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I am so happy when Laura Bradford stops by for a visit!
Magic Beans
By Laura Bradford
(Post provided by Publicist)
When I was a little girl, I was mesmerized by the power of the magic beans in Jack and the Beanstalk. I even remember imagining what it would be like to have magic beans in my pocket.
So it’s kind of ironic that not too many years later, I’d be bitten by the writing bug. You see for me, writing books is a lot like having a pocketful of magic beans. When you pull them out and look at them, they look like regular ordinary beans. But when you plant them in the ground, they become so much more.
Looking back at the twenty plus novels I’ve written, each one has been born from a single bean—something that I heard or saw or learned that perked up my ears. Sometimes, that bean is really small—a quick fact gleamed on a tour, or a character quirk observed while out and about in everyday life. But small or not, it always sets my plotting wheels in motion.
That’s what happened when, in the fall of 2014, I headed to Lancaster County, PA for my annual research trip. I was exploring the Amish countryside as I always do—taking tours, visiting Amish-owned shops, and chatting with the Amish, when I stumbled across a new-to-me fact I’d not learned during my previous trips…
When it comes time for the Amish to purchases a horse, more times than not they look to retired Standardbred racehorses. Trotters are particularly appealing to the Amish because of the horse’s experience pulling a sulky. These horses are disciplined and can transition well to pulling the family’s buggy.
Suddenly, I had a bean that I wanted in my pocket. I didn’t yet know if it would prove to be magic or not, but I knew it was worth exploring.
Armed with that single bean, I reached out to a reader I know who also happens to own racehorses. Over the next week or so, I fired countless racehorse-related questions at this woman. I didn’t know what I was looking for, specifically, but I knew that as I broadened my knowledge, there was potential to add to that original bean.
The next thing I knew, I had a grieving racehorse owner, a dead farmer, missing money, and an unknown person preying on Heavenly, Pennsylvania’s Amish community for the latest installment in my Amish Mysteries, A CHURN FOR THE WORSE
Trust me when I say this is a “beanstalk” worth climbing!
~Laura
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About This Author
Laura Bradford
For more information, visit Laura’s website: www.laurabradford.com or get to know her even better on Facebook, and on Twitter: @bradfordauthor
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A Churn for the Worse:
An Amish Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Pennsylvania
Berkley Prime Crime (March 1, 2016)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Cover Illustration by Mary Anne Lasher
Cover Design by Sarah Oberrender
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425273036
E-Book ASIN: B00Z8VTJ8U
The national bestselling author of Suspendered Sentence
When an Amish farmer is found dead in his barn, his family accepts his death as God’s will. But Detective Jakob Fisher knows the farmer didn’t hit himself in the head with the shovel lying beside his body. And when it comes to light that a stranger appeared at the farmer’s home and now money is missing from their milk can, Fisher suspects robbery as the motive—especially when another Amish family is victimized.
Getting to the truth proves difficult, however, since Fisher has two strikes against him in the eyes of the Amish—his chosen career, and the Amish roots he left behind. Desperate to stop a murderous thief, Fisher turns to Heavenly Treasures shop owner Claire Weatherly for help. The trust she’s earned from the Amish community enables her to go where the detective cannot—straight into the path of a killer…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Another Heavenly trip to Heavenly! Laura Bradford continues to give us wonderful stories starring some of the most engaging cozy characters. When I pick up one of her mysteries it is like wrapping myself in a warm cozy blanket.
Claire Weatherly is in love and not only with Jakob Fisher. She loves this town, her work, and all the heartwarming people of Heavenly. Her greatest wish is to bring Jakob and his family together again after they have shunned him when he decided to become a law enforcement officer after he had been baptized. She pushes the boundaries to help him have contact with them while trying not break the rules of the Amish.
This time an Amish farmer has been killed and no one calls the authorities. “God’s Will”. Money goes missing, no one reports it. The man seemed “kind”. Well word gets back to Claire and she is sure to let Jakob knows what is going on. But will he be able to help if none of the Amish will talk to him? Claire does her best to keep her ears open and Jakob tries to get the Amish to understand he just wants to help. There is also a strong subplot that ties together a missing racehorse and the horses the Amish purchase to pull their buggies.
I love the way Claire and Jakob’s relationship is evolving. The pace has been perfect. They have built a trust working together, become friends and have now moved to courting. The author continues to nurture these characters in a delightful way.
I enjoyed learning about the horses too. I never really thought about the horses pulling the buggies and now it makes perfect sense. It is easy to see Ms. Bradford thoroughly researched this aspect to her story.
They main mystery in the story has someone preying on the local Amish community. It has to be someone familiar with their ways and traditions. We are given several suspects and a lot of different diversions as we try to solve the mystery right along with Jakob and Claire. I was totally wrong and surprised.
I loved this story and I love this series. Laura Bradford has churned up another captivating cozy for us to enjoy. Don’t hold your horses, race right out to get this one today.
Thanks to the people at Penguin I have 2 copies to give away!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
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.
This year I am trying to build my Twitter following so for this giveaway 4 Bonus Entries will be awarded by following me on Twitter. @dollycas
Leave a comment for Laura for 5 Bonus Entries.
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5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End March 23, 2016 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
Click Here For Entry Form
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 enjoyed the first book in this series and have to get back to it. Thanks for the great interview and the chance to win.
I love this cozy series, and have been waiting not so patiently lol A Churn for the Worse. Thanks for the chance to win.
This looks like a wonderful book! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!
A Churn for the Worse sounds like a wonderful mystery. I am looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the review and giveaway.
Sounds like a great read
I enjoy this Laura Bradford’s series and can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the latest one. Thank you for the chance to win a copy. robeader53@yahoo.com
Love this series. Anxiously awaiting the newest.
thanks.
This would be a great book to add to my cozy challenge list. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
This is a fun cute series to read. Thank you for the chance to win
This is definitely a series I want to try.
This cozy sounds captivating and special. Thanks for this lovely giveaway.
I love this series too! i studied English by my self so I’m very happy I can read the books of Laura Bradford. She is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors.
Been reading Laura’s books for years. Have loved them all.!!!!!!!!
I haven’t read one of her books but would love to read and post reviews as looks so good and sounds wonderful to read!
This book sounds really interesting. Love to read about the Amish. I will have to check out this whole series.
I like your magic beans ideas and how they grow. The book sounds terrific.
Really enjoy this series and can’t wait to read this one!
Fascinating. We’ve seen the horses pulling them, but who thought about where they get them?
I’m so glad that the trotter horses can still have good lives after their racing days. I have not read any books in this series yet, but am going to have to start!
I love cozy mysteries! Thanks for offering this giveaway!!
Great review! I’m just starting to collect this series. I’ve bought the first one, Hearse and Buggy so far. It looks really good. I’ve always been fascinated by the Amish lifestyle.
Love a good mystery.
Love the title, sounds like a fun read. Thanks for the giveaway.
I don’t know a lot about the Amish community, and am excited to read about them in this book.
I really enjoy this series and hope it will continue. It is so interesting reading about the Amish way of life. I was surprised that they use retired racehorses to pull their buggies.
Sounds like a great read.
I have not had the pleasure of reading any of your novel yet, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy them.
Laura, congrats on the new release! I am a big fan of Heavenly, PA and look forward to reading the new book!
I’m looking forward to reading this. I would love to win a copy but will read it anyway – win or lose!
I love this series. I can’t wait to read this one.
I can’t wait to read this series.. thanks for the opportunity to win!
I love that magic bean idea, and I love the sound of the book.
Just started reading the first book. I love reading anything Amish and can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks so much for visiting me here on Escape with Dollycas, everyone! And thank you to Dollycas for the wonderful review of A CHURN FOR THE WORSE!!
Carrot Thief! I am so looking forward to this book. Thanks for the chance at winning a copy.
I do enjoy Amish fiction and I have never read an Amish cozy mystery. This sounds like a book I would really enjoy reading.
Looking forward to reading this series. Great reviews.
Thank you for the great interview. I can’t waitto read this book.
The synopsis is most intriguing and I can hardly wait to read. Books are on my TBR
This is a new series to me that I now want to read, thanks for the contest!
This sounds like a great book. I haven’t read too many Amish themed books, but the ones I have read were great, especially when a mystery is included. Thanks for having the giveaway.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!