Devorah Fox's Blog, page 7
December 13, 2017
Cooking up something deadly
The Culinary Art of Murder (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries)
by Heather Haven
The Culinary Art of Murder (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
The Wives of Bath Press (November 27, 2017)
Print Length: 281 pages
E-Book ASIN: B076HDD3JY
Lee’s Uncle ‘Tío’ is smitten with a visiting chef at a Silicon Valley culinary arts institute. When the lady is arrested for two murders, a fellow chef and the dishwasher, Lee Alvarez, lead investigator for Discretionary Inquiries, Inc., the family owned detective agency, agrees to help find the real killer. But undercover work at the institute proves to be more difficult than whipping up a chocolate soufflé. The killer tries to get Lee out of the way and permanently. But just who is it? The lady chef? One of her two sons? Or one of the other inmates from a cooking school with secrets as plentiful as sauces? Can Lee find the real killer before her own goose is cooked? And if it turns out to be the ambitious southern belle chef, will Tío ever forgive Lee for sending his new lady love to jail?
About the Author
After studying drama at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, Heather went to Manhattan to pursue a career. There she wrote short stories, novels, comedy acts, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and two one-act plays, produced at several places, such as Playwrights Horizon. Once she even ghostwrote a book on how to run an employment agency. She was unemployed at the time.
One of her first paying jobs was writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. She had a deadline of one week but promptly came down with the flu. Heather wrote “The Sands of Time” with a raging temperature, and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. Her stint at New York City’s No Soap Radio – where she wrote comedic ad copy – help develop her long-time love affair with comedy.
Her first novel of the humorous Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Murder is a Family Business
, is winner of the Single Titles Reviewers’ Choice Award 2011. The second, A Wedding to Die For
, received finalist nods from both Global and EPIC’s for Best eBook Mystery of the Year, 2012. It also won the Editors and Predators silver, 2012. The third of the series, Death Runs in the Family
, won the Global Gold 2013. The fourth installment, Dead…If Only
, won Global Silver 2015. The CEO Came DOA
, Book Five, won the Global Gold Medal 2017 and Dan Poynter Legacy Award 2017. The Culinary Art of Murder
, is the sixth book of the series.
Author Links
Website: http://heatherhavenstories.com/
Heather’s Blog: http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHavenStories
Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/Twitter@HeatherHaven
Sign up for Heather’s newsletter at:
http://heatherhavenstories.com/subscribe-via-email/
Purchase Link – Amazon
Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out these other stops on the tour for interviews, reviews, and more:
December 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW
December 1 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
December 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
December 5 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
December 7 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 8 – T’s Stuff – INTERVIEW
December 9 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
December 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – INTERVIEW
December 13 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 14 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT (you are here!)
December 11, 2017
Topping the list
Your votes got The Zen Detective named #34 of The 50 Best Indie Books of 2017 Mystery/Thriller. Over 500,000 books were self-published this past year – and The Zen Detective ranked in the top 0.01% of that number. I really appreciate your support.
I’m being urged to write another mystery with Will Mansion. Wouldn’t ya know, I do have an idea for one. So, maybe in 2018 … Meanwhile, if you need to get acquainted with the story, The Zen Detective along with my thriller Detour, is on sale 
as part of the 12 Days of Indie, with other books at sale prices, $2.99 or less. Plus you can enter a giveaway. Hosted by owsink.com, the promotion showcases indie authors. Hurry, the sale ends December 12.
November 30, 2017
Time is running out
You have only until December 4 but why wait? Your nomination put The Zen Detective on the shortlist for The 50 Best Indie Books of 2017 Mystery/Thriller, and it’s up to you to make it a winner. Just click the badge below which will take you right to the ballot. 
The Countdown Has Begun
Several authors are counting down to Christmas by putting their books on sale. It’s a great time to grab the newest titles from authors you love, take a chance on a new one, or even pick up some gifts at bargain prices.
Fantasy Reads
Book One of The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam, The Lost King, is part of the holiday ebook sale held each year by author Alesha Escobar. You’ll want to check out this promotion for a chance to not only get books at bargain prices, but also to enter the giveaway. Three lucky readers will receive a “Holiday Reader Box” filled with paperbacks, gourmet tea bags, a journal/notebook, and cards with links to download free ebooks.
Lady Blackwing is just one of several books that you can enjoy for mere pennies. All the books in the Super SciFi and Fantasy Sale. All the books in this sale are All the books in the Super SciFi and Fantasy Sale. All the books in this sale are 99¢ or free on Kindle Unlimited.
Mysteries and Thrillers
You’ll be able to get my thriller, Detour, and my mystery, The Zen Detective, as part of the 12 Days of Indie promotion, December 1 through December 12, along with other books at sale prices, $2.99 or less, and a giveway. Hosted by owsink.com, the promotion will showcase indie authors.
Almost Here
Chosen, A Fantasy Collection, will launch on January 31, 2108 but you can put in your order now. That way you’ll have it the minute it’s published.This collection of five complete stories contains a vareity of fantasy fiction stories, and not all of them are about zombies or wizards.
I Did It Again
At the very last minute, I decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo challenges us to write 50,000 words in the month of November. This year, I was a NaNo Rebel. I didn’t write a novel, I worked on two short stories. An Ill Wind is a Fantasy story inspired by Hurricane Harvey. Yes, I am now well qualified to write post-apocalyptic fiction! An Ill Wind is slated for publication next year in the Fantastical Shoppe anthology coming in 2018, so I had better finish it. My other project is Gilda, Wrangler of the Wild West. A Fractured Fairy Tale, it has cowboys, a little romance, a little mystery, and includes some paranormal characters, so it embraces just about every fiction genre, and comes with a side order of animal rights.
November 20, 2017
More to enjoy
You’re in luck!I have a series, The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam, literary fantasy for you to enjoy. And you can get Book One, The Lost King, at a special price during this Holiday Ebook sale. So get started knowing that the story continues.
And while you’re checking out the sale, enter the giveaway for a chance to win a delightful Holiday Reader Gift Box.
November 17, 2017
Your vote counts
Now it’s time to vote for the win. Just click the badge below which will take you right to the ballot.
Last year, your votes named The Redoubt, Book Four of The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam literary fantasy series as #35 out of 50 books in the entire international contest. You can do it again for The Zen Detective.
I so appreciate your support. These last few months of recovering from the disaster wrought by Hurricane Harvey have been stressful but your support and encouragement have kept me propped up. Let’s end the year on a high note and get The Zen Detective named as The Best Indie Book of 2017! Vote now! And thank you so much.
October 30, 2017
Halloween treat (no tricks)
October 23, 2017
Cold as ice
I’m Dee-lighted to give you a chance to know Julie Mulhern, author of Cold as Ice. Welcome, Julie.
What’s the story behind your book title?
Have you ever heard a song on the radio and been transported back to a moment in your past? First kiss? All I need do is hear “Black Coffee in Bed” by Squeeze and I’m there. “The Year of the Cat” makes me think of Susan Cooper’s wonderful children’s books—the song was on the radio A LOT the year I read them.
Writing a mystery series set in the 70s, it seemed only natural to incorporate 70s music. “Cold as Ice” was released in 1977 and seemed like the perfect title for a book in which someone is murdered by being locked in a freezer.
I totally get that! For me, “Black Coffee in Bed” happens to be evocative of a specific moment in my life, and I often feel that I could get an entire novel out of “On Every Street.”
What’s the basic plot of your book or series?
I try so hard not to be repetitive but I do write murder mysteries. In each book, someone is murdered. In each book, my unlucky heroine, Ellison Russell, finds a body (or two) (or three). In each book, Ellison’s mother, Frances Walford, bemoans her daughter’s propensity for finding bodies. And, in each book, Ellison unmasks a killer.
Along the way, Ellison has juggled two suitors (she’s down to one), a teenage daughter (with all the angst and fun that goes with that age), and a coffee addiction (and who says writers don’t put parts of themselves into their characters?).
Which is your favorite character and why?
Mr. Coffee, because I’m a sucker for the strong, silent type. And coffee. I’m a sucker for coffee.
Oh, me too. If Mother Nature hadn’t invented coffee, I would have had to.
Have you used any real events or places as inspiration for your writing?
I write the Country Club Murders and in Kansas City, Missouri, where my series is set, there is a Country Club District. Ellison makes frequent trips to the Country Club Plaza. She runs her dog in Loose Park (which used to be a country club golf course). And, she visits real hotels, restaurants, and theaters.
In Clouds in my Coffee there is a scene with a mouse. It might be the funniest scene I’ve ever written and it happened. Sure, I changed a few things but the basic story came from a manager who saw the mouse leap at a patron. It was too good a story not to use.
In Cold as Ice, Ellison’s daughter, Grace, has a party that gets out of control. That too was inspired by actual events (giving you the stink-eye, youngest daughter).
What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on book seven of the Country Club Murders—almost done. The book is at the stage where I’m not sure if it’s the best thing I’ve ever written or absolute drivel.
After that, I’ll be finishing up a short story told from Ellison’s housekeeper Aggie’s point of view.
When the short story is complete, I have an idea for a new series I’d like to play with for a few months before I start work on the eighth Country Club Murder.
Ah, the First Draft Terrors. I know them well.
What do you do when you have writers’ block?
If I am stuck (and sometimes if I’m not stuck), I write long hand. The act of putting pen to paper usually gets the creative juices flowing.
These days I do almost all my first-draft writing in longhand. Sometime ago I read about a study showing that writing longhand forms different connections in the brain than keyboarding does. Works for me.
Quick quiz:
Favorite food: Toast (I mean it) and coffee.
Silliest saying: I don’t think I have one.
Best holiday spot: Anywhere as long as my family is there.
Favorite song at the moment: I listen to a lot of seventies music. A lot. And jazz. Recently I had the station set on Sirius jazz and heard “Forest Flower Sunrise/Sunset” by Charles Lloyd. I arrived at my destination, sat in my car, and listened to every note. Together, “Sunrise” and “Sunset” are eighteen minutes long—so I sat for while. Right now, they’re my favorites.
With writing, are you a plotter or (seat-of-your) pantser? Is both a viable answer? I like to know where I’m going but I don’t require a road map to get there.
Number one thing to do on your bucket list: I don’t have a bucket list but it is so tempting to say I’d like to spend a summer writing in an Irish cottage, or spend a year in Paris, or climb some mountain. Maybe something more exotic (my children say I’m boring) like sail across the Pacific or follow the Nile to its source (neither of which is remotely appealing to me). I think I’ll go with the Irish cottage.
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Henery Press (October 17, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1635112672
E-Book ASIN: B07481MPV2
Author Links
Webpage – www.juliemulhernauthor.com
FB – https://www.facebook.com/juliekmulhern/?ref=hl
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JulieKMulhern
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573907.Julie_Mulhern
Purchase Links
Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle
kobo
B&N
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to visit these other stops on the tour for spotlights, guests posts, reviews and more.
October 16 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
October 17 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
October 17 – Blogger Nicole Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 18 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 18 – Books Direct – GUEST POST
October 18 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
October 19 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 19 – Maureen’s Musings – GUEST POST
October 20 – Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW
October 20 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
October 21 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 22 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
October 23 – Dee-Scoveries – INTERVIEW (you are here!)
October 23 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
October 24 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
October 25 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
October 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
October 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 27 – Varietats – REVIEW
October 28 – My Funny View of Life – REVIEW
October 29 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
Thanks, author Kasper Beaumont. I so enjoyed when you interviewed me that I borrowed the questions for this interview with Julie.
October 11, 2017
Ancient secrets and present-day intrigue
The Ninja’s Illusion (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery)
by Gigi Pandian
The Ninja’s Illusion (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery)
5th in Series
Supernatural Cozy Mystery
Henery Press (October 3, 2017)
Paperback 257 pages
ISBN13: 9781635112511
E-Book ASIN: B073R141MQ
A fabled illusion performed by a stage magician who claims to possess real supernatural powers. A treasure from the colonial era in India when international supremacies vied for power. A phantom trading ship lost over 200 years ago. And a ninja whose murderous intentions in present-day Japan connect the deeds of a long-dead trader who was much more than he seemed…
When Jaya travels from San Francisco to Japan with her stage magician best friend Sanjay—a.k.a. The Hindi Houdini—for his Japanese debut, she jumps at the chance to pursue her own research that could solve a tantalizing centuries-old mystery.
With the colorful autumn leaves of historic Kyoto falling around her, Jaya soon loses sight of what’s real and what’s a deception. A mysterious ninja attempts sabotage on Sanjay’s trick, along with Japan’s most controversial magician, Akira. Ancient folklore blurs the lines between illusion and reality when a magician’s assistant appears to be a kitsune, a mythical fox spirit. As tricks escalate to murder, Jaya and her friends must unravel secrets hidden in the ancient capital of Japan, before one of their own becomes the next victim.
About The Author
USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood being dragged around the world, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gigi writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. Gigi’s fiction has been awarded the Malice Domestic Grant and Lefty Awards, and been nominated for Macavity and Agatha Awards. Sign up for her email newsletter at www.gigipandian.com/newsletter/
Author Links
Website: http://gigipandian.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GigiPandian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GigiPandian
Be sure to visit these other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts and more
October 3 – Reading Reality – REVIEW
October 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 4 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
October 7 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
October 9 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
October 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT (you are here!)
October 12 – 3 Partners in shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!
October 10, 2017
Secrets revealed
I finally had a chance to dig into the Indie Author Mastermind course and took the first lesson in the BuzzBuilder Bootcamp. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the amazon author page and Author Central but I learned new tricks and found out about a helpful resource. And, secrets of the ever-mysterious topic of Categories were revealed.I’m looking forward to the next lesson.
October 4, 2017
Trouble brewing
My mom was from Pittsburgh, so I just had to share about Joyce Tremel’s book, set in the that Steel City.
A Room with a Brew (A Brewing Trouble Mystery)
by Joyce Tremel
A Room with a Brew (A Brewing Trouble Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Berkley (October 3, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425277713
E-Book ASIN: B01NCUHX14
It’s Oktoberfest in Pittsburgh, and brewpub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara is prepping for a busy month at the Allegheny Brew House. To create the perfect atmosphere for the boozy celebration, Max hires an oompah band. But when one of the members from the band turns up dead, it’s up to Max to solve the murder before the festivities are ruined.
Adding to the brewing trouble, Candy, Max’s friend, is acting suspicious… Secrets from her past are fermenting under the surface, and Max must uncover the truth to prove her friend’s innocence. To make matters worse, Jake’s snooty ex-fiancée shows up in town for an art gallery opening, and she’ll be nothing but a barrel of trouble for Max.
About The Author
Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. She is a native Pittsburgher and lives in a suburb of the city with her husband.
Her debut mystery, To Brew Or Not To Brew 
was nominated for the 2015 Reviewers’ Choice award for Best Amateur Sleuth by RT Book Reviews. The second book in the series, Tangled Up In Brew
was released in October 2016 and chosen as a “Top Pick” by RT Book Reviews. It was the winner of the 2016 Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Amateur Sleuth. It was also named one of the Best Books of 2016 by Kings River Life Magazine.
Author Links
Webpage – http://www.joycetremel.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JoyceTremel/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JoyceTremel
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel
Purchase Link
Be sure to visit these other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and more
October 2 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
October 2 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
October 3 – Blogger Nicole Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
October 4 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT (You are here!)
October 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
October 6 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
October 7 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
October 7 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
October 8 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
October 9 – Laura’s interests – REVIEW
October 9 – Valerie’s Musings – INTERVIEW
October 10 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 11 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 11 – T’s Stuff – INTERVIEW
October 12 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 14 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
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