Spotlight & Giveaway: TUESDAY TRASH AND TROUBLE by Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna Campbell Slan’s Tuesday Trash and Trouble features a down-on-her-luck divorcée whose passion for solving crimes lands her in the arms of a secretive cowboy–and the cross-hairs of a vengeful killer. Tuesday Trash and Trouble is the third book in the Friday Night Mystery Club Series by Joanna Campbell Slan.

About the Book

The year is 1986, the place is…pitiful. It’s Decatur, Illinois, known for high unemployment, striking unions, the pervasive stink of soybean processing, and seven railroad crossings at one intersection.

A wrong turn along life’s marital highway has left Catherine “Cragan” Collins stuck in Decatur. With a mountain of post-divorce bills to pay, Cragan takes a job selling high-priced newspaper advertising. If she’s lucky, her commissions will cover the cost of her grandmother’s stay in a nearby retirement home.

After the divorce, Cragan swears off men, but she’s a sucker for a guy in a nice suit. She falls hard for a man who publicly snubs her. On the rebound, she accepts an invitation from Ross Gentry, a quiet hunk who favors pearl snaps and cowboy boots. Cragan reasons that her heart is safe, because she and Ross come from two different worlds. But one night in his arms might be enough to prove her wrong.

Without warning, everything blows up in Cragan’s face. Her boss threatens to take away her accounts, a friend’s little sister is kidnapped, and an overnight guest is shot. Cragan’s best friend, Pru, is accused of attempted murder. After all, Pru’s gun was used in the crime.

Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. These mystery-loving career women are a group of smart cookies. Can their combined talents prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?

It takes a club to solve a mystery!

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a $10 gift card from the author.

About the Author

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida. You can email her at jcslan@joannaslan.com or visit her website at https://linktr.ee/jcslan

Author Links 

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Review & Giveaway: BORN TO BEAD WILD by Janice Peacock

I recently had the pleasure of reading an advance review copy of Born to Bead Wild, a Glass Bead Mystery, by Janice Peacock. Gotta say, I loved the dog on the cover – such expressive puppy dog eyes. This is the fifth book in a successful series that began with High Strung, which I reviewed on this blog several years ago.

About the Book

Something is strange at Full Moon Farms—and it isn’t just Val’s Eggplant Surprise for dinner.

Jax, Tessa, and the rest of the arts and crafts retreat attendees are shocked when they find charred bones in a glass kiln. Are the remains human or animal?

The camp owners insist the bones in the coffin-sized kiln are from a deer, but Jax finds a clue that leads her to believe the owners are lying. After Tessa’s least favorite person turns up dead, there is no doubt that a killer lurks somewhere in the deep forest of the Olympic Peninsula. As clues lead Jax and Tessa down mysterious paths, they hope they live long enough to find the culprit and make it out alive.

My Review

Jax and her pals, Tessa and Val, join fellow glass bead-making enthusiasts at purposed camp – the traditional kind without all the creature comforts – and with questional food choices, to boot. The weeklong workshop starts off with a few minor glitches, and goes downhill with a rash of increasingly suspicious incidents at the camp.

As in other books in this series, the bead-makers in the story are a quirky group. Of course, Jax, the main character, is snoopy; she wants to know the truth, and she won’t leave well enough alone until sbe knows what’s going on and why. Tessa is great friend, and both women are quick to pitch and help others when the need arises. The mystery was an interesting one and well paced, with the clues revealed gradually as the story progressed in an unexpected way. Sorry, no spoilers here.

For my review of High Strung, the first book in the series, click here.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a paperback set of all five Glass Bead Mysteries and a glass bead bookmark from the author.

About the Author

Janice Peacock is a cozy mystery author who specializes in craft and hobby mysteries. She loves to write about artists who find new ways to live their lives and perhaps catch a criminal or two in the process. While working in a glass studio with several colorful and quirky artists, she was inspired to write the Glass Bead Mystery Series. The Ruby Shaw Mysteries, which are set in a small hillside mining town, were inspired by her trips to Jerome, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Oregon.

When Janice isn’t writing about amateur detectives, she wields a 2,500-degree torch to melt glass and create one-of-kind beads and jewelry. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, an enormous white dog, and an undisclosed number of cats. Visit Janice online at www.janicepeacock.com.

Author Links

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Review & Giveaway: DIAL M FOR MEOW by Ruth J. Hartman

As a bookwom and a confessed fan of almost all things furry, I was happy for the chance to read Dial M for Meow, a recent release by Ruth J. Hartman, and the first book in the new Bookshop Kitties Mysteries.

About the Book

When children’s book author, Christy Bailey, receives a call from her aunt Betty to help out at her bookshop, she drops everything to go. Christy packs up her two cats—Milton and Pearl, the stars of her children’s mystery books—and leaves busy Philadelphia for tiny Green Meadow, Indiana. The timing of the call is perfect, as Christy’s letch of an ex-boyfriend has just cleaned out her savings, leaving Christy with a pile of unpaid bills and a desire to start over. And what better place to do that than a charming small town in Middle America?

But when Christy reaches her aunt’s bookshop, instead of small town hospitality she finds a dead body! Even worse, her aunt is passed out in the corner, hands covered in blood. The dead woman is an old frenemy of her Aunt Betty, and while Christy knows her aunt is innocent, the local detective isn’t so sure. With Milton and Pearl prowling for clues, Christy is determined to find the real killer and clear her aunt’s name… before her story ends in tragedy!

My Review

Christy has only just arrived when a body is found in her aunt’s apartment. Predictably, she is determined to provide her Aunt’s innocence. In the course of her investigative efforts, she becomes acquainted (in some cases reacquainted) with the key players in the small town. Christy is strong willed and decidedly enamored of her real-life cats, who happen to star in her children’s books as well. With the help of friends, she discovers several persons who were quite happy to see Nan dead and buried, suspense builds, and the identify of the killer remains a mystery until almost the very end.

Overall, the story is well written. I loved the cats and their antics, but I think some of the cat-centered narrative could have been trimmed down to focus more on the mystery and its human characters and improve the overall place and flow of the book.

Cat lovers will particularly enjoy the personalities of Milton and Pearl, playful kittens who do their part in bringing the culprit to justice in what I found to be an enjoyable mystery.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win one of four copies of Dial M for Meow from the author.

About the Author

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

Author Links

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Spotlight & Giveaway: DUMPSTER DYING by Michelle Bennington

Today’s post showcases the first book in a new cozy mystery series by an accomplished author – Michelle Bennington. I haen’t had a chance to read Dumpster Dying: A Hazardous Hoarder Mystery yet, but it sounds like a fun read to me.

About the Book

Birdie Harper is a widowed hoarder who lives with her husband’s ghost. The only thing she enjoys more than a good yard sale is a good dumpster dive. When she finds her latest treasure—a ceramic angel— she knows just who to bring it to.

Jenna Lawson is a cashier at the Blue Market convenience store where Birdie often shops. The two women have formed a strong bond to assuage the losses in their lives, and Birdie thinks of Jenna like the daughter she lost long ago. So, when Jenna goes missing, Birdie is determined to find out what happened to her.

As she works to unravel the mystery, a man at church, Neville Miller, shows interest in Birdie, leading her to wonder if the lonely days are finally coming to an end. But her ghostly husband, Walter, sure isn’t going to like it.

Birdie is on a hunt that may claim the ultimate price—her own life.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win an amazing prize package from the author: A mug, a paperback, candy, pen, and a home-made candle!

About the Author

Born and raised in the beautiful Bluegrass state of Kentucky, Michelle Bennington developed a passion for books early on that has progressed into a mild hoarding situation and an ever-growing to-read pile. She delights in spinning mysteries and histories. Find out more on her website: www.michellebennington.com

Author Links

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Guest Post & Giveaway: RODEO INSPIRATION by Shanna Hatfield

I love when an author comes to visit. Today I am happy to host Shanna Hatfield, an accomplished author of sweet romance. She is here to tell us about her inspiration for The Christmas Cowboy, her first rodeo-themed romance, and to raise awareness for a worthy cause she supports – the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.

Rodeo Inspiration
Shanna Hatfield, USA Today Bestselling Author

Inspiration can strike writers in all shapes and forms, but as a visual person, sometimes seeing one simple thing can trigger an idea.

Several years ago, my husband, Captain Cavedweller, and I settled at our gate to wait for our flight home at the Las Vegas airport. As I looked around, I realized I sat amid a sea of cowboy hats.  Like us, hundreds of cowboys prepared to depart after attending the Wrangler National Finals.

Each December, the city of Las Vegas takes on a country vibe as the rodeo comes to town, bringing hundreds of vendors, thousands of spectators, and a whole lot of fun.

As we sat at the airport that morning, an idea for a story and accompanying series started to take shape.

Since the cowboys who compete professionally spend a good deal of time traveling, I pondered how many of them flew from one rodeo to the next. If they were flying, it made sense that they might meet a girl at an airport who turned their head.

I began jotting down notes and by the time we reached home, The Christmas Cowboy (Rodeo Romance, Book 1) was born.

The sweet western holiday romance tells the story of Tate Morgan, a successful saddle bronc rider, who falls in love with Kenzie Beckett, a corporate trainer he frequently runs into at the airport. Despite their mutual attraction, the relationship is going nowhere fast. Kenzie has sworn off men in general and good-looking, charming cowboys in particular.

As a big fan of rodeos and a dabbling photographer, I turned to images I’d snapped of the rodeo and crowds to flesh out the details of my story. Pinterest is one of my favorite things in the world. I’ll never make most of the recipes I’ve pinned or attempt even a sampling of the craft projects, but Pinterest gives me the ability to create story boards for each book I write in a visual way that inspires me.

While researching details for The Christmas Cowboy, I became aware of a great organization — the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF). From my initial research, I knew I wanted to do something to help promote such a great cause. That’s when I decided to donate a portion of my book sales.  

Read A Book, Help A Cowboy – Special Event and Giveaway

This is the ninth year for my Read A Book, Help A Cowboy campaign that runs from October 1 through December 24. During that time, 10 percent of the net proceeds from all my book sales are donated to the JCCF. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period. Because of the JCCF, wounded athletes are given the assistance they need to recover instead of worrying about finances.

To help raise funds and awareness for the JCCF, a kickoff party is held each November. Join us for a day of guest authors, games, and giveaways on November 10 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholesomeheartsevents

Also, enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card: https://tinyurl.com/22cowboyschristmasentry

Learn more about the Read A Book, Help A Cowboy Campaign and the JCCF at: https://shannahatfield.com/give-back/

And check out the two new releases in the Rodeo Romance series coming this holiday season. Watch for Taming Christmas in the Christmas Wishes & Cowboy Kisses boxed set, and Savoring Christmas releasing November 10.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet romances filled with hope, humor, quirky small-town characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers.

Follow her online at:
ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Newsletter | Pinterest

Find Shanna’s books at:
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple | Audible

Release Spotlight & Giveaway: DEADLY RESCUE by Kate Parker

For fans of historical fiction, spy thrillers, and cozy mysteries, this new release will take you back to the days of World War II.

About the Book

As the Phony War morphs into the Blitzkrieg, two British intelligence officers risk getting trapped behind enemy lines in the ninth Deadly mystery from USA Today Bestselling author Kate Parker

April, 1940. Hitler is invading Denmark on Tuesday. Olivia Redmond has only a weekend to bring a Nobel Prize winning chemist and his war-altering research to Britain. The scientist and his wife want to leave, but their troublesome daughter will do anything to stop her parents from departing.

When the daughter’s German fiancé is murdered, the police refuse to let anyone depart until they find the killer. If Olivia wants to escape Denmark with the chemist and his breakthroughs, she will have to unmask the killer before the Nazis stop her forever.

Deadly Rescue, book nine of the Deadly Series, is for fans of World War II era spy thrillers and classical cozy mysteries, of intrepid lady sleuths with determination and smarts. No explicit cursing, violence, or sex.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card from the author.

About the Author

Since she was unable to build a time machine in her backyard, Kate Parker immerses herself in research and then creates the world that lives inside each book that she writes. Her favorite place is London and her time travel destination is anywhere from the late Victorian era through World War II. Since she lives in the Carolinas with her daughter and a 95-pound puppy, the practical side of her is thankful for air conditioning and all the modern comforts of life. Comforts she will take with her if she ever figures out how to build her time machine.

Author links:

Purchase links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

Review & Giveaway: FALLOUT by Carrie Stuart Parks

So why did I pick up this book? The cover caught my eye and the description intrigued me. What I discovered was an intriguing read.

About the Book

Her carefully crafted life is about to be demolished.

After a difficult childhood, Samantha Williams craves simplicity: jigsaw puzzles, lectures at the library, and the students she adores in her role as an elementary art teacher in the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington.

But when an SUV crashes into the school where she teaches, her entire world is upended. She manages to keep all of the children safe, but her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage.

After authorities discover that the driver in the school accident was shot seconds before the crash, Samantha quickly becomes entangled in increasingly strange events that have her looking over her shoulder.

Samantha has long tried to forget the tragedy of her past, but the twisting maze she discovers between the murdered driver, a deadly secret government project, and an abandoned town can’t be ignored. Those involved are determined to keep these secrets buried, and they’ll use any means necessary to stop Samantha’s search for truth.

My Review

Samantha’s past is complicated and shrouded in mystery. And her life becomes more so when an SUV crashes into the school where where she teaches. She makes for a quirky character who guards her secrets and keeps to herself. For the most part, the story is told from Sam’s point of view, with occasional switches to another character’s viewpoint – I found the transitions were confusing in a few places. Set against the historical backdrop of a nuclear facility during the Cold War created a counterpoint between Sam’s quirkiness and some serious and intesting subject matter. The action was paced nicely, accelerating significantly in the second half of the book to keep those pages turning. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Note: This is a clean read (categorized as Christian suspence on Amazon) with ongoing references to the main character’s faith, however this is not a “preachy” read and is not likely to offend those of other faiths.

FTC disclosure: I received an advanced review copy of this book via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of this review in any way.

Giveaway

Enter a giveway for your chance to win a print copy of Fallout from the author.

About the Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy, multiple Carol, and Inspy Award–winning author. She was a 2019 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mainstream mystery/suspense and has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

Keep up with Carrie Stuart Parks:

·       www.CarrieStuartParks.com

·       Goodreads

·       BookBub – @CarrieStuartParks

·       Instagram – @carriestuarparks

·       Facebook – @CarrieStuartParksAuthor

Book Links: 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Review: LOVES BILLIONAIRES AND DOGS by Gina Robinson

In the mood for another feel-good romance? I sure was. Penned by an author new to me, this one didn’t disappoint. I’ll be adding the next in series to my TBR list.

Description*

Hot billionaire asks me for a fake relationship. ✓
He doesn’t recognize me as the runaway bride he helped escape in Vegas two years ago. What happens when he does…

Once upon a time in Vegas, I left my groom at the altar in a twenty-four-hour discount wedding chapel. And ran away with my bridal bouquet — the most adorable Corgi puppy you’ve ever seen.

In a nearby casino, a gorgeous stranger with blue-violet eyes helped me escape. An unforgettable stranger I’ve been thinking about nonstop for the past two years, but thought I’d never see again.

Until his handsome Aussie in a studded leather collar finds my little Corgi bitch in the park — irresistible, alone, and in heat…

*As appears on Amazon

My Review

Both main characters are likable and the banter between them entertaining. The narrative alternates between Shelby’s and Dex’s points of view – making clear their respective feelings and reservations as their relationship progress. And there are great dogs and humorous situations. Although there was perhaps a bit more detail on the mechanics of dog breeding than necessary, this was a quick, enjoyable read. Overall, a feel-good romance – as advertised – that makes for an enjoyable escape.

Review & Giveaway: THE SERAPHIM’S SONG by Barbara Casey

When I was given the opportunity to read an advance review copy of the The Seraphim’s Song, I was quick to snap it up, having read and enjoyed the first book in the series. This is the fifth book in Barbara Casey’s F.I.G. (Females of Intellectual Genius) Mystrey series which follows gifted teens on their advantures to explore unsolved mysteries.

About the Book

When a powerful key falls into the wrong hands and disaster begins to strike around the globe, the F.I.G.s must find the artifact and return it to its rightful home. With odds stacked against them, and only their unique intellectual gifts to rely on, they are in a race against time to save the world.

Join the F.I.G.s – females of intellectual genius – as they solve mysteries of historic proportions. Dara Roux with her mastery of foreign, ancient, and obsolete languages; Mackenzie Yarborough with her ability to solve complicated math formulations; and Jennifer Torres with her talents in musical composition and painting are all recent graduates of Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. As the F.I.G.s embark on their own journeys, Wood Rose will always be their home. And Carolina Lovell, the teacher who was tasked with supervising the F.I.G.s during their senior year, will always be like a big sister to the three girls.

Follow the F.I.G.s on adventures to different countries, as they explore some of history’s unsolved mysteries! Mysteries that can only be solved when the F.I.G.s work together and support each other.

Giveaway

Enter a rafflecopter for your chance to win a $20 Amazon/B&N gift card from the author.

My Review

Caroline and the F.I.G.s are back, and the comraderie between the uniquely capable young women are the stronger than ever. This time they face the challenge of preventing widespread natural disasters and saving Caroline from a curse placed by an evil gypsy with a grudge against her mother. The background for The Seraphim’s Song is founded in the first book in the series, The Cadence of Gypsies, in which Caroline discovers that her biological mother is a gypsy with special powers. Like The Cadence of Gypies, this book is rich in gypsy folklore and legends, with a generous dose of supernatural/paranormal phenomena.

Although the Seraphim’s Song was a pleasant read, I felt that the author included more backstory from previous books than necessary, including details about the girls’ previous adventures that had no bearing on the plot of The Seraphim’s Song, slowing the pace down at times. That said, it makes a nice read for young adult fans of fantasy.

FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected the content of my review.

Note: You can read my review of The Cadence of Gypsies here.

About the Author

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency, established in 1995, representing authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2014, Barbara became a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in true crime and other cutting-edge adult nonfiction.

Release Spotlight: THE ITCH OF MURDER by Christa Nardi

Christa Nardi is at it again. She recently released a new book in her Izze Di Sante Mystery series, which features an investigative journalist turned restauranteer as she tackles interesting mysteries in her home town.

About the Book

A well-dressed man killed at a demolition site, at night in a snow storm.

Izzie Di Sante loves a challenge and Chance Corcoran’s murder sparks her curiosity. While managing the day-to-day business of the family restaurant, she searches for some connection between the victim and the site of the future Elite Townhomes. A co-worker of the victim disappears, the foreperson of the construction site is injured, and someone’s after Izzie. As her sister, Chloe, prepares for an Easter buffet like none other, Izzie needs to put the pieces together before it’s too late.

You’ll find the book on Amazon. As of this posting, only $0.99 for Kindle.

About the Author

Christa Nardi is an accomplished author of cozy mysteries. Christa’s background is in higher education and psychology, much as her protagonist, Sheridan Hendley in the Cold Creek mystery series. She has always loved mysteries – reading them, writing them, and solving them. Christa is a member of Sisters in Crime. When not writing or reading, Christa and her husband enjoy travel, three grandchildren, and their dogs.

Murder at Cold Creek College is the first in the Cold Creek series, set in a small, fictitious town in Virginia and Sheridan is an accidental sleuth called on to assist the detective in charge of a colleague’s murder. The fifth and last in the series, Murder and a Wedding, was released on August 10, 2017. Sheridan may be moving, but she still gets involved in mysteries with the Sheridan Hendley series.

Christa also authors the Stacie Maroni Myseries. Stacie is a strong female at a crossroads in her life who works with victims of domestic violence. Going back to memories of the Dana Girls,

In addition, Christa collaborates with Cassidy Salem on a YA mystery series featuring teen sisters.

You can contact Christa via twitter @ChristaN7777 or via email: cccnardi@gmail.com or on her blog christanardi.blogspot.com Visit her website at https://cccnardi.wixsite.com/mysite. Sign up for her monthly newsletter at https://cccnardi.wixsite.com/mysite/contact.