat Latimer’s Colorado bed-and-breakfast plays host to writers from all over. But murder is distinctly unwelcome . . .

To kick off a winter writing retreat, Cat and her handyman boyfriend, Seth, escort the aspiring authors to a nearby ski resort, hoping some fresh cold air will wake up their creative muses. But instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the bar—and before long, a tipsy romance novelist named Christina is keeping herself warm with a local ski bum who might have neglected to tell her about his upcoming wedding.

Next thing Cat knows, her uncle, the town sheriff, informs her that the young man’s been found dead in a hot tub—and Christina shows up crying and covered in blood. Now, between a murder mystery, the theft of a rare Hemingway edition, and the arrival of a black-clad stranger in snowy Aspen Hills, Cat’s afraid everything’s going downhill . .


About the author:





Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today best-selling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader’s Crown for Mystery Fiction in 2015. She’s also pens the recently released, Cat Latimer series. A STORY TO KILL, book 1, came out in mass market paperback September 2016.She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com


Author Links
Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor
Amazon author page – http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Website – http://lynncahoon.com/



Saturday, March 4, 2017

Blog Tour- Kneaded to Death by Winnie Archer

Happy Saturday! I am excited to be on the blog tour. Kneaded to Death (A Bread Shop Mystery) by Winnie Archer is a First in a brand New Series releasing on March 7th.









Series: A Bread Shop Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Kensington; Reissue edition (February 28, 2017)
Language: English




Synopsis:

Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!




This brand new series will tickle your taste buds. Kneaded to Death is the first in the bread shop mystery , that is filled with fun and hours of enjoyable reading. With a fresh cast of characters that you want to get to know and a story so well well written you won't be able to put it down. I am looking forward to what Ivy and her friends will find themselves into next.




Guest Post:

Here’s my confession. I don’t eat gluten. Which means I don’t actually eat normal wheat bread. I know, ironic for the author of a cozy mystery series featuring…bread.


Then, to add insult to injury, my daughter and I started having our own gastro issues. Enough said there, but instead of only modifying the family’s diet for the two celiacs, we did the shift for the entire family of seven. Not easy, but over the years I’ve become quite adept at baking gluten free.

The thing is, even though we have to eat gluten free, we still love bread. And muffins. And cookies. And…well, you get the idea. We like it all. And so I set about figuring out how to make all the things we love—and how to make sure my kids didn’t feel deprived of these tasty treats. So I bake. Pretty frequently. I adapt recipes, I’ve finally found excellent cookbooks to guide me, and we eat bread. All kinds of bread.

Still, given that I can’t actually eat wheat-based products, isn’t it ironic that my new series is centered on a bread shop? But it really does make sense. When I was brainstorming ideas for the new book series, I knew there had to be a bread connection. It just made sense.

I’ve had so much fun making all the recipes that I used to make before we became gluten free eaters. I’ve adapted them and my family pretty much loves the fact that the series is about bread. They get to reap the benefits!

I’ve made a lot of tasty treats as I’ve written this first book, Kneaded to Death. Pan dulce, baguettes, croissants, and, my favorite, popovers. Not just any popovers. Gruyere and black pepper popovers adapted from a fantastic Austin, Texas chef. The best thing about popovers is that they are incredibly easy to make. Milk, eggs, flour, and salt. To make them with gruyere, add that yummy nutty cheese.

Now, for gluten free popovers, just use an all purpose GF flour blend instead of regular flour. They’ll turn out perfectly!

I hope you all enjoy Kneaded to Death, as well as the bread recipes I’ve included at the end of the book. But you get a sneak peak here of the popovers. Try them! You won’t be disappointed.


Gruyère and Black Pepper Popovers (16)

Recipe inspired
By Jodi Elliott, owner and chef of Foreign & Domestic Food & Drink
in Austin, Texas


INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose
¾ cups Gruyère cheese, cut into small cubes
Grated Gruyère cheese on top just after baking.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 ̊ and place the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Place a dot of butter in the bottom of each muffin or popover cup and allow to heat in the oven while you make the popover batter.

2. Use a small saucepan to warm milk at medium heat. It should be hot, but do not bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and black pepper until smooth. Stir in the warm milk.

4. Add flour to the egg mixture. Combine. The batter should be the consistency of cream. A few lumps are okay!

5. Remove the muffin pans from the oven. Spray the pans generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about ⅓ cup of the batter into each of 16 muffin cups or into the popover pan.

Place several cubes of cheese on top of the batter in each cup. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350. Bake the popovers until the tops puff up and are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remember, do not open the oven door while baking. You don’t want the popovers to collapse!

7. Turn onto a wire cooling rack right away to preserve the crispy edge of the popovers. Using a sharp knife, pierce the base of each popover to release the steam. Sprinkle grated Gruyère over finished popovers, if desired, and serve immediately.



About the Author:





The indefatigable Winnie Archer is a middle school teacher by day, and a writer by night. Born in a beach town in California, she now lives in an inspiring century old house in North Texas and loves being surrounded by real-life history. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with both yoga and chocolate, adores pumpkin spice lattes, is devoted to her five kids and husband, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

Visit Winnie online:
WinnieArcher.com

Winnie Archer is the pseudonym for national bestselling author Melissa Bourbon. Learn more at http://melissabourbon.com. Twitter @MelissaBourbon



Friday, March 3, 2017

Blog Tour- No Way Home by Annette Dashofy

Happy Friday! I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour.  Annette Dashofy's newest book in the Zoe Chamber's Mystery Series is releasing on March 14th. No Way Home is the best one yet. Great story that keeps you on the edge. Get your copy today for a thrilling adventure.










Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Henery Press (March 14, 2017)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635111774
Kindle 9781635111798




Synopsis

A relaxing trail ride turns tragic when Paramedic and Deputy Coroner Zoe Chambers discovers the body of a popular county commissioner in her Pennsylvania woods. Inconsistencies surround the horrible accident, but before she can investigate further, she’s pried away by a plea for help from her best friend whose son has been deemed a person of interest in a homicide over a thousand miles away. When he vanishes without a trace, his mother begs Zoe to help clear him and bring him safely home. The task takes Zoe out of her comfort zone in a frantic trip to the desolate canyons and bluffs of New Mexico where she joins forces with the missing boy’s sister and a mysterious young Navajo.
Back at home, Vance Township’s Chief of Police Pete Adams must deal not only with the commissioner’s homicide, but with an influx of meth and a subsequent rash of drug overdoses in his rural community. Bodies keep turning up while suspects keep disappearing. However little else matters when he learns that half a continent away, a brutal killer has Zoe in his sights.








About The Author –

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE, published by Henery Press, was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and for the David Award for Best Mystery of 2014. LOST LEGACY, was released in September 2014 followed in April 2015 by BRIDGES BURNED, which has been nominated for the Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel. WITH A VENGEANCE, the fourth in the series, was released May 3, 2016.

Author Links

website– www.annettedashofy.com

blog– http://annettedashofy.blogspot.com/

Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/annette.dashofy

Twitter– @Annette_Dashofy



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First in Series- Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross

Happy Monday! This week's First in Series is Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross Released on August 22, 2000. Seri...