Masher of Ceremonies

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Jaymie Leighton Müller is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Masher of Ceremonies, the latest novel in the Vintage Kitchen mystery series.

Welcome, Jaymie. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

I am happy to live in Queensville, Michigan, on the lovely St. Clair River, the setting for the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, a cozy mystery series. Masher of Ceremonies is lucky #13! I’m a small-town girl who loves cooking, vintage kitchen stuff, romance novels and my friends. My sister Becca and I own a Queen Anne yellow brick house in town, but when I got married to the wonderful Jakob Mṻller and his adorable daughter Jocie, I moved into their log cabin style home in the country. See, Jakob is a farmer… a Christmas tree farmer! And a junk store owner! Could anything be more perfect? Everything would be, except I also have a fabulous skill in tripping over dead bodies.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

Victoria’s in control… or so she tells me. 😉

How did you evolve as the main character?

I’ve grown so much! When things started, Victoria caught me at a low point. I had just been ditched by a guy who cheated on me and had moved on to a gorgeous blonde and I was eating my heart out. I started writing a cookbook to keep myself busy, using vintage recipes from my grandmother’s handwritten cookbook. But if you keep your heart open, it heals. After dating a bit, I met Jakob, and life could not be better now.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

Oh, there are people! My sister Becca; we weren’t always super close, but since she opened an antique store in Queensville and got married to a great guy, we’ve gotten a lot closer. And my best friend, Valetta Nibley, the town pharmacist and the most wonderful person in the world; smart, kind, ambitious… she is the best. And my friend Mrs. Martha Stubbs; in her nineties, but still sharp as a tack! And of course my Jakob and Jocie, my twin hearts. I love my husband and kiddo so much; more than I ever thought possible.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

Well…! I’ve been volunteering at the annual Tea with the Queen festival since I was a teenager… a couple of decades now. We have a Queen Victoria impersonator and tourists are invited to enjoy tea with her on the lawn of a historic house on the Canadian Victoria Day weekend, which is the weekend before our Memorial Day weekend. But this year I’m in charge. And hoo boy, is it a lot of work! I’ve had to deal with disaster after disaster with the new owner of our venue, Stowe House. With blackmail and turmoil afoot, are we going to make it? I sure hope so.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

I want you to know… I don’t go out of my way to find dead bodies. I really don’t! But when I do, I can’t rest until I find out whodunnit. I hate injustice, and I know that unless the culprit is caught, no one will have peace. But I work with the police, not against them, and I think they appreciate it. In fact, I find that some police officers are becoming friends. They care; they really do. And so do I. Join me in figuring out this time… whodunnit?

And sometimes even more puzzling… why?

Thank you for answering my questions, Jaymie, and good luck to you and your author, Victoria Hamilton, with Masher of Ceremonies, the latest book in the Vintage Kitchen mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Jaymie and her author, Victoria Hamilton by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Substack pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky @mysteryvictoria.bsky.social

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon CA     AmazonUS      Kobo      Barnes & Noble      Smashwords     Google Play Books

About Victoria Hamilton: Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series, the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also writes a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder.

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Sore Like An Eagle

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Marc Jedel, author of Sore Like An Eagle, the latest novel in the Redwoods Country mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Marc.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Marc: Sore Like an Eagle is the third book in the Redwoods Country Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone but is probably more enjoyable to read after the other two as the characters continue to evolve. I describe the series as “Grumpy Old Men” meets “Schitt’s Creek.” During this tour, the price of Rivers and Creaks has been reduced to $0.99 for the ebook so readers can catch up on this fun series.

Andy, the protagonist, is not your typical cozy mystery bed and breakfast owner. He wants nothing to do with the place and toys with the idea of becoming a recluse. He regrets having sunk his entire retirement savings into it, especially since his wife tragically died shortly after they bought the place a year before the first novel takes place. Gradually, he’s making friends and finding that he enjoys this new home.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

Marc: My wife returned from a water aerobics class at the local community center with a wild story of overhearing an argument where someone tried to reserve shower stalls and more. We both thought it was ridiculous and formed the perfect target for a fictional murder victim.

Overall I enjoy writing this series because it’s superficially similar to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories. Although Andy brings all the suspects into his inn when he believes he’s solved the murder, he is no Hercule Poirot. He always discovers that he has gotten the accusation all wrong. The final portion of each novel finds Andy scrambling to save face while he progressively accuses different people of murder, discovers their innocence, and finally solving the case in the end, thanks to his attention to detail. However, Andy isn’t all bad at the sleuthing stuff as he manages to solve an unrelated crime at the same time, some times without even meaning to.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

Marc: A friend’s father passed away a number of years ago and my friend wrote a funny obituary about him and shared it with me. I thought his father sounded interesting and asked if I could base a fictional book on him. Some of Andy’s characteristics, such as creating an archery shop for locals because he felt the big-box retailers did a terrible job, are directly inspired by my friend’s father. But most of the character is completely made up.

The character of Charlie was inspired by the character Stevie Budd, the motel receptionist in the Schitt’s Creek TV series. I knew Andy would need a sidekick and thought it would be funny to have him paired with a woman a generation younger who often saves the day, whether because of her plumbing and electrical skills, her improvisations, or her physical strength. The quirky, developing friendship between her and Andy has been fun to write.

Sandra, the “chicken lady” who makes another appearance in Sore Like an Eagle, was inspired by a woman we met on a vacation. I took some of her stories, exaggerated them, and made this character into a high-energy, wacky person who lights up every scene she’s in. She’s definitely a fun character to write [and read!]

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

Marc: I’ve vacationed in Monte Rio a few years ago. It’s a beautiful small town in the Sonoma redwoods, located about ninety minutes north of San Francisco. Hiking in the redwoods, kayaking along the Russian River, visiting nearby wineries, and enjoying the multiple small towns in the area made me think about basing a new series in this area. Rivers and Creaks was the first novel in this series, followed by Whine and Dine, and now Sore Like an Eagle.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

Marc: Besides visiting the area in person three times now, I use the internet to collect most of my background information. Doing a bunch of searches for ways to kill people and get away with it creates an unusual browser search history, and one that I hope law enforcement isn’t watching. I promise Officer, I write humorous murder mysteries. Fiction! No actual people are injured from my work, unless people really hate puns.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

Marc: Sore Like an Eagle, is on sale for only $2.99 during this tour. It’s available at: https://mybook.to/SoreLikeanEagle. You can find all my cozy mysteries at: https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Jedel/e/B07H7MVKJL. They’re available in e-book, paperback, and audiobook formats. My novels are free to read by Kindle Unlimited members.

I love hearing from readers as that motivates me to keep going on the next blank page. Let me know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you’d want to see more of in the next book.

Thank you for answering my questions, Marc, and good luck with Sore Like An Eagle, the latest book in the Redwoods Country mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Marc Jedel by visiting the author’s website and his Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub and LinkedIn pages.

The novel is available online at  AMAZON 

About Marc Jedel: Marc writes funny, feel-good murder mysteries filled with quirky characters, twisty plots, and the kind of humor that goes down easy with a cup of tea—or glass of wine. After years of writing marketing copy in Silicon Valley, Marc finally started crafting fiction people actually wanted to read. He’s the author of multiple cozy mystery series, including the Silicon Valley Mystery, Ozarks Lake Mystery, and Redwoods Country Mystery series. His books have earned thousands of glowing reviews.

Like Andy from the Redwoods Country Mysteries, Marc keeps getting older and sincerely hopes his retirement doesn’t involve running a B&B. Like Marty from the Silicon Valley series, he lives in tech-heavy California, has worked in high-tech, and proudly wields bad puns. Like Jonas and Elizabeth from the Ozarks Lake series, Marc grew up in the South and spent many a summer in and around Arkansas.

He lives with his endlessly patient wife and a sweet, neurotic dog who remains deeply unimpressed by Marc’s jokes. When not writing, Marc can be found hiking, plotting murders (on the page, officer, really!), or avoiding whatever home improvement project he’s been putting off.

Posted in Archives, May 2026 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Maypole of Deceit

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Dotty Sayers and Keya Varma are visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Maypole of Deceit, the latest novel in the Cotswold Antique mystery series.

Welcome, Dotty and Keya. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Hi, I’m Dotty Sayers and I manage Akemans auction house in the Cotswolds.

Hiya, I’m Keya Varma. Oops, Keya Kerr. I keep forgetting to use my married name as it seems so strange after so many years as either Constable or Sergeant Varma. But I’m no longer a police officer either. I run the Waterwheel Cafe next to the auction house and antiques centre at Akemans. I also retrained as a crime scene manager.

Dotty: We work together to solve mysteries in the Cotswold Antique Mystery series. This book, A Maypole of Deceit, is the 5th in the series.

Keya: Despite having so much to do, I agreed to be on the committee for Coln Akeman’s annual May Day celebrations. It came as a shock on the morning of the event when we found a body tied to the maypole. And by the ribbons the children should have been dancing around with.

Dotty: We managed to move the celebrations to Akemans whilst Keya and her husband carried out the forensic investigation.

Keya: We didn’t recognise the victim. He was a stranger to the village.

Dotty: But we learned that he wasn’t a decent man. He made his living using lasting powers of attorney to strip vulnerable people of their homes, their savings and their independence. All of it was perfectly legal, but what a dreadful way to treat people.

Keya: That meant we had a lot of suspects but very little evidence. I worked with Inspector Lynn Lockwood and her team at Cirencester Police Station and, with Dotty’s help, we finally reached the sad truth.

Dotty: At least that man wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone in the future. And there was a happy ending too. Some of the older members of my team had been searching for a missing friend for some time. I am glad to say they found here.

Keya: So peace can return to the Cotswolds. And as for what life has in store for us next, well. Let’s just say I have rather more to look forward to than I expected.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

Dotty: The story is a team effort. We have our lives to live and that needs to be included.

Keya: But Victoria chooses the theme, the crime and introduces us to new suspects. How we go about the investigation is our choice.

Dotty: Sometimes we are distracted. I still have the auction house to run and Keya has her cafe.

Keya: My crime scene work generally focuses me on the case and as I liaise with Inspector Lynn Lockwood and her team, I’m included in regular updates. Sujin, my husband, and I are also involved in the forensic side of most of the investigations.

How did you evolve as the main character?

Dotty: I began my journey with my own Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series. It starts when I first join Akemans as a receptionist and progresses through my training in antiques, the challenges I overcame, the places I visited and of course the friends I made. I met Keya during this time as we worked on several cases together.

Keya: As Dotty said, I first met her when she joined Akemans and we worked a case together. There have been many more since. When I opened the Waterwheel Cafe I started my own series of books based on the mysteries I was involved with. Dotty was away for some of these but now she is back we have joined forces, and both of us help solve the crimes in the Cotswold Antique Mystery series.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

Dotty: We are a strong community at Akemans and in our local village, Coln Akeman, so many characters are included in the stories. From the beginning there was Gilly Wimsey, who runs the antiques centre at Akemans, and her husband Dr Peter. Gillie’s Aunt Beanie has been a huge part of my story and she also offered me a cottage to live in. Earl Grey, my cat, and I were very happy there. But a newer character to my journey is my boyfriend Zach. He and I are now living together and searching for a house to buy.

Keya: I have my husband Sujin, who I also work with on the forensic side. I sometimes wonder how he puts up with me. Many of my former colleagues at Cirencester Police Station moved on when the teams were reorganised. But I get on well with Inspector Lynn Lockwood, who joined the station, and her small team. This includes Gilly’s son Thomas Wimsey, who is now a constable. I also have my sister Zivah, who I couldn’t do without at the café, and that goes for the rest of my team there too.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

Dotty: Do you mean the place in my life or in geographical terms? In my life, I feel I’m settling down and things are a little easier. In fact, I’m very lucky. I have a wonderful boyfriend and I still can’t believe I’m managing Akemans auction house. I have a great team there with Marion and Clara in the office. Zach and I live in the attractive Cotswold town of Burford. It does attract a lot of visitors in the summer so we’re looking for our own place. And I have my health, my friends and Earl Grey.

Keya: The Cotswolds are a wonderful place to live, especially in springtime. I love to see the hedgerows change colour, the new leaves on the trees and all the wonderful flowers. I often find myself singing along to tunes on Corinium Radio when driving in the sunshine. As for my place in life, I feel wonderfully fulfilled. I still work in law enforcement but I also have my cafe. I’m recently married to the wonderful Sujin and… well, you really should read the book.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

Dotty: This is a fabulous springtime mystery with a village setting and the Cotswolds looking their best. It can be read as a standalone. But if you’d like to know more about me, Keya and our journeys, you can start at the beginning with my prequel, Hour is Come. Visit Victoria’s website to download your copy: https://victoriatait.com/

Keya: As Dotty says, please do come and visit us in the Cotswolds. And if you’d like to read about my wedding, and the rather unfortunate case Sujin and I found ourselves involved in, go back and read A Honeymoon of Havoc.

Dotty: We hope to see you soon at Akemans, or out and about in the Cotswolds.

Thank you for answering my questions, Dotty and Keya, and good luck to you and your author, Victoria Tait, with A Maypole of Deceit, the latest book in the Cotswold Antique mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Dotty and Keya and their author, Victoria Tait by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at Amazon

About Victoria Tait: Victoria was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she discovered a passion for mystery fiction and storytelling. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Midsomer Murders, she writes British cozy mysteries infused with her signature British charm.

Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. With intrigue, surprises, and gentle humour, Victoria’s page-turning stories offer engaging whodunits, best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Victoria’s  books avoid graphic content and profanity, focusing on character, logic, and the steady work of uncovering truth.

Victoria has recently been exploring the world, drawing inspiration for her books from remarkable places including the Azores, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Morocco, and Malta.

Read the FREE prequel to her Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series at her website.

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Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused

Posted on May 7, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Marcy Blesy, author of Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused, an Empty Nest mystical cozy mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share with us her experience of being an empty nester and how it contributed to the birth of this series.

Welcome, Marcy. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

Hello. I am Marcy Blesy, the author of several cozy mystery series including The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series, the Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series, and the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series. Today I am going to talk about my newest series, The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series.

Becoming a parent brings a whirlwind of change. No one can ever truly prepare one for everything that comes along. There are ups and downs and sleepless nights and celebrations. Being a parent is my single greatest joy and also my single greatest anxiety inducer. Right? I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I love being a parent. The expression that the days can be long and the years are short is so true. When you are in the thick of the busy, busy, busy days, you’re exhausted. But, when the kids become more independent, every day they step further and further toward a life where they don’t need their parents to weigh in with every decision that they make.

My husband and I have entered this stage. Our sons are fully fledged from the nest. They’ve graduated college and begun their careers. We could not be more proud. HOWEVER….. Whew, talk about the quietness of the house whopping me upside the head. LOL. The timing of our children being fully out of the house coincided with me leaving my job in the schools and becoming a full-time author. In other words, I started working from home…in a quiet home.

I truly believe that Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused in the Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series called me to write it. I know that sounds odd, but it was very freeing and therapeutical to take a character who is not adjusting well to being an empty nest parent and writing her into a story where she finds her wings and realizes that though life has changed, she has purpose and meaning in this next stage. Juli Tully reluctantly signs up for an Empty Nest Retreat along with other parents at a similar stage in life. Some parents are sad like Juli while others are excited about their newfound freedom. I wanted to honor that not all parents come to this stage of life with the same emotions. Four of the parents unite to investigate the murder of a staff member. The Sand Bur Estate is not as it seems in many ways. The paranormal experiences (flickering lights, temperature changes, talking cat) add to the mystery of navigating this new experience. The book is funny, mysterious, and heartwarming. The conclusion made my smile as I wrote it, and I can’t wait to create the next adventures for these found family characters.

You don’t have to be an empty nest parent to enjoy this book. Every stage of life is scary, no matter where you are along the continuum of life, but there is fun and mystery and growth to be found around every corner!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Marcy, and good luck with Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused, the first book in the Empty Nest mystical cozy mystery series. Readers can learn more about Marcy Blesy by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages.

The book is available online at  Amazon 

About Marcy Blesy: Marcy is the author of over thirty  books across genres, best known for her Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series and the Monthly Murder  Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series —humorous, heartwarming whodunits filled with senior sleuths, quirky characters, and animal sidekicks. Her cozy mysteries spotlight midlife reinvention, found family, and laugh-out-loud amateur sleuthing, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan, and The Golden Girls.

Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.

For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.

When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.

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In the Dead of Winter

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Victoria Treadwell is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about In the Dead of Winter, the first novel in the Blue Water mystery series.

Welcome, Victoria. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

  • My name is Victoria Treadwell and I’m the Dispatcher for the sheriff’s office in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
  • “In the Dead of Winter” is the first book in the Blue Water Mysteries series

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

  • I definitely get my say. Sometimes, in fact, I even surprise the writer.

How did you evolve as the main character?

  • In this book, I’ve got my first chance to prove myself in the sheriff’s office.
  • I’m a woman in an all male, macho environment, plus I get dismissed because I’m not a police officer.
  • Nonetheless, in our first major case in 15 years, I find a piece of evidence that eventually helps convict the killer.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

  • In this book, I particularly identify with the victim, Carly Yellowwood.
  • When Carly dies, leaving behind a toddler, I want to adopt the poor motherless mite.
  • Unfortunately, it takes a lot to convince my husband, Matt.
  • He’s a guide for fishermen and hunters and we have two sons. He’s the stay at home parent and we just got the youngest into school full-time.
  • Since little Chenoa is half Native, the court intervenes in her custody.
  • I struggle to decide the right thing to do.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

  • Since there is so little crime in the County, there are only 5 members of the sheriff’s office: the sheriff, a jailer, two deputies and me.
  • The County is vast, and we have one deputy based on Beaver Island out in Lake Michigan.
  • The other deputy is based on Boyne City.
  • I live in Ellsworth with my husband and two sons.
  • Charlevoix County is a gorgeous natural setting that encompasses not only Lake Charlevoix, but a segment of Lake Michigan as well.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

  • I’m an experienced mystery author, having written 14 cozy mysteries.
  • My first series was called “The Mae December Mysteries”
  • The second series was “The Rosedale Investigations”
  • “In the Dead of Winter” is the first book in the 3rd series.
  • The second is called, “The Silent Solstice,” and is already written
  • I’m just completing the third, “The Equinox Enigma”

Thank you for answering my questions, Victoria, and good luck to you and your author, Lyn Farrell, with In the Dead of Winter, the first book in the Blue Water mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Victoria and her author, Lyn Farrell by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon   Bookshop.org    B&N

About Lyn Farrell: Lyn Farquhar—pen name Lyn Farrell—holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and is an experienced author, having published the seven-book series (the Mae December mysteries) with Epicenter Press and four  books in the Rosedale Investigations series. She has also published one women’s fiction book. To date, eight of her books have been picked up by a secondary publisher, Harlequin. Sales to date from both primary and secondary publishers are approaching 50,000. Lyn worked for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine for 35 years before retiring to pursue her dream of becoming a published fiction author. Lyn is the mother of two, has six stepchildren, and twelve grandchildren. She loves gardening, playing with her Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and is always on the lookout for paintings by her famous artist grandfather, Eugene Iverd.

Posted in Archives, May 2026 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Murder in the Mix

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Carolyn Eichhorn, author of Murder in the Mix, a Gina Morrison mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Writing Where You Know (And Where You’d Like to Go).

Welcome, Carolyn. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

We’ve all heard “write what you know” as a starting place to story creation (and, I assume, nonfiction, but that’s a different article) and it makes sense. If we start from the familiar, there is opportunity for authentic detail, for personal reflection, and it gives a solid base for the whimsy or exploration outside of the known that becomes the world inside our readers’ heads – or so we hope. As a mystery writer and lifelong fan, I’ve gotten to know London through Sherlock Holmes and village life in England through Miss Marple. Of course some of Christie’s best known works are in more exotic locales – the Orient Express, the River Nile, but I still believe her – that she knows these places.

Many writers have become inextricably linked to the places where their sleuths solve crimes: seedy L.A., mid-century New York City’s brownstone, wild, unapologetic Florida. My first (and forever unpublished) novel is set in Orlando. Not theme park Orlando, but Thornton Park – a small historic neighborhood not far from the iconic Lake Eola and its fountain. I took some liberties with specific locations in the story, partly out of necessity – my dream coffee shop/mystery bookstore does not exist there sadly – and partly because I imagined that small business owners probably don’t want murders or shady characters or crimes scenes in their workplace.

Laura Lippman – a mystery writer known for stories in and around Baltimore – was asked if the restaurants in her Tess Monaghan books were real and she replied: “If Tess likes the food, the restaurant is real. If the food is bad, the place exists only in my imagination.” (Lippman, n.d.)  This makes sense to me. I want to hype up the favorite spots that make my setting authentic.  I wrote a series of short stories inspired by the mind-numbing realities of corporate cubicle life- a space I know quite well – in which I take a familiar kernel of truth and push it into terrible places outside of my experience. Clearly, I had no desire to name a specific organization, so I made one up. And not because I feared comparisons to real places, but because our own experiences limit us. We have to push our characters into unfamiliar spaces, make them uncomfortable, unsure where to go. That said, the corporate parks, the nearby quarry blasting periodically, the winding streets through Columbia, Maryland that annihilate one’s sense of direction in those tales are all very real. When Lippman, a former journalist at The Baltimore Sun, was asked if the Beacon Light in Tess’ world was really based on the Sun, she gave this cheeky reply: “Obviously not. The Sun is on Calvert Street, while The Blight is on Saratoga Street  (Lippman, n.d.).”

In Murder in the Mix, my main character Gina lives in a bungalow in Baltimore. She frequents diners with her friend Mark. I love diners and in fact wrote scenes for this book in a few. My real-life spot, the BelLoc Diner closed before I finished writing the book and was transformed into a Starbucks. Not the same vibe, so I shifted Gina’s lunch to the Towson Diner. She travels to Savannah and New York City to solve the mystery, stopping at real places along the way – Gabrielas on the Upper West Side, The Place in the Village, and others. Most, I’ve visited, but The Place was chosen for its name and my descriptions came from photos I found online. Sadly, it also closed before I finished my book, so I made the decision to leave the story existing in a time before that happened. I’m still sad I didn’t get to eat and drink there.

Place has such a fundamental impact on us as humans that it makes sense to carry that emotion, those sensory details, that personal history into the worlds we create for our characters. My summers at Lake Gaston, NC inspired a short mystery chosen for inclusion in Malice Domestic’s Murder Most Traditional anthology. I suspect it was not the mystery itself that caught the editor’s attention, but the smell of the ski boat exhaust, the cloudy water always a bit cooler at toe-depth where one can’t see, the coves off the main lake and their piers full of holiday weekend renters who drink a little too much, drive boats a little too fast and make a little too much noise to suit the locals. So if tragedy falls upon one of these obnoxious visitors, that resonates with those who know that world. There is enough familiar to make it real.

My next novel is set at a writing retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, another setting I know reasonably well. But, like Christie, I aspire to write some mysteries in more exotic destinations while I still can. Perhaps the sparkling clear waters of Croatia? A European river cruise at Christmas Market time? The stunning views at Zion National Park? A girl can dream tax-deductible travel dreams, right?

Kudos to the writers of fantasy and sci-fi who build their places without that familiarity and yet still make them feel familiar and grounded in truth. You inspire me. For now, I’ll pull inspiration from places that have moved me and places I dream to visit that have ignited my curiosity.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Carolyn, and good luck with Murder in the Mix, the latest book in the Gina Morrison mystery series. Readers can learn more about Carolyn Eichhorn by visiting the author’s website and Grounds for Suspicion as well as her Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Threads.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – Bookshop.org  B&N

About Carolyn Eichhorn: Carolyn is a mystery novelist and former Disney Imagineer whose work blends suspense, humor, and heart. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has published short mystery fiction and essays. Based in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she draws inspiration from small towns, big secrets, and the stories people tell to survive.

Posted in May 2026 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Murder in a Lazender Daze

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Daryl Wood Gerber, author of Murder in a Lavender Daze, the latest novel in the Aroma Wellness mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Daryl.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Murder in a Lavender Daze is the 2nd in the Aroma Wellness Mysteries.  The series takes place in Carmel-by-the-Sea and features a spa owner, Emma Brennan, and her grandmother Lissa Reade, who is her partner and also the head librarian in Carmel. Emma wants to inspire everyone to breathe and meditate and be kind to their bodies and spirit.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I worked on the idea with my editor. We wanted a mystery series that would deal with health and healing. I was already writing the Fairy Garden Mysteries, set in Carmel, and asked if I could set this series there, too. Carmel is a charming and very spiritual kind of place. Whenever I visit, I feel restored.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Healing is the theme for the series. In this particular story, Addison Lacey, a regular customer at the spa, is divorcing her husband of eight years. To kick off her journey toward becoming a better version of herself, Addison wants to celebrate with her friends and family at the spa by throwing a Happily Divorced Party. The idea came when I saw a vivacious group of women on a pedal-style open-air bus drinking and whooping it up. They were merely along for the ride; the driver did all the real pedalling. Anyway, I wondered what they might be celebrating. My writing group came up with a few ideas and the divorce party sounded perfect.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I try to understand each of my characters’ journeys. For Emma, as a young girl, she learned from her aunt about crystals and healing and essential oils. I thought about how she might have then found her way to opening a spa as a career. After graduating college, she went to Tibet to learn meditation. When she came home, her enthusiasm thrilled her grandmother, who wanted to invest with her. I can relate to Emma’s need for peace and healing. I do get regular massages, and I do everything I can to keep my body and mind humming. Writing helps.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

Carmel is a real town, so I am able to draw from the location. The ocean is nearby. There are hiking trails and golf courses and such. Many people bicycle. I like to have Emma go outside to take in the environment. She walks from her place to work or to the beach. Her cousin is a cyclist. There are shop owners and visitors to Carmel who frequent the spa or the spa’s café. Emma also participates in classes and events in Carmel, like tai chi classes or fairy garden workshops or library literacy events.  At these events, we meet many of the characters with whom she associates.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

As a girl, I visited Carmel often. I’ve always enjoyed the galleries and the restaurants. Once I chose it as my location, I have visited the town many times. On one of my visits, I toured all the secret passages and courtyards that Carmel is noted for. On another, I took a self-guided walking tour.

Other research has included visits to crystals and essential oil shops. In addition, I participated in a sound bath so I could understand the technique. It was very calming. I highly recommend it!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

I hope the readers will enjoy Emma’s journey, her friends, and her family.  I hope they will feel supportive of Addison as she discovers more about herself and as she mourns the loss of her mother. I hope they’ll enjoy Addison’s quirky friends, too.  Loving ones friends and extended family is a vital theme in many of my books.

Thank you for answering my questions, Daryl, and good luck with Murder in a Lavender Daze, the latest book in the Aroma Wellness mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Daryl Wood Gerber by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, Goodreads and YouTube pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky @darylwoodgerber.bsky.social.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Website

About Daryl Wood Gerber: Daryl is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries, and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also, she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Die to Your Own Tune

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Rebecca McKinnon, author of Die to Your Own Tune, an Octavia Fields mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us how to host the perfect cozy mystery party (murder not required).

Welcome, Rebecca. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

Hello, and thank you for having me! As a cozy mystery author, you might think what I’m about to say is strange, but here it is: It’s time to put down your book. Get out in the world and interact with real people. Throw a party. You can absolutely keep your cozy mystery vibe while you do!

Now, you’re probably thinking I mean the kind where someone gets “killed,” everyone gets a character card, and you spend three hours pretending to be a 1920s socialite with a secret gambling problem.

Those parties are fun, but I’m talking about something different.

This is a cozy mystery party. Which means no one dies (probably), everyone’s comfortable, and the biggest crime of the evening is someone eating the last lemon bar before you got one.

Here’s how to pull it off.

The Invitations

Keep them simple but themed. Handwritten notes are ideal, but let’s be honest—a group text works too. The key phrase to include: “Signature accessory required.”

This is non-negotiable. Everyone needs to show up wearing their coziest, most dramatic scarf, shawl, cardigan, or statement piece. If someone asks what that means, tell them to imagine they’re about to solve a crime at a farmer’s market. They’ll figure it out.

The Dress Code

Cozy. Comfortable. Layered. Think: oversized sweaters, soft pants, fuzzy socks. Pajamas, if they’re brave enough. This is not a heels-and-cocktail-dress situation. If someone shows up in anything remotely uncomfortable, you’ve failed.

And, of course, their signature accessory.

The Menu

Tea station: Set up at least three types of tea. Herbal, black, and something weird like lavender-earl-grey that makes people feel fancy. Provide honey, lemon, sugar, and those tiny spoons that are completely impractical but look adorable.

Coffee and/or Hot Chocolate and/or Spiced Cider (optional but recommended): Some people don’t do tea. Don’t alienate them. They might be your best alibi later.

Pie: At least one. Bonus points if it’s suspiciously good and you refuse to share the recipe. Let people wonder.

Cookies, scones, or other baked goods: Go for a variety. Chocolate chip. Oatmeal raisin. Maybe something fancy, with dried cranberries.

Savory option: Cheese and crackers, veggie tray, something so people don’t go into a sugar coma by 8 PM.

The goal here is abundance. Cozy mysteries always have too much food. Embrace it.

The Activities

Activity 1: The Town Scandal Game

Before the party, create a fake small-town scandal. Nothing too dark—think “someone’s been stealing garden gnomes” or “the town’s prized peach preserves recipe has gone missing.” Write up a few “clues” on index cards and hide them around your space. Guests have to find them and piece together what happened.

No one actually solves it. That’s not the point. The point is everyone wandering around with tea, dramatically pulling their scarves tighter, and accusing each other of crimes that don’t matter.

Activity 2: Signature Accessory Judging

Everyone votes on whose accessory is the most “amateur sleuth.” Categories might include: Most Dramatic, Most Likely to Hide Evidence, Most Comfortable, and Best for a Stakeout.

Prizes are optional. Bragging rights are not.

The Vibe

This is the most important part.

Soft lighting. Candles if you’re not worried about someone (or any pets) knocking them over. A playlist of music without distracting lyrics. Blankets available for anyone who wants one. The temperature should be just cool enough that people appreciate their layers.

The goal is for everyone to feel like they’ve stepped into a cozy mystery novel. Comfortable, slightly whimsical, and entirely safe from actual danger.

What Not to Do

Don’t make it stressful. No complicated games that require too much prep or brain power. No strict schedules. If someone just wants to sit on the couch with tea and pet your cat for two hours while everyone else solves the gnome mystery, that’s valid.

Also, don’t actually commit any crimes. Breaking and entering is only charming in fiction.

The End of the Night

Send everyone home with leftovers. A cookie in a napkin, an extra scone, whatever’s left of the pie. Cozy mysteries always end with the community coming together, and nothing says community like sending your friends home with baked goods.

And if someone asks when the next one is? You’ve succeeded.

Just maybe space them out. You don’t want your friend group developing the same murder rate as an actual cozy mystery town.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Rebecca, and good luck with Die to Your Own Tune, the latest book in the Octavia Fields mystery series. Readers can learn more about Rebecca McKinnon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Bookbub, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at Amazon 

About Rebecca McKinnon: Rebecca enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Blue Ribbon Murder

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Shell McMillan is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Blue Ribbon Murder, the latest novel in the Urban Tails Pet Shop mystery series.

Welcome, Shell. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

A Blue Ribbon Murder. It is the last entry in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries, which centered around me, an ex-actress who returned to my hometown of Fox Hollow CT after my spy series was cancelled. Along the way I find a lot of dead bodies!

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?  Oh I definitely get a say.  I have heard the writer say many times she’s going in one direction and then gets pulled into another J

How did you evolve as the main character? Unless you count the cats, I have always been the main character. 

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? I enjoy sharing the limelight with the cats and also with my former co-star Gary. He turned out to be a pretty good sleuth himself!

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?  The Pet Show is a place that I’d definitely revisit again – only minus the dead body.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? We are grateful to all the loyal readers who have supported me and company over the years and who knows. Someday we may meet again.

Thank you for answering my questions, Shell, and good luck to you and your author, T C LoTempio, with A Blue Ribbon Murder, the latest book in the Urban Tails Pet Shop mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Shell and her author, T C LoTempio by visiting the author’s website and blog, and her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon   B&N   Kobo

About T C LoTempio: While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing.  They also write the Pet Shop Series and the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger series and brand new Cozy Bookshop Mysteries!

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sparks, S’mores and Scandals

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Taryn O’Kelly is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Sparks, S’mores and Scandals, the latest novel in the Taryn O’Kelly mystery series.

Welcome, Taryn.

Thank you so much for having me here and helping Michelle and me celebrate my newest mystery, Sparks, S’mores, and Scandals.

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

I am a party planner by trade and body finder by accident. Unfortunately for me, “accidents” keep happening. Detective Parker seems to think that I go looking for trouble, but I swear to you, trouble finds me. So, for now, I am Taryn O’Kelly, the trouble-finding, party-planning, sleuth of Silver Springs, Colorado.

Michelle, my writer, has affectionately named my series the Taryn O’Kelly Mysteries, after me. Detective Parker knows this. I promise I was doomed to find trouble from the start!

During my current mystery, Sparks, S’mores, and Scandals, I have found that some people in our quaint town want to change things. They are plotting to remove some of the country characteristics that the Silver Springs residents and tourists have come to love and preserve.

We have had an unusual rainy season, and fires seem to be breaking out at random. An insurance adjuster, known for denying claims, has gone missing, and the KOA campground summer kickoff party I have planned looks like it won’t go as smoothly as I like.

Does the writer control what happens in the story, or do you get a say too?

Michelle sets the stage, but we discuss the endgame. As I go through the story, since it’s told from my perspective, I let her know what I am seeing and hearing, and what I want to do next. But she holds information back from me so the story can unfold authentically. By the time the mystery ends, I am as surprised as you!

How did you evolve as the main character?

Michelle has a daughter, and my name was on the baby list. But when it wasn’t chosen, and she didn’t have another daughter, she decided to create me. Michelle wanted me to have my own story. She loved planning her wedding to her husband so much that she thought this was what Taryn needed to do. And I must say I am grateful. I love planning and organizing things! And weddings are my most favorite.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

Oh, this is actually a funny question because Michelle, I, and the whole gang were just discussing how this group has evolved. Even Detective Parker refers to us as Mystery Inc.!

It all started with Party Planning for Murder, the first mystery I found myself in. I was planning a wedding for a real-life bridezilla, and there was a murder at the bachelor party. The men in my life, Robert, my ex, and Alex, my boyfriend, were behaving weirdly. My best friend, Kandice, really pushed for us to figure out who the murderer was, with Bridzilla insisting I find the killer. That investigation nearly cost me my life, but Kandice dubbed us Charley’s Angels and still maintains we are that cool.

The second mystery I was involved in was one I didn’t think Michelle was going to mention. Frost and Foul Play, a Mystery Novella, where once again, Kandice insisted, we investigate. And since I was threatened by the mayor during my Skijoring event, investigating seemed like the right thing to do. No boys in that one.

Then came Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses, which was supposed to be a relaxing getaway with Alex. But my ex showed up, a past bad guy appeared, and, of course, more murder happened. What’s a vacation without a few dead bodies? Right? Well, Alex, Robert, and I teamed up to catch the killer. The boys were so scared from my last encounters that they wouldn’t let me out of sight.

That brings us to our current situation. Now all four of us are usually involved. Since I’m typically the one being targeted by the bad guys, no one wants me going it alone. I’m not complaining, I love having these guys around. We’ve found a fun groove where everyone feels comfortable. There was a time I would have said I never wanted to see Robert again, but now I can’t imagine my life without him as a friend. I love Alex, and he loves me enough to embrace Robert and Kandice as my sidekicks, too!

Michelle has all of us talking to her now, and these mysteries are getting more and more complicated.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

Silver Springs sits in a valley tucked into the Rocky Mountains. It’s a beautiful historic mining town. We have a river that zigzags through town. And a narrow-gauge railroad that takes tourists on a historic ride into the wild west of the Rockies. Eclectic shops and local artisans fill Main Street, and the fields surrounding the town are farms supplying most of the restaurants we have and/or the local community. We have an active VFW, and St. Bridget’s Catholic Church is a staple of the town’s hospitality. Honestly, it’s a mountain paradise, an escape back in time, where things are usually slower.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

I would invite you into my world where love, passion, kindness, and persistence always win. Bad people do bad things, good people do the right thing, no matter how hard it is, because in the end, all we have is love and compassion. Nothing else.

If that’s a little cheesy or hopelessly romantic for you, then consider this. My mysteries are usually high-stakes, offering humorous situations, quirky supporting characters, and always a happy ending. An escape from the real world, where, as Michelle puts it, the cast of Friends meets the cast of Scooby-Doo and solves a big mystery.

Thank you for answering my questions, Taryn, and good luck to you and your author, Michelle L Clifton, with Sparks, S’mores and Scandals, the latest book in the Taryn O’Kelly mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Taryn and her author, Michelle L Clifton by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon   B&N Barnes & Noble

About Michelle L Clifton: Michelle writes lighthearted, high-stakes cozy mysteries filled with humor, romance, and small-town shenanigans. She is the author of the Taryn O’Kelly Mysteries, a fast-paced series featuring party planner and amateur sleuth Taryn O’Kelly and her growing circle of friends who somehow keep stumbling into trouble. Her stories blend the charm of traditional cozies with the quick pace and comedic flair readers love in Janet Evanovich  books, always with a satisfying, happy ending.

Michelle serves on the board of the Southwest Florida Fiction Writers and is Editor-in-Chief of Inkwell Magazine. She is also the founder of Salty Inspirations, her blog, journal pen name, and publishing imprint, which serves as a home for her writing, creative projects, and behind-the-scenes insights into life as a cozy mystery author.

She lives in Cape Coral, Florida, with her husband. Her books are perfect for readers who enjoy humorous mysteries with heart, memorable characters, and a touch of romance mixed with murder.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment