In Skein Sight

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Rebecca McKinnon, author of In Skein Sight, the latest novel in the Clear Creek mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Rebecca.

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

In Skein Sight is the fifth book in the Clear Creek Mysteries, but like each of the other books in the series, it can be read as a standalone story. Each of the books takes place in Clear Creek, a tiny town in the Rocky Mountains. The main character is Jemma. She inherited a yarn shop from her grandmother in the first book of the series. She shares the pages with a supporting cast of friends and, of course, a swoony love interest.

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

When readers tell me they love a character as much as I do, I like to bring that character to the forefront of a story. The basic concept for the story was easy — Leandro as a murder suspect! That was the beginning. From there, I had to figure out who was going to kick the bucket, and who the other suspects could be. Sometimes the stories come to me almost fully formed. Other times, I have to work for it. This one wasn’t easy, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

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

Underneath the mysteries, the heart of this series is about community. Friends. Found family. Characters who genuinely care about each other. Even the people who don’t get along are generally willing to set problems aside to help each other out. The real world has a way of dividing people, and I think we all dream of getting along with our neighbors, not just in spite of our differences, but because of them.

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

partial to them?

When I’m creating characters, I think of it as discovering new friends. I like to have a couple of goals for what each character needs to accomplish or represent, then write about them until they take shape. I don’t know that I could choose between my imaginary friends, but Leandro has to be one of my favorites.

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

I like to treat my setting as another character. Clear Creek as it appears on the page spent a good year or so in my mind before I ever started writing about it, which gave me time to get all the little details worked out. It quickly became a place my readers have fallen in love with. I love every time someone tells me they wish they could live there — because I wish I could, too!

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

Research is an interesting thing. It usually looks like me falling down all kinds of rabbit holes and ending up in very different places than I intended to go. For instance, for this book I researched knives (the kind chefs use, not the weapon kind). But before I started writing the series, I did all kinds of research as I created the town and the characters. As a sneak peek at the next book of the series (the book hasn’t even been announced yet!), I learned way more than I needed to about poisonous plants.

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

I write the kind of books I love to read—mysteries where you care about the people, root for justice, and finish feeling good. If that sounds like your kind of story, I’d love for you to give In Skein Sight a try!

Thank you for answering my questions, Rebecca, and good luck with In Skein Sight, the latest book in the Clear Creek mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Rebecca McKinnon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

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 Archives, January 2026 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Her Last Best Friend

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Mel Halston is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Her Last Best Friend, the first novel in the Shadow Lake Ranch Murders mystery series.

Welcome, Mel. 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 Mel Halston. I live…well, lived inside Her Last Best Friend, which is the first book in a series set at Shadow Lake Ranch. On the surface, it’s about friendship—long-standing friendships, the kind that are built over years and shared history. But underneath that, it’s really about what happens when loyalty turns into expectation… and when unspoken resentment starts to rot things from the inside out.

The series itself looks at different betrayals connected to the same place. Shadow Lake Ranch remembers everything. People like to think what they do in private stays buried, but it doesn’t. Not here.

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

I think writers like to believe they’re in control. But once a character like me exists, things get… complicated. I have opinions. I make choices. I react. And sometimes those reactions surprise even the person writing them.

You can plan all you want, but emotions don’t always behave. Especially when someone feels overlooked, replaced, or taken for granted. Those feelings don’t ask permission.

In other words, no…she’s not in control.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was hated. That’s usually the word people settle on first.

But I don’t think of it that way. I think of it as curiosity. There’s a moment when you realize you’re capable of something—and once you cross that line, you can’t pretend you don’t know it anymore. I wanted to see what would happen. And it did.

People like to frame things as betrayal or cruelty, but they ignore the part where truth gets exposed. If someone can be tempted that easily, if they can choose differently that quickly, then what was really being protected in the first place? I didn’t create that weakness. I revealed it.

And I never stopped being a friend. That’s the part everyone forgets.

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

Lindsey, obviously. When you’ve been someone’s best friend for that long, your lives stop being separate things. You share routines, secrets, expectations. You start to feel entitled to honesty—and maybe even understanding—without having to ask for it.

Travis and Kara see parts of what’s happening, but only from the outside. It’s easy to judge a situation when you’re not the one living inside it, when you don’t feel the pressure of history or the weight of being taken for granted.

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

Shadow Lake Ranch looks peaceful. Quiet. Like a place meant for healing or escape. That’s what draws people in.

But isolation has a way of amplifying emotions. There’s too much time to think. Too much space for memories to echo. And once things start to unravel there, there’s nowhere to hide. The land doesn’t judge—but it doesn’t protect you either.

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

I’d tell readers not to make up their minds too quickly. About me. About anyone. People are rarely just one thing.

Everyone thinks they know what betrayal looks like—until they realize how easily they might justify it themselves.

Thank you for answering my questions, Mel, and good luck to you and your author, Nellie H Steele, with Her Last Best Friend, the first book in the Shadow Lake Ranch Murders mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Mel and her author, Nellie H Steele by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, and YouTube pages.

The novel is available at Amazon

About Nellie H Steele: Nellie is a storyteller who doesn’t just write  books—she writes the stories her characters tell her. With distinct voices and minds of their own, her characters often take over, guiding her through tales of romance, mystery, adventure, and suspense.

A lifelong bookworm, Nellie vividly recalls sitting on the concrete floor of her childhood library, eagerly devouring Nancy Drew books and dreaming of solving mysteries of her own. Now an award-winning author, she spends her days crafting immersive worlds and unforgettable characters that feel like old friends. Her house is a zoo—literally—thanks to her rescue animals who seem perfectly happy napping while she writes.

Nellie’s writing process often involves background TV she never actually watches because she’s too wrapped up in her characters’ antics. When she’s not spinning stories, she works as a professor of statistics, where students who know her as an author are often surprised to find she really does teach math.

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

Trapped and Tested

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Sharon Marchisello, author of Trapped and Tested, the latest novel in the DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Sharon.

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

Trapped and Tested is book two in my DeeLo Myer cat rescue mystery series, published by Level Best Books. The first book, Trap, Neuter, Die, was released in November 2024. The story began when a thirty-year-old divorcee, DeeLo Myer, was sentenced to community service with the Pecan Point Humane Society and assigned to the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (TNVR) program to help control the overpopulation of free-roaming cats. In the course of her rescue work, she discovered a draconian county ordinance that thwarts the efforts of animal advocates, and she vowed to get it changed. She also finds a few dead bodies along the way.

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

I’ve been involved with animal rescue for over a decade, and I wanted to incorporate this passion—along with some information about pet overpopulation and spay/neuter—into a mystery novel. Also, the animal ordinance that DeeLo is trying to change is based on the one in the county where I live (which, unfortunately, is not unique). Several years ago, volunteers from my rescue group tried to work with our county commissioners to get this ordinance updated—and we encountered some of the same drama that DeeLo experiences in the series. (Fortunately, no one was murdered.)

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

Trapped and Tested tackles the issue of using animals for medical research. Like DeeLo and my character Eddie Fenton, I’m on mailing lists from numerous animal advocacy groups speaking out against this practice. After looking at some of those gruesome photographs, I decided there must be a better way. In this book, the murder victim is the CEO of a lab that tests its products on cats.

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

When I first started writing, I based my characters on people I knew, or composites of several acquaintances. Now, most of my characters are imagined, although I’m sure I get ideas from observing people. I suppose my favoritecharacter in this series is Catherine Foster, the curmudgeon TNVR guru who prefers cats to people. Through her voice, I can say things that could be considered politically incorrect or even misogynistic.

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

Pecan Point is a fictitious Georgia suburb of Atlanta. It’s similar to the town where I live, but since it’s not a real place, I can move buildings around and change things up a bit to suit the story. Because I write contemporary fiction, I think it’s easier to make the setting realistic; it just requires observing my surroundings.

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

Even though I have a lot of experience fostering cats, owning cats, and volunteering for an animal rescue group, I didn’t have hands-on experience with TNVR. Prior to writing the first book, Trap, Neuter, Die, I went out trapping feral cats with one of our seasoned volunteers, and she served as a beta reader for the final draft. I also reached out to several other trappers for war stories and tips.

I’m a member of Sisters in Crime, and one of the reasons I joined was for the connections with subject matter experts. We often have guests in the crime investigation field: police detectives, medical examiners, prosecutors, arson investigators, gun shop owners, etc. Most are generous with their time and will answer technical questions for writers.

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

I hope readers of the series will come away with a greater understanding of the pet overpopulation problem: how three to four million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are put to death in shelters every year simply because there aren’t enough homes. And hopefully, they’ll embrace programs like spay/neuter and TNVR as part of the solution.

In Trapped and Tested, I hope readers will be more aware of the suffering we subject animals to in laboratories, often unnecessarily.

But most of all, I hope they will enjoy reading the stories.

Thank you for answering my questions, Sharon, and good luck with Trapped and Tested, the latest book in the DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Sharon Marchisello by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, BookBub and LinkedIn pages. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers: Information coming soon.

About Sharon Marchisello: Sharon Marchisello is the author of the DeeLo Myer cat rescue mystery series, which began with Trap, Neuter, Die. She is a long-time volunteer and cat foster for the Fayette Humane Society (FHS) with a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California. She also published three mysteries with Sunbury Press—Going Home (2014), Secrets of the Galapagos (2019), and Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos (2025). Sharon has written short stories, a nonfiction  book about personal finance, training manuals, screenplays, a blog, and book reviews. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the Hometown Novel Writers Association. Retired from a 27-year career with Delta Air Lines, she now lives in Peachtree City, Georgia, and serves on the board of directors for the Friends of the Peachtree City Library.

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

A Spy in Saigon

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Nancy Cole Silverman, author of A Spy in Saigon, the latest novel in the Kat Lawson mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Nancy.

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

A SPY IN SAIGON is the fourth instalment in the Kat Lawson Mysteries, an international travel mystery series set in the late 1990s. In book one, THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, Kat travels to Hungary at her father’s request to uncover his wartime past, leading to her undercover career as a travel reporter in book two, PASSPORT TO SPY. This sequel thrusts Kat into Cold War intrigue in the German Alps. Book three, MURDER ON THE MED, takes Kat on a Mediterranean cruise where missing passengers and eccentric seniors embroil her in new mysteries. In book four, A SPY IN SAIGON, Kat’s assignment in Vietnam quickly turns dangerous, drawing her deeper into a world of espionage.  

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

The story for A SPY IN SAIGON was a very real and disturbing experience. I was returning from an overseas trip to Asia when I saw a young girl, maybe four or five years old, with two older men. Instinctively, I knew this child wasn’t with them and was probably being trafficked. I tried to contact the airport authorities, but the group had vanished and couldn’t be found. Still, my thoughts about her and her situation wouldn’t leave me. That experience became the inspiration for A SPY IN SAIGON.

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

I’ve always been fascinated by lone-wolf protagonists thrown into challenging situations, like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher or Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme. As a female mystery writer, I couldn’t help but wonder, what if the protagonist wasn’t a man but a woman? How different would it be? A woman reacts differently to troubled situations, often using more brains than brawn, and I was drawn to the idea of creating a strong female protagonist who has to outsmart the bad guys rather than simply beat them up.

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

I’m attracted to flawed characters. My protagonist in the Kat Lawson series is one of my favourites. Kat is a middle-aged investigative reporter with a strong sense of justice, a troubled personal life, and a flawed past. An illicit office romance results in her losing her job at the newspaper where she worked, and she hits a new low by taking piecemeal assignments for a travel publication while secretly serving as an FBI courier. Her addiction to the thrill of good news stories, combined with her overconfidence in her ability to handle things, consistently interferes with each of her assignments. I enjoy working with characters like Kat, whose struggles include not only her internal conflicts of right and wrong but also those she faces when clashing with others holding different mindsets, along with the physical costs and challenges involved. 

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

I’ve been very lucky to live abroad and travel often. While many people keep travel journals, I prefer to write down mystery plots and research historical sites, which I might combine for future books.

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

Research is an essential part of my writing process. For each novel, I delve deeply into historical records, local customs, and contemporary news stories to ground the fiction in real-world details. When writing A SPY IN SAIGON, I studied the political landscape of Vietnam in the late 1990s, read accounts from expatriates, and explored travel guides for authentic descriptions of Saigon’s bustling streets, hidden alleys, and vibrant markets. I also spoke with experts and locals, which enriched my understanding of the setting and helped me weave accurate cultural nuances into the plot. This meticulous approach brings the backdrop to life and ensures the story feels both immersive and believable.

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

I’m currently working on the fifth book in the series.  I can share with you that it will take place in London, and the working title, for right now, anyway, is A COLD CASE IN LONDON. 

Thank you for answering my questions, Nancy, and good luck with A Spy in Saigon, the latest book in the Kat Lawson mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Nancy Cole Silverman by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available online at Amazon

About Nancy Cole Silverman: After 25 years in news and talk radio, Nancy Cole Silverman retired to write fiction. Her crime-focused novels have attracted readers throughout America, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Silverman writes the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries (Henry Press) and  the Kat Lawson Mysteries (Level Best Books). 

Posted in January 2026 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wishing you the happy buzz of the holiday season

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

It’s only a couple of days until Christmas so here I am with my Christmas blog post once again. Most years I have a theme for it. Some of them have been: the sense of wonder and happiness that Christmas tree and mantelpiece lights – and all decorative lights – inspire in me, how warm and happy memories of holidays past can bring peace and comfort to the present, the traditions that mean Christmas to me and others, what makes Christmas cozy, and the way that seasonal songs stir our hearts and memories.

I often focus on the quiet, reflective times during the holiday season, but let’s not forget the times we join others to enjoy the season’s jolly sense of community.   

People often complain about how crowded public places are during the holiday season but sometimes it’s good to get out into the hustle and bustle of the festivities. I’m not talking about the stress of squeezing through throngs of shoppers in overcrowded shops and standing in line at the checkout until you’re ready to drop, leaving you exhausted and wanting to hide away until the new year. I’m thinking of how your spirits lift when you slip into the midst of a happy, lively buzz of humanity gathering to enjoy some aspect of the season.

When I was a small child, I loved going downtown in Toronto to see the amazing Christmas windows in the Eaton’s and Simpson’s stores. Their displays were so intricate and incredible that adults and children alike crowded around the windows to watch the mechanized elves, woodland animals and other characters preparing for Christmas. The models in the windows were cartoonish but almost real at the same time. It was impossible not to love them. For a small child, it was like seeing the characters in ‘Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’ or ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ come to life.

I also loved watching the Santa Claus parade, which passed through downtown Toronto in mid-November. It was a spectacle on an even bigger scale than the activity in the store windows. I recently learned that the Toronto parade, which was first held on December 2, 1905, was the first one in the world. It’s also one of the largest Santa Claus parades in North America and one of the world’s oldest annual parades.

Going to the parade was such a wondrous occasion filled with the pageantry of the colourful floats and characters on them, the excitement of watching the performers and larger-than-life cartoon characters dancing and doing acrobatics as they walked, and the sounds of pipe bands, silver bands and steel bands filling the air. Before the last note from one band floated away on the frosty air, the strains of the next band’s music drifted toward me, quickly getting closer. When I was in my twenties the pipe band I belonged to played in several community Santa Claus parades in small Canadian towns each year. It was cold as we marched along the parade routes and sometimes I could barely feel my fingers as I played my bagpipes, but that was a small price to pay to be part of the festival atmosphere at these events. There was so much excitement and camaraderie and good will.  

There aren’t any Santa Claus parades where I now live in Northern Ireland (though Santa does arrive with pomp and ceremony at a shopping centre in Belfast’s city centre each November) but you can find lots of festive razzamatazz in towns around the province. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to Rushmere Shopping Centre, a few miles outside of Belfast, for an afternoon and I delighted in the sights and sounds of the season all packed inside the shopping mall.

Overhead the ceiling dripped with glittering warm white lights and shiny oversized ornaments, and gaily decorated Christmas trees stood like sentries at intervals along the main concourse. A brightly painted miniature train with an engine and four wooden carriages chugged around one end of the mall carrying pint-sized passengers and their parents, and musicians performed on a stage draped in holly and baubles at the other end of the concourse. On the wall above the stage clips of White Christmas, the quintessential Christmas movie, were playing. We stopped in a coffee shop for some hot chocolate and Christmas treats, and chatted with the couple at the next table who had their dogs with them. Most people were chatty and sociable, and cheeriness radiated from shoppers as they bustled from one shop to the next. By the end of the afternoon, as we left the shopping centre, I was wrapped in a wonderful sense of warm community and happy festiveness.

In early December I was at the Belfast Christmas market in the grounds of the City Hall, wending my way through the busy market, from one gaily decorated wooden hut to the next, browsing the diverse array of items for sale in the stalls and inhaling the scents of paella, pancakes and chocolate, smoked sausages, and cheesy everything in the food stalls. I visit the Christmas market every year, and this year as always I made sure to stop at some of my favourite stalls: the one selling amber jewellery, another filled with hand painted Christmas ornaments, and the Gluhwein stall where I enjoyed steaming hot apple cider. People swirled past me in every direction as I walked from stall to stall, laughing and talking, happily shopping and indulging their taste buds. I felt like I was in the middle of a holiday street party and I was in no hurry to leave.  

We’ve also spent some time at the small shopping mall in Enniskillen, the largest town near us, soaking up the sights and sounds of Christmas.

We’ve found that this is best done from the cafe inside the mall where we also soak up hot chocolate and Christmas cake as we watch passersby and listen to the holiday music streaming from the PA system. We enjoy seeing everyone’s festive sweaters as they pass by. One Saturday morning we were treated to a sighting of the Grinch as he descended the nearby escalator and passed the café, trading insults with shoppers as he marched along the concourse. Santa also regularly passes by the café on his way to his house and throne in the middle of the mall, stopping frequently to chat with wide-eyed children. While we sit and watch the holiday scene in front of us, we often spot people we know and they stop to chat with us. It’s a relaxing way to be in the thick of the festivities.

As Christmas Day nears, I’m sure I’ll take some time by the fire, under the multi-coloured lights of our Christmas tree and the blue lights twined with the holly on the mantlepiece, to relax and quietly appreciate the season, but I’ll also get out and join others enjoying the sense of goodwill and community the season brings.

I hope where ever you are that you will experience both the peacefulness and happy buzz of the holiday season this year. Merry Christmas!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Dug to Death

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

Gianetta Murray, author of Dug to Death, a Vivien Brant mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share with us how her love of all things British has influenced her writing.

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

Like many Americans, I’ve been obsessed with murder mysteries from a young age, starting with Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown and progressing to the futuristic action of J.D. Robb, the fast-moving plots of James Patterson, and the hilariously creative exploits of Richard Castle.

But when it comes to the golden age of the murder mystery it’s all about the British, and I gobbled up Christie, Tey, and Marsh as fast as I could get my hands on them. I became such an Anglophile that English literature became the obvious choice for my college degree, and when I married my second husband my mother felt obliged to ask if I had chosen my intended simply because he was British. (The answer: not entirely!)

For the past twenty years I have lived in Britain and come to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses, but I can say that it has wholly lived up to my vision as the capital of cozy mystery. I have seen stately homes that have obviously been built with the sole purpose of being cut off in a storm so a murder can occur. I’ve visited quaint villages with warring vicars and steely-eyed dowagers. And last month my husband surprised me with a trip to the Burgh Island Hotel in Devon, renting us the beach cottage where Agatha Christie wrote Evil Under the Sun.

You want more inspiration? Britain has you covered, whether it’s the Jekyll/Hyde duality of Edinburgh, the craggy cliffs of Cornwall, or the foggy streets of London town.

For the Vivien Brandt Mysteries I created a fictional village in Yorkshire where gossip is rife but real secrets somehow remain hidden. Bringing Californian Vivien and her brash American ways into this setting in Moved to Murder not only propelled storylines but provided me with a way to share some of the more humorous mishaps experienced by myself and my fellow expats.

For example, I wrote a scene where Vivien gets into the wrong side of her car and momentarily fumes about someone having stolen her steering wheel. “That would never happen,” said my writing group. “Oh yes, it does,” I was able to tell them, “and not just to me.” (Although they still asked me to change it to provide a better excuse for her momentary confusion, and that is what a good writing group is for.)

That kind of disorientation added to the classic village setting provides me with endless opportunities to explore and examine the clashes of American and British culture, which I like to think adds my own twist to the traditional mystery. But at its core, the Vivien Brandt mysteries are the adopted child of Miss Marple, Alan Grant, and Roderick Alleyn. Elderly ladies know more than they’re saying, the cat often provides a clue, and the past is never quite dead, although several villagers will be.

In the second Vivien Brandt Mystery, Dug to Death, Vivien has been in England for six months and it becomes more a matter of the locals getting used to her, but there are still plenty of chances to revel in the traditional setting and quintessentially English cast, even as Vivien’s “outside” viewpoint shakes up the natives and prompts unintended confessions. In the end, it takes the best of both worlds to solve the mysteries. And hopefully to provide an exciting read along the way.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Gianetta, and good luck with Dug to Death, the latest book in the Vivien Brant mystery series. Readers can learn more about Gianetta Murray by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Substack and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – More Stores

About Gianetta Murray: Gianetta grew up in California in the heady days of Silicon Valley, but for the last twenty years has lived a slightly more peaceful existence in England with her husband and a minimum of two cats. She enjoys rewatching Hollywood musicals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, plays guitar and ukulele, and stresses about using all the pears provided by the tree in her back garden. She dreams about one day being spit on by Jonathan Groff.

Posted in Archives, December 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whine and Dine

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

Marc Jedel, author of Whine and Dine, 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.

Whine and Dine is the second book in the Redwoods Country Mystery series, which I describe as “Grumpy Old Men” meets “Schitt’s Creek.” This novel can be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable to read after Rivers and Creaks (book 1). 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 after his wife tragically died shortly after they bought the place a year before the first novel takes place. Gradually (and against his intentions), 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?

I thought it would be fun to have a series that is superficially similar to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories where the sleuth brings everyone together at the end of the book and proceeds to execute the full grand reveal. Although Andy brings all the suspects into his inn when he believes he’s solved the murder in these stories, 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 solves 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?

When I started writing my first novel, Uncle and Ants, I made the protagonist a forty-year old engineer. Although I didn’t work as an engineer, I was closer to forty and familiar with plenty of engineers from living in Silicon Valley. After ten books in several series and a number of years later, I feel more attuned to the sixty-five-year-old Andy in the Redwoods Creek Mystery series. He’s grumpier than I am (I hope) and happily, my wife is still alive. In fact, she’s claimed her role in my writing is as my emotional developmental mentor. I’m still not quite sure whether she meant just for my latest novel, or my entire life.

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” in Whine and Dine, was inspired by a woman I 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’ll be back in future novels, if only because I enjoy writing her so much.

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

My family and I took a vacation to 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 more in process.

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

Besides visiting the area in person twice, 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. Honest, 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?

Whine and Dine, is on sale for only $2.99, and book 1, Rivers and Creaks, is only $0.99, during this tour. They’re available at: https://mybook.to/WhineandDine and https://mybook.to/RiversandCreaks. 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 Whine and Dine, 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, Bookbub and Goodreads pages.

About Marc Jedel: Marc Jedel 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 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 retirement doesn’t involve running a B&B. Like Marty from the Silicon Valley Mystery 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 Mystery 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, December 2025 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Mysterious Christmas Collection

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

Charlie Kingsley and Emily Hildebrandt are visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Mysterious Christmas Collection. As A Mysterious Christmas Collection has 2 Christmas cozy mysteries in it (one from The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries and one from The Redemption Detective Agency) the author has decided to let both main characters share a few words. (CK for Charlie Kinglsey and EH for Emily Hildebrandt from The Redemption Detective Agency.)

Welcome, Charlie and Emily. 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.

CK: Yes it’s not only part of the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries but it’s a crossover story with The Redemption Detective Agency series. Both series take place in Redemption, Wisconsin, in the 1990s. And this one features one of my favorite things to do, which is bake!

EH: My series is apparently a spin off from The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries. I’m new to Redemption, I’ve only been here a few months after my life imploded, but my aunt Tilde and Mildred have both lived in Redemption all of their lives and both of them know Charlie well. Charlie being an amateur sleuth apparently inspired Aunt Tilde to start her own detective agency. It’s been…interesting, although I do wish Charlie had inspired Aunt Tilde to be a little more focused on revenue rather than just solving mysteries.

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

CK: She tries, but usually when that’s when she gets things wrong.

EH: I think Charlie gets more of a pass than I do. Charlie has been with Michele for a really long time. I’m fairly new and I’m not sure I get as much leeway as Charlie does.

How did you evolve as the main character?

CK: A lot of my evolution happened in my original series, The Secrets of Redemption. That had my origin story (which is a little…dark. Especially for a cozy). Now I’m mostly working on my own Redemption story arc as I have a lot to atone for.

EH: I’m in the middle of that and I’m not happy. Michele has assured me I’ll be happy at the end, but I don’t know why I have to go through all of this messiness first. I was perfectly happy in my old life. I had everything organized and planned out, and now I’m constantly in chaos. Ugh.

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

CK: Pat is my best friend and I absolutely love solving crimes with her. Officer Brandon Wyle…well, things are complicated there and about to get more so. Not so much with this book but the next one, Arson, Old Lace and Murder.

EH: It’s kind of a love/hate relationship. While in so many ways Aunt Tilde, Mildred and Nora are my found family, they also drive me nuts. And let’s not even talk about Nick…

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

CH: It’s the calm before the storm. The next book, Arson, Old Lace and Murder, is going to be a catalyst to a lot of changes (along with Book 9 that will also be coming out in 2026). This story is a fun, Christmas diversion before things get serious.

EH: Same here. I’ve got my own big decisions to make, which is what The Mysterious Case of the Missing House is about (which is the next book) but this story is fun side trip.

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

CH: It you like Christmas mysteries, this collection is dripping with Christmas.

EH: And cookies. There’s even family Christmas cookie recipes that Charlie bakes. And of course there’s dogs and cats—a little something for everyone.

Thank you for answering my questions, Charlie and Emily, and good luck to you and your author, Michele Pariza Wacek, with A Mysterious Christmas Collection.

The collection is available online at Amazon.

Readers can learn more about Charlie and Emily, and their author, Michele Pariza Wacek by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Instagram pages.

About Michele Pariza Wacek: A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Posted in Archives, December 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Body in the Trees

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

Terrie Farley Moran, author of The Body in the Trees, a Murder, She Wrote mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share a bit about the next novel in the series.

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

Jessica Fletcher, world renowned mystery writer, has just sent the manuscript for her latest book to her editor and is more than happy to go to dinner in the main dining room of the Hill House, Cabot Cove’s finest hotel, with her friends Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Sheriff Mort Metzger and Mort’s wife Maureen.

Sitting a few tables away from them were four young women who were rather loud and several of them most certainly had a bit too much to drink.

And it is during that evening when Jessica meets the young woman who is soon to become the victim of a brutal murder among the trees that cover the gorgeous hillside which leads from the land ridge, a well know path for bicycle riders and bird watchers, down to the cove that gives the town its name.

Hi, I am Terrie Moran, one of the two authors who write the Murder, She Wrote books which follow the many adventures of Jessica Fetcher whether she is at home in Cabot Cove or traveling the world on a book tour or visiting friends and family.

Although I love tagging along with Jessica in her travels, my very favorite place to hang out with her is Cabot Cove and I have always suspected that it is Jessica’s favorite place as well. Cabot Cove appears to be a warm and friendly place but I will say that it has far more than its fair share of murders. So I hope that you will read along as Jessica feels compelled to determine exactly what happened to the young lady who became the body in the trees.

Before I go, I want to mention that the other series writer is Barbara Earley, who’s book, Murder She Wrote, Snowy with a Chance of Murder, was released earlier this year and is a very entertaining story. Barbara and I will each have a new Murder She Wrote book coming out in 2026, so keep an eye out!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Terrie, and good luck with The Body in the Trees, the latest book in the Murder, She Wrote mystery series. Readers can learn more about Terrie Farley Moran by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

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

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

About Terrie Farley Moran: Terrie is the bestselling author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series, including the Agatha Award-winning Well Read, Then Dead. Along with Jessica Fletcher, she co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series. She also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Terrie’s short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and numerous anthologies. “A Killing at the Beausoleil” was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. “Inquiry and Assistance” received the Derringer Award for Best Novelette.

Posted in Archives, December 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Holidays and Homicides

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Dianne Ascroft

Misty Simon, one of the authors included in Holidays and Homicides, a short story collection, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Misty.

Tell us about the book.

This is a wonderful collection of holiday stories brought to you by several awesome authors at Gemma Halliday Publishing! We got together and all took a swing at bringing you some holiday cheer spiced with mirthful mysteries and clever criminals!

Where did the idea for the book come from?

Gemma put a call out a few months ago asking who would be interested in this delightful idea, and we took off from there.

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

It’s all about the holiday cheer! We have many holidays represented (including Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day). These were so much fun to write, and we look forward to giving you a snicker with your snickerdoodles (a fabulous cookie if you haven’t heard of them before).

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

I create my characters usually by starting with someone I know and then expanding them and their flaws and strengths to the comic degree. I love all of my characters in one way or another, so choosing would be like asking if you have a favorite kid. You might, but you’re probably not going to admit it.

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

I try to put myself in the din of the diner, or the quiet of a funeral parlor, or the coziness of a bed and breakfast, and then write the details that will bring you right on into that atmosphere with me.

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

For this one, I used to work at a diner a long time ago, so I have some firsthand experience. But I also talked to many people who are currently running your food out with precision to get the gist of what it’s like today. Plus, I get to eat awesome food while taking one for the team on that “research.” 😊

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

I hope these short stories will be the perfect snack-size delight while you’re wrapping presents, hopping between parties, lighting your decorations, and enjoying the upcoming season!

Thank you for answering my questions, Misty, and good luck with Holidays and Homicides, a short story collection.

Readers can learn more about Misty Simon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram (@mistysimonwrites) and TikTok (@mistysimonwrites) pages.

The book is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Apple – Kobo – Smashwords

About Misty Simon: Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania, where she is hard at work on her next novel or three.

About Holidays and Homicides: From twelve USA Today bestselling and award winning authors, comes a short story collection stuffed full of mirthful mysteries, clever criminals, and holiday cheer! These short holiday bites are perfect for enjoying between rounds of wrapping or binge-reading over a cup of cocoa!

Stories include:

A Hometown Christmas Caper (Hometown Mysteries)
by Rosalie Spielman

Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

Larceny & Twinkle Lights (Jamie Winters Mysteries)
by Kelly Rey

Holidays & Heists (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries)
by Anne Marie Stoddard

Ornaments, Surprise & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries)
by Jennifer Fischetto

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief (Northwoods Mysteries)
by Annie McEwen

You Can’t see the Forest for the Christmas Trees (Modern Midwife Mysteries)
by Christine Knapp

Jingle Bell Rocker (Sunny Side Up Mysteries)
by Misty Simon

Holly, Handcuffs, and Hearsay (Camelot Flowers Mysteries)
by Erica Wynters

Search for the Silent Santa (Ghost Town Mysteries)
by Jamie L. Adams

Nothing But Truffle (Cookies & Chance Mysteries)
by Catherine Bruns

A Heartland Homicide (Bourbon B&B Mysteries)
by Gin Jones

Posted in December 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments