Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

Today my very special guest is the author of a brand new cozy mystery series, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries. But Victoria is not a brand new author, this may be her first venture into the cozy genre but she has written several bestselling romance novels. I am thrilled to welcome her today to tell us about her crossover to the genre that I absolutely love! Help yourself to a cup of tea and join me in welcoming Victoria.

Hi  Victoria!!

Hi Everyone!

The Ultimate Game of Pretend
By: Victoria Hamilton

A couple of years ago I approached a wonderful agent, one I was hoping to interest enough that she would represent me as an author. I had a mystery series idea, and had already written one book, and was a good way though a second in that series. I was devastated – crushed! – when she read my proposal, but just didn’t find it compelling enough to offer me representation. And then she went on hiatus, and was not accepting proposals for about five months. Ack!!

I was sending around to other agents, but not a one of them was my ‘dream’ agent like Jessica was (and still is). So I did something rare for an author. I asked for – and took! – her advice. Read some of the ‘first in a cozy series’ books by authors she represented, she told me. And I did. I read Hannah Reed, Sarah Atwell, Betty Hechtman, Joyce and Jim Lavene, Sheila Connolly and many others.

And I got it!! I finally got it.

To create a cozy mystery series that people would love, I had to take something I was passionate about and find a way to incorporate it into a set of characters and a town that was both fun and entertaining. I created a concept, wrote a proposal, presented it to my dream agent, and voila! She loved it as much as I did. Within weeks I had a three book contract with Berkley Prime Crime, my dream publisher.

That was how my Vintage Kitchen Mystery series was born. I’ve been collecting vintage kitchen stuff since… well, since the stuff wasn’t even vintage. I have some of my mom’s Pyrex refrigerator dishes, old tablecloths, and even her handwritten recipe book from way back when. Since then I’ve added to my collection with a set of Primary Colors Pyrex bowls, bought one piece at a time so it cost me less than a whole set. I have vintage cutlery, Depression glass bowls, old cookbooks… more than I really should have.

Then I imagined a town I’d like to live in, one where Americans and Canadians could mingle. And so Queensville, Michigan popped onto the map along the St. Clair River, which is the border between Michigan and Ontario. I invented an island – Heartbreak Island – with an interesting history, and a neighboring Canadian town, Johnsonville. I built an old yellow brick house in Queensville, and peopled it with a youngish vintage collector – Jaymie Leighton – and her two fur friends, Hoppy, a three-legged Yorkie-Poo of indomitable character, and Denver, the crabby tabby.

And then I let Jaymie loose, looking for that big, elusive prized piece on which to display some of her collection, a Hoosier kitchen cabinet. Jaymie went to an auction, and guess what she found… a Hoosier cabinet! Being a writer is wonderful, like an extended version of that favorite childhood game of ‘Pretend’. Do you remember that? It was my favorite. While other little girls may have treated their dolls like their babies, I treated them all like characters in a story, and made up lives for them.

And I guess I’m still doing that today. Being a writer is the ultimate game of pretend!

Book 1 of my Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, A Deadly Grind, is now out, and I am thrilled with the reception… readers seem to love it! Book Two, Bowled Over, will be published in February of next year.

When I thought of writing another series, guess what? I realized another collecting passion of mine would come in handy!! I love and adore and collect teapots and teacups. So next year will also see the introduction of Book 1 of my Merry’s Muffins series, A Bran New Death.

This really is too much fun!
~::~Victoria

A Deadly Grind is the first book in Victoria Hamilton’s ‘Vintage Kitchen Mysteries’ cozy series. To learn more about the series, check out Victoria’s website: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com

Read an excerpt from A Deadly Grind, and check out the site for online availability of this and other Victoria Hamilton Mysteries.

Victoria, I am so happy you have been bitten by the cozy bug. You play the game of “pretend” very well .

Now let me me tell you why I loved this story!
A Deadly Grind
(A Vintage Kitchen Mystery)
Brand New Series!
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group

Cover Illustration by Tim O’Brien
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell

Jaymie Leighton lives in her parents nineteenth century yellow brick home. They have retired to a warmer climate and just visit during the summer. Her sister Rebecca visits on the weekends from London, Ontario, and together they hit the auctions and estate sales. They are both collectors. Jaymie collects vintage cookware and cookbooks. Rebecca china, tea cups and saucers. Rebecca is fifteen years older than Jaymie and sometimes seems like a second mother. She still thinks she knows what is best for Jaymie, but at 32 years of age Jaymie can make her own decisions.

Jayme decides to bid on Hoosier cabinet that made be a little worse for wear but she knows with a little elbow grease she will have a treasure. She outbids the other buyers and is thrilled to get her purchase home. Her sister, not so much. She thinks the house is full enough of Jaymie’s clutter. They get it home and leave it on the summer porch. They are exhausted from the day and enjoying their purchases can wait until morning.

But someone else had other ideas. Becca and Jaymie are woken up in the middle of night by noise downstairs. They are beside themselves when the find a dead body on the summer porch. They don’t recognize the man and even the police have a hard time identifying him. Why their house? Who is this guy? Jaymie needs to know. She starts to do just a little investigating. She had better be careful or she may be the one “who ends up going, going,…gone”.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I can identify this sibling relationship clearly. My sister is 12 years older than me and she too was like a second mom. We are close today but there have been times when she has made me so mad, thinking she knows best.

Before my accident I loved to attend auctions and estate sales. I was just like Jaymie. I would have killed, not literally, for a Hoosier like the one in this story. Our home has been cluttered over the years with my “finds”. This story hit home for me, really struck my heart.

Jaymie and I could be friends, we would be hitting the sales. Becca would probably be friends with my sister

The setting of these mysteries is really brilliant. Fictional Heartbreak Island between Michigan and Ontario where both American and Canadian tourists arrive for a variety of celebrations is the perfect backdrop. In this installment, a “Tea With The Queen” fundraiser gives the tourists, residents, and suspects a place to gather.

The author has laid the great foundation for more books in this series, setting us up for many return visits to Heartbreak Island. I hope not too many hearts are broken but with cozy mysteries you never know who the next victim or suspect may be. I just know this author is going to give us a wonderful who-dun-it that will find us Bowled Over!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Victoria for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 30, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

I am chair dancing today because if you are a follower of my blog you know I have been loving the Quilting Mysteries by Terri Thayer. The latest installment Monkey Wrenchwas released just yesterday. I was so happy to get a review copy! I was even happier when Terri said “yes” to guest posting here today.  So pull up a chair and help yourself to some virtual lemonade and help me  welcome Terri to Escape With Dollycas.

Welcome Terri! We are so glad you are here!

Hi Everyone!

Thank you Lori for inviting me.

“Get a gang.” That’s one of my favorite quotes on how to be happy from one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut.

I was reminded of how true that is while visiting Colorado. I have been here for a month at my mother’s place while she recovers from a broken hip. To get out of the house one day, I attended a meeting of the Quaking Aspen Quilt Guild as a visitor. Immediately, I felt right at home. Here was a gang of people just like me. Who loved the challenge of turning an idea, fabric and thread into a beautiful object. Who liked to talk sewing machines. Who thought spending hours and hours on a quilt project was normal. More than normal, necessary.

At home, I have plenty of gangs. My writing critique group. My book club. My out-to-lunch friends. My quilting buddies. My walking friends. Gangs keep my goals on track,  inspire me with their writing or quilting, make me laugh. Laughing cures everything.

During my time here in Boulder, I’ve found more “gangs.” At the YMCA. At the Boulder Bookstore. At the Shambala Meditation Center. Connecting with others

Dewey Pellicano, my protagonist in the Quilting Mystery series, found her gang on the most unlikely place, at Quilter Paradiso, the quilt shop she inherited from her mother. She was nearly thirty and had never quilted. That was her mother’s gig, not hers. To her surprise, she loved the quilters she met. Pearl and Ina gave her the mothering she was missing. Vangie and Ursula help her out with the business end. Her regular customers inspire and entertain her. And make her laugh.

Gangs can spring up in the most unlikely places. The Internet is a wonderful place to connect with like-minded folks. Sites like Dollycas’ provide us a place to mingle with others who love mysteries. In our outdoor life, the library, the coffee shop, the gym, even the produce aisle of the grocery store can help us link up with people we admire and want to spend time with.

So follow Kurt’s—and mine—advice and get a gang.

Tell me about the gangs you already belong to.
Leave a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing
to win my new book, Monkey Wrench.

 Thank you so much Terri!!!! I hope you will visit often! It would be wonderful to have you as part of my gang!!

About This Author
Terri Thayer is the author of seven mystery novels, including the latest Quilting Mystery, Monkey Wrench. She also wrote the Stamping Sisters Mysteries for Berkley/Penguin.
You can find her at the web on Facebook (Terri Thayer, author) or Twitter @territhayer.
Listen to an April 25th interview at Creative Mojo with Mark Lipiniski at http://www.toginet.com/shows/creativemojo.
Visit her website, http://www.territhayer.com to find out more about her unique serial Block of the Month, Tales of the Quilt Shop and Sugarplums.

Now for my review:

Monkey Wrench (A Quilting Mystery)
4th in Series
Midnight Ink
Published by Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Cover Illustration by Cheryl Chalmers – The July Group
Cover Design by Lisa Novak

It’s time for the annual Quilter’s Crawl and this year Quilters Paradiso (QP) is back on the map as part of the crawl. Over the weekend quilters will travel to 12 different quilt shops in the area for special bargains and prizes. Vangie from QP has even set up a Twitter promotion to help boost sales.

Getting everything set up and organized has been quite hectic as Vangie has college classes to work around and a new boyfriend. The store’s long time teacher Pearl is starting to fail a bit so she is not as much help as Dewey was hoping she would be.  Dewey will work day and night with her few available employees to make sure everything is just right.

While picking up more maps for the Crawl Dewey learns of a program at the college that places young men with elderly women call “Grand Son”.  They help around the house, run errands, help with medications. She thinks this maybe just the thing to help Pearl get back to where she was and teaching classes again.

Just days before the Crawl a riot breaks out on campus as law enforcement tries to crack down on the drug problem at the collage and Vangie’s new boyfriends dies from an overdose.

As if that’s not enough, one of the Twitter promotions sets off a stampede and a customer is killed.

These events have all put a huge Monkey Wrench into Dewey’s weekend plans. Now she has to untangle the clues and piece them back together to save her store and herself and her friends.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Terri packs her pages with drama, humor, a little romance and some wild characters. We were introduced to quite a group in this edition. All the shop owners for all the Quilter’s Crawl stores, one leader very set in her ways, a few of her followers stuck in the past and not open to new ideas and a few that have wanted to evolve but not had enough courage to buck the leader. Add Dewey to the mix and watch the sparks fly. Things don’t go exactly as planned but the group pushes forward together. They become quite a gang. I hope next year’s Quilter’s Crawl is a big success hopefully  without the dead bodies. With the crew you just never know.

I love that Freddy has a shop near QP and was integral in the story. I even enjoyed Kym in a small dose as she steps in to help at the shop.  Anyone that has ever remodeled anything will enjoy Dewey putting her brother through the paces to get a bathroom ready and operational before the big event.

The characters in these stories have become old friends, some I like more that others but they are all entertaining. The happenings at Quilters Paridiso are sometimes a long way from Paradise but I have enjoyed every single visit more than the last.  I am looking forward to my next trip to California already.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Terri is giving away a copy of Monkey Wrench (A Quilting Mystery) in a very easy giveaway!
Answer her question above in the comment section and one comment will win!
Giveaway Will End May 23rd at 11:59 p.m. CST

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


One of joys of blogging is getting to “meet” authors. You know how much I love to feature authors from my home state of Wisconsin. Last year another Wisconsin author Rochelle Staab recommended a book by Lesley called Whistling In The Dark and I fell hard for the characters and setting. The book brought back many of my childhood memories. Good Graces is the sequel to that book and it was released in paperback on May 1st. As soon as I heard about this release I contacted Lesley and I couldn’t believe she said “Yes!” when I asked her to drop by for a few questions. I did a little research and tried to come up with some good questions to ask her. I hope you agree as we get to know a little bit more about the author the writes these wonderful stories. I will post my review of Good Graces after we spend a little time with Lesley!

Hi Lesley!

Hi Everyone! It’s great to spend a little time here today!

1. Is it harder to write from a child’s perspective as an adult? You do it so well.

Thank you! The most important part is slipping on my little girl tennis shoes, so that I can write as authentically as I can. It’s important to me to get it right. I don’t find it difficult. Actually, pretty relaxing. Aren’t all of us adults just kids at heart?

2. How did you decide to visit Troo and Sally again, was it the original plan or did you decide there was more to their story that needed to be told?
I received so many wonderful emails from readers all over the world after Whistling In the Dark was released. Thankfully, they wanted more…more…more of the O’Malley sisters. My standard line was…Thank you, but no way. I’ll write a sequel over my dead body. Ha! After I had written Land of a Hundred Wonders and Tomorrow River, both novels set in the South, I got homesick and wanted to set my next book back in Wisconsin. I yearned to pay the old neighborhood another visit, but was worried that I would be unable to re-capture the characters voices and the setting, but when I sat down to write Good Graces, there my girls were…standing on a Vliet Street corner, blue transistor radio in hand, just waiting for me to show up.

3. You started out in music, what kind of music is your favorite? What would we find on you Ipod or in your CD player right now?

Gosh, depending on my mood…I like blues and R & B, country, and, of course, old school rock ‘n roll. The Dixie Chicks are on my player right now.

4. I can’t believe it, you were on Laverne and Shirley in the episode Take Two, They’re Small where Lenny and Squiggy set up Laverne and Shirley on dates with little people. I tried to find the episode, but no luck there. What part did you play? What was it like being on actress on television?
I guest-starred with another actress, Debbie White, on L & S. We played good-for-nothing sisters. It was fantastic fun. I love acting, but not as much as writing.

5. Can you give us some hints about you next book and when it will be coming out?
My next book is entitled THE MARE’S NEST. It’s a mother/daughter story set in the horse world. After I finish it up (almost) my agent will try to find an interested publisher. Once it’s been sold, it’ll take a little over a year for it to be released.

6. If you are ready to “escape into a good book” who are you reading?
There are so many authors I love! Tough to pick just one, so I’ll tell you what I’m reading now. Alexander McCall’s,The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Fabulous!

LIGHTNING ROUND

1. Favorite Ice Cream?
Chocolate

2. Favorite Color?
Blue

3. Favorite Restaurant?
Mama Mia’s Pizza, a childhood favorite.

4. Best thing about living in Wisconsin?
Hands down…the people. They’re one of a kind.

Thank you Lesley! I hope you will come back when you new book comes out or whenever you like. You have an open invitation to stop by and chat anytime!

To find out more about Lesley Kagen be sure to visit http://lesleykagen.com/

Now let me tell you about this book!!!

Good Graces
Dutton/New American Library
Published by The Penguin Group

Kagen takes us back to Milwaukee in this sequel to the National Bestseller Whistling In the Dark. One year has passed and Sally is still trying to deal with her escape from a child molester and murderer and the loss of her father. She promised her dad she would take care of her rebel sister Troo and keep her safe. Troo is not making the promise very easy to keep as she gets in trouble at school and sneaks out of their bedroom in the middle of the night.

The neighborhood is having a crime wave with several burglaries. Then an orphan boy goes missing and Troo’s arch enemy has escaped from reform school. Is Troo involved in these incidents? Is she going to hunt down the boy that escaped and try to get revenge? Is she the “cat burgler”? Sally will do anything to save her sister even if it means putting herself in danger.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Life through the eyes of a child. Lesley Kagen is a master at writing from these young viewpoints.

Funny from having to write the charitable story over the summer to turn in on the first day of school to Troo pretending she is French and wanting to be called “Leeze”, visits to the Latour house where they have so many kids an extra one or two is never noticed and the muu-muu wearing granny who looks like George Washington. The childhood games and songs, the old sayings we all heard time and time again going up like “when it rains it pours and “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

Sad as the zoo moves across town, dealing with the changes that have come about since their fathers death.

Mysterious as we learn there is something going on at the church.

Kagen takes us on a time back in time. I would love to be sitting with Ethel on the porch or go to all the happenings at the park.

This is a completely charming novel just like Whistling In the Dark. Wonderfully drawn characters with engaging stories that all blend together with perfect precision. I think this one is even better than its predecessor! Escape to Milwaukee 1960 this summer, you will be glad you made the trip!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin I have
one brand new paperback copy to give away.
U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Lesley to receive 5 more Bonus Entries!

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 18, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Welcome to a Special Thursday Edition of Cozy Wednesday!
There are so many wonderful books out this month and wonderful authors to visit with
I had to add an extra Wednesday.

Sofie writes the Magical Cats Mysteries but did you know Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of young adult writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. She is quite a versatile writer.Her latest book Copycat Killing hit the shelves Tuesday.  I am happy she is here today with us, as are my own not magical cats Sherlock and Professor Moriarty who look just like Hercules and Owen.  She answers some very interesting questions and if you are like me you are going to want more details on a couple of them, so be sure to leave a comment and maybe she will tell us a little more.

Hi Sofie!

Hi Everyone!!

A Dozen Questions for Sofie Kelly
(From the creative minds of my friends Jude and Sara.)

1. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I was an all-night, rock & roll disk jockey.

2. Have you ever been arrested?
No, but I have had a criminal background check done on me through Interpol. I’m not a secret European cat burglar. My daughter is adopted and it was part of the paperwork.

3. What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?
Getting herded out of Tienanmen Square by communist soldiers was pretty scary.

4. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
I was having some tests done at the hospital and I was in a small room changing into one of those gowns that ties in the back. After I’d put it on I turned around to discover that I had just…um…flashed the group of construction workers working outside because I’d forgotten to close the curtains. I was so embarrassed I stopped being nervous about the tests.

5. What’s one of your most annoying habits?
I apologize to inanimate objects. It drives my friends crazy. For instance, if I bump into the sofa I say, “I’m sorry.”

6. Do you have a “guilty pleasure” TV show?
Yes. I like to watch Pawn Stars on the History Channel. The things people bring in to sell fascinate me. A straitjacket worn by Houdini turned up on one episode.

7. What is your hair its natural color?
It is at the moment. (Brown.) But I’m going to dye it red again.

8. Who’s the most inspiring person you’ve ever met?
Jake Lawless. Jake works with the Rick Hansen Anniversary relay. I met him in the fall when my daughter was one of the medal bearers. Jake is in a wheelchair—he’s what’s called an incomplete quadriplegic. He’s also one of the warmest, funniest and most positive people I’ve ever met. Not a Pollyanna, just a genuinely fascinating guy.

9. What surprises people the most when they meet you in person?
That I’m not taller. Apparently I look taller in photographs. And I often hear that I’m not as serious in person. I guess that means I look like a tall person without a sense of humor in pictures.

10. What’s your favorite winter sport?
Sitting on the sofa with a cup of hot chocolate looking out the window at the snow.

11. What’s your favorite summer sport?
Swimming, followed closely by hiking.

12. Did you always want to be a writer?
No. I wanted to become a director, move to California and marry Michael Cole from the Mod Squad.

~Sofie

Tienanmen Square, really, scary, holy cow!!!
I am glad you are home safe and sound and writing stories for us to enjoy!!!
Check out http://www.sofiekelly.com/ and http://www.darleneryan.com/ to find out more about this author.

Copycat Killing: A Magical Cats Mystery
3rd in the Series
An Obsidian Mystery
Publish by New American Library
A Division of The Penguin Group

Welcome back to Mayville Heights! I hope you brought your umbrella, boots and a rain slicker. It’s been “raining cats and dogs” for days. There is flooding all over town. The local artists’ co-op has a basement full of water and our favorite librarian Kathleen is helping her friends move their work to higher ground in case the water continues to rise.

All the artwork is saved but one artist isn’t as lucky. Mask maker Jaeger Merrill is found drowned in the basement. The death doesn’t look accidental to Kathleen. Detective Marcus Gordon is on the case and Kathleen along with her fantastic felines just can’t help themselves from assisting him in any way they can. Owen and Hercules use their magic to help “unmask” the killer.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

These magical felines continue to steal the show! Hercules and Owen are truly special characters. Kathleen handles their powers much better than I would.  All the characters are continuing to evolve. Heck the good detective may even get a library card in the next installment.  Kathleen has definitely made herself at home in Mayville Heights. She has taken falling for a guy to a new level and finds something startling from Roma’s past.  And when Kathleen and Maggie get together there is never a dull moment. (Watch out for flying rodents!)

I especially enjoyed this story because of the history featured that creates a mystery inside of a mystery. The town is getting ready to celebrate the library’s centennial with a very special showcase of the groups that have met at the library over the years. One group was doing more than most people knew and some journals from Rebecca’s mother are discovered that hold several secrets.

Well written, carefully plotted, a little romance and a bunch of humor. A purrfect cozy mystery!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Sofie for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 10, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

Many years ago our family went on a fantastic vacation that included a few days in Washington D.C. The area is so beautiful and until that trip I only knew about The Rose Garden at The White House. There are many gardens including the vegetable garden started by Mrs. Obama which I believe was the author’s inspiration for The Scarlet Pepper.

Dorothy St. James’ White House Garden Mysteries take us right on the grounds of The White House and inside the internal workings of The White House and its staff especially the grounds crew. She is here today to take us on a little tour. If you are like me you will be wanting to plan a trip to the capital as soon as possible.

Welcome Dorothy!!

Hi Everyone!

What’s with all these writers penning series that aren’t set in their hometown? Aren’t you supposed to write what you know? This was a question that was asked of me not that long ago. It’s a good question. Why do we set our books where we do?

I’m sure every author has a different—and very personal—answer for that question. But I think all of those answers can be boiled down to one similar thought: We love the places we write about.

Naturally, my White House Gardener Mystery series had to be set in Washington, D.C. But I didn’t have to write about the White House when I call the Lowcountry of South Carolina home. A beautiful place steeped with history and thick with pluff mud. I feel blessed to live here!

And yet, I did choose to write about D.C. because (quite simply) I love the city. I love its multicultural roots. I love the free museums. I love its energy. D.C. is a vibrant place to visit and rich with inspiration for mystery novels. You don’t hear anyone complaining that there’s a shortage of scandal or intrigue in our nation’s capital.

On April 3, 2012, The Scarlet Pepper, the second book in the White House Gardener Mystery series, was released. In it, Casey Calhoun, the White House’s organic gardener is up to her elbows in dirt as she works on the First Lady’s Kitchen Garden.

When someone starts tampering with the garden and a hard-nosed investigative reporter is found dead, Casey realizes that the next thing buried in the dirt might just be her…

To help me research this book, I took several trips to visit the White House Kitchen Garden.

Unlike the lottery ticket system if you want to attend the White House Easter Egg Roll, or having to contact your Congressman if you wish to take a White House tour, twice a year the White House opens its gardens to the public. For free! And no advance ticket required!

Just pick up your tickets from the National Park Service’s visitor center located adjacent to the White House.

Once we passed through security and the fabled iron gates, we had the freedom to wander through the South Lawn. White House gardeners and volunteers stationed at various points throughout the tour patiently answered all of my questions.

The Secret Service agents, present in full force because the First Family was in residence, answered my questions about the different types of guns they carried, their responsibilities and the best place to eat breakfast.

The White House gardens have three seasonal displays. The first three books in the White House Gardener Mystery series celebrates each season: Flowerbed of State: SPRING, The Scarlet Pepper: SUMMER, and the upcoming Oak and Dagger: FALL.

Volunteers work in the kitchen garden, a 1,500 square foot raised bed garden plot.

Details for Spring and Fall Tours: Garden tours are free, visit www.whitehouse.gov for information about upcoming garden tours. The website posts dates for the tours approximately a month in advance. In the past, tours have occurred the third weekend in April and October. Bring plenty of film and a notebook to jot down hints and tips you’ll pick up from the volunteer docents.

In the meantime, I invite you to let Casey Calhoun give you an insider’s tour of the White House and its grounds in The Scarlet Pepper and take a mini-vacation.

~Dorothy

To find out more about Dorothy and her books check out her website at www.dorothystjames.com

The Scarlet Pepper
(A White House Gardener Mystery)
2nd in the Series

Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover Design by Olivia Andreas

Casey Calhoun works at The White House as the assistant gardener. In this installment we are focused on the First Lady’s Kitchen Garden. It hasn’t been classified as an “organic garden” yet, but Casey is using organic procedures as they work toward that goal. There are rumors running rampant in the media about the garden. It is being said that Casey is replacing plants to make it seem that the plants are growing faster than they actually are and that the ground is full of lead making the vegetables grown there dangerous to eat. Casey thinks it is funny that with all the issues the nation is facing the vegetable garden is such a high priority with the press.

There definitely is something going on in the garden as red peppers are popping up where green peppers are supposed to be and cabbage is growing where lettuce was planted. Casey is very confused when in addition to the different plants the garden is being vandalized during the night.

Then an investigative reporter is found dead with Casey’s name in his notes. She doesn’t haven’t much time to dig into all the details as the first harvest of the garden is right around the corner and it is going to be another big press event. There is much more going than a few garden incidents. Someone seems to think Casey is the key and knows who the killer is, she is having one close call after another. She’d better hurry up and figure out what’s going on or she may find herself planted right between the eggplant and cauliflower.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

When I reviewed Flowerbed of State I said couldn’t wait for the next Casey Calhoun story and it was well worth the wait. Who knew a little kitchen garden for The White House and a pesky reporter could cause so much trouble?  Its got all the makings of a fabulous mystery especially in the hands of this author.

I love a strong female protagonist and Casey fits the bill. If the Secret Service Training Sessions don’t make her want to quit her job there is no way a murderer running around the gardens is going to either. She is right in the dirt with this one. I loved it!!!!

St. James writes a fast paced cozy mystery with more twists than all the varieties of bell peppers. Toss together a little humor, romance, a pregnant first lady, and some  Secret Service Agents with some unpredictable volunteers, an organic garden expert, a few secrets and a dead body and you are in for a bountiful feast for your reading pleasure.

This cozy gets my highest recommendation, a perfect escape, and it should be in your in your hot little hands as you prepare your own gardens. Definitely a must “seed” story!!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Would you like to win a copy of this awesome book?
Thanks to the people at Berkley Prime Crime
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Dorothy for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End April 25, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

Those Southern Sewing Circle ladies are back and this edition is awesome. I have loved each and every book in this series. This women have become friends I can’t wait to see again and again. They are always getting into some kind of trouble.  I have always wondered where Elizabeth comes up with her ideas. I am thrilled she is here today to shed a little light on the subject. Please get a glass of sweet tea and help me welcome Elizabeth Lynn Casey.

Hi Elizabeth!!

Hi Everyone!

The Happy Place
By Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Readers often ask where I get my ideas. And, in many cases, my answer is fairly simple—a snippet from a newsbyte on the radio, or a news item on my computer’s splash screen. When this happens, it’s because something about that particular news item caught my attention and sent me off to my happy place.

Now, while I love the ocean and hiking through the woods, the happy place to which I’m writing about at the moment is inside my head.

Strange, I know.

When a snippet finds its way into my happy place, I’m pretty much done. I don’t hear another word the radio personality says, I don’t read another word of the blurb on my screen. Instead, I retreat and let my mind start putting its own spin on things.

I’ll give you an example from yesterday’s release of Reap What You Sew (the sixth book in my Southern Sewing Circle mystery series).

This book was born from a simple “how was your day” discussion with a woman I see from time to time. She’s a special education teacher with some of the best “how was your day” answers, I’ve ever heard. Anyway, she was talking about a young man in her class who is a Kleptomaniac Hoarder—which means he has a tendency to swipe things (in quantity) and hang onto them.

What, if anything, this woman said about the rest of her day, I don’t know. Because I wasn’t there, anymore.

Well, technically I was there—still sitting in the same chair—but I wasn’t there.

Yup, that’s right. I was in my happy place.

Before I left that night, I knew a) how I was going to use that Kleptomaniac Hoarder thing, b) who was going to enter the canvas of characters with that condition and c) how it was going to play out.

The result? A super fun story that has; a famous movie director coming to Sweet Briar to film a few scenes for an upcoming film, the introduction of (fan favorites) Leona and Margaret Louise’s elderly mother, and a murder that puts three of the sewing Circle’s members on the suspect list.

If you’re already a fan of the series, I hope you enjoy this latest installment (the cover is spectacular, isn’t it?). If you’re new to the series, you’ve got some catching up to do.

Next up? Let It Sew, the seventh book in the series coming November 6th.

Happy Reading!

~Elizabeth

Thank you so much Elizabeth for stopping by. I know you are super busy with this book release and another in June. You continue to amaze me and create characters and stories for all of us to enjoy! You keep writing and we’ll keep reading!!

About This Author

Elizabeth Lynn Casey is the author of the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries with Berkley Prime Crime. Reap What You Sew, the latest title in the series, debuted yesterday. In addition to this series, Elizabeth will also be writing the upcoming Amish Mysteries (also with Berkley Prime Crime/Penguin) under her real name, Laura Bradford. Hearse and Buggy, the first book in the series, will release on June 5th. For more information about Elizabeth, visit: www.elizabethlynncasey.com

Reap What You Sew
(A Southern Sewing Circle Mystery)
6th in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group

Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher(It’s Amazing!)
Cover Design by Judith Lagerman

Quaint, cozy, Sweet Briar is about to get full of drama, lots of drama! Warren Shoemaker has chosen Sweet Briar to be the setting for his next movie. Everyone in Sweet Briar, including every member of the Southern Sewing Circle is dreaming of stardom hoping to be cast as an extra in the movie. One of the members even plans to snag a leading role. Tori Sinclair is the lucky one to actual earn a part as an extra. She is very excited to step out of the library and into a movie based on one of her favorite books.

The cameras stop rolling very early as everyone waits for the leading actress to arrive on the set, but we soon learn she is not just late or being the diva the whole crew knows her to be. She is found dead in her trailer, murdered and more than one of the sewing circle members turns out to be prime suspects in her death. The show most definitely will not go on until Tori can uncover the truth and catch the real killer. The set is anything but quiet as she pieces together the clues that will sew up all the drama plaguing the lovely town of Sweet Briar.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Everyone needs a group of friends like the ladies of the Southern Sewing Circle. These ladies have each others back whether they are trying to survive a break up with a boyfriend, dealing with their kids, facing the task of what to do with an aging parent or keeping someone’s butt out of jail. A certain lady in the group gets herself in a bunch of hot water in this installment and at times can be exasperating at her thoughts that even though she may not have committed the crime, she is still happy “that woman” is out of the “picture”. As I have said before these friendships are the core of this series. Each of their different outlooks and personalities bring the perfect contrast to this group of characters. Each character is brilliantly written.

The movie plot touches home with me as my little hometown here in Wisconsin was used as a backdrop for a bit of Johnny Depp’s movie Public Enemy. The scenes rang true to everything I heard and observed during that time. Little towns just go crazy when there movie stars walking about.

The victim and I share something too. I can’t tell you what but you will see when you read this wonderful story.

There are the surprises and twists that Elizabeth Lynn Casey stitches in each of her mysteries. She says snippets (ideas) find the way to her “happy place” and stories are born. She has done amazing things with these snippets. I hope her “happy place” overflows with these ideas and lead to many more fun stories like this one. You cannot go wrong with an Elizabeth Lynn Casey mystery.  They are fun, entertaining and definitely “must reads”!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the wonderful people
at Berkley Prime Crime
I have 2 copies of

and one copy of the fifth book in the series

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Elizabeth for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End April 18, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


I am so happy to welcome Laura here today. Whether you have love her Tea Shop Mysteries or Scrapbooking Mysteries, or Cackleberry Club Mysteries or you love them all you realize what a treat it is to have her here . If Laura is an author new to you I will have a complete list of her books after her guest post.

Think you could be an author yourself, read below as Laura gives you a bit of inside information.

Hi Laura!!

Hi Lori, I am happy to be here!

Have you got a story to tell and a yearning to be published?

Most people do. As an author, I’m constantly quizzed about the world of publishing and being asked for tips on how to break in and what editors are looking for.

So . . . do editors really know what they’re looking for? Not always. Do they know it when they see it? Well . . . sometimes.

An editor’s biggest responsibility lies in the area of acquisitions. That is, they are tasked with finding new authors with new material. As such, editors are always on the hunt for the next big thing. And usually that means a great story with great characters – because a character-driven story is what’s really critical these days.

Editors are also looking for breakout books. Books that are different and don’t re-tell the same old story. Think about books such as The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother or The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. These are books that really stand out in their categories.

So what can would-be authors do to increase their chances of success today? What can you do if you’ve got a story to tell and a yearning to be published? Well, take a look at the various categories. The mystery, thriller, and romance categories seem to be holding strong, while the market for “chick lit” novels is fairly saturated.

In the past, I was able to pitch books and win contracts based on 3 or 4 chapters and an outline. Now that we’re in a somewhat tougher market, that’s pretty much changed. Now editors want to see your entire manuscript.

As an prospective author, you also need to understand how your book concept relates to the marketplace. If there are already 35 culinary mystery series out there and you’re pitching the 36th, it could be a tough sell. You also need to be fully cognizant of the internal architecture of your novel. I’m talking about plot, pacing, turning points, character development, dialogue, and building suspense. These are the things you learn with experience and also by reading other successful authors. In fact, when I first started out, I used to tear apart novels by Michael Connelly and James Patterson and actually diagram them!

But the most important thing you need today is fortitude – you have to believe in yourself! You have to know that you can do it and never ever allow yourself to become discouraged! Just remember – John Grisham’s first novel, The Client, was turned down by 30 agents and 15 publishers. More than 2 dozen publishers turned down Chicken Soup for the Soul before it became a best seller and spawned an entire series. And Mary Higgins Clark, who helped me get started, was rejected 40 times before making her first sale. One editor told her: “Your story is light, slight, and trite.”

In today’s on-demand climate it’s also hugely important to establish an opening story hook immediately. Editors don’t want pages and pages of build-up, they want you to toss your reader directly into the action! As my agent once said to me – “You’re writing murder mysteries, so you better deliver a dead body right there in chapter one!”

So . . . good luck. Write diligently and work smart. And someday I hope to see you on a bestseller list!

Laura Child’s most recent release is Agony of the Leaves (A Tea Shop Mystery). She has Postcards from the Dead (A Scrapbooking Mystery) coming out October 2 and Stake & Eggs (A Cackleberry Club Mystery) being released December 4, 2012. Both of these new book are available for pre-order.

Find out more about the author at www.laurachilds.com

Thanks to the people at Berkley Prime Crime
I have 2 copies of Laura’s Newest Release!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Laura for 5 Bonus Entries!

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End April 12, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I “met” Maria awhile ago when she was nice enough to share the first two books in the Sedona O’Hala series with me. Sedona sure gets into some intense situations but the thing that makes me love these story are the parts that are laugh out loud funny. I am so excited to have her here today to talk books. I will also review Executive Sick Days. It is so funny that this one has to do with x-rays since my husband manages a mobile x-ray company here in Wisconsin. He could probably write a book as well about some of the happenings but he will never have Maria’s gift!!

Welcome Maria!

Hi Everyone!,

I’m on a cozy reading group over on the Amazon forums. I asked the ladies there what I should blog about for my guest blog here on Dollycas’ fabulous site. “Oh, blog about your two feral kitties, Scamp and Junior,” said one. “No, no, you have to tell them about trying to find shorts that fit and that one pair you made where you kept cutting the legs to match until all you had left was pair of underwear with pockets.” Gosh. By all means, let me leave a first impression of a homeless bag lady with cats. Uhm.

Perhaps it’s best if I just introduce myself as a writer with a lot of hobbies. I write cozy mysteries and not-quite-cozy paranormal mysteries. Lori has told you all about my Sedona mystery series: an amateur sleuth trying her best to climb the corporate ladder and make a decent living. Like a lot of us, her boss isn’t necessarily cheering her on, and she has some co-workers who could make an angel plot revenge.

But enough about me. Let’s talk books. You like books, I like books. I’ll tell you my favorites if you tell me yours.

Elizabeth Peters – I not only like her Amelia Peabody series, but perhaps even more, her zany Vicky Bliss series. I am pretty sure Peters influenced me and I don’t mean my writing–I own a parasol because Amelia owns one. Ever since I read about a parasol making a nifty weapon, well, I just had to have one. It’s pure cotton lace and would make a terrible weapon, but yes, I really have walked through the park with my dear husband and my parasol. It is true that I giggled, but at least two other passersby stopped to ask me where I bought my parasol. One was a lady on a bicycle who stopped so suddenly I worried the little dog in the carriage behind her might catapult into a tree. We had a nice chat about my parasol. The dog’s name was Bo. I don’t remember her name, but I always wondered if she bought a parasol.

Virginia Lanier – Now this series isn’t really cozy. It’s got an edge and there are some parts that are heartbreaking and scary. But there’s dogs and people who work hard and care, and the writing and plots are some of the best I’ve read. Ever. I don’t think this author influenced me. I could not write like she did, and I don’t have a dog. But if I did have a dog, it would be awfully cool if, like in the books, it was a talented bloodhound capable of rescuing people–and guarding the heart of its owner as the most valuable thing in the world.

Patricia Briggs- She writes a lot of urban fantasy these days and it’s all very, very good. Specifically the Alpha and Omega series which has so much heart and mystery, you’ll be glued to the pages. I read Patricia Briggs back when she started out in fantasy.  When Demons Walk  remains an all-time favorite. But it’s not the fantasy or urban fantasy themes that make this author’s work so special. It’s the fact that she can write a thrilling mystery with characters you care about–in any setting. She never forgets to wind in a romance, the kind that puts a smile on your face and makes you nod your head because it isn’t that the hero is handsome, it is that he is kind and good and special. If her work has taught me anything, it’s that you can write a book that is a superbly-plotted mystery in any setting so long as you take the time to create just the right characters to go with the story.

Those are three of my favorites. Stop by and tell me yours!

~Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com

Please Leave A Comment telling Maria your favorite authors and look for a special giveaway after my review.

Executive Sick Days
A Sedona O’Hala Mystery
3rd in Series
Bear Mountain Books

Those darn Huntington brothers have lured Sedona into another dangerous investigation. Good thing one of them makes her heart beat faster and the other gives her nice gifts, like a Mercedes.

Someone at the hospital is running a scam and it is not easy to figure out who or how but Sedona is on the case in addition to cleaning bed pans and avoiding a certain nurse. Hopefully she doesn’t end up on a slab in the morgue before she works out all the details.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The crime here is serious but Sedona just cracks me up time and time again.

This story hits home for me not only because my husband works for an x-ray company but because just last week I was contacted about a past due bill for a doctor I have never seen in my life. Yes, I was in the hospital last April but that doesn’t mean every doctor on staff can bill me for services. I understand way to clearly why American health care is so screwed up.  

But now back to this wonderful story. The plot is believable and real. The characters are fantastic. Sedona volunteering at the hospital where her sister-in-law works is the perfect setting. How long can anyone seriously think they can hide a pregnancy? The romantic tension keeps building with one Huntington and just plain tension is going strong with the other one. 

This whole series of books is just plain fun and entertaining!! Word of caution, watch out for the snake!! You will love this book!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Now for the special giveaway!

Since I received my Kindle I have become addicted
to it so this is an e-book giveaway.

My first!!

Your Choice Kindle or Nook!
Your Choice of one book from the Sedona O’Hala Mystery Series!

There will be 3 winners!!

Fill out the form below and I will contact you for your choice of book if you win!
Contest Will End April 12 AT 12:01 AM CST
GOOD LUCK!!
more…

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! I found out last year Ada Madison was a pseudonym for Camille Minichino and we connected on Facebook very quickly. What did we do before Facebook and the internet? We would never have gotten to know our favorite authors and the only way we were able to tell them we loved their work was to send them a letter through the publisher. I am so happy to be able to send them messages, email them with questions, or just tweet to the world that we love their books. I am so glad I was able to connect with Camille and find out what a truly special woman she is and I am so happy she could take time to visit here today.

Welcome Camille!

I am happy to be here!!

Escape with Camille

The title of the new Dollycas site got me thinking – what does it take for me to escape into a good book?

I’ve come up with two criteria for starters:

1. The setting must hold my interest. The author has to take me to the city, domestic or international, in a way that convinces me she’s been there. If I come across phrases that have been ripped from tour guides and brochures, such as “San Francisco has extraordinary vistas and innovative sightseeing buses,” I’ll toss the book aside.

Even if the setting is fictional, it must have characteristics that make it unique and appropriate for the story, whether it’s a boardwalk or a monument to Machiavelli.

I’ve tried to make my fictional town of Lincoln Point  (The Miniature Mysteries by Margaret Grace) memorable for its devotion to Old Abe, with Lincoln quotes etched into public buildings, streets named after him and his friends, a reenactment of a Lincoln-Douglas debate every year, and even a Mary Todd Lincoln Ball on her birthday in December. (Not all in the same book!)

A small New England college is the setting for my newest series (The Professor Sophie Knowles Mysteries by Ada Madison). College events, like reunions and graduations provide the background for the stories. In the latest, “The Probability of Murder” the stacks in the campus library are the site of murder and mayhem.

2. Character names. Those of us who write mysteries and hang around with mystery writers form a kind of inner circle of connections. Not only do we all know more or less the same booksellers, agents, and editors, we know each others’ families. If I find an author’s cousin in a work of fiction, I pull back, taken out of the story. Oh, right, I think, this is a nod to XX’s family. So much for escaping.

The worst  case of this: Recently, I was reading a novel with a reporter as amateur sleuth. On the back flap, I learned that the author lives in New York with his wife, the poet—let’s call her Penelope Jones.

About one third of the way into this very well written novel, the protagonist meets a woman in a bar. The woman is reading a book of poetry by—wait for it—Penelope Jones. They read a few lines aloud and have a conversation about how great Jones’s poetry is.

What? A commercial in the middle of my escape fiction?

I’m sure the author made points with his wife and his in-laws for his humorous little plug, but, for me, it simply took me out of the fictional world and into the real life of the author. I closed the book and never opened it again. I guessed that by end of the book, the murder might be solved, but not before Penelope Jones received the Robert Frost Prize for her poetry.

What takes you out of a story? Would you have continued to read the reporter-and-wife’s story?

Let me know here and be eligible for a math-related prize!

~Camille

What a perfect post for my blog!! I would hate the little plug too, but I really believe the setting is key to escaping into a book, whether it be an island, small town or even a prison, if the author reveals the setting correctly the escape is magical and easy. Thank you so much Camille!!

Camille is offering 3 math prizes so be sure to leave a comment to answer her questions. Check out the book giveaway after my review of Ada’s latest!

 About This  Author

Camille Minichino is a retired physicist turned writer.

As Camille Minichino, she’s the author of the Periodic Table Mysteries. As Margaret Grace, she writes the Miniature Mysteries, based on her lifelong hobby. “Mix-up in Miniature” will be released April 2. As Ada Madison, she writes the academic mysteries featuring Professor Sophie Knowles, college math teacher. “The Probability of Murder” was released March 6. Check out her blog!

Soon, every aspect of her life will be a mystery series. 
**********************

The Probability of Murder
(Professor Sophie Knowles)
Second in the Series

Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Lisa French
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell

Dr. Sophie Knowles is a rare college professor who has a way of making the most complex math problems fun for her students. She hosts weekly parties celebrating famous scientists and mathematicians. They are quite popular with the students.

The fun quickly ends when Charlotte Crocker, Sophie’s friend and college librarian, is found dead in the stacks. Everyone loved Charlotte until it was learned that her entire life was just a web of lies. Sophie can’t believe the woman she knew had such a checkered past. So instead of grabbing a couple of days away with her boyfriend Bruce, she needs to do her own homework and formulate a plan to catch the killer before there are any more deductions of students or staff. She is on her own as Bruce takes off on a ice mountain climb, so she has to worry about him too!!

Dollycas Thoughts
College campuses are full of big, old buildings full of mystery. They are also full of plenty of suspects. Sophie is very distracted in this story by events involving her boyfriend but it doesn’t stop her from working her way through the clues to solve the problems doing her best to catch the culprit. The author combines both situations is a very exciting and entertaining way.

If math was not your favorite or best subject there is no need to be afraid of this series. Being a mathematics professor you may think Sophie takes a very analytical approach to solving the crime, but she is more of an emotional solver when it comes to finding this murderer. She is also very open to having pizza with the Bruce’s friend, Detective Virgil Mitchell to pump him for information.

This is a fun, captivating cozy to escape into today!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the folks at Berkley Prime Crime
I have 2 copies of this book to give away!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Ada (Camille) for 5 Bonus Entries and
enter her special giveaway.

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End March 21, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


I am super thrilled to welcome Rebecca here today. Her book How to Moon a Catwas my pick for Best Cozy of 2011. Her new series, Mystery In The Islands, is quite different from the Cats and Curios Mysteries. I am excited that she is here to tell us how the new series new series came to “fruition.”

Welcome Rebecca!

Hi Everyone!

I first traveled to St. John in September, 2007. A good friend of mine planned to get married on the beach, so several of us decided to fly down for the ceremony. I had never been to the Caribbean, and this seemed like the perfect excuse to check it out.

Of course, I had a fabulous time. I fell in love with the beaches, the water, and the jaw-dropping landscape. But the end of that journey came far too soon. I knew there was much more there for me to explore.

As soon as I got home, I booked a return ticket. A few weeks later, I boarded a plane for my first official island research trip.

It was during that second visit that I met many of the people who inspired the fictional characters in Adrift on St. John (Mystery in the Islands)

There was the crazy-eyed hippie with a beat up guitar case who slid into the bench seat behind me on a stormy ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay. The scrawny little man chatted at me the entire way across the Pillsbury Sound. He had been coming down to St. John for the last twenty years, and each time, he assured me, he stayed at the Maho Bay Eco Resort – in his favorite cabin that he fondly called the “Teepee Tent.”

Then there was the group of ex-pats I met outside a local bar at a table positioned uncomfortably close to a large refuse bin. On the day I joined them, the Dumpster table crowd included a chubby Puerto Rican sous chef, a frizzy-haired deckhand from one of the local dive shops, and a short muscular contractor whose wife had left him several years earlier after a failed migration from Minnesota to St. Croix. The conversation soon drifted to the sad fate of Kaka, a previous resident of the sous chef’s and deck hand’s moldy basement apartment.

The most significant inspiration, however, occurred late one night while riding into town on the back bed of a truck taxi. A housemaid from the resort sat a few feet away, complaining bitterly about the water taxi she would soon be boarding for her trip home to St. Thomas. Something had come up at the resort, and she’d had to work past the departure time of the last regular ferry out of Cruz Bay.

I can still remember her indignant, heavily accented voice, lamenting the consequences of her late night shift.

“What-ter taxi…what-ter taxi…ohhh, no…
Eye doon nut lyke thuh what-ter taxi…
Beeg sheep go down slowe…
Small sheep go down fest….
Eye wurk und Eye wurk,
But steel Eye’ve gut to tek thuh what-ter taxi…
Ack, Eye doon nut lyke the what-ter taxi…”

Water taxi…water taxi…oh, no…
I do not like the water taxi…
Big ship go down slow…
Small ship go down fast…
I work and I work,
But still I’ve got to take the water taxi…
Ack, I do not like the water taxi…

It was then that I knew I had to write a book based on these experiences. It’s taken several years to come to fruition, but I hope you enjoy sharing my journey Adrift on St. John (Mystery in the Islands).

About This Author

Rebecca M. Hale is the NY Times bestselling author of How to Wash a Cat. The series, starring Rebecca’s cats Rupert and Isabella, takes place at an antique shop in San Francisco’s historic Jackson Square. While fictional, each book features a different aspect of California history — from the Gold Rush (How to Wash a Cat), to the San Francisco exploits of Mark Twain (Nine Lives Last Forever), to the Bear Flag Revolt (How to Moon a Cat). The fourth book in the series, How to Tail a Cat, is due out September, 2012.

Rebecca just released a new Mystery in the Islands series, set in the US Virgin Islands, which starts with Adrift on St. John.  The second book in the series, AFOOT ON ST. CROIX, is scheduled for 2013 release

Adrift on St. John
(Mystery in the Islands)
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group

Available Now!

Pen Hoffstra made a huge decision four years ago to escape the rat race and relocate to paradise. She quickly realized the idea of a tropical paradise is really just an illusion.

When a young woman, Hannah Sheridan, a new resident of St. John, disappears and a water taxi mysteriously sinks off the island, she is not surprised that all is not what it seems. Hannah had an uncanny resemblance to the Amina Slave Princess from the 1733 Slave Revolt on St. John.  The ghost of the princess is said to haunt the island. The residents of St. John start to believe she is the reason for the sinking of the taxi and Hannah’s disappearance.

Only one person really knows the truth, the whole truth, and it is definitely not what anyone suspects.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This story is another Rebecca M. Hale story that it is steeped in history but it takes a little different turn. It is a very complicated mystery full of deception, denial, and some delightful duplicity. The author takes us on a wild spin around this small island where everyone seems to have a secret and nothing is really as it appears.

The setting seems so ideal but while this may be a great place to visit I can see why it may not be the best place to live. Everything is quite pricey, the population is only a few thousand and area is really small, just 19 square miles. However it is a magical place for an obscure mystery.  A mystery where no one really knows anybody, where sometimes the price for living in paradise is just too great. 

This is perfect story to escape into, escape to the paradise of St. John, just beware just when you think you have everything figured out, you don’t.  Enjoy!!

p.s. You are going to love Fred!!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin I have
2 copies of this wonderful book to giveaway,
but thanks to the generosity of Rebecca I have some awesome swag to giveaway.

In addition to the book, two winners will receive
matted photo from Rebecca’s research trip to St. John!
Three additional people will win 2 matted photos
and 5 more will receive a set of picture postcards.

These picture are amazing!!!

U.S. & Canadian Residents
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Rebecca for 5 Bonus Entries.

Tell your friends and family about this book!
If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End March 22, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”