Blog Tour & Giveaway: Hot Fudge Frame-Up by Christine DeSmet

Guest blogger: Christine DeSmet, author of Hot Fudge Frame-Up, the second book in the new Fudge Shop Mystery series.

Ava is gearing up for the First Annual Fudge Festival –a huge celebration that could draw national attention to her old-fashioned fudge shop in Door County, Wisconsin–known at the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.” She’s invited two celebrity chefs to go head-t0-head with her in a fudge contest. Everyone is having a tasty time…until a judge for the festival is found dead.

Ava Oosterling and her grandfather, Gil, run Oosterlings’ Live Bait, Bobbers & Belgian Fudge & Beer on the docks of Lake Michigan in fictional Fisher’s Harbor, Wisconsin.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Ava and “Gilpa,” as she calls her grandpa Gil.

Kisses definitely get Ava in trouble in her life.

Ava has returned to this tourist area and her home territory after a stint working for a TV show in Los Angeles for eight years. Her self-imposed exile in LA followed her embarrassing mistake of eloping with a man who was married to two other women at the same time. Oops! She’s determined to become a new person by creating her quaint Fairy Tale line of fudge. But men keep coming out of the woodwork, as the saying goes, wanting to take this Cinderella to the fudge festival ball.

In Hot Fudge Frame-Up, Ava and her grandmother discover the secret to attracting men and kisses. It starts with cherry-vanilla fudge, of course, but then proceeds with a few other tricks my readers may have found worked with men, too. I can’t give it all away, of course, but I believe you’ll find a tickle or two as you read about the connections among love, fudge, hugs, and kisses.

Door County is a unique and intriguing setting for a cozy mystery series. Like Cape Cod, the county is a peninsula jutting out into a large body of water. There are picturesque beaches and beautiful vistas overlooking the water and much to do, including hiking, swimming, golf, outdoor theater, music venues, art shops and retreats, dining vineyards to visit and more. The county is also known as the playground for Chicago’s rich, since it’s only about a three-hour drive away along the Lake Michigan coastline.

Door County has 11 lighthouses and shipping lights, and the real Eagle Bluff Lighthouse plays prominently in this new book. Coinciding with the publication of Hot Fudge Frame-Up, the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival Association chose the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse as “Lighthouse of the Year.” The structure is open to the public and retains many of the furnishings from one of the lighthouse keepers, and is definitely worth the small fee to take the tour.

One more unique thing about Door County is that it and the nearby counties have the largest rural population of Belgians in the country. Ava and her family are Belgians; her parents run the farm where Ava gets her organic cream and butter to make her luscious fudge.

Belgians settled into the county in the 1850s, back when the United States advertised in Europe for farmers, fisherman, and forestry workers. Land sold for $1.25 an acre. Belgians are known for their yummy pies and love of pets, gardens with loads of flowers, neat lawns, and community gatherings. And of course they also deal in the world’s finest lace, diamonds, beer, and chocolate.

You’ll get to taste Ava’s scrumptious Cinderella Pink Fairy Tale Fudge and many other flavors developed in her copper kettles as you read the pages of my series. Each book contains a new fairy tale recipe plus other recipes, and tips about fudge making.

In addition, Hot Fudge Frame-Up contains a Belgian booyah recipe I got on my Door County travels. I stopped at a kermis–a Belgian harvest festival–and the delectable chicken stew was being stirred over an outdoor fire in a pot that fed 100 people. My book also gives you a version for 12.

Another thing to know about Belgians–they can be stubborn as well as good problem solvers, which makes Ava a perfect new “Hercule Poirot” (another Belgian!) for our contemporary times.

And what about those kisses? Who among the many men vying for her attention will end up getting the first dance with Ava at the upcoming First Fishers’ Harbor Fudge Festival?

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope you enjoy my latest mystery book.

About the Author:

Christine DeSmet is the author of the Fudge Shop Mystery Series. Book 1, First-Degree Fudge, spent 10 weeks on the Barnes & Noble mystery bestseller list when it debuted in September 2013. Christine is a past winner of the Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America, and a past winner of the Slamdance Film Festival writing contest with a screenplay that optioned to New Line Cinema. Her other publications include short stories, and the novel Spirit Lake, a romantic suspense from Hard Shell Word Factory. Christine is a writing teacher at University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies where she directs the “Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Retreat” every June in Madison. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, Writers Guild of America, and Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum. Find out more at www.christinedesmet.com

Candy shop owner Ava Oosterling mixes it up with a fudge judge with a grudge—who loses his life before he can pick a winner….

Ava is gearing up for the First Annual Arts Festival—a huge celebration that could draw national attention to her old-fashioned fudge shop in Door County, Wisconsin. She’s invited two celebrity chefs to go head-to-head with her in a fudge contest. Everyone is having a tasty time…until a judge for the festival is found dead.

To her shock, he’d been complaining around town that her Fairy Tale fudge flavors were…well, fudged. Now the sheriff is wondering if Ava fits the mold for a murder suspect. As Ava tries to square her reputation and find the real killer, she’s in for a whole batch of trouble….

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Hot Fudge Frame-Up

Review (4.25 Stars): Ava is getting ready for the First Annual Arts Festival in Door County which will feature her and two other contestants in a not so friendly fudge contest. Ava soon finds that her other competitors are at each others’ throats and someone is threatening the judges to throw the contest. When one of the judges is found dead, everyone becomes a suspect and Ava finds herself in the middle of another mystery where she may be the killer’s next target.

I love culinary mysteries and this book seems to have everything. A deliciously light-hearted mystery, a love triangle with hot guys and of course, yummy fudge. Ava was a great character because she admits that she has made mistakes in her life in regards to love and isn’t actively “pursuing” a relationship with anyone. She just wants to focus on making her fudge business a success and get her life back on track. I also love the small town atmosphere in these books with Ava and the other characters in her life.

I definitely liked this book better than the first one, First Degree Fudge, because I felt that I could actually connect with Ava compared to the first one. The mystery had quite a few plot twists and I had a difficult time trying to figure out who was the killer among this crazy group. Hot Fudge Frame-Up is a delightfully decadent addition to the series and I’m looking forward to reading more about Ava and her adventures in Door County, Wisconsin in the near future.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Hot Fudge Frame-Up. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by June 5th, answer me this question in the comments:

What is your favorite candy?

May 29, 2014May 27, 2014

Spotlight feature of His Choice by Carrie Ann Ryan

His Choice

Dante’s Circle Series, Book 3.5

Release Date: May 27, 2014

Amazon | B&N | ARe | Kobo | iTunes

As the youngest son of Lucifer, Fawkes has long since known what paths his future could take. He could follow his father’s footsteps, stealing the souls of humans and slowly lose his own, or starve himself and wither away until he finds his true half and forms a bond that can not only save his life, but his soul.

Leslie Masterson’s life has been one torment after another. A submissive wolf, she’s tried to hide in the shadows of her Pack and find the will to live another day. After her brother—the man who has beaten her verbally and physically her entire life—is killed when he challenges the Alpha, Leslie finally sees a path to freedom.

It only takes one look between the two for them to know that they could be the answer to each other’s prayers, but some of the Pack isn’t ready to let Leslie go. It will take the strength of a fiery demon from hell and the love of a submissive wolf to overcome not only their past, but their chance at a future.

His Choice was also found in the Ever After Anthology.

A little about Carrie Ann:

USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. Visit the links to the left to contact her.

Get in touch with Carrie Ann Ryan!

May 28, 2014May 26, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Laura Moore

Books-n-Kisses is excited to welcome back our pal Laura Moore to the blog to chat about her newest book Once Tasted.

BnK: Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

LM: I write contemporary romances that are on the sexy side. My stories feature rugged, outdoorsy heroes who clean up well when the occasion demands. My heroines are strong and passionate about what and whom they love. Lots of four-legged creatures of various shapes and sizes make their way into my books because I’m a serious animal lover. My new release, Once Tasted, has all of the above. When I’m not sitting in front of the computer and writing, I like to be active. I love to ride, swim, garden, and then relax at the end of the day by cooking a really nice meal for my family.

BnK: Have you always wanted to be an author?

LM: Nope. My first dream was to be a professional rider. Then I wanted to be a racecar driver. After that I got interested in photography and art. Basically I managed to avoid writing fiction until I was in graduate school for art education. One evening a story came to me that I simply had to try and put into words. After that, I was pretty much hooked. I think I resisted writing because I have a lot of writers in my family and know how unglamorous an activity it is. Luckily it has its rewards, too.

BnK: Are you a plotter or a pantster or combo of both? Can you explain the difference?

LM: I’d say I do a bit of both plotting and flying by the seat of my pants.

I find writing a synopsis helps me get some idea of my characters’ backstory, where the story will go, and what the different conflicts will be. But I’m definitely not the type of plotter who then makes charts or spreadsheets (both of which give me the hives) or breaks the story down chapter by chapter. Once I get the synopsis finished, I pretty much let my imagination loose. Sometimes the writing proceeds at a crawl, sometimes it flies. My method is hardly the most efficient way of writing (which is important in this business) but some of the scenes I’ve most enjoyed writing have been unplanned.

BnK: What is your most interesting writing quirk?

LM: Darn, I wish I could tell you something really fun, like that I dictate my stories while reclining on a chaise longue in my peignoir while eating chocolate truffles and sipping champagne. The only quirk I can think of while I’m writing is that I like to be near my dog. His presence kind of centers me. Oh, and I also like to listen to rock-n-roll when I’m working. I think it’s a holdover from my barn days when the radio would be playing continuously as we fed, groomed, and tacked horses or mucked out their stalls.

BnK: Can you please tell us about your latest book?

LM: Once Tasted is the second book in my Silver Creek series. My hero is a smooth-talking, laidback cowboy, named Reid Knowles. Reid and his bright blue eyes can dazzle just about any woman…except for Mia Bodell, whose youthful infatuation for her handsome neighbor was shattered years ago. For his part, Reid would just as soon steer clear of Mia and her pointed disdain. Unfortunately, he’s made a promise to Mia’s uncle to help manage the winery that he and Mia own. All too soon the sparks begin to fly between Mia and Reid as their long-denied attraction becomes impossible to ignore.

BnK: How did you come up with the idea for this story?

LM: I came up with the premise of writing a series about a family that owns a large working guest ranch in California because some friends of mine own a hotel and I’m fascinated by all the different jobs running a hotel demands. I decided to make the setting a working ranch because I love a chance to write about horsemen and women, whether they ride English or Western. And okay, I’m kind of a perpetual student. I love to learn new things. I realized that if I wrote about a heroine who owns a winery, I’d get to learn all about grape growing and winemaking, and that the research would involve a lot of Pinot Noir tasting. A win-win situation!

BnK: Can you share with us your current work in progress?

LM: I’m writing the third book in the series. It’s called Once Touched and is about Quinn Knowles, Reid’s younger sister, who’s an animal lover and rescuer. My hero is Ethan Saunders, a photojournalist who’s come to Silver Creek ranch to recover from an injury he sustained in Afghanistan. Quinn soon discovers Ethan’s wounds go much deeper than he lets on and her instinct to try and heal him overcomes her need to protect her heart.

BnK: Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

LM: Can this be when I die and go to writer’s heaven? Shakespeare. Just to be able to thank the man who used the English language so beautifully and bawdily.

BnK: What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

LM: Write constantly and read voraciously.

Bnk: Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

LM: Scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef.

Bnk: What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

LM: Kristan Higgins’s Waiting on You, Molly O’Keefe’s Never Been Kissed Eloisa James’s Three Weeks with Lady X and about twenty others.

BnK: What is one book everyone should read before they die?

LM: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I re-read it recently. I actually think the world would be a lot better place if we possessed the wisdom of Charlotte and the kindness of Wilbur.

BnK: What is your favorite time of year & why?

LM: Spring. I love the bursts of color, the perfume in the air, the promise of rebirth.

Bnk: Who is your Celebrity crush?

LM: I’m a huge George Clooney fan from way, way back. I’m actually kind of relieved he’s gotten engaged. Perhaps now I can move on and stop having these fantasies of being locked in a car trunk with him and that gravelly voice of his whispering in my ear…

Bnk: And what would you do if you ever met him?

LM: Embarrass myself–of that I have no doubt!

Bnk: Is there anything else you would like to add?

LM: Just my thanks to you, Kelly, for having me at Books-n-Kisses today! This was such fun. I’d also like to give away two copies of Once Tasted. The winners will be chosen at random by Books-n-Kisses.

To enter to win, just leave a comment below.

The question I leave you with is: What’s on your TBR pile? I love to hear about what others are reading and find new authors to enjoy…and I hope that Once Tasted makes it onto your lists!

Happy Reading!

~Laura

Learn more about Laura here: Website| Facebook | Twitter

*****

Once Tasted

Silver Creek #2

Amazon link | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Three siblings, an extraordinary family, a lasting heritage—in the irresistible Silver Creek Ranch trilogy, they’ll fight for the land and the people they love.

Everything has come easily to Reid Knowles, the middle son of a California ranching family. But his charmed life is suddenly complicated when his good friend and neighbor asks him to help run the winery next door. His neighbor’s niece, Mia Bodell, is in charge—and she has made it clear that she’d rather be roped to a steer than to Reid Knowles. Never one to back down from a challenge, Reid vows to win her trust.

Her life marked by loss, Mia knows that nothing comes easily—love included. In high school, her heart was crushed by Reid, and even though years have passed, the hurt lingers. Mia is achingly aware that the teen heartthrob has matured into a devastatingly handsome playboy, and the budding winemaker refuses to let down her guard. But one taste of unbridled passion changes things. From Reid’s first intoxicating kiss to his unexpectedly tender seduction, Mia is swept into a passionate affair that could tear her heart to pieces . . . or give her everything she has ever wanted.

Check out my review of Once Tasted HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 27, 2014May 17, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Gina Conkle

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have first time guest Gina Conkle on the blog today to talk about her newest release.

Gina, can you please share with us a little about yourself

First, thank you for letting me be part of Books-n-Kisses.

I write Viking and Georgian romance with a softly sensual side, which stems from my history nerd-ness. Our family’s big news is we’re moving to the mid-west this summer. My husband grew up in Ohio, but my boys and I have never lived in snow. This will be an adventure!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Pretty much, yes. I read Gone with the Wind in 5^th grade and subsequently wrote a story called ‘The Girl Who Stopped World War III.’ That could be pre-teen hormone drama setting in, or I was bound to write someday.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I can write just about anywhere. I prefer quiet or some music with my laptop, but I’ve had great productivity with a spiral bound notebook in airports, planes, restaurants, and doctor’s offices.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

Meet the Earl at Midnight is a loose spin on Beauty and the Beast with my “beast” (Edward) quite happy as a recluse, but he needs a woman. He strikes a midnight bargain with Lydia that changes in the light of day with distracting chemistry and secrets revealed.

Edward’s passion for science and Lydia’s passion for art rule their lives until they find each other. The crux of their love story comes to decisions and sacrifices. Both have to answer the question: What do you truly want?

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I needed a break from the Norse hammers in my head! I write Viking romance as well but this character kept showing up covered from head to toe in leather with a tricorn hat pulled low. So, I started writing him and in walked Lydia.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’m almost done with The Lady Meets Her Match (April, 2015). This is book 2 in the Midnight Meetings series and tells the tale of Cyrus, a self-made man dubbed England’s King of Commerce. Sparks fly at a masked ball between Cyrus and a mysterious woman named Claire. She flees at midnight, leaving a shoe behind…a common brown shoe. But, Claire is one Cinderella who doesn’t want her shoe back.

At the same time I’m deep into Norse Fire, book 2 in my Norse series (Dec., 2014). This story features Brand a rough-souled, lone wolf warrior who must work with a feisty slave to save the kingdom. Then comes book 3, Norse Wolf, with Addis, a bad boy Viking who finds himself at the mercy of a tender-hearted healer (Mar. 2015).

As you might’ve guessed there’s a lot of juggling lately.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Josie Litton (a pseudonym for Maura Seger). She’s a lyrical and prolific writer. Her book Dream of Me is my all-time #1 top favorite book.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Write everyday. Make it a habit.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I want to hike Hadrian’s Wall. Badly.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

My reward for getting certain tasks done is to buy Julie Brannagh’s Blitzing Emily and Christina Dodd’s Just the Way You Are.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Kelly, thanks again for hosting me on your blog. The questions were fun.

Learn more about Gina here:

It’s going to take a Beast to tame this Beauty

Enigma Earl. The Phantom of London. That’s what the gossip pages call Lord Edward Greenwich, a mysterious nobleman who doesn’t show his face in London Society. With a reputation like that, no wonder Lydia Montgomery is horrified to be dragged from bed and packed off to live with him to save her mother from penury.

While Lydia has received all of the training a lady should endure, she’s decidedly un-ladylike. She despises her corset and isn’t interested in marriage. She’d prefer to remain unmarried and spend her time improving her art. But if she wants a chance at happiness, she’ll have to set aside her fear of the earl and discover the man hiding behind the beast.

Will Edward and Lydia’s greatest discovery be each other before time runs out?

Book 1 in the series Midnight Meetings

*****

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 27, 2014May 26, 2014

Cover Reveal of Sylvain Reynard’s The Raven

The Raven

by Sylvain Reynard

Order links: Coming soon

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…

Release Date:

Early 2015

About the Author

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.

You can find Sylvain at:

May 27, 2014May 26, 2014

Blog Tour & Review: Fifty Shades of Greyhound by Sparkle Abbey

A big thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting this stop on our blog tour for Fifty Shades of Greyhound, book five in our Pampered Pets mystery series from Bell Bridge Books.

This book was so much fun to write and now we’re having even more fun sharing it with readers. It’s similar to the others in the series in that it’s a cozy mystery. To be more specific, all the books are pet-related, amateur sleuth, cozy mysteries. The main characters are cousins and former Texas beauty queens, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist, and Melinda Langston, the owner of Bow Wow, a high-end pet boutique in Laguna Beach, California.

The ideas for our books come from many different places: a news headline, an overheard conversation, an intriguing anecdote. However the idea for Fifty Shades of Greyhound came from none of those. In this case, the book started with the title. We’d brainstormed title ideas, hoping to continue the light-hearted theme started with Desperate Housedogs, Get Fluffy, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and Yip/Tuck. (This brainstorming usually involves margaritas.) When we came up with the idea to use Fifty Shades of Greyhound for the next title, we felt like we had a winner. Then the fun began…Where would Caro and Mel find themselves in their latest adventure? And what kind of trouble could we stir up for the two cousins?

After pitching the idea to our editor and getting the green light, we began researching Greyhounds and found so much about the breed, the rescue efforts, and about rescue workers who are very devoted to the dogs. Just a few of the interesting factoids we learned were:

Greyhounds can live to be 12-14 years old, but they are at the end of their racing careers at 2-5 years.
Most have been raised in kennels and have little experience outside that environment, but they are quick learners. By nature the dogs tend to be friendly gentle dogs.
They can run 40-45 mph. But although they are fast runners, they’re known for their enjoyment of dozing and some sleep up to sixteen hours a day.

So after learning about the breed, it made sense to us that the story in Fifty Shades of Greyhound had to begin with Greyhound rescue and so it starts at a what Caro would call a “fancy smanchy” fundraiser.

Caro is thrilled to support the elite fundraising gala for Greys Matter, a SoCal greyhound rescue group. All the guests in the couture-attired crowd are clad in varying shades of grey, the champagne and donations are flowing, and there are fifty gorgeous greyhounds in attendance. But before the evening ends, a stranger in their midst is dead.

Caro sets out to help the rescue group find the identity of the mystery guest but soon finds herself in the doghouse with homicide detective, Judd Malone–oh, and federal agent, John Milner. When there’s a second death, Caro is convinced she’s on the track of someone who wants a secret to stay buried, but it’s a race to see whether Caro can uncover the truth before the killer decides she’s next.

We’d also like to mention that we have some wonderful celebrity endorsement for the book:

“Fifty Shades of Greyhound gives ‘roll over and play dead’ a whole new meaning!”-Ethel Merman & Ella Fitzgerald, canine companions to award-winning author, Holly Jacobs

Thanks again, Books-n-Kisses for letting us stop by. Mwahh and XXOO to you!

About the Author:

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They write the popular pet mystery series which features whodunits set in the wacky world of pampered pets, precious pedigrees, and secrets. The first book in the series Desperate Housedogs, an Amazon mystery series bestseller and Barnes & Noble Nook #1 national bestseller, was followed by Get Fluffy, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and Yip/Tuck. Fifty Shades of Greyhound is the latest installment.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

It was a killer party.

Caro Lamont, Laguna Beach’s favorite pet therapist is thrilled to support the elite fundraising gala for Greys Matter, a SoCal greyhound rescue group. All the guests in the couture-attired crowd are clad in varying shades of grey, the champagne and donations are flowing, and there are fifty gorgeous greyhounds in attendance. But before the evening ends a stranger in their midst is dead.

Caro sets out to help the rescue group find out the identity of the mystery guest, but soon finds herself in the doghouse with homicide detective, Judd Malone. And federal agent, John Milner. When there’s a second death, Caro is convinced she’s on the track of someone who wants a secret to stay buried, but it’s a race to see whether Caro can uncover the truth before the killer decides she’s next up.

Full of adorable pampered pets, the story re-visits lovely Laguna Beach, and some of the colorful characters readers have come to love in previous titles: Desperate Housedogs, Get Fluffy, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and Yip/Tuck.

Amazon

Jennifer’s Review of Fifty Shades of Greyhound

Review (4 Stars): The humor in this book had me laughing out loud and I enjoyed every minute of it. Caro Lamont was attending a fundraising gala when a dead body literally falls into her lap. Finding herself involved in yet another mystery, Caro starts searching for clues when the brother of her receptionist is the prime suspect for the murder. She must hurry to find the real killer before she becomes the next victim.

I couldn’t believe how much I laughed while reading Fifty Shades of Greyhound. Caro is a great character and this mystery was very light-hearted and fun. I enjoyed reading about Caro’s career as a pet therapist and I thought her experiences with the animals were very interesting. Fifty Shades of Greyhound was a fun and hilariously entertaining mystery that will have you wanting more of these zany characters.

May 26, 2014May 26, 2014

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Whisper To Me by Christina Lee

Hot and consuming, this is a New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for ripped athletes. No one at college knows her heart was ripped to shreds by her high school boyfriend, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle. And then subsequently abandoned her. No one really knows Rachel Mattson at all, with one exception…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that horrible night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is also back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Now that Kai has had a taste of Rachel, he’s willing to do anything just to have her touch him again, even hiding his true feelings. After all, she only wants a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But perhaps it had been more all along.

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys. She’s addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Whisper To Me

Review (4.25 Stars): Rachel was still trying to pick up the pieces of her life after a motorcycle accident that left her physically and emotionally scarred. Coming back home after college for the summer brought back a lot of heartbreaking memories including the appearance of her ex-boyfriend who left her after the accident. Kai was Rachel’s best friend and was there with her every step of the way for her recovery. Both of them had feelings for each other but they were afraid of telling the other how they felt and destroying whatever friendship that they had with one another.

I liked Rachel because she came back from an accident that almost killed her. She was strong yet vulnerable and was determined to do things on her own. Being back home with the memories and seeing her ex-boyfriend after the accident was a huge step for her and I thought that she was extremely courageous for making that journey. Kai was a great guy. He was strong, and would do anything to protect Rachel from harm. I loved that he was there everyday for Rachel while she was in the hospital encouraging her and helping her on the difficult road to recovery. He was such a great caretaker for the people in his life and you don’t see that trait much in guys, let alone male characters. It was very nice to see that side of him in this book.

Rachel and Kai were great together as a couple and they definitely had this hot sexy chemistry with one another. I think that Rachel needed someone like Kai in her life because he was always there for her, especially when she needed him the most. I understand that this is the third book in a series and I will definitely be catching up with the previous titles in this series. I loved how Ms. Lee created a romantic story of two troubled souls that found love when they least expected it and I can’t wait to read more from her.

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May 26, 2014May 26, 2014

Sixth Grave on the Edge Blog Tour

Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | Audiobook CD

Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it’s time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn’t come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she’s used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

Don’t miss Kelly’s review of Sixth Grave on the Edge HERE

Excerpt: *Enjoy*

SIXTH GRAVE ON THE EDGE

Chapter Three

coffee doesn’t ask silly questions.

coffee understands.

—bumper sticker

We weren’t back in the office ten minutes before the door to the front entrance opened. I’d expected Mr. Joyce, the agitated man with the issues. Instead I got Denise. My evil stepmother. Thankfully, Mr. Joyce was right behind her. He afforded me the perfect excuse not to talk to her.

Her pallor had a grayish tint to it, and her eyes were lined with the bright red only the shedding of tears could evoke. I honestly didn’t know she had the ability to cry.

“Can I talk to you?” she asked.

“I have a client.” I pointed to the man behind her to emphasize my point.

Giving her chin a determined upward thrust, she said, “You’ve had clients for two weeks now. I just need a minute.” When I started to argue again, she pleaded with me. “Please, Charlotte.”

Mr. Joyce was holding a baseball cap, wringing it in his hands. He seemed to be growing more agitated by the second. “I really need to talk to you, Ms. Davidson.”

“See?” I pinned Denise with a chastising scowl. “Client.”

She turned on the man, her face as cold and hard as marble. It was an expression I knew all too well. “We just need a minute,” she said to him, her tone razor sharp. “Then she’s all yours.”

He backed off, raising a hand in surrender as he stepped to a chair and took a seat.

My temper flared to life, and I had to force myself to stay calm. I was twenty-seven. I no longer had to put up with my stepmother’s insults. Her revulsion. Her petty snubs. And I damned sure didn’t have to put up with her invading my business and bullying my clients. “That was not necessary,” I said to her when she turned back to me.

“I apologize,” she said, doing a one-eighty. She turned back to Mr. Joyce. “I’m sorry. I’m in a very desperate situation.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, dismissing her with a wave. He clearly had problems of his own.

With all the enthusiasm of a prisoner walking up to the hangman’s noose, I led Denise into my office and closed the door. My temper flaring must have summoned Reyes. He was in my office, waiting, incorporeally.

Then I remembered. He didn’t like Denise any more than I did. Blamed her for most of my heartache as a child. Of course, she’d caused most of it, but Reyes could be . . . testy when it came to my happiness or lack thereof.

“Want me to sever her spine?” he asked as I sat behind my desk.

“Can I think about it and get back to you?” I asked, teasing. Kind of.

Denise looked toward the wall he was leaning against, the one I was looking at, and naturally saw nothing. But where her usual response would be to purse her lips in disapproval, she wiped at her lapel and sat down instead.

“What do you want?” I asked her, my tone as cold as her heart.

“I’m sure you know that your father has left me.”

“At last.”

She flinched like I’d slapped her. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

“I love your father.” She almost came up out of her chair. “I’ve always loved your father.”

She had me there. She’d always been an attentive wife to him. Of course, attentive included her agenda, which was manipulative, conniving, and venomous. I couldn’t believe that I could dislike someone so much, but Denise had always been that splinter in my relationship with my father. She did everything in her power to keep us apart. Her jealousy was bizarre and childish. Who on earth was afraid of a father’s love for his child? It just made no sense to me. It never had.

And yet she was never that way toward my sister, Gemma. In fact, she and Gemma were fairly close. I had a feeling Dad’s leaving Denise affected Gemma much more than she was willing to admit. She knew how I felt about our stepmonster, and the fact that she couldn’t go to me when she needed support made me a very bad sibling. But the truth was, she couldn’t. I had no warm and fuzzies where Denise was concerned. She’d made sure of that from day one.

“I—I need you to talk to him. He’s been sick and, and he’s not thinking straight.”

“And what do you want me to say?”

She leveled an exasperated glare on me. “I want you to convince him to come back home where he belongs. He’s still weak. He still needs medical attention.”

“I’m sorry,” I said with a soft, humorless chuckle, “you want me to convince my father to stay with you? The bane of my existence? The woman who made my childhood a living hell? After everything you’ve put me through, you want my help? Are you insane?”

Too bad Gemma, a licensed psychiatrist, was at a conference in D.C. I’d call her and schedule an appointment for Denise ay-sap.

“What have I ever put you through?”

My temper flared again, and I bit my tongue, literally, to keep my emotions under control. When I lost control, the earth shifted beneath me. An earthquake in the middle of Albuquerque would do no one any good.

Reyes straightened as though worried I’d lose control as well. I closed my eyes and took several gulps of air. This wasn’t me. I didn’t hate people. I didn’t make them pay for their misdeeds. Too many departed had crossed through me. Too many times I’d seen what people went through, what they’d endured that made them become the people they were when they died. Until I’d walked a mile in her shoes, I could not judge Denise so completely. That would make me no better than she was. I opened my eyes to her stone face, the face that brought nothing but hurt feelings and knotted stomachaches. Maybe two miles.

“I just have one question,” I said, trying to hold the resentment from my tone lest I sound like her. “Why?”

“Why?”

“Yes, why? Why did you hate me from day one? Why did you treat me like a thorn in your side? What on God’s green earth did I ever do to you?”

She sighed in frustration and let her true colors show through. Her impatience with me, with anything I had to say. “I did no such thing, Charlotte. I don’t hate you. I never have.”

I leaned forward and gave her my best Sunday smile. “I’ll tell you what. When you can admit that you hate me with every fiber of your being, I’ll help you win back Dad. How does that sound?”

“I will never say such a horrible thing.”

I’d offended her. Sweet. “So you can feel it, you just can’t admit to it?”

She squeezed the pocketbook in her lap, her fingers flexing involuntarily. “Charlotte, can we talk sensibly?”

“Wait a minute,” I said as understanding dawned. “You’re here because Dad is fed up with the way you treat me, and you’re thinking that if we become besties, he’ll come back to you.”

“I’m here because I want us all to get into counseling together. Not just Leland and me, but all four of us, including your sister.” Reyes crossed his arms over his chest and went back to holding the wall up while I stood simmering in my astonishment.

She was a piece of work. “How about you go into counseling for you? Get over yourself. And when that happens, when you can be honest with me, we’ll talk again.” I was being so mean. I wanted to applaud myself. I wasn’t a mean person by nature, so it took a lot of energy to bring out the beast in me and stick with it for more than thirty seconds. Damned ADD. But I was so proud of myself. No more being a carpet for someone else to walk on. I was my own girl, and no one was walking on this carpet but me.

“Charley,” Cookie said through the intercom.

I poked the button. “Yes, Cookie?”

“Um, are you almost done? I need coffee.”

“Oh, sorry! I’ll get it made and bring you a cup.”

“Thanks. And can you bring me the box of Nilla Wafers while you’re at it?”

“Can do.” I jumped up and headed for the Bunn. “Priorities,” I said to Denise. “That’s what life is all about.”

Author Bio:

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

Author Links: Darynda Jones Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Hashtag: #6thGrave

Coming October 2014

Sneak Peak at

Seventh Grave and No Body

Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life.

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We’re doomed!

May 20, 2014May 19, 2014

Blog Tour & Review: Hanging By A Hair by Nancy J. Cohen

Marla’s joyous move to a new house with her husband, Detective Dalton Vail, is marred by their next-door neighbor who erects an illegal fence between their properties. When Dalton reminds the man of the local permitting laws, tempers flare—and worse, the neighbor is found dead the following day. Dismayed when Dalton is removed from the case due to a conflict of interest, Marla decides it’s up to her to find the killer. Can the intrepid hairstylist untangle the clues and pin down the culprit before he strikes again?

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

Nancy J. Cohen writes the humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these titles have made the IMBA bestseller list. Nancy is also the author of Writing the Cozy Mystery, a valuable instructional guide for writers on how to write a winning whodunit. Her imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. Her titles in this genre have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. Currently, she is serving as President of Florida Chapter Mystery Writers of America. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising and outlet shopping.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Hanging By A Hair

Review (4 Stars): This is the first book that I’ve read in the series and I had no problem jumping right into the story. Marla Vail and husband, Dalton, have settled into their new home and already are experiencing problems with their next door neighbor. Alan Krabber doesn’t do things by the rules and before you know it, he is found dead of an apparent suicide. When the clues point to murder, Dalton becomes the prime suspect and Marla is out to clear her husband’s name.

This was a light-hearted mystery that was a quick easy read. I found the character of Marla enjoyable and even though I haven’t read the rest of the series, I was able to follow along with the storyline. I enjoyed Ms. Cohen humorous style of writing and the mystery had a wide variety of suspects who wanted the victim dead. I will have to add this series onto my list and go back to read the other Bad Hair Day mysteries to learn more about Marla and Dalton Vail.

May 15, 2014May 15, 2014

Long for Me by Shiloh Walker Spotlight Tour

Long for Me

Secrets & Shadows #0.7

by Shiloh Walker

Release day May 13, 2014

Purchase here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Christina Bell remembers what it was like to be part of a loving family. The youngest of the Bell children, she simply cannot believe that her dad, or anyone else she loves, had a hand in her mother’s disappearance. She’s looking forward to moving on and spending more time with her sexy best friend, Guy Miller, who she is starting to see in a whole new light.

Their attraction sizzling and love deepening, Christina feels confident in her life and ability to handle what comes her way…But when Nichole’s body is found—and the mystery of her death slowly reveals itself—Christina is left not knowing who to trust. What if Guy, her one true desire, proves to be her biggest danger?

Read an excerpt HERE

Add to your Goodreads list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19079884-long-for-me

Professional Bio

Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really! She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer. She published her first book in 2003 and since then, has tried her hand at digital publishing, traditional publishing and self-publishing. Her publishers include Hydra Publications, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Berkley, Random House and St. Martins. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

Learn more about Shiloh:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

A coach purse
Signed books from my back list
$20 Gift Card to Amazon or Barns & Noble
***Due to shipping & insurance, this contest will be limited to the US only***
Retail value $150

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May 11, 2014May 10, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Murder at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

I have Hannah Dennison here today to talk about her first book in a new series, Murder at Honeychurch Hall. This is a fun and exciting mystery and a great start to the series. Take it away, Hannah. 🙂

A special thank you to Books-n-Kisses for hosting me on Day One of the Great Escapes Blog Tour for the first book in my brand new series, “Murder at Honeychurch Hall.”

I’m having so much fun writing this new series because it gives me the chance to incorporate everything I love and miss about England—Agatha Christie’s beloved Devon (and where my family still lives), the beautiful English countryside, and grand country houses stuffed with antiques and steeped in history—including an odd ghost or two. Of course, I’m also a great fan of Downton Abbey, and although “Murder at Honeychurch Hall” is set on a country estate in the modern day and times have definitely changed, the class system still exists—particularly in small rural communities.

My novel is a murder mystery at heart, but as the pages materialized what also came to the surface was the emotional undercurrent of a mother-daughter relationship that also clearly had a story to tell. My protagonist is former TV celebrity and antique dealer, Kat Stanford who is all set to launch a new business with her newly widowed mother, Iris. But to Kat’s horror, she discovers that Iris has secretly purchased a dilapidated carriage house on a crumbling country estate several hundred miles away from London. Of course, Kat sets off to ‘save’ her mother only to discover that she harbors an even bigger secret. For years, Iris has been secretly writing best-selling, steamy romance novels under the pseudonym of Krystalle Storm.

Needless to say, as new arrivals on the estate, Kat and Iris are treated with great disdain by those upstairs and down. So, it’s no surprise when the family nanny goes missing that suspicion falls on the outsiders. And that’s all I can tell you without giving too much away!

The old adage “write what you know” should really be “write what you pretend you know” since the inspiration for my new book came from my own mother’s rash decision to purchase a highly impractical wing of a country house in Devon after my Dad passed away in 2002. As you can imagine, my sister and I were really worried. It wasn’t so much the isolated location with a mile-long drive, no local shop and no public transport. The house was a money drain, with a roof in need of mending, heating and plumbing breaking down constantly and generally, the whole estate was falling apart. Then we realized that it was what Mum really wanted. Although my parents had shared 54 years of marriage together, it had been in a different time when the man ruled the house.

Now, my mother has had the chance to reinvent herself and today, at age 84, she is more vibrant than ever. She works as a docent at Greenway and still lives in her dream home, and in many ways, she also lives as inspiration for the character Iris on the pages of my novel. Of course, I’m no former TV celebrity—although I have had some experience in the antique world—and my mother is definitely no romance writer, but her tales of “goings-on” at “the main house” will keep my creative juices flowing for years. I am so grateful for all the inspiration that my family and my English heritage have provided my imagination as I worked to craft this new story. It was quite a ride, often bumpy I must say as most novels can be in the process of writing them. But along the way what the story revealed to me is the truth that sometimes in life it’s those who are nearest and dearest to us who are often the most duplicitous of all.

About the Author:

Born in England, Hannah relocated to Los Angeles with her daughter and two cats to pursue a career in screenwriting. Along the road to publication she has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. Hannah is the author of the Vicky Hill Mysteries (Constable UK) and the first, in her new series, “Murder at Honeychurch Hall” (Minotaur). Now living in Portland, Oregon Hannah continues to teach mystery writing at UCLA, has served on numerous judging committees for the Mystery Writers of America and still works part-time for a west coast advertising agency. She is married to an advertising executive and enjoys hiking, horseback riding, skiing and seriously good chocolate.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Set against the backdrop of Agatha Christie’s beloved Devon, TV celebrity Kat Stanford discovers that her newly widowed mother Iris has recklessly bought a dilapidated carriage house on a country estate known as Honeychurch Hall. Although times have changed at the manor house, a line still exists between those upstairs, and those down. Iris’s arrival is greeted with suspicion—but that’s not all. Iris harbors an even bigger secret that not even her daughter knows: Iris writes under the pseudonym, Krystalle Storm, and is a best-selling author of racy bodice-rippers.

Throw in a feisty, octogenarian countess, a precocious seven year old who is obsessed with the famous fighter pilot called Biggles, a treasure trove of antiques; as well as the paparazzi, always hungry for celebrity news. Add the occasional haunting from the resident family of ghosts, and there is more than one motive for murder. Yet at its core, the story explores the relationship between a mother and daughter facing new and uncertain beginnings and makes a good case for the notion that those nearest and dearest to us are often the most duplicitous of all.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Murder at Honeychurch Hall

Review (4 Stars): Kat Stanford is on hiatus from her popular TV show, Fakes & Treasures, when she discovers that her mother has purchased a run-down home way out in the country. Concerned about the well-being of her mother after an accident, Kat travels to Honeychurch Hall and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. With too many suspects and not enough clues, Kat and Iris try to find answers before more bodies start to pile up and they get evicted from Iris’ new home. Kat never had any idea that spending time with her mother would be so interesting.

This is the first book in a new series and I think that Murder at Honeychurch Hall is a great start to the series. It took me a little while to warm up to Kat but I absolutely adored her mother, Iris. I loved that Iris wrote romances most of her adult life and her daughter had no idea about any of it. She made the book fun and I enjoyed the other zany cast of characters that Kat came into contact with at Honeychurch Hall. Delightful mystery and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Murder at Honeychurch Hall. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by May 19th, leave me a comment below.

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Blog Tour & Review: Death Runs Adrift by Karen MacInerney

Today I have Karen MacInerney to talk about her new book, Death runs Adrift which is the sixth novel in her Gray Whale Inn mystery series. I have always liked the main character, Natalie, and mysteries that involve food have always a big favorite of mine.

My feelings about desks. (And my coffee shop addiction.)

by Karen MacInerney

In the third grade, my parents moved me from the local public school to a very small progressive school housed in an old church, with approximately 25 students and no desks. No desks! We did our work everywhere. Out on the playground. Lying on the stage. Sitting in a comfy chair in the school library. Hanging from our toes from a doorframe, if we were limber enough.

It was an amazing experience.

Years later, when I snagged a job doing technical writing for 3M, I was given a desk in an oatmeal-colored cubicle in the middle of a desert-like expanse of carpet. The only noise was from the air-conditioning and the murmurs of my fellow cell…er, officemates talking to people about riveting subjects like electrical tape and cable ties. I learned a lot about writing during my time there — after trying to make a press release on the anniversary of electrical tape sound exciting, writing synopses of mysteries is a breeze – but I spent almost no time at my desk. Somehow, “desk” felt synonymous with “jail cell.”

These days, I have a beautiful office, with storm-blue walls, hardwood floors, a rag rug, a lovely white corner desk I picked myself, and a view of trees out the window. I sit there to do watercolor sometimes, or to journal, or to pay bills. But when I’m writing a scene of a book? Ninety-nine percent of the time, I grab my laptop, tuck it into my bag, and head for a local coffee shop, where I settle into a cushy chair near the door. ( I avoid tables. Too desk-like, I suppose.)

I think a good bit of my coffee-shop habit can be traced to my desk phobia. But part of it stems from the fact that writing can be a lonely profession; by necessity, authors need to spend a lot of time being quiet and focusing on the screen, trying to pick just the right word or figure out what the characters are going to do next. It can be a wonderful job, and there’s nothing better than losing yourself in an imaginary world when the words are flowing and things just seem to “happen” on the page. But not all days are like that. In fact, many times, putting down words is slow and cumbersome, and tasks like laundry and pantry re-organization suddenly seem both pressing and much more appealing than churning through another 500 words on the computer.

But if I’m in a cozy chair at a coffee shop (as I am right now), where there is no laundry to be done, friends can stop by and say hello, and I’m connected to the world around me, I don’t feel like I’m working. I feel like I’m playing – and the buzz of people and music and espresso machines help me feel less isolated from the world at large, energizing both me and my writing. (I’m sure the coffee helps, too.) I’ve recently found a writing buddy whose schedule meshes with mine, and that’s a huge boon for an extraverted writer like me. Not only do I get to write in a coffee shop, but I’ve got a friend I can touch base with when I’m struggling with a word or a scene.

I know everyone is different, and sometimes I’ve felt like I “should” work at a desk, but I’ve finally allowed myself to do what works for me. How about you? Do you feel more focused at a desk, or do you prefer to work wherever suits your fancy?

About the Author:

Critically acclaimed author Karen MacInerney also teaches writers’ workshops and drives a mean carpool. Her book Murder on the Rocks was selected as an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. When she’s not writing or chauffeuring children, she loves to read, drink coffee, attempt unusual recipes, and hit the local hike-and-bike trail. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children, and escapes to Maine as often as possible.’

Website/Facebook

With her own wedding fast approaching and her mother-in-law dating an unexpected beau, the last thing Natalie Barnes needs is to find a young man shot dead in a dinghy. A note she finds with the body suggests the dearly departed had a secret rendezvous planned with somebody on the island. But when suspicion is cast on a fisherman Natalie believes to be innocent, she begins to wonder if the murder was the result of a lover’s quarrel . . . or a lobsterman’s disagreement gone horribly wrong.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Death runs Adrift

Review (4.25 Stars): I have been a fan of the Gray Whale Inn mystery series ever since reading the first one, Murder on the Rocks. I really liked the main character, Natalie Barnes, and how she always seemed to find herself in the middle of a murder mystery when she least expects it. I’ve also been a little envious of Natalie because she has been able to realize her dream of running a beautiful bed and breakfast on a cozy little island. In this story, Natalie comes across the body of a mysterious young man who is a relative newcomer to the island and may have been involved in illegal activities that contributed to his demise. She must work quickly to find the true murderer before an innocent person is put away for the crime.

I really enjoyed this mystery and I was excited to see that Natalie is getting closer and closer to her own wedding day with her fiance, John. Since this is the sixth novel in the series, I loved getting updates on previous characters that I’ve gotten to know over the course of the series and visiting with certain characters that feel like old friends. I also enjoy the atmosphere of each book and the great recipes that are always tucked in the back of every mystery. Ms. MacInerney has the amazing ability to create a unique mystery that will make you lose all track of time while you investigate the clues right along with Natalie. I am looking forward to reading more fun adventures with Natalie, John and the rest of the cast at the Gray Whale Inn in the very near future.