Babs Hightower's Blog, page 32
July 22, 2018
The Greystone Chronicles: Book One: Io Online audio book
CLICK COVER TO HEAR SAMPLE!
By: Dave Willmarth
Narrated by: Laurie Catherine Winkel, Jeff Hays
Series: The Greystone Chronicles Series, Book 1
Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 03-07-18
Language: English
Publisher: Dave Willmarth, Soundbooth Theater
In the latter half of the 21st century, Alexander and his guild mates play Io Online for fun and to earn a living. It’s the largest VRMMORPG on the planet, and the source of income that supports families around the globe. While completing a rare First Kill dungeon in hopes of epic loot, they discover that demons have once again invaded Io.
Given the chance to test a new experimental immersion system, the veteran players must give up their high-level characters and begin again at level one. As they work through the noob zone quests, they discover that the new immersion system allows them to play in ways that hadn’t been possible before. Casting is faster. Movement more fluid. Even magic itself behaves differently. They quickly run afoul of a party of player killers and become the targets of an entire PK guild bent on spawn-camping them until they leave the game. War has been declared.
The fight expands into populated areas, where innocent citizens are murdered, and player accounts are terminated. The guild works to help citizens rebuild what has been destroyed, but are repeatedly forced to stop and defend against enemy attacks. After the gods of Io and a powerful being of darkness get involved, Alexander and his friends learn the hard way that their in-game actions have consequences, both in the game and in the real world.
Soundbooth Theater has had the honor of working with Laurie Catherine Winkel once more, in the first installment of the epic Greystone Chronicles. Her bright and light performance matches the tone of this Gamelit romp about friendship and community, while perfectly framing Jeff Hays’ performance as the male cast.
The Soundbooth Theater team for this production:
Laurie Catherine Winkel – narration, female characters, and Fibble!
Jeff Hays – male characters
Dalton Lynne – proofing, editing
Justin Thomas James – production, editing, mastering
The post The Greystone Chronicles: Book One: Io Online audio book appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 19, 2018
Meowmoirs of a Klepto Cat, by Patricia Fry, guest post & giveaway
Cover art is done by Bernadette Kazmarski
Photo taken by Laura GruentherGuest Post
One Author’s Story—I Write About Horses, Cats, and Everything In Between
When I started writing for publication in 1973, I didn’t know another writer—I mean a serious published writer. Yet, I knew they existed because I read their books and articles and watched them being interviewed on TV. I craved opportunities to learn more about these exalted, illustrious, even lucky writers who somehow managed to get published. I wanted what those people had, which I perceived to be, prestige, bragging rights, fame, and fortune.
After spending literally years studying aspects of the writing profession and dreaming of a writing career, I went for it. I would become one of the elite few. I knew I could do it, so I set out to establish a little part-time hobby as a writer. You see, I already had a full-time job as a mom of three daughters, wife to a busy executive, and slave to a large house.
So it was that in 1973 I borrowed a manual typewriter, set it up in the corner of my bedroom, and wrote my first article. I knew by then that I wanted to be a freelance magazine article writer. But what would I write about? I wasn’t an expert in anything, but I had done my homework and I knew that, when starting out, you should write about what you know. Sounds easy enough, right?
I took inventory: I knew about cats, raising children, keeping house, entertaining, sewing… Also during that time, as a family, we were into horses. Hey, I already subscribed to several horse magazines. I knew the magazines, understood their readership, was aware of the types of articles they used and what topics hadn’t been covered. So I pitched a piece on creative things you can do with horseshow ribbons, and that was the beginning of a beautiful career. I kept coming up with article ideas for a variety of magazines, and editors continued to accept many of them. I had a good thing going and boy was I enjoying myself.
In 1978, I decided to write a book—also on the topic of horses. To my surprise, the first publisher I approached issued me a contract. Again, I believe this came about mainly because I’d studied the market, discovered what type of horse-related book was most needed, and I used professionalism in my approach to the editor. By then, I’d graduated to an electric typewriter, but my manuscripts still required a lot of whiteout. Not only that, every query letter and manuscript had to be mailed through the post office. There’s no “send” button on a typewriter. For your younger readers, whiteout was our answer to typos. It was the delete button of the time.
In 1983, I established my own publishing company (Matilija Press) in order to publish some of my own work. This was before it was fashionable to do so or convenient. Since then, I’ve published many of my own books. As a consequence, I had to learn volumes about book promotion. But then, that’s a very large subject for another time.
Lily-kittyBy the turn of the century, I’d had hundreds of my articles published in a variety of magazines (writing, women’s, parenting, spiritual, cats, horses, business, and more) and over forty published books. I was traveling all over the US speaking at writers’ conferences about the business of writing and having the time of my life. I’d accomplished what few people have. I established a career as a writer. By then, I came to realize that I can’t not write. It’s my passion. It (like cats) feeds my soul.
It was around 2012 when I attended a class reunion and realized that just about all of my former classmates were retired. I wondered if it was time for me to retire and I began pondering the idea. Now, this was not a foreign process for me—the pondering, I mean. Every year or so—generally around my birth month—I stop and reassess my personal life and my business life. I ask important questions such as, “Are you still having fun?” “Is there anything you’d rather be doing?” “What aspects of your life would you change if you could?”
Usually my answers lead me to continue the work I’d been doing. I loved the variety in the writing assignments. I adored teaching authors about the business side of writing. Thus each year I would continue on the path I’d mapped out for myself. In 2012, however, the answers to my questions changed. Yes, I was still thoroughly enjoying the writing process, but I was tiring of certain facets of freelance work. Wow! What a shock. I spent some time with those thoughts, bringing in new ones in order to mix things up a bit and I came up with a whole new plan for my career.
The bottom line was, I still wanted to write and I still wanted to earn money with my craft, but I was ready for a change. You know what they say about timing…it can be everything. Here’s how it worked for me. A writer friend (by then I had oodles of them), told me about her husband’s great success with his very first novel. He took a chance and had it published as an Amazon Kindle book and the amount of money she claimed he was earning left me speechless.
A novel, I thought. But I write nonfiction. However, for the five years or so prior to that I’d been editing novels. I never thought I would. I was a strictly a give-me-the-facts-ma’am type of writer and nonfiction was what I was comfortable editing. But once I opened myself up to include fiction in the editing branch of my business, I found that I rather enjoyed the process. Most surprising was the fact that I seemed to have a real knack for it. At the time, I was reading light mysteries on my own Kindle. I don’t remember exactly when the thought occurred to me—I don’t recall any bells and whistles and fireworks—but I began to consider writing fiction, and it seemed that the universe was prepping me for it.
There was the first-time author who was selling a couple of thousands books a month. I was seeking a change in my work. I enjoyed editing and reading fiction. YES!! I finally decided. I’m going to try writing fiction.
It didn’t take me long to determine that I’d write light mysteries (which I later learned are
called cozy mysteries), and my stories would include a cat. By then, Lily had come into my life. She’s a sweet tabby-cat named Lily. She has the most endearing habit of bringing me her little stuffed toys while I work. Sometimes she even brings me my slippers. I love cats; and cats doing cute things just tickles my funny bone. I thought it was just the sweetest thing ever to see Lily carrying her little toys around in her mouth. She reminds me of the klepto cats I’ve read about. In fact, I thought it was such a charming concept that I decided to feature a klepto cat in my cozy mysteries. Yes! The staring cat would be a klepto. Lily is not the star, however. She’s too timid and sweet for the starring role. I needed a larger cat—one with a ton of confidence. And it didn’t take me long to find my star—his name is Smokey and he’s my ninety-six-year-old mother’s cat.
I combined some of Smokey’s characteristics with Lily’s and created Ragsdale—aka Rags, an ordinary cat who just can’t keep his paws off other people’s things. Often, the treasures he finds are clues in a mystery.
The Klepto Cat Mysteries are light, fun cozy mysteries full of adventure, intrigue, and a little romance. This series follows Rags’s fascinating life path from when he and Savannah were single and he roamed the neighborhood stealing everything from toys belonging to large dogs to jewelry and bathing suits. Rags and Savannah don’t stay single long. After meeting Michael, a handsome veterinarian, Savannah settles down, but the cat doesn’t change his thieving ways. Even though his kleptomaniac habit is annoying and embarrassing to his family, he has earned the respect of the local sheriff’s department and he was even asked to star in a documentary.
Each book is a stand-alone and features a captivating story—generally with more than one mystery woven through the pages. But the best way to read the series is to start with Book One: Catnapped, as the characters progress and develop. You can also get a feel for the series by reading the brand new Book Twenty-nine, Meowmoirs of a Klepto Cat. It’s designed as an introduction to Rags and his human and animal friends. And in case you’re wondering, my stories are human-driven. There are no talking cats.
What do I have planned for the future? More Klepto Cat Mysteries, which will make my large following of fans happy and, I hope, attract hundreds of new readers.
Giveaway
Meowmoirs of a Klepto Cat. Print or Kindle for those in the US, Kindle for those outside.
Just comment with a favorite cat story or what type of can you like.
About AuthorKlepto Cat Mysteries website: KleptoCatMysteries.com
Catscapades blog: MatilijaPress.com/Catscapades
Follow Rags on Facebook: facebook.com/KleptoCatMysteries
Order the Kindle or Print versions of any Klepto Cat Mystery at http://www.amazon.com
Order copies in print only at the KleptoCatMysteries.com
Book One and Book Twenty-five are also audio books.
The post Meowmoirs of a Klepto Cat, by Patricia Fry, guest post & giveaway appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 18, 2018
Killer Reputation (Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth) by Cassidy Salem, spotlight, giveaway
Killer Reputation (Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth)
by Cassidy Salem
About the Book
Killer Reputation (Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Self Published (June 15, 2018)
Paperback: 182 pages
ISBN-10: 1718753357
ISBN-13: 978-1718753358
Digital ASIN: B07DKB8WCH
Adina can’t resist snooping when someone she knows turns up dead. Again.
When a colleague at a prestigious think tank meets a violent death, Adina’s not convinced any of the obvious suspects disliked him enough to want him dead. Can the young research assistant, a quirky neighbor, and a lovable rescue pup help the police put together the pieces of the puzzle?
About the Author
About the Author
Cassidy Salem has always been an avid reader. She is especially fond of mysteries (both cozy and traditional) and police procedurals. Cassidy also enjoys reading historical fiction focused on American and world history, as well as the classics. When she’s not reading, she enjoys music and spending time with family and friends, and travels with her husband and son whenever possible. Her travels have taken her to destinations throughout the United States, Europe, and Scandinavia.
Author Links
Twitter: @csalem11
Facebook: Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth
Blog: https://cassidysalem.wordpress.com/
Purchase link:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
July 17 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
July 20 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 20 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
July 23 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 24 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 25 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW
July 26 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
July 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
July 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
The post Killer Reputation (Adina Donati, Accidental Sleuth) by Cassidy Salem, spotlight, giveaway appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
Tied Up with Strings (A Serebral Seniors Mystery) by Madeline McEwen, guest post, giveaway and blog tour
Tied Up with Strings (A Serebral Seniors Mystery)
by Madeline McEwen
About the Book
Tied Up with Strings (A Serebral Seniors Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Imajin Qwickies, An imprint of Imajin Books (December 11, 2017)
Print Length: 85 pages
ASIN: B077PLNWY9
An Imajin Qwickies® Mystery/Crime Novella
Big mysteries often come in small packages…
When curmudgeonly private detective Betty Grape visits a young friend, who is housesitting in a remote village in England for Christmas vacation, something seems out of place. Her friend, Catia, is visibly nervous. Is she worried about the young men in the decrepit caravan in next door’s back garden? Or is Catia involved in the disappearance of the homeowner’s invalid wife?
As an American, Betty discovers the locals are full of friendly gossip but taciturn about solid facts. Though they are determined to keep Betty from butting in on their territory, she blunders through the social morass of narrow-minded foreigners and their broad Dorset accents. Can she unravel the tight knots of this mystery? Will she find the perpetrator under thickly thatched rooves or behind floral chintz curtains?
Guest Post
How to improve your writing skills?
Whether you’re typing letters, emails, or a best selling novel, it is often the little things we miss.
Both publishers and agents want a fabulous story and a well-polished manuscript, without those elements you’re heading for the slush pile. Your job as a writer is to vault over the first hurdles and break through the barriers to publication. Alternatively, when you’re writing to a friend or business colleague, you want your message, tone, and content communicated effectively.
Even the greatest authors make an occasional error.
It may be a minor typo, a grammatical blip, or a misspelled name, but it gapes at the reader like an open wound.
Worse yet, spellchecker won’t save you from yourself. Spellchecker is not infallible. After all, spellchecker is a program made by fallible humans.
Sometimes reading the work aloud helps catch those mistakes, but not always because we read what we think we see, not what is on the page.
What we all need is another pair of eyes, readers who spot the blinking obvious to which we, the writers, are blind.
So, here is a useful tip you may not have come across to date. My laptop has a “speech” feature, which I ignored/couldn’t use for many years. It allows me to highlight a section and have it read aloud by a robot—male or female—either way they’re not so easy to dismiss. I find that monotone voice invaluable.
However, for me as a British/English writer, the biggest thrill of all is hearing my words spoken in an American accent—it always gives me a fit of the giggles.
Giveaway
About the Author
Madeline McEwen is an ex-pat from the UK, bi-focaled and technically challenged. She and her Significant Other manage their four offspring, one major and three minors, two autistic, two neurotypical, plus a time-share with Alzheimer’s. In her free time, she walks the canines and chases the felines with her nose in a book and her fingers on a keyboard.
Author Links
Website http://www.madelinemcewen.c
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00Q41VUFI
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/macmaddy/pins/
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/MadMcEwen
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/madeline.mcewenasker
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9886841.Madeline_McEwen
Blog http://whittereronautism.com/
Purchase Link
http://getbook.at/TiedUpwStrings
The post Tied Up with Strings (A Serebral Seniors Mystery) by Madeline McEwen, guest post, giveaway and blog tour appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 16, 2018
Christmas in July Flat Greeting Cards review
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I enjoyed making these cards on Presto Photo. The process was easy and the steps are straight forward. All you have to do is drag pictures in and make your cards. It took me all of about five minutes.
You can custom everything from the pictures to the wording you would like to use. I left the back of my cards blank so I could write my own personal message to each person.The shipping is fast and the quality is amazing. It also comes with envelopes.
You get the cards early so you have time to get them out for Christmas. So be ready to make your list and get a great picture or pictures you want to use. Or if you want to make these a gift you can do some for your family and or friends to send out. A nice gift and a time saver for someone who is busy.
Try it here. https://www.prestophoto.com/help/5×7+Flat+Greeting+Card
The post Christmas in July Flat Greeting Cards review appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 15, 2018
TOUR PAGE HTML Airships, Crypts & Chocolate Chips: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels) by Erin Johnson, spotlight & giveaway
Airships, Crypts & Chocolate Chips: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels)
by Erin Johnson
About the Book
Airships, Crypts & Chocolate Chips: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Self Published
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
ASIN: B07DMBNCM2
A bewitched prison. A brother with a deadly request. Can a magical baker launch a jailbreak and still keep her prince in the process?
Imogen’s magical bakery is thriving and she loves the company of the Water Kingdom’s dashing prince. But she’s not so enamored with the time she’s forced to spend with his awful Royal Family. She also can’t help but worry that the increased media scrutiny could reveal her secret contact with the Royal Family’s sworn enemy: her own brother.
When her sibling shows up and demands Imogen spring his cronies out of jail, she flat out refuses. But when he threatens to hurt the ones she loves the most, she balances her allegiance to the prince with her plan for a covert prison break. Can Imogen keep up family appearances and avoid betraying the kingdom or will her pie-in-the-sky scheme become a recipe for disaster?
Airships, Crypts & Chocolate Chips is the sixth standalone book in a clever paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like crafty witches, charming romances, and fabulous French settings, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s enchanting adventure.
About the Author
Erin Johnson is a native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh. In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).
Website: www.erinjohnsonwrites.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/EJohnsonWrites. Twitter: @EJohnsonWrites
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 16 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 16 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 16 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 17 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
July 17 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
July 17 – The Cozy Pages – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 17 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW
July 18 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
July 18 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 18 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 19 – Varietats – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
July 19 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 19 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 20 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 20 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
July 20 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
July 21 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
July 21 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
July 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 22 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
July 22 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
The post TOUR PAGE HTML Airships, Crypts & Chocolate Chips: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels) by Erin Johnson, spotlight & giveaway appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 13, 2018
Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert, spotlight & giveaway
Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery
by Victoria Gilbert
About the Book
Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (July 10, 2018)
Hardcover: 300 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683315957
Digital: ASIN: B075QJHPR9
Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies.
October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried.
The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name.
That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder.
Giveaway
About the Author
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. She has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director.
When not writing or reading, Victoria likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, and is represented by Frances Black at Literary Council, NY, NY.
Victoria lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. This is her first Blue Ridge Library mystery.
Author Links:
Website/blog: http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaGilbertMysteryAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VGilbertauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/VictoriaGilbert
Purchase Links:
Amazon B&N Books-A-Million Indie Bound
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 9 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, GUEST POST
July 9 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 9 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 10 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
July 10 – Curling Up by the Fire – REVIEW
July 10 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 11 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
July 11 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
July 12 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 13 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 14 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
July 15 – 3 Partners in Shopping Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
July 16 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 16 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 17 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 18 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
July 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 19 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
July 20 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 20 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
The post Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert, spotlight & giveaway appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 12, 2018
Disorderly Conduct (A Maggie McDonald Mystery) by Mary Feliz, guest post and spotlight
Disorderly Conduct (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
by Mary Feliz
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Disorderly Conduct (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Lyrical Underground (July 10, 2018)
Print Length: 233 pages
ASIN: B076GNYKM8
Professional organizer Maggie McDonald manages to balance a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s finally found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . .
With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for a rapid evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters discover the body of her best friend Tess Olmos’s athletic husband—whose untimely death was anything but accidental. And as Tess agonizes over the whereabouts of her spouse’s drop-dead gorgeous running mate, she becomes the prime suspect in what’s shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts through clues in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. But when her own loved ones are threatened, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?
Guest Post
Flowering auditions
I’m sure there are more efficient and scientific ways to garden than the approach I used when I moved to the Central Coast. After all, my dad had a PhD in horticulture, which essentially means he knew all the Latin names of the plants in the garden, but none of the common names. He called Lily of the Valley Convallaria
But my mom was practical. Any plant that required regular watering (beyond the expected annual rainfall in the northeastern United States) was too needy for her.
I come by my techniques naturally, much to the consternation of one of my neighbors, who drops by when I’m up to my elbows in mulch. “Pansies don’t grow here,” she sniffs as I plant my cute-faced violas.
“I’m auditioning plants,” I tell my neighbor, pointing to a few sticks that are all that remain of a plant devoured by an unseen pest. “That one failed.” It’s the process of gardening that interests me as much as the colorful results. I’m a big fan of planting so many seedlings that the weeds are starved before they grow big enough to be plucked from the soil.
What have I learned so far? Mostly that gardening in the sandy soil of the Central Coast is very different from cultivating flowers, shrubs, or vegetables in Silicon Valley. Here, I could use a plastic spoon to create a home for a seedling. There, I wielded a pickax. I also need to allow for the salty run-off that will kill plants in the drip line of an overhanging roof. Our lovely salt air condenses on the sides of buildings and pathways throughout the summer. With the first rains of the fall, all that salt is washed into the garden.
And while long sunny summer days make irrigation a necessity in the San Francisco Bay Area, closer to the Pacific, the dense layer of marine fog that provides our nightly dose of natural air conditioning yields nearly all the moisture my plants need—the ones that survive the audition process, that is.
Wind, sunlight, a mysterious fungus, and those hungry nocturnal pests provide additional challenges. A sheltered plant that receives morning light may thrive without watering, while a few feet away, the same plant may wither under the fierce afternoon sun and punishing wind. I’m not sure of the genus and species of the fungus that lurks in my garden beds, but some plants turn into a black squishy mess overnight while others don’t. Though I’ve consulted more than one expert and an array of garden books, that mess defies identification.
My haphazard analysis of my garden wouldn’t pass muster among the great detectives of mystery fiction who took their agricultural pursuits as seriously as they did their study of criminology.
Sergeant Cuff in Wilkie Collin’s 1868 novel The Moonstone(often considered the first full-length work of detective fiction) was an avid nurturer of rosebuds. Nero Wolfe famously tended orchids. Did Sherlock Holmes harbor a secret interest in agricultural pursuits? His interest in bees suggests that he did. Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple solved mysteries “with knitting and gardening” and a bit of birdwatching. Hercule Poirot received an award at a flower show in Christie’s How Does your Garden Grow, though it’s hard to imagine him getting his hands dirty with anything other than a juicy murder.
Fast forward in time to Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme whose television mystery series debuted at the turn of the current century. The cozy mystery genre to this day continues to promise a bounteous harvest of gardening titles with seedy characters and rich plots. Amateur detectives include those who fuss over their home gardens until they’re distracted by murder to those who work in high-level research as academics, inventors, or entrepreneurs and become embroiled in homicide inquiries when their colleagues are implicated or detectives derail their scientific investigations.
None of them would approve of my haphazard and disorganized approach to my garden, particularly not my own main character, professional organizer Maggie McDonald. But that doesn’t bother me. One day I may get the soil tested. Today isn’t that day. Tomorrow probably isn’t either. I still have auditions to run. So far, the pansies have performed well.
About the Author
Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She’s worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises competed in whaleboat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead, but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust.
Author Links:
Website: www.maryfeliz.com
Blog: www.maryfeliz.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryFelizBooks
https://www.facebook.com/mary.feliz.581
Twitter: @maryfelizauthor
Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/mary-feliz/preview/
Purchase Links:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 9 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – cherylbbookblog – SPOTLIGHT
July 11 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
July 12 – Reading Authors – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 13 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 13 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
July 14 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
July 14 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 16 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
July 17 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
July 17 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
July 18 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 18 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 19 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
July 21 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW, GUEST POST
July 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
The post Disorderly Conduct (A Maggie McDonald Mystery) by Mary Feliz, guest post and spotlight appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 10, 2018
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery) by Leslie Budewitz, spotlight
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery)
by Leslie Budewitz
About the Book
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Midnight Ink (June 8, 2018)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738752419
Digital ASIN: B075W25FNF
Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?
In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.
When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?
Includes delicious recipes!
About the Author
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician, and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model, and avid bird-watcher.
Connect with her on her website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – COZY WEDNESDAY
June 7 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
June 7 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
June 7 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 8 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
June 8 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
June 8 – Carole’s Book Corner – GUEST POST
June 9 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
June 9 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
June 10 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
June 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
June 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
June 11 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
June 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
June 12 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
June 13 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
June 14 – cherylbbookblog – REVIEW
June 14 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
June 15 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
June 16 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
June 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 18 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
June 18 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
June 19 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
June 19 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
June 20 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
The post As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery) by Leslie Budewitz, spotlight appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
July 8, 2018
Loving the Texas Lawman by Mary Connealy book review
Loving the Texas Lawman by Mary Connealy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Trudy Jennings or ( Try-Blue ) as one man loves to call her, is a college professor. She’s also a writer with several bestselling pop psychology books. She loves to teach about life’s troubles and how to solve them with love.
Ben Garrison is a homicide detective and one of her students in her night class. On one night in particular Trudy walks out of the building and is attacked by her stalker Ralph Watson who keeps wanting her help. Ben has to pull the man off but Trudy’s turn the other cheek method, doesn’t file charges.
Can Ben keep her from getting hurt again? Will Trudy let him keep her safe?
These two are in for a wild ride.
Mary Connealy knows how to tell a story which keeps the reader wanting for more. The plot and characters were great. There are a lot of laugh out moments through out the book with Ben and Trudy. Not to mention her manager Liz and her housekeeper Eleanor.
A fun read.
The post Loving the Texas Lawman by Mary Connealy book review appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
