Category: 4 Star

5 Things I Won’t Leave Home Without

by Kathy Aarons

My critique partner recommended this as a blog topic and my first thought was, “But I have only three.” And then I got it: I’m supposed to go a little deeper than “my purse, my keys and my cell phone. So here goes:

My family – Not my actual family. The idea of my family. My love of my family, both immediate and extended. My husband is most likely at work when I’m leaving the house, and my girls are away at college. I’m an empty nester who takes advantage of Skype, Facebook, and email to keep in touch with her kids. All of which I can do from my phone. Which is with me at all times. Just ask my family.
My friends – Living away from my family means I had to create my own little local family. My friends are very supportive of my writing, but they’d be supportive if I decided to take up knitting kitten-themed coasters and selling them on Etsy. They listen to my frustrations and then remind me that I’m living my dream, so knock off the whining. We text way too much, especially right before movies for some reason. Using my phone.
My music – I love listening to music when I walk and when I drive. I like to say that my music tastes stopped maturing in middle school. I love most of what’s on popular music stations and rarely listen to music from “back in the day.” And just like a preteen, I sometimes fall out of love with my music a few days after I buy it on iTunes. My music? Also on my phone.
Paper for observations – Whenever I get out of the house, I people watch. And 99% of the time, I have paper to write it down. I keep little notebooks in my purse, and larger ones in my car. If I get stuck somewhere, I notice things and write them down. In the rare times I’m stuck without paper, I type my notes into my phone.
Purse/keys/phone – I’m very particular about my purses, but probably not in the way you’d expect. They have to be crossover with a very long strap and must have easy access to my phone. I buy them cheap – usually under $20 at Target. My above-mentioned friends keep buying me “real” purses, which I grudgingly use for nice dinner or special events, but the next day I’m back to my cheapo casual purse, which holds my keys. And my phone.
Coffee – Or at least the buzz from it. I grind almost a cup of beans to make my French press coffee, and drink the whole thing before most people are awake. I made the mistake of trying Yemen pour-over coffee at Bird Rock Roasters – it brings coffee to a whole ‘nother level, like sipping expensive wine. The coffee is so smooth and non-bitter that you can taste the notes of berry and chocolate inside. It’s way too expensive, so I can only have it as a special reward. I have artistic photos of it on my phone.

So I guess I have more than five things!
Truffled to Death

Two best friends sell books and bonbons—and solve crimes—in this mystery from the author of Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates…

Hoping to sweeten sales for their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, Michelle and Erica host a reception highlighting a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery curated by Erica’s former mentor, Professor Addison Moody. The evening has a few hiccups, but the ladies soon smooth things over with ample servings of wine and chocolate.

Yet with the sweet comes the bitter. The very next day, the antiquities from the reception are discovered missing. The professor accuses Erica of having sticky fingers, claiming she wants revenge on him. And she’s only in more trouble after he’s found stabbed to death with one of the artifacts. Now Michelle must help Erica track down the real killer before someone else finds themselves in less than mint condition…

About the Author:

Kathy Aarons is the author of Truffled to Death, second in the CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley Prime Crime. Her first book, Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates, was a national bestseller.

Research for the series was a hardship: sampling chocolate, making chocolate, sampling more chocolate, and hanging out in bookstores.

Kathy lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early and is currently obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.

You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com.

Hoping to sweeten sales for their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, Michelle and Erica host a reception highlighting a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery curated by Erica’s former mentor, Professor Addison Moody. The evening has a few hiccups, but the ladies soon smooth things over with ample servings of wine and chocolate.

Yet with the sweet comes the bitter. The very next day, the antiquities from the reception are discovered missing. The professor accuses Erica of having sticky fingers, claiming she wants revenge on him. And she’s only in more trouble after he’s found stabbed to death with one of the artifacts. Now Michelle must help Erica track down the real killer before someone else finds themselves in less than mint condition…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Truffled To Death

Review (3.5 Stars): This is the second book in the Chocolate Covered Mystery series and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Michelle and Erica are hosting their first event which highlights a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery.  There are minor issues at the reception but is considered a success until the next day when the Mayan antiquities are discovered missing and Erica is blamed by her former mentor.  Things go from bad to worse when her mentor is found dead and everything points back at Erica as the killer.  It is up to Michelle to find the clues that will lead to the true killer before Erica is put away for a crime that she didn’t commit.

Truffled To Death is the perfect mixture of murder, books and chocolates that is sure to delight cozy readers.  I love Michelle and Erica’s relationship and how they will do anything to protect one another.  The mystery in this one was fun and entertaining and definitely a quick read.  Looking forward to book number three in the series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Truffled To Death. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by June 16th, please leave me a comment below:

Disaster Cat

by Annie Knox

We recently welcomed a new member to our household: a shelter cat named Tiberius. We weren’t in the market for another cat; we were happy with just two. But I went to PetCo to buy some litter, gave in to the impulse to look at the adoptable cats, and fell immediately in love with this beefy, thick-necked fellow.

At PetCo, Tiberius was super chill. I mean, a really mellow dude. In retrospect, he might have been depressed, or maybe just exhausted by the endless parade of people past his kennel. Whatever the case, he fell asleep in my arms the first time I picked him up, and I expected that he would be the ultimate lap cat.

When we got him home, though, Tibby—as he quickly became known—perked up considerably. Perked up, and wigged out. It turns out Tibby is a hot mess of a cat.

In the few weeks we’ve had him, he’s gotten his head stuck in a bag (which held tantalizing tortilla chips), pulled our George Foreman grill off the counter, broken every cat toy in the house, and developed a problem with flatulence.

That’s right. We adopted a gassy cat. It’s just . . . wow. He’s a really, really gassy cat.

This wee beastie we brought into our lives is a walking disaster, but somehow that’s made us love him even more.

Tibby’s endearing flaws have led me to think about the appeal of imperfection, in humans as well as animals. Perfect people, like perfect pets, inspire admiration. But there’s something about goofy, dorky, silly, wounded, fragile, damaged people that inspires something deeper. I’m reminded of a song from The King and I called “Something Wonderful”:

This is a man who thinks with his heart,
and his heart is not always wise.
This is a man who stumbles and falls,
But this is a man who tries.
This is a man you’ll forgive and forgive,
And help and protect, as long as you live . . .

As an author, this is an important lesson. Creating characters that readers will love, characters they’ll connect with, is a challenge, and one of the keys to that challenge is creating characters who have their share of flaws.

What do you think? Who are your favorite characters and what are their flaws?

About the Author:

Annie Knox doesn’t commit–or solve–murders in her real life, but her passion for animals is 100% true. She’s also a devotee of 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. While Annie is a native Buckeye and has called a half dozen states “home,” she and her husband now live in a crumbling historic house just a stone’s throw from the courthouse square in a north Texas town.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

The Midwestern Cat Fanciers’ Organization is bringing its annual weeklong retreat to Merryville, Minnesota. While that’s perfect for Izzy’s business, it unleashes headaches for everyone else. The event has lots of workshops on the care and breeding of cats, and it culminates in a cat show with a fabulous prize—a platinum collar dangle worth some big bucks.

Cattiness, of course, ensues. But the claws really come out after the prize disappears, and the wealthy director, Phillip Denford, is done in with a pair of grooming shears. Now Izzy and her furry friends, Packer and Jinx, can’t waste time pussyfooting around. They have to solve this case before a killer pounces again.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Collared For Murder

Review (3.75 Stars): Izzy has her hands full with this mystery because she stumbles on another dead body during the Midwestern Cat Fanciers’ retreat and her competition, Pris, is the number one suspect.  Izzy is such a likeable character that you will enjoy spending time with and I love her quirky aunt, Dolly.  It was fun seeing the politics involved in putting together a cat show and the mishaps that happen along the way. Collared For Murder is a charming, well-written mystery that is a purrfect addition to an already entertaining series.  Can’t wait to see what is next for Izzy and the gang in the next installment of the series.

Giveaway

Blog Interview with Pepper Pomeroy

What new thing would you try? Scuba diving

What would make you say no? Sky diving

What do you get too much of? Chicago winter storms

And not enough? Sunshine

What fear have you conquered?Going into business for myself

Not Quite Yet? Failure

What are you getting better at? Sleuthing

What are you getting worse at? Time management

What would you pay good money for? A top of the line home office

What wouldn’t you take even if it were free? A vacation with my ex-boyfriend

Do you have a career highlight? Helping Warren plan my sister’s proposal

And low point? Turning down $10,000 for a proposal that wasn’t right.

What are you endlessly curious about? Relationships and falling in love

And zero interest in? Jogging

What do you empathize with? Wanting to make a proposal perfect

What do you have no sympathy for? Killers

What is worth the wait? Love

What do you have no patience for? People who don’t believe in romance

What’s always cool? True love

What’s never cool? Murder

About the Author:

Nancy J Parra AKA Nancy Coco is the author of 19 published novels which include three mystery series: The Gluten-free Baker’s Treat Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), The Candy Coated Mysteries (Kensington), and The Perfect Proposal Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime).  Her writing has been called witty and her protagonists plucky by reviewers around the world.  Nancy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and writes for the Killer Character Blog on the 8th of every month.  Nancy loves to hear from readers. Find her at www.nancyjparra.com

Pepper’s new wedding proposal planning business, Perfect Proposals, seems like a perfect fit. If only shopping for her sister Felicity’s bridal gown could be so simple.

After a long day of lace, tulle, and tears, Pepper, Felicity, and their mother pull it together to try one last bridal boutique. Maybe they’ll be surprised. And indeed they are—when they enter a deserted shop and soon discover the owner of the boutique slain in the alley out back.

Distressed by their proximity to the crime, Pepper vows to unveil the killer. As difficult as it is to draw a pattern from the clues, it’s still easier than finding Felicity’s perfect wedding gown. But as the killer begins to feel hemmed in, Pepper may be the one brought to her knees…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Bodice of Evidence

Review (4 Stars):  Pepper is such a firecracker and you can’t help but adore her spunky personality in these mysteries.  Pepper is in the planning stages of her sister’s wedding and they are having trouble finding the perfect wedding dress for Felicity.  At one of their bridal appointments, Pepper finds the body of the bridal boutique owner and has another mystery on her hands.  Now she must find a killer as well as help Felicity find the perfect dress or this dream wedding may be permanently postponed.

Bodice of Evidence is a delightful addition to such a fun new series and I love spending time with Pepper.  In this mystery, she has taken on the task of helping her sister find the “perfect” wedding dress and is having difficulties making what her sister envisions become a reality.  I remember the madness involved in planning your wedding and wanting everything to be perfect.

Ms. Parra does a great job with these characters and shows the humor involved with these festivities and not just the chaos.  The mystery was well-written and enjoyable and I love how Pepper’s new relationship with Gage is progressing nicely so we may see wedding bells in her future as well.  I love this series and I think readers will too once they actually get spend time with Pepper.  Can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

Giveaway

When Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki decide to open a bookstore café in their new town of Pine Hills, they decide to call it “Death by Coffee,” after Krissy’s father’s most famous mystery novel. Little do they know how well the name fits…

On their very first day of business, Brendon Lawyer huffily takes his coffee…to the grave. It seems he had a severe allergy to peanuts…but how could there have been nuts in his coffee? And who stole his emergency allergy medication?

Fortunately, Krissy’s love of puzzles and mysteries leads her not only to Officer Paul Dalton, but also to many of her new neighbors, who aren’t terribly upset that the book is closed on Brendon. But one of them is a killer, and Krissy needs to read between the lies if she wants to save her new store—and live to see how this story ends…

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

Alex Erickson has always wanted to write, even at a young, impressionable age. He’s always had an interest in the motive behind murder, which has led him down his current path. He’s always ready with a witty—at least in his opinion—quip, and tries to keep every conversation light and friendly. Alex lives in Ohio with his family and resident felines, who provide endless amounts of inspiration.

Facebook/Twitter

Jennifer’s Review of Death By Coffee

Review (3.75 Stars):  I adored Krissy and Vicki in Death by Coffee and I loved the idea of a having a bookstore café be the focal point of this mystery.  Krissy had just opened her bookstore café when one of their customers ends up dead from anaphylactic reaction to peanuts and the emergency medication that could have saved his life is now missing.  Rumors are saying that Krissy’s café may be responsible for his death and now Krissy must figure out the clues to find the real killer before her dream business is closed for good.

Death By Coffee was a delightful fast-paced mystery and I loved all the quirky characters that helped to make this story more enjoyable.  I instantly connected with Krissy, who loves puzzles and thought she was the perfect heroine to solve this mystery. I love finding new authors and I am excited to read the next book in the series by Mr. Erickson.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next time you visit the mystery section at your favorite bookstore, count the number of books that have cats on the covers. Although it might be easier to count the ones that don’t. There has been a cat on the cover of every one of my Bibliophile Mysteries.

And my Fixer-Upper Mysteries, too!

And now there’s a cat on the cover of my latest book, Ripped from the Pages.

Well… a kitten. The same kitten that appeared on the cover of The Book Stops Here last year because finally, Brooklyn Wainwright has a cat of her very own. Charlie (aka Charlemagne Cupcake Wainwright Stone, a weighty name for something so tiny and cute).

Cats and cozy mysteries seem to go together, and I think it’s because cats are both mysterious and cozy. They don’t express themselves as openly and as enthusiastically as dogs do. Their love is not automatic—you have to earn it. You have to prove yourself worthy of being allowed the honor of petting a cat.

Once you do win the love of a cat, that’s where the “cozy” part comes in. Can there be anything cozier than sitting in a comfy chair to read a good book, with a cat curled up in your lap? Their purr is hypnotic and almost magically disperses the stresses of the day.

I’m going to have fun watching little Charlie grow up, and I hope readers will, too. Although the books are published about a year apart, much less time passes in Brooklyn’s world between books, which means that although Charlie was first introduced two years ago, she’s still just a kitten. Here’s a snippet from Ripped from the Pages so you can see how Charlie reacts the first time she meets a dog face-to-face.

My parents’ next-door neighbors, the Quinlans, generously offered up their gorgeous French-style cottage for our use. They were off to Europe for three months. We offered to pay them rent, but all they required from us was that we take good care of their golden retriever, Maggie.

Once we were unpacked and exploring the kitchen, Derek and I watched Maggie and Charlie sniff and circle each other for a few minutes. Finally, they seemed to agree that they could live in peace together. At least, I hoped so. Maggie ambled over to her bed and settled herself down on the fluffy surface. Charlie followed right behind her, clambered up and perched directly on Maggie’s big paw. Maggie stared at the tiny creature for a long moment and I prepared myself to whisk the cat away. But then Maggie let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. Charlie snuggled up against the big dog’s soft, warm fur and was asleep several seconds later.

Derek and I exchanged smiles. I had a feeling we would all be very happy here.

And now here I was, sitting in my mother’s kitchen on a bright, Monday morning, drinking coffee with Robin and listening as my mother tried to brush past the fact that I did indeed have an alarming tendency to come upon dead bodies in the strangest places. Luckily, that wasn’t likely to happen in Dharma anytime soon.

Are you a cat person or a dog person (or both)? Share a cute story about a pet in your life.

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle is a native Californian who worked in television production for many years before turning to writing. A lifelong fascination with the art and craft of bookbinding led her to write the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Her latest book is RIPPED FROM THE PAGES, available now in hardcover and ebook.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Excited to explore the secrets of wine country, Brooklyn attends an excavation of the caves hidden deep under her parents’ commune—and the findings are explosive. A room is unearthed, and it contains a treasure trove of artwork, rare books, a chest of jewelry…and a perfectly mummified body.

A closer examination of the murdered man’s possessions reveals a valuable first edition of Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Hidden in the book is a secret map that unveils an even greater hoard of treasures brought to California by French winemakers fleeing the Nazi invasion with the commune leader’s grandfather, Anton, among them.

As reporters and art appraisers flock to Sonoma to see the precious bounty, questions begin to rise—did Anton hide these items to protect them, or did he steal them for himself? Who is the mysterious man left for dead inside the cave? But not all crime is buried in the past. When a new presence threatens the town’s peace, Brooklyn decides to do a little excavating of her own and solve the mystery of the treasure before anyone else is written off….

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Ripped From The Pages

Review (4 Stars): What a fascinating mystery!  I love Ms. Carlisle’s mysteries because of the detailed research that is involved with each book that Brooklyn restores.  In Ripped From The Pages, Brooklyn has moved back to Dharma temporarily with her lovely boyfriend, Derek, until the renovations on their loft are completed.  While they are there, a mysterious room filled with treasures is discovered during an excavation of the caves and Brooklyn finds herself involved in another murder mystery.  She must find the clues to solve the mystery before it is too late and someone wants to make sure that she never leaves Dharma again.

Such a delightful series and I always look forward to spending time with Brooklyn and Derek.  I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and learning about A Journey to the Center of the Earth made this story so much more enjoyable.  I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the Bibliophile Mystery series and see what danger Brooklyn can find herself in next.

Giveaway

Views
by Paige Shelton

I’m writing from a new spot. In February my husband and I moved to Arizona from Utah. Everything is different, but the thing I knew would impact me the most is my office. I used to have a room to myself. It was one of the smaller bedrooms in our house and had been my son’s room when he was younger, then the guest room after he moved on to a bigger basement space. Then it became mine. I liked it, a lot. The view out the window was made up mostly of my neighbor’s house, but I could also see some far off mountain peaks. I grew into that room and it grew and formed around me. I thought I would miss it terribly.

 
Quick question – what type of decider are you? Are you a “go with your first gut reaction” or do you “think on things for a while?” I’m a gut reaction decider. I have lived my entire life making decisions based on very little real information but choosing to listen to my gut only. So far, so good. My husband is a thinker, a researcher, and then a thinker again. When we decided to move to Arizona the plans for our Utah house moved so quickly that we had to make a flash decision about where to live in our new state. My husband’s typical methods were thrown out the window. Fortunately, a couple of options were offered to us by a friend – one of those options being a house we could rent until we decided on something permanent. We were moving so quickly that there was no time to even wait for someone to bring a key out for us to look inside the house. As we peered in a window, seeing only one slice of space that included part of the kitchen and part of the dining area, I just knew we’d found the right spot.

My gut told me.

So, here we are. The house is perfect for us and so is the neighborhood, but what’s really cool and happens to be my favorite feature is my office. Its floorplan is open so I got a side space with windows. My views aren’t of mountains but of the backyard and there are a couple of windows high up on the walls that offer great views of the sky, clouds, moon and stars. I really love it.
I was sad to leave my friends in Utah, but I’ll go visit them. I was also sad to leave my office, but it looks like my gut was right again. I love growing into this new space and letting it grow up and around me.

Thanks for letting me stop by today. See you in the bookstores.

About the Author:

Paige Shelton is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Farmers’ Market and the Country Cooking School mystery series. For more information see www.paigeshelton.com

This summer, Becca is looking forward to selling her delicious jams and preserves, but things are changing fast at the farmers’ market. A fleet of food trucks has arrived for a two week visit, peddling cupcakes, tacos, chicken wings, and more—including a gourmet hot dog  truck operated by Becca’s own cousin, Peyton.

Tensions between truck operators and market vendors over their required licenses reach a crescendo when the town’s  business manager is murdered. With Peyton already under suspicion of stealing money and a secret recipe from the restaurant where she worked in Arizona, the cops start grilling her as their prime suspect. Now it’s up to Becca to clear her cousin and find out who at the market gave themselves a license to kill…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Bushel Full of Murder

Review (4 Stars): Becca and the gang are excited to have food trucks with them for the next two weeks including a food truck that just happens to be operated by her cousin, Peyton.  Becca discovers that Peyton may be in hot water for she is a suspect in an embezzlement scheme at the restaurant that she used to work at.  On top of that, the dead body of a business manager has been discovered and the prime suspect just happens to be Peyton.  Becca must clear her name quickly or Peyton may watch her dreams of owning her own restaurant go up in smoke.

Bushel Full of Murder was an entertaining mystery with delightfully quirky characters and yummy recipes that will make your mouth water.  Ms. Shelton has created a fast-paced yet well-written mystery that I found myself lost in while updating myself on the lives of these charming characters.  I had a hard time figuring out the killer and loved how Becca always find herself in the middle of trouble, even though she tries desperately to avoid it.  This is the sixth mystery in the Farmer’s Market Mystery series and each title is just as engaging and exciting as the last.

Giveaway