Under the Cocoon Moon

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Kathleen Bailey is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Under the Cocoon Moon, her latest novel in the Olivia Penn Mystery series.

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

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

Under the Cocoon Moon is the third book in The Olivia Penn Mystery Series. Olivia is looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the holiday season with her friends and family in her hometown of Apple Station, Virginia. The season’s spirit has sparked a new romance, and all is looking merry and bright, until she’s mistaken for a dead woman. When a stranger makes a wild accusation involving the parents of the man she’s falling for, Olivia faces a no-win situation. As evidence mounts supporting the claim, a mysterious murder occurs near his father’s cabin that attracts the attention of the FBI. Wedged between mother and son, Olivia investigates to clear his family’s name while matching wits with a legendary thief.

The series follows the story of advice columnist Olivia Penn as she goes through a transitional period in her life, partially due to a succession of murder mysteries she gets wrapped up in. Each book can be read as a standalone with no plot spoilers.

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

The idea for the mystery plays with the past, present, and future themes of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In Under the Cocoon Moon, there is a past crime that leads to a present-day murder, which will change the direction of Olivia’s future.

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

The theme is transformation. The holidays are a time when, for many, the sights, sounds, and smells of the season raise spirits and transform lives, at least for a short while. This book is a turning point in the series for Olivia as she experiences some significant shifts in her life. As the outer world is transformed by the season, Olivia’s internal life, what she wants and needs, changes as well.

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

Character development is a process for me. The main, recurring characters are fleshed out in my imagination as I continually develop the series. I know what they look like, sound like, and what their mannerisms are. Characters play roles in the story in relation to Olivia. They may support or serve as sources of conflict for her as she strives to attain her goals. I like all my characters, so I don’t have a favorite. What I like the most is developing the relationships between the characters over the course of the series.

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

Bringing the small town of Apple Station, Virginia, to life involves world building. This includes developing the setting by giving the reader enough details to ground them in the place and time. What does the setting look like? What are the sounds, sights, and smells of the season? Who lives in Apple Station? What is life like there? I want to provide enough details for the reader to engage their own imagination so that they feel they’re right there in the scene with the characters.

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

There is a lot of research that happens both prior to the plotting and while writing. The upfront research involves the big picture elements of the crime. For example, a key plot point in Under the Cocoon Moon involves the theft of a rare sapphire. That required researching the criminology and investigation of high-end gem heists. As I’m writing, there are always research checks I do to ensure the story is making sense. This may include fiddly bits like: Where would the moon be in the sky at a particular time in December in Virginia? Does the car a character is driving have a central display console? Would a particular model of knife have a satin-finish or polished blade? Though they may seem to be minor points, ensuring that they are accurate makes the descriptive details more robust and authentic.

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

Under the Cocoon Moon depicts a small-town, cozy Christmas with a dash of mystery and murder. There’s lots of humor, romance, and holiday cheer to provide a pleasant escape to Apple Station, where the plots are twisty, the characters are charming, and justice always prevails. Under the Cocoon Moon can be read as a stand-alone with no plot spoilers for the previous books in the series. You can read more about all my books by visiting me at kathleenbaileyauthor.com.

Thanks for answering my questions, Kathleen, and good luck with Under the Cocoon Moon, the latest book in the Olivia Penn Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kathleen and her writing by visiting her website and her Bookbub and Amazon Author pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – All Retailers

About Kathleen Bailey: Kathleen Bailey is the award-winning author of The Olivia Penn Mystery Series. She writes mysteries with heart and humor that keep to the traditional and cozy sides of crime. Kathleen has degrees in English, psychology, and physical therapy. She previously worked as a pediatric physical therapist for over twenty years with children who have special needs. She now spends her days plotting and sleuthing in Virginia where she lives with her husband and adorable feline fur baby. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the James River Writers.

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Christmas Lights and Cat Fights

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Jules Keene is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Christmas Lights and Cat Fights, the latest novel in the Jules Keene Glamping mystery series.

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

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

I’m Jules Keene, and I own the Fern Valley Camping Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Originally a traditional campground, my father and I restored vintage trailers for the glamping (glamorous) camping experience. Recently, my boyfriend, Jake Evans, and I added tiny houses to the resort’s offerings.

Fern Valley is the perfect little town near Charlottesville, Virginia. I shares my cabin with my sidekick, Bijou, the Jack Russell Terrier.

My resort has been featured in three of Heather’s novels, Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers, Film Crews and Rendezvous, and Christmas Lights and Cat Fights.

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

Heather’s the writer. She’s a planner, so she outlines things, but I definitely have a say in telling my story.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I took over my parents’ campground when my father died, and I modernized it for today’s glamorous camping experiences. It’s tough to run a business, especially when you live and work at the same place. I don’t keep regular hours, so I tend to work long hours. I’m also very protective of my property, so when something like a murder happens nearby, I feel I need to ask questions and help solve the crime before it ruins my business.

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

Jake Evans is my boyfriend. I’ve known him since elementary school. He worked on and off at the campground throughout the years. He returned after two Army tours in the Mid-East, and he lives in one of the small cabins on the property. My maintenance man, Lester Branch lives on the property, too. He’s been a fixture here since I was in elementary school. My aunt Roxanne helps me in the office, and the mother-daughter duo of Mel and Crystal Carson cater the meals at the resort. And I can’t forget my sidekick, Bijou, the Jack Russell Terrier. She’s a bundle of energy, and she has helped solve a mystery or two.

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

In Christmas Lights and Cat Fights, the town and I are prepping for our December holiday extravaganza, packed with all kinds of fun. Christmas has come to Fern Valley, and the town’s decked out with enough glitter and sparkle for a month’s worth of celebrations, each more over-the-top than the previous one. The idyllic setting, filled with laughter, carols, and sweet treats, is shattered, along with some of the decorations, when the current wife and the ex-wife of a big-cat showman have a knock-down, drag-out fight in the center of town. I try to keep peace among the guests and with the town council, but it turns into a catastrophe when Tabbi Morris, winds up dead in one of her ex-husband’s tiger cages.

And if the murder wasn’t enough, I discover that some of the big cats are missing, but the owner and his family insists that nothing is wrong.

Curiosity gets the best of me, and I have to solve the murder and figure out if the owner of Cal’s Cats is pussyfooting around or whether it’s something more sinister before it ruins the holiday season and my business.

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

I am so excited to share the adventures of Jules and Bijou with so many wonderful readers, and the adventures will continue in Deadlines and Valentines, Teddy Bears and Ghostly Lairs, and Hazardous Links and Hijinks.

Thank you for answering my questions, Jules, and good luck to you and your author, Heather Weidner, with Christmas Lights and Cat Fights, the latest book in the Jules Keene Glamping mysteries series.

Readers can learn more about Jules and her author, Heather Weidner by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at Amazon

About Heather Weidner: Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime: National, Central Virginia, Chessie, Guppies, and Grand Canyon Writers, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers, and she blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

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Genie and the Ghost

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Adriana Darling is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Genie and the Ghost, the first novel in the Adriana and Genie mystery series.

Welcome, Adriana. 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.

Since this series was named for me, I hope it’s going to be a long one! It did take a bit of getting used to being the “Ghost” instead of Adriana Darling. But now I think it makes me sound mysterious, and I have to say that the cover does do me justice. I like to think as these books as a mix of cozy and exciting. After all, we all want to have fun, even those of us who are invisible to most other people. I’m glad I found the one person who can clap their peepers on me! The criminals we unmask, on the other hand, definitely don’t see me coming …

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

A word to the wise: Always let the author believe she’s in control. It took me a week until Carmen let her guard down and I could whisper a few suggestions into her ears. It’s not my fault she was usually fast asleep until she heard me in her head. Otherwise, I’m not sure Carmen would have let me go traveling, or dancing! Although I’m sorry to tell you what you do nowadays is a drip compared to the ball we used to have! Charleston, jazz, Speakeasies (no bathtub gin for me, mind you, but I’ll take a glass of giggle water or a mimosa, if you have Champagne).

How did you evolve as the main character?

Like any self-respecting heroine, I grow and discover new interests in life. Or is it afterlife? Without me, Genie would be lost. Cleo, our cat, says so too. Sometimes we do wonder how that girl ever managed without me. That includes Genie’s love life as well, but you’ll have to stick around for the next books to see that.

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

I adore my great-great-niece Genie, as difficult and slow on the uptake as she can be. It took her a little to understand that I’m neither helpless nor a drag.

And Cleo is the sweetest kitty you can think of. We instantly hit it off. She can be a tiny bit jealous when I come home from interviewing other cats or dogs, but then animals do love me! I’m not one to hog the spotlight, so I’m happy to share the story.

Genie believes I’m the sidekick. Applesauce! We’re partners in crime. The Detecting Darlings! Or does the Spooky Sleuths sound better?

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

Cobblewood Cove is a town halfway between Boston and New York. It’s not big enough to be important, but it’s nice and friendly. I spend a lot of time at home. Apart from some terrible interior decorating the place was subjected too – talk about eyesores! – the Darling villa and most of Cobblewood Cove haven’t changed that much. If you want to discover the town history, come, and visit the local museum. If Fred Ward is doing the tour, ask him about the “Daredevil” Darling. That’s my mom Rosalind. I miss her, and my dad, my sister Belle, and my little brother. I wish they could be here too.

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

Let’s just say, now that I’m back, I intend to have as much fun as I can. And any thug that’s going to spoil it, or who so much as touches a hair on Genie’s head, will find out what it means to be haunted! This ghostly sleuth is here to stay.

Thank you for answering my questions, Adriana, and good luck to you and your author, Carmen Radtke, with Genie and the Ghost, the first book in the Adriana and Genie mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Adriana and her author, Carmen Radtke by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Amazon Author pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Carmen Radtke: Carmen has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side. She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter. When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life.

The shaken but stirring novel made it to the longlist of the Mslexia competition, and her next book and first mystery, The Case Of The Missing Bride, was a finalist in the Malice Domestic competition in a year without a winner. Since then she has penned several more cozy mysteries, including the Jack and Frances series set in the 1930s. Genie and the Ghost is her first paranormal cozy mystery. Carmen now lives in Italy with her human and her four-legged family.

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Bulletproof Barista

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Alice Alfonsi and her husband, Marc Cerasini, who write as Cleo Coyle, are the authors of Bulletproof Barista, a Coffeehouse mystery. They are visiting Ascroft, eh? today to celebrate twenty years of their Coffeehouse Mysteries series.

Welcome, Alice and Marc. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

For going on 20 years (and 20 books), readers have watched our Coffeehouse Mystery characters face down cold-blooded criminals; fight past personal failures; and survive the dazzling lights and dark alleys of New York City with the strength of camaraderie and good strong coffee.

From what our readers have told us (in emails and messages), one of the reasons they’ve enjoyed our books so much is because they are more than simple whodunits. Our long-running series also explores the ups and downs of relationships among three generations of women (a mother, a daughter, and a grandmother), along with a loyal group of co-workers and friends. Together, they make a loving family, one which our readers tell us they love, too.

If you’re new to our Coffeehouse series, I’m happy to introduce you to our amateur sleuth. Clare Cosi is a single mom in her forties who manages the Village Blend, a charming, century-old coffeehouse in New York’s historic Greenwich Village.

Clare often knows more than the police about the quirky and creative community she serves. When crime happens, and the professionals hit dead ends, Clare goes to work. And she has her work cut out for her in her latest Coffeehouse adventure, Bulletproof Barista.

If you’re a newcomer to our Coffeehouse world, don’t hesitate to pick it up. Every Coffeehouse Mystery can be read as a stand-alone story. And, if you like one, you’ll have nineteen more to explore. But don’t miss our latest. Inspired by the television and movie location shoots in and around our own New York neighborhood, Bulletproof Barista is a roller coaster of showstopping fun. We hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Alice and Marc, and good luck with Bulletproof Barista, the latest book in the Coffeehouse mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Alice Alfonsi and her husband, Marc Cerasini, who write as Cleo Coyle,  by visiting their website and their Facebook – Instagram – Pinterest – Bookbub and Goodreads  pages. You can also follow them on Twitter.

And here’s a free recipe from the authors: Cleo’s Five Minute Nutella Fudge (downloadable PDF)

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

Amazon     Barnes & Noble   Kobo     Google Play     Bookshop.org     Indiebound

Cleo Coyle – Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini

About the authors: CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating twenty years in print. They also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, recently relaunched with brand-new titles that have been honored with Best of Year selections in their genre by reviewers. Alice and Marc are also accomplished tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live in New York City, where they write independently and together.

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Holly, Baubles and Murder

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Dotty Sayers from Holly, Baubles and Murder, a Dotty Sayers Antique mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about the Yorkshire passion for Wensleydale Cheese and Fruitcake.

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

I’ve always enjoyed a variety of cheeses on a cheeseboard, or the tangy, slightly earthy tones of mature cheddar paired with slithers of celery and a tart apple chutney in a sandwich. But I didn’t realise when I drove into the glacial Yorkshire valley of Wensleydale, I’d experience cheese in a completely different way.

I came to Yorkshire to work at Yoredale Hall, the seat and ancestral home of the Earl of Abermarle. The Earl is head of the Fitzhenry family, which is very old and can trace its roots back to 1066 and the Norman invasion of Britain. The family originally built a castle, but this was demolished in the eighteenth century and a large, U-shaped country house was built on the northern side of Wensleydale Valley.

The Rive Ure runs through the valley, providing a plentiful water source for the main agricultural activity of sheep farming. When Cistercian monks arrived from France and set up a monastery in the valley, in 1150, they used milk from the numerous sheep to create cheese. Because of the conditions in which the cheese was made and stored, during the summer months, it naturally ‘blued’, which means it had blue mould in it.

I researched most of the history of Wensleydale cheese from the internet and visiting the Wensleydale Creamery cheese factory, in the local town of Hawes. But I also learnt much of the practical side from Eleanor, a cook at the Hall in the early 1900s who left behind handwritten journals.

When King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1540, the monks taught the local farmer’s wives how to make cheese, and they continued to produce the blue variety in their farmhouses.

There is still a Wensleydale Blue cheese which I find firmer, crumblier, and more mellow compared to the other blue cheese I’m used to, Stilton.

The first commercial cheese producing operation began in 1897 when a local merchant, Edward Chapman, opened the first creamery in Hawes. Production continued at the site until the 1990s when the creamery was due to be closed. Instead, local businessmen, including, I suspect, the Lord of Abermarle of the time, set up an independent company.

By then, probably because of better production methods and proper chilled rooms, the main cheese was no longer blue, but a creamy white.

The award-winning Wensleydale cheese is crumbly in texture. It is mild and moist, but also has a slightly sharp, acidic taste. I was told at the Wensleydale Creamery that some sheep’s milk is still used, but now cow’s milk is the principal ingredient.

King Charles visited the creamery in 2015, as the Prince of Wales, but many people in the UK were first introduced to it on Christmas Eve, 1995, by animated characters, Wallace and Gromit.

The cheese can be found on local pub and restaurant menus, including a wonderful twice baked souffle I ate at the Blue Lion, served with a cheese and chive sauce.

But I first tasted the cheese at Yoredale Hall when it was served as an afternoon tea treat with the cook, Meg’s, moist, rich fruitcake. Of course, Meg and her family thought this normal and couldn’t understand that I, as ‘a southerner’, had never eaten cheese with fruitcake.

I discovered that it is a Yorkshire custom to pair the moist richness of fruitcake, often with the addition of brandy, with the tart creaminess of Wensleydale cheese. And I found a Victorian writer, Joseph Lucas, made reference to it in 1871, when he wrote that ‘On Christmas Eve one Yule Cake is given to each member of the family, along with a piece of Christmas cheese’.

It was cook Eleanor who explained why it was once known as the Christmas cheese in one of her journals. Sheep produced milk in the spring, which was used to create the cheese, and it reached full maturity by mid-winter.

The wonderful Bettys Café in Harrogate still serves its own fruitcake with Wensleydale cheese and, of course, a cup of Yorkshire tea.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Dotty, and good luck with Holly, Baubles and Murder, the latest book in the Dotty Sayers Antique mystery series.

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

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Book2Read  Amazon 

About Victoria Tait: Victoria was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. After following her military husband around the world, she drew on her life’s experiences, and a love of Agatha Christie, Father Brown, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.

Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful and quirky teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and realistic. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world where you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

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A Parfait Crime

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Maya Corrigan, author of A Parfait Crime, a Five-Ingredients mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about how an amateur production’s rehearsals of The Mousetrap in A Parfait Crime leads to discovering and solving a crime in the novel.

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

Many readers know that Agatha Christie is the bestselling fiction writer of all time. She has also broken records as a dramatist. Her play, THE MOUSETRAP, is the longest running stage production in the world . . . ever. It opened in 1952 and is still packing in audiences. It’s also a staple of amateur and community theaters, like the one in my latest book. Rehearsals for The Mousetrap are at the center of my 9th Five-Ingredient Mystery, A PARFAIT CRIME.

My series features café manager Val and her livewire grandfather solving murders in a town along the Chesapeake Bay. Granddad took up cooking in the first book of the series, but he wouldn’t try any dish with more than five ingredients. He gives the series its name. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes.

In the latest installment Val joins her grandfather in rehearsals, replacing cast member Jane, who died in an arson fire. Sweet Jane made afternoon tea with scones and parfait when the rehearsals took place at her house, and Granddad continues that tradition. After skeletal remains are found in Jane’s freezer, Val and Granddad must solve a crime with as many layers as a parfait and with echoes of the crimes in THE MOUSETRAP. When their search for a killer takes them to an upscale spa, they learn that Jane wasn’t the only one with secrets. 

I’ve seen Christie’s play twice in London and remember its scary moments and its stunning ending. To avoid spoiling that experience for anyone who hasn’t yet seen the play, I’ve revealed the minimum about the plot and nothing about Christie’s culprit in the scenes where my characters rehearse the play and try to solve the murder of a cast member.

Christie enjoyed writing plays more than novels. She once said, “I find that writing plays is much more fun than writing books.” With plays she could avoid creating long descriptions of places and people. Of her own plays, her favorite was WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. Most critics agree that it’s her best play.

THE MOUSETRAP has a storied history. It began as a radio play, commissioned as a gift for the 80th birthday of Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother. The members of the royal family have been great fans of Agatha Christie’s work. Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the 50th anniversary performance of The Mousetrap in 2002.

Christie expanded the plot of her radio play into a long story entitled “Three Blind Mice,” on which THE MOUSETRAP is based. She and her heirs would not allow the story to be published in the UK though it’s available in the US in a book called THREE BLIND MICE AND OTHER STORIES. I don’t recommend reading it if you haven’t seen the play. The surprise ending will be spoiled for you. As Christie specified, no film version of THE MOUSETRAP may be made until the play’s London run is over.    

A real crime, “ripped from the headlines,” inspired the plot of THE MOUSETRAP and a real crime occurred during one performance. When the play was presented at Wormwood Scrubs Prison in 1959, two inmates escaped during the exciting second act. The guards were apparently too wrapped up in the performance to notice.

A PARFAIT CRIME demonstrates that even a rehearsal of Christie play can mean murder and a sprung mousetrap.

Thank you for sharing this glimpse into your novel with us, Maya, and good luck with A Parfait Crime, the latest book in the Five-Ingredient mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Maya Corrigan by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook and blog pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Kensington Paperback  – Kensington E-Book – Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

Maya Corrigan

About Maya Corrigan: Maya lives near Washington, D.C., within easy driving distance of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the setting for this series. She has taught courses in writing, detective fiction, and American literature at Georgetown University and NOVA community college. A winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, she has published essays on drama and short stories under her full name of Mary Ann Corrigan.

Posted in Archives, October 2023 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

In the Wick of Time

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Tabby Winslow, candlemaker and psychic, from In the Wick of Time, a Magic Candle Shop mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share her dilemma about the holidays.

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

As a shopkeeper, I understand the value of decorating for the holidays. The themed décor draws customers into the shop, and that’s good for business. As for which holiday is my favorite, it is hard to say. There are candles and scents for holidays and every days.

For New Year’s our displays are mostly blue and white with crisp linen scents in our custom-crafted candles and soaps. Those give way to the reds and blacks of Valentine’s Day, with chocolate scents and heart-shaped soaps, followed by Irish green everything, leprechauns and green candles with a brisk scent blend of sea and hills. (We own two heavy leprechauns, one is named Rip and the other Rap, though I never asked Mom why.) Next come the pastels of Easter along with sunrises, eggs, daisies, bunnies, and candles with the scents of sugary delights.

Graduation in late May to mid-June isn’t a big deal in our shop, but we do add some mitered hats and fake diplomas for our window display, along with candles with exotic scents of faraway places. Summertime décor is easy with batik fabrics, sun hats, candles with blends of coconut and citrus scents, and loads of ferns. We do a jam-up business anytime hurricanes come within a hundred miles of our shore, and pillar candles fly out of the shop.

With September we use an apple theme in our products and cider scents, along with Sage’s autumn-colored mums. October is always colored leaves everywhere, with woody aromas in the candles. As Halloween approaches, we break out strings of orange lights, fill the shop with scented brooms, skeletons, black cat statuettes, and so much more. We liter the front window display with candy corn around a kettle of candles.

November is all about rubber turkeys and Thanksgiving, with candle scents of pumpkin and spice. December is tricky because there are so many holidays. We capture them all with menorahs for Hanukkah; for Winter Solstice we feature our custom lanterns with white and blue candles and keep a pot of warm cider brewing for our customers; we decorate a fake tree for Christmas along with advent candles and a blend of peppermint and evergreen scents; and lastly, we have kinara candleholders along with red, green, and black candles and baking scents for Kwanzaa.

Since we’re in mid-December now, our shop smells amazing everywhere you turn. I love that this month has candles for every celebration. It’s been a tradition for many families of Savannah to shop for their holiday candles here, which is why we make over a third of our yearly income in December. That’s great for our bottom line, but there are so many extra things to do and places to be in December. I always feel like I need a vacation when January rolls around!

This year, my twin sister Sage is involved in the Luminary Candlelight celebration on the last Saturday before December 25. Luminaries, or luminaria depending on where you live, are votives nested in sand inside paper lunch bags. They’re spaced equidistantly apart, about a yard, give or take. The luminary display along the waterfront is wondrous, and the soft glow of candles adds the perfect touch to the holidays. I can’t wait to see it again this year.

My family doesn’t exchange gifts because we’re not any given religion. Mom always put a lot of emphasis on the Winter Solstice, but to her that meant hiking in the woods at night with lanterns. Not my cup of tea. We don’t have outsiders over for a celebratory meal either-just family. In past years that meant Mom, Auntie O, Sage, and me for our holiday feast. This will be our first December without Mom or Auntie O, and our first December with Quig, my boyfriend, though that term doesn’t begin to describe how deeply I felt about him.

And therein lay the rub. I didn’t know what holiday traditions he observes. I didn’t know if he wanted to exchange gifts, and I didn’t want to be caught shorthanded if he gave me a gift. Try as I might, I can’t come up with a gift idea to suit him. He has two passions in life. His career as Medical Examiner and me. Sage said I should buy him racy lingerie that fit me. I waffled on that so long, I eventually decided against it.

Quig is my first boyfriend. My first love, though we have barely exchanged those heartstring words. It’s all so new and shiny that I don’t want to over define our relationship and suck all the magic out of it. So now I’m screwing up my courage to ask him his holiday traditions. Hopefully, my lack of family traditions should be a bonus as that leaves me free to celebrate however he sees fit.

Tell me friends, how would you approach this sticky wicket?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Tabby, and good luck with In the Wick of Time, a Magic Candle Shop mystery. Maybe our readers can offer you some suggestions to help you out with your dilemma.

Readers can learn more about Tabby and her author, Valona Jones by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Goodreads and Bookbub pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – BookShop.org

About Valona Jones: Valona is also known as Maggie Toussaint, and writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in coastal Georgia. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and had a bank vault of personal observations when she began to write fiction. Her newest release is In The Wick of Time, book 2 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, preceded by Snuffed Out, which released Jan. 2023. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime with more than twenty-five published works of fiction. She lives in coastal Georgia, where she’s seen time and tide wait for no one.

Posted in Archives, October 2023 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Murder by the Seashore

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Samara Yew, author of Murder by the Seashore, a California Bookshop mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about her experience of participating in National Novel Writing Month.

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

Did you know that in the writing community, next month is referred to as something called NaNoWriMo? November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short and NaNo for even shorter—an annual event where writers all around the world challenge themselves to write a novel in one month. If you are wondering why this topic is significant to a blog tour about my new cozy mystery, Murder by the Seashore was written during NaNoWriMo back in November 2020. Well, the first very messy draft was, at least.

Since writing an entire novel in one month is rather an almost impossible task, the specific goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in one month. For reference, the final version of Murder by the Seashore is 70,000, so even though I “won” NaNoWriMo by reaching the 50K goal, I still didn’t complete the entire book. During revisions, I added an additional 20K words in the months following. The official website has a log to keep track of words written each day, and writers can be awarded badges on their profile for completing specific tasks such as writing 7 or 14 or 21 days in a row, reaching 5K or 10K or 25K words, or updating their progress every single day in November.

Whew! That’s a lot of work! I’m not even going to try and sugarcoat it to make it seem like this is at all easy. Because writing an entire novel in one month is as difficult as it sounds.

But the sense of community is strong during NaNoWriMo. There are in-person local groups that meet up to write and they can be found through the website. There are also online forums, writing groups, and buddies you can add for further support. This all makes writing an entire novel in one month slightly less daunting because so many other writers are doing the exact same thing.

The true spirit of NaNoWriMo is to start a brand new novel with word one written on November 1st and complete the story on November 30th, even if the final word count isn’t there and many scenes are only space holders. The true spirit of NaNoWriMo is to be able to write “The End” on the last page. But there are many NaNo Rebels who might work on a book that is already being drafted, edit a second or third draft, or aim to reach their own word count target. And I believe that any writer who attempts NaNoWriMo is a winner because they end up with more words at the end of November than they did at the beginning, even if it’s only a few hundred. The main goal is really to sit down and make the time to write that book that had always been a dream.

Murder by the Seashore was written in the true spirit of NaNoWriMo. I did have an outline, something I made up during Preptober. Yep, you guessed it. Not only does November have a different name in the writing community, but so does October. But I started with a blank Word document on November 1st and wrote every single day of the month. The last few chapters were a mix of scene placeholders and bullet points. It was a hot mess, but I was able to reach the end of the plot. I had my work cut out for me for the second draft, but you can’t edit a blank page, so I was very proud for reaching the 50K NaNoWriMo goal.

And if you “win” NaNoWriMo by uploading your manuscript to their website for a word count verification, there are different offers you can claim. Writing software programs such as Scrivener, Campfire, or Plottr often have discount codes for winners to use their products. 

Have you attempted National Novel Writing Month before? Did you reach your goal? If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, I think November is an excellent time to start because people all around the world are attempting the same venture. Add me as a buddy on the NaNoWriMo site and I will cheer you on! Who knows? Maybe your NaNoWriMo project will become a published book one day just like Murder by the Seashore.

Oh, and by the way, I know 50,000 words may sound like a lot to write in only 30 days, but really that is just 1667 words per day. You’ve got this!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Samara, and good luck with Murder by the Seashore, the latest book in the California Bookshop mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Samara Yew by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Amazon – PenguinRandomHouse – B&N – Chapters Indigo

About Samara Yew: Samara is a cozy mystery author who writes about adorable bookshops and dead bodies. A full-time mom, full-time dog servant, and part-time writer, Samara lives in British Columbia, Canada, where she can often be found watching Psych reruns. Samara loves to travel, especially visiting her husband’s home country of Singapore or donning Mickey ears in Disneyland. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers.

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Overdue or Die

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Allison Brook is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Overdue or Die, her latest novel in the Haunted Library Mystery series.

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

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

OVERDUE OR DIE, is the seventh book in the Haunted Library series. The series takes place in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. My sleuth, Carrie Singleton, is the head of Programs and Events at the Clover Ridge Library. The library is one of the centuries-old buildings that border the town’s Green. The ghost of Evelyn Havers, a former library aide, helps Carrie solve murder mysteries.

In OVERDUE OR DIE, the owner of the Gallery on the Green is murdered. After Carrie’s fiancé’s painting is stolen, they help uncover a criminal syndicate that’s forging copies of famous paintings.

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

The idea came from events that occurred in previous books in the series. Carrie’s assistant Susan is very talented, and the Gallery on the Green has started selling her artwork. Dylan Avery, Carrie’s fiancé, has inherited a painting by a famous artist. I liked the idea of incorporating both story elements. They lead to several mysteries that need to be solved.

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

As in all my books, characters are much more complex than they appear on the surface. Martha Mallory, the gallery owner, has a colorful past and a deceitful side that her husband knows nothing about until she is murdered.

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

My characters just seem to evolve and develop as they interact and have adventures. I love all my characters and enjoy writing about their lives. Carrie is dear to me because she manages to overcome her difficult childhood and becomes a responsible, caring adult. Dylan’s growing up years were difficult as well, but he and Carrie form a loving couple. He knows that Carrie will investigate murders, and while he advises her to be careful, he is supportive and never tries to stop her.

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

I have a real town in mind as I write about Clover Ridge. That said, I feel free to make many changes. I create buildings like the library, the Inn on the Green and the Gallery on the Green as needed. I also bring in my characters’ favorite restaurants, and, of course, the Avery property where Carrie and Dylan live. The library has an important role, as a good deal of what takes place happens in the library. My readers are familiar with the building and the new addition that’s added in the previous book, DEWEY DECIMATED.

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

I am constantly doing online research about whatever subject I’m writing about. That could be wedding gowns, art forgery, and renovating a building.

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

In OVERDUE OR DIE, Carrie is determined to find the wedding venue that best suits her and Dylan. She finds the perfect place by the end of the book. In the process, she and Dylan become close friends with a couple.

Thanks for answering my questions, Allison, and good luck with Overdue or Die, the latest book in the Haunted Library Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Allison and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    B&N    Bookshop.org Kobo
Penguin Random House (has links to many sellers)

About Allison Brook: A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series. Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

Posted in Archives, October 2022 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Evelyn Murphy is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating, the latest novel in the Pinnacle Hotel mystery series.

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

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too. I’m from the Pinnacle Hotel mystery series. The first book is called The Socialite’s Guide to Murder. The second is The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating. If you can’t tell, I’m the socialite. Evelyn Murphy, at your service! My father owns the Pinnacle Hotel and I live in the penthouse.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? Oh, I get a big say, darling! Sometimes my author can’t believe the things that come out of my mouth!

How did you evolve as the main character? I started in my first book unwilling to listen to my analyst who suggested that I might be agoraphobic. Over the course of two books, I have accepted her diagnosis, and have made progress in leaving my hotel. Solving murders often means having to leave one’s comfort zone, unfortunately. At least I have my dog, Presley. He’s small enough to fit into a purse and he goes with me almost anywhere.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? I love any scene where I can spend time with my steady beau, Malcolm Cooper. But I also like working with Detective Hodgson. He’s become a mentor to me, lately, and I respect his experience and his knowledge.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? The Pinnacle is grand. Luxurious. It has anything you could ever want, so, why would I ever want to leave it?

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? I do hope readers have fun spending time with me and my crime solve escapades. My hope is that any reader who picks up one of my stories feels welcome.

Thank you for answering my questions, Evelyn, and good luck to you and your author, S. K. Golden, with The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating, the latest book in the Pinnacle Hotel mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Evelyn and her author, S. K. Golden by visiting the author’s website and 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 – Kobo – Bookshop.org 

About S. K. Golden: She is the author of the Pinnacle Hotel cozy mystery series. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she married a commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls — including identical twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. Sarah graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. She’s worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy technician, and an executive assistant at her father’s church. Sarah is delighted to be doing none of those things now. Follow her across all platforms @skgoldenwrites.

Posted in Archives, October 2023 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment