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P.D. Workman's Blog, page 67
April 28, 2020
Excerpt from Good Omens
Do you have autistic loved ones who you worry about during this time of crisis on in anticipation of other emergent situations? If so, you might want to check out my blog post from last week on Autism Awareness During Crisis.
And be sure to come back this weekend for some great deals!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am currently reading Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens. If you’ve read any Neil Gaiman, you probably know that it is going to be crazy, illogical, colourful, tongue-in-cheek and all rather brilliant. It looks like it was serialized last year on Amazon Prime, though I haven’t seen it. I am enjoying it so far. If you like things like Douglass Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide) and Monty Python, you’ll like Neil Gaiman.
But demons like Ligur and Hastur wouldn’t understand. They’d never have thought up Welsh-language television, for example. Or VAT. Or Manchester.
He’d been particularly pleased with Manchester.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens
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What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?
It’s a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They’ve been living amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.
Now people have been predicting the end of the world almost from its very beginning, so it’s only natural to be sceptical when a new date is set for Judgement Day.
You could spend the time left drowning your sorrows, giving away all your possessions in preparation for the rapture, or laughing it off as (hopefully) just another hoax. Or you could just try to do something about it.
And then there’s the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .
April 23, 2020
Autism Awareness During Crisis
I have been pondering, in the in-between times this month, how to approach my April Autism Awareness blog this year. (See my previous posts below.) This is primarily a book blog, so I normally share fiction or non-fiction books that have an autism-positive viewpoint or are good resources for autistic people or allies.
But this year, with COVID-19 and the restrictions and extra stress that everyone is facing, it seems disingenuous to post as if there is nothing going on. Neurotypical people are suffering with isolation and navigating new situations and programs with difficulty, not to mention those who are sick or have been affected by the deaths of loved ones. It is that much more difficult for those who are disabled and/or neurodiverse, including those with autism.
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Isolation inside isolation
But why would isolation be more difficult for those who are autistic? After all, don’t they prefer isolation?
No.
And even those who prefer living or working alone still suffer in this situation.
Here are a few articles explaining some of the problems autistic people are facing, including the risks of not being able to get the food they need to survive and of being triaged behind neurotypicals (and potentially not being treated) if they fall ill.
Autism and QuarantineAn Open Letter About COVID-19Shopping in the world of Coronavirus: an Autistic’s perspective
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Dealing with the current situation, crisis planning for the future
I started today looking for books for autistics about preparing for and dealing with disaster. I failed to find anything useful. I moved onto looking for articles and internet resources. Most of what I could find was emergency planning for families with autistic children. There was very little aimed at helping autistic adults or their carers.
I did find this helpful article.
So, I did what I should have done in the first place and went to the autistic/neurodiverse community to see what they were finding, creating, and posting. Here I found the isolation articles above, as well as some other real treasures:
Our Great Big List of COVID-19 Resources for Autistic PeopleWhy is everything so weird? Understanding life and the coronavirusUniversal Autism COVID-19 Individual Health Action PlanWe are Heroes A Plain Language Guide about Covid-19 and some of the changes in our livesMindful Body Scan guided meditationAutism and Coping With Pandemic Stressors: Advice from TPGA Community Members
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Medical concerns
I have also had specific concerns about autistic people knowing when they are in need of medical services and being able to access them. Autistic individuals tend to have a higher rate of a number of medical concerns than does the general population. So I went searching for some more articles and resources on that topic.
Asperger’s, Pain Perception, and Body AwarenessPrimary Care for Adults on the Autism SpectrumHow quiet headphones and visual guides help autistic patients get better health careThe Mindful Body Scan above may be helpful as wellThere are a number of visual pain scales available on the net, but I would like to get more feedback from autistics as to which one(s) work best for them before recommending one
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And more stress
Stress—in autistics and in neurotypicals—doesn’t look the same for everyone. We hide what we’re feeling. We don’t know what we’re feeling. We don’t know what specifically is bothering us. Or we’re just tired of being cooped up.
Some time ago, I came across this Wikihow on How to Handle an Autistic Friend’s Meltdown, which I thought was well-written and respectful. When things get to be too much, perhaps this can help you to support your autistic loved ones through difficult times.
There are other concerns that I have amidst this crisis, which also have a higher rate of occurrence in the autistic population. Homelessness is a real concern right now. People who are isolated with their abusers and no longer have a safe place to go or someone they can reach out to for help. Carers (both neurotypical and autistic) who are unable to handle the additional stress or physical demands. Please keep an eye out for the vulnerable around you. Reach out and offer help where you can.
Recommendations?
If you have some good resources, things that are helping you and your autistic family, friends, coworkers, etc. please post them in the comments section below!
And yes, books
As I said, I was not able to find books on the above topics. But I have recommended some autism-positive books in past blog posts.
Autism Acceptance Month
The International Day of the Stim
Excerpt from Neurotribes
Starting with Autism Awareness
April 22, 2020
Sale on Ruby, Between the Cracks
Are you ready to start the Simpson family saga, Between the Cracks? It all starts with Ruby. Picked by the In the Margins Committee as one of the Top Ten Books for Teens in 2015, I have dropped the ebook price from $5.99 to $3.99 for a limited time. Get your start now on this epic read!
BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Goodreads reviews for Ruby, Between the Cracks
Reviews from Goodreads.com
April 21, 2020
Excerpt from I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
Have you picked up a copy of my new release yet? Virtually Harmless was released on Friday. Check it out, along with some other recent releases.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am partway into a true crime book about the Golden State Killer, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara.
Despite the author’s obsession with unmasking the Golden State Killer, all of the hours and years she put into it, she passed away before the book was completed and published. Her husband and editor (?) put it together and filled in what was missing based on her notes. Michelle McNamara did not live to see the Golden State Killer caught using DNA evidence. It looks like there is an afterword in the book to cover that.
I didn’t consider him a ghost. My faith was in human error. He made a mistake somewhere along the line…
Michelle McNamara, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
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For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.
Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Utterly original and compelling, it has been hailed as a modern true crime classic—one which fulfilled Michelle’s dream: helping unmask the Golden State Killer.
April 16, 2020
New Releases! Virtually Harmless and More
It’s that day again! Time for a stack of new releases!
Virtually Harmless
Have you started reading the High-Tech Crime Solvers series yet?
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From USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman, comes a gripping techno-thriller, part of a multi-author series tied together by an interlocking cast of characters, all centered around the fantastic new promise of high technology and the endless possibilities for crime that technology offers, in a world where getting away with murder can be not only plausible, but easy… if you just know how…
My book in this series is Virtually Harmless, and today is release day!
BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
eBook Price: $4.99
Micah lived a quiet, comfortable life, her involvement in law enforcement limited to the composite pictures that she produced with her computer and colored pencils.
But everything is turned upside down when she involves herself in the case of an infant found abandoned in the Sweetgrass Hills.
With the help of her knowledge of DNA and law enforcement contacts across the country, Micah is closing in on a killer. But her investigation draws the killer’s attention, and she finds herself in the middle of an operation that could mean the end of her career—or worse, her life.
Micah is closing in on a killer. But her investigation draws the killer’s attention, and she finds herself in the middle of an operation that could mean the end of her career—or worse, her life.
★★★★★“The book will keep you guessing until the very end. Love how the author describes the characters in the perfect amount of detail leaving a little to the imagination.”
More new releases
I have looked around and talked to my author buddies, and here are some other new books fresh off the presses.
.ugb-473d270 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-473d270 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-473d270 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-473d270 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-473d270 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Girl Who Made Them Pay
After a terrifying transatlantic flight, Asha and Katy land at Heathrow International. They believe they’re finally safe.
The sinister men trying to enforce them into a life of cruel bondage are a continent away.
Within a few hours, Katy is abducted in broad daylight. In desperation, Asha slips out of the airport, eluding border agents, with one thin clue to her friend’s disappearance.
Asha’s terrified of discovering the truth, but she’ll never back down.
Not until she finds her friend. Dead or alive.
And time is running out.
.ugb-f554973 .ugb-img{width:324px;height:auto !important}.ugb-f554973 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-f554973 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-f554973 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-f554973 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Past is Present
Ben Strickland’s childhood was idyllic, until it wasn’t. One violent incident changed everything. Innocence was lost and friendships were destroyed.
Ben was able to run from his past for some time, but it has now caught up with him. How will he keep his family safe and what evil lurks behind that door?
.ugb-26a61fd .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-26a61fd .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-26a61fd .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-26a61fd .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-26a61fd .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Her Buried Secret
Penelope Cline and her three closest girlfriends have a deadly secret.
A young woman disappeared under mysterious circumstances at a party they attended together, and they know more than was reported to the authorities.
Penelope’s friends urged her to keep quiet and forget it ever happened. They each enjoyed good lives and didn’t want them interrupted. But when remains are discovered and the investigation turns towards an innocent man, Penelope is forced to wrestle with her own guilty conscience.
Should she speak up and report what she knows? Will bad things happen to her if sh
.ugb-bdb64a8 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-bdb64a8 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-bdb64a8 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-bdb64a8 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-bdb64a8 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Off the Map
When Maisie Frobisher arrives in Bombay she is looking forward to a life of parties and sightseeing. Fate, though, has other plans.
At first Maisie thinks that her biggest problem will be adjusting to the restrictions of life in Bombay while Inspector Hamilton gets on with his job. But when an information leak sparks conflict, it becomes clear that the theft of a document on board ship is part of something much bigger. And when Maisie receives a bizarre message from ‘Leopard’ via the personals column of the local newspaper, she has no choice but to get involved.
Someone doesn’t want her to, though. Soon Maisie finds herself the subject of a whispering campaign, and ostracised by society – but that becomes the least of her worries as danger looms.
.ugb-380e7cd .ugb-img{width:234px;height:auto !important}.ugb-380e7cd .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-380e7cd .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-380e7cd .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-380e7cd .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Chicory is Trickery
It’s springtime in Spicetown and Mayor Cora Mae Bingham discovers there may be trouble blooming along with the rhododendrons!
With construction in full throttle in the new subdivisions and the income tax filing deadline looming over her head, Mayor Cora Mae Bingham is revamping the Annual Easter Eggs-Travaganza and trying to figure out who is in the Easter bunny suit this year, when a dead body has to be added to her To-Do list.
.ugb-d7a9288 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-d7a9288 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-d7a9288 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-d7a9288 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-d7a9288 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}A Corpse at the Castle
A royal castle. A murder. Only one witness: a horse
Horse trainer by day, I.T. consultant by night, Izzy Paterson is a classic nerd who’s better with animals than humans.
But when a body is found at the feet of a prize stallion in the queen’s summer castle in the Scottish Highlands, Izzy—and her new friend Craig—are in the wrong place at the wrong time, becoming suspects in the murder.
In the race to clear their names, Izzy has to employ all her horse whispering and computer hacking skills. Can she piece together the clues in time to stop the mysterious killer from striking again?
.ugb-6905516 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-6905516 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-6905516 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-6905516 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-6905516 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Girl Beneath the Sea
Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s.
Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.
Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars.
He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.
.ugb-a208531 .ugb-img{width:331px;height:auto !important}.ugb-a208531 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-a208531 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-a208531 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-a208531 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Masked Prey
The daughter of a U.S. Senator is monitoring her social media presence when she finds a picture of herself on a strange blog. And there are other pictures . . . of the children of other influential Washington politicians, walking or standing outside their schools, each identified by name. Surrounding the photos are texts of vicious political rants from a motley variety of radical groups.
It’s obviously alarming–is there an unstable extremist tracking the loved ones of powerful politicians with deadly intent? But when the FBI is called in, there isn’t much the feds can do. The anonymous photographer can’t be pinned down to one location or IP address, and more importantly, at least to the paper-processing bureaucrats, no crime has actually been committed. With nowhere else to turn, influential Senators decide to call in someone who can operate outside the FBI’s constraints: Lucas Davenport.
.ugb-9e9a61e .ugb-img{width:324px;height:auto !important}.ugb-9e9a61e .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-9e9a61e .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-9e9a61e .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-9e9a61e .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Pumpkins, Paws & Murder
Leta Parker is back with her talkative companions—Dickens the dog and Christie the cat.
Though Leta’s still haunted by her tragic loss, moving from Atlanta to the village of Astonbury has given her a new lease on life.
Leta’s days are filled with yoga, book club, walks with Dickens, naps with Christie, and outings with friends. Add preparations for the Astonbury Fall Fête—complete with scarecrows, pumpkins, and costumes—and she’s beyond busy.
All is well until a dead body is discovered on the riverbank, and once again, Leta and her sleuthing girlfriends are drawn into a search for a killer—a search that takes them to Dartmouth on the coast of England.
.ugb-aa0c712 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-aa0c712 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-aa0c712 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-aa0c712 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-aa0c712 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Legend of Eydis
Bjorn Kyvansson was never supposed to outlive his brother.
After his older brother Sterlig dies on the mysterious island of Eydis, it falls to Bjorn to avenge his brother. But Bjorn, along with his abusive father and his anxious mother, is content to suffer with his lot in life.
That is, until Arja Freydottir, Sterlig’s beloved, decides she wants to go to Eydis. Bjorn reluctantly agrees to accompany her, knowing he has no right to Arja, as Sterlig’s intended bride, no matter how much he loves her himself.
But as Bjorn and Arja spend time together preparing to face the dragon of Eydis, it becomes clear that it is not a matter of honor keeping them apart, but the truth.
.ugb-68c8705 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-68c8705 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-68c8705 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-68c8705 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-68c8705 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}What we Forgot
Charlotte Coburn has a tragically dark past. But she’s safe now. She lives in a gated community, protected from danger. When teenager Elle knocks at her door looking for shelter during a particularly severe storm, the woman can’t help but think how lucky Elle’s been to have found someone as friendly as her. Except Elle chose her door on purpose…
She knows all about Charlotte’s secrets because they ruined her family and her life. And it is time that everyone else knew. But Charlotte’s past has left a dark void in her life, so she is concocting her own vicious plan, convinced that Elle can help fill that void.
.ugb-78deddf .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-78deddf .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-78deddf .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-78deddf .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-78deddf .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Missing Sister
Shayna Darby is finally coming to terms with her parents’ deaths when she’s delivered another blow. The body of her estranged twin sister, Angela—the possible victim of a serial killer—has been pulled from the Seine. Putting what’s left of her life on hold, Shayna heads to Paris. But while cleaning out Angela’s apartment, Shayna makes a startling discovery: a coded message meant for her alone…
Alive. Trust no one.
Taking the warning to heart, Shayna maintains the lie. She makes a positive ID on the remains and works to find out where—and why—her missing sister is hiding. Shayna retraces her sister’s footsteps, and they lead her down into Paris’s underbelly.
As she gets closer to the truth—and to the killer—Shayna’s own life may now be in the balance…
.ugb-4e589db .ugb-img{width:331px;height:auto !important}.ugb-4e589db .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-4e589db .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-4e589db .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-4e589db .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Walk the Wire
When Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison are called to London, North Dakota, they instantly sense that the thriving fracking town is ripe for trouble. The promise of a second gold rush has attracted an onslaught of newcomers all hoping for a windfall, and the community is growing faster than houses can be built. The sudden boom has also brought a slew of problems with it, including drugs, property crimes, prostitution — and now murder.
Decker and Jamison are ordered to investigate the death of a young woman named Irene Cramer, whose body was expertly autopsied and then dumped in the open — which is only the beginning of the oddities surrounding the case. As Decker and Jamison dig into Irene’s life, they are shocked to discover that the woman who walked the streets by night as a prostitute was a teacher for a local religious sect by day — a sect operating on land once owned by a mysterious government facility that looms over the entire community.
London is a town replete with ruthless business owners, shady government officials, and religious outsiders, all determined to keep their secrets from coming out. When other murders occur, Decker will need all of his extraordinary memory and detective skills, and the assistance of a surprising ally, to root out a killer and the forces behind Cramer’s death. . . before the boom town explodes.
April 15, 2020
Sale on Auntie Clem’s Bakery 1-3
This is a limited time sale, won’t last long! Get the first three books in the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series for the $5.99.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
*~*~* $5.99 April 15-20 *~*~*
Buying them separately will cost you $17.97.
Erin Price is a baker, not a sleuth. It’s really not her fault that mysteries keep landing in her lap while she’s trying to run Auntie Clem’s Bakery and make a living from baking gluten-free and specialty goods.
Sink your teeth into these sweet mysteries!
This ebook includes the first three books in this 9-book series (with more to come):
1. Gluten-Free Murder
2. Dairy-Free Death
3. Allergen-Free Assignation
Gluten-Free Murder
The grand opening of Auntie Clem’s Bakery is marred by just one thing, the death of Erin’s business rival, Angela Plaint. It appears that Angela was poisoned by one of Erin’s cupcakes, making her a prime suspect.
Dairy-Free Death
The peaceful life that Erin had pictured in Bald Eagle Falls remains elusive as her family’s past. And then her own past comes knocking on her door…
Allergen-Free Assignation
Erin is happy to be dabbling in a murder that this time is too old and too cold for her to be considered a suspect. But as Erin begins to unearth the buried secrets of Bald Eagle Falls, she is forced to confront her own family’s dark history.
April 14, 2020
Excerpt from The Flight Attendant
Hopefully you had a happy Easter and picked up some good Easter reading to get you through the week! I hope you are all well and managing the restrictions we’ve faced the last few weeks.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
Today I just started reading The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian. I’m not sure what I think of it so far, but it looks like it could be a good read. The protagonist is clearly broken and ha a lot of issues that don’t make her too relatable, at least to start with. I imagine I’ll get to empathize and relate with her more as I get deeper into the book. The premise has lots of potential.
Chris Bohjalian seems to be a pretty prolific writer but I don’t think I’ve read anything by him before.
But Miranda knew a lot. Miranda knew that she was a flight attendant. Miranda knew her name—at least her first name. Miranda would, Cassie assumed, be the one to call the hotel when Alex missed whatever meeting he was supposed to be in and didn’t answer his cell.
Chris Bohjalian, The Flight Attendant
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Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She’s a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police – she’s a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home – Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it’s too late to come clean-or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?
April 9, 2020
Hoppy Easter Reading
A quick word before I jump into my Easter blog to let you know that the set of Zachary Goldman Mysteries 1-4 is on sale for $4.99. Get it while it lasts!
I haven’t written any books that are specifically about Easter, so I decided to broaden the theme of my post this week to include bunnies (or chicks or other cute spring babies), which let’s me share Allergen-Free Assignation, book #3 of the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series with you. Let me introduce you to Marshmallow, a white and toasted-brown bunny who makes his first appearance in this book.
.ugb-8e2626b .ugb-img{width:741px;height:auto !important}.ugb-8e2626b .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-8e2626b .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-8e2626b .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-8e2626b .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Allergen-Free Assignation
Erin Price, gluten-free baker turned sleuth, is happy to be dabbling in a murder that this time is too old and too cold for her to be considered a suspect.
As Erin begins to unearth the buried secrets of Bald Eagle Falls, she is forced to confront her own family’s dark history, a history which she knows little about. But there are others in the small town who are interested in the Price family; people who are determined to end her investigation at any cost.
Can Erin figure out who is behind the threats before more than her family secrets end up dead and buried?
And more Easter reads!
I couldn’t just leave you with one book, so I hunted high and low for some more Easter treats to fill up your basket.
.ugb-ebe5399 .ugb-img{width:234px;height:auto !important}.ugb-ebe5399 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-ebe5399 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-ebe5399 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-ebe5399 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Chicoy is Trickery
It’s springtime in Spicetown and Mayor Cora Mae Bingham discovers there may be trouble blooming along with the rhododendrons!
With construction in full throttle in the new subdivisions and the income tax filing deadline looming over her head, Mayor Cora Mae Bingham is revamping the Annual Easter Eggs-Travaganza and trying to figure out who is in the Easter bunny suit this year, when a dead body has to be added to her To-Do list.
.ugb-e6f4bcf .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-e6f4bcf .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e6f4bcf .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e6f4bcf .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e6f4bcf .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Easter Buried Eggs
The smell of burnt cake is not a good omen for Annie when she arrives at the Black Cat Cafe. But little does she know that her Aunt Leona’s cooking disaster is only the first of many problems she’ll be served in a big basket of cracked Easter eggs.
Annie quickly learns that being in charge at the Black Cat Café isn’t all chocolate-covered strawberries and carrot cakes. In addition to the variety of tasty pastries she needs to make for Easter, she stumbles on a body and what appears to be a robbery.
With money disappearing from bank accounts, snooping seniors appearing out of the blue, and clues turning up in the most unlikely places, Annie’s problems sizzle more than Leona’s hot cross buns.
Determined to help her new friends, Annie and her therapy dog land in the middle of a murder investigation. Clues pile higher than a basket of Easter eggs, all pointing to one of the seniors. Annie searches for something to keep her friend from landing in a jail cell but instead, Annie ends up right in the killer’s crosshairs.
.ugb-e018314 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-e018314 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e018314 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e018314 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e018314 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Easter Escapade
In the first ever crossover episode, Zak and Zoe join forces with Hawaiian visitors Luke and Lani, to find out who killed a historian visiting Ashton Falls in order to find a treasure map left by his grandfather a hundred years earlier.
Meanwhile, Ellie and Levi move in with Zak and Zoe while the boathouse is being renovated and Alex helps Ellie prepare the nursery for baby Eli who is due to be born any day. Throw in some humor and Easter fun and you have a Zak and Zoe crossover mystery.
.ugb-6c20cf4 .ugb-img{width:311px;height:auto !important}.ugb-6c20cf4 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-6c20cf4 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-6c20cf4 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-6c20cf4 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Lord James Harrington and the Easter Mystery
Meet Lord James Harrington and his delightful wife, Beth; residents of the tiny village of Cavendish, deep in the heart of West Sussex in England. They adore hosting seasonal events, running their country hotel, keeping the local folklore alive and listening to the latest murder mystery on the wireless. But mysteries don’t always remain on the airwaves…
It’s Easter and the Cavendish residents are discussing the traditional festivities along with the proposed Easter egg hunt on the Harrington estate. But when the vicar’s dog digs up a bone, things take a turn for the worse. Retracing the dog’s walk, James uncovers a skeleton buried in the woods. Studying the remains, he identifies a number of expensive items. With the likelihood that the victim could be someone well-to-do, James is concerned that he may know the victim and puts his sleuthing hat on.
.ugb-3adec5d .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-3adec5d .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-3adec5d .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-3adec5d .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-3adec5d .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Easter Sunday
A father’s love and family anguish. Hank Green’s young son, Bobby, is lost in a cave beneath a water-drenched swamp of the Chesapeake Bay. The wilderness is known for Native American mystery as well as an unsolved World War Two secret. Even worse, a powerful Easter Sunday storm with its flood surge is barreling down. Hank rushes to join the team of experienced local firemen and friends who will try to find and rescue his son before the boy drowns.
Yet he feels once again his own numbing personal terror. He is overcome by a lifelong claustrophobic fear of entering closed spaces like caves. It’s a phobia he inherited from his immigrant father, a displaced person from the 1945 European war, and his own Vietnam experience. He knows if the others lose hope and fail, he will go on alone and risk his life to save his child. He must find a way to conquer his weakness but time is running out.
.ugb-bba743a .ugb-img{width:338px;height:auto !important}.ugb-bba743a .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-bba743a .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-bba743a .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-bba743a .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}East Egg Hunt
During an Easter egg hunt, Roland “Beanie” Bean and his two-year-old son Evan are searching for eggs when they find a woman sprawled in the dirt beneath a hibiscus bush.
Little Evan thinks the lady is just sleeping, but Beanie knows better.
The nasty gash on the woman’s forehead might not have killed her, but the stab wounds in her chest appear to be fatal.
As an investigative reporter at the Palmchat Gazette, Beanie is the perfect person to cover the story, considering that he found the victim.
.ugb-8220bc7 .ugb-img{width:331px;height:auto !important}.ugb-8220bc7 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-8220bc7 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-8220bc7 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-8220bc7 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha
The approach of Easter means a rush of business at TenHuis Chocolade, and Lee and her Aunt Nettie need all the help they can get to make their famous chocolate bunnies. Unfortunately, new hire Bunny Birdsong is a clutzy basketcase dropping everything she picks up. But to Lee’s surprise, she’s a whiz with computers and fixing the store’s website so they decide to keep her.
However, Bunny receives a few visitors they could do without: her soon to be ex-husband Beau, his wealthy aunt Abigail, and his new girlfriend and her brother all descend on the shop one day and have a bitter argument.
Lee hopes they can find a peaceful way to settle their dispute and not bring any more trouble to TenHuis. But when Abigail’s body is discovered in the vacant store next door, it’s clear to Lee there’s a bad egg in her midst. Now she’s on the hunt to find out who it is…
.ugb-4a48fee .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-4a48fee .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-4a48fee .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-4a48fee .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-4a48fee .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Coconut Bunny Butt Caper
Rancher Zachary “Buck” Williams asks Phyllis Newsom to help him throw a big Easter shindig with games and food and an egg hunt, inviting everybody from the whole county to join in the fun.
It’s a beautiful spring day in Weatherford, Texas, as kids are running and playing and parents are chatting and sampling wonderful home-cooked foods. It’s all fun and games . . . until someone plays a dangerous game of hide and seek with the prize egg, leaving Phyllis to find the culprit.
.ugb-f7aa2ac .ugb-img{width:334px;height:auto !important}.ugb-f7aa2ac .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-f7aa2ac .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-f7aa2ac .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-f7aa2ac .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Easter Egg Murder
Harrie McKinsey and her best friend and business partner Ginger Vaughn discover that some secrets are best left buried when retired Senator Philip Lawrence hires their editing firm to assist him with a book about the famous unsolved 1950 murder of a cocktail waitress that led to the end of illegal casinos in New Mexico. When the Albuquerque newspaper announces that Senator Lawrence is writing the book, one person with a connection to the case is murdered and another narrowly escapes death. Despite the best efforts of Ginger’s husband and an FBI agent Harrie finds infuriatingly attractive, the energetic pair cannot resist trying to discover who is so anxious to destroy the book, the senator and his big secret.
Kindle[image error].ugb-414feaf .ugb-img{width:328px;height:auto !important}.ugb-414feaf .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-414feaf .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-414feaf .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-414feaf .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Easter Hair Hunt
When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.
When trying to solve a murder, everyone needs a friend who’s all ears. For Marla, that’s her husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail. They make an eggcellent team. Dalton isn’t the kind to leap to conclusions, but with his wife seven months pregnant, and knowing Marla finds crime-solving to be irresistible, he worries about her running off on another hare-raising adventure.
.ugb-4f41715 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-4f41715 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-4f41715 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-4f41715 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-4f41715 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Killer Easter Pie
When a jewelry shop in the Old Market is robbed, and an expensive jeweled egg is stolen, it seems someone might be out to ruin Easter.
For pie shop owner Bertha Hannah, however, she has very little time to think about crime as she is preparing for the annual city Easter Egg Hunt at the community gardens. Businesses and churches from all over the city are contributing to the event, and Bert has a new pie recipe planned for the day.
Festivities are brought to a screeching halt, however, when a body is found in the bushes. Is this new death connected to the egg robbery? When the finger of accusation seems to be pointed in the direction of a friend, Bert knows it is up to her to solve this mystery before the Easter Bunny hops away with all the clues.
.ugb-e53d7bf .ugb-img{width:306px;height:auto !important}.ugb-e53d7bf .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e53d7bf .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e53d7bf .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e53d7bf .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Toxic Toffee
Bailey King’s in New York wrapping up a six-week shoot on her first cable TV show, Bailey’s Amish Sweets, when she gets a call from her Ohio town’s resident busybody. With Easter around the corner, Bailey’s been recruited to create a giant toffee bunny for the weeklong springtime festival that will also feature live white rabbits. But back home in Harvest, death becomes the main attraction when Stephen Raber keels over from an apparent heart attack—with Bailey and Raber’s pet bunny as witnesses.
Except it wasn’t Raber’s heart that suddenly gave out—a lethal dose of lily of the valley was mixed into a tasty piece of toffee. Who’d want to poison a jovial rabbit farmer who reminded Bailey of an Amish Santa Claus? To solve the murder, she and her sheriff deputy boyfriend Aiden must uncover a twenty-year-old secret. She’ll need to pull a rabbit out of a hat to keep a healthy distance from toxic people, including one venomous killer . . .
.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-feature__item{background-color:#ECECEC !important}.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-feature__item:before{background-color:#ECECEC !important}.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-img{width:628px;height:auto !important}.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-button svg{color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-c8881c0 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Life of Our Lord
This one is not a mystery, obviously, but it is in keeping with the Christian Easter tradition.
Written by Charles Dickens for his Children
The last published book of Charles Dickens, read to his children for Christmas every year, has been divided into twenty-four readings for you to read from December 1 to 24. Experience the master storyteller’s magic all over again this Easter season.
This Workman Family Classic edition contains:
• Background/Introduction
• Biography
• Footnotes
• a scriptural passage and discussion question after each day’s reading
• Extension activities
April 7, 2020
Excerpt from A Better Man
Did you know that What the Cat Knew is on sale for $0.99? If you don’t have it already, now is a good time to pick it up on any of the available platforms. Looking for a book to escape into? This is paranormal cozy mystery is a fun, light read with some great new characters, and one familiar character if you’ve read the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I just finished reading A Better Man, book #15 in Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. Inspector Gamache has been demoted back to head of homicide, which is really where he belongs. The murder of Vivienne Godin is a real brain-teaser. While I suspected the murderer ahead of time, I didn’t have enough to quite be sure. Louise Penny is always a good read!
“Please, patron,” said Cloutier. “Can I go down? Take a look around?” She could see that Chief Inspector Beauvoir was undecided. Teetering. “She’s pregnant.”
Louise Penny, A Better Man
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Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.
It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.
As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.
Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel…, he resumes the search.
As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.
In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.
What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?
April 3, 2020
Sale on What the Cat Knew $0.99
If you don’t already have it, you can currently get What the Cat Knew on all platforms for $0.99. Get it now, because this deal won’t last!
