Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 43

Hair Brained Large Print Edition

The Large Print Edition of Hair Brained is now available!

ISBN: 9781432852771, $26.99, August 8, 2018; Wheeler Publishing

Murder on the Beach Bestseller List

Finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards

Large print editions are great if you want to reduce eye strain. Order your own copy or ask your librarian to order the book for you. Reviews are always appreciated.

When hairstylist Marla Vail’s best friend is hurt in a suspicious car accident, Marla assumes guardianship of her infant son and becomes embroiled in another murder mystery. Her husband, Detective Dalton Vail, determines the crash may not have been an accident. But who would want to kill Tally—or Ken in the car with her? As Marla digs deeper into her friends’ lives, she realizes she didn’t know them as well as she’d thought. But it’s her duty as their son’s guardian to ensure his safety, even if it means putting her own life at risk.

“You are always thinking and on your toes while reading this book.  And when you get to the end and everything is revealed….it will blow your mind!” Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“Spending time with Marla and Dalton is like visiting old friends and I think Hair Brained is one of Ms. Cohen‘s better entries in the series.” Buried Under Books

“The story actually has a couple of mysteries within its pages and all is worked out by the end, but there are a lot of plot twists along the way.” Carla Loves to Read

“From page one, you’ll hang on every word as the twists and turns of the mystery are revealed and Marla goes into overdrive to prove that the friends she trusted all this time were definitely worthy of that trust.” Amy Lignor, Suspense Magazine

Order a Copy Now or Buy a Copy for a Friend.

Gale/Cengage: http://bit.ly/2Gval13

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JzmTpZ

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2l3afV4

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card at Booklover’s Bench

 

A Funeral and A Wedding

Last week brought both sadness and joy as we were called unexpectedly to a funeral and then hosted a bridal shower to celebrate our daughter’s upcoming nuptials.

It began on Sunday past when we got a call that my brother-in-law had passed away. I spent that morning making travel arrangements. On Monday, we flew to Maryland. We joined our immediate family for dinner at a trendy restaurant near the hotel. I had roast chicken with mushroom polenta.

The next day we visited with my husband’s niece until it was time for the gravesite service. We saw many friends and relatives there. Rest in peace, Bobby.

 

Another meal followed before we were left with our memories and a flight home on Wednesday. Not a moment to dawdle, as on Friday our daughter’s future in-laws were coming to town, and I’d invited them for dinner. Thursday was spent cooking along with hair and nails appointments. Friday we got the house in order before everyone arrived. I picked up the cake for the bridal shower and stuck it in the fridge. We had a lovely dinner together with our soon-to-be new family.

Saturday morning, I rushed out to get the flowers, and we loaded our cars with party favors and other supplies. The event was to be held at Brio Tuscan Grille, where they’d partitioned off a private area with a curtain. We had the tables arranged in a U-Shape. Friends and relatives arrived to celebrate the joyous event with us.

 

It was a great day, and we have many happy memories. In another month, we’ll attend a second shower, Bouchercon mystery writers’ conference, and Rosh Hashanah dinner all within a week. Let’s hope we only have happy times ahead as we cherish each day and each person who makes our lives meaningful. Blessings to you all.

 

Taking a Hiatus

I may be taking a hiatus from this site for the next few months out of necessity. First, I’ve received my blog schedule for Trimmed to Death. This will be a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour from Sept. 26 – Oct. 5. I am busy writing all the guest posts and interviews for this online tour as well as some other guest spots coming up around my release dates. You can follow my appearances at https://nancyjcohen.com/appearances/

Bouchercon 2018 mystery writers’ conference runs Sept. 6 – 9 in St. Petersburg. This involves more prep time. Also in September, I have a second bridal shower, several family birthdays, my new book release, and the Jewish holidays.

And then there’s the wedding. Recently I accompanied our daughter to the bridal salon where she had a fitting. Her dress is even more beautiful than I remember. We saw her new house, celebrated our son’s birthday, and met our prospective in-laws for a meal. Now we are home and excited about the bridal shower I’m hosting a week from tomorrow. This involves centerpieces, a cake, party favors, coordinating the menu, and having company for the weekend.

Then October is wedding month. After that is the rush toward Thanksgiving, my next book release, and the end of year holidays. Yikes! My heart races at the thought of it all. Meanwhile, our house needs attention, and I haven’t even started on our get-rid-of list.

Am I writing anything new? Not at the moment. Who has time? I’m working on blogs and marketing for these upcoming releases. I hope you’ll help get the word out once I announce the debuts. Save these dates:

August 8 is Hair Brained Large Print edition

Sept. 25 is Trimmed to Death, #15 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries

Nov. 12 is Writing the Cozy Mystery: Expanded Second Edition

As things get more hectic, I suspect I’ll be lurking more than posting on social media. You may hear from me if something special happens or if I get an idea for a brilliant post, but otherwise things might be sparse here for a while as I’m occupied elsewhere.

And let me not neglect to thank you for your ongoing support, loyalty, and encouragement. It means a great deal to me. Enjoy the rest of summer!

 

Yesteryear Village

Yesteryear Village is located at the Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. It’s a living history museum that tells the story of Florida up until 1945 or so. The nine acres house various historic buildings, shady oak trees, and brick-lined paths. A general store offers nostalgic goods for sale. But bring your own snacks. There’s a picnic area under shelter but no café on premises. The park is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. There’s an admission fee. Allow a couple of hours to stroll around and enjoy the exhibits.

Inside the gated grounds, we turned left from the Welcome Center and passed equipment for sugar processing and a small building describing the Pineapple growing industry in Florida. As the interior was roped off, we couldn’t read the signage inside, but I got enough of a view to get the gist of it. I hadn’t even been aware Florida had pineapple plantations.

Next was a train caboose next to a switching station housing model trains and other railroad memorabilia.

Inside the next structure, which held one set of public restrooms, was a shoe repair place, a print shop, and a fire house.

 

From here we went to the jail, which held a one-person cell. Note the noose on the outside.

 

We passed an old hunting shack and moved on to the church, which is still in use today for services and weddings.

Beyond the Bait and Tackle Shop and the Smokehouse, we came to a two-storied (plus attic) Victorian house that dominated the area.

 

Riddle House must have been very large and well-built for its day. Downstairs were the common rooms and kitchen, while upstairs were several bedrooms. It was rumored someone killed himself in the attic, and indeed, the park offers seasonal ghost tours. Some of the places have costumed guides, and this was one of them. We got our own private tour of this impressive house.

 

We peeked inside the visitor cabins, sewing circle room, old telephone exhibit, and a shotgun house. I liked the school, a large building with two classrooms on either side of the teacher’s desk. A single schoolteacher taught all the grades, and she wasn’t permitted to be married. The old wooden desks each had a hole presumably for an inkwell.

You can visit the old post office, farm buildings, a blacksmith shop, and more as you stroll among the shady grounds. Although the temperatures hit the nineties, a breeze kept us comfortable as did the leafy branches overhead. Some, but not all, of the buildings are air-conditioned.

You can see all of my photos HERE. If you visit the park, ask for a map at the Welcome Center. They’re busiest during the Fair season, so you might want to go at a less crowded time. This site is owned and administered by the Fairgrounds, which somewhat surprised me. I guess it’s a way for them to earn some income when the fair or other events aren’t in session, but you’d think a historical society would be interested in this display of early Florida life. Be sure to visit if you’re in the area.

Do you like visiting recreated villages or living history museums with costumed guides?

 

Keeper of the Rings – Reissue

Keeper of the Rings, one of my earlier science fiction romances, is the book that taught me how to write a murder mystery. It was the fourth book I wrote for Dorchester in my early days as a romance writer. I’m happy to announce the reissue of a newly revised and yes, better written, edition. It’s the last romance I wrote before switching to mysteries and starting my Bad Hair Day series. So how did this book inspire me to write a straight mystery novel? First let’s see what the story is about.

A PRISM Awards Finalist

Story Blurb

Taurin is shrouded in black when Leena first meets him, his face shaded like the night. At first she believes him to be a simple farmer, but the man exhibits skills worthy of a warrior. With his commanding presence, he’s an obvious choice to be the lovely archaeologist’s protector on her quest for a stolen sacred artifact. Curious about his mysterious background, and increasingly tempted by his tantalizing touch, Leena prays their perilous journey will be a success. She must find the missing relic, or dangerous secrets will be revealed that may forever change her world.

Who stole the holy artifact? Only the members of the ruling priesthood, the twelve-member Synod, had access to the sacred closet where it was kept. Was it Zeroun, the stern Minister of Religion? Perhaps Karayan, Leena’s family friend and Minister of Justice, is involved. Or maybe Sirvat is guilty. The Minister of Finance has something to hide. So does everyone on this elite council, including the Arch Nome, Dikran.

Leena is assigned the perilous mission is to retrieve the artifact. She engages Taurin Rey Niris as her protector. Together, they journey on a desperate quest around the globe and deep beneath the ruins of a hidden temple. Meanwhile, Leena’s brother investigates the backgrounds of the ministers. He finds that each one of them has a secret to hide.

Sound familiar? An amateur sleuth investigating a murder follows a similar process.

Here’s an excerpt wherein Leena and Taurin discuss the suspects with her brother, Bendyk, and his lovely assistant, Swill. Oh, and be prepared for two love stories! This is a romance novel, after all. The spice level is hot.

Excerpt

“We’ll pretend to be new settlers when we go to Woden,” Leena explained. “Dikran is arranging for the proper documentation. Now tell me, have you and Swill made any progress?”

Swill answered, tugging at the long sleeves of her burgundy blouse. She’d tucked it into a black skirt that hugged her hips. “Magar makes regular entries in his receipt book. These deposits have no mention of the source. Sirvat transfers the money into the Treasury account. Her financial records are impeccable, but she takes trips every so often, returning with a new piece of jewelry each time. It’s odd, because normally she’s not one to adorn herself.”

“I’ll bet I know where she gets those pieces.” Leena related what they’d learned about Sirvat’s relationship to Grotus.

Bendyk shook his head. “She seems so strait-laced. It’s hard to believe she’d fall for a rogue like him.”

“Perhaps Sirvat hides a passionate nature. Now that I think about it, some of the items I saw in Grotus’s mansion are similar to pieces in Karayan’s house. The minister has quite an extensive art collection.”

“Are you implying he buys goods from Grotus?” Bendyk asked with a horrified expression.

“Not necessarily. They may simply share the same tastes, although Karayan is a much better dresser.”

Taurin snorted. “We’re not here to discuss anyone’s preference in art or clothes. Did you investigate Zeroun? As Minister of Religion, his department is responsible for administering the Black Lands. Someone there has granted illegal rights to the Chocola Company.”

“We’ll check into it,” Swill assured him. “We’ve cleared most of the other Synod members but weren’t sure about Sirvat’s trips or Magar’s secretive dealings in his trade commissions. I still feel he’s withholding information from us.”

“I’m more willing to trust Magar,” Taurin said. “It’s Zeroun who needs further investigation.”

They could easily be discussing suspects in a murder. We have a limited number of suspects, most of who know each other and have a secret to hide; an amateur sleuth; and a confined setting. It’s the prescription for a cozy mystery, albeit combined with a “quest” theme in the search for the missing horn. Mystery, adventure, romance and danger—what could be better?

What was my favorite part to write? I loved planning the booby traps in the secret temple and figuring out what was hidden there.

Praise for Keeper of the Rings

“A dark, dangerous hero and imaginative adventures make Keeper of the Rings an entertaining read.” Phoebe Conn, NY Times Bestselling Author

“Keeper is a lot like Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone. A good mystery, action/adventure, sci‑fi, and romance all rolled into one.” Mary Saums, Author of the Thistle & Twigg Mysteries and the Willi Taft Series.

“Prepare yourself for exotic locales, evildoers galore, and two splendid romances! Ms. Cane’s done it again!” The Paperback Forum

“Fascinating! Nancy Cane combines the elements of science fiction and fantasy into a marvelous love story. Her books capture the imagination with their originality.” The Literary Times

“The spellbinding action gets more terrifying and enthralling as the uniquely different plot thickens. The conclusion is stunning!” Rendezvous

“Intense and fast, Keeper of the Rings has an absorbing and complex plot that expands over and over again. And like ripples in a pond the reverberations are felt throughout the book to the very explosive climax. 4-1/2 stars.” Affaire de Coeur

Buy Now

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NTkzwg

Nook: http://bit.ly/2LfyQF1

iBooks: https://apple.co/2miwneM

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/keeper-of-the-rings-1

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/KeeperoftheRings

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Do you read archaeological thrillers? Or books like The Da Vinci Code? Perhaps you prefer movies like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft? Leave a comment below and you might win a signed first edition print copy of Silver Serenade published by The Wild Rose Press. I’ll announce the winner on Thursday.

 

Book Giveaways

Freaky Fridays

Is Friday the 13th your lucky day? I’m talking about today, July 13. It could be. (And so could be every Friday for the following three weeks.) I’m teaming up with my friend Joanna Campbell Slan to give away one book a week.

She’ll give away one of mine on her Facebook Author Page http://bit.ly/JCSgroup (Or put in “Joanna’s Readers” in your search box.) and I’ll give away one of hers on my Facebook Author Page at https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor/

Here’s how to win: Starting today, Joanna and I will post a question. We’ll randomly select an answer (Saturday morning) from the folks who comment. The winner will get her/his choice from a selection of our books. So…mark your calendar and visit our Author Pages TODAY and every Friday for four weeks in total.

LibraryThing

If you’re a member of LibraryThing, you could win one of two advance reading copies of Trimmed to Death, #15 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Enter here July 9 – July 23: http://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list

Booklovers Bench

Enter July 1 – 18 to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card from Booklovers Bench, where readers are winners: http://bookloversbench.com

 

Having Too Many Story Ideas

Writer’s Block is often interpreted to mean that a writer stumbles over what to write next. Or he comes to a complete halt due to outside distractions or loss of confidence. But what about when he has so many ideas, that he can’t complete a single one? This can be conceived as another type of writer’s block.

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“I have too many ideas at once, and I don’t know which one to pick,” an aspiring author wrote to me. “What is your advice on this issue?”

It’s great if you have lots of story ideas. It’s not so good if you allow them to distract you until you can’t write anything. Or maybe you’ll write a bit on each one but never finish a single novel. My suggestion would be to pick the one idea that excites you the most and keep writing until you finish the first draft. Yes, it’s that simple.

“You’ve had two series going on together. How did you manage it, both mentally and during the actual writing? Was it difficult going back and forth? Is it easier to finish one at a time?”

I can only work on one project at a time. Even when I was writing two series in different genres, I would focus on one book until it was finished and in the hands of my editor. When that book was completely done, I would turn to the next project.

What happens when you have so many ideas that they interfere with your concentration? Write them down. Keep a “New Idea” file or a “Plotting” file and jot down your notes. Then put them aside until you finish your current project.

Set yourself daily and weekly writing goals for your story of choice. Then sit your butt in the chair and drive yourself each day until you meet your quota. Do not stop if one of those tempting ideas entices you. Concentrate on the book at hand. Later on, those ideas will either be viable or not. You’ll know better when you gain some perspective. For now, you have one project only that you need to finish. To reiterate:

· Pick your project.

· Set your writing goals.

· Write down all the distracting ideas in your head and set them aside.

· Begin on your daily writing quota.

· Keep writing until you finish the first draft.

Next come revisions, and that’s another topic we’ve already addressed here. Your book isn’t done until it’s done. Edited, Revised, Polished, and Submitted.

Then and only then, you may turn to your list of potential new projects. If you’re writing a series, you will need to begin the next installment. If not, listen to your heart and determine which idea is calling to you. Your passion will shine through in your words. Have some ideas that don’t resonate anymore? Scratch them off the list. You want to be excited enough that the buoyancy will sustain you throughout an entire novel. One idea at a time. One day at a time. One page at a time.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card from Booklovers Bench.

 

Publix Cooking Class – Seafood

We started the evening at Publix Aprons Cooking School with a glass of light golden sparkling Chloe Prosecco. This was a pleasant drink that’s good for sipping before dinner.

 

The first course began with Grilled Shrimp Skewers accompanied by Corn and Pineapple Relish. This corn would make a good side dish by itself. The dish seemed reasonable to make at home, although I’d substitute parsley for the cilantro. The wine with this starter was a Buried Cane Chardonnay. It was a medium gold color, and I liked it enough to put it on my buy list.

 

Cooking Tip: If you want to know if the oil in your pan is hot enough, add a couple of kernels of popcorn. When they pop, the oil is ready. Be careful the popped corn doesn’t hit you in the eye, so avoid leaning over the pan.

Next we watched the chef prepare Louisiana Lump Crab Cakes with Tasso Tartar Sauce. These were really good; crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I could eat a meal just with these crab cakes. They were served with salad greens.

 

In keeping with our seafood theme, the main course was Key West Jerk Snapper with Papaya and Red Pepper Jam. We each got a firm piece of fish that was moist and tasted good with the sauce. The wine was a Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc with a medium gold color. This was light and fruity.

 

Cooking Tips:

Don’t marinate fish or shrimp with citrus, such as orange or lime juice, for more than an hour and a half or the citrus might cook the seafood, as in ceviche.

Dry the fish by patting it with paper towels before frying it. Our chef used a stainless steel sauté pan.

Pigeon Peas with Rice accompanied the fish as a side dish. This had a tomato base, unlike the version I like to make. The Earth Heart Erath Pinot Noir was good with this entrée.

Dessert was a divine Mississippi Molten Chocolate Cake, otherwise known as a lava cake. It melted in our mouths, the heat dissolved by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My mouth is watering at the memory. I wasn’t fond of the Stella Rose Prosecco that came with this last course.

Needless to say, I came home and conked out. Too much to eat and drink, but it was definitely worth the effort. I can’t wait to sign up for another class. Look for one near you at Publix Aprons Cooking School.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card from Booklovers Bench.

 

Mystery Fest Key West 2018 – Part 2

Panel discussions at the Mystery Fest Key West on Saturday afternoon began after lunch with a panel on Co-Writing a Mystery and next on Writing Historical Mysteries. Below are panelists Alyssa Maxwell, Diane A.S. Stuckart, Robert Coburn, John Guerra, and Charles Todd.

A panel discussion on Audiobooks followed. After an on-site booksigning run by Books & Books from Key West, we took a conch train from our hotel to the Key West Lighthouse.

  

At the historic lighthouse, Shirrel Rhodes introduced Ace Atkins and Otto Penzler, who spoke about publishing and the mystery genre.

The conference concluded on Sunday morning with a brunch at the Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West’s Historic Seaport district. We hit the road heading north for our last view of seascapes on either side of the highway. It was time to return to reality.

See all my Key West photos here: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor/

 

Mystery Fest Key West 2018 – Part 1

The first workshop on Friday afternoon at Mystery Fest Key West writers conference had Debbie Richardson and Shirrel Rhodes speaking about the business of writing. Next, we heard author Lisa Black give an informative talk on fingerprints. I learned there are three types of fingerprint patterns, which are loop, arch, and whorl. Glossy, smooth surfaces like porcelain or marble are good for fingerprints while wet or rough surfaces, upholstery, and laminate aren’t so great. However, no matter the surface, it appears there’s a method for obtaining prints. This is good info to know for any mystery writer.

Photos below include Debbie Richardson, Heather Graham, Michael Joy, Suzanne Baginskie, Olive Pollack, Lisa Black.

Two more panels followed on How to Write and Sell a First Novel with Dianna Collier and Crisis Negotiation with an expert in the field. Then we met at a poolside room for appetizers and drinks. It was nice to have a chance to circulate and meet my fellow attendees. Heather Graham gave a welcome talk and we all got busy schmoozing for the rest of the evening.

Photos below include Alyssa Maxwell, Michael Joy, Paul Manuel, Richard Cohen, Diane A.S. Stuckart. Second row has Olive Pollak, Suzanne Baginskie, Catalina Egan, Lou Ann Williams, Patrick Kendrick, Carol Tedesco.

Saturday started early with a panel on the State of the Publishing Industry. Moderated by Diane A. S. Stuckart, the panel included Patrick Kendrick, Dianna Collier, Alyssa Maxwell, and Otto Penzler. The general outlook was positive, and I was happy to hear that cozies are doing well.

Next I sat on a panel about Promoting Your Book. My fellow panelists were Lewis C. Haskell and Wayne Stinnett with Patrick Kendrick as moderator. We discussed different techniques that we each found useful and exchanged ideas for getting word out about our books.

Shirrel Rhodes introduced the winners of The Whodunit Mystery Writing Award, who each read from their work before lunch. Prime Ribs was the star feature on the buffet line. Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author Ace Atkins gave a talk during the meal.

 

See all my Key West Photos here: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor/