Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
by Kirsten Weiss
About Hostage to Fortune
Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: misterio press (May 21, 2020)
Number of Pages: 250
Digital ASIN:
Abigail and Hyperion uncork a murder…
Tea and Tarot room owner Abigail Beanblossom is used to running interference for her socially-awkward former boss, tech billionaire Razzzor. So when he invites her on a stakeout to investigate the sale of counterfeit wine from his latest venture – an upscale winery – she barrels on in. But the two stumble across the corpse of a wine merchant, and new wine in old bottles is now the least of their problems.
Good thing amateur detectives Abigail and her partner, tarot reader Hyperion Night, have a nose for murder. Their investigation takes them from elegant wine cellars to chic tea parties on the California coast. But just as the investigation starts to get its legs, Abigail discovers there’s more than wine at the bottom of this crime…
Hostage to Fortune is book 2 in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Start reading this hilariously cozy caper today!
Tearoom recipes in the back of the book.
I am so excited for Kirsten Weiss to visit today!
Hi Kirsten
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in California, worked in microcredit in Eastern Europe, South-East Asia, and Africa, and my dream was always to write mysteries. So when I moved back to the US, after foundering around a bit, I started writing!
What are three things most people don’t know about you?
Hm… I started a tai chi class about a year ago, when I moved to Colorado Springs. I spent two years working in Kyrgyzstan, and I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Estonia after the Soviet Union fell.
What is the first book you remember reading?
My favorite children’s book was Go-Dog-Go, though I’m not entirely certain if that’s the first one I read on my own.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book on magick. I also write two series of witch mysteries, and it’s always fun to keep up on the latest!
What books have most inspired you?
This may sound silly, but I have to go back to the Nancy Drew novels. They were my favorites when I was a kid, and they’re what set me on the path to becoming a mystery writer today.
What made you decide you wanted to write mysteries?
See above re: Nancy Drews! Seriously, when I first started reading them, I was so enchanted that I wanted to become a girl detective. It didn’t take long, however, for me to realize that wasn’t realistic, so I decided I wanted to become a mystery writer. And I won a little writing contest about that time in school, so it seemed like fate.
Do you have a special place you like to write?
Lately, I’ve been sitting at my dining room table, where I have a few of Pikes Peak and the deer that wander through my yard. There’s also lots of natural lighting here, which keeps me energized.
Where do the ideas for your books come from?
So many places – newspaper stories, tales from family and friends… Someone once said that there are no new ideas. Creativity is about mixing ideas together, and that’s certainly the case with where my ideas come from. In the case of Hostage to Fortune, there have been real-life instances of very high value wine fraud. Mix that up with murder, and I think you’ve got something interesting.
Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?
The beginning and the end of a project. If I can draft a good outline, the first draft comes fairly easily. But drafting a good outline can be a challenge. That’s where the real creativity comes in – when you’re dreaming up scenes and ideas for whodunnit and how. And then the next big challenge is the editing. Don’t get me wrong, I like editing. But sometimes I feel like I’m wrestling something much bigger than me during the edits. I’ll know that something’s not right, but I won’t immediately know what it is or how to fix it. But when I do fix it, it feels GREAT.
What do you think makes a good story?
Great characters are for me, number one. If readers like your characters, they’ll want to spend time with them no matter what. Next, good pacing. I like to start things off fairly quickly in my stories, and try to keep the readers hooked. And for mysteries, you need a good puzzle!
Which, of all your characters, do you think is the most like you?
I think the Riga Hayworth character is probably most like me, probably because it was my first published series, and as a newer writer, I was still in the “what would I do in this situation” mode, rather than, what would this character do. But most of my heroines are struggling with some sort of a transition – maybe they’re trying to start a business, or they’ve lost their job and are trying to find a new one, or they’ve lost a loved one. We all go through these transitions, and I certainly have, and I try to bring that emotional experience to those characters. So in a sense, there are bits and pieces of me all over the place.
What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?
My heroines are dealing with real problems – aside from murder investigations. Their lives are complicated and messy, and they have to rise to the occasion. But they do rise. That said, these are not dark books by any means – especially the Tea and Tarot series, which I think are the funniest I’ve written. There are a lot of laughs in these books.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
I’ve just started working on the next book in the Tea and Tarot series (inspired by a story told to me by a relative). And I’m bringing back Archer, from Hostage to Fortune, because he’s too fun a character to ignore.
Thank you, Kirsten, so much for visiting today!!
More About Kirsten Weiss
Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.
Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.
If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss, on Tumblr at kweiss01, on Pinterest at KirstenWeiss, or on Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
Book Series: Sensibility Grey Steampunk Suspense, Tea and Tarot cozy mysteries, the Pie Town cozy mysteries, the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mysteries, the Doyle Witch and Doyle Cozy mystery novels, the Riga Hayworth paranormal mysteries.
Purchase Links – Kindle – B&N – Apple Books – Kobo – Google Play
Also by this Author
Great Escapes Praise for Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
by Kirsten Weiss
Motive, means and opportunity all play roles but nothing becomes clear until things turn dangerously deadly for our heroine and friends.
~Laura’s Interests
HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE incorporates wine, tea, Tarot, and fun in a delightful mystery.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
Hostage to Fortune by Kirsten Weiss is a magically written mystery with likable characters and wine.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
The investigating duo is a hoot and when you Add in a few more eclectic chats stars it just gets even better. Makes for a humorous good time as the clues play out leading one doozy of an ending.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 20 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
May 21 – I’m Into Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 22 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 22 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 23 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 23 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 25 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
May 25 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 26 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 27 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 28 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 29 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
May 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 2 – Gimme The Scoop Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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This series sounds like a lot of fun!
Thank you for the interview with Kirsten Weiss. Love learning more about author’s with books on my TBR list. Can’t wait for the opportunity to read “Hostage to Fortune”.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Sounds like a fun bundle. 🙂
Congrats on the new release! It sounds wonderful. Great interview. Thanks for sharing.
This sounds like a fun new series!
I like reading more about authors, and I enjoyed this interview! I’m jealous of her view!