Blooming with Murder

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Kathryn Long is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Blooming with Murder, the latest book in the Sierra Pines B&B Mystery series.

Welcome, Kathryn. 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.

Blooming with Murder is the third book in the Sierra Pines B&B cozy mystery series. Alexis Winston, an unemployed screen writer, comes to California to visit with her great aunt Julia, only to learn she’s passed away. Alexis soon finds out she’s inherited the B&B as well as the octogenarian siblings, Gladys and Ollie Bellwether, who were once in show biz with Julia and now take care of the B&B. Mystery, of course, enters into their lives with murder, while Alexis tries to juggle running a B&B and solving crime. Blooming with Murder starts with the murder of the school board president who has a fatal allergic reaction to face paint. And the artist who is a dear friend of Alexis of course becomes the prime suspect.

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

Actually, I’d been finishing up a book in my other series written as Bailee Abbott which involves a sister duo who run a painting event business. I had all things artistic on my mind and thought how neat to have face paint as the murder weapon in Blooming with Murder! Also, it was in the dead of winter when I wrote this. I longed for springtime and flowers, so of course the book had to involve a spring festival and where everything is in bloom.

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

I wanted a unique and fun way to provide clues, so I decided to use flowergrams and lines from classic movies to help and encourage Alexis in her venture to solve the crime.

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

I often think of people I’ve encountered in real life as well as the ones I see on TV and in movies. For instance, the quirkiness of the Bellwether siblings was inspired by the Brewster sisters in the movie, Arsenic and Old Lace. Florence Greeley, the over dramatic character in this series has a similar personality to Martha in the Good Witch movies. I won’t mention anyone in real life that has inspired my characters. Wouldn’t want to upset anyone! As for my favorites in this series, the Bellwethers are at the top. I love that quirkiness in them but also their caring nature. They’d do anything to protect Alexis.

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

That involved a bit of research. With the advice from my editor, I searched, checked, and double-checked what could be plausible in my fictitious town that is located in the foothills near Lake Tahoe. Everything from weather charts to tire chains that must be used during winter weather. I even contacted someone I know who lives in Folsom to ask how soon in the season it snows. I didn’t want to get anything wrong. In creating my town, I have detailed descriptions about the quaint shops along Main Street, the park with its redwood gazebo, the description of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the flora and fauna indigenous to the area, historic references to Sutter’s Mill and gold mining where one of the oldest citizens of Sierra Pines tells the story of his great grandfather discovering gold, the ski lodge where murder happens at the bottom of a ski slope…I could go on and on. It was so much fun digging up the history of the area and somehow adding stories to the plot that would enrich the reader’s experience of living in Sierra Pines. I know it’s important to readers of cozies to feel like they’d want to go to those locations, cozy towns with friendly people. I like making that happen.

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

In Blooming with Murder, I had several things to research, beyond the weather and geography of central California. First, I wanted to know if it was possible for someone to die from face paint and learned that some people are highly allergic to peanut oil which is found in store-bought paint. If too much gets into the skin pores, someone could go into anaphylactic shock and die. On a lighter note, the next thing I researched was about floriography, the study of flower symbols. Such an interesting topic! There’s so much history that goes back centuries where lovers would communicate with flowers, using their symbolism to convey what they were thinking. Also, researching for movie lines that fit the clues Alexis needed were both frustrating and fun to do!

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

Well, I’m rather sad to tell you that Blooming with Murder is the last one I’ll write in this series. I thought long and hard before making that decision, but I want to focus on other projects for now. Meanwhile, readers can still find me by searching for the Paint by Murder mysteries which I write as Bailee Abbott.

Thanks for answering my questions, Kathryn, and good luck with Blooming with Murder, the latest book in Sierra Pines B&B Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Kathryn and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon   Barnes&Noble   Kobo   Apple

About Kathryn Long: Kathryn is a native Ohioan who spends her days plotting murder and writing mysteries. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She’s actively involved in the writing and publishing worlds and stays up to date on her social media platforms. Kathryn lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. The B&B series also includes Boarding with Murder and Snowed Under Murder. Inspiration for the storyline comes from her classic movie obsession, particularly Arsenic and Old Lace, and her love for Cary Grant. Kathryn also writes the PAINT BY MURDER mystery series under the name Bailee Abbott.

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

Poaching is Puzzling

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Daryl Wood Gerber, author of Poaching is Puzzling, a Cookbook Nook mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share her thoughts on first lines of books and more.

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

Lately, I’ve started videotaping readings of first lines from books I’m either reading, have read, or are on my to-be-read pile, and I share them on Instagram. I did it as a lark, but it has been an eye-opening experience. It has made me pay attention to authors’ specific styles. Many authors begin their stories with weather, emotions, and past histories. Most of my opening lines begin with dialogue because I jump into a story, mid-scene, in conversation.

While focusing on the opening lines of other authors, I realize that I’ve often skimmed over the first few pages of books so I can dive into the story. Read fast. Move it along. As it so happens, that might not be the best thing to do, because so often in those first lines there are clues as to the future of the story.

Here are a few examples:

Sample from The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave (thriller)

Owen used to like to tease me about how I lose everything, about how, in my own way, I have raised losing things to an art form. Sunglasses, keys, mittens, baseball hats, stamps, cameras, cell phones, Coke bottles, pens, shoelaces.  Socks. Lightbulbs. Ice trays. He isn’t exactly wrong. I did used to have a tendency to misplace things. To get distracted. To forget.

Sample from Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas (humorous mystery)

Travel is my business. Or least it was. After the last two weeks, no one may trust me with a drink order, much less their seat assignments, cabin preferences, or credit card numbers. Let’s face it, travel is about trust: the instant you zip up that rolling bag, you’re taking a leap of faith. You’re putting your life in the hands of strangers. Total complete lying son of a bitch strangers, in my case.

Sample opening from Poaching is Puzzling (cozy mystery)

Cruciverbalist: crossword puzzle designer

“What’s wrong?” I glanced at my aunt, the brightest woman I knew and the person who’d given me a new lease on life at the Cookbook Nook when my career at an advertising agency wasn’t putting a smile on my face.

“Nothing,” she murmured.

“Liar.” I couldn’t read tea leaves, but I could read her.

*

As you can see, each opening gives an insight into the story. Into the character. Into the upcoming problem.  But each one is completely different in tone. That’s the author’s prerogative. That’s what an editor/publisher looks for—an author’s voice and style.

Challenge yourself. Open any book on your shelf and read the first few lines. Do they grab you? Was that why you bought the book? Or did you scan the blurb on the back of the book and that’s what propelled you to buy it? Or did you just like the cover? Or are you a fan of the author? I think from now on I might start reading opening lines of books I intend to purchase to confirm that I want to take the journey with the protagonist (or protagonists).

Here’s an interesting side note: some people, I’ve been told, like to open the book to about page 69 or 70 and see if there is a “recap” of the story. I’ve never done this, but now I’m curious. Have you? Do you jump ahead to see if you’ll still be interested in finishing the book? Please tell me you never go to the end of the book and read the ending first. Yes, I’ve heard there are people who do this, too. Yipes!

But . . . back to the opening lines . . . I’m so excited that I’ve begun this videotaping project because it’s another way for me, as a writer, to learn what to do and what not to do. Will I now overthink all of my openings? Possibly. Will I wish I could rewrite all of them? No! Like an actor, it’s not good for an author to view her work after it’s been published—me, in particular, because I love to rewrite and edit. I will always find something to spruce up. A Type A like me person can be a bit of a perfectionist. Over the years, I’ve tried to temper this trait. I’ve allowed myself to make mistakes. I’ve laughed off terse letters from readers when they’ve (heaven forbid!) found a mistake. Okay, I haven’t laughed off every letter. 

And now, after this new first-lines venture, I worry that readers might send me critiques of my opening lines. They’re not so good. They stink. They’re trite. Ayieee!  Sleepless nights await me, I’m sure, but for now, I’m enjoying the journey of studying books with a whole new perspective on the writing process. An author can always learn.

Have you ever initiated a project that has kept you up at night?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Daryl, and good luck with Poaching is Puzzling, a Cookbook Nook mystery.

Readers can learn more about Daryl Wood Gerber by visiting the author’s pages:

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK     BOOKBUB    YOUTUBE   INSTAGRAM   PINTEREST     GOODREADS     AMAZON    NEWSLETTER

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo

About Daryl Wood Gerber: Agatha Award–winning and nationally bestselling author Daryl Wood Gerber is the author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, the French Bistro Mysteries, the Cheese Shop Mysteries (as Avery Aames), the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense, and two other stand-alone suspense thrillers. Little known facts about Daryl are that she’s jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, has hitchhiked around Ireland by herself, and has appeared on an episode of Murder, She Wrote. She loves to read, cook, and golf, and has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Posted in May 2023 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Negative Reaction

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Lori Roberts Herbst, author of Negative Reaction, a Callie Cassidy mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about her writing process.

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

As an author, the most common questions friends and readers ask me revolve around my writing process. It seems almost magical to most people, as it did to me before I started on this journey. To be honest, even with five books under my belt, it still feels a little magical. And frustrating. And rewarding. And stress-producing.

One thing I’ve learned from my interactions with other authors: everyone’s system is different. And for me, anyway, the process changes, at least slightly, with each book. But here’s a broad overview of how I approach a new book.

I am at heart an organizer, so I never begin a book without knowing the crime, the victim, and the villain. Usually, those three things have been percolating in my mind for a while before I start to build a plot around them. For example, at a hockey game once, I grew a bit bored and found myself distracted by the catwalk above me. “What if someone fell from there?” I thought. Then, “What if they were pushed?” That’s how the idea for Book 3, FROZEN IN MOTION, was born.

For NEGATIVE REACTION, Book 5 in the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, I knew I wanted someone to be the victim of a poisoning. Plot-wise, the use of poisons offers so many potential twists and complications. The culprit doesn’t actually have to be present at the scene of the crime, for example, making it difficult to establish alibis. There’s some fun stuff to explore there, in a creepy mystery-writer kind of way. Once I’d decided on an overarching theme (in this case, what defines family?), I decided who the victim would be, then determined the villain.

Once I have the big three—crime, victim, villain—solidly in mind, I work on the book’s opening and the closing. I like to have the plot circle back in some way. Since NEGATIVE REACTION starts with a wedding, I wanted to create an ending that…well, no spoilers here. You’ll just have to read the book to find out.

Next, it’s time to list suspects. It’s a whodunit, after all, and we need a lot of “whocouldadunits.” Each suspect needs a backstory, a credible motive, and a connection to the victim. Then come the clues and the red herrings. As a reader, I’m frustrated if I don’t feel a story has played fair with me. If the murderer turns up for the first time in the last few pages, I scowl. If an important detail isn’t revealed until way too late in the game, I fume. Readers should be given a chance to figure it out for themselves. But if they don’t (which is, of course, ideal), I want them to be able to go back, look at the clues, and say, “Oh, yeah—I should have noticed that. Well done, author. Well done.

The last part of the process involves the subplots. Plot-wise, each of my books stands alone—no cliffhangers. But in terms of character arcs, the stories continue throughout the series. Callie’s best friend got engaged in FROZEN IN MOTION, for example. They throw her a bridal shower in PHOTO FINISHED, and NEGATIVE REACTION takes us to her wedding.

Once all the pieces are in place, I create an outline. I start with a broad list of plot points. These will often be juggled around, scrapped, or reconfigured, so I keep it loose. I craft a more detailed outline encompassing about a quarter of a book, write that quarter, reevaluate my direction, and then outline the next quarter. And so on…

For me, the pre-writing phase takes at least a month, maybe more, but the back of my mind works on that while I’m busy with other things. The outlining itself takes about a month. When it comes to the actual writing, if I’m in the groove, I can usually get a draft done in six to eight weeks. But it’s a rough draft. Very rough. A “what was I thinking?” type of roughness.

After another month of tearing at my hair and wondering why I ever thought I could be a writer, I work on revising. I add suspects if necessary, perhaps change or reorganize scenes, and possibly create new clues and red herrings.

If all goes well, a couple of weeks into the revision process I’m at the “this isn’t as bad as I thought” phase, and by the end of the month I’m thinking, “well, look at this. It might just work.”

I then put the book into the hands of my stellar beta readers, who provide much-needed fresh eyes and feedback. Then it’s off to my editor, who works her magic. That leads to one final revision, followed by proofreading. Since I’m indie published, I spend a day formatting the book. I already have an ebook cover, created by my amazing cover designer, and once I have a paperback length, she generates that cover, too. Then the book is uploaded and ready for readers.

That’s when I settle back for some well-deserved time off. At least a day. Then it’s off to start the next book: in this case, GRAVEN IMAGES, Book 6, coming soon!

If you have any questions about my process, feel free to ask in the comments. I’m happy to answer!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lori, and good luck with Negative Reaction, a Callie Cassidy mystery.

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

The book is available online at Amazon

About Lori Roberts Herbst: Lori, who writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, spent much of her life writing, editing, and psychoanalyzing. Through thirty years of teaching journalism, advising newspaper and yearbook staff, instructing budding photographers, and counseling teenagers, she still managed to hang on to a modicum of sanity. Her books have earned first-place CIBA awards in the Murder and Mayhem division. She currently serves as secretary of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas chapter and is a member of the Sisters in Crime Guppies and the Mystery Writers of America.

Posted in April 2021, Archives | 2 Comments

Cafe au Slay

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Piper Addison is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Café au Slay, the latest novel in the Orchard Hollow mystery series.

Welcome, Piper. 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.

Cafe au Slay is a paranormal cozy mystery complete with an unlucky witch, a ghost familiar, and a feisty raccoon with a talent for getting into sticky situations. It is book 2 of the Orchard Hollow series, but can be read as a standalone. The series takes place in a small town where magic lives in the depths of shadows. But as we all know, where there is magic, there is trouble, which is exactly how I ended up in the middle of a murder investigation. Again.

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

I let A.N. believe she holds the strings, but in the end, what I say goes.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I like to think I was born to be a lead. Just kidding, I have no idea how I ended up in this position. If you ask my ghost familiar, she’d tell you I have no place in the spotlight, especially with my fashion choices. But the writer must really believe in me because I am always finding myself in the most interesting situations. Unfortunately, most of them usually involve a corpse. Wonderful.

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

Definitely! Don’t tell Stella, my ghost familiar, but I actually really enjoy her company. I even like having Harry Houdini, the rascal raccoon we can’t get rid off, around. Between the two of them, I have my hands full. Just how I like it!

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

Orchard Hollow is pretty special, if you don’t count the dead bodies. We’re very much like every other small town except for one thing: we have magic. Well, some of us do. Our town is nestled between an angry sea and sky-high cliffs, the perfect setting for a town full of mischief.

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

If you like loveable characters and a mystery that will keep you guessing, check out my story!

Thank you for answering my questions, Piper, and good luck to you and your author, A N Sage, with Café au Slay, the latest book in the Orchard Hollow mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Piper and her author, A N Sage by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages.

The novel is available online at Amazon

About A.N. Sage: A N is a bestselling, award-winning author of young adult fantasy and mystery. She has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary.

A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night and their daughter who just might be. A.N. Sage is a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.

Posted in April 2023, Archives | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Brushed up on Murder

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Ruth J. Hartman is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Brushed up on Murder, her first novel in the Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery series.

Welcome, Ruth. 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.

“Brushed Up on Murder” takes place in Whitewater Valley, Indiana. The main character is Molly, whose occupation is a cat groomer. It’s Book #1 in the Mobile Cat Groomer Mysteries.

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

I loved the idea of a woman who works as a mobile cat groomer finding a body while working for one of her pet parents. It seemed like a really cool way for the heroine to discover trouble happening in the midst of her normally quiet work day.

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

In “Brushed Up on Murder”, Molly has a very close, loving relationship with her Uncle Russ, who becomes a murder suspect when he’s falsely accused by the sheriff. Molly’s uncle in the books is based on my own Uncle Russ, who I adore.

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

Many times, my main female character will be a lot like me. Nice, friendly, but also quirky and more than a little clumsy at times. And the main characters are always cat lovers.

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

I like to incorporate people, places and occupations that remind of the small town I live in. Also, the subjects the characters talk about and often the way they speak, will turn up in my books. And since there are always cats in my books, I include a lot of their behavior too.

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

It was fun doing research for “Brushed Up on Murder” since it was about a mobile cat groomer. I love everything to do with felines, and learning about the profession of a groomer was fascinating. Especially the ones who have mobile grooming stations and drive their vans to regularly visit their furry clients at their homes.

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

It’s a fun, witty story with lots of quirky characters and an abundance of cats. It was a joy to write!

Thanks for answering my questions, Ruth, and good luck with Brushed up on Murder, the first book in Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery series.

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

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About Ruth J. Hartman: Ruth spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. 

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

A Wealth of Deception

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Edie Brown is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Wealth of Deception, the latest novel in the Scandal Mountain Antiques mystery series.

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

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

Hi, my name is Edie Brown and I’m an art and antique dealer and the main character in the Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series. At the beginning of the second book in the series, A WEALTH OF DECEPTION (standalone), I’ve been back home for a month. I returned after my mom went to prison for art forgery and am working hard to rebuild my family’s antiques business as well as restore our reputation. At the beginning of the novel, an older woman we know stops at the shop to ask for a favor. A friend of hers is having a yard sale and needs help pricing some items. The friend already asked another antique dealer—our nemesis, Felix Graham—if he’d help her. He said, no. My uncle Tuck and I agreed to do the favor. Nothing would be better than to buy an amazing piece of art or antique at the friend’s house, and then to have Graham find out that he walked away from a good opportunity. What we end up finding at the house is beyond anything I could’ve imagined, and it draws us into a dangerous and high-stakes mystery.

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

It’s all about me. Trish Esden—aka: the author—bases the novels on situations that would challenge me the most, both intellectually and emotionally. A WEALTH OF DECEPTION involves outsider art which truly speaks to my soul.

How did you evolve as the main character?

That’s an ongoing process. I have a lot of baggage, especially where my mom’s concerned. Before I came home I truly believed she was guilty of the art forgery charge. Now I’m beginning to suspect I was too hard on her. More likely someone used her weaknesses to set her up for the fall. Also, in A WEALTH OF DECEPTION, my friends with benefits relationship with Detective Shane Payton hits a major roadblock, one that tests and changes both of us.

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

As far as I’m concerned, I’m not the only main character in the Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series. Kala, my one and only employee, is far more than a sidekick. She’s an invaluable member of our team. She’s smart and devious, and brave as they come. There’s also my uncle Tuck. He’s most often the voice of reason in our little group. He’s a combination big brother and best friend to me. He also has more people skills than Kala or me—and his mastery of horticulture is only matched by his ability in the kitchen.  

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

You mean my home? The town of Scandal Mountain is in northwestern Vermont. It’s a good size village nestled into the mountains. My family’s house and shop are on the outskirts of the town. Well, the easiest way to describe it is to let you read a snippet from book 1 in the series, THE ART OF THE DECOY.

“My family’s large brick house sat at the top of the rise. It was built in the 1830s and had changed very little since then. As always, the gardens and lawn took my breath away. Irises and peonies overflowed beds and escaped cages. Ferns, hostas, and wild rose bushes crowded the edges of the lawn. No matter what time of year, the gardens never failed to remind me of Claude Monet’s home in France, a location Grandma and Tuck had intentionally emulated when they’d planned the landscape. But what brought a prickle of tears to my eyes was the familiar sloped panorama of Scandal Mountain Valley, framed by the gardens and hills of lush-green trees.

A heavy sense of being right where I belonged closed in, as welcoming and weighty as the crazy quilt I’d napped under as a child, satin and velvet, embroidered with dates and symbols of past events, torn where time-frayed threads had laid open its cotton heart.

I took a steadying breath, then parked in front of the carriage barn that housed the shop. I retrieved a suitcase from the back. Its wheels clattered as I pulled it up the walkway toward the kitchen door…”

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

Mostly I’d like to thank you for hosting me and being a part of A WEALTH OF DECEPTION’s book birthday tour! It was a lot of fun to share some tidbits about me. But there are plenty more secrets to be revealed in the series, so read the books closely and you might just catch a glimpse of things to come.

Thank you for answering my questions, Edie, and good luck to you and your author, Trish Esden, with A Wealth of Deception, the latest book in the Scandal Mountain Antiques mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Edie and her author, Trish Esden 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 at the following online retailers:

Indiebound – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Apple Books – Kobo – Bookshop.org

About Trish Esden: Trish loves museums, gardens, wilderness, dogs and birds, in various orders depending on the day. She lives in northern Vermont where she deals antiques with her husband, a profession she’s been involved with since her teens. Don’t ask what her favorite type of antique is. She loves hunting for old bottles and rusty barn junk as much as she enjoys fine art and furnishings. Trish is the author of the Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series which explores the secretive and adrenaline-charged underbelly of the antique and art world.

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

Digging up Daisy

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Kinsley Clark, from Digging Up Daisy, a Mainely Murder mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about her life in Harborside.

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

Hi. I’m Kinsley Clark, and I reside in the caretaker’s quarters behind my Aunt Tilly’s Salty Breeze Inn where I manage SeaScapes, a landscape design business, located in Harborside Maine. I’m privileged to be the go-to designer for the area along the cliff walk and the downtown area too. Speaking of the cliff walk, there’s a hidden gem— a place within the rocks facing the sea, where you can smell the scent of beach roses that I often escape to. It’s a place for me to unwind with the waves, unseen from the from the world. I’ve escaped there since I was a kid. Since the day my aunt took my brother Kyle and I in as her legal guardian when my parents died on an Air Force base. Kyle’s in the Air Force now, serving our country. I’m so proud of him for following in our parent’s footsteps. He usually returns to Harborside when on leave, and I can hardly wait to see him.

Whenever I get the chance, I hang out with my best friend Becca. She works in real estate, and we often tag team with our customers. I sometimes share clients that might want to sell a property, and she hires me to help spruce up the yard before a listing hits the market. We’ve been besties ever since we were kids, when she became my water wings and saved me from drowning in swim class. Everyone should have a friend like Becca. Besides being a lifesaver, she’s everything you would want in a best friend: empathic, kind, encouraging, and most of all fun! Becca’s my perfect sidekick.

On a good day, Becca and I share dinner or drinks at the Blue Lobstah. Not because of the food, which is ah-mazing by the way. But more because of the bar owner, Pete O’Rourke. Just saying his name aloud sends a jolt of electricity down my spine. My affection towards him is clearly undeniable. I’m just not ready to take the big leap from friendship to relationship just yet. Which leads me back to the reason I’m not in a relationship in the first place. Let’s just say, Pete takes up a little too much head space and it’s something I’m trying hard to contain. I love his Boston slang; I love that he named his restaurant after his roots. Honestly? There’s lots to love about the guy— including his adorable face that I can’t get enough of. Pete holds his past and his feelings close to his chest, so you’re never quite sure where he stands on things. Which makes him super mysterious. Did I mention I’m a sucker for a good mystery?

Let me tell you what’s been going on in Harborside lately. I recently came across an important piece of evidence linked to a horrific crime that occurred across town. Want to know what happened when I followed the evidence? I know you do! You’re just as curious as I am to dig into who murdered that poor girl. We’ll find it— me and you. When we meet in Maine, in front of my aunt’s Salty Breeze Inn, where I unearth the truth and find justice for Daisy.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Kinsley, and good luck to you and your author, Sherry Lynn, with Digging up Daisy, a Mainely Murder mystery.

Readers can learn more about Kinsley Clark and her author, Sherry Lynn by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo

About Sherry Lynn: Sherry spent countless summers on the coast of Maine, knowing she’d one day return to write about the magical location from her youth. Curious by nature, sleuthing became the perfect fit for her, and she has written multiple cozy mystery series under several pseudonyms. Currently, Sherry lives in the Midwest with her husband, but she dreams about one day retiring oceanside with a good book in her hand.

Posted in April 2023, Archives | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Little Shop of Murders

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Flora McGowan, one of the authors in The Little Shop of Murders, collected cozy mysteries, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about her writing and why she contributes stories to anthologies.

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

I write the Carrie and Keith Mysteries which are a series of novels plus some short stories which combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. I currently live in Poole in Dorset on the South Coast of England, and many of my stories are based in this area including my debut novel Material Witness and short stories such as The Giant’s Gift (Cerne Abbas Giant), Desperately Seeking Freddie (Poole), All At Sea (Bournemouth beach) and He’s Behind You (Poole Quay/Old Town).

I enjoy travelling taking inspiration from the places I visit, for example, Morocco (Thirteen in the Medina), Tunisia (At The Edge) and Sicily (Playing With Fire, my most popular novel).

A writer’s main aim first and foremost is for their stories to be read – that feeling when someone in France or Italy or even far across the world in India or Japan, someone whom you have never met, downloads your story to read and, hopefully, enjoy.  Short stories are a good way to reach people; I often use them as tasters or samples, and anthologies working with other authors can reach out to more people. If they also can do some good and raise money for worthy causes, so much the better. 

I have short stories included in an Olympic Games themed anthology The Phantom Games published by Excalibur books to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics (the idea was conceived before COVID and lockdowns that led to the delay in the Games). Authors were permitted to submit a maximum of two stories which needed to be either science fiction, horror or a piece about Japanese culture or a memoir. To my surprise, as my science fiction/horror pieces were written in my usual cozy style, both stories I submitted, The Hungriest Man on the Hill featuring an ambitious ski jumper who turns to an unusual method in his quest for success, and Just Add Water about strange occurrences at the Rio Games, were selected. 

Prior to The Little Shop of Murders I have contributed to other charity anthologies, firstly Fate’s Call, which was in aid of a fellow author whose family had suffered a devastating accident. I did not personally know them but reading about how they had been affected, and in particular, the young daughter of the author who had to undergo several life changing operations, I felt compelled to help raise money to aid them through that period in their lives.  My story featured in the paranormal edition, in which there was a slight misunderstanding – to me paranormal means other worldly such as ghosts and spirits so I submitted a story in this vein only to discover the other authors were writing about werewolves, shapeshifters and mermen…

Undaunted by this together with a friend, Fiona, I produced an anthology of short stories Not Just Soldiers: Aid For Ukraine. Fiona works in the health service and is aware of some of the devastating injuries the Ukrainian refugees have suffered – ordinary people just like you and me, who are trying to live their lives whilst being overshadowed by war, hence the title Not Just Soldiers, which is taken from a quote of one of the characters in my story Desperately Seeking Freddie, which I wrote about an incident set in Poole during the Second World War – ‘It isn’t just soldiers who die in wartime.’ 

We set a very tight deadline as obviously the Ukraine needed help ASAP, and put a call out for people willing to donate short stories or poetry, suggesting that due to time constraints previously published work would be accepted, and indeed, ideal. We had one or two setbacks and lost an author from Canada for whom we had extended the deadline due to technical issues with her computer, which was a shame as she had been really keen to participate, so the end result was a slightly slimmer volume than anticipated but it still contained contributions from writers in the USA and Germany as well as the UK.

Hence, after my efforts with Not Just Soldiers I am very much aware of how much hard work Iain and Heide have put into producing The Little Shop of Murders. When I first saw the call for submissions I wracked my brains to see if I had something suitable as I wanted to participate in the venture but did not think I had the time to write something fresh due to another story commitment I was working on at that time.  As luck would have it I had an unpublished short story, The Lady of the House, that was a little under the suggested word limit but I sent it in hoping it might be acceptable.

I fully approve of the three charities who benefit from The Little Shop of Murders which have been chosen as representative of the countries of the contributing writers. Hence The Children’s Reading Foundation – https://www.readingfoundation.org/  (USA and Canada), Ronald McDonald House Ireland – https://rmhc.ie/ and Read for Good – https://readforgood.org/ (UK).

As a child my favourite books were the Three Investigators. I still have my near complete set of 30 or so books and remember how heartbroken I was when I accidentally dropped one (a hardback copy) and broke the spine. Even back then I loved my books and never dogeared the pages! I progressed to the mysteries of Agatha Christie (I recently read Crooked House which I understand was one of her own personal favourites), Dorothy L Sayers, plus the science fiction stories by John Wyndham (The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos etc). These days at the top of my reading list are Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis and the Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri, in translation of course! Although I do admire those who are able to read books in a language that is not their mother tongue. With the restrictions of lockdown I think reading became very important for children unable to mix with their friends, and with restrictions on visitors in hospital, solitary activities came to the fore.   

I had the idea for The Lady of the House as I was walking along on the way to visit my sister. I often use long walks as an opportunity to mull over plots and story ideas, and on passing various houses with For Sale boards outside I thought back to the time when I had sold my flat and as a woman living alone estate agents try and take advantage, thinking they will be a pushover for an easy sale, not realising that single women are often more astute than those who are part of a couple as they have to fend for themselves, pay all the bills and see to the upkeep etc with no-one to share any of the decisions. I remembered various estate agents who I had approached to sell my flat. One dashing handsome fellow was sent out to do the valuing and charm me into signing onto their books. He valued my property much lower than the other agents and, despite his beaming smile, he did not win me over.   

Once I had the idea of writing about an unscrupulous estate agent getting his comeuppance in my head I then had to transfer it to paper when I returned home. As I often find happens, it turned out to be one of those stories that writes itself, although it did veer slightly in direction, and I wrote the first draft more or less in one sitting.  

Thank you for sharing this with us, Flora, and good luck with The Little Shop of Murders, collected cozy mysteries.

Readers can learn more about Flora McGowan by visiting the author’s Amazon, Facebook, and Goodreads pages. Readers can also follow her on Instagram where she posts photographs of many of the places that feature in her stories, plus associated items such as Victorian mourning cloaks and the wedding dress that featured in her debut book Material Witness.

The book is available online at  Amazon.

About Flora McGowan: Flora is the author of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries, novels and short stories. Her stories combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. Flora was born in Dorset and has spent most, but not all, of her life there, and many of her stories are based in this locale. Flora enjoys travelling, taking inspiration from the places she visits.

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

Eyes on the Road

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Delaney Morran is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Eyes on the Road, the latest novel in the Tow Truck murder mystery series.

Welcome, Delaney. 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.

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My name is Delaney Morran. In the Tow Truck Mystery Series, I receive a surprise inheritance—the keys to a tow truck—from my absent father. Despite the fact I hadn’t even changed a tire in all of my twenty-eight years, I decide to give this rough and dangerous business a chance. Hauling cars for suspicious characters provides plenty of opportunities to discover dead bodies. I have to assume a ton of bravado and toughen up my image as the high-heeled tow truck driver so I can help the handsome cowboy sheriff, Ephraim Lopez, find the killers in my otherwise safe mountain town.

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

I make my own decisions and control the story of my life. I’m nothing like the writer! She’s twice my age, but since she acts half her age, I guess it comes out even.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I became known as the high-heeled tow truck driver when I showed up at my first job in my spiked-heeled stilettos. So I’d forgotten to pack my boots in the truck, stop rolling your eyes. Haven’t you ever forgotten anything? Like, every freaking day? And I have a good reason to be stressed since I’m the only female car hauler in this small town. A stubborn redhead, short but with a big personality, I didn’t know much about hauling cars at first, but my hunky mentor, Tanner Utley, showed me the business. Now I can identify cars on the road, operate my amazing self-loader truck, and deal with angry customers. Maybe I’m not the best car hauler around here, but I’m not too bad at digging for clues. And maybe my quest for truth has something to do with my dad’s unsolved death, too.

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

You would think my closest friend, Kristen Guttenberg, would be by my side, but it’s not Kristen. It’s her cousin, Axle, an immature teen who works as an auto mechanic. Of course I have to rib him about his name. He has not yet come into his own, and he’s on the verge of either taking the right path or the wrong path. I call him my lil’ cuz’ and we play off each other, like the brother I never had, and in spite of him being a teenage mess, he’s a dependable guy I can count on.

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

Spruce Ridge, Colorado started out as a mining village, then became a tourist destination, a last stop on I-70 before the divide and ski resorts. Then it transformed once more, this time to a desirable second-home location for the rich and famous. One can encounter people such as Ephraim wearing cowboy boots, a throwback to the city’s western beginnings, as well as out-of-towners, outdoorsy types, celebrity icons…and folks like me, a car hauler who wears high heels. See, I fit right in.

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

When I was seven my parents divorced, and I never saw Del Morran again. Not only is my dad’s fatal car accident a mystery, but why he left me his tow truck is mind boggling, too. The man who fathered me had given me his name, his Irish red hair, and his self-loader, but no fond memories. I don’t have cool pictures of him teaching me how to ride a bike or drive a car or shoot baskets or any special moments like I imagine every kid had but me. His death robbed me of the chance to know him, and I’m sad for what might have been. That little-girl-lost still hopes to get to know her father, except now it’s too late. So, I’m left with trying to make his business a success, trying being the operative word here. I’ve retained the business name, “Del’s Towing,” and I tell everyone it’s for continuity and name recognition, but the truth is, I like it when customers call me “Del.” Like my dad.

Thank you for answering my questions, Delaney, and good luck to you and your author, Karen C. Whalen, with Eyes on the Road, the latest book in the Tow Truck murder mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Delaney and her author, Karen C. Whalen by visiting the author’s 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

About Karen C. Whalen: Karen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner parties, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries.

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

Star Tangled Murder

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Dianne Ascroft

Nancy J Cohen is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Star Tangled Murder, her latest novel in the Bad Hair Day Mystery series.

Welcome, Nancy. 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.

Star Tangled Murder is book #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. The stories follow the adventures of hairstylist and salon owner Marla Vail, who lives in South Florida with her family and two dogs. She has a personal journey to complete in this series, going from a divorced businesswoman to a married wife and mother. However, each book can be read as a standalone. To date, the series has 18 full-length novels, a novella, a short story, and a cookbook. They’re available in ebook and print as well as limited box sets and audiobooks.

In Star Tangled Murder, Marla and her husband, Dalton, attend a battle reenactment at a living history village where the town marshal ends up dead with a tomahawk in his head. Since Dalton is due to retire soon from his job as a homicide detective, Marla joins the investigation to help him solve the case fast. She needs him at home helping with their one-year-old son and not out in the field risking his life. Of course, once she starts interviewing the various suspects, she puts herself in the sights of a killer.

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

I visited Yesteryear Village, a living history experience in West Palm Beach. It was fascinating to view the buildings and meet the actors playing the blacksmith, schoolteacher, farmer and other roles. I figured this would be a great setting for a mystery with a built-in cast of suspects. Then it was a matter of determining the victim and assigning motives to each player. I like to tour historic homes and admire the architecture of old buildings. This let me delve further into a subject that I enjoy.

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

Family values are at the heart of my cozy mysteries. Aside from this ongoing theme, in Star Tangled Murder, it’s an appreciation for history. We have battle reenactments and living history experiences to remember the people who came before us. We need to appreciate our ancestors and the hard work they did to survive and make our existence possible. Living history parks are a great way to learn about these early lifestyles in an entertaining and educational manner.

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

Besides the suspects for each story, there’s the recurrent cast who are Marla’s friends and family. These include her relatives, friends, and salon staff. Each book focuses on a different secondary character, and I can have fun with them in the story. For example, in Star Tangled Murder, Marla’s friends Robyn and Susan accompany her at different times. Robyn, who is also employed as Marla’s salon receptionist, dates around, never committing to one guy. In contrast, Susan is a married neighbor with two kids and a methodical mind. She works from home as a journalist. Susan goes with Marla to sniff out a story, while Robyn goes along for kicks. Other stories focus on different minor players, such as Marla’s mother in Styled for Murder. But the main star in the current story is Ryder, Marla’s one-year-old son. Since I now have a grandson, Ryder is a special character in this latest story. And let us not forget Dalton, Marla’s husband. She’s lucky to have him at her side.

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

I use the five senses as much as possible. Setting is more than description. It’s how things taste, smell, feel, look, and sound. The cultural foods and the rituals and traditions of the people who live there factor into the setting. It’s these details that provide the feeling of being there. I had it easy for the fictional Pioneer Village in my story. I’d been to a living history park and had photos to reference along with my own impressions.

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

The setting for this novel was the easy part because I’d been to Yesteryear Village. They have videos available on their website. This helped me with the individual settings such as the blacksmith shop, the one-room schoolhouse, the historic mansion, and so on. Then I looked up Florida battle reenactments to determine which one I could base mine on. I chose Dade’s Battle of 1835. Again, online videos helped me create my own scenes. In addition, I read about various Fourth of July festivities so I’d know what sort of activities Marla would encounter on the holiday. Then I got interested in eclectic topics such as tea production and the history of buttons. Learning something new always sparks my stories with something special. These are worked into the tale as Marla interviews various suspects with these interests.

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

Yes, it includes recipes! At the back of the book, I have a Fourth of July menu and a Next Day Brunch menu with recipes for dishes that I’ve made. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the story!

Thanks for answering my questions, Nancy, and good luck with Star Tangled Murderl, the latest book in Bad Hair Day Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Nancy and her writing by visiting her website and her blog, as well as her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon Kindle   Amazon Print   Apple Books:     BN Nook    BN Print    Google Play    Kobo    Books2Read    IndieBound   Smashwords   Goodreads  BookBub 

About Nancy J. Cohen: Nancy writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and the RONE Award, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, have won the FAPA President’s Book Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.

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