Book Spotlight: MURDER BY PAGE ONE by Olivia Matthews

Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews

About Murder Page One

Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing (March 23, 2021)

Print length: 328 pages

Digital ASIN: B08KHPBDBS

If you love Hallmark mystery movies, you’ll love this cozy mystery with humor, intrigue, and a librarian amateur sleuth.

Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a quirky small town in Georgia. When she’s not at the library organizing events for readers, she’s handcrafting book-themed jewelry and looking after her cranky cat. At times, her new life in the South still feels strange…and that’s before the discovery of the dead body in the bookstore.

After one of her friends becomes a suspect, Marvey sets out to solve the murder mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

This first in series cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Classic Peach Cobbler.

Purchase Links – Amazon – Hallmark Publishing – Apple – Barnes and Noble – Bookshop – Fantastic Fiction – Kobo –

About Olivia Matthews

Olivia Matthews is the cozy mystery pseudonym for Patricia Sargeant, a national best-selling, award-winning author. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews. For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.

Author Links
Website: https://PatriciaSargeant.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPatriciaSargeant.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BooksbyPatricia
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/olivia-matthews

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 18 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
March 18 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 18 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
March 19 – Books to the Ceiling – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
March 20 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 20 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
March 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
March 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 22 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
March 22 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
March 22 – Reading Reality – REVIEW
March 22 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
March 22 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
March 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Guest Post: Laura Childs – HAUNTED HIBISCUS

<“text-align: center;”>

Hello, my fellow bibliophiles. I hope that everyone is safe, warm, and dry given the ever-changing weather happening worldwide these days. Unlike many of my family and friends, I’m not a coffee drinker although I used to be. I don’t know what happened, but about 20 years ago I could no longer stand the smell or taste of coffee and immediately switched to loose-leaf tea. I began to research the history of tea, grabbing every book I could find and stumbled across The Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs and was hooked. I began to eagerly await each new release in this series and tried to guess what tea or herbal tisane might be featured. My ex-husband’s family is from the Middle East and loves drinks made with hibiscus so I figuratively jumped for joy at the chance to feature the newest release in the Tea Shop Mystery series, Haunted Hibiscus, and then literally jumped for joy when I found out Laura Childs would be providing a guest post. (Hey, book diva here!) So sit back, enjoy your beverage of choice (today mine is a nice cup of hibiscus herbal tisane, of course!), and enjoy today’s visit by Laura Childs as she talks about recipes. Thank you, Ms. Childs, for all of your delightful books and for visiting with us today. The blog is now yours.

Let There Be Recipes!

by Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author

of Haunted Hibiscus, a Tea Shop Mystery

Okay, who doesn’t love a recipe? I for one am constantly scrambling to clip recipes out of magazines and newspapers – especially if they sound irresistible, are a special new treat, or simple to prepare. Yup, I’m big on easy-peasey. Which is why I make sure all the recipes featured in my twenty-two Tea Shop Mysteries are quick and affordable with easy-to-source ingredients. Oh, you don’t want to trip from grocery to co-op hunting for star anise or licorice root? Me neither.

I also can’t carve out an extra hour in the day for prepping ingredients and then cooking them. Nope, I’m a hurry up, get it done kind of cook. And I promise you that the recipes in Haunted Hibiscus for Charleston Apple Pudding, Best Banana Bread Ever, Chai-Flavored Cupcakes, Pumpkin Soup, Crab and Avocado Tea Sandwiches, Southern Peach Crisp, and several more are a snap to fix.

I’d rather you spend that extra hour taking it easy. Reading a book (any book), sipping some tea, and kicking back. As you well know, this is the time for self-care. We’ve all been through a whirlwind this past year. It’s been exhausting, fruitless, and very trying.

So before you drain your energy trying to bake a tricky Tarte Tatin Flambé, why not just drain a can of peaches and make Southern Peach Crisp.

Sound good? Here’s the recipe:

Southern Peach Crisp

3 cups canned peaches (drained)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg

6 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. In medium sized bowl, mix flour, sugar, and egg together – mixture will be lumpy. Spread mixture over peaches, then pour melted butter on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Yields 4 servings. (Hint: May be served with whipped cream or ice cream.)

Wishing you all my best,

Laura Childs

Haunted Hibiscus (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

About Haunted Hibiscus

Haunted Hibiscus (A Tea Shop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
22nd in Series
Publisher: Berkley (March 2, 2021)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 0451489691
ISBN-13: 978-0451489692
Kindle ASIN: B089S6MFBH

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play | IndieBound

Tea maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is the week before Halloween and Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop, and her tea sommelier, Drayton, are ghosting through the dusk of a cool Charleston evening on their way to the old Bouchard Mansion. Known as the Gray Ghost, this dilapidated place was recently bequeathed to the Heritage Society, and tonight heralds the grand opening of their literary and historical themed haunted house.

Though Timothy Neville, the patriarch of the Heritage Society, is not thrilled with the fund-raising idea, it is the perfect venue for his grandniece, Willow French, to sign copies of her new book, Carolina Crimes & Creepers.

But amid a parade of characters dressed as Edgar Allan Poe, Lady Macbeth, and the Headless Horseman, Willow’s body is suddenly tossed from the third-floor tower room and left to dangle at the end of a rope. Police come screaming in and Theodosia’s boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, is sent to Willow’s apartment to investigate. But minutes later, he is shot and wounded by a shadowy intruder.

Timothy begs Theodosia to investigate, and shaken by Riley’s assault, she readily agrees. Now, she questions members of the Heritage Society and a man who claims the mansion is rightfully his, as well as Willow’s book publisher and her fiancé, all while hosting a Sherlock Holmes tea and catering several others.

But the Gray Ghost holds many secrets, as do several other key suspects, while this murder mystery plays out on the eve of Halloween.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:
Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 1 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW
March 1 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 2 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 3 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
March 3 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 5 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 5 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
March 5 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 6 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 7 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
March 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
March 9 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 10 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 10 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – ebook addicts – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 12 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
March 13 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 14 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST
March 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Book Spotlight: GONE ASTRAY by Terry Korth Fischer

Gone Astray by Terry Korth Fischer

About Gone Astray

Gone Astray

Mystery/Suspense

Publisher: Wild Rose Press (February 15, 2021)

Paperback: 300 pages

ISBN-10: 1509235256

ISBN-13: 978-1509235254

Digital ASIN: B08SQCWXBG

A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, with the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to-toe with younger men. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the two crimes together. But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes and he loses his job?

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N

About Terry Korth Fischer

Terry Korth Fischer writes mystery and memoir. Her memoir, Omaha to Ogallala, was released in 2019, S&H Publishing, Inc. Her short stories have appeared in The Write Place at the Write Time, Spies & Heroes, Voices from the Plains, and numerous anthologies. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats. She enjoys a good mystery, the heat and humidity, and long summer days.

Author Links
Website: https://terrykorthfischer.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/terryiswriting
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerryIsWriting
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/terrykorthfischer
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14349440.Terry_Korth_Fischer
BLOG Website: https://www.terryiswriting.com

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 1 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 1 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – Here’s How It Happened – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
March 4 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 5 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW
March 5 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 6 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST
March 6 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
March 8 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Book Showcase: A GAME OF CONES by Abby Collette

A Game of Cones (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery) by Abby Collette

About A Game of Scones

A Game of Cones (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series

Publisher: Berkley (March 2, 2021)

Paperback: 352 pages

ISBN-10: 0593099680

ISBN-13: 978-0593099681

Digital ASIN: B089S6SPKB

In this charming mystery series set in an ice cream shop, no case is too cold to crack!

Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.

After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win’s closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win’s aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it’ll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.

About Abby Collette

Abby L. Vandiver, also writing as Abby Collette, is a hybrid author who has penned more than twenty-five books and short stories. She has hit both the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller list. Books one and two, A Deadly Inside Scoop and A Game of Cones, from her latest cozy series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery, published by Penguin Berkley, is out now.

Author Links
Website: www.authorabby.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorabbyl.vandiver
Twitter: www.twitter.com/abbyvandiver
Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbylvandiver

Purchase Links:
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 1 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – Reading Is My SuperPower =- REVIEW
March 2 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 –My Journey Back the Journey Back – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
March 3 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Mysteries with Character– GUEST POST
March 4 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
March 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 5 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
March 6 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 9 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
March 9 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
March 10 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
March 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 11 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 12 – Literary Gold – REVIEW
March 12 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 12 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW
March 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 14 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
March 14 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Book Spotlight: EGG SHOOTERS by Laura Childs

Egg Shooters

(A Cackleberry Club Mystery)

by Laura Childs

About Egg Shooters

Egg Shooters (A Cackleberry Club Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

9th in Series

Publisher: Berkley (January 26, 2021)

Hardcover: 304 pages

ISBN-10: 0425281744

ISBN-13: 978-0425281741

Kindle ASIN: B085BVYLKY

A murder in the local hospital is raising everyone’s temperature in the latest book in the New York Times bestselling Cackleberry Club series.

Suzanne Dietz co-owner of the Cackleberry Club Café is visiting her fiancée, Dr. Sam Hazelet when a masked gunman bursts into the emergency room. He shoots two people and would probably have done more damage had Suzanne not brained him with a thermos full of chili. Still, the gunman manages to escape.

Now the ladies of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he finds them.

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

Laura’s Links:
Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 26 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

January 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW

January 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 30 – I Read What You Write – GUEST POST

January 31 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

January 31 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW

February 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 2 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

February 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 4 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

February 5 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST

February 7 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

February 7 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Guest Post: K.D. Richards – PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH

Saturday Salutations and Greetings. I can’t believe this is the last Saturday in January of 2021! They say time flies as we get older, but this is beyond ridiculous people. I know that some of you are still trying to adjust to being homebound. Perhaps because I have no children or job and my sole responsibility is taking care of my 86-y.o. mother, I get to spend a lot of my time reading (my mom has gotten back in the habit of reading, so now we read silently together, it’s a beautiful thing). Since I’ve been doing more reading, I’m always on the lookout for new books and new-to-me authors (discovering new authors is like unwrapping a gift that keeps on giving). Having a blog means I get the opportunity to do just that, meet plenty of new-to-me authors and books. Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of those new-to-me writer, Ms. K.D. Richards, author of the recently released The Pursuit of Truth. I hope you’ll follow the blog tour to read some great reviews and to learn more about this book and author. I’ll be adding this book to my TBR list and hope you will as well. Ms. Richards will be talking to us today about her take on the foundations of writing. Thank you, Ms. Richards for taking time away from writing and your family life to join us today. The blog is now yours.

Tower of Writing

Like many of you, I’m experiencing the joys and frustrations of virtual school. Having my husband and two sons at home in the house I am used to having completely to myself for six and a half hours a day has been an adjustment.

A few weeks ago my youngest son was assigned a school project where he had to build something taller than himself using anything we had in the house. Of course we used books!

As I was helping him stack, and then restack because our base wasn’t wide enough the first time, and then re-restack because our base wasn’t wide enough the second time either, it donned on me that this project was a lot like my process for writing a book.

Our first couple of tries at building something taller than my son failed because we hadn’t built a sturdy enough foundation to hold all the books that would be piled on top. This often happens to me when I’m writing my outline (I’m a plotter) and/or first draft. The idea may be sound but the problem or goal I plan to have my character pursue might not be weighty or complex enough.

Because I write suspense and thrillers the external goals tend to be ‘stay alive’ or ‘catch the killer.’ But the best protagonists have both external and internal problems and/or goals. Yes, the character may be running from a killer but the only way to stay alive is to return to her hometown and face her family’s dark secrets. When I’ve done things really well, the external goals and internal goals complement each other. I find that for most readers, it is the internal goal that makes the character dynamic and interesting enough to keep the reader engaged.

Once I have a solid base it’s time to start stacking or, in the case of writing, building in your complications – otherwise known as creating plot twists! Twists come in many forms. Secrets, unforeseen obstacles, setbacks, and devastating revelations. Really anything that sends the characters in a direction they, and hopefully the reader, did not anticipate.

I like my twists to carry the characters into the big reveal (sorry, I don’t have a book tower reference for this one!). Some writer’s refer to this as the “Ah-ha moment.” This is the point that the who, what, when, and where all come together. The hero and heroine finally figure out what they need to do to solve the problem or achieve the external goal. They also should have sufficiently dealt with their internal problem or goal.

So after two failed attempts, my son and I finally had a tower that would last long enough for me to snap a picture and prove he had achieved his goal. In writing parlance, this is the resolution point. In a suspense or thriller, the resolution can take many forms. When I’m writing or reading a book I like to at least be left with an idea of where the main character’s life is headed. I’m not a gal that appreciates ambiguity at the end of a good novel. Tell me what happens!

If you are writing a romance, or romantic suspense, the resolution is also sometimes called “the happily ever after, or the happy for right now”. Most romance readers want the couple to end up together at the end of the book. To be honest, I do too. It’s fiction, right? One of the only places everything can always work out well for the good guys.

Whatever the genre, the end of the book must not only tie up all the threads of the plot and resolve the problem, twists, and turns that carried the reader through to the end of the book, it must give the reader the psychological payoff that is promised at the beginning. I’m sure we have all read books that were fabulous but the end was just…meh. Of course, this is easier said than done.

If you’re looking for a read full of suspense and romance, pick up Pursuit of the Truth by K.D. Richards.

About The Pursuit of the Truth

Pursuit of the Truth (West Investigations)

Romantic Suspense 1st in Series

Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue (January 26, 2021)

Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages

ISBN-10: 1335401539

ISBN-13: 978-1335401533

Digital ASIN: B08CSRDVWK

His skills can keep her safe

Her secrets could get them killed…

Security expert Ryan West’s worst fears come to life when hotel CEO Nadia Shelton is pushed in front of a taxi and nearly killed. Someone will do whatever it takes to find the brother Nadia thought was dead, and the only way Ryan can protect her as they uncover the truth is to stay strictly professional. But the sparks igniting between them are nearly impossible to ignore.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Purchase Links: Amazon – Kobo – Harlequin – B&N

About K.D. Richards

K. D. Richards is the pseudonym for Kia Dennis. Kia was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college she earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She currently lives in the Toronto area with her husband and two sons. Sign up for her newsletter at kdrichardsbooks.com and follow her on Twitter @kiadwrites

Author Links:
Website: kdrichardsbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kdrichardsauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdrichardsauthor
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fYaI6P
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20494862.K_D_Richards

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 25 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – Bea’s Book Nook – REVIEW

January 27 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 29 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST

January 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – I Read What You Write -GUEST POST

February 2 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW

February 4 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 6 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

February 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Great Escapes Book Tours

Book Spotlight: A TOURIST’S GUIDE TO MURDER by VM Burns

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder (Mystery Bookshop) by V.M. Burns

About A Tourist’s Guide to Murder

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder (Mystery Bookshop)

Cozy Mystery 6th in Series

Publisher: Kensington (January 26, 2021)

Paperback: 256 pages

ISBN-10: 1496728955

ISBN-13: 978-1496728951

Digital ASIN: B087YRY1S4

While visiting the land of Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes, bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington finds herself on a tragical mystery tour . . .

Sam joins Nana Jo and her Shady Acres Retirement Village friends Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae on a weeklong trip to London, England, to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract as a mystery author.

But between visits to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel district and 221B Baker Street, Major Horace Peabody is found dead, supposedly of natural causes. Despite his employer’s unfortunate demise, the tour guide insists on keeping calm and carrying on—until another tourist on their trip also dies under mysterious circumstances. Now it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers, find a motive, and turn up a murderer . . .

About V.M. Burns

V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She currently resides in the warmer region of the country in East Tennessee with her two poodles. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. Valerie is the author of the RJ Franklin Mysteries, the Dog Club Mysteries, and the Agatha Award-nominated Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.

Author Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/burnsvm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vmburns

Website: vmburns.com

Purchase Links: Apple – Amazon – Google – Kobo – Nook – BAM – Bookshop.org – Hudson Booksellers – IndieBound – Target

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 21 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

January 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

January 23 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 24 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

January 24 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

January 25 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 25 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

January 26 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

January 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 27 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 28 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

January 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

January 29 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Books to the Ceiling – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 30 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 30 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 31 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – My Journey Back – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Book Spotlight: A DEADLY EDITION by Victoria Gilbert

A Deadly Edition: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery

by Victoria Gilbert

About A Deadly Edition

A Deadly Edition: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: December 8, 2020

Hardcover: 368 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1643854762

Kindle ASIN: B085N3KN7L

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

“‘Til death do us part’ could be closer than the bride realizes in Victoria Gilbert’s tantalizing fifth Blue Ridge Library mystery.”

The pursuit to acquire a rare illustrated book turns deadly, and on the eve of her upcoming wedding, library director Amy Webber is drawn into a web of treachery and betrayal that could derail her happy day–and maybe just claim her life.

Planning a wedding can be murder–sometimes literally. At a party celebrating their upcoming nuptials, Taylorsford, Virginia library director Amy Webber and her fiancé Richard Muir discover the body of art dealer Oscar Selvaggio–a bitter rival of their host, Kurt Kendrick.

Both had been in a heated battle to purchase a rare illustrated volume created by William Morris’s Kelmscott Press, so suspicion immediately falls upon Kurt. Amy knows that Kurt has a closet-full of skeletons from his past–but she can’t believe he’s guilty of murder.

Amidst an avalanche of wedding preparations, Amy begins an investigation with the help of her aunt Lydia Talbot and the new mayor of Taylorsford, Sunshine “Sunny” Fields. Much to Lydia’s dismay, her boyfriend, art expert Hugh Chen, becomes convinced of Kurt’s guilt and launches an investigation of his own. As the case hits painfully close to home, the stakes become impossibly high–and the danger all too real.

About Victoria Gilbert

Raised in a historic small town near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian.

Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover’s B&B series, and the upcoming Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. She has also published fantasy with Snowy Wings Publishing.

A member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, Victoria is represented by Frances Black at Literary Counsel. She lives near Winston-Salem, NC with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.

Author Links

Website (includes blog): http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaGilbertMysteryAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VGilbertauthor

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Gilbert/e/B071ZQZN1P

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriagilbertauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16912697.Victoria_Gilbert

Blue Ridge Library Mystery series:

A MURDER FOR THE BOOKS: http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/titles/a-murder-for-the-books/

SHELVED UNDER MURDER: http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/titles/shelved-under-murder/

PAST DUE FOR MURDER: http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/titles/past-due-for-murder/

BOUND FOR MURDER: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612101/bound-for-murder-by-victoria-gilbert/

A DEADLY EDITION: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647523/a-deadly-edition-by-victoria-gilbert/9781643854762/

Booklover’s B&B series:

BOOKED FOR DEATH: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622813/booked-for-death-by-victoria-gilbert/

RESERVED FOR MURDER (preorder): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/659504/reserved-for-murder-by-victoria-gilbert/

Giveaway

This is a tour-wide giveaway for one (1) print copy of A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert. This giveaway is open to US residents only. If the Rafflecopter form isn’t displayed below, please click here to enter. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 6 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

December 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 8 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 9 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

December 9 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

December 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

December 11 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

December 11 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

December 12 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Guest Post: Vicki Delany – TEA & TREACHERY

Happy Monday, book people. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and got some reading done. It seems as if COVID-19 is going to be with us for a little while longer, so I’ve been traveling vicariously through the stories I’ve been reading lately. I’ve visited Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Boston (man, do I miss Boston; I lived there many, many years ago). I’m pleased to welcome Vicki Delany as today’s guest host and she’ll be whisking us off to Cape Cod (another place I miss visiting IRL). I hope you’ll enjoy her introduction to the Cape and her new Tea by the Sea series starting with Tea & Treachery. Thank you, Ms. Delany, for stopping by this morning and evoking some fond memories of Cape Cod for me.

Escape to the Seaside! By Vicki Delany

When I started writing the new Tea by the Sea series for Kensington, I had no doubt at all as to where I’d set the books. Cape Cod.

After all, what would be nicer than visiting a tea room called Tea by the Sea or staying in a B&B named Victoria-on-Sea? Cozy mysteries are largely about escape. We read cozies because they provide a break from our normal lives, particularly in stressful times such as these. If you’re not able to get away this year to your favorite holiday location, you can at least go in the pages of a book. And what better than an escape to the sea, to stay in a beautiful historical mansion, enjoy afternoon tea, and forget all about viruses, and social distancing, and missing friends and family.

I myself live nowhere near the sea but I love visiting for the drama of the ocean. The beaches on a calm day, the tide pools teeming with life, the wild storms. All of which, of course, provides an author with a marvelous background for descriptions and for creating atmosphere in a book. I have found that people like reading books set in places they have visiting for vacation. I know I do: it helps to bring back those fond memories.

The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, which I also write, are set on a different part of Cape Cod, in the Lower Cape near the town of Chatham, on both the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound. I moved the Tea by the Sea series further north, to the Outer Cape, and put the tea room and the B&B just outside the town of North Augusta. North Augusta is fictional, but it’s located (supposedly) near North Truro, looking west over Cape Cod Bay.

At five to six, Éclair and I made our daily commute across the yard toward the house. The property is perched on the west side of the long curving peninsula that makes up the Outer Cape section of Cape Cod, overlooking Cape Cod Bay toward the mainland. The sun doesn’t rise over the water, but the morning view is still spectacular when the long rays of light creep slowly across the bay. There was no wind this morning, and the surface of the water was as smooth and shiny as the surface of the glass tray we served breakfast muffins on. By Cape Cod standards, we’re pretty high here, about a hundred and twenty-five feet above sea level, giving me a nice view of the morning’s activity on the bay. Working fishing boats, charters, and sailboats dotted the calm blue water. In a few hours the whale-watching boats would pass by, heading for the top of the Cape and the open ocean and the animals’ feeding grounds. I stood at the edge of the bluffs, and leaned on the fence protecting walkers from the sharp drop-off. I breathed the sea air and felt the soft, salty wind caress my face, while Éclair ran in circles, sniffing at the ground. I could think of no better place to start the day. Whenever I began to regret leaving Manhattan, I came here, stood still, and simply breathed.

I hope you’re able to join me this summer on Cape Cod Bay and simply breathe.

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)

by Vicki Delany

About Tea & Treachery

Tea & Treachery (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496725069
ISBN-13: 978-1496725066
Digital ASIN: B07ZPKGT3R

In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

About Vicki Delany

Made with Repix (http://repix.it)

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty-five books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Year Round Christmas mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane.

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the 2019 recipient of the Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Author Links

Website – www.vickidelany.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor;

Twitter: @vickidelany and@evagatesauthor

Instagram: vickidelany

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 27 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 27 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 27 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

July 28 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

July 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 29 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

July 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

July 29 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 30 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW

July 30 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

August 1 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 2 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

August 2 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

August 3 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

August 3 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST

August 3 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 4 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

August 4 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

August 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 6 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

August 7 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Thoughts in Progress – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 9 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

August 9 – Author Elena Taylor’s blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Guest Post: Jennifer S Alderson – DEATH BY WINDMILL

We made it to another Friday, my bookish divas and divos. YAY! I’ve always wanted to travel the world and realized at a young age that I could do just that through reading. Although my actual travels have been somewhat limited, today’s guest travels extensively IRL and virtually in her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, including the latest Death by Windmill, Jennifer S. Alderson. Ms. Alderson will be giving us a “behind-the-scenes” look into the development of her travel series as well as providing us with a glimpse into Death by Windmill. Divas and divos, I turn the blog over to Ms. Jennifer Alderson.

My Agatha Christie Challenge and the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries by Jennifer S. Alderson

“Agatha Christie said that most murders were committed for one of four reasons: jealousy, greed, a desire for power, and revenge.” – excerpt from Death on the Danube

When I began writing the Travel Can Be Murder cozy mystery series, I decided to use Agatha Christie’s four reasons for committing murder as the motives my killers would use to justify their actions.

Like many mystery authors, Agatha Christie was an early favorite of mine. My mother had all of her books and, after I had worked my way through the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, I read all of them!

When I was writing book one of my new travel cozy series, Death on the Danube, mentioning Christie’s theory about murder fit naturally into a scene at the spa. And in book two, comparisons between Christie’s poisonous plants garden in Torquay and the one my tourists were visiting in Paris, were also easy to make.

Though I am by no means trying to emulate her style in this series, I thought it would be a fun challenge to work a reference to Agatha Christie into each of my own mysteries.

However, when I began writing this book set in Amsterdam, I wasn’t able to find a clear link between Christie and the Netherlands and feared that was the end of my experiment. Until I discovered a local establishment, the Pulitzer’s Bar, creates a special themed-cocktail menu each year – and in 2020 the twelve drinks are based on characters in Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Problem solved!

Death by Bagpipes, book four in the Travel Can Be Murder series is set in Edinburgh. From my preliminary research, I won’t have much trouble finding a way to mention Agatha in this one!

In this short excerpt from Death by Windmill, Lana and her tour group are visiting Pulitzer’s Bar:

Lana had not been looking forward to the tour of the Rijksmuseum this morning, but it ended up being the perfect distraction from her current troubles. However, by the time they were finished with the drawing lesson, dark thoughts had taken over again, leaving her feeling restless and distracted.

She followed her group in a daze as they traversed the cobblestoned streets of Amsterdam. Bikes, pedestrians, delivery trucks, and cars all fought for space on the narrow strips of road running parallel to the many canals crisscrossing the city. After almost getting run over by an angry bicyclist, Lana pushed her thoughts aside and focused on getting herself and her group to Pulitzer’s Bar in one piece.

Randy led them to the upscale bar on the Keizersgracht. The elegant space was divided into several small rooms, almost like a home, and each was decorated as if the owner had just stepped out. The art deco furnishings and fixtures made it a timeless and relaxing space.

Her group settled around several small tables in what could have once been the living room. Luckily most were getting along well enough that all she and Randy had to do was take their orders, then sit back and relax. Lana was grateful; her mind was racing through her list of suspects on an unending loop that she couldn’t switch off.

She chuckled when she saw the bar’s cocktail menu was inspired by characters in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Each of the twelve suspects in her mystery had a drink dedicated to them. Lana waffled between “The Gangster” or “The Conductor,” ultimately settling for “The Maid” when she noticed lemon sherbet was one of the ingredients.

The drink list made Lana think of her own group—the cleaner, retiree, personal assistant, social influencer, writer, and advertising executive. What would her suspects’ drinks be made of?

Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam

(Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series)

by Jennifer S. Alderson

About Death by Windmill

Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
(Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Independently published (May 16, 2020)
Paperback: 218 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8646330070
Digital ASIN: B0843K7HNQ

Purchase Links – Amazon

A Mother’s Day trip to the Netherlands turns deadly when a guest plummets from a windmill. Was it an accident or a murder? For Lana Hansen, the answer will mean freedom or imprisonment for someone close to her…

Wanderlust Tours guide Lana Hansen and her mother, Gillian, haven’t seen eye to eye in over a decade, ever since Lana was wrongly fired from her job as an investigative reporter. So when Lana’s boss invites Gillian to join her upcoming Mother’s Day tour to the Netherlands, Lana is less than pleased.

What could be worse than spending ten days with her estranged mother? Lana is about to find out…

The tour begins on a high note when the majority of guests bond during their visit to the Keukenhof flower gardens and a cruise around the picturesque canals of Amsterdam.

Despite her initial reservations, Lana thinks this might be the best group she had ever led. Until she discovers one of her guests—a recent retiree named Priscilla—is the person who destroyed her career in journalism.

All Lana can see is red. But circumstances dictate that she figure out a way to lead the tour, make peace with her mother, and not murder her guest. She doesn’t know whether she can handle the pressure.

Lana needn’t worry. Shortly after their fight, Priscilla falls off the balcony of a historic windmill at Zaanse Schans. Was she pushed or simply careless? The investigating officers suspect murder—and topping their suspect list is Lana’s mom!

Can Lana save Gillian? Or will her mother end up spending the rest of her days in a Dutch prison?

About Jennifer S. Alderson

Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before settling in the Netherlands. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning mystery series—the Zelda Richardson Mysteries and Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries—and standalone stories.

Author Links

Website: http://www.jennifersalderson.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JennifeSAlderson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferSAldersonauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSAauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/JenniferSAlderson

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-s-alderson

TOUR GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 13 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

July 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

July 14 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

July 14 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

July 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 16 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

July 17 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

July 17 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST

July 18 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

July 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 20 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

July 21 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

July 21 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 22 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

July 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

July 23 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

July 23 – Diane Reviews Books – SPOTLIGHT

July 24 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

July 25 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

July 26 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!