Ally Shields's Blog, page 2

Character Interview from MG Fantasy by Kath Boyd Marsh

Welcome, Booklovers!
 
This week on the Coffee Chat, author Kath Boyd Marsh sent over two of her middle grade characters for an interview and to talk about their new fantasy anthology.
Welcome, Bubbles and Smush!
 
Smush: Hello! Scribe Kath says we have to tell you what we’d like to drink before you ask Bubbles and me questions. We like Riverweed Tea, if you have it.

Ally: My magic pot can make anything you want.
​
Bubbles: You have coffee, don’t you? I’d like to try that. Four sugars and a dash of milk, please. Smush will have six sugars and hold the milk.

Ally: No problem at all. Here you are. If you don’t like it, I’ll brew the tea.

Bubbles: Oh, thank you. I like this a lot. Makes me feel peppy. What were we talking about? 

Smush: Scribe Kath has all your books. Bubbles and I like the mysteries! I’m going to make hats like in your Regency novels. I love making hats.
 
Ally: And very nice ones too. I’ve read all about them in your stories.
 
Bubbles: Yes, that’s right, Scribe Kath mentions them a lot, but we’re here today to tell you about Scribe Kath’s newest book. It’s all about Smush and me. We are very adventurous, you know.
 
Ally: I do know. What's the title of this latest book?
 
Bubbles and Smush together: The MISadventures of Bubbles and Smush.

Ally:  Sounds intriguing.
 
Smush: Bubbles is first in the title because it’s alphabetical. But my picture on the cover is much better, shows off one of my hats.”
 
Bubbles holds up the book. Yep. Here it is. 

Ally: Yes, I see your pictures. Tell me something about the book.

​Bubbles:​ That’s me on the left pointing to Cl’rnce Dr’gon’s home castle.  You can see him way off in the distance in the bottom of the big letter S. Pretty cool. Oh, you mean, what the book's about? Smush and I solve some mysteries like in your Viscount Ware books, and have really great adventures, like with pirates, and dragons (they’re our favorites), and flying, and even singing with banshees.


​MISadventures of Bubbles and Smush :
Genre: middle grade (9-12)
 
Bubbles and Smush were never supposed to be perfect heroes, but after all, it’s the MISadventures that make life so exciting…

While life seems peaceful on River Wiz Tech, when Cl’rnce the Dr’gon Co-Primus doesn’t show up for his visit, Bubbles overhears that Cl’rnce may be in trouble and the two Barforami cousins are off and running, or waddling, or swimming very fast to the Wizard Technological School and Knights Academy for adventure after adventure.

No more lazy floating. Each new day seems to bring a new adventure—from finding closet monsters, foiling a poisoning, dealing with pirates, learning to fly, to helping a baby dr’gon get a banshee to give her singing lessons.

Not that any of those adventures go smoothly! Featuring 5 brand new stories, Bubbles and Smush, once again, will bumble their way to success…or will they?


Here is the list of stories, the first three were previously published as ebooks.Closet MonstersTrick or TreatsDragon Rescue Hungry Pirates Dr’gon-Sitting Fetch Dr’gon Twin When Barforami Fly Banshee Singing Lessons 
Buy Link:   https://amzn.to/3ZbKwMK Bubbles continues: You should read it to your dog and cat, Pippin and Latte. Our dogs, Rufus and Hank, told us about them. Our cats are not speaking to us right now. And I’m not supposed to talk about why. Has to do with our next MISadventure.

Ally (laughs): I see. Sounds like quite a tale. Perhaps you’ll come back again and tell us all about it. Good luck with the new book release.

Smush: Thank you for having us.
​
Ally: Thanks for coming. You’re welcome to visit anytime, and bring your scribe! About the Author:
 
At seven years old Kath Boyd Marsh self-published her first fantasy on lined notebook paper, stapled together by her grandfather, and starring a creature based on her little sister- the ‘PB.’

​Before Kath moved to PA to photograph sunrises from the ridge top, act as serf to her three cats and two dogs, and write about dragons, wizards, demons, gargoyles, plus other fantastic creatures, she lived in eight states, Panama, and one very haunted house. The Lazy Dr’gon and the Bumblespells Wizard (MG) was her debut novel.
 
Visit her Website for middle grade and YA fantasy:
 
kathboydmarsh.com Check out her other books here on Amazon: ​ https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kath-Boyd-Marsh/author/B01LVUP8KU And don't miss her first YA fantasy novel:

BECOMING: BLOOD ANGEL

Mudge is in BIG trouble, and this time so is his guardian – High Demon Abdriel Mallack. It’s time to flee Hell. It’s time to find the Blood Angel and return to Hell with so much Power, that even the Dread Lord will bow!

For centuries Lilith’s Sisterhood, a sorority of non-human warriors, has trained and waited for Abdriel to come to Earth. They know about the powerful Blood Angel Abdriel seeks. Will they help Abdriel obtain the Blood Angel’s power? Or will they create the perfect team made in … Hell?
​
Ready for a demon meets paranormal creatures in an adventure series? Perfect for fans of: Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Seraphim Academy by Elizabeth Briggs, The Royals of Villain Academy by Eva Chase.

Book Two releases soon!

Book Spotlight on Jessica Dale's Romantic Mystery Series

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Today we have writer Kassandra Lamb's alter ego with us. Jessica Dale writes the romantic mystery series, Unintended Consequences.

Welcome, Jessica. How do you take your coffee?

JD:  Kassandra drinks tea; she’s allergic to something in coffee. But I sneak a mocha latte past her now and then.

Ally: Mocha latte it is then while we sit back and take a look at your romantic trilogy.
SERIES BLURB:
 
One autumn afternoon changed everything!
 
Payback ~ James Fitzgerald is looking forward to a relaxing weekend with friends. Instead he walks into a blood bath, and a cryptic message points to him as the killer. As he attempts to both clear his name and resist his attraction to his lovely neighbor Carrie, he discovers some shocking truths about his family...and wonders if he should’ve let sleeping ghosts lie.
 
Backlash ~ Taking it slow is no longer an option for James and Carrie’s new relationship when her teenage son appears at her door, leading her abusive estranged husband right to her. But the batterer brings more baggage to the Virginia woods than just his rage at the wife who ran away.
 
Backfire ~ James’s divorced friend Mary finally goes on a date, which culminates in a hope-inspiring kiss. Until the middle of the night when a rapist breaks into her apartment—a masked man who smells like her date’s aftershave. Frantic, she flees to James’s secluded house in Virginia. But no place is safe, for her rapist is determined to possess her...and even the ghost of her murdered friend may not be able to protect her.
 
Links to purchase the trilogy can be found at:
 
Payback:  https://misteriopress.com/bookstore/payback/
 
Backlash:  https://misteriopress.com/bookstore/backlash/
 
Backfire:  https://misteriopress.com/bookstore/backfire/  
EXCERPT from Backlash, Book 2 in the Unintended Consequences Romantic Suspense Trilogy
 
CHAPTER ONE

Carrie
​
For the half-second before the dog reacted, I assumed the person ringing the doorbell was James, arriving for dinner.
Then Ginger went ballistic.
Heart pounding, I power-walked into the living room, trying to convince myself that Greg hadn’t found me, that it wasn’t him at the door.
I really had to get a handle on my fear. This was no way to live.
The doorbell rang again and Ginger raced ahead of me to sniff the crack at the bottom of the door. Another burst of ear-splitting barks bounced off the walls.
Definitely not James. He only rang the bell once before using his own key.
My chest so tight I could hardly breathe, I looked through the door’s peephole. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a scream.
Wait! Greg’s features, yes, and brown hair like his, but… The face was younger, with dark stubble on boyish cheeks and wide eyes staring back at me—the same sky blue as my own.
I fumbled with the locks and threw the door open. “Philly!”
He grinned, then ducked his head a little. “Hi, Mom.”
​
***
James

My mind was elsewhere, on the auditions I had lined up over the next week. It was always nerve-racking to be between plays. I rounded the front corner of the old farmhouse and stopped cold, trying to process the scene before me.
Carrie didn’t know any local men well enough to be hugging them. Therefore, this man was from her past, which did not bode well, despite the hug.
My stomach hollowed out.
Was this Greg? Was she the type of woman who ran back into her ex’s arms the minute he was kind to her?
I felt nauseous.
Ginger shoved past Carrie’s leg and trotted over to me. I absently patted the golden retriever’s head as I watched Carrie and the man step apart.
No, more a boy. My insides unknotted some, but my heart hammered harder. Not Greg, but still not good.
“Look at you,” Carrie said to the boy, a big smile on her face.
I stepped up onto the end of the long front porch, my footsteps dull thuds on the wooden floorboards.
The kid startled and pivoted to put himself between me and Carrie, a reflexive move that should not be instinctive in a teenage boy.
He was almost as tall as me, already five-ten, but slender. His blue eyes, so like Carrie’s, were wide in a boy-man face.
Carrie waved for me to approach. “James, this is my son. Phillip, this is my neighbor and friend, James Fitzgerald.”
The son, at this point, didn’t surprise me, but the friend did a little. We were a hell of a lot more than friends.
But hey, it’s her kid. I’ll follow her lead. I stuck out my hand. “Pleased to meet you, Phillip.”
I used the handshake to turn him toward the open front door and began herding them inside. “Best not to be standing around out here,” I said without thinking.
Carrie’s delighted expression deflated like a popped balloon, and I felt like a heel. I could’ve let her enjoy her reunion with her son a few minutes longer before reminding her of the threat that reunion represented.
Once we were all inside, Carrie laid a palm against Phillip’s cheek. “I can’t believe it. You’re shaving.”
His cheeks turned pink under the smattering of dark hairs. “This started a few weeks ago…” He trailed off, his expression part pleased, part sheepish.
“Hey,” I said, “you two catch up for a few minutes.” I slipped back outside, locking the door behind me.
I scanned the stretches of grass on either side of the gravel lane leading down to Carrie’s and my houses. They were beginning to green up after a long winter.
Then I moved my gaze to the woods up by the main road. No signs of movement and no sounds that didn’t belong. A cool breeze carried the scent of damp earth. I headed across our lawns to my own front porch.
A few minutes later, carrying a small paper bag of shaving supplies, I let myself in Carrie’s door with my key.
She and Phillip were sitting in the middle of the living room sofa, their heads bent together. The boy was chattering away—something about school—his voice cracking a bit.
She looked so damned happy that I couldn’t help smiling, even though the implications of his presence were terrifying.
About the Author:

Jessica Dale is the alter ego of retired psychotherapist turned mystery writer, Kassandra Lamb. She has been a human resources administrator, counselor, business owner and college professor. Now she enjoys writing romantic suspense stories with a psychological twist (and the occasional ghost). She is the author of the Unintended Consequences trilogy, the Binding Love duet, and the romantic thriller, Bartered Innocence.
 
You can connect with Jessica/Kassandra at:
 
WEBSITE: https://kassandralamb.com/jessica-dales-books/
 
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/kassandralambauthor~ https://www.facebook.com/JessicaDaleAuthor/
 
INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/kasslamb/
 
BOOKBUB PROFILE:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kassandra-lamb ~ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-dale
 
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Kassandra-Lamb/e/B006NB5WAI/ ~ https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Dale/author/B071HTX5S9/
Don't miss Jessica's interview on my JL Buck mystery blog:
janetlbuck.com/blog/interview-with-jessica-dale-alter-ego-of-author-kassandra-lamb​

Book Spotlight: TEN STORIES THAT WORRIED MY MOTHER by Winona Kent

Good Morning, Booklovers!

This week's book spotlight is an anthology by author Winona Kent. She has written the stories in several genres, so I hope everyone will find something to enjoy.
Welcome to the blog, Winona. What can I get you to drink?

WK:  I drink Kona Coffee brewed in a French Press. I have three or four cups a day—I really should cut down because I end up feeling too anxious if I have deadlines looming. I have two squirts of Liquid Stevia to sweeten it, and I add either unsweetened almond milk or (for a treat) coffee creamer to lighten it up.

Ally:  My magic pot can brew anything, so enjoy your coffee while we take a look at your anthology.
TEN STORIES THAT WORRIED MY MOTHER
Genre: Short Story Anthology
Subgenres: Mysteries, Time Travel, Mainstream Fiction, Espionage

A collection of ten short stories featuring four prize-winners, three mysteries, two previously unpublished works and one where the hero manages to spare-change John Lennon at the premiere of A Hard Day's Night in 1964.
 
And yes…they really did worry Winona’s mother.
 
"At times Winona almost flies under the radar as an unsung hero on the Canadian fiction scene… I’ll simply suggest this – find a comfy chair, sit back, relax, and take some time to go on a fast-paced and fun jaunt into Winona Kent’s imagination."
- A.J. Devlin, author of the “Hammerhead” Jed crime fiction series
 
Universal Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/Ten-Stories

Synopsis of Stories:

1. Tower of Power. One night in the life of a rock and roll radio newsman. Winona’s first published story, winner of the Flare Fiction Competition, originally published in Flare magazine in September 1982.
 
2. Dietrich's Ash. Inspired by an unfortunate situation that arose from a disputed property line between Winona’s house and her neighbour’s house when she was growing up in Saskatchewan. Okanagan Short Fiction Award winner. Originally published in Canadian Author & Bookman. Winter 1985 and anthologized in Pure Fiction: The Okanagan Short Story Award Winners. (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) 1986. Also broadcast on CBC Radio, Ambience. 1982
 
3. True Confessions. A Temp with nothing much to do, a tea lady named Mrs. Thatcher, and a rooftop garden overlooking a builder's yard. Originally published in Green's Magazine, a small Canadian literary journal, Volume XII, Number 4, Summer 1984.
 
4. Creatures from Greek Mythology. A student with a crush on his Social Studies teacher. A high school dance. A fine arts student who paints rainbows around her eyes. (Second Prize Winner, WQ Editors Prize). Originally published in Cross-Canada Writers Quarterly. Vol 6, No. 1, 1984.
 
5. The Man in the Grey Eldorado. The first draft of this was written roundabout 1977 or 1978, after Winona had spent a glorious few weeks at the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts at Fort San (a former TB sanitorium). Inspired by The Man from UNCLE, this is one of only two previously unpublished stories in the collection.
 
6. Herd Maintenance. Winona wrote this in 1981 while she was working as a Temp at a federal government office on the Canadian prairies. This is the second unpublished story in the collection, although it did enjoy a brief life as a short, unproduced film script while she was at Vancouver Film School in 2003-4. The typewritten letters in the story are real. The names have been removed to protect the innocent.
 
7. Perhaps an Angel. An adventure involving the two main characters from Winona’s time travel romances, Charlie Duran and Shaun Deeley. Originally published in Carnival, a collection of short stories by Fable Press authors, in 2013.
 
8. Easy When You Know How. Another Charlie Duran/Shaun Deeley short story, in which Mr. Deeley manages to spare change John Lennon at the premiere of A Hard Day’s Night, and snag one of his plectrums (ie guitar picks). The story is also included at the end of Winona’s time travel romance novel, In Loving Memory.
 
9. Salty Dog Blues. Jason Davey, Winona’s professional musician / amateur sleuth, was originally featured in a standalone novel, Cold Play (2012), working as an entertainer on board an Alaska-bound cruise ship. In Salty Dog Blues, Winona took Jason back to that nautical setting, and gave him a very tongue-in-cheek mystery to solve. Salty Dog Blues was specifically written for and originally appeared in the short story anthology Crime Wave, published by Sisters in Crime-Canada West in November 2020. The story was a finalist in the Crime Writers of Canada's 2021 Awards of Excellence for Best Crime Novella.
 
10. Blue Devil Blues. This is a short story that was originally written for the anthology Last Shot: Four Tales of Murder, Mystery and Suspense, published in June 2021 with stories by Alice Bienia, Dwayne Clayden, Peter Kingsmill and Winona. It tells the tale of how Jason got his permanent gig at the Blue Devil jazz club in London's Soho, and also manages to include Winona’s obsession with the London Underground. About the Author:

Winona Kent is an award-winning author who was born in London, England and grew up in Saskatchewan, where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. After moving to Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing and received her diploma in Writing for Screen and TV from Vancouver Film School. Winona has been a temporary secretary, a travel agent, a screenwriter, the Managing Editor of a literary magazine and a Program Assistant at the University of British Columbia. She's currently the BC/Yukon Representative and Vice Chair of the Crime Writers of Canada and is an active member of Sisters in Crime - Canada West. She lives in New Westminster, where she is happily embracing life as a full-time author.
 
Twitter (X):  @winonakent
Instagram:  @winonakent 
Facebook:  @Winonakentauthor 
Threads:  @winonakent 
Website:   http://www.winonakent.com Don't miss Winona's interview on my mystery blog here:
janetlbuck.com/blog/a-blog-interview-with-canadian-author-winona-kent​

PUPS, PUMPKINS AND MURDER, Cozy Mystery by S.A. Kazlo

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
This week’s author featuring her new cozy mystery release, Pups, Pumpkins and Murder, is Syrl Kazlo writing as S.A. Kazlo. While we take a look at your book, let’s get comfortable with a mug of coffee. How do you prefer yours?
 
SK:  Strong and dark. No cream or sugar. Unlike my husband who sweetens his up with 3 heaping teaspoons of sugar. Unfortunately, due to high blood pressure I have to drink decaf. Certainly not the same as regular, but I guess it's better than nothing.
 
Ally:  Now we're settled, please show us your latest book in the Samantha Davies mystery series. Pups, Pumpkins and Murder
Genre: cozy mystery.
 
 
Autumn has arrived in the small town of Wings Falls in upstate New York, and children's book author Samantha Davies couldn't be happier. She's excited to attend the town's annual Taste of Wings Falls craft and food festival with her boyfriend Detective Hank Johnson. The fair features several booths, like the one Sam's rug hooking group, the Loopy Ladies, have set up as a fundraiser to send underprivileged children to summer camps, as well as home-grown vegetables, like the 2,000-pound pumpkin grown by Farmer Scooter that he's proudly displayed on the back of his truck.
 
But maybe the biggest draws for the fair is the barbeque cook-off. Samantha is friends with the owners of the three restaurants participating, but she is betting on Franny Goodway, the owner of Sweetie Pie's Café, taking home this year's coveted first place prize. But things take a stomach-churning turn when several fair goers become ill after chowing down on Franny's pulled pork delight. Franny insists it's not her fault... but when Sam sees Franny vehemently arguing with the new loan officer at the town's bank, she knows something is wrong.
 
Little did Sam know how wrong. That evening as Sam takes her dachshund, Porkchop, for a stroll, she finds the body of the loan officer...crushed under a 2,000 pound pumpkin and deader than the fall leaves covering the ground! Franny instantly becomes the number one suspect, and it's up to Sam to prove her friend innocent of the man's murder. Can she find a killer, and navigate her relationship with her detective boyfriend, and save Sweetie Pie's Café?
 
Buy links-
https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkins-Murder-Samantha-Davies-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C6Z9SXJN
 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1402419

​
Excerpt:
 
                                                                                   CHAPTER ONE

Who knew a pumpkin could kill a person? I'm sure Scooter Dickenson never thought his prize winning 2,000-pound gourd would be the means of a person's death when his flatbed truck rumbled into the Wings Falls Park yesterday morning. The victim—Edgar Jensen—the new loan officer at the Wings Falls National Bank. I had never met Edgar before yesterday when I had the misfortune of making his acquaintance at the annual Taste of Wings Falls Fair. I say misfortune because from what I observed at the fair he wasn't the nicest person, arguing with a number of fair goers. But was someone mad enough at Edgar to want him dead? These questions ran through my mind as I sat with my cousin, Candie, in our regular booth in Sweetie Pie's Café after Sunday Mass at Saint Anthony's.

The weekend had started off wonderfully. On Friday night, my boyfriend Hank Johnson, Candie, and her new hubby, Mark Hogan, sat in Adirondack chairs around the metal fire pit in my backyard enjoying s'mores and mugs of hot chocolate. I was mesmerized by the flames licking the oak logs in the circle of fire as they reached for the sky. The sparks reminded me of the lightning bugs that flitted around on a summer night I would try to capture when I was a child.

 Earlier in the afternoon I had walked my reddish-brown dachshund, Porkchop, through the maze of tents set up for the Wings Falls annual fall event—A Taste of Wings Falls. Vendors were busy preparing to sell everything from wool scarves to maple syrup. The rug hooking group I belong to, the Loopy Ladies, was prepared to sell hand-hooked items.
​
A big draw every year for the Taste was Scooter Dickenson's award-winning pumpkin. As I walked close to the flatbed holding this year's beauty, a growl rumbled from deep within Porkchop. I looked down, and the short hairs on his back stood on end. He started to bark and pull on his leash. His behavior surprised me. If a squirrel had run across our path, I could understand his agitation, but a pumpkin? Go figure. About the Author:

Syrl, a retired teacher, lives in upstate New York with her husband and two very lively dachshunds. Under the pen name, S.A. Kazlo, she writes the Samantha Davies Mystery series, featuring Samantha Davies and her loveable dachshund, Porkchop. When not writing she is busy hooking, rug hooking that is, reading and enjoying her family.
 
Something unique about me:  “I lead a pretty ordinary life. Well, back in the day when no self-respecting person was getting tattoos, I got 2. Boy, did my high school students love that.
Also, I published by first book at the tender age of 74.”
 
Contact the author:
 
http://www.sakazlo.com
twitter- @sakazlo
instagram- sakazlo
linkedin- sakazlo
Follow this link to Syri's interview on my JL Buck mystery blog:
​janetlbuck.com/blog/cozy-mystery-author-syri-kazlo-visits-the-blog

BLOOD RELATIONS, a DS Ryan McBride Mystery by Joyce Woollcott

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
I have another terrific book spotlight for you this week: Blood Relations, the second DS Ryan McBride mystery novel by Joyce Woollcott. (See the link to her interview at the end of this post.)
Nice to have you on the blog, Joyce. What may I get you to drink?
 
JW:  I wouldn’t say no to a glass of white wine.
 
Ally: While I grab my coffee mug and your glass of wine, tell us about your featured mystery novel. 
BLOOD RELATIONS
Genre: Mystery
 
Belfast, Northern Ireland: early spring 2017. Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride and his partner Detective Sergeant Billy Lamont are called to his desolate country home to investigate. In their inquiry, they discover a man whose career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland was overshadowed by violence and corruption.

Is the killer someone from Mullan’s past, or his present? And who hated the man enough to kill him twice? Is it one of Patrick Mullan’s own family, all of them hiding a history of abuse and lies? Or a vengeful crime boss and his psychopathic new employee? Or could it be a recently released prisoner desperate to protect his family and flee the country?

​Ryan and Billy once again face a complex investigation with wit and intelligence, all set in Belfast and the richly atmospheric countryside around it.
 
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Relations-Ryan-McBride-Novel-ebook/dp/B0CFJWF69D EXCERPT:

MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017
RYAN
 
Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride stared into Mullan’s bedroom, the metallic smell of old blood stronger here. Prisha Hill, the supervising crime scene investigator, laid her hand on his arm.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Prisha said. “Have you?”

“No,” Ryan said. “No, I haven’t.”
 
Fifteen minutes earlier, arriving at the scene, Ryan roared past several patrol cars cluttering up the grass verge in front of Hungry Hall, a decaying country house outside Antrim. A few constables stood talking by their vehicles. He jammed on the breaks, pulled into the driveway then backed up. Saw them glance over, a bit edgy now. A stocky woman officer with short dark hair curling under her cap leaned against a car beside two male constables, both tall and pale. Ryan lowered his window, getting a whiff of country air, manure, cut grass, and peat.

“Word to the wise.” He flashed his warrant card. “I’m Detective Sergeant McBride, Senior Investigating Officer.” He nodded towards the house. “That’s a crime scene. You’re supposed to be protecting it, not standing around chatting like a bunch of schoolgirls. Next time anyone tries to enter this driveway, ask for ID, unless you fully know who it is.”

Their faces closed up with anger and embarrassment.

Ryan held up his hand. “That’s one of ours lying dead up there, a retired senior officer. If you let Chief Inspector Girvan drive past you like I did, it won’t just be a bollocking you get; it’ll be school-safety visits. Understand me?”

The woman broke from the group and walked over.

“Sorry, we just assumed, you know, by the way, you hammered in. But you’re right; we should have stopped you.” She nodded over to one of the constables, shuffling his feet by the car door. “Frank there knows the son, Andrew Mullan. Went to primary school with him. He’s right and upset. We didn’t see the victim, but one of the other fellas up there did and was sick.”
 
At the house, Ryan’s partner, DS Billy Lamont, was talking to a crime-scene tech while struggling into a white Tyvek suit and trying to tuck his messy brown curls under a hood. Billy stood a little shorter than Ryan at just under six feet. He had light grey eyes in a pale, freckled face. He lifted his hand in greeting.

One of the crime-scene guys threw Ryan a suit and booties. He had his own gloves, and he hopped along, trying to tug on the booties as they headed for the front of the house.

“Grim sort of a place, eh?” Billy said as they approached the door.

Hungry Hall stood four square and solid enough on an acre of land; Ryan noticed the stonework, originally painted white, now had a grey, mossy tinge. A feeling of disuse, almost abandonment, lingered. The day didn’t help, either; overcast and sullen with low clouds.

“Who found him?”

“The cleaning lady. She’s waiting in the kitchen.”

They stopped at the door and looked in. The main hall was large, gloomy, and cold. Crime-scene officers bustled about. Even so, the place felt desolate. Ryan couldn’t put his finger on it. He shivered.

“Jesus, it’s freezing in here.”

“That’s a desperate smell.” Billy unzipped his suit a bit and pulled his hanky out, holding it to his nose.

Ryan picked up the scent of blood, along with rubbish, rotting food, and dust in the air.

“How often did this cleaning lady come?” he asked Billy. Billy, his partner of over three years, was quick to pick up all kinds of information at scenes.

“Not blooming often enough, you ask me.”

“Hello.” A slim woman in her fifties approached them. A CSI in a blue suit, she carried a metal case and had shoved a pair of plastic glasses on top of her hood. She had dark, almost black eyes and sallow skin. In need of a bit of sun, Ryan thought. Like me
.
“I’m Prisha Hill,” she said, nodding behind her as she spoke. “I oversee this bunch. I was just on the phone to my boss, and he said you two were a couple of comedians. Well, I’ll tell you this for nothing. You won’t be laughing when you get upstairs.” She hesitated. “DS Calvert, the local detective sergeant here, has been called away, but he got things started before he left.”


Author Bio:
                       
J. Woollcott is a Canadian author, born in Belfast, N. Ireland. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers and BCAD, University of Ulster. Her first book, A Nice Place to Die won the RWA Daphne du Maurier Award, was short-listed in the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in 2021 and a Silver Falchion Award finalist at Killer Nashville 2023.
 
Website: https://www.jwoollcott.com
Twitter: @JoyceWoollcott Don't miss Joyce's interview on my JL Buck mystery blog:
janetlbuck.com/blog/meet-mystery-writer-joyce-woollcott-in-this-blog-interview​

Book Spotlight on DEATH 101: EXTRA CREDIT by Kelly Brakenhoff

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Please join me in welcoming Kelly Brakenhoff to a Coffee Chat Book Spotlight featuring her cozy mystery, Death 101: Extra Credit. (Check out Kelly's interview on my mystery blog at the bottom of this post.)
 
 What may I get you to drink, Kelly?
 
KB:  I drink Yorkshire tea instead of coffee. My morning writing group includes a couple of British friends who recommended their local tea. I like the Yorkshire blend because it’s more mild than Irish Breakfast tea, my previous favorite.
 
Ally: While we're waiting for the magic pot to do its thing, let’s go ahead and take a look at your book.
​Death 101: Extra Credit (A Cassandra Sato Mystery Book4)
Genre: Cozy Mystery
 
Failure is not an option.

At Morton College, learning comes with a hefty price. The search committee tasked with hiring a new president is on the brink of chaos. A student production of The Three Musketeers devolves into a bloody sword fight. Join Cassandra Sato and the students in a Death 101 course as they put their detective skills to the test. Unraveling the tangled web of secrets and lies, they must act quickly as the college's very future hangs in the balance.
 
Buy links:
Goodreads:​ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194943755-death-101
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/death-101-extra-credit-a-cassandra-sato-mystery-book-4-by-kelly-brakenhoff
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBNDYGVH EXCERPT OF Death 101: Extra Credit
 
Cassandra Sato took a deep breath and surveyed the scene in front of her. Her parents were outside her house chatting away with the neighbor man across the street. The way they gestured to a large magnolia tree full of pink blooms, she guessed they were comparing gardening patterns in Nebraska to theirs at home in Hawaii.
 
Her bungalow style home looked similar to the others on her quiet street. Two stories, detached one-car garage, small backyard, landscaped front yard with well-tended flower beds. The small town of Carson fit the Midwestern stereotype in almost every way.
 
Cassandra’s dad wasn’t a big talker, but her mother could strike up a conversation with anyone, willing or not, and Cassandra lost count during her childhood at how many times she’d been embarrassed by her mother's outgoing personality.
 
Meanwhile, her West Highland Terrier dog, Murphy, was wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of her next door neighbor’s poop scooping service truck. Murphy begged to go outside, so Cassandra took him to the backyard where he ran straight to the college-aged worker who methodically walked the yard carrying a hoe-like device and a customized scoop.
 
The young man crouched down next to the fence where Murphy was bouncing and barking excitedly and pulled a treat from his pocket, which Murphy eagerly gobbled up.
 
As the man went about his job, Cassandra said, “My dog seems to recognize your truck.”
 
“Yeah, he’s run outside the past few times after I pulled up. What’s his name?” He came back to the fence and held his palm low while the dog sniffed his hand.
 
“Murphy,” said Cassandra. “Usually he comes to the office with me at Morton College, but I’ve been off work recently.”
 
“I’m Nate Parker, a sophomore at the college.” He poked a finger through the chain links and scratched behind Murphy’s ear.
 
His kindness and thoughtfulness impressed her, despite not being his customer. “Let me know if you ever need a reference for your next job. You seem to take customer service seriously.”
 
Medium height and average build, Nate’s hoodie was pulled up over his hair, so she could only see his friendly face. He shrugged. “I’m good with dogs. My boss lets me fit my hours in around my other commitments, and the money helps me with rent and stuff.”
 
“Well, thank you for being so nice to Murphy. He can be fickle about who he likes.” Mostly, Murphy was touchy around her. She’d adopted him only a few months earlier, but they were still adjusting to each other.
 
Cassandra watched as Nate finished his job and drove away, a pang of guilt washing over her. She hadn’t taken the time to get to know all her neighbors, much less the friendly young man who had been feeding her dog treats. At the same time, she felt impatient to get back to work, obsessed with climbing the academic ladder at Morton College and using her current position as Vice President of Student Affairs as a stepping stone to something bigger.
 
Her mother’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Hey honey girl, you been staring into da sky for five minutes already. What happen?” To local Carson residents, her parents had an accent from being born and raised on Oahu, the descendants of Japanese immigrants. People called it Pidgin English or Creole, but to Cassandra it just sounded like home.
 
She could switch comfortably between island style casual language and formal academic discourse with ease, depending on the situation. Cassandra shook her head, trying to clear her mind. “Eh, sorry, Mom. I was just thinking about work.”
 
“Again?” her mother sighed. “You always thinkin’ about work. You need relax more.”
 
“I have been enjoying myself,” Cassandra protested. “I took time off to spend with you and Dad.” About the Author:
 
Kelly Brakenhoff is an author of ten books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
Parents, kids, and teachers love the children's books and activity books because they teach American Sign Language using fun stories. And if you like a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, you'll enjoy the Cassandra Sato Mystery series.
The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio. “I just started learning how to play pickleball. I’m not good at tennis or ping pong, so we’ll see how this goes.”
 
Author Contacts:
Email: kelly@kellybrakenhoff.com
Website: https://kellybrakenhoff.com/ 
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kellybrakenhoffauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inBrakenVille
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly_inbrakenville/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@kellybrakenhoff
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellybrakauthor​
Don't miss Kelly's interview on my mystery blog:
​janetlbuck.com/blog/cozy-mystery-writer-kelly-brakenhoff-visits-the-blog-this-week

Book Spotlight: PIERCE THE DARKNESS by Nannette Potter

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
This week’s book spotlight is brought to you my thriller writer, Nannette Potter, introducing her novel, PIERCE THE DARKNESS. (Don’t miss her interview on my mystery blog HERE.)
 
Welcome, Nannette. What may I get you to drink?
 
NP: There’s a local coffee house that I absolutely adore! My usual is a hot latte Hallelujah - coffee with white chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s pure heaven.
 
Ally: Since my magic pot can conjure anything, that hot latte is coming right up. So, let’s take a look at your book.



PIERCE THE DARKNESS
Genre: thriller

Disgraced impalement artist Genevieve "Blade" Broussard accepts a lucrative job offer from Spanish billionaire René Martel to perform at his villa on Mallorca. After narrowly escaping a kidnapping attempt upon landing on the island, Blade's plight worsens when she discovers the job offer is a ruse to lure her unknown biological mother out into the open. After Blade overhears Martel's scheme to assassinate world leaders at the United Nations in Geneva, she must risk an escape...or die trying.
 
Buy Links
 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop
Google Play
Kobo
Apple Books
 
Trailer Link
https://www.nannettepotter.com About the Author:

An adventuress at heart, Nannette Potter lives vicariously through her fearless and impetuous characters, inventing lives balanced on a knife’s edge. PIERCE THE DARKNESS, her debut international thriller, inspired by her Christian faith, was a 2022 Claymore Award finalist. An active member of Sisters in Crime, she lives with her soulmate and husband, Mark, in California’s Central Valley.
 
Something unique or unusual that is not in my bio:  “I’ve always wanted to play the cello. Perhaps I’ll write a book or short story with a cellist protagonist and live through her adventures.”
 
Author Contact Links:
Nannette Potter website: https://nannettepotter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095714192374
Instagram: https:instagram.com/authornannettepotter
Remember to check out Nannette's interview:
​janetlbuck.com/blog/meet-thriller-author-nannette-potter-in-this-blog-interview

Book Spotlight: FINDING YOUR PATH TO PUBLICATION by Judy Penz Sheluk

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Today’s Book Spotlight comes from author Judy Penz Sheluk, who writes both fiction and non-fiction. She has two mystery series, but today is featuring her writing guides: Finding Your Path to Publication: A Step-by-Step Guide (available now) and Self-Publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie (due in late 2023). Don't miss her interview on my mystery blog HERE.
 
While we take a look at your books, Judy, what can I get you to drink?
 
JPS:  When I drink coffee, I add a little milk, though my usual beverage of choice is Tetley’s Warmth herbal tea (a blend of cinnamon and rooibos). I don’t think it’s available in the U.S. though.
 
Ally:  Ah, but you forget about my magic pot. It can produce anything you wish. So Tetley’s Warmth herbal tea coming right up. Now, let’s move on to your featured book, and a sneak peek at the cover of book two.

Finding Your Path to Publication: A Step-by-Step Guide
Genre:  Writing / Publishing Reference
 
The road to publishing is paved with good intentions…and horror stories of authors who had to learn the hard way.

For the emerging author, the publishing world can be overwhelming. You’ve written the book, and you’re ready to share it with the world, but don’t know where to start. Traditional, independent press, hybrid, self-publishing, and online social platforms—all are valid publishing paths. The question is, which one is right for you?

Finding Your Path to Publication is an introduction to an industry that remains a mystery to those on the outside. Learn how each publishing option works, what to expect from the process start to finish, how to identify red flags, and avoid common pitfalls. With statistics, examples, and helpful resources compiled by an industry insider who’s been down a few of these paths, this is your roadmap to decide which path you’d like to explore, and where to begin your author journey.

Purchase here: 
​https://books2read.com/FindingYourPathtoPublication TABLE OF CONTENTS for FINDING YOUR PATH TO PUBLICATION:​ Book Two (see below) of her writers' reference books ​is due out by the end of the year.  About the Author:
 
A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of Finding Your Path to Publication: A Step-by-Step Guide, as well as two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited.
Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I’m an avid golfer and try to get out 3 times a week during our all-too-short season here in Northern Ontario. Despite my best efforts, I have yet to get a hole in one, but hope springs eternal!”
 
Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
 
Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/wwwjudypenzshelukcom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/judypenzsheluk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judypenzsheluk/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judy-penz-sheluk
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04 Don't forget Judy's interview on my mystery blog:
​janetlbuck.com/blog/mystery-writer-judy-penz-sheluk-features-her-non-fiction

Book Spotlight on Mystery Novel by Lynn Slaughter

​Good Morning, Booklovers!

Mystery author Lynn Slaughter is featuring her first mystery in a Book Spotlight this week. To learn more about Lynn and her books, check out her interview on my mystery blog HERE.
​
We might as well be comfortable while we check out your book, Lynn. How do you take your coffee?

Lynn: Black and Strong

Ally:  Like minds. :)  While I pour, let’s see the book and excerpt you brought.
MISSED CUE
Genre: mystery
Rating: PG-13
 
When ballerina Lydia Miseau dies onstage in the final dress rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, homicide detective Caitlin O’Connor is faced with the most complicated case of her career. She strongly suspects that someone murdered the ballerina, and her investigation uncovers several people close to the star who had reasons to kill her. But the autopsy reveals no apparent cause of death. If Lydia Miseau was murdered, who did it, and how?

Meantime, there’s Caitlin’s hot mess of a personal life. She has a bad habit of getting involved with married men. She knows it’s wrong, so why does she keep entangling herself in unhealthy relationships? She’s finally decided to go into therapy to find out.
 
Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
KOBO
Google
Smashwords
 

​Excerpt:

By the time Stan and I arrived at the theater, the stage area surrounding the funeral bed had been roped off. My chest tightened when I saw Chet Roberts, the medical examiner, who’d begun his preliminary investigation. Dancers, their faces wet with tears and streaked with ribbons of mascara, huddled in the wings. They reeked of sweat and hairspray.

“Please, no one leave,” I said. “I’m Lieutenant Caitlin O’Connor, and this is my partner, Sergeant Stan Bisso. All of you take seats in the audience. I’ll talk with you after I’ve checked in with the examiner.” I turned to Stan and gestured for two of the patrol officers to join us. “Will you clear the dressing rooms and tell everyone to come sit out front?  Seal off the deceased’s dressing room.”

The officers nodded. I knew I had to talk to Chet. My limbs felt unnaturally heavy as I headed over to him. Two nights ago, he’d ended whatever it was we’d had together. He said he couldn’t leave his kids. Surely, I understood, didn’t I?

I was trying, but shards of pain pressed against my heart. “Anything?’ I asked in the coolest, professional tone I could muster.

He sighed and held his gloved hands up. Deep lines creased his forehead. His intense gaze latched on to mine. How many times had I gotten lost in those dusky blue eyes?

I forced myself to look away.

“No sign of a wound,” he said. “Looks like heart failure. We’ll know more when we get her on the table.”

I nodded and knelt to examine the body. Lydia Miseau had been beautiful—delicate nose, high cheek bones, and coltish shapely legs. Her lean muscular frame reflected a lifetime devoted to the rigors of ballet. She didn’t look like anyone ready to die.

I moved downstage toward the audience of dancers, orchestra members, and theater personnel. The work lights burned brightly. Rivulets of sweat worked their way down my spine. I shrugged off my jacket.

A sixtiesh-looking man wearing a fedora ignored the order to remain in the audience and clambered up the steps on to the stage. Splotches of red spread across his tear-streaked face. “I’m Victor Pesetsky, artistic director,” he said, his voice trembling. “Lydia is my wife. She is in perfect health. I don’t understand.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss. You have my word that we’ll conduct a thorough investigation.”

“Thank you, but that isn’t bringing her back. She is my muse, my soulmate.” A fresh torrent of tears spilled down his face.

Must have been a May-December romance. Pesetsky was tall and gaunt with piercing black eyes, a long, thin nose, and a shock of gray hair peeking out from under his fedora. My mother would have called him “distinguished-looking.” Distinguished or not, he was clearly much older than his late wife.

A wiry guy wearing jeans and a black turtleneck joined us. “Oh God, oh God. I can’t believe this. She was fine. This can’t be happening.”

“And you are?”

“Paul Gates, lighting designer. Lydia was my…my dear friend.” His whole body shook.

Pesetsky stepped between us, as though he wanted to cut off Gates. I wondered if he wanted to claim his spot as Lydia’s chief mourner, not this “dear friend.”

“I’ll need to talk with both of you,” I said. “But first, I want to say a few words to everyone.”

Gates turned to Pesetsky. “I’m so horribly sorry, Victor.” He reached for his arm, and the newly widowed director swatted him away as though he were a pesky fly.
​
Hmmm. Something going on with those two? Or was Pesetsky just a prickly guy? Of course, his wife had just unexpectedly died. I’d known plenty of survivors whose grief took the form of angry irritation at anyone who tried to come close. Sure enough, rather than take a seat in the audience with Gates and the others, Pesetsky held himself apart, pacing up and down the side aisle. About the Author:
​
Lynn Slaughter is addicted to the arts, chocolate, and her husband’s cooking. After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, Lynn earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her first mystery for adults, MISSED CUE, recently came out from Melange Books. She is also the author of four award-winning young adult romantic mysteries: DEADLY SETUP, LEISHA’S SONG, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU, AND WHILE I DANCED.

Lynn lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she’s at work on her next novel, serves on the board of Louisville Literary Arts, and is an active member and former president of Derby Rotten Scoundrels, the Ohio River Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Something unusual that isn’t in your regular bio: “My husband and I met in a dance company. Although our dancing days are behind us, we still love working together. We create and perform our own original music (I sing, and he plays the guitar).”

​Contact Links:
https://lynnslaughter.com
Twitter: @lslaughter2 Don't forget Lynn's interview on my JL Buck mystery blog:

Book Spotlight & Excerpt: A SOUR NOTE by Jill Piscitello

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Mystery author Jill Piscitello is on the blog this morning to spotlight her cozy mystery, A SOUR NOTE (A Music Box Mystery).
While we take a look at your book, Jill, what may I get you to drink?
 
Jill: A large cup of homemade Folgers coffee is my favorite way to start the day. I add only the tiniest bit of sugar and a drop of cream. 

Ally: Got it. Before we show your book, let's reminder readers not to miss your interview on our mystery blog ​HERE. ​A SOUR NOTE (A Music Box Mystery)
Genre: cozy mystery
Rating: PG
 
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion.

​Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
 
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Google Books ~ Walmart ~ BooksAMillion ~ Indie Bound


​Excerpt:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.
 
If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.
 
“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.
 
“I found it.”
 
“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.
 
“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.
 
“Where was Vic?”
 
She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.
 
“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”
 
“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks. About the Author:
 
Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.
 
A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.
 
 Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I’m not a fan of learning new technology, but somehow managed to create my website (https://jillpiscitello.com/ ) and another I share with fellow mystery authors (https://readingbetweenthecrimes.wordpress.com/). Anyone who knows me would find this fact impossible to believe. The oddest part is the enjoyment I find in learning new features.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub Don't miss Jill's interview:
janetlbuck.com/blog/interview-with-cozy-mystery-writer-jill-piscitello​