Author Interview with Ginger Black authors of Riverside Lane

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ginger Black will be awarding a $10 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. Now, please welcome the authors to our blog. They've agreed to answer a few questions for us.

Thank you so much for hosting us today. It is a pleasure to be on your lovely blog and we are thrilled at the interest from the US in our quintessentially English novel. Ginger Black is a writing partnership comprising Julia Thum and Gaynor Pengelly. Riverside Lane is our first novel together and we are working on the next in the series.

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

We didn’t write Riverside Lane to fit a genre, we wrote the story we wanted to write then worked out which genre it fitted. Not the most commercial way to write a novel but it was true to our writing style and the tale we wanted to tell and we felt it led to a better quality of story.

For a long time we called Riverside Lane a ‘village mystery’, then Gaynor discovered the ‘cozy mystery’ genre – a term first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Detective Fiction[1]- and we realized our novel fits in perfectly.

Wikipedia defines Cozy mysteries, also referred to as "cozies", as a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. This could have be blurb on our back cover! Riverside Lane includes a whiff of sex and the suggestion of violence but all treated with a light, teasing touch.

What research is required?

We paced the Thames town paths for miles and spent many, many hours in riverside coffee shops all in the name of ‘research’! We also felt it necessary to eat in some of the wonderful restaurants in the village where Riverside Lane is set. Fortunately, this is Bray-on-Thames, home to some of the most famous restaurants in the world, and we planned to spend many hours pouring over the menu at The Fat Duck and gazing out at the beautiful view from The Waterside Inn (in the name of research of course) but sadly, though Riverside Lane has been a fantastic success on both sides of the Atlantic, our royalties haven’t quite taken us there yet.

Name one thing you learned from your hero or heroine.

“Be sure your sins will find you out!” This applies to all our characters. Every one has a secret about which they must lie and while they may not intend those lies to deceive, they cause confusion, pain and heartache all around. Far better to be honest from the outset. The other one is “Liars need good memories” – so do authors who are creating a web of intrigue around a dozen character’s secrets and lies!

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Gaynor likes to write away from home – ideally in a place that serves good coffee! I like to write outside, even if I am wrapped up in a blanket (we do live in England after all!) and I need a good view.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

In a writing partnership like ours you really have to be a plotter, so we spend ages making meticulous plans, then start writing and the story and the characters carry it away, take everything over and all our best laid plans go to pot! But though we give the characters their freedom, we keep a tight hold on the narrative spine and a very firm eye on where it is we want the story to end up.

Gaynor Pengelly & Julia Thum – The Ginger Black Writing Partnership

Anything new coming up from you? What?

We are both writing children’s novels on our own and there will be another Ginger Black cozy mystery coming soon. The next one will be set further up the Thames in the village of Cookham which is most famous for being the setting for The Wind in the Willows and the home and frequent subject of the artist Stanley Spencer.

Do you have a question for our readers?

We love to meet readers and particularly enjoy attending book clubs (either locally in real time or often on Facebook) so if you would like to set Riverside Lane for yours please do get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter. We always want to know which was a reader’s favourite character and which scene made them laugh.

Reading habits are also interesting to us. Do you read in snippets or marathons? In bed? On the train? On a Kindle or do you need a real book?

Thank you so much for having us. Please do get in touch with us via our websites Ginger Black, Julia Thum, Facebook or Twitter with any questions and we will try our best to answer them.

After arranging a house swap with a debonair antiques dealer, a darkly handsome American named Luca Tempesta arrives in a quaint English village. Tempesta, who claims to run a detective agency in Los Angeles, is supposedly on holiday – but the inhabitants of the village are unconvinced.

Yet, as they attempt to solve the mystery of the stranger in their midst, it gradually transpires that there are more than enough secrets to go around in the village itself, harboured by the local MP and his uptight, ambitious wife; the has-been former game show host; the respectable couple with the jailbird son; the hometown journalist, striving for a scoop that will rescue her from debt; and so on. The place is revealed as a labyrinth of deception masquerading as a picture-postcard hamlet; tension begins to mount in between the dinner parties and evenings at the pub, and soon culminates in an unexpected death.

Behind perfect privets and brightly painted front doors, the lives of Riverside Lane’s residents slowly unravel. Tempesta, guarding his secrets with a vengeance, is suddenly threatened with exposure by the elderly religious zealot Ivy Midwinter, whose own past involved keeping professional confidences. When she challenges him in church, she learns that Tempesta will stop at nothing to protect his privacy ...

Set against the exquisite backdrop of a gastronomic village by the Thames, Riverside Lane is a tautly paced page-turner that also gently satirises middle- class English manners: the upstanding denizens of the village watch and whisper behind a mask of English hauteur, whilst their own fragile lives come undone.

Read an excerpt:

Ivy bolted the door behind the journalist. Returning to her desk, she locked the drawer and squeezed her eyes shut. “The blind will see, and those who see will become blind,” she intoned, blinking furiously to dispel the strange dots that had started presenting themselves in her vision. They were becoming more frequent; Ivy knew she should visit an ophthalmologist. She hoped it was not un-Christian, but the thought of being unable to read her beloved sheet music upset her more deeply than any of the memories from her past. The Victorian marble clock, which comforted her hourly with its sweet Handel music, proclaimed that there was just enough time to deliver the cheque to the bank and get back to the Village for Evensong.

Standing at the bus stop with the melodious clock chimes still echoing softly in her head, Ivy caught sight of Luca Tempesta walking through the churchyard. Handel, she thought, had been sent to law school by his father, just like this American. The former had abandoned his studies and blessed mankind with the “Hallelujah” chorus; the latter, according to Ivy’s preliminary investigations, had abandoned his to set up a private-detective firm; then, some years later, he had apparently disappeared from God’s Earth without a trace. Except he had not disappeared. He was here in the Village, living in Clive’s house, next door to Frank, smoking Russian cigarettes. And Ivy Midwinter planned to find out why.

About the Author:

Ginger Black is a writing partnership between Gaynor Pengelly and Julia Thum.

Julia Thum: Julia left Somerset for London at 16. She founded & ran her own consumer P R agency representing a range of international brands including Braun, Molton Brown, Clairol & Kleenex. After selling the business she trained as a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders & hosted a phone-in show on Radio Luxembourg.

Julia writes bespoke literature & articles for private clients and visits secondary schools & prisons representing two national charities in providing emotional support to pupils & inmates. A keen kayaker and a passionate cook, she lives in Bray-on-Thames with her husband Nicolas and their four children.

Gaynor Pengelly: Gaynor has worked as a national newspaper correspondent for more than twenty years, interviewing everyone from the great and the good to extraordinary people in ordinary lives. The rich variety of her subject matter and their circumstances has given her a rare insight into human nature and the challenges many people face.

Gaynor's great loves include sitting in pavement cafes watching the world go by, National Trust and English Heritage and hiking across the windswept Yorkshire moors. She lives in Bray-on-Thames with her husband Jonathan and their son, Freddie James.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GingerBlack.ink
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gingerblackink
Website: http://www.gingerblack.ink

Buy the book at Amazon.

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The Devil's Music by Pearl R. Meaker

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome, Pearl!

Thank you for inviting me to be on your blog. Also, thank you Goddess Fish Promotions for bringing us together.

Where are you from?

I’m from the state of Illinois in the Midwest part of the United States. That is also where The Devil’s Music is set, though it isn’t set in the town I actually live in. Twombly is a fictional town that has elements of my town and several other places I’ve lived.

What genre do you write in?

The Emory Crawford Mysteries are all cozy mysteries. My first favorite author, when I was nine years old, was Agatha Christie, and my love for her genre has stuck with me since. It is still my favorite genre to read in and was where my muse took me when I decided to write a book.

Why are you an Author?

This is a tough one. Needed to give it some thought before I answered.

I’m an author because I love stories, I love reading, and I discovered almost by accident that I write well. I’ve found the thrill of sharing a story with readers and having them fall in love with where I take them and the people I introduce them to. It is a totally amazing feeling. Every bit as wonderful as when I’m the reader and a story transports me.

What inspires you?

All sorts of things inspire me. Songs inspire me, and both The Devil’s Music and my next book The Devil’s Hook were inspired by the song “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby” from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.

I also enjoy writing challenges where you’re given three or so words that seem random and unconnected and you have to write a short story using them all. Or you’re given a starting sentence – things like that. I used to write for a fanfiction challenge group and had a different challenge every month. It was a lot of fun, a good “school” on how to write and full of inspiration.

Where and what times during the day do you work best?

My time of day really fluctuates. I’m rather moody so it’s usually when the fit takes me. I’ve awoken in the middle of the night with something that just has to get written down “right now” and I’ll be at it still come morning.

Location is usually my living room, or my kitchen (where I am while I’m doing this interview), my office/craft room, or out on our patios in our backyard.

I’m a computer writer. I never wrote a story until we had a computer. I don’t like having to make messy corrections or not be able to move things around without having to rewrite whole pages by hand.

Who is your target audience?

Well, research says that it should be middle-aged women. But I read my first cozy when I was nine and loved it! So what that Hercule Poirot was an old man? Who cared that Miss Marple was an old, grey haired spinster who was a former nanny and knitted little fuzzy things? I loved them!

Think about it. The Harry Potter books are basically written for children, then growing into books for youngsters then teens. But right from the start adults loved them too. I think industries are often too quick to put prospective customers into neat little categories that don’t always fit.

I know the genre appeals to a wide range of people so mostly I’m concerned with writing a good, entertaining “who-done-it” with interesting plots and characters. If I do that it won’t matter much what the statisticians think.

How do you want your readers to feel as they read your book?

Entertained.

I want them happy when the story is being happy. Sad when the murder happens. Frightened when something scary is happening. I hope they feel what the characters in the story are feeling with each scene they read.

But over and above all, I want them to feel like they’ve been well entertained by escaping their everyday lives for a while.

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Study the craft – but don’t think you have to follow every piece of advice experts have to offer.

Sift through all the helpful hints and down-right insistence that this or that idea is THE BEST WAY TO WRITE. I myself, and many other writers I’ve come to know, have been badly messed up and had to spend some time recovering themselves, recovering their own style and voice, because they’d been convinced they were doing it wrong.

Try new ways and means if you want to, but start a new project, like a short story, to try them with. That way, if you find it doesn’t suit you, you haven’t ruined your larger work.

I did that with the “plotters vs. pantsers” issue. To read many writers opinions, you are doomed to failure if you don’t outline your book in intensely deep detail. For me, with the two short stories I tried it with, after I put all that detail into the outline, my brain knew it had written the story out in full and I couldn’t get it shifted into prose. Doing the deep, thorough outline didn’t work for me. I’ve read interviews with many successful authors who are “pantsers.” I prefer to call us “intuitive plotters.”

One writer I know tried the intense outline process on a novel she’d already been working on. She ruined that story and had to start over, working the way she had before, with a whole new novel. Which is why I say try the new technique on something small instead.

Share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know.

I’m willing to try things. If I find I can do something and like it, I keep doing it. That happened with writing, with fencing for five years, with playing bluegrass fiddle. It’s happened with all sorts of things. I still struggle with wanting to do well at things I just don’t do well at, just because I think they are things others expect of me. But I’m getting better at setting those aside and focusing on what I do well.

Emory Crawford doesn't do martial arts nor is she an athletic, leggy woman who is built like a model. She's a wife, grandmother, and empty nest lover of crafts, reading, birding and bluegrass music.

When an acclaimed scholar, best-selling author and fellow bluegrass musician is found murdered on the Twombly College campus where her husband teaches chemistry and forensics, Emory takes up her knitting caddy, to help her channel the spirit of Miss Marple, and heads off to help solve the crime.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Stars shone in a sky hazed with moonlight from a half- moon. The fountain played its merry music. The smell of late spring flowers wafted on the cooling air. Soft lights in the fountain made the area cozy while keeping it from being scary-dark. But our playful mood faded as we saw the silhouette of someone sleeping on one of the backless benches near the fountain.

“Drat! I was looking forward to some romance.” At forty-seven I still sound like a sulky child when I’m disappointed.

“So was I.” Jebbin didn’t sound it though. He was too busy squinting at the figure on the bench. He nodded his head toward the figure. “Something’s odd there, Emory.”

I looked closer. The figure’s arms both dangled down, hands resting on the ground. The legs were straight, hanging off either side of the bench in an uncomfortable looking position. We edged closer until we could see, lit by the light of the fountain, the body of a man splayed lengthwise on the bench. Several pouches and odd amulets rested on his chest. On the ground, the hand nearest us was holding a fiddle with no strings.

Jebbin grabbed my shoulders, turning me toward the fountain and away from the bench.

“He’s been strangled.” Jebbin’s body was tight, his voice tense. “It’s Archie and he’s been strangled.”

Pearl R. Meaker is an upper-middle-aged, short, pudgy homemaker, mother, and grandmother who in 2002 became a writer. Initially writing fanfiction she soon tried original fiction at the encouragement of her regular readers. She has been a life-long lover of mystery stories and automatically went to that genre for her first book, The Devil’s Music. She and her husband of nearly 40 years live in central Illinois. They both love bluegrass music, playing fiddle and banjo and singing. Pearl also does many crafts – when she’s not reading or writing - knitting, crochet, origami, needlepoint, and cross-stitch among them. She also enjoys birding and photography and is a former fencer.

Visit Pearl here:

www.pearlrmeaker.com

https://www.facebook.com/PearlRMeaker

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/PearlRMeaker

https://www.pinterest.com/PearlRMeaker/

Buy The Devil’s Music:

http://www.amazon.com/Devilss-Music-Pearl-R-Meaker/dp/1927559642/

https://www.promontorypress.com/books/pearl-r-meaker/the-devils-music

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Dog Eat Dog by Jenna Mattison - Review and Giveaway

Cozy Mystery

This review is done in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna will be awarding a digital copy of Dog Eat Dog to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop during the tour.. You can see the other stops on the tour by clicking the tour banner.

Blurb: Book Two of the Eye Spy, Chronicles Of Liza Radley Housewife Detective, series brings back the antics of Liza & Jack in Dog Eat Dog. The two are knee deep in dognappers and heiresses at their newly opened Crimes Of The Heart Detective Agency. In between their investigations the will they or won't they drama of their complicated relationship is still front and center…and in the middle.

My review:

Not your typical cozy mystery!

I dove into Dog Eat Dog without any foreknowledge of what to expect. I hadn't read book one and, while I think I missed a little of the "in" jokes and whatnot between characters, I never felt lost, so can confidently say that this series can be read out of order, but perhaps you'd have a richer experience if you read book one first.

First, the things I enjoyed:

The story! I have to mention the plot first because it was great.  Completely unexpected considering the H/H started out trying to find a lost dog and whether the pickle king was cheating on his wife.

Yes, the pickle king.  Yes, it led to many fun times.

But the plot took plenty of turns and became something utterly different.  It wasn't just dog-napping or cheating, but far more complex and led to plenty of nail-biting times for me wondering just how they'd make it through alive and well.

Next, the relationship between Liza and Parella.  Fun!  Really, I suppose that sums up the whole book.  Fun.  And the secondary characters really added pizazz to the story as well. Liza's friends were a hoot.

The writing was quite good as well, and the author has a good voice for the genre. She's got a knack for clever description and a wonderful imagination.

What I didn't like?  Just a few quirky things that irritated me throughout and so affected my overall enjoyment of the book.  I didn't like the two page chapters.  They continually jolted me from the story.  I'd just start getting into the scene and WHAM, new scene with no easy segue.  I wasn't a fan of Liza and her "I'm dieting, but I must shove that last piece of pizza into my mouth." thing.  First, having a woman on a diet, and constantly harping about it but cheating anyway is so cliched and I admit to suffering many eye-rolls through the book because of it. I think it was meant to be funny, but I didn't find it so.  Lastly, why does Parella call Liza "doll" and "doll face"?  Really? Again, it may related back to book one, and maybe it's an inside joke for them, but I wanted to smack him and remind him of the decade and that he very clearly isn't Bogart.

Still, there was far more to enjoy than not and I am most tempted to go back and read book one when I have a moment to see if it explains some of the things I questioned.  I liked Liza and mostly liked Parella, though didn't have as strong a sense for him (mainly because the story is from Liza's point of view).  The plot was strong, unique and interesting and certainly had me both chuckling and then biting my nails throughout -- the sign of a good cozy mystery!

4 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.


Now enjoy an excerpt:

The line is long, as usual, and I grab a seat near the window as Jack orders our sandwiches. Mine sans bread. He saunters over waving a paper ticket stamped with the number 43. The red LED light behind the counter reads 34, so we’ve definitely got some time to kill. Luckily, I get a reply text from Buckmaster. Looks like the mansion belongs to an old boxing champion.

“The house belongs to an Xavier Martinez. Ring a bell? Wasn’t that the guy who bought a gold plated bathtub for his ex-wife? Maybe I’m getting him confused with someone else.”

Parella’s face lights up. “Different guy. Martinez was a middleweight. Took the prize in 2005 but kinda went nuts after that. Bit some guy's cheek off. Last I heard he lost all his money and was doped up on prescription drugs.”

“How’s he afford that mansion?”

“Not a clue. Maybe he’s got dirty fingers these days.”

I rack my brain for a clue. “Didn’t Lenny say Jameson was taken in the middle of the night but that he never heard any barking?”

“That means whoever was the dognapper either knew the dog well enough to not incite a bark or they were a professional.”

“Professional dognappers?” I snort and cock my brow.

“Okay, maybe it’s a stretch. I’d say Pinky’s still our prime suspect. If we get a hold of her credit card bills maybe we can figure out where she’s staying. We got lucky with the hairstylist tip from Lenny but I don’t think she’ll be going back there any time real soon.”

Parella obviously knows nothing about women like Pinky.

Mattison started her career in Chicago appearing on television and radio. She founded Cheshire Smile Productions, bringing to life and penning her first feature film FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE, a festival winning coming of age comedy, which was directed by Brian Austin Green. “Fish” is now available on Netflix and garnered a limited theatrical release.

Mattison also wrote Cheshire’s second release THE THIRD WISH now available at Blockbuster and distributed by the Hallmark Channel. Lionsgate’s FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY, based on a true story of Jewish gangsters set in the 1970’s starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Edward Furlong and Jeffrey Tambor was also produced and written by Mattison and was released theatrically in the US & Israel. In 2012 The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences honored Mattison by displaying her screenplay of For The Love Of Money in the permanent collection of their library. Most recently Jenna wrote COMMITTED, a TV movie which wrapped production this spring to premiere on television under the title Deadly Revenge. In development is GHOST STATION which she will pen and co-produce with Michelle Weisler (The Ring, The Trouble With The Curve) to be shot in Canada summer 2014.

Her bestselling debut novel The Tree Of Jesse, a paranormal romantic thriller, was released this spring to critical acclaim and is available worldwide. Mattison’s most recent novel Eye Spy, the first in a comedic romantic suspense series, was released in July and hit bestseller status within the first week. Book two of the series, Dog Eat Dog, will be released this fall.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Radley-Housewife-Detective-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00HAQMFOG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386991578&sr=8-2&keywords=dog+eat+dog+jenna+mattison

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DUMWK4E

https://www.facebook.com/jennamattisonauthor

A Good Man Gone by A. W. Hartoin -- Review and Giveaway

(Cozy Mystery)

This review is in conjunction with a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A.W. will be awarding a backlist ebook on each stop, It Started with Whisper, to a randomly drawn commenter, and a $30.00 Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stop on the tour.



It’s summer in St. Louis and Mercy Watts is on vacation from her parents. The great detective and his nosy wife are on a cruise and Mercy thinks she’s off the hook for doing any investigating for them. But when a family friend has a fatal heart attack, Dad has one of his famous feelings and orders Mercy to look into it. Mercy tries not to get sucked in. She really does, but she’s her father’s daughter. Soon Gavin’s death leads to a more grisly one, the death of a bride on her wedding day. Can the two be connected? Was Gavin murdered? Now Mercy can’t stop. You do for family. That’s all there is to it.




Thoroughly enjoyable, this cozy mystery will keep you guessing and chuckling all the way to the end. Ms. Hartoin has a way with words that plunges you into the story and makes you feel as if you know each and every character, no matter how small.

Mercy, our heroine, is a nurse and the daughter of a detective. She also has friends and family in the police department, but really doesn't love investigating much of anything despite her father continually tossing cases her way.

When a family friend dies unexpectedly, Mercy pulls some strings and finds out it wasn't a heart attack as originally suspected, but murder. And thus begins our story, which ended up being far more complex that I would have imagined.

While I loved the quirky characters and interesting plot, the fact the Mercy was constantly being hit on by every character with the slightest bit of testosterone got a little old. A few times would have gotten the point across that she was gorgeous and sexy, but after I while I nearly stopped reading -- it irritated me that much. And it's the only reason this wasn't a five flower review with bells on.

Hopefully the author tones that down a bit in the next book, because otherwise this was a winner. If you like a light-hearted cozy mystery with fun, well-rounded characters and murder you won't solve until Mercy does, I recommend A Good Man Gone. It's a winner.

4.5 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

A.W. Hartoin is the author of the Mercy Watts mystery series and the Away From Whipplethorn fantasy series. She lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and six bad chickens.

https://www.facebook.com/anne.hartoin
www.awhartoin.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1CPG5I
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/322959

Up From the Grave by Marilyn Leach - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

Today author Marilyn Leach visits on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the cozy mystery novel, "Up From the Grave".

Marilyn will be awarding an e-Book copy of her first book, Candle For A Corpse to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, plus a grand prize of a $20.00 gift card to the Pelican Book Group website to a randomly drawn comenter during the tour.

Marilyn was kind enough to answer all my prying questions.  Thank you!

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I wrote my first mystery when I was nine years old. It was a play and the neighborhood children came to the backyard performances. Five cents included popcorn. The first read-for-enjoyment books I really liked were mysteries. Then, when I met Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, well, the dye was cast. It was my travels in Europe and exploring England that made me go in the English mystery direction. I have good friends that live in Berkshire and they proof my manuscripts for language, police procedure, and other cultural corrections. I like a good brain-tickle where things end up as they should accompanied by humor, uplift, and quirky characters. Basically, there are many others who enjoy that combination as well.

What research is required?

Thinking through how to give clues and information without telegraphing the who-done-it takes some real crafting. In Candle for a Corpse, issues from World War II came into play that I needed to research. Every book calls for a certain amount of research depending on plot and direction. In one mystery I had to research English village history, English flora and fauna according to the season, British police structure, venomous animals, English church hymnody, and that’s just for starters.

Name one thing you learned from your heroine.

If I’m feeling overwhelmed, Berdie is still focused. If I’m struggling, Berdie is on top of it. If I’m ready for a party, Berdie is stuck in on her work. Character development is consistent, even when dirty dishes are waiting in my kitchen sink.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I subscribe to Country Homes and Interiors, British version. I read it almost every morning so that by the end of the month I’ve read it cover to cover. It really offers far more than home interior; it’s an English country life montage: gardening, seasonal food, events, upstart businesses. I find it extremely relaxing and informative all at once. It’s amazing how little tidbits of information end up in my writing and just add that extra flare to the story.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a plotter. I actually visually create a map of the story including red herrings, major clues, and twists. My nephew, with whom I’ve done writing projects, helps me to see the flaws, or how to heighten plot points. But then when I’m putting words down for the story itself, fun little flourishes happen that bring extra color. It’s having a strong plot line that gives me room to dance.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

Oh my goodness. My desk, (I’m at my computer which is just next), that is laden with writing notebooks, Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell, Harbrace College Handbook of Grammar, three scented candles, a Royal Stuart creamer and sugar that are stuffed with matches for the candles, paper clips, tacks and erasers, and a pen holder of modeled brass that sports a picture of my mother, older sister and myself from when I was a child. Oh yes, there’s also the toile-du-joule decorated letter file full of bills and a cold neglected cup of tea.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’m currently working on a Berdie Elliott Ascension Sunday Mystery called Into the Clouds. During an Ascension procession in the village of Aidan Kirkwood, a person has gone missing. Berdie is called upon by the missing person’s family to find the person and any malevolent who may be involved. It has a host of fun characters, as well as shadowed ones, that brings Berdie’s church work head on into her investigative work. And her vicar husband is not keen on it. It has been great fun to write.

Do you have a question for our readers?

Is it cover art or back page description that makes you choose to pick up a book for a look-see by an author unknown to you?

A Lenten sod turning ceremony for a new water feature in the back garden of St. Aidan of the Wood Parish Church goes utterly pear-shaped when the upturned soil reveals a human skeleton. With Berdie Elliott at the helm, the whole of Aidan Kirkwood digs into the mystery. When the bones held life, just who was this person? Who is the mysterious contessa who arrives on the garden scene? And what does the young and beautiful Robin Derbyshire's wedding have to do with the grave? Unearth the answers in this fun spring romp.

The constable bellowed forth making his rotund shape heave. “Everyone sit down, or I’ll arrest the lot of ya.”

The boom sent baby Katy Donovan into a great crying frenzy, which soon became a chorus when Dotty Butz and several other infants joined in. Few paid attention to Goodnight’s command.

Dr. Meredith bent close to the earth and pushed aside additional dirt revealing more remains.

Berdie’s curiosity got the better of her, and deftly she stepped to the sight the doctor examined.

“Human, a little one,” the pathologist said discreetly and stood.

“Well I never,” Berdie exhaled, “of all times and places.”

“Quite,” the animated voice of Mr. Webb sounded. “Surely, there’s been some mistake.”

Goodnight, standing next to Berdie, grunted, took a deep breath, and trumpeted across the crowd, “I’m declaring this a crime scene. You lot go home now.”

“Albert, is this really necessary?” Mr. Webb’s disgust was in sharp contrast to his smart dress.

“Do pigs grunt?”

“Reverend Elliott, Wilkie Gordon’s collapsed,” a voice cried out.

Berdie caught her breath as Hugh, quite fit for a man his age, nearly hurdled the chairs to get to Mr. Gordon. A small group had gathered round.

“I appreciate your concern, but please stand back, give him room to breathe,” Hugh ordered.

Edsel came next to Hugh and moved people along as Hugh attended to the old gentleman.

“I said go home!” Goodnight bellowed like an evening foghorn.

Whipped by the swirl of events and Goodnight’s volume, a mad migration of people took flight for the front road. Chairs tipped and children were swept up. Mr. Webb hurriedly escorted the contessa back to her limousine, and Dave Exton, who seemed to relish the action, went snap happy with his camera.

Dr. Meredith turned his attention to Hugh and Mr. Gordon. He took a step.

“Stay right here, Doctor. Vicar’s doin’ a fine job,” Goodnight growled.

“Are you mad, Goodnight?” Dr. Meredith frowned and moved quickly to Wilkie’s side.

Berdie took in the policeman. “Shouldn’t you be doing something to help Mr. Gordon, Constable Goodnight?”

“More important I keep an eye on this.” The law officer stabbed his thumb in the direction of the skeleton. “I shall be calling the Yard in on this.”

At the age of nine, Marilyn wrote her first work with a childhood friend. It was a mystery. And she has been writing ever since. A graduate of Colorado State University, she taught art to underserved children and co-authored several plays and screenplays. Marilyn is a dyed-in-the-wool British enthusiast after "discovering her roots" in England. She lives in a lakeside cottage on the Denver outskirts.

Buy links

www.pelicanbookgroup.com

http://www.amazon.com/Marilyn-Leach/e/B005H8KYVK

Review: Louisa and the Missing Heir by Anna MacLean

(Full length, historical cozy mystery)

Long before she will achieve fame as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott is writing stories of a more dark and mysterious nature. But nothing prepares her for the role of amateur detective she assumes when the body of her dear friend, wealthy newlywed Dorothy Wortham, is found floating in Boston's harbor.

It's well known that Dorothy's family didn't approve of her husband, a confirmed fortune hunter, but Louisa suspects that some deeper secret lies behind her friend's tragic murder...



This is a fun read for all ages especially if any of you have read Little Women or any other of Louisa May Alcott stories. The many details of her life, those around her, her family and her friends are wonderfully shown in great detail. Then in addition, she adds in a wonderfully complex mystery. It was very enjoyable.

That she would take up sleuthing is a foregone conclusion. Her mind is extremely clever and as the story progresses, you will find yourself, along with her, trying to solve the mystery. Every time I thought I had solved it, I was proven wrong, as was she. However she was much ahead of me in figuring out what was going on. As she discovered something new, I would think, “Oh of course.” The fact is, I would not have been able to figure it out, although I was given the same clues as she was.

This is a tale of dark secrets, mysterious men, and a family torn apart with secrets. Louisa dares to confront the mores of the day, and does things that absolutely horrify many of the leading citizens. Her story includes so many facts about Boston in 1854 that I would swear that the author had actually lived there. As she pursues her hunt for the murderer, she is also in danger many times, but is able to handle each situation as it happens.

When she finally finds the murderer, I was surprised. I hadn’t even considered this person. What a cleverly written and fascinating mystery. It makes me want to read more of this series.

5 Flowers -- I loved this book! It's on my keeper shelf! I highly recommend it.

Virtual Book Tour: A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

Today we're welcoming author Stacy Verdick Case on her tour with Partners In Crime Tours for her mystery, "A Grand Murder". Stacy was kind enough to answer my questions.

Have you always wanted to write in the cozy mystery genre?

No, I started out writing romance. I thought I was a lover, turns out I’m a killer. I would still like to turn out a romance or two.

How much research goes into making sure you have your crime fighting details right?

There’s a lot of research. I’ve taken citizens academy training classes, and fire arm classes. My research bookshelf probably has me on a watch list or two because I buy extremely detailed books on murder.

I will confess to fudging some details though. I write fiction so I don’t have any qualms about changing some details to suit my story. My books isn’t a procedural text book by any means.

What are the pros and cons of writing a series?

The pros are that you have a stable of reoccurring characters that you can lean on. You’re not constantly creating a new cast. These characters are like old friends to me now I don’t have to stop and debate what they might do in a situation, I already know.

A huge con is that series can get stale fast for both the writer and the reader. I think the biggest complaint series writers hear is that it’s the same book over and over. On the one hand the characters feeling like old friends is great, but on the other hand, the big challenge for the writer is to make them fresh each time.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I still write every first draft long hand. I’m a huge technology geek so that surprises a lot of people. There’s something about writing long hand that’s organic to me. Then when I type the manuscript in it’s the first editing process.

Also, writing long hand means I can literally write anywhere. I don’t have to boot up a laptop or try to juggle my iPad in the grocery store line. I just take out my paper and pen and write wherever I am.

What's a normal writing day for you?

It’s rare that I have full days to write. I suspect it’s like that for most writers, so I write where I can. I have a full thirty minutes before I leave for work every day that is all mine to write. I write on lunch breaks and then before bed.

When I do have the luxury of a whole day of writing it’s usually a marathon where I try to get as many pages in as I can.

What's coming up for you? Any new releases?

I am very excited about the audio book release of A Grand Murder. My mother has macular degeneration, so I lobbied hard to have A Grand Murder made into Audio. The second book in the series Murder is A Family Affair is coming out soon.

Do you have anything you'd like to ask our readers?

Yes, and that you for the opportunity! I would love to hear from series readers to find out what their ideas might be to keep a series fresh. I’ve had the discussion with writers, but I would love a readers perspective to find out what they want to see.

When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress’s husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim’s letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.

Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O’Brien mystery, A Grand Murder, is available from Before the Fall Books. Her second Catherine O’Brien mystery Murder is a Family Affair, will be released shortly.

Stacy is hard at work on her third book in the series.

http://www.StacyVerdickCase.com
Twitter @SVerdickCase
Blog http://sostacythought.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Grand-Murder/265021126858004

Review: A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

(A full length cozy mystery from Before the Fall Books)



When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress’s husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim’s letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.



Catherine O'Brien, described as vertically-challenged and perpetually disheveled, is partnered with Louise Montgomery, a tall black woman who is always impeccably dressed—even after being up all night. This first book in a new series about this unlikely pairing begins when they have already been partnered for three years and have grown into friends. Catherine is short, but feisty; and as the first-person POV character in this story, we see all the action through her eyes. She's also very grumpy when she hasn't had enough sleep or coffee—which is how we first meet her. She's snarky and funny at the same time.

I don't want to give away an spoilers, but the mystery unfortunately was the weakest part of the book for me. The relationship of the characters was the strongest, and they were well-developed and interesting. That was the draw for me -- I really liked them and wanted to really like the book.

The big issue was one of editing. There were many places where phrases were repeated multiple times in the same paragraph, apostrophe s used for plural, misspelling, areas where the secondary characters' actions were not consistent, etc. The basic problems a professional editing should have picked up are the biggest reason I can only give this book only a three.

For a first book, it holds promise. This author is skilled and certainly creates memorable characters. As I said, I enjoyed the relationship between the characters; the story itself reads like a show you would see on television—I could see this plot carried out a la Cagney and Lacey. I'm certainly not sorry I read it, and look forward to seeing more from this author.

3/5 Flowers



FTC Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: Louise and the Crystal Gazer by Anna MacLean

Today we're welcoming author Anna MacLean to the blog on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the historical cozy mystery, "Louisa and the Crystal Gazer." We LOVED this book and you can read our review here.

Anna is giving away a gift basket to one randomly drawn commenter (and to the host with the most comments -- so help me win! You might win, too!). Comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner over there on the left, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops) -- the more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a GC!

Anna was gracious enough to answer my questions. Take it away, Anna!

What made you decide to write about Louisa May Alcott in this setting?

Thanks so much for hosting me! The Crystal Gazer was a setting that had simmered in my imagination for a while. I have a long-standing interest in mediums and American spiritualism (I wrote a novel about medium Maggie Fox, The Sweet By and By, under my historical novelist name, Jeanne Mackin) so I thought it would be interesting to see what my Louisa May Alcott would do at a séance. Of course, she sees the fraud and the tricks instantly, while staying open to the wonderful mystery of human nature – ever so much more interesting than a mere apparition. P.T. Barnum then wandered in my imagination, so I included him as well. Louisa, in my mystery series, is always open to a good crime investigation, and Barnum is always open to the possibility of a new act.

How much research has gone into these books? Do you ever worry about getting some detail wrong?

I love doing research and at some point have to stop myself and get on with the story. The research for nineteenth century spiritualism was especially interesting. I found an early form of do-it-yourself manual that instructed American Victorians in the art of spirit painting, creating ectoplasm, and other parlor effects. The other details of daily life do need to be right, of course. Hardest for me was studying up on Victorian manners and protocol – when a woman is allowed to remove her hat and she must keep it on, how long a visit should be, what color gloves to wear, and things like that. They were quite specific, and any misstep in manners could cause quite a nasty stir. Louisa, as a young woman of ‘respectable’ family (and very limited means) had to watch her step, while still managing to keep a fair amount of freedom for herself.

Do you have any writing quirks or habits?

I must write in the very early morning, and if I’m disturbed I am unpleasant about it, to say the least. I completely understand why Louisa preferred to write in an attic, away from the rest of the family. I also talk to myself aloud as I write, voicing the dialogue and ‘listening’ for response. If I wrote in a public space like a coffee house people would probably move away from me.

What's your writing process? Outline? Plotter? Panster?

I just dive into that empty page (screen, really) and see what’s going to arrive. Somewhere in a later revision process I tease out the outline of the story to see if everything is in its correct place, but in the first draft I much prefer to just sit and write, no outline, no judgments, no road map. The joy of writing is discovering how to get from here to there in a story. It is as much about discovery for me as it is eventually for the reader – though I may ‘discover’ the plot and characters in several versions before I settle on the one that seems best.

What your favorite thing about being an author?

When I first began writing historical fiction, mystery or otherwise, it felt to me as good as being able to live another lifetime. I could be anyone in any time and experience anything I cared to experience. I still feel that way. Writing enlarges my life and my empathy for others. It is, really, a kind of time travel.

Do you have anything new coming up you'd like to share?

I always have something in process on my desk but I’m superstitious. I don’t like to talk about it till I at least have a first draft. Sorry! When it’s ready, I’ll be sure and let you know. Thanks so much for these great questions!

What's Louisa and the Crystal Gazer about?

Gentle Reader,

In December of 1855, I found myself once again in Boston, temporarily separated from my beloved family, living as a seamstress by day and writing my secret "blood and thunder" stories by night. I welcomed the companionship of my dear friend Sylvia Shattuck, but was quite taken aback by her strange desire to contact her long-dead father through a medium.

Nevertheless, I found myself at the home of the city's most famous crystal gazer, attending a seance with none other than the notorious showman Mr. P T Barnum. But what began as an idle curiosity became a compelling investigation--for upon our second visit to the medium, Sylvia and I found she'd been murdered! And to solve the mystery of her untimely death, I first had to uncover the surprising truth about her life...

Louisa May Alcott

***

Jeanne Mackin is the author of several novels: The Sweet By and By (St. Martin’s Press), Dreams of Empire (Kensington Books), The Queen’s War (St. Martin’s Press), and The Frenchwoman (St. Martin’s Press). She has published short fiction and creative nonfiction in several journals and periodicals including American Letters and Commentary and SNReview. She is also the author of the Cornell Book of Herbs and Edible Flowers (Cornell University publications) and co-editor of The Norton Book of Love (W.W. Norton), and wrote art columns for newspapers as well as feature articles for several arts magazines. She was the recipient of a creative writing fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society and her journalism has won awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, in Washington, D.C. She teaches creative writing at Goddard College in Vermont, has taught or conducted workshops in Pennsylvania, Hawaii and New York and has traveled extensively in Europe. She lives with her husband, Steve Poleskie, in upstate New York.

Website: http://www.annamaclean.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.authorannamaclean.com

Book Link: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781101506141,00.html?Louisa_and_the_Missing_Heiress_Anna_Maclean