Graven Images

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Lori Roberts Herbst, author of Graven Images, a Callie Cassidy mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about the importance of settings to stories.

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

Beneath a tapestry of floating candles, I have savored a magical meal in the Great Hall of a school for wizards. (The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling)

On a passenger train in a remote area of Yugoslavia, I have bolted myself into my compartment and pressed my ear to the door, listening for a killer’s approach. (Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie)

In a crowded pub in Kilbane, County Cork, I’ve danced a jig and enjoyed a pint. (The Irish Village series, by Carlene O’Connor)

Strolling the smoky streets of Venice at dusk, I’ve searched the cobblestones for clues to a murder. (The Commissario Brunetti series, by Donna Leon)

I have contemplated life as I gazed at the snowy branches of a trio of pines trees in Quebec. (The Three Pines series, by Louise Penny)

These fictional journeys were made possible thanks to masterful authors and their skill at creating vivid, authentic settings. I strive to learn everything I can from their talent.

As a mystery writer, I know my stories won’t flourish without a solid plot, complete with a page-turning pace and a few twists along the path. Also, an engaging cast of characters is the core of any good series, leaving readers excited to visit these people (and animals) again and again.

But if plot and character serve as the foundation, setting gives the story wings. Whether it adds to the feeling of camaraderie or the sense of isolation, whether it offers comfort or produces anxiety, a story’s setting helps pose themes, reveal characters’ worldviews, and define the overall tone.

Above all, a great setting is immersive. As a reader, I love nothing more than getting lost in a book, and that is most likely to occur when I am absorbed into the location. A talented author has me inhaling the scent of pine, experiencing the pinprick of frigid air against my cheek, and listening to the whistle of the wind through the tree branches as dark clouds drift overhead. I become part of the story, walking alongside the characters as they maneuver through the plot. Setting should generate an emotional response—maybe positive or perhaps negative, but always captivating.

When I started writing the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, I had the setting in mind before a single character was born. My family had visited Estes Park many times, and it became the inspiration for the fictional town of Rock Creek Village that Callie and her family and friends inhabit. With that template in mind, I designed my own small town and nestled it into the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

But it turns out creating an interesting setting isn’t easy, nor is maintaining it. What are the changes we see each season? How does the place look at different times of the day? Who lives where, and whose shops neighbor each other? Above all, how do I keep describing the place in fresh ways?

Even deciding how much information to provide is a balancing act, one I’m still learning to navigate. As I write, I ask myself if I’m offering enough details so that readers can visualize the scene. Or am I painting too particular of a picture, thus robbing them of their own imaginative contributions?

Negotiating those questions is part of the artistry of writing, and I’ll never completely master it. And thank goodness for that because the continuing challenge is half the fun.

What are some of your favorite book settings?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lori, and good luck with Graven Images, the latest book in the Callie Cassidy mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Lori Roberts Herbst by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Instagram, BookBub and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at  Amazon 

About Lori Roberts Herbst: Silver Falchion and CIBA Murder & Mayhem award-winning author Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. A former journalism teacher and counselor, Lori serves as Board Secretary for Sisters in Crime. She is a member of the SinC Colorado chapter, the SinC North Dallas chapter, and the Guppy chapter, where she moderates the Cozy Gup group. Lori spent most of her life in Dallas, TX, and now lives in Colorado Springs. 

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Deadly Gamble

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Kate Parker, author of Deadly Gamble, the latest novel in the Deadly mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

I very much enjoyed reading Deadly Gamble so I’m delighted that she’s here with us. Welcome, Kate.

Tell us about your novel. Deadly Gamble is the eleventh novel in the Deadly Series. It takes place in early spring 1941 for the most part in Portugal. Portugal had the good luck or misfortune to be the only neutral nation on the Atlantic coast of Europe during WWII. Because of their neutrality, Allied and Axis spies could work freely in Portugal, trying to buy or steal the other side’s secrets. In this story, Livvy Redmond is sent to Lisbon to deal with a refugee who has stolen German secrets that the British want. When the series began, before the war started, Livvy was helping Jews escape Nazi held territories. Once the war started, Sir Malcolm Freemantle, the British spymaster, recognized Livvy’s talents and used her for occasional missions. In between, she is a reporter on a London daily newspaper.

Where did the idea for the mystery central to the story come from? Portugal is a warm country, and especially in the older architecture there are floor to ceiling windows that open onto tiny balconies. I see a balcony and immediately think, wouldn’t it be fun to have the murderer push the victim off the balcony and disappear into the building, only to reappear with the other witnesses down below? Wouldn’t it be even more fun if Livvy was standing down below when it happened? Not much fun for the victim, but the reader will enjoy it. It makes a great beginning for the story.

Is there a theme or subject? Like its name, Deadly Gamble, there is a lot of gambling in this story. There is the gambling at the Estoril casino, the largest in Europe at that time. There is the gamble the refugees are taking that they will raise the money and get the visa that will get them a berth on a passenger ship leaving Lisbon for the New World. There is the gamble that the spies, Allied and Axis, will outsmart the other side and uncover secrets useful to their winning the war. All these people taking chances. This is a fun world for the reader.

How do you create your characters? My characters tend to spring, fully formed, with secrets and needs to my mind. Livvy has always been my favorite as she is at the center of any secrets and uncovering any murders.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about? My favorite technique is to travel there, such as London and Copenhagen. When I can’t, I rely on books of the times, photographs, newspapers. Then I look for the telling details that make the place unique as well as explain how and why people act the way they do in this environment.

What research do you do? Besides the travel, the books, the newspapers, and photos mentioned above, once I start writing the first draft, I stop whenever I need a detail and research until I find the information I need to make the writing clear. When I get to the second draft, I seldom have to stop unless I discover a mistake in my plot.

Thank you for answering my questions, Kate, and good luck with Deadly Gamble, the latest book in the Deadly mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kate Parker by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N  – Kobo – Apple 

About Kate Parker: Kate grew up inside the Beltway, when DC was a sleepy southern city and you could walk along the sidewalk directly in front of the White House. Now you can’t get within a block of the White House, and it takes Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon to house even part of what the Old State, War and Navy building held. All this fed Kate’s love of history. With retirement, Kate moved to North Carolina and took up writing historical mysteries. Now with a career spanning over a decade, Kate is a USA Today bestselling author and the Deadly Series is her longest-running series. She lives with her daughter and a 110-pound puppy.

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The Jammed Judges

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

D. S. Lang, author of The Jammed Judges, a Doro Banyan historical mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about her series the Doro Banyan historical mysteries.

So, I’ll welcome her and turn the floor over to her –

I am often asked what I like best about writing. At the top of the list is hearing people enjoy my stories. As an avid reader myself, I love when a book sweeps me away, and I’m thrilled when my readers let me know they had similar experiences. Another big plus is creating stories, characters, and settings. Since I write historicals, I enjoy putting old-fashioned events and customs as part of the stories.

My Doro Banyon Cozy Historical Mystery series is set during the Roaring Twenties in small town Ohio. The village of Michaw is semi-fictional but based on a place that once existed.

Mitchaw, Ohio was established as an unincorporated community in the nineteenth century. In 1883, a post office was created. It remained in operation until 1901, but the community remained strong until the Palm Sunday 1920 tornado. The area was also known as Mitchaw Corners, and there was a schoolhouse. Many farms surrounded the Corners, which is now part of Sylvania Township—population 60,000. A few farms remain, but the area now boasts several subdivisions. Although little information about the real town is available, my dad was born there and had the birth certificate to prove it!

I took considerable literary license in making the town much larger than it ever was, which is why I slightly changed the spelling. People in this area, and I live nearby, still remember the community.

To make Michaw a perfect place for my series, I placed a small college there and made my amateur a librarian. None of the characters is based on anyone who actually lived in the real Mitchaw, and the college is a figment of my imagination—which, as you might guess—is vivid! Creating fictional people and places is highly entertaining for me. Nevertheless, the language, clothing, customs, homes, and other details are true to 1920s small town America. That requires substantial research, which I also enjoy.

In The Jammed Judges, my latest release, the town May Days festival serves as the backdrop to the mystery. In times gone by, May festivals were more common, and they incorporated some fun events. One is the cakewalk. I took part in one as a little girl and thought it was exciting! What child doesn’t want to walk away with a beautiful cake? Adults are the usual participants, though.

Cakewalks are conducted in a way similar to musical chairs. First, slips of paper with numbers on them are placed on the floor. There are fewer numbers than participants, which is key to the contest. Music is played and, when it stops, everyone not on a number is eliminated. Then, a number is drawn from a hat, and the winner (who is standing on the number) gets chooses a cake (or another sweet treat). The game continues until all prizes are given out. In the 1920s, a phonograph and records would have supplied the music. In researching cakewalks, I discovered that Ragtime was the music of choice for most competitions. These contests were not only for May Day, but they were often part of other community celebrations. I read a few articles about them being used as fundraisers, which seems like a great idea to me.

Thank you for sharing this with us and good luck with The Jammed Judges, the latest book in the Doro Banyan mystery series.

Readers can learn more about D. S. Lang by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Amazon – B&N – Apple – Kobo – Smashwords 

About D. S. Lang: D.S. Lang is a former teacher, tutor, mentor, and program manager. As an only child, she often created stories to entertain herself when she didn’t have her nose in a book. She is still making up stories, but now she puts them in writing.

She writes historical mysteries set in small-town America during the Roaring Twenties. Her books feature women amateur sleuths dedicated to solving crimes, along with a team of colorful characters—often including a local lawman.

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Paint Can Kill

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Cara Mia Delgatto from Paint Can Kill, a Cara Mia Delgatto mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about her life on Jupiter Island.

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

Thanks to my grandfather’s generosity, I live on Jupiter Island off the coast of Florida. The ocean is only 15 feet from my sliding glass doors. My house was originally a little guest house for a mansion, but it’s plenty big enough for me, my two dogs and my cat.

My next-door neighbor, Aurora Hamilton, she who lives in the mansion, is probably my best friend ever. When I first saw her house, I thought, “That woman and I will have nothing in common.” But we do. We share a quirky sense of humor, an interest in the world around us, and down-to-earth personalities. That makes us rare here on Jupiter Island.

See, a lot of the residents here were old friends from the New York suburbs who came down here to vacation. When I say old, I mean their ages are somewhere between mud and God. They belong to the very, very exclusive country club here. You have to be a property owner to apply to join. That makes the club one of the most expensive in the world. I am most definitely not a member. I’m not a joiner, and I’m definitely not wealthy.

I’m okay with all of that. There are nice rich people (as Aurora is) and not-so-nice rich people. But the part I can’t stand is the sense of entitlement. For example, I was standing in line at the local hardware store when one of my neighbors pushed past me. “I want to return this key,” she announced to the clerk. “I bought two and I only need one.”

It was as if I wasn’t even standing there, next in line. The clerk shot me a look over the interloper’s head, a pleading please-don’t-make-a-fuss sort of expression. I shrugged. If returning a key was that important, fine. I know how humpy customers can get. I own a store, The Treasure Chest, in a little town north of the island. We get our share of picky customers, too. For the most part, people are pretty nice because we’re a “trash to treasure” shop, and our offerings are unique. People love shopping with us. I credit my employees. There’s Skye Blue, a creative genius who can turn anything in to an object of desire. There’s Honora Macavity, a skilled miniaturist who makes tiny settings people love. And there’s MJ Austin, an expert on all things Old Florida, including Highwayman paintings. You could say we’re a sort of girls’ club because the three of us are fast friends. Even if they do tease me about tripping over bodies…

Thank you for sharing this with us, Cara, and good luck to you and your author, Joanna Campbell Slan, with Paint Can Kill, the latest book in the Cara Mia Delgatto mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Cara and her author, Joanna Campbell Slan by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, BookBub and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The book is available online at  Amazon

About Joanna Campbell Slan: Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul). Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida. 

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Peril in Pink

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Jess Byrne is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Peril in Pink, the first novel in the Hudson Valley B&B mystery series.

Welcome, Jess. 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 Jess. I live inside a book called Peril in Pink, a modern cozy mystery that takes place at my brand new bed & breakfast in the Hudson Valley. It’s called the Pearl, after my grandmother, who previously owned the grand old house. She used the place as a rooming house in the 1960s and 70s. Since then, it had become pretty run down so my best friend, Kat, and I renovated it after becoming burnt out in our corporate jobs. Now it’s a modern Palm Springs-inspired B&B marketed toward social media savvy millennials. We painted all the doors pink and it has become our signature color.

Anyway, getting back to the story. It’s the opening weekend and my ex-boyfriend, Lars, is paying us a visit. This is good news (unless you ask my over-protective brother) because he just won a hit reality TV show called Sing This! Being able to splash his photo all over our social media pages has been great to get the attention of our target market. Unfortunately, Lars brings an entourage that included his stepfather/manager, Bob, a man who I (and pretty much the rest of the town) can’t stand.

You won’t believe what happened next. Brace yourself… Bob was found dead.

That’s all I can tell you for now. If you want to find out more? You can pick up the book at your local bookstore, online, or request it at your local library.

Oh, and is it part of a series? Fingers crossed it will be!

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

The writer likes to think she knows what’s best for me and my story. But she and I don’t always see eye-to-eye. Often she thinks I’m going in one direction and I surprise her and lead the story somewhere else. She’s asked me to settle down and let her lead the way, but why would I? I’m having fun!

How did you evolve as the main character?

As the story develops I learn to trust my instincts and not let others sway my opinion (unless it’s Kat—best friends always get a say, don’t they?)

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

As I mentioned, Kat is my ride-or-die. So I’m always happy when she’s by my side. Although we don’t always agree. If we did, she’d probably get on my nerves. My brother, Nate, and I are really close too. He and his new wife, Sarah, run the bar attached to the B&B. It works well and we have a great relationship. Then there’s my Aunt Marnie, who kinda came with the place. She’s a die-hard hippy, who used to follow the Grateful Dead around. Now she helps out at the Pearl and keeps my husky, Duke, company when I’m busy.

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

We’re smack in the middle of the Hudson Valley in a small town called Fletcher Lake and it’s opening weekend at the Pearl—so exciting!

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

Peril in Pink is a modern cozy mystery and I had a lot of fun writing it. Hope you can come and join us!

Thank you for answering my questions, Jess, and good luck to you and your author, Sydney Leigh, with Peril in Pink, the first book in the Hudson Valley mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Jess and her author, Sydney Leigh by visiting the author’s website and the Stiletto Gang, as well her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org – Koko

About Sydney Leigh: Sydney spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes modern cozy mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021.

Posted in April 2024, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Witless Protection Program

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Maria DiRico, author of The Witless Protection Program, A Catering Hall mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about the Ubiquitous Ricotta Containers and How They led to a Recipe.

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

There’s a running bit in my Catering Hall Mystery series about how my protagonist Mia’s grandmother Elisabetta always gives people leftovers in empty old ricotta containers. This comes from my own life.

My mother was born in Italy and came to America when she was three years old in 1930. During the following decades, the rest of her family immigrated to the United States. Elisabetta is inspired a bit by my mother but mostly by her mother, my “nonna.” (That’s Italian for grandmother). Despite the fact Nonna lived in this country for sixty years, Italian remained her primary language and Italian food her primary cuisine. (Although she did love pancakes. We took her to IHOP every year for her birthday!)

A lot of ricotta and mozzarella went into Nonna’s cooking, which resulted in a collection of empty Polly-O containers. Before there was recycling, there was Nonna-cycling. No empty Polly-O container went unused. We left family holidays and get-togethers with a collection of containers containing gravy (that’s what we called red sauce), pasta, homemade meatballs, and for dessert, ricotta cookies.

When I was contemplating recipes to include in The Witless Protection Program, my 5th Catering Hall Mystery, I decided I had to include a ricotta-inspired recipe. I adapted one for ricotta cookies, and they were delicious.

As an homage to Nonna and those Polly-O containers I grew up with, I’m sharing the recipe with you today. And I paid homage to Nonna in another way: “Maria DiRico,” my pen name, was her maiden name.

RICOTTA SUGAR COOKIES

½ cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar (I’m a fan of finely ground baking sugar)

1 cup whole milk ricotta

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can also substitute almond or rum extract)

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Glazed Icing Ingredients:

1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

3 tablespoons milk (more if needed to thin the glaze)

½ teaspoon vanilla

Optional:

Decorative sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With a fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Use a low speed blender to combine the ingredients first, then increase the speed and beat the butter and sugar until they’re fluffy.

Using the medium speed on your blender, beat in the egg, ricotta, and vanilla (or flavoring of your choice.) On a low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until a dough forms.

Chill the dough for at least several hours.

When ready to bake, either drop the dough by tablespoonfuls or form balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (You’ll need two sheets or to use the one sheet twice.)

Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden along the bottom. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together to form the icing glaze. Add more milk if needed to achieve a medium-thin consistency.

Dip each cookie in the glaze so either the top or whole cookie is covered. If you’re decorating the cookies with sprinkles, do it now before the glaze hardens.

Makes approx. 2 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Maria, and good luck with The Witless Protection Program, the latest book in the Catering Hall mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Maria by visiting the author’s website and Chicks on the Case as well as her Facebook and Twitter pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

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

About Maria DiRico: Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award-winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father’s side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother’s family in Queens and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She’s a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.

Posted in April 2024 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Poppies, Perils and Poison

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Gwen Stevens is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Poppies, Perils and Poison, the latest novel in the Camelot Flowers mystery series.

Welcome, Gwen. 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 novel is part of a series named after my family’s flower shop, Camelot Flowers. The Camelot Flowers Mysteries follow my attempts to solve murders in my small town of Star Junction, Illinois. I never meant to be a private detective or amateur sleuth, but when my best friend and not-so-secret crush, Chris Crawford, was arrested for the murder of a former high school classmate of ours, I needed to do something to help him. I was able to solve that murder, but taking part in that investigation also introduced me to Star Junction’s new police detective, Finn Butler. My love life got a lot more complicated after that case. Now, I’ve got another murder to solve. I would’ve preferred to stay out this one, but my mom’s best friend, Margie, is the prime suspect and since she won’t be honest about her alibi, someone’s got to prove she didn’t kill anyone.

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

The author of my books likes to think she’s in control, but I always manage to surprise her with a few things she didn’t expect. She certainly didn’t think I was going to be willing to crawl into a dumpster to look for clues. Let’s just say that by that time I was done, my best friend, Penny, was laughing. I definitely wasn’t. To make matters worse, the author laughed too!

How did you evolve as the main character?

In the first book of the series, Marigolds, Mischief, and Murder, I knew Chris was innocent, but all the evidence pointed to him being guilty. Even though I was happy with my life as a florist, Chris needed my help. Once I started asking around town about the murder, I discovered that I was good at it. People opened up to me in a way they wouldn’t have with the police, probably because most of the people I talk to have known me all my life. I also seem to have a knack for stumbling onto the truth. This second time around, people in town seem to expect me to investigate. It’s nice that they trust me, although hunting down a killer isn’t the safest pastime.

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

My best friend, Penny, is always pulling me into some hairbrained scheme during the investigation. She certainly keeps life interesting. I love spending time with police detective, Finn Butler, and am so glad he finally realized how helpful I can be. I like bouncing ideas off of him about the investigation, and I like it even more when he asks me for help.

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

Star Junction is a rural town in Illinois steeped with history. Main Street is lined with historic, brick buildings with soaring false fronts most of which were built in the 1800s. People in Star Junction are mostly friendly, solid citizens, despite the few murders we’ve had, and go out of their way to be good neighbors. My family’s flower shop, Camelot Flowers, is on Main Street right across from Fairytale Sweets. It’s very tempting to run across the street for chocolate on stressful days. I live alone in a small, white house I bought a few years ago. It’s cozy and perfect for me.

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

I investigate these murders because I care about people and want justice to be served. Despite my best efforts, I usually find myself in situations that are probably pretty funny if you’re not the one in them. The investigation in Poppies, Perils, and Poison is especially interesting because the woman who was murdered is new to town, which means long-held grudges can’t be a motive for her murder. Seriously, how do you move to a new town and make enough enemies in two weeks to end up dead? Shannon Wentworth managed to do it. I promise lots of suspects, lots of laughs, and that I’ll decide who I’m going to date—Chris or Finn—by book three.

Thank you for answering my questions, Gwen, and good luck to you and your author, Erica Wynters, with Poppies, Perils and Poison, the latest book in the Camelot Flowers mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Gwen and her author, Erica Wynters by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – Apple – Barnes and Noble 

About Erica Wynters: Erica may have lived most of her life in the frigid Midwest, but now she spends her time in the warmth and sunshine of Arizona. She loves hiking, hunting down waterfalls in the desert, reading (of course), and napping. Can napping be considered a hobby? When not weaving tales of mystery with plenty of quirky characters, laughs, and a dash of romance, Erica works as a Marriage and Family Therapist helping others find their Happily Ever Afters.

Posted in Archives, March 2024 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Battered and Buried

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Gia Morelli is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Battered and Buried, the latest novel in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mysteries series.

Welcome, Gia. 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 Gia Morelli, and I live inside the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which take place in the small town of Boggy Creek in Central Florida. My current novel is Battered and Buried, the seventh book in the series. Never one to let a day off work go to waste, I head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest with my good friend, Trevor. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when we come across Cole, my head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s, and clues found on the body point to him as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Savannah and I vow to do everything we can to prove his innocence.

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

Oh, I definitely get a say. If Lena starts to go off course, I harass her until she gets herself together and goes back to fix whatever she got wrong.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I have definitely grown throughout the series. Not only have I become more independent since moving from New York to Florida, but I’ve finally found happiness and the ability to trust again. I’ve even come to accept the critters that are found all over Central Florida.

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

I love sharing the story with my best friend, Savannah. She has stood by me through the most difficult times, helped my find my house on the outskirts of the Ocala National Forest, and helped me set up the All-Day Breakfast Café. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her. Then there’s my fiancé, Detective Hunter Quinn, even though he can sometimes be difficult. I love my days spent with Trevor, kayaking through the forest. I’ve never felt so at peace.

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

Until the incident in the café between Cole and Rusty, I am in a good place. Although, there is that pesky racoon that keeps tearing out my garbage and flinging it all over my lawn. Unfortunately, the garbage also attracts bears. But, other than that, I’m happy.

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

I would just like to say, if you decide to give Battered and Buried a chance, I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you so much for having me!

You’re welcome, Gia, and good luck to you and your author, Lena Gregory, with Battered and Buried, the latest book in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mysteries series.

Readers can learn more about Gia and her author, Lena Gregory by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org 

About Lena Gregory: Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Posted in Archives, March 2024 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Tammy Wright from Kilned at the Ceramic Shop, A Bradock mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about how her whole life changed when her Aunt Clara needed her help.

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

My name is Tammy Wright and I am an author. I strongly believed in the path my life was going to take and as such, right out of high school, I moved to New York City where I knew a lot of the big publishing houses and agents were located.  I loved living there amongst the hustle and bustle of the big city. I could walk to anywhere I needed to go even though I did have a car but very rarely used it. The restaurants around my apartment were phenomenal and don’t get me started on the shopping that was available.

Five successful books later, I was well-off and enjoying my life. Then, I received a call that would change my way of thinking and my whole life. My Aunt Clara needed my help. Besides my dad who stayed in Texas near his family after he lost my mom, my aunt had no one else, no other family but me.

I packed up my apartment into storage pods and left New York for the small town of Braddock, Maine.

I’m only twenty-seven years old and knew my social life would suffer moving back home to a small town, but Aunt Clara needed me and I wasn’t going to let her down. Was I ever wrong about my social life bombing.

In high school, I had a massive crush on this guy named Zeke Peters. He had the most gorgeous emerald, green eyes but unfortunately they never looked my way as I wasn’t in the popular crowd. He was the captain of the football team and a big man on campus and I was a dorky, face in the book, always studying nerd. The many English and writing courses I took paid off in the end but caused my high school years to be pretty boring and uneventful.

When I first ran into Zeke, he was in uniform. He had stayed in Braddock and become one of the town’s deputies. His eyes still gleamed and he had got better looking with age. Little did I know we would be working side by side when my Aunt Clara disappeared without a trace.

Like everywhere else, Braddock has it’s share of bad apples. Unfortunately, I am head-strong and have a big mouth and say what I think which tends to get me in trouble. I don’t back down from anyone and locked horns immediately with two of those bad apples. I really need to stop and think before I react and speak. I guess I get that gene from my aunt as she is one feisty woman.

In a few short months, I stepped out from behind my computer screen to solve a real-life mystery and crime and set down permanent roots in Braddock. I figure I can write anywhere where there is the internet and I discovered I really missed the laid-back life of small-town living. Besides, in Braddock I can wear jeans and sneakers whereas in the city, I had to wear stuffy three-piece suits and high heels.

Small town living is not as ho hum as I remember it to be and I see many adventures heading my way during my new life in Braddock. I just hope the authors that I invite to my new home for future writer’s retreats will love the area as much as I do.

Yeah, sometimes you can go home and it is better than it ever was before.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Tammy, and good luck to you and your author, Donna Clancy, with Kilned at the Ceramic Shop, the latest book in the Bradock mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Tammy and her author, Donna Clancy by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook and BookBub pages.

The book is available online at  Amazon 

About Donna Clancy: Donna lives on Cape Cod. She has three grown children and one rescue Papillion named Zumiez. She has a seven-book deal with Level Best Books for The Braddock Mysteries, writes The Trash to Treasure and Paint and Sip cozy series’ for Summer Prescott Books Publishing as well as self-publishing The Shipwreck Cafe and Jelly Shop Mysteries. She loves to write in various genres including suspense, thriller, romance, and YA.

Posted in March 2024 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayhem in Circulation

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Dianne Ascroft

Allison, the owner of Mugs and Hugs, in Mayhem in Circulation, A Larkspur Library mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about what’s been happening lately in Larkspur.

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

Hi, there! Come on in! Welcome to Mugs & Hugs. My name is Allison, and I own this darling establishment. It’s the cutest (and only) café in Larkspur, and we serve the best coffee in Northern Wisconsin, if I do say so myself. On any given day, you can find me behind the register here or mingling with my patrons. We see a steady mix of locals and vacationers, and I love the variety.  

I’m so glad you’re here. Go ahead and place your order. I’ve got coffee, tea, seasonal drinks, and the locals swear by my maple cinnamon muffins this time of year. I’ve got a batch that’s fresh out of the oven for ya!

You’re so sweet to compliment me on my plant collection. Yes, they’re my babies! They love the natural light that spills in through the plate glass windows on the front of the café. I designed and decorated this whole space with them in mind. I wanted the vibe of Mugs & Hugs to be cheerful and welcoming. The white bead board on the walls and the bright yellow paint color is meant to exude a feeling of being welcomed home. All of Larkspur gives off that vibe, actually.

At least we used to. Now there have been all of these instances of vandalism. I don’t know what to make of it. Oh, you haven’t heard? Do you have a minute? Let’s chat about what’s been going on. I’ve got some serious tea to spill.

See, nothing happens in Larkspur that I don’t hear about. When people need a place to relax and debrief after work, they hit up Mugs & Hugs. When they’re coordinating an event or going on a first date, they come to Mugs & Hugs. Everyone comes into the café, and that coffee you’re drinking certainly loosens lips. I have one of those faces that has people spilling their secrets faster than you can say melt-in-your-mouth cookies. That, and I have great ears, so I overhear my fair share of gossip, too.

So buckle up. I’ve got a lot to tell!

First off, the median on Larkspur Lane, the charming street that cuts our town in half like the spine of storybook, was completely destroyed yesterday morning. Mums were pulled up from their planters, trees were egged. It looked like a garden warzone. My plant-lady heart was crushed.

My friend Greta Plank, the library director in town, also found a dead crow amidst the carnage. What do you make of that? Greta wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a literary warning. A dead, large black bird made her think of Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare. You’d have to talk to her for specifics, but I trust her instincts. She’s our resident amateur sleuth, and it looks like we’re going to need her now more than ever.

Because the dead crow was one thing, but the dead body found outside the library this morning took the vandalism to a whole new level. I’m gutted for the victim’s family and friends, of course. And selfishly, murder is not a good look for Larkspur. Two murders in the past two months is even worse.

What’s more, the yearly festival is upon us, and the mayor coordinated a regional tourism showcase to take place during the week-long event. We’re all trying to put our best foot forward so our town and local businesses get a favorable review from the reporter who is known for being a straight-shooter.

He was in here just now with the deputy mayor. He would hardly give me the time of day. Not sure what that was about, but it felt like he was trying to hide his face. Who knows! I did happen to overhear the pair talking about the murder victim, and our deputy mayor said to the reporter, and I quote, “Larkspur may be better off without her.” Can you imagine? Something smells fishy, and I’m not talking about the lake on the other end of town.

Hopefully Greta stops by with her co-librarians, Iris and Josie. I need to fill them in on what I heard. I also know where this reporter is going to be tonight, the homecoming football game. So I want to point Greta in his direction. I don’t trust that guy as far as I can throw him. And he and the deputy mayor together? Trouble with a capital T.

I’ve got to get back behind the counter, but I’m so glad you’re here. Enjoy the festival. Be sure to take advantage of the pontoon boat rides they’re giving over on the lake. The colors of the trees from the water cannot be beat! Stop by again before you leave town. And don’t worry about the murder and vandalism. I’m sure the police will have this whole mystery figured out in no time…and if they don’t, Greta and her avenging librarian crew will.

See ya soon!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Allison, and good luck to you and your author, Leah Dobrinska, with Mayhem in Circulation, the latest book in the Larkspur Library mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Allison and her author, Leah Dobrinska by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, BookBub and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org – Kobo

About Leah Dobrinska: Leah is the author of the Fall In Love romcom series, the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of award-winning standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. As a kid, she hoped to grow up to be either Nancy Drew or Elizabeth Bennet. Now, she fulfills that dream by writing mysteries and love stories.

A sucker for a good sentence, a happy ending, and the smell of books—both old and new—Leah lives out her very own happily ever after in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she’s not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting the local library, Leah enjoys reading and running. 

Posted in Archives, March 2024 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment