BOOK TOUR

I'm so happy to be a stop on the 

blog tour for author

Judy Penz Sheluk

and her new book

A HOLE IN ONE

Book 2 in the Glass Dolphin Mysteries

Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

📚📖📚📖📚

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

Winner will be chosen after April 30

at the end of the tour

1 lucky reader will win a digital copy of

A HOLE IN ONE

USA only

Enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

Interview with Judy

LKBR:  Thank you for being here today, Judy!

JPS: Thank you for hosting me!

LKBR: Please tell us a bit about the Glass Dolphin Mysteries.

JPS: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries are centered around the Glass Dolphin, an antiques shop on the historic Main Street of Lount’s Landing, a small town named for real life Canadian politician who was hanged for treason in the 19^th century. The first book, THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE is titled after the town’s local pub (the owner is a history buff). The second book, just released in March 2018, is A HOLE IN ONE, and the title is a play on words – the owners of the Glass Dolphin are sponsoring a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament and stumble upon a corpse in the woods with a single gunshot hole in his chest.

LKBR: How did you come up with the concept for this series? How about the idea for A HOLE IN ONE?

JPS: I’ve been the Senior Editor of NEW ENGLAND ANTIQUES JOURNAL (NEAJ - www.antiquesjournal.com) since 2007, so antiques are in my DNA. I wanted a strong, smart, female protagonist. Ironically, it was Emily Garland, a freelance journalist from Toronto who comes to town under the guise of editing the town paper, was the protagonist in book 1. In book 2, she takes a back seat to Arabella Carpenter, owner of the Glass Dolphin. I’m working on book 3 and they will share the limelight.

In addition to being Senior Editor at NEAJ, I’ve been a freelance writer since 2003, so I suppose you could say that both Emily and Arabella have some of me in them. And I love to golf. The idea for A HOLE IN ONE came to me while golfing. I’m always “what iffing” ideas.

LKBR: Do you have a favorite character in your book/series?

JPS: I love Arabella Carpenter! She’s smart and feisty and flawed and she’s still madly in love with her ex-husband, Levon Larroquette. Levon’s an antiques picker by trade, and to say their relationship was complicated would be an understatement. Anyway, I liked Arabella so much that I gave her a minor role in my Marketville Mysteries series (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC). Her motto is Authenticity Matters. Isn’t that a great motto to live by?

LKBR: Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love, action, death, etc?

JPS: Romance! I’m the least romantic person on the planet— just ask my husband, Mike, who has pretty much given up on me, at least as far as romance goes. Here’s an example – we got married on Friday the 13^th, and on our 13^th anniversary we thought we should do something special. So we booked the same chalet we’d rented for our honeymoon. When we got home, I called my mom, who reminded me we’d only been married 12 years!

LKBR: In your writing, have you ever used experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

JPS: Oh yes. Everything in a writer’s life is grist for the mill, albeit greatly fictionalized or exaggerated. My favorite story is LIVE FREE OR DIE (In my collection of short stories, LIVE FREE OR TRI). It’s based on a true-life experience with an older man when I was just 21 years old. Let’s just say that “Jack” is probably still alive somewhere … but not in my story! So cathartic, writing that one.

LKBR: When you’re in the process of writing/creating a book, do you use a computer, typewriter, dictate, or use pen to paper?

JPS: I write on my computer in my home office. Can’t imagine laptopping it in a coffee shop. I always have a notebook and pen handy, and scribble ideas when they come to me…or names. I’m always scribbling ideas for names. If I don’t write it down when it comes to me, it’s gone forever.

LKBR: Do you have any writing quirks or rituals that you do before, during, and/or after writing a new book?

JPS: I write to talk radio. I can write in silence, but prefer that talk radio in the background, which probably comes from working in a corporate environment for years. I even listen to those infomercial-type of programs on the weekends and you know, it’s come in handy. When I had a question about how a workplace accident insurance claim might be handled, I emailed one of those program hosts, and he was massively helpful.

LKBR: What does your family think about your writing? How important is their support?

JPS: My husband, Mike, is hugely supportive – in fact, he paid for my first Creative Writing course as a birthday gift back in 2000. He’s also my first beta reader, and trust me, he finds the niggliest things. My mom was so proud of me, but she passed away in September 2016. She was actually handing out my bookmarks to the doctors and nurses in the hospital. I like to think she’s handing them out in heaven, now. I really miss her.

LKBR: Who/What inspired you to write your first book?  

JPS: It’s something I always said I would do “one day.” And then, in June 2008, I was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. After I got through treatment, I thought: If I don’t do this now, when will I do it? I started by taking a Fiction Writing Certificate Program from Gotham Writing School. It took three years to complete all the courses (I took extra courses in Mystery writing). It really helped to hone my skills for fiction (since my past experience was writing for magazines) and it also prepared me for the hard work of writing a book. I started NOOSE on Christmas Eve 2011 – I had 2 weeks off my various freelance jobs and didn’t intend to waste a moment. I wrote the first draft in about eight months, but there were a few drafts after that.

LKBR: What was one of the most surprising thing(s) you learned when trying to get your first book published?

JPS: That all my years as a freelance writer (having built a very good reputation) and as Senior Editor of NEAJ didn’t mean a thing to agents and publishers. There was a lot of rejection but I didn’t give up. I remember reading that Kathryn Stockett (THE HELP) was rejected 61 times and that gave me some comfort. I mean, that book was brilliant.

LKBR: What book are you reading?

JPS: Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton. I’m really going to miss her. I’ve read every one of her books. I even wrote a tribute to her on my blog. http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/2018/01/04/remembering-sue-grafton/

LKBR: Do you have any advice for aspiring cozy writers?

JPS: I always quote Agatha Christie when I’m asked this question: “There was a moment when I changed from an amateur to a professional. I assumed the burden of a profession, which is to write even when you don’t want to, don’t much like what you’re writing, and aren’t writing particularly well.”

LKBR: Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books? 

Amazon: http://authl.it/9f0

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hole-in-one-judy-penz-sheluk/1127967500?ean=2940158640827

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-hole-in-one-3

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judy_Penz_Sheluk_A_Hole_in_One?id=IERMDwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/a-hole-in-one/id1350574649?mt=11

Barking Rain Press: https://barkingrainpress.org/a-hole-in-one/ - 1473022241950-de2dbbf6-9e98

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

JPS: Thank you for asking.

About the Author

Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE and A HOLE IN ONE) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC). Judy’s short crime fiction appears is several collections. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario. Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.

  Author Links 

Website http://www.judypenzsheluk.com 

Facebook https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/?business_id=736294013145101 

Twitter https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk 

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8602696.Judy_Penz_Sheluk

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ca/judypenzsheluk/ 

Publisher https://barkingrainpress.org/judy-penz-sheluk/ 

 Purchase Links 

Amazon  Barking   Rain   Press   B&N  Kobo 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 17 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
April 18 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
April 19 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 20 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – T's Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 22 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
April 23 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 24 – cherylbbookblog – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 24 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 25 – Books Direct – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 26 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW
April 27 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 28 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 29 – Laura's Interests – SPOTLIGHT
April 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

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