Today I'm so excited to have author
Larissa Reinhart
spending the day with us.
Larissa is so excited over the release of her new book,
17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR TREE
that she wanted to celebrate with us!
Larissa will spend the day answering questions from you! Just leave your question in the comments section, and Larissa will respond.
(Please keep in mind, 1)Your comment needs to be a question to Larissa, and 2) I moderate all comments (Not because of my readers, but because of Spammers who weigh the blog down with ads, scams, and junk) so, your questions won't appear right away, nor will Larissa's answers. I'll check back often in the day and try to get them posted as fast as possible.)
RING IN ANOTHER YEAR WITH THE “FRESH, FUNNY, AND FIESTY STAR DETECTIVE”
Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Maltese Falcon in this Maizie Albright Star Detective New Year’s Eve action & adventure-styled, humorous, romantic crime caper from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Larissa Reinhart.
“The mystery and detective cases drive the story, but Larissa Reinhart’s characters steal the show every time.” — The Girl with Book Lungs
This New Year’s Eve, Maizie Albright’s happy to leave aside her Hollywood alde lang syne for the sake of a new life with family and friends in Black Pine, Georgia. There are so many reasons to celebrate.
A new home with her father’s family
Her new career as an assistant private investigator to hunky Wyatt Nash.
A new love life with hunky Wyatt Nash…
However, a new career and home mean responsibilities. Like getting called in on a case on New Year’s Eve day. And babysitting Remi, her half-sister (and possibly half-Tasmanian devil) while her dad's out of town. What’s a private investigator in training to do?
Make New Year’s Eve day “take your sister to work day.”
But when a woman arrives at Nash Security Solutions, asking about an old movie prop Maizie had given to her father, her New Year’s Eve gets crazier than Times Square at midnight. Before champagne toasts and the Big Peach drops, Maizie has twelve hours to reprise her most detested role to protect her family from old acquaintances best forgot and never brought to mind. Will these ruthless villains pop Maizie’s cork before the clock strikes twelve? Or worse yet, drop the ball on her sister?
!!!GIVEAWAY!!!
One lucky commenter will win a
$10.00 Amazon Gift Card
and
Maizie Albright swag!
(You can ask as many questions as you'd like, but please ask them in the same comment. Please one comment only)
Questions must be received by
11:59 pm (EST) Thursday the 19.
Winner will be announced here.
So check back Friday 20!
17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR
TREE
release day
Larissa Reinhart
Thanks so much for celebrating my release with me today and
thanks to Lisa K for hosting! I’m thrilled to bring you this “between cases”
novella from the Maizie Albright Star Detective series.
In actuality, I wasn’t supposed to write this book. I was
supposed to be writing her next book, 18 CALIBER. Which was what I had been
doing when I got this idea…
Let me back up.
How many of y’all are RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK fans? When I was in
high school ( and college) (and now, possibly), I was in love with Indiana
Jones. He and my Grandpa inspired me to study ancient art history and
archaeology in college.
Anybody else Indiana Jones’s secret love? ;)
I wanted to be Marion Ravenwood. I loved her spunk. I loved her
grit. I loved her ability to outdrink men. She could flirt and she could fight.
She was the coolest heroine I’d ever seen. Plus Indy Jones was her guy. Who
wouldn’t want to be Marion Ravenwood?
So while writing 18 CALIBER, I got this idea about letting Maizie
play Marion Ravenwood. Sort of. Maizie is no Marion. Maizie doesn’t drink and
the only fighting she knows is stage kung fu from her days playing the preteen
heroine, Kung Fu Kate. In fact, most of Maizie’s pluck and determination comes from
characters she’s played as a child and teen actress. However, she is slowly
realizing (with Nash’s help) that her characters’ courage and cleverness comes
from inside her and not the other way around.
When I got the idea for 17.5 CARTRIDGES, I couldn’t resist using
Raiders of the Lost Ark themes in the plot. I’d love to know if you can spot
the scenes because 17.5 CARTRIDGES doesn’t take place in Egypt, it’s New Year’s
Eve day in the North Georgia mountain resort town of Black Pine.
Giveaway question:
Who’s Your Favorite Spunky Heroine?
Giveaway:3 winners will win a Dixie Kreme Donut coaster (Lamar’s donut shop which is
below Nash & Maizie’s private investigations office) and a $5 Starbucks
card (so you can get a coffee with your donut), plus some other goodies.
About 17.5 Cartridges in a Pear Tree:
RING
IN ANOTHER YEAR WITH THE “FRESH, FUNNY, AND FIESTY STAR DETECTIVE”
Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Maltese Falcon
in this Maizie Albright Star Detective New Year’s Eve action & adventure-styled,
humorous, romantic crime caper from Wall Street Journal bestselling
author Larissa Reinhart.
“The mystery and detective cases drive the story,
but Larissa Reinhart’s characters steal the show every time.” — The Girl
with Book Lungs
This New Year’s Eve, Maizie Albright’s happy to leave aside her
Hollywood alde lang syne for the sake of a new life with family and friends
in Black Pine, Georgia. There are so many reasons to celebrate.
A new home with her father’s family.
Her new career as an assistant private investigator
to hunky Wyatt Nash.
A new love life with hunky Wyatt Nash…
However, a new career and home mean
responsibilities. Like getting called in on a case on New Year’s Eve day. And
babysitting Remi, her half-sister (and possibly half-Tasmanian devil) while her
dad's out of town. What’s a private investigator in training to do?
Make New Year’s Eve “take your sister to work
day.”
But when a woman arrives at Nash Security Solutions,
asking about an old movie prop Maizie had given to her father, her New Year’s
Eve gets crazier than Times Square at midnight. Before champagne toasts and the
Big Peach drops, Maizie has twelve hours to reprise her most detested role to
protect her family from old acquaintances best forgot and never brought to
mind. Will these ruthless villains pop Maizie’s cork before the clock strikes
twelve? Or worse yet, drop the ball on her baby sister?
For a fun and wacky holiday adventure, catch up with
Maizie and Nash and download 17.5 Cartridges today!
Links:
Maizie Albright Star Detective Series
• 15 MINUTES
• 16 MILLIMETERS
• NC-17
• A VIEW TO A CHILL
• 17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A
PEAR TREE
• 18 CALIBER (2020)
Other series by Larissa
Reinhart:
A Cherry Tucker Mystery
series
Finley Goodhart Crime Capers
About Larissa
A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie
Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series as well as
romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She loves to tell funny stories about
Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong
places.
Her books have been chosen as book club picks by Woman's
World Magazine and Hot Mystery Reviews. They've also been finalists for
Georgia Author of the Year, the Silver Falchion, the Daphne du Maurier Award,
The Emily Award, and Dixie Kane Memorial. Her work also appeared in the 2017
Silver Falchion Reader’s Choice winner, Eight Mystery Writers You Should Be
Reading Now.
You might have seen Larissa and family with their
little dog, Biscuit, on HGTV's House Hunters International "Living
for the Weekend in Nagoya" episode, but they’re back in Georgia now. Visit
LarissaReinhart.com to learn more.
An excerpt from 17.5 Cartridges in a Pear Tree:
Remi slid through the French doors,
then tiptoed toward the tree, shimmied under my arm, and leaned against me.
"What are you looking at?" She cocked her head, studying the tree.
"I love Christmas trees," I
said. "Some people might think it's weird to have a tree full of hunting
ornaments, but it reminds me of Daddy, so I like it."
"That's why we each get a
tree," said Remi. "But mine's not weird."
I held back my thoughts on her
ornament hanging methods. "Your mom's kitchen tree is super cute with all
the metal cookie cutters hanging on it."
"Usually she hangs cookies on it,
but they got eaten this year." Remi patted me. "It's okay. Next year,
you'll know better."
A piece of wood popped in the fire,
and above us the doorbell chimed a heavy gong. I shrieked and Remi jumped,
landing on my foot. Wincing, I freed my foot from beneath her boot heel.
"Is it Mr. Nash?" she said.
"Maybe." But I had a feeling
he was in a hurry to return to the office to learn more about the client who
wanted my bullet necklace. I checked the monitor by the door. A group of three
men stood on the porch.
"That's not Nash. How'd they get
to the front door? The gates should be closed." I immediately regretted my
words.
"The alarms." Remi's voice
pitched to a high whine. "You didn't turn them on and now the Grinch is
here. He must've heard about my trap."
"It's not the Grinch." But I
had turned the alarm on. I peered at the dark system panel.
"Oh, good,” said Remi.
I spun around, too late. Remi had
already opened the door. It creaked, swinging wide, and an eddy of snow blew in
on an icy gust. A middle-aged man in a wool trilby and trench coat crossed the
threshold. Two men had flanked him, and as he moved forward, they filled the
doorway behind him. Involuntarily, I slid backward and pushed Remi behind me,
holding her with my left arm. I hesitated, glancing at where the open door
rested against the wall. It felt impolite to walk over to grasp the handle,
particularly with Remi now clinging to my waist.
"Good day, Miss Albright."
The man had an odd accent I couldn't place. "I'm a big fan."
"Thank you, but I don't—"
Moving forward, he held out a gloved
hand for me to shake. "I'm Rudolph Gentz. I am sorry to show up on New
Year's Eve, but I need your help."
"He's not Rudolph. It's the
Grinch," whispered Remi, peeking around my back. "His skin is green.”
Beneath the gray herringbone trilby,
his chalky complexion almost looked green. His pallor made a startling contrast
to his dark eyes. Despite his pastiness, he was tall and solidly built. But it
wasn't his size that dominated. The air seemed to vibrate around him. His presence
seemed to fill the room.
I gripped Remi's arm. "What do
you want, Mr. Gentz?"
"May I?" Not waiting for my
reply, Gentz strode into the foyer to warm himself by the fire. His cohorts
followed, shutting the door behind them. Facing the fireplace, he said,
"It's so chilly outside. But the sun should be out soon."
Shocked by his presumptuousness, I
floundered for words.
"Is your father home, Miss
Albright?" said Gentz, slowly pulling off his gloves. He shoved them in
his pocket and turned from the fireplace.
"No, come back later," said
Remi.
"She means he'll be back
later." I pressed Remi closer. "Did you need to talk to my dad? Are
you a business associate?"
"I hope to do business with him.
I want to purchase something from him, at a very good price."
"Today? It's New Year's Eve. Kind
of a holiday?"
"It can't wait. My employer wants
it very badly. Before the clock strikes twelve, so to speak. So he sent me all
they way to Georgia to see if I could retrieve this special gift. He just
learned you might have it. As it’s still morning, I think it shouldn’t be a
problem getting it to him in time."
Remi popped her head from behind my
back. "Why didn't he get it for Christmas? Is it because his heart is two
sizes too small?"
Gentz forced a raspy heh-heh-heh
chuckle. "Very cute, this one."
"What is this thing your employer
wants?" I dreaded the answer. Was he also working for Ms. Wonderly's ogre
of a boss?
"The same thing Mr. Wyatt Nash's
client wants. Surely, you suspected there'd be other interested parties."
Gentz smiled, showing his teeth. He could do the fake smile, unlike Nash,
although Gentz's was creepier. "I understand you gave it to your father a
long time ago. Perhaps you know where he keeps it?"
What was going on with that necklace?
It was just eighteen long, brass bullets, each tied to the woven leather cord.
Heavy as Hades when you wore it paired with a bandolier of bullets and a rocket
launcher on a frigid soundstage that was mostly green screen.
To be honest, although I'd told Nash
all that stuff about not wanting the necklace to become a symbol of vigilante
violence, I'd mostly wanted to keep it as that special father-daughter gift it
was meant to be.
This was what happened when I tried to
sound intelligent instead of honest.
"Why now?"
"The fifth anniversary of Warhead
Girl is New Year's Day. It also marks the year the story was set. The
writer thought a cataclysmic event would happen tomorrow."
"You know your movie facts,"
I said. "But you have some trivia confused. The comic it was based on was
written about fifty years ago. The screenwriter kept the original date, even
though it didn't make much sense that within five years, a country called Nuke
would begin a global war."
Gentz chortled his disturbing
heh-heh-heh giggle. "Yes, the Supreme Commander. My favorite
character."
Weirdo. The Supreme Commander was a
fanatical evil dictator. "I meant why are you looking for the necklace
today? Why not a year, or a month ago, or even yesterday?"
"Perhaps you aren't aware that in
recent entertainment news, another studio has announced they are making the
sequel. Someone told reporters this sweet story about you giving your father
the necklace."
"I no longer pay attention to
that sort of gossip. Usually it’s not true.” I lifted my chin.
"That's unfortunate. Your father
still has the bullet necklace, though?"
"I knew it. He's here for the
decorations. I've got to save the roast beast," screamed Remi, ripping
away from my hold. She charged down the hallway.
"Remi," I called, then
stopped. Hopefully, she'd lock herself in her room and I'd calm her down later.
Gentz nodded at the two men. They'd
remained so quiet I'd almost forgotten them. Henchmen. They were too skulky and
lurky in their winter trench coats to be business associates.
The shorter of the two men — Igor,
if there ever was one — jerked his head. The taller — Must be Oddjob
— followed him down the hall to the back of the house. The same direction in
which Remi had just proceeded.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"We're retrieving your sister for
you. For her safety." Before I could make sense of his words, Gentz
grabbed my arm and plucked my phone from my back pocket. "Now go get the
necklace."
Start asking Larissa your quesitions!
Please just remember . . .
1. I moderate all comments (Not because of my readers, but because of Spammers who weigh the blog down with ads, scams, and junk) so, your questions won't appear right away, nor will Larissa's answers. I'll check back often in the day and try to get them posted as fast as possible.
2. Your comment needs to be a question.
Questions must be received by
11:59 pm (EST) Thursday the 19.
3. Winner will be announced here.
So check back Friday 20!
Have fun!
As always, please leave a comment and
let me know what you think!
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