Monday, October 3, 2016

BOOK TOUR


I'm thrilled to be a the first stop on the 
blog tour for 
CREPE FACTOR
Book 14 in the Scrapbooking Mysteries
by Laura Childs
with Terrie Farley Moran


The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace...
 
The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.
 
The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.
 
Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon...

 
Scrapbooking tips and recipes included!


*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

Prize will be shipped after October 16
at the end of the tour.
This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.
Enter using the Rafflecopter form 
at the end of this post to win a wonderful prize. 

Interview With Laura Childs

LKBR: Thank you for being here today, Laura

LC: It’s my pleasure! Thanks for having me.


LKBR: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

LC: Probably when I hit high school. I started writing short stories and even had a few published. But I didn’t become a full-time author right away, I spent 25 years in advertising first, honing my skills at writing radio and TV commercials. Then I started writing mysteries and, 38 books later, I’m still going strong.


LKBR: What was your inspiration for this series?

LC: The idea for the Scrapbooking Mysteries just popped into my head one day when I noticed that scrapping, stamping, journaling, and all the related crafts had gotten super popular. I thought, “What a rich idea for a cozy series.”


LKBR: Do you ever get writer’s block?

LC: Not really. If I’m having trouble writing a scene, I figure I just don’t have enough information or quite know where I’m going with it. I just reset my brain by outlining the scene or chapter and then the words usually start coming.


LKBR: Do you have a favorite place to do your writing?

LC: Well, I have an office in my home. But it’s not my favorite place. When I shut myself in there, I know I have to produce.


LKBR: What is your writing schedule like? Do you write a certain number of hours a day, or go by word count?

LC: I usually start working at nine in the morning and go until six at night. I get all my business taken care of first, and then I buckle down to write a good ten or twelve pages.


LKBR: What is the hardest part of writing? What is the easiest part?

LC: The hardest part is writing the last three chapters of a book. You want to give your readers a rip-roaring ending, bring the bad guy (or girl) to justice, and tie up all the loose ends. The easiest part? There is no easy part.


LKBR: Do you have plans for a new series?

LC: I already write the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries, and then I snuck in my brand new Afton Tangler Thriller Series, so writing 3 or 4 books a year takes up all the time I have.


LKBR: What are three things you want your readers to know about you?

LC:
1)    I take writing very seriously – writing is a craft that takes years to master (and I’m still working at it!)
2)     I’m a professional writer who tries to gut out funny, thrilling ideas every single day – because there are no shortcuts.
3)    I write to entertain my readers. I know that my books compete with TV, NASCAR, shopping, cat videos, pro sports, casinos, kid’s soccer, etc. So I work very hard to give my readers hours of entertainment that will transport them to a completely different world.

LKBR: Thank you so much for letting us get to know you better!

LC: Thank you so much!


MY REVIEW


Another wonderfully crafted installment in the Scrapbooking Mystery series!

While still semi-new to the Scrapbooking Mysteries, I’ve really enjoyed the few I have read. CREPE FACTOR is a brilliant addition to this wonderful series! I was glued to my chair the entire time I was reading, finishing the book in one setting!

Author Laura Childs is a superb writer and is now joined in writing this series with another of my favorite authors, Terrie Farley Moran! They make a perfect fit for sure. Reading the books, you’d never know two writers were contributing. The quality storytelling in CREPE FACTOR is of a standard that many authors can only hope to achieve.

The murder in this story happens early into the book. With a twist you don’t often see, the victim was still alive when discovered . . . but not for long. And when protagonist Carmela agrees to help the accused murderer, it puts a strain on her relationship with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, because the accused is Camela’s former flame.

From the first page all the way through to the reveal, CREPE FACTOR       was packed with all the elements readers look for in a stellar mystery. Returning fans are going to love this latest book.  

Grab your own copy and be prepared for quite a ride!

When you’re done reading the story, don’t stop reading the book or you’ll miss out on crafting tips, recipes, and an excerpt from Laura Childs new Cackleberry Club Mystery, EGG DROP DEAD, coming in December 2016!

About Laura Childs


Laura Childs is the pen name of Gerry Schmitt, who worked in advertising for 30 years before turning to fiction. She and her younger sister were raised in rural Minnesota by her father ho worked as a contractor and also served for a time as mayor, and her mother who was heavily involved in the Girl Scouts. She graduated from the University of Minnesota and became a writer for Target before embarking on a long and illustrious career in advertising. Thanks to the support of her husband, she was able to take a break from her career to write her first novel, and now she writes full-time. 

Childs’ inspiration for the teas described in her Tea Shop Mystery novesl comes from her travels to Asia, including visits to Japan, Indonesia and China. Her husband, Dr Poor, is an Asian art enthusiast and his passion has also influenced many of Childs’ works. 

Laura Childs has come up with her own word to describe the genre that she writes, referring to her works as ‘thrillzies’: a combination between a thriller and a cosy read. She is proud of the characters and settings that she creates in her works as well as the fast-paced plots. She often includes suggestions for parties and entertainment along with recipes and ideas in with her fiction. Her most successful series, The Tea Shop Mysteries, are set in a tea shop and introduce her readers to all sorts of ideas about new teas to try and recipes for cakes and snacks.

About Terrie Farley Moran


Terrie Farley Moran is the nationally bestselling author of the Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series including the Agatha Award winning Well Read, Then Dead, Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death. Her short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and numerous anthologies. "A Killing at the Beausoleil" the short story prequel to the Read 'Em and Eat mysteries was published in EQMM in November 2015 and has been nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. You can find Terrie on Facebook or on her website at www.terriefarleymoran.com

GOOD LUCK!

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8 comments:

  1. I love these book tours. At each stop I learn a little more about the book or the author.

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  2. Thanks, Lisa. Sounds like Laura and Terrie make a great team. Plus, such a long-running series! Happy Monday, to you.

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  3. Laura Childs and I are so happy to be visiting Lisa Kelley today. Don't forget to enter the rafflecopter drawing for the chance to win a free copy of Crepe Factor.

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  4. I LOVE this series, both for the mysteries as well as for the recipes and crafting tips!

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  5. The books sound great. I can't wait to read them

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  6. Another great book from two great authors. Can't wait to read "Crepe Factor".

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  7. This sounds so good would love to read and leave reviews!

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