Saturday, February 20, 2016

Guest Post: ELAINE FABER Author of Mrs. Odboddy, Hometown Patriot

It's my pleasure to share information on Elaine Faber's new cozy mystery series. She provided an interview with Mildred Haggenbottom to provide insight into Mrs. Odboddy...

MRS. OD0BODDY - HOMETOWN PATRIOT

Elaine’s latest novel, Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot a WWII of chicks and chicanery, suspicion and spies is a riotous romp with Agnes Odboddy, a self-appointed scourge of the underworld. Agnes fights WWII from the home front, collecting cans, volunteering at the Ration Stamp office and knitting argyles for the troops, while seeing conspiracies and Nazi spies around every corner. When Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral, Agnes is called upon to prove she is, indeed, a hometown patriot.

Interview with Mildred by Elaine Faber

I’m Mildred Haggenbottom, Agnes’s best friend. I understand that Agnes and I are in Elaine Faber’s latest WWII novel, Mrs. Odboddy–Hometown Patriot.

So you want to know about Agnes? We’ve been friends for over twenty-five years. She’s the cat’s meow…as the young people say. How we met…? Let me see.

It was in 1918. That was WWI, you know. Agnes and I were assigned a top secret operation in Paris. We spent three days hiding in a bombed-out building with our handler, Godfrey. Believe me, after 72 hours in a life or death situation, you come out either hating someone’s guts or friends for life. Godfrey and Agnes got quite close…too close, if you ask me, but, that’s another story… He came back to Newbury last week, looking for a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and wanting to reignite his relationship with Agnes. It’s all she can do to keep him at arm’s length. I don’t think she’s trying very hard, if you know what I mean. Romance at the age of 70? The very idea!

The Paris episode changed Agnes. She’s been paranoid, eccentric and fanatically patriotic ever since. She’s determined to root out injustice, regardless of the consequences. I could hardly believe what she plans to do about the black market ration book scam she thinks she discovered, and when the watch tower burned down at the ocean, who is she kidding, saying she can’t explain it because of National Security? I’ll bet she burned that sucker down, herself.

Let’s just say, Agnes tends to see conspiracies and spies under every rock. She believes Nazi spies have infiltrated Newbury, and drives Chief Police, Chief Waddlemucker, crazy with her notions. She’s usually wrong, but her heart is in the right place.

Agnes lives with her granddaughter, Katherine, who works at the Curls to Dye For Beauty Salon. She does the hair and make-up down at the Whistlemeyer mortuary. That certainly turned into quite an adventure, but you’ll have to read the book for the details. Spoiler alert, you know.

Fair warning to the Nazi spies out there. If you really are skulking around Newbury, planning nefarious deeds and you’ read this, I suggest you peddle your papers somewhere else, because if Agnes stumbles onto you, between her and Chief Waddlemucker, your name is toast! 

Synopsis of MRS. ODBODDY - HOMETOWN PATRIOT


Since the onset of WWII, Agnes Agatha Odboddy, hometown patriot and self-appointed scourge of the underworld, suspects conspiracies around every corner…stolen ration books, German spies running amuck, and a possible Japanese invasion off the California coast. This seventy-year-old, model citizen would set the world aright if she could get Chief Waddlemucker to pay attention to the town's nefarious deeds on any given Meatless Monday.

Mrs. Odboddy vows to bring the villains, both foreign and domestic, to justice, all while keeping chickens in her bathroom, working at the Ration Stamp Office, and knitting argyles for the boys on the front lines.

Imagine the chaos when Agnes’s long-lost WWI lover returns, hoping to find a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and rekindle their ancient romance. In the thrilling conclusion, Agnes’s predictions become all too real when Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral and Agnes must prove that she is, indeed, a warrior on the home front.


Christa's Review

This was a fun read, with Agnes' antics and tall tales. Agnes sees conspiracies and Nazi spies everywhere. She volunteers in various ways to help support the home front as the boys fight in WWII. Mixed in there is a touch of nostalgia with her friend Lily taken away because of her Japanese heritage, boys killed in the war effort, and rationing of food, gas, and other items. 

Propriety and fashion of the time, as well as references to her service as a secret agent in WWI, add to the lively story. Her lost love comes into her life with his blue eyes and romance is in the air for both Agnes and Katherine. Excitement builds when Mrs. Roosevelt is to attend a funeral, and the mortuary is the place to be.

Agnes calls wolf so often she's not usually believed, even when telling the truth. Agnes' personality is complex and her apparent foolishness adds a humorous component. Then again, perhaps she's not all that foolish an old woman after all. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

ELAINE'S BIO

Elaine Faber is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association.

Elaine’s novels include Black Cat’s Legacy; Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel and Mrs. Odboddy–Hometown Patriot, - all available at Amazon.

Elaine lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband and four house cats, the inspiration for her Black Cat Mysteries. The Agnes Odboddy character is a figment of Elaine’s vivid imagination and not at all based on her own quirky personality.



URLs for Contact Information

Elaine.Faber@mindcandymysteries.com (e-mail)

http://www.mindcandymysteries.com (Website)

Books Available at Amazon:

http://tinyurl.com/lrvevgm Black Cat’s Legacy

http://tinyurl.com/lg7yvgq Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer

http://tinyurl.com/07zcsm2 Black Cat and the Accidental Angel

http://tinyurl.com/hdbvzsv Mrs. Odboddy–Hometown Patriot


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Blog Tour & Book Review: CANCELLED VOWS by Lauren Carr

Book Description for Cancelled Vows:
Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

Review:
Mac Faraday takes his role as best man seriously and he is determined to get David divorced and back home to marry Chelsea, while Archie as matron of honor is working to keep Chelsea on track. First Gnarly swallows the rings, then the ex-wife may not want to be an ex-wife, and just when it looks like David might get that signature, Gnarly does his thing and finds a body in the wall. 

The story moves at a rapid pace and has a bit of everything - romance, humor, and suspense with several other murders after the body is discovered. A few surprises along with the tension both at home and in New York. Carr does an excellent job of developing her characters and providing back story while maintaining a quick pace. Well worth the sleep I gave up to get to the end. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.​

Buy the book here: Amazon

Author's Bio:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Blog Tour Guest Post & Review : DEATH AND THE BREWMASTER'S WIDOW (An Auction Block Mystery) by Loretta Ross

Today's post is from Loretta Ross, author of DEATH AND THE BREWMASTER'S WIDOW:

A Small-Town Girl's City Adventure

I had the most ridiculous conversation with a young man at a gas station on the outskirts of Nashville last fall.

It was early October and I was on my way to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend my first Bouchercon. If you're not familiar with Bouchercon, it's also known as the World Mystery Convention. Since 1970, mystery fans, authors, and industry professionals gather every autumn in a different city for a long weekend packed with panel discussions, awards presentations, social events, and what my friend Terri Lynn Coop would call "shenanigans".

A dedicated homebody with little travel experience, I had unwisely decided to make the drive by myself in two days. On the map, it looked easy, but then the map, unlike the countryside, was flat. I left early, planning to make Nashville by suppertime, but there was a bridge out in southern Illinois. After a long, meandering detour and a nerve-wracking grind through the worst highway work zone I have ever seen, I found myself entering Music City well after dark.


I live in rural Missouri, and by "rural" I mean "I can't see the nearest dirt road from my house". I had been worried about driving the interstate through downtown Nashville since I first mapped out my route. My house is between two towns, both county seats for their respective county. 


Clinton, where I went to high school, has about 10,000 residents, three pizza places, two grocery stores, and a town square where the kids hang out. Warsaw, where I work, has fewer than 3,000 residents, one three-story building, three fast-food restaurants, and one stoplight. It's the only stoplight in the county.


There were no stoplights at all on Interstate 40, but there was, I think, more traffic than my little dirt road has seen probably since we moved here in 1970. It was moving at least ten miles an hour faster than I'm comfortable with and between keeping up to speed, being sure to maintain my distance from the other vehicles, and worrying about getting in the wrong lane and winding up in Texas by mistake, I was a nervous wreck. Really, it's a miracle there aren't handprints permanently imprinted in my steering wheel.

I had gotten a boost to my confidence through an odd coincidence as I approached Nashville. You could almost even see it as a sign. While I was fighting my way through the construction zone, a pickup truck passed me that had one of those memorial signs in the back window. It said, "in loving memory of Jerry Hicks". As chance would have it, I had an older half-brother named Jerry Hicks. Sixteen years older than me, he served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam and was the reason I made my character, Death Bogart, a member of the Corps. My Jerry passed away in 2011. He lived halfway across the country from me and we didn't see each other often. The last time I saw him was when I drove him back to the airport after our mother's funeral.

He told me I was a good driver.

So driving through downtown Nashville, in spite of my nerves, I dared to peek over to my right as I passed for fleeting glimpses of the city. Really, how could anyone help it? Massive, fantastic buildings rose like phantasms against a backdrop of clouds that painted an illusion of dark hills. In the October mist they took on a surreal, ghostly glow. The city looked spectral, like a mystical fairyland, a magical place that could enchant you, entice you in and then never let you go.

I still had to go on to Knoxville, where a hotel room waited for me, so I could only look longingly at all the passing lights. The flashing billboards and neon signs advertised restaurants and live music shows, movie theaters and stage plays, entertainment venues, museums, tours, shopping centers. More choices than I could even count. My fuel needle was dipping towards empty, though, so once I had navigated my way past the worst of the traffic, I found a place to pull off.

I stopped at an establishment that had a convenience store, two fast-food restaurants, and more gas pumps than all the gas stations in Warsaw combined. As I was filling my tank a young man came around, riding a golf cart, to check on the pumps. I wanted to know anything he could tell me about the rest of my route that night, so I engaged him in conversation. After chatting about traffic and roadwork for a few seconds, I said to him, "you know, I didn't get to see a lot of it, what with the seventy-miles-an-hour and being terrified and all, but I couldn't help but notice that you have a really beautiful city here."

The kid gave me a funny look and frowned thoughtfully.

"Really?" He shrugged and shook his head. "It's okay, I guess. But there's nothing to do here."

Thank you Loretta for sharing this! 

About The Author
Loretta Ross is a writer and historian who lives and works in rural Missouri. She is an alumna of Cottey College and holds a BA in archaeology from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She has loved mysteries since she first learned to read. Death and the Redheaded Woman was her first published novel.

Website: http://www.lorettasueross.com.

Blog: http://lorettasueross.com/blog/

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

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/236665.Loretta_Ross

Twitter: @lorettasueross – https://twitter.com/lorettasueross



Now for DEATH AND THE BREWMASTER'S WIDOW
Synopsis:
They call it “the Brewmaster’s Widow”; the abandoned brewery where Death Bogart’s brother died in an arson fire.

With his girlfriend, Wren Morgan, Death goes home to St. Louis to take on a deeply personal mystery. When Randy Bogart went into the Einstadt Brewery, he left his broken badge behind at the firehouse. So why did the coroner find one on his body? Every answer leads to more questions. Why did the phony badge have the wrong number? Who set the brewery fire? What is the connection between Randy’s death and the mysterious Cherokee Caves, where the opulent playground of 19th century beer barons falls into slow decay?

Not understanding how and why he lost his brother is breaking the ex-Marine’s heart. But the Brewmaster’s Widow is jealous of her secrets. Prising them loose could cost Death and Wren both their lives.

Review:

Two brothers, one a fireman and one a marine - both believed dead but one, Death, survives and can't face the death of his brother Randy. He opens a PI/Bounty Hunter business a few hours from his childhood home and hooks up with auctioneer Wren. Things get weird when Death is sent Randy's badge but with the wrong badge number. Death has PTSD and some health issues, but goes home to check it out and Wren follows a little later to help him settle Randy's estate. There are lots of twists and turns, tear jerking scenes, and humor. Self-defense by mustard and a well-concealed sling shot go right along with the unusual names and their history. 

I can't say more without spoiling it for you. This was a quick afternoon read while traveling - it's a good thing I was on the plane as the tension built or I might have missed the boarding announcement. I already backtracked and the first in the series, DEATH AND THE REDHEADED WOMAN is on my kindle.


FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Purchase Link:
Amazon B&N



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Blog Tour Spotlight: CITY OF GOLD by Carolyn Arnold

 

Hardcover: 314 pages
Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc (November 27, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1988064666
ASIN: B016LLDQIY
SYNOPSIS

Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death…

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.

Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.

Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:


Website  Twitter Facebook


And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

Purchase Links

Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU
Barnes & Noble Apple iBooks Kobo




Monday, February 1, 2016

BLOG TOUR GUEST POST: MAJOR CRIMES (Jersey Shore Mystery Series) by Michele Lynn Seigfried


Today I'm pleased to have Michele Lynn Seigfried - or actually Chelsey Alton, one of the main characters in MAJOR CRIMES - as my guest...

A Day in the Life of Chelsey Alton

By: Michele Lynn Seigfried

Hi! I’m Chelsey Alton and I’m one of the main characters in cozy mystery novel, Major Crimes by Michele Lynn Seigfried. I’m a bit of a mess—especially with my love life. To give you an idea of how crazy my world is, here is a day in my life…

The front door was unlocked, which was strange because I never left my front door unlocked. Even though I had the ugliest house on the block, I never left without locking it. Even though the only thing of value in it was a hideous engagement ring from a pathetic ex who never became my husband, I never left without locking it.

With all the hoopla in my life as of late, I shouldn’t have been surprised that I had forgotten to do something simple, like lock my door before I left. I pushed open the wooden door and peeked inside. A sinking feeling churned in my stomach. The TV was on and the crate that housed my German Shepherd, Snickers, was empty. I froze. Was someone in my house?

I shook off the fear. My parents had to be there. They kept a key to my place. I stepped inside. Snickers didn’t charge or bark at me like normal. Wait! Their car isn’t outside!

Fear prevented my legs from working. It was as if I was the leading lady in one of those cliché horror movies—you know, the kind where the dumb girl enters a house with a killer inside and searches it instead of running for her life. Here I was, the dumb girl, in the house with Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, or Bill Cosby. Where is Snickers?

Once my imaginary cement shoes disintegrated, I crept over to the couch. There was a baseball bat underneath. Once again, I thought about how stupid I was. Why did I go for the bat instead of running for my life? With my bat in hand and a dose of false bravado, I searched the house. Yup, that was me—the dumb girl. It was a little after one in the afternoon. What stupid criminal breaks in during the day when neighbors could see him? Or her for that matter!

Tiptoeing toward the kitchen, I heard a footstep. I plastered my back along the wall beside the kitchen entry and raised the bat, pretending to be Babe Ruth anticipating another home run.

A man stepped out of the kitchen. I swung the bat, aiming for his gonads. He caught it in his left hand. In his right hand was a glass of merlot. “Don’t you have anything better to drink around here?”

How he caught that bat and didn’t spill a drop of wine was beyond me. “What the heck are you doing in my house?”

Snickers sat in the corner of the kitchen watching us. He was calm and quiet. A rawhide chew toy rested between his paws. No wonder he was too occupied to greet me at the door. Stupid dog. My entire body trembled from the passing fear and rush of adrenaline.

“I came to see you. What’s with the bat, Chelsey? Are you itching for a game of softball?”

“You’re such a horse’s patoot.”

The man who had reduced me to a pile of nerves was Bryson Kelly. Bryce for short. A cop, former co-worker, and someone who once kissed me—though not someone you’d call a former significant other. At least my dog liked him.

Let’s just say that as the day went on, things only got worse. If you really want to know more, you’ll have to read the rest in Major Crimes. I guarantee that you will be entertained, because there’s never a dull moment in my life!



SYNOPSIS:
Buckle up for hours of laughter, romance, and excitement with this Jersey Shore Mystery. When handsome detective, Bryce Kelly, is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he finds himself on the run and in hiding. Can amateur sleuth, Chelsey Alton, and a few quirky friends help him find the real killer and prove his innocence before it’s too late? If you love mysteries, don’t miss this humorous whodunit!

Purchase Link
Amazon


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michele Lynn Seigfried is the author of humorous, cozy mystery novels and a children’s picture book author/illustrator.

Michele was born and raised in New Jersey. In her mystery novels, she draws from her personal expertise in the area of municipal government, in which she has served for over 17 years in two different municipalities. 


She holds a B.A. in communication from the College of New Jersey with a minor in art. She obtained the Master Municipal Clerk certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks in 2010. She also holds the Registered Municipal Clerk certification and Certified Municipal Registrar Certifications from the State of New Jersey.

In combining her love of writing with art, Michele began writing and illustrating children’s picture books in 2013. She has won several awards for her novels.


Author Links:

Website: www.michelelynnseigfried.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MicheleLynnSeigfried
Twitter: www.twitter.com/micheleseig
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MicheleSeig
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/MicheleSeig
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/micheleseig
Email: MicheleSeigfried@gmail.com
Google+: www.google.com/+MicheleLynnSeigfried
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/micheleseigfried



a Rafflecopter giveaway