Take the Honey and Run

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Jennie Marts is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Take the Honey and Run, her first novel in the Bee Keeping Mystery series.

Welcome, Jennie. 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.

My new book, TAKE THE HONEY AND RUN, is the first in a fun new Bee Keeping Cozy Mystery series. And after having over thirty books published, I’m so excited that this will be my first hardback. Yay!

TAKE THE HONEY AND RUN is the story of Bailey Briggs, a single mom mystery author, who returns home to her small mountain town of Humble Hills, Colorado. She and her twelve-year-old daughter, Daisy, arrive to hear her grandmother, Granny Bee, threatening to kill the town mayor. The next morning, Bailey discovers the mayor’s dead body, and Granny Bee’s Honey I’m Home Hot Spiced Honey turns out to bee the murder weapon. Now Granny’s got herself into a sticky situation, and Bailey has to use her fictional detective skills to solve a real murder and keep her grandmother from ending up bee-hind bars.

Oh, and did I mention that upon arriving in town, she runs into Sawyer Dunn, the love of her life, whom she hasn’t seen in thirteen years, not since he got shipped off to his uncle’s farm in Montana the night they stole a tractor and accidentally drove it into a pond? And did I also mention that Sawyer now happens to be the town sheriff?

The next book in the series, KILL OR BEE KILLED, comes out next Spring. It’s about the annual Bee Festival in Humble Hills, and when the celebrity host of the Honey Bake-off is murdered, Bailey’s bestie is the prime suspect. So, Bailey and her granny’s book club, The Hive, are back on the case.

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

My husband’s career has been with County Parks, and he became a certified beekeeper so he could add a living beehive exhibit to one of his nature centers. It’s a glassed-in hive so visitors can see the bees at work. He has shared so many fascinating stories with me about the life and habits of bees that I knew that I wanted to have a beekeeper in one of my books. The main character’s grandmother is the beekeeper in Take the Honey and Run, and all the Brigg’s women are named after flowers. I thought that if I was going to have a beekeeper as the murder suspect, then honey had to be the murder weapon.

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

I think the theme of this book might be Dating Can Be Deadly, since the town’s mayor seemed to be dating and occasionally extorting half the women in town. Passion is often a good motivation for murder, so I thought it would be fun to have a villain who was a bit of a geriatric gigolo, and who was wooing several women in town. But this story also has greed, envy, blackmail, and a few other sticky situations.

The theme could also be honey-inspired recipes, because there are several of those too. 😊

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

I think as a storyteller, the characters just come to us. I knew that I wanted the main character to be a single mom mystery writer and I knew I wanted her grandmother to consider herself the queen bee and to have her book club and besties called The Hive. I was very close to both of my grandmothers growing up, so I really love to add spunky, spitfire older ladies into my books and I love giving them some of the funniest lines. Because a lot of the older ladies I know have experienced life and usually have quite hilarious opinions about it. I also love writing about the relationships of women and how they support each other. I have four sisters plus a great friend group, and I love showing women caring about each other and lifting each other up. Or in the case of this book, providing alibi’s for and possibly breaking and entering to help keep each other out of trouble.

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

I love writing about small towns and the quirky characters that live there. I’m from a small town in Kansas and lived in a small town in Montana for a while as an adult, so I know first-hand the sense of community and the way people care for and about each other in a small town. I try to show that in my books. Yes, it’s true, in super small towns, people do mostly all know each other, but that means that they also know when someone is in trouble or needs a helping hand or a cheerleader or a prayer. And I’ve met a lot of those quirky characters who live in those towns. Not that every character is based on a real person, but several of my characters are based on a composite of a few people. And I also try to bring in the feel and the flavor of the actual town, what it looks like, what kind of shops are there, what kind of restaurants. In Humble Hills, the small town in Take the Honey and Run, Bailey’s best friend and her grandmother have a local coffee shop and bakery right down the road from the one hotel in town. Readers get to visit the courthouse and meet the security guard and the mayor’s secretary. I think when readers visit the places, it brings the small town more to life in their minds.

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

I love to use people I know to help with research, like my next-door neighbor who is a police officer, my dad and sister who are veterinarians, my friend’s husbands who are lawyers, doctors, firefighters. For years, I worked at a bank inside of a grocery store, and if I needed help, I would have the tellers tell me when the local firefighters came in (they shopped for groceries every few days), then I would hijack them in the produce department to ask them questions about my latest manuscript. I had a guy I opened an account for who was a retired FBI Agent who was a great resource, and once I stopped two mounted police officers who were on horseback in the parking lot to ask them a few questions about DNA and being a sheriff of a small town. My internet history is nuts with crazy searches like ‘how big is a pygmy goat’s poop’ for a goat yoga scene I did, ‘which is the best gun for a single woman to carry’, ‘which poison can use to kill someone and not leave a trace’, ‘why do goats faint’, ‘how much does a Kitchenaid mixer weigh’ (murder weapon), and ‘how long does it take a dead body in a hot tub to start to bloat’. If I don’t know the answer, I always do the research to make sure I’m getting the details right, but I try not to go too far down the research rabbit holes, or I’d never get the books written.

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

I hope that readers find and fall in love with the characters in Take the Honey and Run! I had the best time writing this book, and I think it’s so much fun. It’s twisty and funny and has a little romance and has honey-inspired recipes at the end of some of the delicious treats the characters eat in the book. And also, a big thank you to you for having me!

Thanks for answering my questions, Jennie, and good luck with Take the Honey and Run, the first book in Bee Keeping Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Jennie and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook 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 – Alibris

About Jennie Marts: Jennie is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.” She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet who loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books range from Western romance to cozy mysteries, but they all have the charm and appeal of quirky small-town life. She loves genre-mashups like adding romance to her Page Turners cozy mysteries and creating the hockey-playing cowboys in the Cowboys of Creedence. The same small-town community comes to life with more animal antics in her latest Creedence Horse Rescue series. And her sassy heroines and hunky heroes carry over in her heartwarming, feel good romances from Hallmark Publishing. Her newest cozy mystery, Take the Honey and Run: A Bee Keeping Mystery, debuts this July.

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Murder in the Genes

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Peggy Rector is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Murder in the Genes, the latest novel in the Peggy Rector mystery series.

Welcome, Peggy. 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.

Thank you for asking, before I start, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Peggy Rector and I’m a writer. I moved back to my hometown after the death of my husband. My plan was to write books, romance books, and I had the great idea of writing special books on commission, until an angry husband blamed me for the breakup of his marriage. I had no intention of becoming an amateur detective but here I am, three books in.  In the first book, A MURDEROUS GRUDGE, I found a body on a pickleball court of all places. The poor thing’s face was covered in cream pie! Who does that! When my old high school flame, Jess Carson, was accused of the murder, I  knew I had to help him. I enlisted my friends in the Stinky Springs Ladies Social Club to help.

In A TROPHY FOR MURDER a nasty local man, who wants to open a trophy hunting business, goes missing, despite not liking him, the whole town turns out to search for him, that’s how we roll in the country. Guess who found him. Yep, me and my westie, Mr. Winkie stumbled on him while out for a walk. Once again, the police are after the wrong guy, my BFF Wanda’s son. This was a complicated case but once again, the ladies and I nailed the bad guy.

MURDER IN THE GENES is my latest adventure which begins in England. I went to visit my fiance, Jess, who was landscaping a garden for a famous rock star. I met the sweetest lady, Eleanor, a genealogist with a nose for trouble. Back home, my friend Dorothy’s cousin died under suspicious circumstances. The local cops wanted to chalk it up to old age, but we disagreed. There was more to that story and you know the drill, we just had to find out who did it with the help of Eleanor, of course!

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

Good question. I believe that I control what happens in the story. My author just sits at her laptop and lets me channel my story through her fingers, kinda like a seance. She often comments on how surprised she is by what we get up to here in Stinky Springs.  I sure wish she typed faster as I have so much to say!

How did you evolve as the main character?

Oh wow. I’ve learned so much about life and myself since I moved back here to Stinky Springs. I left home after college and lived in the big city of Houston. Married, raised two great kids, had a fantastic career as an emergency room nurse.  But I was tired of the traffic, and the frantic pace of life. I left the hustle and bustle for a slower life in the country. Here, I’ve reconnected with old friends, learned a lot about myself, loyalty, and courage. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have, and how fragile life is, when to hold on and when to let go. I’m not perfect, as Jess and Wanda will tell you, I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’ve come a long way, baby. (Sorry had to add that last bit)

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

Wanda, who I mentioned earlier, is my best friend. BFFs since we were toddlers. We kept in touch while I lived in Houston. I’d catch up with her when I visited Stinky Springs to see my folks. I live next door to her now. She’s a fantastic cook! Makes the best cakes and pies and her kolaches are to die for. Wanda’s been through a lot since I returned and I’m glad I was here to support her. The only time we didn’t get along was when our kids were dating. But I think that’s smoothed out.

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

The tiny town of Stinky Springs, Texas is halfway between Dallas and Houston. It’s set off the highway and you’d never know it was there unless you broke down! And yes, there is a ‘stinky spring’ nearby. We are surrounded by cattle ranches, small holdings and deer leases and a lovely little creek runs nearby. My house is at the end of the street and backs onto heavily wooded land. In the morning when I get up, I can often see deer crossing my yard. It’s peaceful and quiet.

The residents are a close knit community. We have some businesses: Betty’s Burger Bar, Georgia’s Crafts and Ammo, Risa’s combo laundromat, juice bar and yoga studio and the community center where the Stinky Springs Ladies Social Club has met for over one hundred and fifty years. 

Recently, they started building a new over-55 community, and we’ve had an influx of newcomers. They are good for the economy and give us old-timers something to gossip about.

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

Well, If I had to describe my books, I’d say that they are funny, sometimes silly, with touching moments of female friendship, in fact, friendship is the main theme running through the stories. The ladies of Stinky Springs love to laugh, get together, console each other, and support each other. I hope you’ll come along for the ride and get to know us. My Peggy Rector Mysteries are on Kindle Unlimited and available on Audible in audiobook format!

Thank you for answering my questions, Peggy, and good luck to you and your author, J M Roberts, with Murder in the Genes, the latest book in the Peggy Rector mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Peggy and her author, J M Roberts by visiting the author’s blog and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About J M Roberts: J. M. Roberts is a nurse turned writer, much like her main character in the Peggy Rector Mystery series. She lives in an over-55 development outside of Houston, Texas that provides endless ideas for her murder mysteries. When not taking notes on her friends and neighbors, she can be found in her garden, cooking, or reading.

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A Sense for Murder

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Leslie Karst, author of A Sense for Murder, a Sally Solari mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to talk about her evolving writing style.

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

Authors are often asked whether we’re plotters or pantsers—do we plan out our story lines in advance and outline them in detail, or merely start writing and just see what happens?

I’ve been a devout plotter for most my fiction-writing career. And for my legal writing career as well, when I worked as a research and appellate attorney. Though truly, I can’t fathom how anyone could draft a legal brief without doing at least a little outlining. (Oh wait, come to think of it, I do believe some of those sloppy motions I received from opposing counsel over the years might well have been written without a whole lot of advance planning….)

When I set out to draft my first Sally Solari mystery, even the thought of sitting down with only a vague idea and then simply writing a mystery novel scared the heck out of me. You have to plant clues, after all, and red herrings, and suspects. How could you do that just willy-nilly? (Asks this list-making, check-everything-three-times, Virgo.)

But what’s interesting is that when it comes to cooking, I’ve always been the exact opposite. Sure, I love to read cookbooks. And my favorite day of the week for the newspaper is when the food section comes out, so I can peruse the recipes, maybe learn a new technique for rolling out pasta, and drool over all the seasonal ingredients highlighted that time of year.

But I don’t tend to use recipes when I prepare food. In this area of my life I am a full-on pantser, tasting my sauce, adding a dash of this or that, then tasting it again. I don’t worry about messing it up, because I have a solid understanding of the chemistry of cooking, so I know instinctively what will work and what won’t. (This is the reason I’m not a keen baker—for it’s pretty darn hard to use a seat-of-the-pants method when you’re making a cake or a baguette. Bakers don’t even call them “recipes”; they refer to their preparation methods as “formulae.”)

But here’s the thing: over the years, I’ve gradually become more and more of a pantser with each of the books in my series. I had the opportunity to sit on a panel several years ago which included the talented Laurie R. King, and when we were asked about this plotter/pantser thing, Laurie talked about how she’d been a complete plotter for her first four books, but then switched to the seat-of-your-pants method. “By then I’d figured out how to do it, how to write a mystery novel,” she explained, “so I figured, why not try it the other way? And it worked.” She’s been a devout seat-of-the-pantser ever since.

I thought a lot about what Laurie said that night, and when I embarked on this sixth novel in my series, A Sense for Murder, I decided to throw caution to the wind and went at it without a fully fleshed-out plot. (Mind you, I did have an idea of how the book would start and finish and whodunit, but that long middle was merely the germ of an idea.)

And you know what? It was fun! But a little scary, too—especially when I’d finish a scene and then have no idea where I was going next. I found myself going on long bike rides and talking aloud to myself, asking, “What would Sally so in this situation? What if X happened to her, and then she reacted by doing Y?” The walkers along West Cliff Drive where I like to ride likely wondered why the heck this strange gal was pedaling along talking to herself about murder and mayhem.

But hey—as with Laurie, it worked, and I’m exceedingly pleased with how this new book turned out. So perhaps I’ve made a permanent switch—maybe all those years pantsing it in the kitchen without a recipe has paid off in my writing career!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Leslie, and good luck with A Sense for Murder, a Sally Solari mystery.

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

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org

About Leslie Karst: Leslie is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California, and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

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Death Under a Western Moon

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Madeline Mona Moon is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Murder Under a Western Moon, the latest novel in the Mona Moon mystery series.

Welcome, Mona. 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.

Hello Cozy Mystery Readers.  My name is Madeline Mona Moon.  I was born in New York City and am 29 years old.  My profession is cartography—at least it was until my estranged uncle died and made me his beneficiary.  I was bequeathed the man’s wealth, business empire, and a horse farm in the Kentucky Bluegrass.  It was fortuitous as I was out of a job and looking for work during the Great Depression. 

My uncle had several stipulations in order for me to inherit. One was that I had to live in Moon Mansion in Kentucky and take over Moon Enterprises which is a conglomerate of businesses.  I was wary of the terms, but accepted as I was tired of being hungry and jobless.  So I took the first train to Lexington, Ky. and soon discovered the Moon family was not happy with the terms of my uncle’s will—or with me for that matter.  Too bad.  I overcame my relatives’ distain and discovered I had a knack for business.  I discovered I also have a knack for solving murders.

Two years after I stepped off the train, I married an Englishman, Lawrence Robert Emerton Dagobert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth.  He had purchased the horse farm next to mine and—well—we just hit it off and got married.  We were supposed to be on our honeymoon when I received an urgent telegram stating a murder had been committed at a Moon Enterprises copper mine in Montana, and I needed to come quick.

Forgoing our honeymoon plans reluctantly, Robert and I caught the first train to Montana and investigated the murder while inadvertently placing ourselves in harm’s way.  We were followed, threatened, and plunged into mortal danger.  Those rugged Westerners play for keeps.  I don’t have time right now to tell you all of my adventures in Montana.  You simply must read Murder Under A Western Moon for yourself.  Trust me—you won’t be bored.

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

Abigail Keam does a wonderful job weaving real people and events into the story to make the mystery more exciting for me.  I like the fact she adds an addendum at the end to further explain the history.  It would take too long to explain everything what was going in the 1930s myself, but she does a great job of it.  However, I don’t let her push her adjectives on me.  I am my own person, and I don’t let Miss Abigail shove me around.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I am from New York City, but I have grown to embrace Southern culture, which is more leisurely and quiet.  I had lived in dirty tents due to my profession most of my life because I traveled so much for work.  I enjoy living in Moon Manor where I can look out a window and see horses rambling in green pastures, hear dogs barking in the distance, and smell the catfish frying up in the kitchen.

Because of my wealth, I am more aware of noblesse oblige—a duty to help those less privileged.  I do my best.

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

 I enjoy my husband, Robert Farley, who is the Duke of Brynelleth.  Of course, he kept his identity a secret when I first met him.  He lived next door and was involved with the Thoroughbred industry.  I must admit I didn’t like him at first as I didn’t care for his sarcastic humor.  We seemed always to be snapping at one another.  Maybe it was sexual tension—I don’t know, but when he grabbed and kissed me once—I was enthralled.  I couldn’t get Robert out of my mind, so I married him. 

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

I travel to Mooncrest Village, the gritty mining camp outside Moon Mine in Montana.  I am troubled by the problems I find there—no electricity in the miners’ homes, village store overcharging the miners, lack of food on the miners’ tables.  I like to fix things—so I roll up my sleeves, putting things to right.  It gives me great satisfaction to right a wrong.  Oh, yes, I solve a murder along the way.

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

I met interesting people in Montana like Maggie Daly, who was an owner of the Anaconda Mine, one of the most famous mines in the world.  Montana is a wild, rugged place—not like Kentucky at all with its emerald pastures and white fences.  I grew to love its fierce beauty, and the people who migrated there to work in the copper mines, hoping for a fresh start during the Great Depression.  Like me, they were determined to move forward regardless of bank failures, the dust bowl, and economic collapse.  You can learn more about me from my creator – Abigail Keam.  My latest adventure just came out—Murder Under A Western Moon.  You can go to https://www.abigailkeam.com/books/murder-under-a-western-moon/ and find your favorite site to download it.

Feel free to sign up for my HoneyBee newsletter – http://www.abigailkeam.com/ 

I also have giveaways on my author’s Facebook page and TikTok page monthly.

Thank you for answering my questions, Mona, and good luck to you and your author, Abigail Keam, with Murder Under a Western Moon, the latest book in the Mona Moon mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Mona and her author, Abigail Keam by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    Apple Books   Nook    Amazon UK    Amazon AU    Amazon CA

About Abigail Keam: Award-winning author Abigail Keam writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series—a rags-to-riches 1930s mystery series which includes real people and events into the story. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy.”  She has won many awards for her mysteries, and Murder Under A Western Moon is her 40th novel.  Miss Abigail lives on the cliffs above the Kentucky River with her husband and various critters.  In her spare time, Miss Abigail is a beekeeper.

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Death in the Woods

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Maria Mankin and Maren C Tirabassi are visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death in the Woods, their latest novel in the Rev & Rye Mystery series.

Welcome to both of you. 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. Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

When we first started thinking about writing our first cozy mystery, Death at Fair Havens, together, we discussed the fact that we needed to write about our friends, or if not them specifically, then fragile, complicated, joyful people like them. We wanted to open a book and feel as though the people on those pages reflected the lives we lead, the fantastic friendships we’ve enjoyed, and the challenges that arise when you’re open to the vulnerability of meaningful relationships.

In this case, we weren’t thinking about romantic relationships, although of course it’s wonderful to write those as well, but we were focused on what it means to involve oneself in a murder investigation when it isn’t your job…and when no one else believes it’s murder. How does that affect a person during the investigation and after the fact? How might it destroy relationships, jobs, and a sense of security? What would it feel like, as women without any magical “gifts” or unusual physical prowess, to choose to repeatedly stand up in dangerous situations to protect those who couldn’t?

In Death in the Woods, the second Rev and Rye mystery, we wanted to focus on the school community that Rye is a part of, the way we had done with Wanda’s parishioners in the first novel. The challenge was that we didn’t want to kill off a student – it felt too dark, so we had to think back to our own adolescence to consider people who would be related to the school in a more tangential way, whose death would affect students and teachers without necessarily devastating them.

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

This story has a number of connections to addiction and drug and alcohol abuse. We didn’t set out to write a story where so many characters are facing these issues, but it’s one of those things where, when you start to pull on one thread, you see the connections light up.

Wanda has to face her own dependence on alcohol when her nephew moves in with her. She notices almost immediately how it affects him, as well as how what she’s considered to be an innocent habit could shatter the fragile new bond between them.

We have a family history of alcohol addiction and have seen how this plays out in myriad ways. We understand how and what the recovery process can look like, as well as what it can be like not to achieve sobriety. In telling these stories, we connect our own experiences to the humanity in these characters that exists beneath the label of addict or substance abuser. 

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

We started Death at Fair Havens back in August of 2014. We were driving through the White Mountains in New Hampshire and decided it was time to stop talking about the move from writing solely non-fiction and actually write a novel together. Thankfully, we had a legal pad and a pen handy, and as we drove, we brain dumped. All the ideas we had been tossing around for years started to coalesce in those hours – Wanda and Rye, their lives and professions, the people who defined them and the pain they carried – it all started flowing.

In Death in the Woods, several important new characters popped up. Our favorite, Wanda’s nephew Lance, was not a part of our original backstory for her, but once he made an appearance, we knew he would be an integral part of this little family for the rest of the series. It can be difficult to write teenagers, and we never try to capture of the moment slang because it doesn’t feel natural to us, but Lance is a child who has cared for and helped to raise his own mother, so he has a depth of maturity that’s appealing. He’s funny and kind, and also completely clueless in that way that we all are at 16. He has been a joy to write, and we couldn’t imagine the series without him at this point!

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

We draw from places we live or have lived, towns we’ve visited, and in the case of Death in the Woods, we used locations very close to home to capture the details of our setting (a few blocks away close!). We find it easier to keep track of and write about places we both know well, and it makes the writing process much smoother when we don’t have to constantly be asking each other for clarification about the locales!

In this book, most of the places we wrote about were from an area in New Hampshire where we lived for a long time. There is one beautiful house though that comes from a spot in Colorado – it sits in the middle of farmland all on its own, and when we saw it for the first time, the home we had been struggling to write just seemed to fall into place! Now every time we pass it, we wonder what’s really happening inside…

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

Our novels don’t really dive deeply into topics we aren’t already familiar with, but when it comes to procedures or details we want to be sure to capture correctly, we have a number of sources we can turn to for more information. We have friends in law, law enforcement, and medicine, so when we need to double check facts, we can call in the experts!

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

It may not be the most important fact about either of us as individuals, but certainly as a team, the fact that we’re mother and daughter has shaped our entire experience writing. We started working together in 2000, and it has proven, over two plus decades, to be a partnership that works.

It seemed natural for us to start a series with two narrators (one in her fifties and one in her thirties), because we’ve spent so much of our lives navigating challenges together. Our values are deeply aligned, but the way that we approach problems – well, all situations, really – is profoundly different because of our upbringings, our generational perspectives, and our personalities. Fortunately for us, it works! It’s a compatibly that we’ve never really questioned but are so lucky to have discovered early on.

Thanks for answering my questions, and good luck with Death in the Woods, the latest book in the Rev & Rye Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about the authors and their writing by visiting the book’s website.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Brain Mill Press

Maren C. Tirabassi’s forty years’ experience in mainline ministry shape Wanda Duff’s professional life (but not her personality). Tirabassi is a former Poet Laureate of the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and has published poetry and short stories in fifteen anthologies, as well as twenty nonfiction titles.

Maria Mankin, Maren’s daughter, has written five nonfiction books and a thriller, Circ (Pigeon Park Press). Rye’s dilemmas are influenced by Mankin’s ten years in education as a teacher and administrator. She holds a degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College.

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

A Sour Note

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Jill Piscitello is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Sour Note, her first novel in the Music Box Mystery series.

Welcome, Jill. 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.

A Sour Note follows an unemployed amateur sleuth’s journey as she navigates a new career path and the end of an engagement. The discovery of a corpse outside a music school in Hampton, NH leads to public scrutiny of Maeve and her friends. This book is the first in the Music Box Mystery series. I look forward to following the sleuth and her quirky cast of family members and friends.

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

I’m an avid reader of cozy mysteries and wanted to add a bit of glitz and glamour to the life of my amateur sleuth. After a failed engagement to a famous news correspondent, she’s already dodging the press when she discovers the body of a social media darling. I love a great paranormal cozy and wove in a few of those elements in the form of Maeve’s aversion to her cousin’s unsolicited clairvoyant advice.

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

New beginnings and pushing past regrets are the themes underlying this series. After impulsive actions, Maeve is often plagued by bouts of anxiety. Like so many of us, she’s guilty of playing the “I should’ve ___ instead” game. Who else replays conversations in their heads and edits for all of the things they wish they’d said in the moment? I hoped to portray a woman who learns to forgive herself for taking a risk that didn’t pan out as the glittering success she’d planned.

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

I start with an initial idea of what challenges characters are facing and their personality traits, but they have a funny way of taking the reins from there. I tend to favor the older women in my books. Both of my grandmothers hugely impacted my life. I think that’s why, in all of my books, an older woman (mom, stepmom, neighbor) plays a prominent role.

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

My family has spent years vacationing in Hampton Beach, NH. This provided me with an insider’s perspective on the location. I hope readers catch a glimmer of the sights, sounds, and entertainment of the beautiful setting.

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

Most of my research revolved around police procedures. The next book will take place during the fall season and will require more research into what life is like at the beach once the tourists leave.

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

I hope readers end the book feeling as if they’ve taken an exciting trip to the beach and met a charming cast of characters they’ll look forward to visiting again.

Thanks for answering my questions, Jill, and good luck with A Sour Note, the first book in Music Box Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    Barnes and Noble      Apple     Google    Kobo    BooksAMillion    Walmart   Bookshop.org

About Jill Piscitello: Jill is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

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The Water Tower

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Amy Young is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Water Tower, the first novel in the Lakeview Mystery series.

Welcome, Amy. 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.

My novel, The Water Tower, is a darker cozy mystery that takes place in the fictional town of Lakeview on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio. Josie Ashbury, a successful actress in Los Angeles, grew up there, and she returns after a public breakdown. She starts teaching at her old high school, but when one of her students dies under suspicious circumstances and the police close the case without answers, she becomes determined to find out the truth.

The Water Tower is book one of a three-book series, and I’m still mapping out the next two books. But I do know that both will center around Josie, and at least one of the next two books will take place in Lakeview. I’m toying with the idea of writing one of the books with Josie working on set again, either in LA or on location for a movie.

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

Honestly, I don’t remember! I wrote the first chapter first, which I know sounds odd, but sometimes you write a story and then have to figure out the beginning. In this case, I knew I wanted the death that kicks off the mystery to be the girl falling, but it started with her falling off the roof of the high school. Then I started thinking about these guys I knew when I was a teenager who used to climb construction scaffolding, and the water tower idea evolved from there.

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

There are several themes that appear in the story, friendship being a big one. The friendships that Josie has with her girlfriends are important in her life, and in a way they are mirrored by Amber’s friend group. Of course, life and death comes into play, since the story begins with death. And I think betrayal works its way in there as well. I’m not sure what prompted me to write about those themes, but I do know that I’m particularly drawn to mysteries and thrillers that revolve around friendships.

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

My character inspiration comes from all over – some characters are inspired by people I know, some are based on people I’ve seen and molded from there, and most are mixes of several different people. Once I start writing and get dialogue going between characters, their inner lives start to take shape. I’ll usually draw up a character sheet for each individual to make sure I’m fleshing them out as much as I can. As far as being partial to any one character, it’s always fun to write villains! Villains allow for behavior and attitudes that most of us wouldn’t act on in real life – but in fiction, they’re fun to write.

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

To bring places to life, I begin with a real place and picture it as clearly as I can. My acting training helps, because setting up a scene in your mind before you perform is one of the techniques for crafting a powerful performance. I also usually play music to help set the mood. For The Water Tower, I listened to a lot of Gustavo Santaolalla. His music is haunting and strange and was the perfect backdrop for setting the mood of Lakeview in the autumn.

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

I usually do my research as I go along. For The Water Tower, I did research into the fentanyl epidemic, particularly in the Midwest. Then midway through the book, I began looking into social clubs across the United States and how they run. I also researched water towers until I found the perfect sketch in my mind of what the tower should look like. But I don’t have a set process for researching before I begin writing – if there’s something I need to dig into, I’ll stop writing and spend some hours researching the topic before diving back in.

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

I hope you enjoy it! And book two should be out next year 😀

Thanks for answering my questions, Amy, and good luck with The Water Tower, the first book in Lakeview Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Amy and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Tiktok and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble   Apple    Books-A-Million     Kobo    IndieBound 

About Amy Young: Amy is an author, comedian, and actor based in Cleveland. After spending a decade in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry and writing her debut novel, The Water Tower, she returned to Ohio to be closer to family. Amy is working on her second book, a thriller, and in her free time she enjoys going to the theatre, bingeing reality TV, and spending time with her husband and many, many cats. She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College.

Posted in July 2023 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Death Steals the Spotlight

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

T. C. Lotempio is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death Steals the Spotlight, her latest novel in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery series.

Welcome, Toni.. 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.

DEATH STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT is the third in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery series, published by Beyond the Page.  The series centers around Shell McMillan, a former actress who relocates to Connecticut from Hollywood when her spy series is cancelled.  Her recently deceased aunt left her a mansion and a pet shop, and along the way Shell (and her former co-star, Gary) run into more than one dead body.

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

I was watching Entertainment Tonight and the thought occurred to me that probably more than one actor has entertained (albeit briefly) the thought of murdering their director LOL. My imagination took off from there.

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

I’m a big fan of soap operas, and one thing is consistent – secrets always have a way of coming out.

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

Some of my characters are based on real life persons, others that I make up are people I think I’d like to get to know. I always tell my friends, be careful – you never know you might end up in one of my books LOL.  Asking if I have a favorite character is like asking a parent to name their favorite child.  I love all my characters, but I am partial to the four –footed ones!

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

I usually try to make the setting one I’m familiar with.  I’ve visited Connecticut, where the Pet Shop mysteries are set, so that came fairly easily.

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

I research pretty much everything, so suffice it to say that Google and I are old friends!

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

DEATH STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT is the third pet shop mystery and features a new feline character, one Facebook fans might be very familiar with!  Princess Fuzzypants kindly gave her purrmission for me to add her to the Urban Tails family, and she’s given a resounding ‘paws up’ to the story!  So I hope all our readers will enjoy it as much as she did!  (You can find her review of DSS on her Facebook blog)

Thanks for answering my questions, Toni., and good luck with Death Steals the Spotlight, the latest book in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Toni and her writing by visiting her website and Rocco’s blog as well as her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N

About T.C. Lotempio: While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing.  They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last  year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.”  Number three in this series debuted June 27, DEATH STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT. Recent other releases include Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, and book one in the new Tiffany Austin Food blogger series, EAT, DRINK AND DROP DEAD.

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A Crafty Collage of Crime

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Anastasia Pollack is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Crafty Collage of Crime, the latest novel in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting mystery series.

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

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

A Crafty Collage of Crime is the twelfth book in Lois Winston’s Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. I’m the Anastasia of the eponymous series. I’m a wife, mother, and magazine crafts editor who was living a normal middle-class suburban life in New Jersey until Lois came along.

Suddenly, I learned my idyllic life was all a lie, spun by a duplicitous husband to keep me in the dark about his affair with Lady Luck. Turns out, she was more Lady Unlucky for Karl and even more unlucky for me. After he dropped dead in a Las Vegas casino (I thought he was at a sales meeting in Harrisburg, PA), I discovered he’d gambled away our savings and our kids’ college funds. He’d also cashed in his life insurance policy, maxed out our credit cards, hadn’t paid our taxes or mortgage, and stuck me with both his bookie (to whom he owed fifty thousand dollars) and his communist mother as a permanent houseguest.

To stave off the creditors and the bookie, Lois came up with creative ways for me to moonlight, and that’s pretty much been my life ever since—except that she decided the threat of living out of a cardboard box on the sidewalk wasn’t bad enough. I also needed to stumble across dead bodies. Constantly! She said she had no choice. She was writing a mystery series. Was that supposed to appease me? So now, along with being a crafts editor and all the side gigs I juggle, I’m also a reluctant amateur sleuth.

I ask you, what did I ever do to that woman?

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

Believe me, I try to control things, but I rarely succeed. Lois did throw me a crumb by creating Zachary Barnes, the guy who rented out what was formerly my office above the garage, and as the series has developed, so has our relationship. I’m not sure it makes up for all the murders, though. And Lois being Lois, she couldn’t leave Zack as merely a photojournalist. No, she had to suggest that he may be a member of one of the government alphabet agencies. He’s always hopping the Acela to DC or flying off to assignments in places like Madagascar and Guatemala. Of course, he denies he’s a spy, but isn’t that what every spy says?

How did you evolve as the main character?

Lois created me after her agent suggested she write a craft-themed cozy mystery series. Lois had previously written romance, romantic suspense, and chick lit. But her agent knew an editor looking for such a series, and Lois had a background as a designer in the consumer crafts industry.

I have no idea how she plucked me out of the fictional character firmament. I guess I was next up in the queue. If only she’d discovered me while she was still writing romance…

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

It takes village of characters to populate an ongoing cozy mystery series, and there are certainly many of them in mine. Besides Zack, there are my two sons and my BFF, food editor Cloris McWerther. She keeps my sweet tooth satisfied and the caffeine flowing in the office coffee pot. She’s also saved my life on more than one occasion by being in the right place at the right time.

In addition, there are my other coworkers, my much-married mother, assorted friends, and various local law enforcement I know interact with on an almost daily basis, thanks to Lois.

Then there’s my mother-in-law, a character of a completely different kind—unfortunately.

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

Lois and I are both Jersey girls, but two years ago, Lois and her husband moved to a suburb outside of Nashville to be closer to one of their sons and his family. Ever since, readers have been asking when I’d make the move. Not going to happen. Ever. I told Lois if she tries to uproot us, I’ll go on strike and not only take all the other characters with me, but I’ll also kidnap her muse.

We struck a compromise. In A Crafty Collage of Crime, Zack and I head to Tennessee wine country. But Lois being Lois, you know she was going to drop the first dead body shortly after we arrived. That wasn’t enough, though. She had another surprise for me up her sleeve.

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

Because Lois has a quirky sense of humor, so do I. This is a humorous cozy mystery series. Come for the murder and mayhem. Stay for the laughs.

Thank you for answering my questions, Anastasia, and good luck to you and your author, Lois Winston, with A Crafty Collage of Crime, the latest book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Anastasia and her author, Lois Winston by visiting the author’s website and blog, and her Goodreads, Bookbub and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    Kobo   Barnes & Noble   Apple Books 

About Lois Winston: USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother who had other ideas. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception.

Then Lois’s writing segued into the world of amateur sleuths with her humorous Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes twelve novels and three novellas.

To date Lois has published twenty-one novels, five novellas, several short stories, one children’s chapter book, and one nonfiction book on writing.

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Collecting Can Be Murder

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Carmen De Lucais visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Collecting Can Be Murder, the latest novel in the Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth mystery series.

Welcome, Carmen. 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 the star of Carmen De Luca’s art sleuth mystery series, which means readers get to follow along on my adventures as I travel the world to recover stolen paintings, sculptures, and rare books. I was the best in my field, until my husband’s murder sent me spiraling into a deep depression. But early retirement didn’t suit me, which is why I hopped on a plane to France right after my former partner – the Baroness – called, begging me for help.

At the beginning of Collecting Can Be Murder, I’m in Europe to find an ancient prayer book that was possible stolen ten years ago from a museum in Ohio. I’d found the book and was about to wrap up the assignment in record time, when my target got himself murdered and the rare book was stolen again! Worst of all, the local detective thinks I had something to do with the crime, which means I’m going to have to solve this myself, if I want to avoid spending the rest of my days in a French jail cell.

If I can get myself out of this mess, then I’m heading off to Belgium for my next assignment. With a little luck, my partner and I should be able to wrap up a half-dozen or so cases before our whirlwind tour of Europe is over.

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

I am always in control of my own destiny! At least, I believe I am.

How did you evolve as the main character?

The beginning of Collecting Can Be Murder finds me at a crossroads. After fifteen years of being at the top of my field, I took early retirement because my art sleuth of a husband was murdered while on assignment. The idea of walking into a similar trap left me feeling vulnerable instead of unstoppable, making it pretty much impossible for me to do my job.

So when my former partner called for help, I wasn’t certain if I was the right agent for the job. Yet despite my initial reservations, being back out in the field again has reactivated my brain and got my spirits soaring. I do hope my boss is open to me coming back on a more permanent basis, at least if I’m able to solve this current crime!

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

Lady Sophie Rutherford was one of my favorite partners at Rosewood, at least before I retired. She’s also the one who called me in a panic after her current partner had to fly home to deal with a personal emergency. Through her network of high society connections, she is able to get me into the parties and events that I would never normally be to gain access to – the same ones my potential targets were either hosting or attending.

My best friend Rhonda Rhodes, the presenter of the popular television show, Antiques Time, is my rock. In book one, we only talk on the phone, but I have a sneaking suspicion she is going to have an increasingly important role in my stories.

Myrtle Rosewood my company contact person while I’m out in the field. She’s a somewhat grumpy, seventy-year-old ICT wizard who can hack the virtual pants off a teenager any day. As smart as she is, I hate working with her because she still treats me like a rookie, despite my having already worked for working fifteen years in the field!

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

In a tiny village in rural France, where the livestock greatly outnumbers the human population. This first story takes place at Villa Saint Marie, an architectural marvel designed by the famed architect, Le Corbusier.

Harold Moreau is the current owner of the home and the prayer book I suspect was stolen from a museum ten years ago. Tonight he is hosting a private viewing of several rare manuscripts he hopes to auction off and my partner managed to get us invitations. But from the sound of it, someone else may have already negotiated a deal with Harold, and the other guests are not happy about being cut out.

Even though there were a few grumblings at the party, I didn’t think anyone would go so far as murder to obtain the books. At least, not until Harold was found dead in his library and several of his rare tomes were missing – including the book I came to locate. Until the police can figure out who killed Harold, none of us are free to leave. So to expediate the process, I might just have to do a little investigating on my own.

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

Harold’s prayer book is the first of a handful of objects I’m trying to locate this summer. I do hope you will join me and my friends on my adventures!

Thank you for answering my questions, Carmen, and good luck to you and your author, Jennifer S. Alderson, with Collecting Can Be Murder, the latest book in the Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Carmen and her author, Jennifer S. Alderson by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at Amazon 

About Jennifer S. Alderson:  Jennifer was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

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