Debra H. Goldstein's Blog, page 13
June 20, 2022
Countdown!
Five Belles Too Many, the fifth Sarah Blair mystery from Kensington, releases June 28th and there still is so much to do. Here’s what’s going on, here’s what needs to still be done, and here’s where you might be able to help:
Five Belles Too Many is a fun and clever look behind the scenes of the reality TV craze. Sarah Blair is a 
determined amateur sleuth who knows her limits…particularly when it comes to the kitchen. This twisty cozy mystery filled with red herrings will leave readers guessing until the final pages. ~Anna Gerard, author of the Georgia B&B Mystery series
I love this book and this series, and I highly recommend it! Once again Sarah finds herself in the thick of things, and she will do everything in her power to help out Jane, even though Jane has caused much trouble for Sarah and her twin sister Emily in the past. This story has so many plot twists and turns, and I was glued to the book from beginning to end. I am glad that Sarah and Cliff are friends again. If you love cozy mysteries with great characters, awesome pets, wonderful food, and a beautiful setting, then this is definitely the book and the series for you! – Robyn K.
Do you have a book club, garden group, or other social gathering that you’d like to have an author visit live or by zoom? Drop me an email directly or go through the contact page from my website – https://www.DebraHGoldstein.comTell a friend about the Sarah Blair series. That’s the best way to help an author promote a series.Join Maggie Toussaint, Nancy J. Cohen, Terry Ambrose and me for a facebook party on June 28 from 7-8 est https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty (giveaways)Here is a smattering of the blogs you can find me at in the near future:
June 20 – It’s Not Always a Mystery
June 20 – Writers Who Kill
June 22 – Chicks on the Case
June 22 – Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers
June 27 – The Wickeds
June 28 – Jungle Red Writers
June 28 – Dru’s Book Musings
Here are the Great Escapes Tour blogs you can find me at during the next few weeks:
June 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners
June 21 – Lisa K’s Book Reviews
June 22 – I Read What You Write
June 22 – Lady Hawkeye
June 23 – Mysteries with Character
June 23 – MJB Reviews
June 24 – StoreyBook Reviews
June 25 – Maureen’s Musings
June 26 – Brooke Blogs
June 27 – My Reading Journeys
June 28 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog
June 28 – The Mystery Section
June 29 – My Journey Back
June 29 – Escape with Dollycas into A Good Book
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June 6, 2022
The Art Center Mysteries by Susan Van Kirk
By Susan Van Kirk
For the past eight years, I’ve written a series called the Endurance Mysteries. Their setting is the small town of Endurance in west central Illinois. The same main characters inhabit each book, so over these years I’ve grown to know these imaginary people quite well. It would be easy to keep writing this series—and I plan to write more—but I needed to head off in a new direction. And so the Art Center Mysteries were born. New setting, new characters, new research.
The characters in my Endurance series are like old friends, and many of them are seniors. My first novel in the new series is called Death in a Pale Hue. Jill Madison, the protagonist, is thirty years old, and her best friend Angie is the same age. I, on the other hand, am well into my senior citizen years, and I found myself calling my thirty-something daughter-in-law to ask advice about Jill’s frame of mind.
Jill has two vastly different brothers. The oldest Madison, Tom, is a detective in their town of 15,000. His ringtone on Jill’s phone is the theme from Law and Order. He is by-the-book, dot the I’s and cross the T’s, and protect his younger sister, Jill. Andy, the middle adult child, is the owner of a gift shop with his partner Lance, and his ringtone is “Welcome to the Jungle.” Jill thinks of her brothers as John Wayne and Looney Tunes. Tom cautions her to be careful, while Andy encourages Jill to do crazy things. Their family endured a tragedy together a few years earlier that has sealed their shared bond.
The new setting is Apple Grove, a small town with an art center Jill will manage. It’s named for Jill’s mother who was a world-class sculptor. The old building they refurbished was built in 1870. It has needed a great deal of work, including lifting the floors a good six inches. Jill oversaw this work despite the worries of some of her board members. Returning to Apple Grove after living in the Chicago art scene for nine years meant Jill would need to prove herself to people who remembered her as a kid. The president of her board and personal nemesis, Ivan F. Truelove III, emails her daily with suggestions about what she could do to make her work at the art center better. He is like a gnat, flying around her with irritation. But many people on her board have faith in her, so she must make sure her first big exhibit goes well. Nothing can go wrong.
All would go well except some unforeseen events throw Jill’s life and job into jeopardy. She needs good publicity and a smooth first exhibit to make sure her job is secure. Would an author let that happen? Of course not. It doesn’t take long for everything except a plague of locusts to show up, and Jill Madison—even with the help of her family and best friend—will find herself in trouble with her board and with a murderer who plans to paint her out of the picture permanently.
~~~~~
Susan Van Kirk is a Midwest writer, living in downstate Illinois. Her writings include the
Endurance Mysteries: Three May Keep a Secret, The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney,
Marry in Haste, Death Takes No Bribes, and The Witch’s Child. Harlequin Worldwide
Mystery is currently republishing her entire series. A Death at Tippitt Pond is her standalone
mystery. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and is President of
the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Her website and blog are at
http://www.susanvankirk.com
Buy Link: https://www.Amazon.com/dp/B09YZ153HN
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanVanKirkAuthor/
Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/ybrs73kb
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May 23, 2022
Putting a little thriller in the cozy
By Terry Ambrose
One million words. It’s a big number. Right? Somewhere along the way during my writing journey, I passed that number. In fact, I’m probably closing in on two million now. Originally, I started out writing a psychological thriller. I soon realized I couldn’t do it. My villains were way too wimpy. Unfortunately, I wrote three books before I realized psychological thrillers and I had irreconcilable differences.
After realizing I’d set myself up for an impossible task, I thought about what I really wanted to write. Something fun. Maybe set in a tropical location. A mystery with an edge, but not a thriller. Those thoughts led me to a character—McKenna. A retired skip tracer whose life had fallen apart and who had moved to Honolulu to escape his past. McKenna was happy being miserable—until a beautiful young woman dragged him into a murder investigation. And so, I had the idea for McKenna’s first Trouble in Paradise Mystery.
While working on the McKenna series, I added another series to my writing stable. The License to Lie series featured dual protagonists. The tag line for the first book was, “With $5 million and their lives on the line, can a determined criminologist and a beautiful con artist learn to trust each other? Or themselves?” I envisioned that series as a trilogy. After all, there was only so far I could take the trust/distrust issue before it started feeling stale. I’ve just released the sixth Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery. While mostly a cozy mystery, I just can’t stop myself from adding some thriller elements. I try to keep the dialogue edgy when it’s appropriate, refuse to get bogged down in tons of backstory, and strive to follow the mantra, “Good writing is like barbecue sauce. If it ain’t done bold, it ain’t worth doing.” Lies, Spies, and the Baker’s Surprise is written from the viewpoints of B&B owner Rick Atwood and his eleven-year-old daughter, Alex. Rick, seasoned by years as a crime reporter in New York, is used to doing thing methodically. Alex, however, with the boundless enthusiasm of youth, takes a very different approach. As you can probably guess, the two approaches always mix—just not well.
Book Description for Lies Spies, and the Baker’s Surprise
Seaside Cove B&B owner Rick Atwood’s wedding to Marquetta Weiss is only days away when a killer strikes. While Rick helps the police, his daughter Alex dives in on her own. On a rocky bluff over the ocean, Alex finds not only the truth, but also her life, hang in the balance.
Win a $35 Amazon gift card
How would you like to win a $35 Amazon gift card? Click here to enter my Book Birthday Contest. Use the bonus code #NotAlways for the “May 23: Not Always a Mystery” entry option and you’ll get three bonus entries!
About Terry Ambrose:
Terry has written over twenty novels, several of which have been award finalists. In 2014, his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. His series include the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries, the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, and the License to Lie thriller series.
Website: https://terryambrose.com
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X12RR5Y
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May 9, 2022
Welcome Home to Murder
By Rosalie Spielman
Being a military spouse makes it challenging to have a career. Due to moving often, if you didn’t have a “portable career” like nursing or teaching, it’s very hard to find work when experience is required. I’ve noticed many of my peers have gone into creative endeavors. Myself, I played with the idea of writing for years. Between being a history major in college, then an Army Officer, my topics of interest were not surprising. From historical novels set during World War II to non-fiction on females in the military, I would occasionally start researching or outlining. So it’s no surprise that when I started writing fiction, naturally I wrote a female military veteran as my main character.
My new release, Welcome Home to Murder, originally had a hook of my protagonist being a mechanic, in addition to be a retired Army Officer. The mechanic aspect was a hard sell. I thought publishers might want something different, but it was too different. The publisher who made an offer for my series asked that I de-emphasize the mechanic aspect (so long to my punny mechanic titles!) but they were right. The focus of the book had always been my character having served and the meaning of “home” for her. Thus was reborn the Hometown Mysteries series.
I’ve been “military” for as long as I can remember. After I got out of the Army, I still lived in the military community as a spouse for more than twenty years, where “home is where the Army sends you.” Where we live now is the first time I’ve lived in a civilian community since I was in college. There are military folks around, but it is still as different as night and day.
My biggest problem during editing of Welcome Home to Murder was the repeated, “I don’t know what you mean / what this is” from my editor. I thought I had written without military terms, avoiding ranks, occupations, and using acronyms without explanation. But I hadn’t realized how ingrained my base of knowledge was. It went deeper than not using a page full of military jargon. Some terms and acronyms are understood, like MIA, but what about if I say “motorpool” or “rank and grade” or a slang term like “grunt,” would it be understood easily? Some terms can be understood through context. But if I see a blank look on my civilian neighbor’s face when I say, “I’m running to the commissary, do you need anything?” then I probably need to reword for the readers as well. (The civilian meaning of commissary is not the same as the military one. The civilian word means a restaurant inside a store or office building, but to military folks, it’s the grocery store!)
When all was said and done, at its heart, my story is about someone who is hurting, returning home but feeling out of place. There are many, many people, civilian and military, who understand that feeling. My character does discuss some of the harder issues facing military personnel, but I didn’t want her mental health to be a driving theme of the story. But it is part of experience. She had a fiancé who was killed in action, as well as other losses that weigh heavily on her, and she does discuss with other characters what we refer to as the hidden wounds of war.
I was incredibly touched when my publisher, Gemma Halliday Publishing, offered to donate a portion of the proceeds of all sales in the release month of June to the veterans charity of my choice. The DAV, or Disabled American Veterans, helps so many service members with the physical and mental wounds, as well as assisting retirees when they exit the military, and was my choice for Gemma Halliday Publishing’s generous offer.
Welcome Home to Murder arrives 7 June, 2022! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZCG6FJ6
Originally from a tiny town in the Palouse region of Idaho, as a military brat, veteran, and military spouse (retired), Rosalie Spielman has moved more times than she has fingers to count on!
Somewhere along the way, she discovered that she could make other people laugh with her writing. Rosalie enjoys reading to escape from the real world and hopes to give you the same sense of escape with her stories.
Rosalie’s first book, Death Under the Sea, part of the Aloha Lagoon mysteries series, was released in 2021. In addition to Welcome Home to Murder, she will have a second Aloha Lagoon mystery, Death On a Cliff, releasing this August, as well as a short story in the Chesapeake Crimes: Magic is Murder! anthology. She also blogs with Writers Who Kill and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
Please subscribe to my newsletter!
www.Rosalie-Spielman-author.com
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April 25, 2022
Back to Book Clubs
Galveston Author Saralyn RichardBy Saralyn Richard
The isolation of the pandemic led to creative solutions, and I was fortunate to have several book club meetings by Zoom or FaceTime. These were exciting get-togethers, given the circumstances, but now being able to get together in person has provided a thrill beyond any gatherings on Zoom.
Such was my experience last week, when I met with a group of avid readers who call themselves THE Book Club. The member of the group who invited me gave me a heads-up that this was a fun-loving book club, and that there would be lots of surprises.
When I arrived, it was like stepping into the setting of my book. Props from the story graced every surface, and as time went on, more appeared. Breakfast was served, and every item on the menu was something mentioned in the book. Later, the same was true for lunch.
Between breakfast and lunch, we partnered up to answer higher level discussion questions related to the book. The insights that these readers had about the characters, setting, and plot impressed me with their depth and thoughtfulness.
All book clubs are great fun, but this one was over the top. Here are just a few of the specific details from BAD BLOOD SISTERS captured by the book club planners, Joanne Meyer and Gina Goodman. We had games and puzzles and lots of laughter that lasted for hours.
I’ve always said that the best thing about the author journey is connecting with readers. This morning and afternoon with THE book club proved that to be true.
Saralyn Richard’s award-winning humor- and romance-tinged mysteries and children’s book pull back the curtain on people in settings as diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools. Saralyn’s most recent release is Bad Blood Sisters. A member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Saralyn teaches creative writing and literature at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and continues to write mysteries. Her favorite thing about being an author is interacting with readers like you. Visit Saralyn here, on her Amazon page here, or on Facebook here.
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April 10, 2022
Come Read-A-Long with Me
To: You – readers whom I adore
From: Me – Debra H. Goldstein
When: April 19, May 17, June 21, and July 19, 2022
Time: 7 PM CST/ 8 PM EST (and you can figure out the rest)
What: A celebration of each of the Sarah Blair books … let me explain:
It appears that Five Belles Too Many, which will be released on June 28, 2022, will be the last in the series. I could bemoan that fact as some of you have been doing to me and directly to Kensington, but instead I am celebrating the journey that you, my readers, and I have been on together by throwing a series of virtual Read-A-Long parties. Each party focuses on discussing themes and concepts in one of the books in the series plus having an Ask the Author Anything session.
The first one, where we discussed One Taste Too Many, was held in March. It was a huge success. Not everyone who was on the Zoom call had read the book, but it didn’t matter. We talked about concepts, themes, and why I did certain things without giving away any of the plot spoilers.
The next Read-A-Long, on April 19, will discuss Two Bites Too Many. To request the study guide and link please send an email to DHG@DebraHGoldstein.com . The remainder of the series, Three Treats Too Many, Four Cuts Too Many, and of course, Five Belles Too Many, will be our topics for the May, June, and July sessions. The goal is to have fun and get a better understanding of these books culminating in the month when Five Belles is published.
I mentioned above that I am celebrating the journey of the Sarah Blair series, and I am. I have had a blast writing Sarah, the woman who is more afraid of the kitchen than murder, but more importantly, it has been a joy getting to know you, the readers.
Want to catch up on Sarah Blair so you’re ready for the big finish in July? You can pre-order Five Belles or start at the beginning – Amazon has the e-version of One Taste Too Many on sale for $1.99. For a chance to win an ARC of Five Belles Too Many, leave a comment below telling me what you like about the Sarah Blair series and whether you prefer to read the books in a series in order or however you pick them up.
Looking forward to seeing you on April 19 for Two Bites Too Many!
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March 28, 2022
Give me the Beach
I’m writing this from the beach. Ostensibly, I’m on a writing retreat, but while it is a time to hopefully zero in on finishing my newest work in progress, it is far more than that. It is a few days to visit with friends without being bombarded by family and civic responsibilities. And, for me, it is a time to recharge. 
Something about watching white caps swirling on the top of the water as the water and the sky merge into one relaxes me. Observing the sun playing on the water lets my mind empty of the tensions of the day and be creative. Better yet, walking in the surf early in the day or near sundown gives me time to reflect on goals and dreams.
Some people find the mountains bring them peace, but not me. Give me the beach and water. What about you?
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March 14, 2022
What draws you to a book
By Vicki Batman
OOH, OOH, Look at This Pretty Thing
What draws you to a book–the author, the cover, the back cover copy? Do you read the first page? For me, all of the above, especially for a new-to-me author.
Something about the cover is attractive–the colorful picture, the hunky hunk, the author’s name, perhaps, a quote from a super famous author. On the cover of my mystery, Temporarily Employed, the gorgeous red background is appealing, the title’s font is hip, and below the cartoon are the words New job. New romance. And murder.
Hmm, that word murder is verrryy intriguing. You like the cover and want to delve into the back cover. Is there a tagline to draw you in? A small paragraph about the heroine and the hero? Is there a foreshadowing of something to come? Do quotes from reviewers and famous authors seal the deal?
Satisfied, you turn to the first page to sense the writing style. The experts say the first bit of the first page is called the “Hook.” You read the line/s and are instantly drawn into the story, very excited to go home and plop on the couch with a favorite beverage and snack.
Check. Check. Check. You carry the book(s) and hand over money.
I wrote my first book based on a car game. To break the lull during a trip, a girlfriend tossed out fun questions. Then she said, “Write the opening of a book using the word window.” I wanted to write a book so badly, and my friend knew it; however, I had nothing. Not-a-thing. She gave me an out–go home, write something, and email them. Several days later, I had a version of this in my first mystery, Temporarily Employed:
“Yuck.”
Pretty much covered the whole freakin’ day.
A blinding red-white, red-white strobe, reflected in my brand-new Wrangler’s rearview mirror, seized my attention. The police. I tossed my hands skyward, ready to surrender. I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Like I’d commented this a.m. to my roommate, Jenny, “Today, anything’s possible.”
My Bad Day checklist included:
Are you hooked? Do you want to know more about this character and her wacky thoughts?
While writing Book 1, ideas for Temporarily Insane begged to be put on paper. I came up with this:
“Stop it, Hattie!”
Trixie had some nerve. Her reprimand, the one which skewered a stabbing pain to my right eye, sounded terribly out of character, like she had little patience for me.
Maybe she felt rushed.
Ordinarily, she was the nicest person I knew who didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The kind who rescued animals, picked up trash at Sommerville Park,
and delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly during her lunch hour.
Not today. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest in a school-girl flaunt.
Why would a friend reprimand a friend? For my third book, Temporarily Out of Luck, I wrote these opening lines:
Sometimes, I felt like a small white mouse housed in a cage with lots of small white mice, whose sole playground activity involved eating, sleeping, and constantly revolving on the exercise wheel. And just like one rodent friend, who I named Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky, having a field day back-flipping from the top of the spinning wheel, something happened. And unexpectedly, I found myself air born.
Not hurt, a sense of disappointment overcame me, plus a bit of confusion, and a whole lot of colorful descriptives too numerous to list. I, mostly known as Hattie Cooks, shook off the pine shavings and joined the rat race. Sometimes, life sucked.
But wallowing? Not a good solution.
Being positive? A better one.
What you discover is these books aren’t starting with a bang and running here and there. They are not a thriller, rather an amateur sleuth mystery. The words delve into the thoughts of Hattie Cooks, our intrepid main character, and hint at trouble. We empathize with her and hope she’ll get what she wants, including a hottie. Wink-wink.
What draws you into buying a new book?
Vicki Batman’s stories are full of fun, romance, and possibilities that will delight all readers. She has sold many award-winning and bestselling romantic comedy works to magazines and most recently, three humorous romantic mysteries. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.
Find Vicki at: https://vickibatman.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html/
Find the Hattie Cooks mysteries at: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman/
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March 11, 2022
Five Belles Too Many
Is anticipated to be the last book in the Sarah Blair series. Because I’ve been grateful to have so many fans follow the series, I’d like to do an interactive Zoom Read-A-Long of the series for each month through July, beginning with the first book, One Taste Too Many on March 15, 2022 at 7 pm CST/ 8 pm EST/ 6 pm MST/ 5 pm. PST.
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March 9, 2022
Capitol Crimes
Capitol Crimes – Mystery Writers Virtual Panel with Wanda Morris and Roger Johns – May 14.
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