Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
Today’s guest is a Shining Star among cozy authors with her Victoria Square Mysteries, The Jeff Resnick Mysteries written as L.L. Bartlett and The Booktown Mysteries written as Lorna Barrett. I am so happy she could take time out of her busy days to write her guest post for me, but today she is off on vacation so she can’t answer your comments or questions, she may have one of the other Cozy Chicks stop by. She certainly deserves a vacation and I hope she is having a wonderful time. I am sure she will check out the comments when she returns.
Wedding Bell Blues
“Always a bridesmaid … never a bride.”
Well, I can’t say that phrase describes me. I was a bridesmaid twice before I took the big step myself.
The first time I was 19 and “stood up” at my older brother’s wedding, one of five or six bridesmaids with a Butterick pattern dress. (It was a “rainbow” wedding. Every bridesmaid had a different color dress. Mine was green. Ick.) The second time, I was 24 and stood up for a friend (at first she’d tried to foist the guy on me because he read lots of books and so did I. That didn’t work and they’re still happily married today.) It was a small bridal party (a maid of honor and me), but the dress was much nicer.
In my latest novel, The Walled Flower (Victoria Square Mystery),
The timing couldn’t be worse. Katie has less than two weeks to find a new apartment before she ends up living in her car. She must referee on-going disputes with her vendors at Artisans Alley on Victoria Square, and, oh yes–solve two (or is it three?) murders, one of which occurred more than two decades before.
With so much on her plate, Katie must prioritize–and putting Jordon almonds in little net bags is not on the top of her list of things to do. Especially when the usually meek and mild bride becomes Bridezilla!
Will Katie find a new home?
Will she solve the murder(s)?
Will she actually let herself be seen in publish in that backless, purple bridesmaid dress?
I hope you’ll check out The Walled Flower to see.
You can find Lorraine at her website(s–yes, she has three!)
http://lornabarrett.com/
http://www.LorraineBartlett.com
— or her blog http://www.LLBartlett.typepad.com — but she hopes you’ll find her at your favorite bookstore.
The Walled Flower (Victoria Square Mystery)
The Berkley Publishing Company
Published by The Penguin Group
A Victoria Square Mystery
2nd in the Series
Cover Illustration by Chris Beatrice
Cover Design by Annette Fiore Defex
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Lorraine gave a wonderful synopsis above of this fantastic story that has Katie running in circles and eating way too much pizza but by the time I finished reading the book I was craving cinnamon rolls.
The characters in this series are so much fun, even if one or two of them may be murderers. Katie has faced so much already losing her husband, then her business partner is murdered and she finds herself the sole owner of Artisans Alley putting here dreams of owning a B&B firmly out of reach. She has grown into the job wonderfully, handling the vendors with a caring touch but firmly enough so they know who’s is charge. Her relationship with Andy continues to evolve. They just need to figure out to spend more time together. We also get to know Edie, Rose and Vance better in this installment. I love that Vance’s son has a part to play in this multifaceted story.
Bartlett is an expert at telling a cozy mystery. A true shining star!! She breathes life into every character and pens a mystery full of twists and turns in a beautiful setting that keeps us engrossed from the first word until the last. Definitely another bestseller!!!!
Thanks to the people at Penguin I have
2 copies of this awesome book to giveaway
so be sure to fill out the form below to enter!!
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.
***Remember GFC is going away March 1, 2012
so be sure you are following in a different way if you want to
continue to follow Escape With Dollycas.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.
If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End February 29, 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 already love the Jeff Resnick and Booktown mysteries, so I can’t wait to try this new series. Thanks.
I love this series and the Book Town series, too. Can’t wait to read this new installment.
This is a new series for me. I must add this to my TBR list!
I am not entering the contest as I bought The Walled Flower for my Kindle, read it and LOVED IT!!!!!!
I have loved all of the books by Lorraine that I have read.
I like purple–so I maybe would like the “horrid” purple bridesmaid dress. Whatever, I’M
Great guest post!!! I have never heard of Lorraine before so thanks for introducing me to something new!!!
Thanks everyone for reading my work. I’m always thrilled to hear that. And thank you Linda for reading Jeff. I have lots more Jeff Resnick stories to write … but, darnit, where’s the time???
Somehow I hit enter before I finished the comment—just wanted to say I’m sure I’d enjoy the book and finding out how Katie manages to solve the murder and all her problems at the same time.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I am like Nancy B, though I bought the book on the day it came out. I love Lorraine’s writing. I even went so far as to find the Jeff Resnick books and read them. Margaret Sutton’s the “Rainbow Riddle” is one of my favorite books so I know all about Rainbow weddings and how hard it was for Judy to find the 7th color of the rainbow. I have to admit, I have been a bride but never a bridesmaid!
Sounds like a great book!
Oh, can’t wait to get my hands on this book…it’s on my TBB (to-be-bought) List!
I have 8 horrid bridesmaids dresses (in my costume closet)…all of which I was told “you can wear this one again” and the only time I wore any of them was for Halloween!
Hi Lorraine,
I hope I’m chosen to win a copy of your book. I love the series and would love to add it to your other books on my shelf.
I’ve been looking forward the 2nd book in this series. Thanks.
This series looks great! I have it on my to be read shelf, thanks so much for the giveaway!
Love the cat pix! And boy do I wish the bridesmaid dress I had to wear looked half that good. I looked like someone tore down grandma’s flower print curtains and wrapped it around me. Had enough petticoats under there that it could have stood all by itself (and probably would have looked better…)
I can not wait to read this book! I have it on my Wish List for the next order.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I am (un)lucky to never have been a bridesmaid but I have heard the good on the bad stories from friends. Your book looks like a delightful read and I love the house on the cover 🙂
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
A rainbow wedding?! (shuddering here). I am lucky to never have to be subjected to those horrible dresses. At the time I was asked, I couldn’t get off work (mandatory overtime then) so, I totally lucked out 🙂
This book looks like a must read for me!
This sounds like a very interesting story. One that I would love to read.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
The Walled Flower has been on my wish list since you first talked about it!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Really hope you are someone warm, with a sandy beach!!
I’m reading this book now and loving it.
no need to enter my name.
So glad you got to take a vacation – you needed one so I hear . That purple dress is the same color as alot of my daughter in laws wedding stuff was. But a rainbow wedding – now that could be good or very very bad . Love your books
i can’t wait to read The Walled Flower!!!
thank you for the giveaway!!!
congrats & good luck to Lorraine!!!!
Loved the first book and can’t wait to read the second!
I have not read any of Lorraine’s books but I love cozy mysteries. I have already added her to my wish list as well as The Walled Flower. I want to check out all her books and add them to my wish list. I have seen some awful brides maid dresses but just can’t see a rainbow choice. At my nephew’s wedding, one of the brides maids was 8 mos preg and even she looked good, of course the bride designs brides dresses and she designed these. Beautiful wedding..
Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveaway.
Sounds like a great book, with a lot going on, I definitely want to read this series. I was only a maid of honor once and I luckily had a great dress (and a great bride as my best friend)!
My wedding was so long ago that the bridesmaids were in pastels, green, yellow and blue. I didn’t like the color scheme that much but I let my mother choose them which she loved. She got married just before WWII and only had a suit to get married in.
I think that you are an expert at cozy writing. In fact I have the postcards of your new books on the wall right behind me. That way, I won’t miss getting them.
Congrats to Lorraine on all her success! I hope she will continue with all her pseudonyms! I am looking forward to returning to Artisan’s Alley!
This looks wonderful. My aunt had a little crafter’s shop when I was in my 20s called the crafters mall. Talk about a wild pack of characters. I would definitely liked to read this story and have already added it to my wish list. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your review!
I only had one bridesmaid, my maid of honor, and we shopped for her dress together. She basically had a toned down version of my own wedding gown. Well…hers was in black. Is that bad?
Thanks Lauraine for keeping it fresh and giving us characters we can love and relate too. 🙂
I was a bridesmaid only once. I wore a pale green dress! It wasn’t bad but even cut down it wasn’t something I could wear again. This sounds like a great series. I would love to start with this book! Thank you
I love this series!
great giveaway
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drakebdog@gmail.com
This sounds like an interesting book. Anything that has crafts, mysteries, and more would be great!
I love finding new authors to enjoy, and I will definitely be adding this series to my Wishlist!
Those bridesmaid dresses really can be awful but it looks like a fun story.
The Walled Flower first came to my attention earlier today and I am so excited about having an opportunity to win a copy. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share with us today.