Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Blog Tour Cover Reveal: HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE by Tina Kashian


When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . .


Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.

She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . .

Recipes included!

Ready…










Set…










Reveal!!















Coming February 27, 2018 from Kensington Books!!

You can pre-order your copy today!!

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Saturday, November 18, 2017

Blog Tour and Review: CANAL DAYS CALAMITY : A Dog Days Mystery by Jamie M. Blair


Canal Days Calamity (A Dog Days Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (November 8, 2017)
Synopsis
Cameron Cripps-Hayman is taken aback when she stumbles upon another murdered neighbor, this time behind her sister's shop, Dog Diggity. The timing couldn't be worse, as there's only a week left before the store's grand opening during Canal Days, the biggest festival of the year.
When the police arrest her handyman, Cameron knows they've got the wrong suspect, so the Metamora Action Agency sets their sights on cracking the case. With one solved murder under their belts, how hard could a second be?
With a flood warning and a murderer on the loose threatening the start of Canal Days, can Cameron and her crew save the town's annual dog and pony show from being canceled?
Review 

There's a lot going on around as Cam, her sister, and mother get ready for Canal Days. If not the handyman, then who? The characters are on the quirky side and there are surprises along the way. The Metamora Action Agency has a lot of confidence but not so much experience with some humorous effects. Cam and her sister have a lot invested in Canal Days with the gourmet dog food store. 

This is the second in the Dog Days Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone - I haven't read the first one - but it may be easier to follow the characters and relationships (like Cam's with her ex who she's dating) if you've read the first one. Personalities and relationships make the story.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.


Purchase Links

Amazon B&N

uxzaib88_400x400About The Author

Jamie Blair (Ohio) is the award-winning author of young adult and romance books, including Leap of Faith (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and Lost to Me. Visit her online at www.JamieBlairAuthor.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JamieMBlair


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Saturday, November 11, 2017

Blog tour and Guest Post: DEATH ON THE EMERALD by R. F. Koreto

Today it is my pleasure to have R. J. Koreto as my guest...  

The Origins of Lady Frances Ffolkes by R. J. Koreto


I get this question a lot: where did Lady Frances come from? She has a long history. 

She wasn't the first sleuth I imagined. I first wrote a couple of novels featuring modern-day reporter Ted Jellinek and his not-quite-girlfriend, attorney Penelope Tolford. The novels didn’t find a publisher, but I did get a short story in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine out of them. Then I turned to historical fiction with Captain Edmund Winter, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. Again, I got a short story out of it in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, but no takers for the novel.

That's when a friend-of-a-friend read one of my manuscripts and said that she found my female characters especially strong. Could I write a mystery with a female protagonist? I didn't think that was "allowed." Could a male author create a female sleuth?

Very well, but what time period? I really wanted to stay with historical fiction. My wife and I have always been huge fans of the original "Upstairs/Downstairs" series, which starts in the Edwardian era, so I wanted to make my own mark in turn-of-the-century England.

Next, where would the tension come from? Well-born ladies didn’t have a great deal of freedom in this time period; they lived with their parents until they got married to men their fathers approved of. What if I made Lady Frances a rebel? She lives on her own, helps lead a group for women's suffrage and chooses her own romantic partners—accepting the heartbreak that comes with it. 

That became "Death on the Sapphire," the first Lady Frances mystery—and my first published novel. Lady Frances continued to stand up to Edwardian conventions with "Death Among Rubies," where she thwarted he police to save friends who were involved in a same-sex romance. And now, with "Death at the Emerald," Frances slips into the lively theater world, befriending actors—something well-born ladies simply didn’t do back then. 

So I was able to successfully create a female sleuth! But there's a final twist: I'm published under my initials "R.J." because my publisher didn’t want to highlight the fact that a male author was writing about a woman detective in a book with a large female readership!

Synopsis

One-named stunning actress Helen mysteriously vanished 30 years ago. An elderly family friend is unable to bear not knowing any longer and commissions Lady Frances Ffolkes to track her down. Taking on the role of Lady Sherlock, with her loyal maid Mallow drafted as her Watson, Frances finds herself immersed in the glamorous world of Edwardian theater and London’s latest craze—motion pictures.

As Frances and Mallow make their way through the theaters, they meet colorful figures such as George Bernard Shaw and King Edward II. Tracking the theaters seems like a dead end. That is until one of Helen’s old suitors is suddenly murdered. With the stakes raised, Frances and Mallow work quickly to uncover a box of subtle clues to Helen’s whereabouts. But someone unexpected wants that box just as badly and is willing to kill to keep it shut.

The stage is set for murder and Frances and Mallow are determined to unravel the decades-old conspiracy in Death at the Emerald, R. J. Koreto’s third installment in the captivating Lady Frances Ffolkes mysteries.

About The Author

R.J. Koreto is the author of the Lady Frances Ffolkes mystery series, set in Edwardian England, and the Alice Roosevelt mystery series, set in turn-of-the-century New York. His short stories have been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.


In his day job, he works as a business and financial journalist. Over the years, he’s been a magazine writer and editor, website manager, PR consultant, book author, and seaman in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Like his heroine, Lady Frances Ffolkes, he’s a graduate of Vassar College.

With his wife and daughters, he divides his time between Rockland County, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Author Links

Website: www.ladyfrancesffolkes.com (contains sign-up form for my weekly newsletter)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladyfrancesffolkes/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34729807-death-at-the-emerald
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RJKoreto


Purchase Links

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
IndieBound



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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Spotlight: TWOFER MURDER by Lauren Carr




About the Book:

Twofer murder? What’s a twofer murder?    

Twofer Murder is a treat for fans of best-selling author Lauren Carr’s fast-paced mysteries! Lauren’s latest novel contains the main characters from her three successful series: Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose mysteries. The guys go away for a fishing weekend only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up and coming author ends up dead!

Lauren Carr’s Twofer Murder is a 2-for-1—making it a must-read for any mystery fan!

Content Rating: 

PG + M (Please be aware that TWOFER MURDER is a murder mystery. There are depictions of murder and some violence--though easy on the gore contents. No f-words but there may be some mild profanity, and mild religious expletives such as "damn", "hell" and "Oh God!". Some depictions of brief sexual content (kissing). No drug use or underage drinking among the protagonists.)

Meet the Author:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter Facebook ~ Instagram


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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Guest Post : AMY KORMAN, Author of Killer Holiday

Killer Holiday

by Amy Korman

on Tour October 23 - November 30, 2017

Today, it's my pleasure to have as my guest, Amy Korman, author of Killer Holiday to talk about her new book...

When my editor at Witness Impulse/HarperCollins suggested to me that the fourth book in my Killer Wasps mystery series have a winter-holiday theme, I couldn’t wait to sit down and start writing. Who hasn’t had festive family squabbles, canceled flights, mall parking lot fiascos, and a Butterball turkey timer that just won’t pop when everyone’s starving? 

That insane period between Thanksgiving and the New Year is the perfect time for the Killer Wasps characters to solve crimes and enjoy cocktails in my new book, Killer Holiday. It’s December, and antique dealer Kristin Clark is trying to bring in shoppers to her store The Striped Awning outside Philadelphia, when once again, crime invades her quiet town. 

Former Mob wife Sophie’s being shot at by a local Santa, and gossipy Bootsie is missing a valuable item—her brother Chip, who’s entangled with shady golf resort developers. Then there’s the super-annoying Eula Morris, the group’s high school nemesis, who recently won Powerball and got a fancy makeover. Unfortunately for Eula, who’s been on a lengthy cruise, a suitcase full of gold she “forgot” to declare at Customs goes missing as soon as she steps off board, and Kristin and her friends are soon helping Eula steal it back. Cocktails, a Christmas cabaret, a break-in, poker games and a road trip to Florida help make this December merry for the Killer Wasps detectives, who also need to decide on important matters like what to eat at their annual Christmas party: Will it be brisket or baked ziti? 

At such a busy time of year, it’s a real luxury to escape with a book or a movie, and hopefully Killer Holiday readers will find it lightens their stress for an hour or two. I’m overwhelmed like everyone else at this time of year, so I plan to curl up with Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, watch Christmas in Connecticut for the millionth time, and I’ll definitely be mixing up a batch of Bootsie Delaney’s favorite holiday drink, the Bourbon Blitzen. Thank you so much for reading Killer Holiday! 

About the book:

It’s December 15th, time to mix up the holiday cocktails in tranquil Bryn Mawr, PA. Then a Samsonite full of gold goes missing, Bootsie’s not-so-bright brother Chip is kidnapped, and shady lawyer Scooter Simmons is offering investors shares in a fake golf resort. For antiques dealer Kristin Clark and her friends, this Christmas is murder….

Kristin Clark and her offbeat crew of Bryn Mawr socialites are ready for a fun and festive winter holiday—one that involves sipping martinis by a crackling yule log, hot guys beneath the mistletoe, and Gucci under the Christmas tree. But this year, Old Saint Nick has something more dangerous in store. A stranger dressed in a Santa suit has Kristin’s friends on his naughty list. First, Sophie’s favorite handbag is blasted by a bullet. Then, Father Christmas shatters her brother Chip’s car window with a golf club and leaves a threatening note demanding fifty grand. Both are convinced it has to be a mistake. But when Chip goes missing, the stakes become deadly. Eula Morris is also back in town for the holidays, more bossy and boastful than ever after winning a mega-jackpot in the lottery. She’s returned from a luxury cruise around the world with a handsome new boyfriend (who looks oddly familiar…) and a Samsonite suitcase filled with gold bars. When the suitcase is snatched, Eula implores Kristin and the team to track it down. Where is Chip? Why is a vengeful Santa targeting the gang? Who stole Eula’s suitcase? And how are these events linked? The WASPs and Kristen’s basset hound Waffles are on the case—before this white Christmas turns even darker…

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: October 24th 2017 by Witness Impulse
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 0062431366 (ISBN13: 9780062431363)
Series: A Killer WASPs Mystery, #4
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One


Bootsie McElvoy burst through the front door of The Striped Awning, a bag of ice in her right hand and the biggest bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon I’ve ever seen in her left. She dug into her L.L. Bean tote for a bottle of red wine, a shaker of nutmeg, and a bag of fun-size candy canes, all of which she deposited next to a display of 1940s barware near the front of my antiques store.

“Kristin, it’s December fifteenth, which means it’s time for you to start offering shoppers a specialty cocktail the minute they set foot inside your store,” Bootsie told me. “I’m going to mix up a batch of the Delaney family Christmas drink, the Bourbon Blitzen, which never fails to produce a White Christmas vibe. One sip and you’ll feel like you’re singing and dancing with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye at a snowy Vermont inn. This should double your sales totals for the month.”

“Thanks!” I said gratefully, since Bootsie’s family’s boozy drinks are known throughout our village of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for their potency and tendency to produce unwise purchases.

“The drinks sound good, but you’re also going to need about four thousand more of these pinecones, triple the greenery, and eight hundred additional strands of lights,” Joe Delafield informed me; he’d arrived twenty minutes earlier to help me decorate my store for the Christmas rush.

To lure in passing foot traffic, I’d brought in armloads of holly and spruce branches from my backyard (cost: free, thankfully), spray-painted pinecones silver (the paint was only $5.28 at the hardware store), and added some cheerful-looking blinking white lights. This would probably bring tons of holiday shoppers through my front door!

Joe paused, eyeing the room with his signature critical stare. “The effect I’m going for is that a bunch of HGTV-crazed elves with subscriptions to Veranda magazine snuck in and decorated for four straight days. Gerda, we’re going to need the blinking lights to stop blinking, pronto. Pull the plug, please.”

Joe’s assistant for the day was the eponymous owner of Gerda’s Bust Your Ass Gym, which is housed inside the beauty salon across the street. Since Gerda stands a lofty six feet tall in flats (or sneakers, which is her usual footwear, since fancy shoes aren’t her style), she’d agreed to hang ornaments, bringing her signature grim attitude to the proceedings.

“Cute idea,” Bootsie observed, casting a dubious stare at my front window, which was filled with antique silver-plated candlesticks, flatware, and wineglasses. “Is that your holiday inventory?”

“Nobody going to want that stuff,” said Gerda, who moved here from her native Austria a few years back. Gerda, who’s incredibly muscular and brings in sell-out crowds at her Pilates classes, isn’t the most tactful person in the world. “People want, like, scarves and Fitbits and iPhones.”

I sighed, knowing Gerda was right. Those were the gifts on most holiday wish lists.

“Luckily, I’ve solved all your problems,” Bootsie told me. “I ran into Eddie from the Pub this morning, and he needs a place to hold some late-night poker tournaments this month, so I brokered a deal for The Striped Awning. You’ll be hosting twice-weekly games from 10 p.m. till 1 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays till Valentine’s Day.”

“What!” I erupted, alarmed by this idea. “First of all, that doesn’t sound legal.”

“It’s fine,” she told me, waving away my concerns. “I mean, it’s not like it will be a professional betting operation. Eddie’s limiting each night to ten players and three hours. Some cards, a few drinks, a few small wagers. What could go wrong?”

“A lot!” I said. “They’ll blow cigar smoke and drop Dorito crumbs everywhere. Not to mention get arrested for operating a casino without a license. A lot could go wrong!”

“You worry too much,” Bootsie informed me dismissively. “Plus, he’ll pay you two hundred dollars a night.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Bootsie knew she had me—there’s no way I can refuse an extra four hundred dollars a week, even if it puts me on the wrong side of the state gaming commission.

Just then, though, the front door was thrown open by one Sophie Shields, a tiny blonde who at the moment was looking slightly wild-eyed.

“Ya won’t believe what just happened!” shrieked Sophie. “The Colketts were helping me put up curtains in my new dining room, since Joe here never finished decorating my place—and the curtains are orange silk, by the way, they’re totally Elle Decor meets a J. Lo red-carpet gown. So Tim and Tom Colkett were talking paint colors when I heard a horn honking, so I opened the front door, thinking it was the delivery boy from the Hoagie House. I figured I’d go out and pay the driver, when boom!

“A guy dressed as Santa leaned out of the driver’s seat of a black SUV that had pulled right up in my driveway and aimed a gun at me and the Colketts!” The Colketts are the town’s leading landscape designers, who’ve lately turned their talents to party planning and interior design.

“Then the guy yelled, ‘Hey, Sophie, this one’s from your ex, Barclay!’ and shot my favorite handbag!” Sophie finished. “I was reaching into it to pay for the hoagies, thank goodness, so it acted as a protective shield. Also, I think maybe this Santa guy doesn’t have great aim.”

We all stared at her for a moment.

“Are you sure, Sophie?” said Bootsie finally. “Because this sounds like BS.”

“Yeah, Sophie, maybe you been hitting the wine bottle today,” seconded Gerda. “I know the Colketts are day drinkers. Maybe you been guzzling alcohol, too.”

“It’s true!” Sophie bleated. “Just look at this Ferragamo satchel! If it hadn’t had gold hardware to block the trajectory of the bullet, me and the Colketts would have been toast!”

***

Excerpt from Killer Holiday by Amy Korman. Copyright © 2017 by Amy Korman. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.


Author Bio:

Amy Korman is a former senior editor and staff writer for Philadelphia Magazine, and author of Frommer’s Guide to Philadelphia. She has written for Town & Country, House Beautiful, Men’s Health, and Cosmopolitan. Killer WASPS is her first novel.

Catch Up With Ms. Korman On: amykorman.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!


Tour Participants:

Visit the other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!


Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Amy Korman and Witness Impulse. There will be 3 winners of one (1) eBook copy of KILLER PUNCH by Amy Korman. The giveaway begins on October 23 and runs through December 3, 2017.

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