Ally Shields's Blog, page 6

Cozy Mystery Author Judy Murray Visits the Coffee Chat

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
This week’s guest author is Judy Murray with her featured cozy mystery Chesapeake Bay series.
Welcome, Judy. How do you take your coffee?
 
JM:  With half & half and lots of stevia in the morning. Evening would be tea.
 
Ally: While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers. Bio:
​
Judy L. Murray is an Independent Publisher IPPY Silver Medalist, a Silver Falchion Award Attendee Winner for Best Cozy, and an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel with her debut Murder in the Master – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery published by Level Best Books. Killer in the Kitchen is second in the series due for release September 2022. A Philadelphia real estate broker and restoration addict, Judy has worked with enough delusional sellers, jittery buyers, testy contractors, and diva agents to fill her head with back-office insight and truth versus gossip. 
 
She began her professional writing career, after graduating in newspaper journalism from the S.I. Newhouse at Syracuse University as a reporter and magazine columnist. She holds a Master’s in Business from Penn State University. She lives atop a cliff on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband. They're buffeted by winds in winter and invaded by family and dogs in summer. Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime Chesapeake Chapter and Mystery Writers of America. 
 
Murder in the Master - A Chesapeake Bay Mystery introduced Helen Morrisey, a quick-tongued, gutsy, and mature woman long on loyalty and short on romance. A mystery story addict, Helen’s approach to solving problems was to call on the talents of her favorite, strong-minded female detectives within her own Detection Club, much like Agatha Christie formed in 1930.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “My maiden name is Casanova, like the famous Spanish lover. My grandparents came from Madrid.”
 
Follow her at www.judylmurraymysteries.com to receive her newsletter. Friend her at Judy L Murray Author on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
 
JM:  Always wanted to write mysteries since my Nancy Drew days. I was a full-time, sixty hours plus commuting real estate broker and a vice president in charge of marketing, coaching, recruiting, sales, for over thirty years. I began writing my first in this series, Murder in the Master, ten years ago. I decided to devote evenings to finishing it about four years ago, and sought out a literary agent through querying. In 2020, I signed a three-book contract with Level Best Books. In 2021, I left the real estate business to write full-time.
 
Ally:  What book/author has influenced your writing the most?
 
JM:  There is a range of styles and genres. Agatha Christie and Dick Francis for mysteries. I’ve always loved Rosamunde Pilcher and Jane Austen. Really so many. I probably have at least six different sets of all Jane Austen’s novels.
 
Ally:  Who or what inspired your featured book?
 
JM:  Always wanted to write mysteries centered around the real estate industry in a more accurate light. Dick Francis inspired me with his keen ability to build mysteries around horse-racing. I always admired his writing style. Killer in the Kitchen, my second in this series, was inspired by the idea of celebrity chefs and the inner workings of home shopping networks. I thought these two elements could be weaved together with Helen’s career as a real estate agent.
 
Ally:  You told us earlier that you are traditionally published with Level Best Books. How did you decide whether to go that route or to self-publish?
 
JM:  I felt going through the process of querying and re-writing and accepting feedback was a huge help in producing quality, well written manuscripts. My experience in marketing and “knocking on doors” helped me persevere.
 
Ally:  How important do you think writing and reading are in today’s world?
 
JM:  We have a critical need for journalists to report the news, not opine from their personal viewpoints. It’s how I was trained in newspaper reporting. “Just the facts, Ma-am.” I also think children need to learn how to enjoy books from infancy. It’s mind building.
 
Ally:  What book or movie character would you like to be? Why?
JM:  Nancy Drew. Love her tenacity and her lack of fear for authority. Helen drives a Mini-Cooper because it reminds me of Nancy’s coupe.  
 
Ally: Do you read reviews of your own books?
 
JM:  Absolutely! Do I respond to them? When I have access to their contact information. Are you affected by them? Yes. My readers’ opinions are very important to me. What my readers enjoy helps decide the direction of future stories and characters.
 
Ally:   Have you co-authored a story or novel? How did it work? Would you do it again?
 
JM:  I did co-author one mystery, A Map for Murder published by Cozy Cat Press, with 23 other authors, each writing one chapter. I probably wouldn’t participate again. You have no control over the entire storyline. Level Best Books produced a cookbook with 16 authors entitled The Secret Ingredient. That was fun.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project?
 
JM:  My third in The Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series, Peril in the Pool House is in first draft stage. It’s due to be released in September 2023. If I could only decide who will be the murderer, I’d be further along!
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you select?
 
JM:Memorable book you’ve read: Where are the Children? By Mary Higgins ClarkEbook or print? I always prefer print. I love holding a book in my hand and getting away from an electronic screen. If I’m feeling out of sorts, glancing over my bookshelves always makes me feel better.Favorite quote: I’ve so many. As a rehabber, I’d probably say… “Just four little flagstones.” from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse. As a Jane Austenite… “My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation,” from Persuasion. As a mystery writer, ““It’s important, you know, that wickedness shouldn’t triumph.” Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple, A Pocket Full of RyeYour pets: Two shelter cats, Dr. Watson and AgathaFavorite sport - sailingWhat book setting/location have you never forgotten? Pemberly in England – “Of all this I could have been mistress!”Ally: So nice to meet you, Judy. Good luck with your series. Before we finish for today, please show us your featured mystery. Killer in th e Kitchen – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery
Genre: cozy mystery
Rating: PG-13
 
Murder is on the menu -
A celebrity chef poisoned
A bay town reeling
A sleuth pursued

Real estate rule #2: How to sell a house fast – offer a drop-dead kitchen.

When real estate pro Helen Morrisey’s bombshell daughter, Lizzie, a popular home shopping network host, invites her to meet an internationally famous chef, Helen jumps at the chance.  What woman doesn’t want to shake hands with a celebrity and do a little shopping at the same time?  Even more intriguing, this culinary superstar is about to sell his waterfront mansion and it’s her opportunity to talk business. After all, he couldn’t choose a sharper agent than Helen, could he? 

That’s a job that comes to a dead halt when she walks onto the TV kitchen of Cooking with Roberto to find his blood dripping bright red into his signature dish and her daughter collapsed beside him.
 
Detective Joe McAllister arrives to take charge and is none too pleased to find Helen asking his questions. Their on again, off again, romance might sour when she ignores his warnings. 

Undaunted, Helen calls on the personalities and special skills of her Detection Club of famous sleuths to stir this investigation pot. It doesn’t take long before the explosive ingredients of off-camera jealousy, competition, and nasty rumors create a recipe for disaster.  Helen has to solve Roberto’s murder before more tempers boil over and they all get burned.
 
Buy Links:
 
Order now Amazon
Order Barnes and Noble
Order at Independent Bookstores ​

Meet Hailey Langley, a Book Character of Author C. Becker

Good Morning, Booklovers!

We have a special treat this morning! I invited romantic thriller writer C. Becker to visit the Coffee Chat, but she was busy writing her latest thriller. Instead, she sent a book character to chat with us.

Meet Hailey Langley, the protagonist in Saving Euphoria and the Euphoria series by C. Becker. She is a professor, wife, and mother of - in her words - two amazing teenagers.

Welcome, Hailey. I’m pleased to have you join us.

Hailey: Thank you. I’m looking forward to our chat.

​Ally: So am I! INTERVIEW :

Ally: Let’s get right to it and talk about your love life. Is your love interest the way you pictured him? What would you change in his or her appearance or personality?

Hailey:  I married my husband Mark sixteen years ago. We met and fell in love when I started college, but we didn’t marry until I graduated. Mark had the dreamiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. He’d tilt his head like he was infatuated with everything I said. When we argued, he’d bring me roses. (Sniff). Last fall he was working a case and was caught in a burning building. His supervisor and best friend came to my house to tell me that he’d died. For six months I’ve been keeping myself together for my kids’ sake. Actually, I’m not holding it together. I’m taking anti-anxiety medication. My son’s acting out, which doesn’t make my life any easier. When I picked him up at the police station the other night, I ran into my former partner from the Special Crimes Agency (SCA) where I used to work. Parker was my first crush, and he’s calling me a lot lately. In my heart, I don’t feel Mark’s really gone, but my author is making my life harder by putting Parker into my life.
 
Ally: Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Tell me about the rest of your family. Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?

Hailey:  I was an only child. My parents died when they tried to rescue me when I was kidnapped. My papa’s brother was the only other relative, but he died when my Papa was a teenager. My grandparents and Papa never knew how he died, but drugs have been rumored as the cause of death. Which is strange because my uncle didn’t use drugs.
 
Ally:  You’ve had quite a few loses in your life. Tell me about your profession. Do you like it? Is there a career that would have preferred?

Hailey:  My author gave me two careers. Before I met Mark, I was a secret agent at the Special Crimes Agency (SCA). After a case involving Parker’s parents went haywire, I quit my career and went to college to study biochemistry. I worked at the NIH a few years, finished my doctorate, and then took a job as a college professor. Sometimes I think about going back to the SCA. Mark was supportive of it after he learned I was a government agent like him. I keep up with my skills.
 
Ally:  Is there a defining moment in your background that made you who you are today?

Hailey:  When I was seventeen, I was kidnapped with three other classmates and trapped in a cabin in the mountains. My classmates and I tried to escape, but I tripped on a rock and sprained my ankle as we fled, and I couldn’t keep up. When they stole a truck and went to get help, I was left alone. The kidnappers blamed me for the ransom money they didn’t receive, so they assaulted me. I was almost dead when the SCA and FBI came. When I recovered, I decided to work at the SCA to hunt down criminals.
 
Ally:  Are you hoping to make an appearance in a sequel or series?

Hailey:  I hope my author is putting me in her entire Euphoria series. I have a lot of unfinished business to accomplish before the Euphoria series ends. As the protagonist in Finding Euphoria, I had to track down the structural formula for an illicit drug that a drug lord from Colombia was trying to manufacture. In this book, Saving Euphoria, I have to find out what happened to my husband Mark. C. Becker’s next book is being sent to her editor this month, and I took a sneak peek. I’m in there! My author has me flying to Colombia to rescue a little girl, and a drug lord chases me back to the U.S. when I return. Becker puts so much action in her Euphoria series. Thank goodness I was an agent and can protect my family. The bad guys are everywhere.
 
Ally:  Were you satisfied with the ending? Were you surprised?

Hailey:  I’d say more surprised than satisfied. I can’t tell you the ending, but I work with Parker the entire novel trying to find Mark and the end is a shocker!
 
Ally:  Who was your favorite supporting character?

Hailey:  In this book, my favorite supporting character is David, Mark’s best friend. I relied on him for keeping my sanity after Mark died. He helped take care of my two kids. We had pizza night on Friday’s. He offered to help pay my bills. I trust him completely…despite the tagline of the book being “Trust No One.” [Awkward pause.] Maybe I shouldn’t trust him. I think I’ll pass on the rest of this question.
 
Ally:  Just for fun, name three of your favorite things
.
Hailey:  Family, Running, Fisherman’s Wharf
 
Ally: It sounds as though the author killed off a friend. How did you feel about it?

Hailey:  Yes, one of my very best friends. I feel sick that C. Becker went this route, but I’m not surprised, because she also killed off my own flesh and blood in the first book. I’m afraid to complain because she may kill me in the third book. All I can say is C. Becker better find a way to make the Euphoria series have a happy ending. First, Becker had me find happiness despite my distressing life. Then in this book, I have to save whatever happiness I can. In the third book, I have to find a way to embrace the joy in my life.
 
Ally: And she also put you in danger. Did she discuss it or at least warn you first?

Hailey:  Heck, yeah, she puts me in danger. I feel like I’m a pawn in her Euphoria trilogy. I never have a say in anything she does. In Finding Euphoria, I was assaulted when I was seventeen years old. The author let me have a happy life for seventeen years, and then everything turned upside down. I got kidnapped by a drug lord when I’m snooping at his house (had no say in this dangerous idea), then I have the deadly drug Euphoria injected into me and I lapse into a coma. Afterward I have to save my husband from a building that has a gas leak and could explode in any minute. In this book Saving Euphoria C. Becker kills my husband in a fire and has the bad guys come after me. I get stabbed by a drug lord, and then I’m in a shoot-out where I have to save my son (after saving my daughter and two neighbors). Gosh, I fear book three, Embracing Euphoria, will have even more danger. I peeked at the manuscript and saw I was assembling a 3-D gun. I closed the book and cried. I want my normal life back!

Ally:  Thank you for chatting with us, Hailey. I hope you get that normal life someday, but it doesn’t sound like it will be any time soon. Before we finish our chat, please tell us about your current adventure, Saving Euphoria.



​Saving Euphoria
Author: C. Becker
Genre: Romance Thriller
Rated: R (one adult-rated scene)
 
Hailey Langley and her children struggle to cope with the shocking and mysterious death of her husband Mark. Her teenaged son is rebelling, and Hailey is dealing with physical and mental challenges as well.
 
Tom Parker, Hailey's former partner from the Special Crimes Agency, comes back into her life. He warns her to trust no one even as he tries to rekindle the flame that connects them.
 
Everyone has secrets, even Parker, and some of those from the past threaten to destroy the present. Hailey fights to move forward after losing Mark, but she needs to figure out if she can trust Parker and risk taking another chance on love.
 
 



​Buy links:
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SVMXYZT
The Wild Rose Press: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/bookauthor/c-becker
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-euphoria-c-becker/1141022852
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/saving-euphoria/id1612065577
Contact info:  https://cbeckerauthor.wixsite.com/cbeckerauthor Check out the excerpt of Saving Euphoria on my JL Buck blog: janetlbuck.com/blog/book-spotlight-and-excerpt-saving-euphoria-by-c-becker About the Author:
 
Becker is the author of Finding Euphoria and Saving Euphoria. She is currently working on the third book to the Euphoria trilogy. As a medical technologist in a former career, Becker has never outgrown the attraction of using science in everyday life.
Becker enjoys hanging out with her family and Jack Russell, playing the piano, reading, and gardening.
 
Social media links:
​
Website address: http://cbeckerauthor.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cbeckerauthor
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CBeckerauthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beckercee/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19026691.C_Becker

Shea E Butler Brings Her Audiobook to the Coffee Chat

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Join me in welcoming guest author Shea E Butler to the Coffee Chat with her featured audiobook, Transitions: Stories of Mystery, Murder and Speculative Fiction.
 
Nice to meet you, Shea. How do you take your coffee?
 
SB:  I drink my coffee black. My red-headed Texas grandmother used to say the only way to drink coffee was if it was “hotter than hell, blacker than night, and stronger than sin.”
 
Ally: Your grandmother was one smart lady! While I fill our mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
 
Shea E. Butler is, at heart, a storyteller.  She’s a storyteller in many different fields: a television writer, a published author and an award-winning director/writer/producer for her short films and web series.  She was that kid who huddled under the covers after “lights out” reading a book by flashlight. 
 
Born in Cairo, Egypt to American parents living abroad, Shea is a US citizen and Permanent Resident of Canada who divides her time between Vancouver and Los Angeles.  Her love for traveling and exploring worlds and cultures, both past, present, and future, was ignited at a young age.  Shea’s most awe-inspiring trip was a horseback riding safari through the Okavango Delta in Botswana.  Nothing like being charged by two lions to get your creative juices flowing!
 
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio:  “I was on a polo team that won the National Indoor 5 Goal Championship.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
www.thebutlerdiditproductions.com
Facebook: Filmmaker Shea E. Butler
Twitter - @sheab1
Instagram - @shea.b1 INTERVIEW:
 
Ally: What is the easiest—or the hardest—part of writing for you?
 
SB:  The easiest part of writing for me is coming up with story ideas. I have pages and pages of them. The oddest things, out of the blue will spark my imagination. I love it.
 
Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
           
SB:  I have a small circle of writer friends, most of whom I met in various writers groups, who I use as readers. I trust their opinion and they know to be brutal.
 
Ally:  Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
 
SB:  Absolutely I will take bits and pieces of people I know or just come across to pepper through my stories. I grew up spending a lot of time in airports and had many, many hours to people watch. Airports are great places to people watch and fire up your imagination about how your character should act, walk, and look.
 
Ally:  Do you write from an outline?
 
SB:  I use a one-liner type outline, not a full, detailed outline. I find that if I go into an extremely detailed outline, that I just start writing dialogue and get into areas that I shouldn’t in an outline. Plus, I feel that it stymies my characters from “talking” to me and scolding me about things they wouldn’t do or say. As I get further into the writing of a piece, the characters become more alive and become their own persons with their own opinions, observations, and it can influence the story. I like having my characters talk to me even if it does change my story..
 
Ally:  What three books in your genre (other than your own) would you recommend to readers?
           
SB:  So hard to pick just three. But here goes:
I love the whole Detective Dallas series that J.D. Robb writes. That series includes all my favorite genres – murder/mystery, a dash of romance, science fiction and drama.
            I also love all the Dick Francis novels as they explore murder/mystery with the horse world.
            I also really enjoy Jayne Castle aka Anne Krentz aka Amanda Quick novels. Again, her novels explore science fiction, murder/mystery and has a dash of romance.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you choose?
 
SB:  All of them. Just kidding—but more than requested.
Book you're currently reading: “The Dog Stars” by Peter HellerAn item on your bucket list: Go up to the space station but in the more realistic list, travel through Scotland and Norway where my ancestors came from.Ebook or print? Oh, by far I love reading print books.A movie you’ll always remember: “Out of Africa”What type of music do you prefer? Classic rock and Country and Western.Best place you’ve ever visited: Horseback riding through the Okavango Delta in BotswanaA supernatural ability you’d love to have: Time travelFavorite sport – Horseback ridingAlly: A pleasure to meet you, Shea. Please tell us something about your audiobook.
Transitions: Stories of Mystery, Murder and Speculative Fiction
Genre: mystery/speculative fiction
Rating: PG
 
Submerse yourself in five tales of mystery, murder, revenge, dark fantasy and the supernatural. Five women find themselves at a crossroad in their lives as they investigate murders, seek revenge and rebel against the status quo as they hunt killers through back alleys, at Universities, through small town America, the City of Angels and on a world millennium in the future.

Meet Belle Lopez, former street worker and now a neophyte private investigator obsessed with solving the murder of her mentor with the help of his ghost.

Detective Georgia Gomez races against time and the encroaching tide to gather clues to solve a woman’s murder. The stakes get personal and supernatural when she discovers who the victim is.

An urban fantasy tale finds Calandra having to navigate murder, revenge, and shapeshifting in the City of Angels as her thirst for vengeance takes her down a dark path.

Sammi, a burnt out, big city detective now working in a small southern town, is on the trail of a serial killer when the FBI shows up.

And millennium in the future, a spark of rebellion flares in Ra-ina, a young native creature of a verdant natural world, as she fights for her life and freedom after being captured by invaders.

Five women, five amazing tales of perseverance, dedication, and resolve as they investigate mysteries, murder, and the supernatural.
  
Buy Link: Available in Audio
 
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Transitions-Audiobook/B0B4YPJ3JR?fbclid=IwAR2avfhFbhkvWUizJSJ4dkor11bz32Na41_UiaQB_59YjAu8wyNGNZtXlEc
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Stories-Mystery-Speculative-Fiction/dp/B0B4Z2HCGP

Cozy Mystery Writer Lois Winston Visits the Coffee Chat

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Our guest author this morning is Lois Winston, a multi-published author in several genres, bringing us her latest cozy mystery, GUILTY AS FRAMED (Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery #11).
 
Welcome, Lois! How do you take your coffee?
 
LW:  With milk, half & half, or cream.
 
Ally:  You’re making it simple for me. While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers who might not be familiar with your books. About the Author:

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:  “I wanted to be an astronaut, but NASA isn’t interested in astronauts who are prone to motion sickness. When I had to nix that career path, I decided I wanted to star in musicals, but Broadway isn’t interested in singers who can’t sing, dancers who can’t dance, and actors who can’t act. So I went to art school instead.”
 
Website: www.loiswinston.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2e9v1
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
 
LW:  I didn’t choose writing so much as it chose me. I wasn’t one of those writers who knows from early on that she wants to write novels. I didn’t begin writing until 1995 when a story popped into my head and demanded I commit it to paper. That first attempt will never see the light of day. However, the writing bug had sunk its teeth into me. I set out learning how to write a publishable novel and eventually got an agent. After many rewrites, that first attempt became the second book I sold. Since retiring, I now write full-time.
 
Ally:  Who or what inspired your featured book?
 
LW:  For years, I’ve followed the investigation of the break-in and theft that occurred at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum in Boston in 1990. To this day, none of the 13 stolen works of art have been recovered, nor has anyone ever been charged with the crime, which is considered the greatest art heist in history. For Guilty as Framed, the eleventh book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, I incorporated this cold case into the plot.
 
Ally:  Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
 
LW:  I began my career traditionally published with two different publishers. Nine years ago, when my publisher insisted on revising a specific clause in two new contracts I was offered, it raised too many red flags. Since they weren’t willing to budge, I walked away. I had interest from several small publishers, but after doing some research, speaking with several of the publishers’ authors, and consulting with my agent, I decided to indie publish. I’ve been quite happy with that decision.
 
Ally:   Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
 
LW: They don’t sneak in so much as I thrust them into my books. Many of the characters in my books are based on composites of people I’ve known. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent. However, Anastasia’s communist mother-in-law is more than loosely based on my own communist mother-in-law. The situations I place Lucille Pollack in are completely fictitious, but her personality strongly mirrors my late mother-in-law’s personality.
 
Ally:   Do you read reviews of your own books? Do you respond to them? Are you affected by them?
 
LW:  I only read reviews from professional reviewers, never those on Amazon or Goodreads if I can help it. Although I know that no author is going to please all readers all the time, coming across a nasty review can really ruin my day. I don’t have as thick a skin as I would like. As for responding? Absolutely, positively never ever! That’s a surefire way to unleash the trolls.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you select?
 
LW:Most watched tv show: Jeopardy!What type of music do you prefer? Broadway musicalsLast time you rode a train (not subway): On March 4, 2020, a week before the world shut down for Covid, my husband and I took NJ Transit into Manhattan to see Come From Away.Pie or cake? Chocolate cake, especially if it’s got cherry or raspberry filling.Best place you’ve ever visited: Florence, Italy Ally:  It has been a pleasure, Lois. Before we finish today, please show us your featured book. 
​Guilty as Framed
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11
Genre: Cozy Mystery
 
When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.
 
Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.
 
A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.
 
But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?
 
Buy Links:
 
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3QLEYU5
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3Ans5s6
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3tLnT3d
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/guilty-as-framed
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/guilty-as-framed/id6442846272
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guilty-as-framed-lois-winston/1141500980?ean=2940185728703

How does the Regency Compare with the Modern Monarchy?

​​
Good Morning, Booklovers!

I've done something a little different his week. In place of the regular interview with a guest author, I've written an article that I've posted on my JL Buck blog as it talks mostly about the reign of England's George IV during his Regency period, 1811 - 1820, in comparison to the modern monarchy.
​I invite you to check out the article here:     janetlbuck.com/blog/how-does-the-monarchy-of-1811-compare-with-that-of-today
and I hope you will subscribe to my JL Buck blog, as I plan to gradually transition future guest interviews with mystery writers to that blog.

The Coffee Chat will return to this blog next week with another guest author.

Have a great week...
Ally Shields/JL Buck

Coffee Chat Interview with Mystery Writer Sharon Michalove

​

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Please join me in welcoming Sharon Michalove to the Coffee Chat with her featured mystery, Dead in the Alley.
​
Good Morning, Sharon. Welcome to this terrific morning on the deck. How do you take your coffee?
 
SM:  I drink it with a splash of half and half, and a sprinkle of some flavored sugar (I have five different ones). Bio:

Sharon grew up in suburban Chicago but after spending most of her life in a medium-sized university town she moved back to Chicago in 2017. She loves music, theater, travel, hockey, and cats, and less elevated activities like eating doughnuts and sampling gins and single malts. 
 
Besides writing mysteries, she is the author of the romantic suspense series, Global Security Unlimited, and several short stories.
 
Something unique/unusual about me: “Two of my specialties as a historian are the history of polar exploration—I will be traveling to Antarctica in 2023—and food history. Readers say that my books make them hungry.”
 
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.sharonmichalove.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdmichaloveauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdmichalove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073761707861
Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/sdm_romance_and_more
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2128144.Sharon_D_Michalove?from_search=true&from_srp=true
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sharon-michalove
INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:   Who or what inspired your featured book?
 
SM:  Dead in the Alley came sort of fully formed as if from the head of Zeus. My characters called the shots. I woke up one Saturday morning with characters speaking to me. And they insisted on this particular murder, the setting in Northern Michigan, and the love story. By the end of the weekend, it was plotted, and I knew a lot about the main and supporting characters. I did a lot of research on the characters. That kind of epiphany had never happened before, and I wish it would happen again. In some ways it’s the easiest book I’ve written.
 
Ally: What is the easiest—or the hardest—part of writing for you? Explain.
 
SM:  The easiest part is revising. My first draft is kind of bare bones. I love adding more description and emotion. The hardest part is the first draft. Getting those initial words down and making the plot cohesive is hard work for me.
 
Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
 
SM:  I haven’t had any success with critique groups. Instead, I have a couple of critique partners that I brainstorm with. Then I use two sets of readers—early readers who get a pretty okay first draft to tell me if I’m on the right track and whether there are plot holes or characterization problems. Beta readers get a mostly polished version. I use two or three for each. Then it goes to the editor, who does two passes and proofreads.
 
Ally:  How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book before submission to your editor/publisher?
 
SM:  I do a certain amount of revising as I go along. Then I do a revision after I get early reader comments and a second revision after I get beta reader comments. Then it goes to the editor. I try to keep my hands off the manuscript while its being edited but I note down any new thoughts that come to me, incorporate them when I go through the editor’s comments, then submit for the second pass, usually with a note that I added, had second thoughts, etc. for the editor to note.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
SM:  I have two right now. I am writing Murder at the Great Jane Austen Cook Off, my first stab at a “real” cozy mystery. And I am concurrently planning At the Ready, the third book in my Global Security Unlimited romantic suspense series.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you choose?
 
book you're currently reading: A Discerning Eye by Carol Orangemost watched tv show: A Discovery of Witchesfavorite comfort food: Mushed up graham crackers and milklast time you rode a train (not subway): 2017 Paris to Bruges to Dijon to VeniceHow long does it take you to write a book? The first one took three and a half years, the second one about nine months, and the third one about six months. But each project is different.Ally:  Thank you for being on the blog, Sharon. Before we finish for today, please show us your featured book.

Dead in the Alley
Genre: traditional mystery/second chance romance
Rating: PG-13
 
When Bay Bishop’s husband was found in the alley behind their Northern Michigan restaurant, she lost not only the partner in her dreams of establishing the best fine-dining establishment in the area but the man she thought was the love of her life.

Now she’s a suspect.

The detective who shows up on her doorstep turns out to be the high-school boyfriend who broke her heart. Faced with uncomfortable truths and new beginnings, Bay must chart a course to prove her innocence and create a new future.

Trailer link:   Canva.com

Podcast about Dead in the Alley:
https://tgwolffcom.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/dead-in-the-alley-chapter-1-and-review/


 
Buy links:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Alley-Sharon-Michalove/dp/1736918753/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sharon+Michalove&qid=1660859452&sr=8-1

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Alley-Sharon-Michalove-ebook/dp/B09P8QWC31/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660859452&sr=8-1

Chatting with Historical Mystery Writer Julie Bates

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
We’re having lovely fall weather and are still able to use the deck. We’re gathered around with drinks in hand to welcome guest author Julie Bates and her featured historical mystery, A TASTE OF BETRAYAL (A Faith Clarke Mystery).
 
Welcome, Julie! How do you take your coffee?
 
JW:  I love a big cup of coffee with one Splenda and two teaspoons of half and half or cream. I cannot stand powdered creamer.  I get it first thing in the morning (5:30) when the alarm goes off and so do my 4 dogs (3 huskies and one we have no idea)
 
Ally:  We don’t have the dogs for you to drink with, but we do have readers. Why don’t you tell them something about yourself, while I pour the coffee? Bio:
 
Julie Bates enjoys reading and writing in a variety of genres. After spending a few years writing freelance articles, her first novel Cry of the Innocent, premiered in June 2021. The Eight book series follows the timeline of the American Revolutionary War. In addition, she has blogged for Killer Nashville and the educational website Read.Learn.Write. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Southeastern Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA) and The Historical Novel Society as well as Sisters in Crime.  When not busy plotting her next story, she enjoy doing crafts and spending time with her husband and son, as well as a number of dogs and cats who have shown up on her doorstep and never left.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio.  “I love ghost stories. I recently began working with the producers of our local fall ghost walk to add some new stories about local figures who died by nefarious and tragic means.” 
 
Author Contacts:
 
Website https://juliebates.weebly.com/
Bookbub  @julibates1
Twitter @JulieLBates03
Facebook  Julie L. Bates author INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job? 
JB:  I have always written. I’ve dreamed of being an author since I was 13.  My day job is public school teacher for special needs students. They are very special people.
 
Ally:  What book/author has influenced your writing the most? 
JB:  Probably Anne Perry. When I read her books I realized I could combine my love of history with a really good story.
 
Ally:  Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?   
JB:  I am traditionally published through Level Best Books. I felt more comfortable working with people with loads of experience in the business. I learn as I go.
 
Ally: What is the easiest—or the hardest—part of writing for you? Explain. 
JB:  I have loads of ideas and imagination. The hard part is sitting down every day and writing whether I feel like it or not. Writing takes commitment.
 
Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable? 
JB:  I love feedback. It is very helpful in designing stories. I believe both help make me a better writer. My goal is to get better with every book, so I value those who take the time to read them and comment.
 
Ally:  Do you write from an outline? 
JB: Yes.  I use a loose outline to make sure I incorporate historic events correctly and also to make sure I follow my story arc. My character do evolve as I write them and tell me things I did not know and that can cause minor changes but that it part of the process.
 
Ally:  How many books do you read in a month? Which genre(s)? Favorite authors? 
JB: 2-3 now that I am writing and working.  I love reading C.S. Harris, Ashley Gardner, Rhys Bowen and Anna Lee Huber, but I’m eclectic. I enjoy trying new authors all the time. 
 
Ally:  Where do you go to find a new book to read? 
JB:  I have browsed brick and motors and libraries. I believe in supporting local book stores when possible. I browse Bookbub and Amazon First Reads, I also enjoy browsing at Book Conventions.
 
Ally: Do you read reviews of your own books? Do you respond to them? Are you affected by them?  
JB:  I read reviews.  I appreciate that someone took the time. I ignore negative ones unless it’s a repeated theme, then I study to see if there is something I could improve.
 
Ally:  Do you buy ads to sell your books? Where? Have they been profitable? 
JB:  I have collaborated with Level Best on group ads with Mystery Scene and for events. I am still figuring out how to make a profit in this business.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date? 
JB:  I am currently writing Book 3 in my Faith Clarke series. Titled Rise to Rebellion, it takes place in Philadelphia in 1776. Someone is trying to kill Benjamin Franklin and it is up to my characters to prevent it and find who and what are behind it. It releases in late May 2023.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you select? 
JB:Book you're currently reading: Clarke & Division, a historical mystery where the protagonist is a young woman just released from Manzanar. It is moving without sentimental and very evocative of the time.An author you'd love to chat with. Either C.S. Harris or Jennifer Ashley. I suspect we would enjoy a coffee together.An item on your bucket list:  I would love to visit Alaska.Most watched tv show:  Murdoch MysteriesFavorite quote:  Robert Kennedy “Some people see things as they are and ask why. I dream thinks that never were and ask why not?”Your pets:  3 huskies (Kody, Teddi & Kanna)  Luna is our big black dog of unknown ancestry. 4 cats (Leo, Tyger, Sherlock and Mei)Favorite type of supernatural characters:  Werewolves. This is probably because I own 3 huskies.  It gets pretty wolfie here sometimes.  Ally:  A pleasure to chat with you, Julie. Before we finish, please tell us about your featured book. [image error]

A TASTE OF BETRAYAL (A Faith Clarke Mystery)
Genre: historical mystery
 
April 1775. Unrest grows in the colonial capital of Williamsburg, VA. Opinions turn ugly when the city’s armory is seized in the middle of the night by the British. Faith prepares to be a bystander as her father-in-law Ezra takes the lead in responding to the governor. Events take a personal turn when Ezra collapses and begs her to find who poisoned him. Faith tackles the job, aided by Patriot spy Jeremy Butler, but the suspects are many, from Royal Governor Dunmore to members of Ezra’s own family who hunger for his wealth. Suspicion falls on Eugenia Moore, his opinionated wife, who is hauled off to the gaol after arsenic is found in her room.
Nothing makes sense to either Faith or Jeremy as they struggle to find answers amidst the increasing chaos. Ezra’s death brings family animosities to a boil, unleashing anger and accusations as the number of those afflicted increases. As Jeremy follows leads among Ezra’s rivals and opponents, Faith looks at the family, trying to decide who would benefit from administering a taste of betrayal.
 




Buy Link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Betrayal-Faith-Clarke-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B5YF1ZYN
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-taste-of-betrayal-julie-bates/1141739661?ean=9781685121402
AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-taste-of-betrayal/id6443137823
BookShop: https://bookshop.org/books/a-taste-of-betrayal-a-faith-clarke-mystery/9781685121402

Canadian Mystery Writer Joyce Woollcott Visits the Coffee Chat

​Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
It’s felt like fall the last few days. The deck is still nice and warm, but I’m afraid our days may be numbered. We should enjoy it while we can. So, put up your deck chair, grab your favorite drink, and join me in welcoming our guest author, mystery write Joyce Woollcott.
Glad to have you visit, Joyce! How do you take your coffee?
 
JW:  I like strong coffee with a little milk, no sugar.
 
Ally:  You’re very easy to please. While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers. Bio:

J. Woollcott is a Canadian writer born in Northern Ireland. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers and BCAD, University of Ulster. Her first mystery, Abducted, was long-listed in the Canadian Arthur Ellis Awards in 2019. Her second book, A Nice Place to Die, won the RWA Unpublished Mystery/Suspense Daphne du Maurier Award in 2019 in New York. A Nice Place to Die was also long-listed in the Arthur Ellis Awards for 2020 and short-listed in the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence in 2021. She is working on part two of the Ryan McBride Belfast Murder Series, Blood Relations, due out in August 2023.
She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers,  and the Suncoast Writers Guild.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:  “That’s a good question. I studied ballet as a young girl and on my final exams, I guess I was about thirteen or so, I was offered a scholarship to a London ballet school. Back then I wanted to become a designer and I loved art. It was a difficult decision but I said no. I often wonder how my life would have turned out if I had said yes.”
 
Author Contacts:
Website:  https://www.jwoollcott.com
Twitter:  @JoyceWoollcott INTERVIEW :
  
Ally:  What is the easiest—and the hardest—part of writing for you?
 
JW:  I suppose the easiest part of writing for me is when I know the scene I need to write. I’ve gone over it in my head. I see it. The beginning, the middle, and the end. And if it’s an exciting scene to write I believe it will be exciting to read. Sometimes when I’m writing a scene and it seems hard to get down, I usually end up either rewriting it later or taking it out.
 
Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
 
JW:  Absolutely I use them. Both if I can find them. We can’t rely on ourselves to see the work clearly. Often a partner can read a manuscript and zero in on the problem right away. And they need to be honest.
 
Ally:  How many books do you read in a month? Which genre(s)? Favorite authors?
 
JW:  I always have a book going. Sometimes more than two. I love actual books but I have my device and read on that from the library too. Depending on the book I can read a novel in a couple of days, or three, four days at the most. And of course I love mystery and suspense. UK, Nordic, and Irish mysteries. Gosh, lots going on up there in Iceland too.
I love Kate Atkinson, just love her. Susan Hill, Lou Berney, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves. And many, many more, Nelson DeMille, John Sandford, Michael Connelly. Too many to mention.
 
Ally:  What three books in your genre (other than your own) would you recommend to readers?
 
JW:  Big Sky – Kate Atkinson
November Road – Lou Berney
Garnet Hill – Denise Mina
And sorry, one more … Plum Island – Nelson DeMille
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JW:  Book two in the DS McBride series. BLOOD RELATIONS is due for release August 2023.
 
Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Ryan and Billy are called to his desolate country home to investigate. In their inquiry, they discover a man whose career 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?
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you select?
 
JW: 
A memorable book you’ve read:  Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. TolkienBooks you're currently reading:  The Mountains Wild, Sarah Stewart Taylor; The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson; To Darkness And To Death, Julia Spencer Fleming; Flowers Over the Inferno, Ilaria TutiAn author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with: Kate AtkinsonMost watched tv show:  Game of ThronesDo you re-read books? Any book in particular?  Yes. Big Sky by Kate AtkinsonAlly:  It was a pleasure to meet you Joyce. Before with finish for today, please show us your new release, A Nice Place to Die.

​A NICE PLACE TO DIE: A DS Ryan McBride Novel
​Genre:  mystery/police procedural
Rating:  PG-13
 
The body of a young woman is found by a river outside Belfast and Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride makes a heart-wrenching discovery at the scene, a discovery he chooses to hide even though it could cost him the investigation – and his career.

The victim was a loner but well-liked. Why would someone want to harm her? And is her murder connected to a rapist who’s stalking the local pubs? As Ryan untangles a web of deception and lies, his suspects die one by one, leading him to a dangerous family secret and a murderer who will stop at nothing to keep it.
​
And still he harbors his secret ...
 
Buy Links:
 
US:  https://amzn.to/3CGIzi0
CAN:  https://amzn.to/3TroD8K

Cozy Mystery Author Judy Alter Visits the Coffee Chat

Good Morning, Booklovers!

We have a return guest this morning. Author Judy Alter is chatting with us and featuring her latest culinary mystery, Finding Florence.

Welcome, Judy! What may I get you to drink?

JA:  Hi, Ally, thanks for inviting me for coffee. Trouble is, I gave up coffee several years ago when it suddenly didn’t taste good to me (I think I had the flu at the time). Now a cup of decaf green tea with honey starts my day off perfectly.

Ally: We’ve had a lot of tea drinkers, and that’s an easy request for my magic pot.  Just give us a moment while you introduce yourself to readers. BIO:

Judy Alter is the author of four contemporary cozy mystery series—Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, Blue Plate Café Murder Mysteries, Oak Grove Mysteries, and the current Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries, of which Finding Florence is the third. Her earliest mysteries were published by Turquoise Morning Press and are still available. When her publisher went out of business, she became an indie publisher and barely looked back. Find her and a list of her books at http://www.judyalter.com

Judy is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Story Circle Network, Women Writing the West, and the Texas Institute of Letters. When she is not writing, she is busy with seven grandchildren and a lively poodle/border collie cross. Her avocation is cooking, and she is the author of Cooking My Way Through Life with Kids and Books, Gourmet on a Hot Plate, and Texas is Chili Country.

Born in Chicago, she has made her home in Fort Worth for over fifty years. She writes two blogs: Judy’s Stew (http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com ) and Gourmet on a Hot Plate (http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspot.com ).

The Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries are available from Amazon (An Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery (3 book series) Kindle Edition (amazon.com) as are her other mysteries, along with historical fiction, mostly about women in the American West.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio:  “My life is pretty much an open book but one thing not generally know is that I used to raise and show registered Carin Terriers. Let’s be honest: I tried to show them. The dogs did okay in the ring, but I was an abject failure. As one friend said to me, “Honey, the judge is interested in the dog’s legs, not yours.” I gave it up. It’s an expensive hobby. But I am a dog lover and could not live without a dog companion.”
  
Additional author contacts:
 
Twitter: @judyalter 
​Facebook: Judy Alter | Facebook  INTERVIEW :

Ally: What inspired you to write the culinary mystery series?

JA:  With the third book now in print, I still can’t tell you where this series came from, least of all where Irene Foxglove came from. She was just there, in my mind, one day. Some of my earlier mysteries had culinary aspects to them, but I knew I wanted to make food a bigger part of the picture, so a TV chef was a natural. And the setting? The older I get the more nostalgic I am about my childhood in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, so that’s where the books are set. Another puzzle to me is Henny, formally Henrietta James, who starts out as Irene’s assistant on the cooking show and who tells us about Irene’s adventures. Henny just started talking to me one day, though settling on her name gave me fits.

Ally: Of all the characters you’ve written, who is your favorite and why?

JA:  It’s hard to choose my favorite, because Irene at first seems the obvious choice—she’s brash, demanding, attention-getting, always bold, sometimes kind though rarely compassionate, and always interesting. Her French billionaire lover indulges her every whim even as he tries to rein in her worst aspects. But Henny probably is my favorite: in her late twenties, she’s far from her Texas home and madly in love with her new husband, Patrick. She has a love/hate relationship with Irene, and she recognizes that one minute she’s ranting about the chef’s outrageous demands and the next she’s doing whatever Irene needs—including rescuing her from kidnappers. Henny is not all sugar and sweet—there’s a real snarky side to her, and her offside comments about Irene are spot on.

Ally: How long does it take you to write a book?

JA:  I wrote Finding Florence sporadically over about a year. I didn’t think I was going to write any more in the Irene series, but one day the idea of a missing body came to me, and I started to write. I probably had about a third of a novel, when other projects called, and I put Irene aside. I’ve done this a couple of times before, until I think it’s becoming part of my process. Perhaps I’m letting ideas simmer in the back of my mind. At any rate, when I went back to it, I thought it wasn’t half bad—and I started writing again.

Ally: Since you’re self-published, tell us about your editing process. Do you use an editor?

JA: My favorite editor was not available this time, so I carefully chose beta readers, considered their comments, and then went over the manuscript five times myself. I’m sure there are still typos and even gaps in logic. Every writer needs an editor.

Ally:  Do you write for a specific audience?

JA:  I hope this series will appeal to foodies (there’s a lot of food in it, from French to Texan), to Chicago buffs, and to readers who want a little outrageous fun. A reader will have to willingly suspend disbelief and really get into the spirit.

Ally: What are your future writing plans?

JA:  I’m weighing my options, but I think Irene and Henny have more stories to tell.

Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose?

JA: What are you currently reading? My TBR list is long, like that of most authors, but I’m enjoying the Ghost books, a mystery series by Texan Helen Currie Foster. The series sets a widowed woman, a lawyer, in a small Hill Country town between Austin and San Antonio. Think San Marcos.An author you’d love to chat with - Susan Wittig Albert, whose China Bayles herbal mysteries are also set in a fictionalized San Marcos. We belong to a small online group and exchange ideas online frequently, but a long chat over a glass of wine would be lovely.An item on your bucket list - A return to the places I’ve loved—Chicago, Scotland, and Santa Fe, a city my children and I have visited for years. My favorite piece of jewelry speaks to my love of Santa Fe: it’s a man’s ring, probably old pawn, one big piece of turquoise with a crack across it. The silver mounting has Navajo symbols. I inherited the ring from a close friend who used to go to Santa Fe with us.Favorite comfort food - I’m a foodie, so it’s really hard to pick. I love to cook, and I love to eat, but my go-to for breakfast, a snack, or even a meal when nothing else appeals is pretty prosaic: it’s cottage cheese, maybe with Paul Newman’s vinaigrette and some vegetables chopped into it.Ally: It’s been a pleasure to chat with you again, Judy. Before we finish for today, please show us your featured book. Finding Florence.
​
JA: Thanks for the tea and the time, Ally. [image error] Finding Florence (Chicago Culinary Mystery #3)
Genre: To quote the author: “outrageous cozies” that “push the boundaries of what we consider ordinary behavior”
Rating: mild

Irene is back in town. And Henny’s life is a mess.

 Irene has flown to Chicago from France in her preferred high style – a private jet. She was accompanied by the owner of the aircraft, her longtime, on again-off again-on again amour, the handsome but mysterious billionaire Chance Charpentier. The reason for the trip? Her infamous “voices” have told her that something is horribly amiss with a person dear to her.

When she arrives, she learns that a death notice for Florence Sherman, her sometime friend, previous neighbor, and member of an historic Chicago family, has been published in the Chicago Tribune. When she calls Florence’s daughter, Alice, Irene’s “voices”-inspired suspicions are confirmed by the strange way Alice and her husband are handling the death. And once Irene discovers her friend’s body is missing, the diva chef refuses to leave until she solves the mysterious disappearance.

But, as long as Irene is in Chicago, Henny’s successful “From My Mother’s Kitchen” TV cooking show, and her precious time with Patrick, husband of her dreams, are seriously compromised by Irene’s insistence that finding Florence trumps any other concerns. So Henny struggles to balance Irene’s demands with the rest of her life and to actually find Florence, dead or alive, so Irene will go back to France.

Irene’s certainty that the past holds the key to Florence’s disappearance brings in a bit of Chicago history, and food references enliven the text. An appendix of recipes from both Irene and Henny’s mom is included.

Buy Links (also available in Kindle Unlimited):

E-book: Amazon
Paperback: Amazon​

Coffee Chat Interview with Thriller Writer Mark Rubinstein

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
This morning we are welcoming a newcomer to the blog, author Mark Rubinstein, featuring his latest thriller, Assassin’s Lullaby.
 
A pleasure to meet you, Mark. How do you take your coffee?
 
MR:  I drink Crème Caramel Keurig pod coffee every morning; 2 cups followed by a cup of Hazelnut Mocha from a pod.
 
Ally: I think I’ll let the magic coffee pot choose one of those. In the meantime, please tell us something about yourself. Bio:

After earning a degree in business administration at NYU, Mark Rubinstein served in the U.S. Army as a field medic tending to paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division.

After his discharge he returned to college, went to medical school and became a physician, then a psychiatrist.

Rubinstein's high-octane thrillers Mad Dog House (2012) and its sequel, Mad Dog Justice (2014), were both finalists for the ForeWord Book of the Year Award. His novella, The Foot Soldier won the Silver award in the 2014 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition, in the Popular Fiction category. His novella, Return to Sandara, (2014), won the gold IPPY Award for Suspense/Fiction. The Lovers' Tango, won the gold medal in popular fiction at the 2016 Benjamin Franklin Awards. Mad Dog Vengeance (2017), the last book in the Mad Dog trilogy. His most recent novel is Assassin’s Lullaby.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “Apparently my thrillers are so realistic that I’ve been asked at author talks if I ever actually killed anyone.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
Website: http://www.markrubinstein-author.com
Twitter: @MrubinsteinCT
Email: author.mark.rubinstein@gmail.com INTERVIEW:
  
Ally:  Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
 
MR:  I’ve been self-published and traditionally published. With self-publishing I have far more control over formatting, cover design and other elements of publishing. Traditional publishing affords me greater readership and exposure.
 
Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
 
MR:  My First Reader is my wife who has a keen eye for dialogue and description. She often reins in some of my wilder excursions into literary pretense. I’ve always said that she’s rescued every novel I’ve written.
 
Ally:  Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
 
MR:  Yes. People I know sneak into my books as character. I must say that they are all good characters. The evil ones are purely products of my imagination.
 
Ally:  Do you write from an outline?
 
MR:  I don’t use an outline. Rather, I begin by writing down a bunch of disparate ideas and eventually, they begin to form something of a plot, although it’s quite vague. As I write, the plot tends to unfold organically. I often know where the novel will begin and where it will end but have no idea how I’ll get there. That’s part of the creative fun of writing.
 
Ally:  What's the best writing/marketing advice you’ve received?
 
MR:  The best writing advice I’ve ever been given is to just write. You can’t wait for inspiration. If you wait for inspiration you’re a waiter, not a writer. Just write every single day, even if on any given day you only do it for 15 minutes.
 
Ally:  How many books do you read in a month? Which genre(s)? Favorite authors?

MR:  I read about 8 books a month. Mostly suspense thrillers although I do have a fondness for certain literary authors—Philip Roth, William Styron, Ian McEwan, and a few others.
  
Ally:  What three books in your genre (other than your own) would you recommend to readers?
 
MR:  I would recommend, above all, Savages by Don Winslow. Then would come Mystic River and The Drop by Dennis Lehane.
  
Ally: How do you react to reviews of your books? 
 
MR:  I do my best not to read reviews of my books; that includes the favorable and not-so-favorable.
 
Ally:  Which of the trivia questions did you choose?
 
MR:  
memorable book you’ve read: Mystic River by Dennis Lehanebook you're currently reading: Two Days in Lisbon by Chris Pavonean author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with: Philip Rothebook or print? I read both. I even read the print on cereal boxes.movie you’ll always remember: Deliverance.Ally: Thank you for spending time with us, Mark. Before you go, please show us your featured book, Assassin’s Lullaby.
Assassin’s Lullaby
Genre: thriller/psychological thriller
Heat warning: Author reports a romantic scene rates 8 of 10 (without being graphic)
 
In every life, there lurks catastrophe. So believes Eli Dagan, a 39-year-old man whose traumatic past led to his service as an assassin for the Mossad. He now lives in New York City where, under various assumed names, he’s a contract killer. 
 
Anton Gorlov, the head of the Brooklyn-based Odessa mafia, has a new and challenging assignment for Eli—he wants to leave the country permanently, so all loose ends must be eliminated, and he’s willing to pay $1 million for the task. 
 
The job will involve extreme measures along with unprecedented danger for Eli, who has lived a ghostly existence over the last ten years. Is accepting Gorlov’s offer a subliminal death wish? Or is it a way to reclaim part of his damaged soul? 
 
For the first time since his pregnant wife and parents were killed by a suicide bomber years earlier, Eli Dagan faces challenges that will reconnect him with his blighted past and may yet offer hope for a new and better life.
 
“With Assassin’s Lullaby, Rubinstein joins the ranks of Daniel Silva and John le Carré. It’s a riveting story, relentlessly paced." ~ James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey  
 
Buy Links:
 
Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3nWEa2y
B&N:  https://bit.ly/3cWvdQI
IndieBound: https://bit.ly/2Zt560s
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/assassin-s-lullaby