Bloodstains and Candy Canes by Marla A. White

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Attending a swanky cookie exchange is the last thing on veterinarian Dr. Mandy Brown’s holiday to-do list, but she agrees to help a friend out. The party comes to a screeching halt after a body turns up on the kitchen floor, a carving knife jutting out of his back.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mandy comes face-to-face with Officer Dylan Shaw, a man she thought she was dating until he ghosted her. Tensions escalate as motives for murder come out of the pantry as fast as guests scarf down the pot-spiked brownies, making everything all the merrier.

Although the case seems open and shut, Mandy doesn’t believe the evidence. Can she and Dylan put their differences aside and find the real killer, or risk one of the bakers getting away with murder?

Read an Excerpt

I start to creep closer to see if the butcher block is missing a knife when Shaw turns and plows smack into me. I stumble backward—again, the shoes’ fault, I wouldn’t have nearly landed on my butt in my clogs. Fortunately, Shaw has quick reflexes and grabs my arms to hold me steady. I don’t fall, but my knees feel like jelly at his touch.

“You’re right, the box is stamped with Queen Bea Bakery. I’m going to let the detective know. Seriously, you should rejoin the rest of the, um…”

He can’t quite say the rest of the sentence, so I finish it for him. “Suspects?”

His cheeks pink, and his gaze drops mine as he nods. “Yeah, the rest of the suspects.” Still holding on to me, he pulls me close for a quick, soft kiss. “Be careful, babe. One of those women might be a killer.”

Reeling from either the kiss or him calling me babe, I’m not sure which, I make my way back to the patio. Common sense says what should bother me more is the idea one of the women I’m mingling with might be a killer. I graduated near the top of my class in vet school, so why does this one sandy-haired, lantern jawed, cop confuse me so easily?

About the Author:

Marla White is a story analysis instructor at UCLA and writing coach who lives in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Kentucky where she took her first horseback riding lesson. After dabbling in hunters, barrel racing, and weekly trail rides, she fell hopelessly in love with the sport of eventing. She conquered Novice level before taking a break to pursue novel writing but hopes to return to the saddle some day soon. When she’s not writing, she’s out in the garden, hiking, putting together impossibly difficult puzzles, or (of course!) baking.

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Cause for Elimination by Marla A. White

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marla A. White will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Reclaiming her life after a devastating riding accident, equestrian Emily Conners’ world shatters again when she discovers her friend and boss laying in a stall with a smashed skull. Now jobless and with a handsome cop underfoot investigating the case, she's torn between wanting the killer found and keeping her own secrets safe.

Detective Justin Butler always gets his killer, but this victim has a stampede of enemies and few leads to go on. Stonewalled by the tight-knit equestrian world, he looks to Emily for help, but she’s strangely reluctant. Is she hiding something, or is she afraid of their growing attraction?

As the search for the murderer heats up, their hearts become entangled and their lives at risk, forcing Emily and Justin to work together to find the killer before they strike again.

Read an Excerpt

Sitting around the rickety picnic table and talking over old times, she almost forgot for a moment why the detective—Justin, she reminded herself—was there. He sat there, loose limbed and relaxed, interested in their conversation while most non-riders soon got glassy-eyed with boredom. But he wasn’t just chatting, was he? She had to remind herself he was listening for information to help him catch a killer.

“What about you ladies?” he ventured. “Did any of you ever have any problems with Ms. Yates?”

After another fit of laughter, Erin howled, “Like we’d ever ride with Pam. Despite what everyone around here may think, we’re not crazy. Well, not that crazy at least.”

“Hunters are more our speed,” Samantha chimed in. Emily took in her very un-hunter-like, fringed pink half-chaps and raised her eyebrow. “Okay, we don’t fit in with that crowd either,” Samantha admitted. “Which is why we’re here with Ben.”

“Since Pamela had Ben blacklisted, he’s stuck with us ladies who hack.” The three shared another round of titters.

They may not have realized they’d supplied Ben with a motive to kill Pamela, but Emily did. “Hang on, rumors have blown that way out of proportion. Pamela wasn’t thrilled after Ben dissolved their partnership and took his clients to Middle Ranch, but—”

“Hah! ‘Wasn’t thrilled’ is putting it mildly,” Sandy interrupted. “First chance she got, she had him brought up on abuse charges.”

Samantha added her two cents. “They banned Ben from showing for three years, so naturally, his clients who were serious left him and found another trainer.”

“Funny, no one told me this before now.” Justin’s voice lost its light tone, and the heat of his glare rolled over Emily’s skin.

About the Author:

Marla White is a story analysis instructor at UCLA and writing coach who lives in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Kentucky (go Wildcats!), where she took her first horseback riding lesson. After dabbling in hunters, barrel racing, and weekly trail rides, she fell hopelessly in love with the sport of eventing. She conquered Novice level before taking a break to pursue novel writing but hopes to return to the saddle someday soon. Her first novel, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder,” was published in 2021 followed by the first two books in her Keeper Chronicles series. When she’s not writing, she’s out in the garden, hiking, or putting together impossibly difficult puzzles.

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