A day in the life of Hope Hunter by Christina Freeburn

I stood at the threshold of the church. A pine scent wafted toward me. Tied at the end of each pew was a simple evergreen wreath with a velvet bow. A smidge of worry tickled my brain. What about those with allergies? Would they be bothered by the smell?

“What do you think Grandma?” Faith bounded up to me, a wide smile brightening her face.

I pushed my concerns away. My granddaughter Faith and my best friend Cheryl had upgraded the plastic wreaths the church owned to real ones so the Christmas Eve Service had some special touches for the wedding. My wedding. Once by beloved Joe died, I never dreamed of having male companionship again. A husband. But here I was, about ready to walk down the aisle again. My beautiful granddaughter, the treasure of my life, insisted I deserved a special day to celebrate my nuptials to Randall Moore.

“Don’t you like it?” There was worry in Faith’s voice.

I hugged her. “It’s lovely. Perfect. Just the way it is.”

I spoke the last sentence louder as I spotted Cheryl trying to adjust the Christmas tree at the front of the sanctuary. The pastor would not be happy if she knocked it over, and she might get hurt. “Sweetie, I think your other grandma needs some help.”

Faith’s brows furrowed down. She turned and heaved out a sigh. “Grandma Cheryl, I told you I’d help you.”

Cheryl snorted. “I’ve been putting up Christmas trees since before you were born. I think I know how to do this.”

Faith ran to the front. “You’re not putting one up, you’re trying to move a fully decorated tree.”

“It’s in the way.” Cheryl huffed and puffed, tugging the tree to the left. “We won’t be able to get good pictures if the tree is in this spot.”

Maybe my choice of a Christmas Eve wedding wasn’t such a good idea. Originally, I thought it was perfect. I wanted a simple event with an open door policy for anyone who wanted to take part in my and Randall’s celebration. All I wanted was an exchanging of vows during a church service and refreshments in the fellowship hall. Randall and I had agreed we didn’t want a big to do. That would be saved for when my granddaughter—now our granddaughter—was married in March.

And frankly, at our ages Randall Moore and I were more likely to remember our anniversary if we were married on a holiday. Christmas Eve was perfect as Randall’s children and grandchildren had already planned a visit for the Christmas holidays, the church was decorated, and most of the residents of Eden would be at church that night. The candlelight service sounded like the perfect night for our wedding.

I hadn’t envisioned Faith and Cheryl believing Christmas was overshadowing me. There was one way to distract them away from the Christmas tree and trying to find other ways to make me the highlight of a night that should be about love and goodness for all of mankind.

“I need help finding my dress. It’s gone missing.” I added a little woebegone to my voice.

Faith and Cheryl spun toward me, shock on their face.

“Your wedding dress?” Faith practically screeched. She ran for the office we were using as my dressing.

Cheryl gasped and rushed for the door. “I’ll check the car.”

Now, I knew exactly where my dress was but I knew Faith always loved a good mystery. It would be a god distraction for her. And Cheryl, even though she fussed at our granddaughter for involving herself a pursuit best left for the police, I knew she secretly admired her—and was thrilled of Faith’s meddling.

As Cheryl liked to remind me: At least Faith got a man out of it.

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You can read more about Hope in Altered to Death, the sixth book in the “Faith Hunter Scrap This” mystery series, coming November 28, 2017.

Even knee-deep in planning her wedding, Faith Hunter finds herself distracted by the town scrapbook she was commissioned to create. Eden’s oldest mystery, the founding family’s exodus nearly a hundred years ago, remains unsolved. When a search through the family’s abandoned mansion leads to the uncovering of bones on the property and ex-boyfriend Steve Davis announces a surprise heir has staked a claim, Faith is determined to dig up the truth left behind.

Meanwhile, family friend Wyatt Buford asks Faith to look into his deadbeat father’s disappearing act and his connection to the murder. Her quest for answers unearths secrets past and present that some would prefer stay buried at any cost. Faith’s resolve to present the facts and nothing but about Eden’s history could lead to her own future being cut short.

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About the author
Christina Freeburn started jotting down stories on her bus commute to high school and never stopped. The Scrap This Mystery series is a mix of crafty and crime, bringing together her love of mysteries and scrapbooking. Her New Beginnings series is an inspirational romantic suspense featuring heroines and heroes willing to risk their lives to find hope, promise and a future for those struggling in a world that’s set against them. Christina served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and has worked as a paralegal, librarian, and church secretary. Currently, she is plotting two new series and waiting to see which one wins over her muse. Connect with Christina at christinafreeburn.com.

All comments are welcomed.

A day in the life with Megan Sawyer by Wendy Tyson

Southeastern Pennsylvania winters can be as unpredictable as a teenager’s moods. One day it’s sunny and forty-five, the next it’s twenty and snowing. This winter seemed to be in constant snit, and the snow started blanketing the landscape weeks before Christmas. At first Winsome residents were joyous. Nothing instills holiday cheer quite like a thick covering of snow. But as time passed and the snow continued to cause school closings and car accidents, our collective patience with Mother Nature was waning. The snowy countryside felt more like prison than a bucolic paradise.

To make matters worse, living with my grandmother, Bibi, was akin to bunking with the Winter Warlock, and even the animals seemed on edge. We all longed for sunshine. But today was supposed to be better. A lull in the storms, a bright spot during a bleak month.

I spent the morning in the greenhouses picking spinach, kale, and arugula to take with me to the Philadelphia farm-to-table restaurants. I’d made appointments with several prominent chefs before the weather turned, and I needed to keep those commitments. Winters can be long on a farm, especially a fledgling farm, and selling greens to regional restaurants would be a good source of income. If only they’d take a chance on a newcomer.

I glanced at my watch. Ten minutes before ten. Meteorologists were calling for more of the white stuff late that evening, but I would be in and out of the city before the first flake hit. Or so I thought.

My farm manager, Clay Hand, helped me load coolers of greens into the back of the truck. I’d dressed in the farm version of business casual—vintage blouse, long maroon cardigan, jeans, leather boots—and I pulled off my parka before climbing into the vehicle. Gunther and Sadie, my dogs, sat by the edge of the driveway managing to look both forlorn and hopeful like only dogs can.

“Sorry, pups,” I muttered. “No room.”

The farm, a historic property that, according to legend, once housed George Washington, stood close to a back country road on a wide swath of farmland. Woodlands bordered the property, and the boughs of hemlocks, blue spruce, and pines hung heavy with snow. Today the farmhouse chimneys billowed smoke despite the appearance of the yellow disc in the sky. Bibi was constantly cold, and the old heater couldn’t seem to keep her bones warm. The dogs didn’t mind. Soon they would be curled by the fire, all thoughts of going for a ride gone.

I waved good-bye to Clay and headed down the driveway, my mood lifting. It seemed like a day filled with promise. The potential for new customers. The opportunity to spend a few hours in the city. Holiday celebrations on the horizon. Winsome was beautiful in the winter, and I was looking forward to Christmas on the farm. I cranked up the radio and enjoyed the journey, momentarily oblivious to the vagaries of the weather and the whims of fate.

The day was filled with promise, all right. The promise of more snow. And trouble.

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You can read more about Megan in Seeds of Revenge, the third book in the “Greenhouse” mystery series.

Smell the crisp pines and baking cranberries as you sip your hot apple cider. It may be the season, but the mood in Winsome is anything but jolly.

Megan Sawyer is determined to farm year-round. So much so that she braves a December snowstorm to pitch her fresh greenhouse greens to Philadelphia chefs. And then she sees a stranger stranded on the side of the road.

But this woman is no stranger to Winsome. It’s Becca Fox. A love chemist (you read that right). She’s headed to her aunt’s house to sell her love potions at holiday events. Or so Becca thinks. Her sneaky aunt only invited Becca home to reunite her with her estranged father. It sounds noble and kind-hearted, until the man ends up dead.

Megan soon finds herself in the middle. She realizes Becca’s not the only one getting iced over. Megan’s own aunt, the famous mystery author, is dragged into the drama. Her novels implicate her and she’s in trouble.

Now it’s personal. Our Megan must follow a cryptic trail of literary clues, all while sifting through the victim’s sordid past. She gets closer to the truth as the murderer gets closer to her. How’s that for a ho ho ho? Don’t let your fresh apple crisp burn in the oven because you’re lost in this holiday homicide.

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About the author
Wendy Tyson is a writer, lawyer, and former therapist whose background has inspired her mysteries and thrillers. Wendy writes two mystery series, the Allison Campbell Mystery Series and the Greenhouse Mystery Series. Wendy’s bestselling Greenhouse Mystery Series includes A Muddied Murder (March 2016), Bitter Harvest (March 2017), which received a starred Publishers Weekly review, and Seeds of Revenge, which was published November 14, 2017. Wendy’s short stories have appeared in literary journals, and she has short fiction scheduled to appear in two fiction anthologies, The Night of the Flood and Betrayed. Wendy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Penn Writers, and International Thriller Writers, and she’s a contributing editor and columnist for International Thriller Writers’ online magazines, The Big Thrill and The Thrill Begins. Wendy and her family split their time between Pennsylvania and Vermont. Visit Wendy at watyson.com.

All comments are welcomed.

Cover Reveal ~ The Phantom Of Oz by Cindy Brown

I am excited to share with you the cover for the fifth book in the “Ivy Meadows” humorous mystery series from Henery Press, coming January 30, 2018.

Title: The Phantom of Oz
Series: Ivy Meadows #5
Genre: Humorous Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press
Website: cindybrownwriter.com

Creepy Munchkins. A Mysterious Phantom. And a Real Wicked Witch.

Who dropped a chandelier on the Wicked Witch of the East? Was it the ghost who haunts the Grand Phoenician Theatre? A “wicked witch” among the cast of The Wizard: A Space OZpera? Or is it someone—or something—more sinister? Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows has been hired to uncover the cause of the creepy accidents that plague the roadshow.

It’s Ivy’s most personal case so far. Her best friend Candy, who’s touring with the show, is caught in a downward spiral of self-destruction, and is in more danger than she knows. To save her friend and the show, Ivy must answer some tough questions: Do spirits really exist? What is real beauty? What does friendship mean? Ivy needs to learn the answers, and fast—before Candy reaches the point of no return.

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Giveaway: Leave a comment below to win your choice of one of the other Ivy Meadows mysteries: Macdeath, The Sound of Murder, Oliver Twisted, or Ivy Get Your Gun, in either Kindle/Nook  format. The giveaway will end November 8, 2017. Good luck everyone!

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About the author
Cindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s the author of the Agatha-nominated Ivy Meadows series, madcap mysteries set in the off, off, OFF Broadway world of theater. Cindy and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, though she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.

She’d love to connect with readers at cindybrownwriter.com (where they can sign up for her Slightly Silly Newsletter) or on Facebook or Twitter.

My Musing ~ Seeds of Revenge by Wendy Tyson

Seeds of Revenge by Wendy Tyson is the third book in the “Greenhouse” mystery series. Publisher: Henery Press, coming November 14, 2017

Smell the crisp pines and baking cranberries as you sip your hot apple cider. It may be the season, but the mood in Winsome is anything but jolly.

Megan Sawyer is determined to farm year-round. So much so that she braves a December snowstorm to pitch her fresh greenhouse greens to Philadelphia chefs. And then she sees a stranger stranded on the side of the road.

But this woman is no stranger to Winsome. It’s Becca Fox. A love chemist (you read that right). She’s headed to her aunt’s house to sell her love potions at holiday events. Or so Becca thinks. Her sneaky aunt only invited Becca home to reunite her with her estranged father. It sounds noble and kind-hearted, until the man ends up dead.

Megan soon finds herself in the middle. She realizes Becca’s not the only one getting iced over. Megan’s own aunt, the famous mystery author, is dragged into the drama. Her novels implicate her and she’s in trouble.

Now it’s personal. Our Megan must follow a cryptic trail of literary clues, all while sifting through the victim’s sordid past. She gets closer to the truth as the murderer gets closer to her. How’s that for a ho ho ho? Don’t let your fresh apple crisp burn in the oven because you’re lost in this holiday homicide.

Masterly written, I found myself consumed by all that was happening from the simple pick-up of a stranded motorist to the arrival of a dysfunctional family that played a hearty part in this engaging tale of murder, mayhem and the intriguing involvement of Megan’s aunt.

I love a book that immediately pulls you in and this one does the job with visually descriptive narrative that gives just enough to whet your appetite to continue reading. The pacing was on par with how well this multi-plot story was being told, quickly becoming a page turner as I had to know who was doing what to whom. The author did a great job in staging this lighthearted drama with a list of suspects who have a strong motive and it was fun narrowing down the list until there was only one person left standing. But it was the one chapter that had my heart soaring with emotions as I visually watched the scene transcend across time as the two characters took their moment. Boasting a superb cast of characters, great dialogue and a feel-good atmosphere, this was the best book in this delightfully endearing series.

Buy Link

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

My Musing ~ Double Deck The Hall by Gretchen Archer

Double Deck The Hall by Gretchen Archer is the second book in the “Bellissimo Casino Crime Caper” Short Story series. Publisher: Henery Press, November 2017

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. The trees are trimmed, the halls are decked, and Davis Way Cole’s grandmother is there to play in the Winter Wonderland Senior Slot Tournament.

This year’s theme: The Nice List. All is merry and bright until Granny Dee meets an elf who belongs on the naughty list.

Maybe even the downright nasty list.

With nothing more than a lifetime of memories, the sounds of the season, and what she can find in the pockets of her Rudolph jogging suit, can Granny Dee save Bianca Sanders from the rotten elf, and in the process, save Christmas?

Granny Dee may try to save Christmas, but trust me, of all the characters in this non-stop page-turner, Granny Dee steals the show.

What happens when you put Bianca, Granny and an elf in the same room. Why you get an amusing tale that will delight Davis Way fans. When a situation needs to be diffused, call on Granny as she’ll get the job done. This was nice short story with Granny taking center stage in this fast-pace and easy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. Now we know where Davis gets her smarts and ingenuity. Thanks to the author for this terrific caper.

A day in the life with Mollye Camp by Linda Lovely

I’m Mollye Camp, Brie Hooker’s best friend. Brie’s a vegan, but I don’t hold it against her. She doesn’t cringe when I bite into a juicy burger, and I don’t wrinkle my nose at her tofu concoctions.

We met at age eight. Wow, can it be twenty-five years ago? Back then, Brie lived in Iowa, but spent part of each summer on her aunts’ South Carolina farm where I boarded my ponies. Whenever Brie arrived, I’d pack my PJs and stay at the farm for days. We’d ride ponies, tell ghost stories, cavort with goats, and play poker with Brie’s twin aunts until way past our bedtime. A big bonus? Aunt Eva and Aunt Lilly let us eat whatever struck our fancy. Cold pizza for breakfast? Ice cream for lunch? Popcorn for dinner? They just laughed and joined in.

When Lilly died in a car wreck this spring, Brie moved in with Aunt Eva to help her run the farm with its 400 goats and popular dairy. It felt like Brie had never been away. BFF—best friends forever. We see each other most days. Seems like Brie regularly needs my help snooping or getting tips on how to juggle Andy and Paint, the two hunks chasing her. She’s better at sleuthing than romance. At lunch today, I told her to think ménage à trois. She just rolled her eyes. Still it’s not healthy for a thirty-three-year-old chick to spend more time with rutting billy goats than sexy men.

Of course I don’t counsel Brie 24/7. I’m a potter and entrepreneur. I own “Starry Skies—A New Age & Metaphysical Experience,” a seriously cool store if I do say so myself. Along with my pottery, I sell Udderly Kidding goat soaps, garden gargoyles, medicinal herbs, and everything a “good” witch needs from full-moon candles to willow wands. I also do tarot readings for giggles. Don’t claim to be psychic. Truth be told, Brie’s better at sensing when our sleuthing adventures could land us in danger.

After lunch with Brie, I met one of my artist-vendors. This lady turns gold, silver, copper, and stones into exquisite jewelry. Luckily, wholesale discounts let me indulge my yen for her art. Brie says my ears sport enough holes to double as sieves. Too much jewelry? Not possible. When I wave my arms, I want my bracelets to make music.

After my supplier left, I glazed three pierced vases, my signature creations. Then I hustled to yoga class. I’m a big girl but I’ve got moves. Speaking of which, I plan to enjoy canoodling with my sweetie, Deputy Danny McCoy, later this evening. He also happens to be a great source of information about what’s up at the Sheriff’s Department. Didn’t realize how valuable that could be until certain members of the Hooker clan became murder suspects.

Have to run. Since Deputy Danny’s working late, I’m off to Udderly Kidding Dairy to pick up Brie, Paint, and Andy. I’m driving since my Starry Skies van offers plenty of leg room, which everyone but Brie needs. Too bad my van’s harvest moon and twinkling stars make it a poor choice for undercover work. Don’t know what we’ll do if we need to snoop under the radar again. After Brie’s and my last spy venture, Mom absolutely refuses to loan me her plain vanilla car. Anyway, tonight’s entertainment is a community play starring my cousin Alice. The play’s Dial M for Murder, an old-timey favorite. Guess the updated version would be Text M for Murder.

Chow!

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You can read more about Mollye in Bones To Pick, the first book in the NEW “Brie Hooker” mystery series.

Living on a farm with four hundred goats and a cantankerous carnivore isn’t among vegan chef Brie Hooker’s list of lifetime ambitions. But she can’t walk away from her Aunt Eva, who needs help operating her dairy.

Once she calls her aunt’s goat farm home, grisly discoveries offer ample inducements for Brie to employ her entire vocabulary of cheese-and-meat curses. The troubles begin when the farm’s pot-bellied pig unearths the skull of Eva’s husband, who disappeared years back. The sheriff, kin to the deceased, sets out to pin the murder on Eva. He doesn’t reckon on Brie’s resolve to prove her aunt’s innocence. Death threats, ruinous pedicures, psychic shenanigans, and biker bar fisticuffs won’t stop Brie from unmasking the killer, even when romantic befuddlement throws her a curve.

Buy Link

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Meet the author
Linda Lovely finds writing pure fiction isn’t a huge stretch given the years she’s spent penning PR and advertising copy. Her blend of mystery and humor lets her chuckle as she plots to “disappear” the types of characters who most annoy her. Quite satisfying, plus there’s no need to pester relatives for bail. Her new Brie Hooker Mystery series offers good-natured salutes to both her vegan family doctor and her cheese-addicted kin. While her new series may be “cozy,” she weaves in plenty of adrenaline-packed scenes to keep readers flipping pages. She served as president of her local Sisters in Crime chapter for five years and also belongs to International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She’s the award-winning author of five prior mystery/suspense/thriller novels. To learn more, visit her website at lindalovely.com.

All comments are welcomed.

A day in the life with Jaya Jones by Gigi Pandian

I love my cozy attic apartment, with my tabla drums in the corner and sloping ceilings above. And I adore my miniscule office in the history department, filled with books and a steady flow of undergraduate students.

I’m a historian, which in my life means that in addition to teaching I’m a history detective who unravels centuries-old mysteries all over the world. This week, however, I’ve traveled over 5,000 miles from home for a different reason.

It was oh-so-tempting to stay home during my university’s weeklong Thanksgiving break, but seeing my best friend Sanjay perform a magic show in Japan was too good an offer to pass up. Sanjay performs as The Hindi Houdini, and he was invited by Japan’s most famous stage magician to be the opening act of a televised magic show.

That’s how I ended up here in Kyoto, Japan. But instead of sightseeing, I find myself being chased by a ninja who’s attempting to sabotage the magic show.

A ninja? Yes, a ninja. A warrior from ancient Japanese culture. I don’t actually think I’ve fallen through time. But there’s a man dressed as a ninja to disguise his identity and throw us off balance. So far, it’s working.

I thought that while Sanjay was practicing his magic act I’d have time to be a tourist and do a bit of my own historical sleuthing in Japan. Silly me. Instead of having time to look into a phantom Dutch trading ship that went missing as it sailed from India to Japan 150 years ago, I’ve had to turn my attention to helping my friend stay alive and make a splash with his Japanese debut. Wish me luck!

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You can read more about Jaya in The Ninja’s Illusion, the 5th book in the “Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt” mystery series.

A fabled illusion performed by a stage magician who claims to possess real supernatural powers. A treasure from the colonial era in India when international supremacies vied for power. A phantom trading ship lost over 200 years ago. And a ninja whose murderous intentions in present-day Japan connect the deeds of a long-dead trader who was much more than he seemed. . .

When Jaya Jones travels from San Francisco to Japan with her stage magician best friend Sanjay—a.k.a. The Hindi Houdini—for his Japanese debut, she jumps at the chance to pursue her own research that could solve a tantalizing centuries-old mystery.

With the colorful autumn leaves of historic Kyoto falling around her, Jaya soon loses sight of what’s real and what’s a deception. A mysterious ninja attempts sabotage on Sanjay’s trick, along with Japan’s most controversial magician, Akira. Ancient folklore blurs the lines between illusion and reality when a magician’s assistant appears to be a kitsune, a mythical fox spirit. As tricks escalate to murder, Jaya and her friends must unravel secrets hidden in the ancient capital of Japan, before one of their own becomes the next victim. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Peters.

“A beautifully complex, fast-paced mystery—a well-crafted blend of modern magic and ancient secrets, full of compelling characters and set in one of Japan’s most beautiful—and mysterious—locations.” – Susan Spann, Author of the Hiro Hattori Mysteries

Buy Link

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Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a set of 8 book-themed recipe cards. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends October 6, 2017. Good luck everyone!

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About the author
USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood being dragged around the world on their research trips, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard vegetable garden.

Gigi’s novels have been described as a cross between Indiana Jones and Agatha Christie. She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series (Artifact, Pirate Vishnu, Quicksand, Michelangelo’s Ghost, and The Ninja’s Illusion), the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (The Accidental Alchemist, The Masquerading Magician, and The Elusive Elixir), and locked-room mystery short stories. Gigi’s fiction has been awarded the Malice Domestic Grant and Lefty Awards, and shortlisted for Agatha and Macavity awards.

Learn more at gigipandian.com, sign up for Gigi’s newsletter here, and find her on Facebook.

All comments are welcomed.

A day in the life with Maggie O’Malley by Kathleen Valenti

I’m hiding in the lab. Again.

Ironic. The room with bio hazardous waste feels like the safest place at Rxcellence.

Of course, safety is an illusion, like control. The more we think we have it, the more we’re at risk of losing it. Experience has taught me that. And experience isn’t a kind a teacher.

I thought my first real job would be my first real chance to escape the past. Instead I’m running from new problems. Big problems. Deadly problems.

It began after my first day of work. A single reminder. A solitary digital intrusion. Now it’s reached its tentacles into my life, infecting everything.

Turns out my phone has the Grim Reaper on speed dial. At least, that’s how it feels. My phone pings. Someone dies. Someone I’ve never met. Someone my calendar insists I have a meeting with.

Maybe that’s why I’m in the lab. Maybe I’m looking for a cure for the fear that’s become my constant companion.

Or maybe I’m just hoping the bell won’t toll here.

I already have enough on my mind. Pop’s restaurant, for starters. Aunt Fiona just called.

“Oh, hello, dear,” she said in that way that makes it seem like I called her. “I was just calling to see how everything was going.”

Of course, these days “everything” includes my ability to serve as a human life raft to keep O’Malley’s Pizzeria—and Pop’s dreams— afloat. Not that I don’t think Aunt Fiona loves me. She’s been like a mother since I was 12, teaching me how to shave my legs, telling me stand up straight, instructing me to eat my liver. (Why anyone would insist on eating a human filter for good health is beyond me.) But the phone call—and the implicit pressure—rankled me. Like I said, I have enough on my mind.

So I’m going to head out of work early (a relative term, since “early” at Rxcellence is any time before 7pm), wolf down a Luna bar and hit the trail for a five-mile run.

The fresh air will clear my mind, and the relentless tattoo of my shoes across the path will drum out the images that play over and over in my mind.

The strangers. The phone. My personal tormentor at work who won’t leave me alone.

If fresh air won’t do it, surely the endorphins will. I just hope I don’t encounter anyone along the path to interrupt my bliss—or, let’s face it—my escapism.

I just need to muster the courage to leave the lab. To focus on things I can control—my career, my relationships, my future—and forget about the phone and the reminders and the strangers who meet with death instead of meeting with me.

I’m a woman of science, after all. I need to get a grip and come to terms with the fact that this whole phone thing is just some kind of weird coincidence. A technological glitch. A ghost in the machine.

What else could it be?

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You can meet Maggie in Protocol, the first of the NEW Maggie O’Malley Mysteries.

Freshly minted college graduate Maggie O’Malley embarks on a career fueled by professional ambition and a desire to escape the past. As a pharmaceutical researcher, she’s determined to save lives from the shelter of her lab. But on her very first day she’s pulled into a world of uncertainty. Reminders appear on her phone for meetings she’s never scheduled with people she’s never met. People who end up dead.

With help from her best friend, Maggie discovers the victims on her phone are connected to each other and her new employer. She soon unearths a treacherous plot that threatens her mission—and her life. Maggie must unlock deadly secrets to stop horrific abuses of power before death comes calling for her.

Buy Link

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Giveaway: Please leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Protocol, the book Hank Phillippi Ryan called “Smart, fast-paced and surprising!” (Print copy for US entries; e-book outside the US). The giveaway ends September 7, 2017. Good luck!

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Meet the author
When Kathleen Valenti isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. Protocol is her debut novel and the first of the Maggie O’Malley mystery series. Kathleen lives in Oregon with her family where she pretends to enjoy running.

Learn more at kathleenvalenti.com and connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

All comments are welcomed.

Cover Reveal ~ Bones To Pick by Linda Lovely

I am excited to share with you the cover for the first book in the NEW “Brie Hooker” humorous mystery series from Henery Press, coming October 24, 2017.

Title: Bones To Pick
Series: Brie Hooker #1
Genre: Humorous Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press
Website: Linda Lovely

Living on a farm with four hundred goats and a cantankerous carnivore isn’t among vegan chef Brie Hooker’s list of lifetime ambitions. But she can’t walk away from her Aunt Eva, who needs help operating her dairy. Once she calls her aunt’s goat farm home, grisly discoveries offer ample inducements for Brie to employ her entire vocabulary of cheese-and-meat curses. The troubles begin when the farm’s pot-bellied pig unearths the skull of Eva’s husband, who disappeared years back. The sheriff, kin to the deceased, sets out to pin the murder on Eva. He doesn’t reckon on Brie’s resolve to prove her aunt’s innocence. Death threats, ruinous pedicures, psychic shenanigans, and biker bar fisticuffs won’t stop Brie from unmasking the killer, even when romantic befuddlement throws her a curve.

Pre-order Link

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Meet the author
Linda Lovely finds writing pure fiction isn’t a huge stretch given the years she’s spent penning PR and ad copy. Linda writes a blend of mystery and humor, chuckling as she plots to “disappear” the types of characters who most annoy her. Quite satisfying, plus there’s no need to pester relatives for bail. Her newest series offers good-natured salutes to both her vegan family doctor and her cheese-addicted kin. She’s an enthusiastic Sisters in Crime member and helps organize the popular Writers’ Police Academy. When not writing or reading, Linda takes long walks with her husband, swims, gardens, and plays tennis.

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of Dear Killer, No Wake Zone, Dead Line, Dead Hunt and Lies, either Kindle/Nook (open to everyone) or paperback (U.S. residents only), winner’s choice. That’s FIVE books! The giveaway will end July 25, 2017. Good luck everyone!