Dear Reader, Love Author: cozy mystery

Showing posts with label cozy mystery. Show all posts

Dear Reader, Love Kate Damon

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in my book Jury Duty is Murder. Some of you might know me as Margaret Brownley. Under that name, I’m a New York Times bestselling author with more than forty-six romance novels to my credit. You may wonder why, after all this time, I would change genres. It wasn’t intentional.

I initially intended to write a courtroom romance about a sequestered jury set in the 1800s. However, after conducting research, I discovered that the first sequestered jury did not occur until 1907, which is quite late for stories set in the Old West. This knowledge led me to abandon the idea—or at least attempt to do so, but the characters kept popping up in my thoughts. Finally, I gave in and began writing the story alongside my other projects. What started out to be a historical soon turned into a contemporary mystery.

The story begins on the day the trial concludes, and the jurors—finally released after four grueling months—are free to return to their lives. But their relief is short-lived. One by one, jurors begin to die under suspicious circumstances. CeeCee, who served as juror number five, is convinced that someone is targeting them. She calls a meeting, but only three other former jurors—Harold, Helen, and Alex—show up. Ironically, the four who could barely tolerate each other during the trial are now forced to work together to uncover the truth before they also become victims. As their journey unfolds, so do powerful themes of friendship, betrayal, and the unforeseen cost of justice.

The book not only explores the suspense of tracking down a killer, but also the personal struggles each character faces after being sequestered for four long months. Their journey reflects how a verdict can rip through lives in unexpected ways.

For those who appreciate the humor in my romance novels, there's no need for concern. Our four amateur detectives will keep you laughing with their comical antics as they work to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed writing the book, but it didn’t come about without a lot of headaches. Since the book is so different from what I normally write, I had to use a pen name. That made me an unknown writer, and finding a publisher was no easy task. I will forever be grateful to The Wild Rose Press for publishing the book.

I hope you enjoy the story and have fun attempting to unravel the mystery alongside the four jurors who have taken on the role of amateur detectives. The question is, who will arrive at the solution first? Them or you?

Love Kate Damon

When Kate Damon is not writing, she and her husband enjoy RVing, spending time with family and friends, raising Monarch butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge.

Writing as Margaret Brownley, she has published more than 40 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Known for her memorable characters and humor, she is a two-time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist.

Not counting the book she wrote in sixth grade, and the puzzle of the missing socks, this is her first mystery.

Website ➜http://margaret-brownley.com/

Twitter ➜https://www.x.com/katejuryduty

Facebook ➜https://www.facebook.com/MargaretBrownleyAuthor/ and https://www.facebook.com/p/Kate-Damon-61565155275435/

Instagram ➜https://www.instagram.com/katedamonbooks

BookBub➜https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-damon

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4072660.Kate_Damon and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163681.Margaret_Brownley

The verdict is in; a famed athlete is headed for prison. The jurors have done their job and are free to go back to their lives. But after being sequestered for four months, life as some knew it no longer exists.

HAROLD ASHMAN’s house is almost destroyed by a careless driver. Exotic dancer, CEECEE LAINE, discovers that her boyfriend is two-timing her, and she no longer has a job. Actor ALEX MANNING learns his career is down the tubes, and 72-year-old, HELEN RYDER, discovers her family is plotting to put her in an old folks home.

Then things take a turn for the worse. When former jurors start dropping like flies, CeeCee, Helen, Harold and Alex are convinced there’s a killer on the loose. Now the feuding foursome must find him before he kills them—or before they save him the trouble by killing each other.

Jury Duty is Murder is available at Amazon.

Dear Reader, Love Pam Kumpe

Dear Reader…

I sometimes struggle with letting my past keep me stuck, and my insides are turned inside out when I remember allowing another person to use my face as a punching bag. I would shake, cry, and shudder from head to foot back in high school, and I wanted to be able to fly away, to soar from the pain. I wanted some peace, and I was desperate for a change. I longed to escape the rage inflicted on me. So, if you’re hurting or trapped, I hope that you, too, escape the fists and find joy in the morning.

One thing I remember is to call to God, that He is my helper, at dusk, dawn, and noon. He hears and rescues, but I must move toward safety and strive to live in freedom. So, pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—he’ll carry your load and help you.

Put your trust in God. Reach for his hand and hold on. And run if you must. You matter. You belong to God. You are fearfully and wonderfully created in His image. It’s time for you to breathe, sing, smile, and take a new walk.

Never forget that God is with you, and take a moment to praise Him with all your heart. I know He pulled me from the brink of death with my feet at the cliff edge of doom in that relationship. And then, in my first marriage, at nineteen, I again became trapped inside the abuse. But thank God, I gained the freedom to live, and now I stroll in the sunlit fields of life. No one ever hit me in the face again, pushed me down a flight of stairs, or smashed my head into a window. Not again. Not ever. And my prayer is that you can live without the pain too. Get you a new life. One without bruises. Or abuse. Be the wonderful person God designed and live with purpose.

Pam Kumpe struggled with confidence due to physical and verbal abuse as a child, and from repeated abuse during high school and college. As she grew older, she hid from the world and didn’t talk to many people. She stayed to herself.

Pam didn’t know the Lord could use brokenness and turn it into a way to help others. Her books are designed to add strength to your life. To help you find your way. She hopes to remind you that you’re fearfully and wonderfully created in Christ.

Thankfully, God opened her eyes and heart to fight for freedom and to stand for truth, and He gave Pam beauty for ashes, the joy of a new day with peace. She credits the Lord with giving her a voice to encourage others who are broken.

As an author and speaker, she loves to laugh. To read. To write. To talk. Not necessarily in that order. But always in each day.

Pam writes mysteries, devotionals, ministry books, and children’s books. Each book she’s written gives way to hope, and peace, and reminds you to persevere. Her stories will take you on a road trip of the heart as she challenges you to make today count.

Pam has written an inspirational column for newspapers spanning 25 years and she’s volunteered for 11 years, teaching/holding a church service for ladies in drug/alcohol rehab. Before that, Pam served 24 years as a children’s church teacher, where her love for others grew with each lesson she’s taught. And Pam is involved in street ministry with the homeless when she’s not playing with her schnauzer, Shelby, or her grandson, Kade.

Her latest book is the cozy mystery, Summertime Sprinkler.

You can visit her website at www.PamKumpe.com or connect with her at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Beth Bender, a weary traveler, and radio talk show host, receives the annual email from Hudson Hinkle. It’s been twenty years, and this time, Beth plans to ignore the notification. However, the flashbacks flood her mind like a sprinkler that won’t turn off.

Despite the turmoil, Beth will discover light shining into her future through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy who moves into the neighborhood. And yet, a collision of the heart is inevitable. Will Beth open the email and confront Hudson? Is it time for Beth’s untold story to make a difference in the lives of other women and children who endure domestic violence?

Book Information

Release Date: April 7, 2022

Publisher: Independent

Soft Cover: ISBN:979-8985590319; 195 pages; $14.99; Free with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3NZD7JX

You can purchase your book also at the author’s website at www.pamkumpe.com.

Dear Reader, Love Avery Daniels

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading. Not just my books, but reading at all. You are a hero and reading is your super power! But a special thanks for giving my book a chance when there are so very many to choose from. I am grateful beyond words for each person who reads my books and I hope I was able to entertain you for a few hours.

We already have something in common, we enjoy reading. Readers are the best and even though reading is a personal and usually solitary activity, we readers are a great community. We share our enjoyment of immersing ourselves in a story and walking in a character’s shoes. Sure, we may not have the same books as our favorites, or not agree on the all-time best books, but we can agree on our love of finding a world within the pages.

I grew up with my mother and grandmother sharing their love of reading with me. My grandmother lived with us. They both read mostly historical fiction so talk around the dinner table was about the books they were reading and how historically accurate they were. That fed my interest in reading, but also made history come alive. That certainly helped me during history classes! What about you? Do others in your family read and did that nurture your reading habit?

I can read anywhere. I have ebook apps on my phone and when I’m standing in line somewhere I am either people watching for interesting habits or details to help me as a writer (like the big burly guy with menacing tattoos who wore a Mickey Mouse watch, eventually he will show up in one of my books) or I am reading.

As for First Bite, the debut novel of the Accidental Vampire PI series, I want to share that it isn’t a really scary or gory vampire story. Misty is a positive thought young woman who strives to look for the up-side in everything. Her silver lining now that she is a vampire is how she can help people more as she begins to investigate some of her private detective boss’s cases. There is suspense and a murderer to catch, but it isn’t violent. This was a fun book to write and I think that comes through in the story.

I am an introvert. I don’t know if that is common among readers, but a lot of authors sure are. So I understand if it’s difficult to make comments or email your favorite author. Trust me, I’ve been there and I understand. I am off the charts introverted and shy. One job I had for several years was as an adult trainer, which meant I had to get up in front of people and talk, coherently. I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you liked or didn’t like in First Bite, tell me what you like about mysteries or paranormal stories the most and please join my newsletter so we can stay in touch. I give away recipes of food and some drinks to subscribers and I share photos of my cats too. It was nice to virtually meet you and may your bookshelves be full!

MysterySuspense1@gmail.com

http://eepurl.com/c2DgfT

Avery Daniels was born and raised in Colorado, graduated from college with a degree in business administration and has worked in fortune 500 companies and Department of Defense her entire life. Her most eventful job was apartment management for 352 units. She still resides in Colorado with two brother black cats as her spirited companions. She volunteers for a cat shelter, enjoys scrapbooking and card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. She inherited a love for reading from her mother and grandmother and grew up talking about books at the dinner table.

Her latest book is the paranormal cozy mystery, First Bite.

You can visit her website at http://avery-daniels.com/. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Bingebook.

In 24 hours, Misty Summers had the worst date of her life, was bit by a vampire, and her PI boss may close his business as he goes through a divorce. Looking on the positive side, she decides to use her new vampire assets and become the private investigator to keep her income. She doesn’t know what her future holds, but it can’t be any worse! When she starts following up on a missing woman’s case, she finds herself in the middle of murder.

Book Information

Release Date: May 1, 2022

Publisher: Blazing Sword

Ebook: ASIN; 290 pages; $2.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OmzDl4

Dear Reader, Love Connie Berry

Dear Reader,

You probably don’t know this, but you’ve been on my mind from the day I typed “The Art of Betrayal, Chapter One.”

It’s perfectly true. I remember thinking before I’d published my first book that all I really wanted was for people to read and enjoy my stories. I wanted to entertain and enlighten. I still feel that way. As I put words on the page, I ask myself questions: Will readers be able to picture this scene? Will they laugh at the wit? Get the irony? Will they see the clues, both genuine and red herrings, so that in the end they can honestly say, “I never saw that coming,” followed quickly by, “But, of course. It had to be.”

My favorite part of writing is creating a world—taking my readers somewhere they’ve never been, introducing them to people they’ve never met, and immersing them in a plot that keeps them turning pages. That’s why I read. The world I’ve created in the Kate Hamilton Mysteries is the world I grew up in—the high-end antiques trade. Kate is an American antiques dealer who finds herself spending time in the UK, where eccentricity is a virtue, akin to strength of character and moral courage. I want readers to experience life in a small Suffolk village, where history is never more than an inch deep, where a hundred miles is a very long way to drive, and where the local pub is a place to rub shoulders with the entire strata of society, from the clerk at Tesco and the local constable to the Lady-of-the-Manor.

Writing is a collaboration between writer and reader—no profound insight there. Readers need writers to write books. Writers need readers to read them. We’re in this together.

So thank you for picking up my book.

I wish I could ask how that happened. Were you drawn in by the cover? Did you read the blurb on the inside cover and decide that a murder mystery set in an English village with a backdrop of antiques and Anglo-Saxon history was for you? Or did you read the first line?

The fourth of May was one of those glorious spring days in England that almost convince you nothing evil could ever happen again.

Whatever it was that prompted you to pick up my book, I thank you—and look forward to sharing more adventures with you in the future.

With love, Connie Berry

www.connieberry.com

The Art of Betrayal

Dear Reader, Love, Debra H. Goldstein

Dear Reader…

It is a pleasure to finally have an opportunity to meet you. You see, you only have had the ability to hold this book in your hands since December 18, but I have been living with it and dreaming of meeting you for three years.

The writing and publishing of a book is unlike anything else we do. I got the idea for One Taste Too Many three years ago. Because I love reading cozy mysteries, I knew I wanted to write one, but I

immediately ran into a problem. Most cozies focus on food or crafts – two areas that I am not particularly skilled in. The more I thought about it, I realized there had to be readers out there who, like me, are challenged in the kitchen or when they try their hand at handiwork. It dawned on me that I could write a book showcasing a cook of convenience.

To me, a cook of convenience is an individual who prefers to bring take-out in or to make dishes using pre-made ingredients. For example, I make my spinach pie with two Stouffer’s spinach souffles. My sister thinks that is horrible. She believes everything should be farm to table and made from scratch. When we were kids, she shadowed my mother and became an excellent cook. I preferred to lie on the couch watching Perry Mason. Funny thing, I can’t cook, but until I gave it up to follow my passion for writing, I had a pretty good career as a litigator and then a judge.

Thinking of my sister’s reaction to my cooking style, I decided to play a character like my sister off one like me. Being the mother of twins, I thought making them polar opposite twins would make the comparison more fun. From these thoughts, the characters of Sarah Blair, the cook of convenience, and her twin, the master chef, were born.

Even though I had an idea where I wanted to go with the book, it took me almost a year to write. After many revisions, I sent it out seeking an agent. Once that was achieved, the agent went through the manuscript and made more editorial suggestions. I did another revision of the book and then she submitted it to several houses. We opted to accept the Kensington offer. Acceptance is not the end of the game. There still was another revision, copy edits, proof reviews, cover art, printing of ARCS, submission of ARCS for reviews, and design of publicity and social media campaigns. Soup to nuts, the release of One Taste Too Many was three years from when I began writing.

My goal in writing a cozy mystery was to produce something that could be read at the beach, on a plane, or at home to relax. It is meant to be fun. I hope you enjoy the first book of the Sarah Blair cozy mystery series, One Taste Too Many.