!!!WINNERS!!!

Daniele - dmskrug3 
Christina Riggs
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BLOG TOUR
and
GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited to be a stop on 

Sparkel Abbey's blog tour for

DOWNTON TABBY

Book 7 in the Pampered Pets Mystery series

Sparkle Abbey aka authors 

Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter

are giving away 

2 $10.00 Amazon Gift Cards!

Just leave a comment for your chance to win!

A word from Sparkle Abbey

Meeting a New Book

First off, a big thank-you to Lisa for letting us stop by. As readers as well as authors we are amazed by all the new books out there. There are so many great choices and it can be difficult to pick a new book to read. It’s a bit like meeting someone new for the first time.

When we first pick up a new book (especially a cozy mystery) we’re hopeful this is the beginning for a great long-term relationship. Because we’re always looking for that next new series to fall in love with.

So where does a book relationship start?

For us, most often with the cover. We love what our publisher does with our covers. At a recent mystery conference, a reader said the covers reminded her of a Cary Grant movie like To Catch a Thief. We were thrilled. That’s exactly the feel of the books. Mystery with a light-hearted but sophisticated twist.

What do you look for next? We always go for the back cover blurb. Something that tells us a little bit more about the storyline. Our friend, Susan Boyer’s book, Low Country Boil says this:

Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s – and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers.

Okay, so we know: mystery, ghost, sounds like there’s some humor. We like it!

And here’s the back cover blurb for Downton Tabby, our upcoming book:

Anyone for tea and crumpets . . . and murder? 

Caro Lamont, amateur sleuth and well-respected animal therapist to Laguna Beach’s pampered pets, works with office mate and tech wizard, Graham Cash, whose beloved Scottish Fold tabby cat, Toria, is purported to have anger management issues. But when Caro drops by the charming Brit’s Tudor-inspired mansion to return Toria, she finds his business partner dead and Cash missing. 

Caro is left with the cuddly cat and a lot of unanswered questions. Is Cash the killer, or has he been kidnapped? What’s up with the angry next door neighbor? And what about Cash’s girlfriend, Heidi, who isn’t sharing everything she knows with homicide detective Judd Malone? 

Suddenly there are more secrets and intrigues than there are titles in England. Add in a stranger in a dark SUV stalking Caro, feisty senior sidekick, Betty, hiding in restaurant shrubbery, and wannabe investigative reporter Callum MacAvoy who seems to be constantly underfoot, and you’ve got a cat and mouse mystery of the first order. 

Again, mystery and humor but also pets. Is that enough for a reader to say, “Here’s a new book I’d like to get to know better?”

Maybe. Especially for pet-loving mystery readers.

If still in doubt after checking out the cover and the back cover blurb, we’re big believers in first lines.  Here’s the first line in Susan’s book: “The dead are patient.” We ask you, who could not read more?

The first line in Downton Tabby is: “The Irish Setter and I had a lot in common, and I don’t just mean hair color.” We hope that line also makes you wonder what comes next!

In contrast, Nancy Pickard’s The Scent of Rain and Lightning begins: “Until she was twenty-six, Jody Linder felt suspicious of happiness.” A much different feel to this story. Definitely a must-read-on beginning, but you know this is not so light-hearted. Still we fell much like Dorothy in the movie Jerry Maguire, “Nancy Pickard, you had us at hello.”

Those are the three things that help us figure out what to read next.

If you’re like us, you never feel like you have enough time to read. So when you take a chance on a new book, it’s with the hope of maybe finding a new cast of characters to spend time with.

How do you choose? What makes you pick up a new book?

Comment below for a chance to win one of two $10 Amazon gift certificates to use to “meet a new book.” 

MY REVIEW

Pet therapist, Carolina “Caro” Lamont, is back and better than ever in this seventh installment of the Pampered Pets Mystery series. Author Sparkle Abbey have penned another wonderful story. The author's sense of humor shines through as well as her fantastic way with crafting an entertaining mystery.

Fast moving, but not so much as to be confusing, DOWNTON TABBY was as tight as a newly would ball of yarn and just as fun to unravel. With each turn of the page the questions kept coming, making this mystery even more intriguing, right until the surprising reveal.

This was such an addicting read, I couldn’t stop reading it! Now I know how cats must feel about catnip! Cat lovers and mystery fans will be in their glory with this excellent read. DOWNTON TABBY will leave you purring in delight.

And make sure to check out the two great cat treat recipes at the back of the book!

About the authors

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets—Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and, depending on the time of day, with either an iced tea or a margarita. 

Visit them at sparkleabbey.com.

Remember to leave a comment for your chance to win one of two Amazon $10.00 Gift Cards!

PURL UP AND DIE 

Book 13 in the Kitting Mystery series 

by Maggie Sefton

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Yarn Over Murder, Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun Knitters must unravel the truth from the lies to clear a friend’s son suspected of murder…

Kelly Flynn’s summer in Fort Connor, Colorado, is off to a great start with romantic celebrations with her boyfriend, Steve, and enjoyable—albeit challenging—knitting classes taught by her friend Barb at the House of Lambspun. But while Barb’s advanced stitches are giving Kelly the slip, a more deadly problem soon has her friend coming apart at the seams.

A young woman has accused Barb’s son, Tommy—a young doctor doing his residency—of assaulting her. The yarns spun by the local rumor mill are bad enough, but when the young woman is found dead in her ransacked apartment, Tommy becomes the number one suspect.

The police are ready to close the case, but Kelly is convinced that there are a few more likely suspects. Now she has to knit together the clues herself to uncover a killer who doesn’t seem to drop a stitch.

MY REVIEW

I’ve mentioned this in a previous review, but 13 certainly not an unlucky number. At least not when it means the 13^th in a cozy mystery series! PURL UP AND DIE is one of the best books in the Knitting Mystery series so far! Author Maggie Sefton has written another wonderful whodunit with this book.

I went through a lot of nail biting reading this story. I wasn’t sure how the author was going to sort things out at the end of the book. I was so sure I was on the right track at times, but something always happened that completely threw me off. When the reveal came, I was stunned. I really didn’t see it coming. Well done, Ms. Sefton!

It would be fun to understand kitting, but it certainly it’s not required to enjoy this book or the series. You may however feel the urge to learn, because the group of characters in this series seem to have a great time with it!

I’m very much looking forward to see what mystery author Sefton knits together for the fourteenth installment in this entertaining and wonderfully written series! 

And don’t miss the knitting pattern and delicious recipe at the back of the book! 

Pre-order 

PURL UP AND DIE 

now for it's 

Tuesday, June 2 

release date!

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.

BLOG TOUR

I'm so excited to be a stop on 

author Linda O. Johnston's blog tour for

BITE THE BISCUIT

Book 1 in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series

Veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly has become known for offering healthy dog treats at the clinic where she works. So when the owner of the local bakery moves away, Carrie jumps at the chance to buy the business and convert half of it into the Barkery, a shop where she can make and sell her canine delights.

But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the new competition. At the Barkery's opening party, she badmouths Carrie's homemade dog biscuits, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. When Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.

Available now!

A word from Linda O. Johnston

Dogs, Cozies and Me Blog Post

by Linda O. Johnston

I'm a dog person.  Always have been, and always will be.   That's one reason why I write cozy mysteries that feature dogs.

I've also always enjoyed mysteries, from the time I was a kid reading Nancy Drew.  Additionally, I liked to write from a young age, when I initially looked forward to capturing my dreams and more in essays I wrote for school assignments.

So, finding a way to blend my three adored interests, writing cozy mysteries that contain dogs?  It's wonderful!

At the moment, I am writing two cozy mystery series where dogs are important.  My newest one, the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, is about protagonist Carrie Kennersly, a veterinary technician--and, yes, dog lover--who also gets to realize her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.  A good friend has to sell her bakery, Icing on the Cake, and move away from Knobcone Heights, California, because her mother is ill.  Carrie buys it from her and converts half of Icing into Barkery and Biscuits, a store that sells handmade dog treats made from healthy recipes Carrie developed for patients as a vet tech.

I'm also writing the Superstition Mysteries.  Yes, superstitions are a major theme in the stories--but the protagonist there, Rory Chasen, winds up managing a pet boutique in Destiny, California, which is all about superstitions, after her lucky black and white dog Pluckie helps to save the life of the boutique's owner.

My prior two mystery series were the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and its spinoff, the Pet Rescue Mysteries.  So yes, I've been writing dog-themed cozies for a while.

That affects other parts of my life as well.  When I attend writers' conferences the panels I'm invited to participate in sometimes involve others who have pets in their mysteries.  Fun!  On Facebook, not only am I a host of the Nose For Trouble group, along with others who blog on Killer Characters and also write pet-themed cozies, but I also get links frequently about dog rescues as well as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, my adored breed of choice for ages.

And, yes, I am currently owned by two adorable Cavaliers, Lexie--whose counterpart was featured in the Kendra mysteries--and Mystie.

In addition, I write romances as well for two Harlequin series.  One is Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and no dogs have appeared in my stories there... yet.  But the other is the paranormal romance series Harlequin Nocturne, and my own mini-series there is about Alpha Force, a covert military unit of shapeshifters, largely werewolves who happen to have cover dogs!

Am I dog-crazy?  Absolutely, and proud of it!

MY REVIEW

I have read Linda O. Johnston's other series, so I was excited when I  heard about BITE THE BISCUIT in her new Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series. I loved it!

This series is off to a wonderful start! Ms. Johnston has once again written a good solid mystery, with very enjoyable characters. And once again, her love for animals shines through.

I really enjoyed the idea a the profession for the protagonist. Owning her own pet food bakery is so cool. I would be in a place like that all the time for my pup!

If you're a fan of Linda O. Johnston's other titles, you are going to love BITE THE BISCUIT as much as I did!

www.escapewithdollycas.com

Click on the above link for a full list of tour participants.

About the autor

Linda O. Johnston's first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 39 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. She currently writes the Superstition Mysteries and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and also writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.

Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com and friend her on Facebook.

Construction underway! 

(Means I'm playing catch up)

I'll be back Tuesday, May 12!

BLOG TOUR

and

GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited to be a stop on 

author Monica Shaughnessy's blog tour for

THE TELL-TAIL HEART

Book 1 in the Cattarina Mystery series

The untold story behind Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Philadelphia, 1842: Poe's cat, Cattarina, becomes embroiled in a killer's affairs when she finds a clue to the crime - a glass eye. But it's only when her beloved "Eddy" takes an interest that she decides to hunt down the madman. Her dangerous expedition takes her from creepy Eastern State Penitentiary to Rittenhouse Square where she runs into a gang of feral cats intent on stopping her.

As the mystery pulls Cattarina deeper into trouble, even Eddy becomes the target of suspicion. Yet she cannot give up the chase. Both her reputation as a huntress and her friend's happiness are at stake. For if she succeeds in catching the Glass Eye Killer, the missing pieces of Eddy's unfinished story will fall into place, and the Poe household will once again experience peace. 

Full of Victorian wit and rich detail, this cozy cat mystery is a fictional account of Edgar Allan Poe's real-life animal companion. Fans of historical and animal mysteries are sure to like this series.

Available now!

Author Monia Shaughnessy is giving away one 

e-Book copy of 

THE TELL-TAIL HEART

Enter for a chance to win 

using the Rafflecopter form below. 

A word from author 

Monica Shaughnessy

Dangerous Digging: Why It’s Murder to Research Cozies

I have a confession. I know way too much about the three Ds: death, danger, and dismemberment. As a mystery author, I have to understand how to kill and/or maim people. In detail. In great detail. And I find most of this information on the internet. I lay awake at night, wondering if the FBI will someday pull records of my browsing history. If they do, what will they find? Pages and pages of bright little gems like, obscure poisons of the nineteenth century, the best caliber weapon for ripping a man in half, religious cults and mass murders, the rate of decomposition, and my personal favorite, eye socket wounds. Ick.

I am not alone in this. A friend and fellow author told me that after days of researching serial killers, her husband begged her to write “a happy book next time.” I can only imagine their dinner conversations!

Luckily, cozy readers have nothing to fear reading my books. They carry just enough detail to be authentic, but leave out the unsavory parts most of us find unsettling. And yet translating this to the page is not without peril. After a day of digging, it’s hard NOT to reframe things in a grisly perspective.

Husband: I ordered a new chainsaw. Can’t wait to use it this weekend.

Me: Unless I use it on you first.

Husband: Er, I’ll be in the garage. Hiding the chainsaw.

My Kid: This bread’s a little dry.

Me: Don’t choke. Did you know 2,500 people a year die from choking?

My Kid: Cough, cough. I’ll have the hotdog without the bun. Thanks.

My Friend: We finalized our will last week. What a relief.

Me: Now you’re free to kill your husband whenever you like.

My Friend: Check, please.

All kidding aside, well some kidding aside, I’ve always been fascinated by the macabre. So when I began researching my series, the Cattarina Mysteries, I stumbled onto new Victorian approaches to murder, and their flipside, crime detection. Before the formal organization of a citywide police force, it must’ve been terribly easy for a criminal to evade detection in Philadelphia or any other early American city.

In my books, I fictionalize Edgar Allan Poe’s inspiration for stories like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” and “The Raven,” using his real-life companion, Cattarina, to solve the mysteries. But Mr. Poe drew real inspiration for “The Mystery of Marie Roget” (the sequel to “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”) from a real life murder in New York.

I often wonder what Mr. Poe would’ve researched, given access to the World Wide Web. Today, though, I have only my own bloody internet bookmarks to draw from, and what a tale they tell.

The first two books in the Cattarina Mysteries collection, The Tell-Tail Heart and The Black Cats, are available now. The third book in the series, The Raven of Liberty, will be available in June.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

Click on the above link for a full list of tour participants.

Check at the other stops for more chances to win and e-Book copy.

Monica Shaughnessy has a flair for creating characters and plots larger than her home state of Texas. Most notably, she's the author of the Cattarina Mysteries, a cozy mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe's real-life cat companion. Ms. Shaughnessy has nine books in print, including two young adult suspense novels, a middle grade superhero novel, an Easter picture book, two cozy mysteries, and numerous short stories. Customers have praised her work time and again, calling it "unique and creative," "fresh and original," and "very well written." If you're looking for something outside the mainstream, you'll find it in her prose. When she's not slaying adverbs and tightening plots, she's walking her rescue dogs, goofing around with her family, or going back to the grocery store for the hundredth time because she forgot milk.

The best way to learn about her books is to join her mailing list, which can be found on her website: www.monicashaughnessy.com. You'll receive advance release notices, special discounts, and the occasional ARC (Advance Readers Copy).

Note from Lisa: My apologies to Monica Shaughnessy, Lori (Dollycas), and my readers. I was supposed to have a Review of THE TELL-TAIL HEART with today's post, but the evil stomach bug hit me (again) and I haven't been able to finish my review. I will be posting it at a later date.

I can say this much about THE TELL-TAIL HEART, is a fun and different spin on mysteries and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR

I'm very happy to be a stop on 

author Amanda Flower's blog tour for

THE FINAL REVEILLE

Book 1 in the Living History Museum Mystery series

As the director of Barton Farm, a living history museum, Kelsey Cambridge is underpaid and underappreciated, but she loves every minute of it. Determined to keep the struggling museum open, she plans to impress Barton Farm's wealthy benefactress, Cynthia Cherry, with a Civil War reenactment on the farm's grounds.

Unfortunately, the first shot in the battle isn't from a period soldier. It's from Cynthia's greedy nephew, Maxwell, who fires a threat at Kelsey to cut the museum's funding. The next morning, things go from bad to worse when Kelsey discovers Maxwell dead. Now Kelsey is the number one suspect, and she must start her own investigation.

Available now!

Amazon tinyurl.com/otahn3s
B&N tinyurl.com/pbuq98p
Indiebound tinyurl.com/lrtck8h

Barton Farm Rice Pudding

By Amanda Flower

The Final Reveille released this month, and it’s my first mystery in the Living History Museum Mystery Series. The series is about a fictional living history museum and farm in Ohio. The first novel takes place during a Civil War reenactment on the Farm. Unfortunately, one of the attendees to the reenactment is found dead, and now single mom and museum director, Kelsey Cambridge, has to find the killer before her museum is ruined by the scandal.

Although the novel takes place in the present day, I had to extensive research on the Civil War and Civil War reenactments to get my facts right for the novel. I couldn’t have my reenactors walking around in the wrong regiment uniforms. As a librarian, I love research, and for this series, I particularly enjoyed researching the Civil War era foods. A popular dessert during the 1860s was rice pudding. I hope you will enjoy this recipe!

Recipe for Barton Farm Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice

1/3 cup of sugar

4 quarts of milk

4 tbsp. butter, diced

dash of salt

1/2 cup raisins

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and allow it to sit for half hour, so that rice can soak up the milk. Bake mixture in baking dish at 275 degrees F for 2-3 hours. Stir twice during the first hour at 20 minute mark and 40 minute mark.

Serves four. Serve hot or cold.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

Click on the above link for a full list of tour participants.

Amanda Flower, a three time Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes as National Bestselling Author Isabella Alan.

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