It Came Upon a Midnight Shear

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Libby Beckett is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about It Came Upon a Midnight Shear, the latest novel in the Riverbank Knitting mystery series.

Welcome, Libby. 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 Libby Beckett, owner of the Y.A.R.N. yarn shop in Collinstown Maryland. My friends and I are looking forward to the shop’s best holiday season ever—complete with an event starring Vincenzo Marani, otherwise known as The Galant Herdsman. He’s demonstrating the shearing of a herd of vicuña, the adorable animals that produce the world’s most exclusive and expensive fiber. It’s a sellout success…until my ex husband Sterling shows up. And then shows up dead.

I’m afraid this isn’t the first time a murder mystery has come to Y.A.R.N. My previous sleuthing adventures are told in On Skein of Death and Knit or Dye Trying, the other books in the series. My high school romance Gavin Maddock, now mayor of Collinstown, his daughter Jillian, my outrageous mom Rhonda, and my best friend pie shop owner Margo all come together to help me untangle the mysteries that seem to continually arrive on my doorstep.

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

Oh, Allie thinks she’s in charge. I’m a pretty opinionated woman, though, so I’ll wrangle the story in my idea of the right direction now and then. There were a couple of plot points where the twists and turns weren’t in Allie’s original plan. That’s always great fun—and makes for great reading, if you ask me.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I jumped into Allie’s brain fully formed, complete with my English bulldog Hank. That doesn’t happen often, and most of the story’s other characters revealed themselves in a slow progression. I don’t have time for that sort of thing. So I waltzed up and demanded my shop and my story. I’ve taken on new roles around town—like running for the Chamber of Commerce president—as the books have progressed. And things tend to be heating up between Mayor Gavin and me.

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

I love my friends. What’s not to love about a best friend who dispenses support, wisdom, and pie? And while my mom can be an enormous pain, I love her for how she stands by me (when she’s not standing in my way). I’m extra-partial to my dog Hank for his love and loyalty—except when he takes out his frustration on my couch cushions.

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

There’s nothing like Collinstown at Christmas. It’s picture-postcard perfect at the holidays, with every shop on Collin Avenue done up in cheery decorations. It has all the small-town charm—and all the small-town quirks—you can’t help but love. I grew up here, and left for a while when I married Sterling, but now I’m so glad to be back home.

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

If you love yarn and needles as much as I do, there’s a free knitting pattern in the back of every one of the Riverbank Knitting Mysteries books!

Thank you for answering my questions, Libby, and good luck to you and your author, Allie Pleiter, with It Came Upon a Midnight Shear, the latest book in the Riverbank Knitting mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Libby and her author, Allie Pleiter by visiting the author’s Facebook, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Author – IndieBound 

About Allie Pleiter: The bestselling author of over fifty titles, Allie Pleiter‘s twenty-year career has sold 1.6 million books.  Allie also coaches on writing productivity and speaks nationally on time management for creatives. Allie is an avid knitter, confirmed coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better.” She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and the world’s most adorable dog.

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

A Book Club to Die For

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Trudell Becket is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Book Club to Die For, the latest novel in the Beloved Bookroom mystery series.

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

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

Hi, I’m Trudell Becket, assistant librarian at the Cypress Public Library. I’m the lead in the Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. It all started when the town leaders had this bold idea to modernize the town. They did it hoping to attract high-tech industries to relocate to the town and bring in higher paying jobs, which we desperately need. As part of the modernization, they turned the library into a bookless, technological center. I hated that! That’s why I took the printed books that they were planning to get rid of and opened a secret bookroom in the library’s basement, complete with card catalog and book slips with rubber stamped due dates.

It would have all been perfect, except sometimes people involved with the modernization or the secret library have died. I need my library to remain a safe space for everyone. That’s why I have determined to help the police in their investigations.

In A BOOK CLUB TO DIE FOR, my latest adventure, there’s a murder at the local book club. And what looks like an open and shut case is anything but. Especially after a friend finds one of the secret library books at the scene of the crime.

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

My writer (Dorothy St. James) thinks she controls things. But in reality, the characters—including myself—are adept and doing what we think it best. Actually, my clever tabby cat Dewey Decimal is the master at pulling the storyline this way and that. If not for him, I doubt any of the mysteries would have ever been solved and none of the books would have been written. Whether anyone wants it or not, he’s the one running the show.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I feel like I’m really growing into the role of sleuth. A BOOK CLUB TO DIE FOR is the third book in my series. At first, I wasn’t sure about investigating crimes. That’s a job for the police. And yet, the more I investigate crimes, the more confident I feel about myself. I’ve gone from a shy librarian to someone who isn’t afraid to speak up for herself, even when people aren’t willing to listen.

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

I have two best friends who help me with life decisions and with sleuthing. They are my best gals, and I can’t imagine my life without them. First is Tori, she’s been married more times than I’ve dated. But despite the horrible choices she makes when it comes to men, she is smart and popular and knows how to dress to impress. While I was the shy kid in the school, she was the popular beauty queen. But she has never let that go to her head. She picks me up when I’m down and gets me into more binds than I sometimes know what to do with. (Tell me again why I love her?) We’ve been best friends since kindergarten. And she’s exactly who I need in my life to keep me on my toes.

Flossie, on the other hand, is a calming influence…unless she’s researching weapons for one of her books. Then, look out! Flossie is much older than either Tori or I. But that doesn’t slow her down. While she’s in her eighties and uses a wheelchair, she travels the world, drives a flashy sportscar, and has recently purchased a speedboat. I hope I have half her energy when I’m her age. Flossie has always had my back, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

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

I live in the small town of Cypress in the sandhills of South Carolina. Since the manufacturing plants have closed in town, the main draw for the town is the lake. Tourists will come to fish or boat and shop in the small shops in the even smaller downtown. It’s a lovely place. The Main Street is lined with cypress trees with limbs draped in Spanish moss. I’ve lived here my entire life. It’s the only place I want to be.

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

I love books like a dragon loves her treasure hoard. I’ll do almost anything to protect the books and the book lovers in my life. Books, you see, have given me the world. They’ve gotten me through my parent’s divorce when I was still a young teen. They lifted me when I was sad. Made me feel important when I felt small. And taught me invaluable life lessons that I hadn’t learned in my sheltered life. I’m grateful to books. As long as there is life in my body, I will do everything possible to stand up for the books and remind people the importance of libraries in the community. I hope you’ll join me.

Thank you for answering my questions, Trudell, and good luck to you and your author, Dorothy St. James, with A Book Club to Die For, the latest book in the Beloved Bookroom mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Trudell and her author, Dorothy St. James 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 – Penguin Random House – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound 

About Dorothy St. James: Dorothy is the author of several cozy mystery series. She lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her sculptor husband. Dorothy is a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sister’s in Crime (SinC). This is her second Beloved Bookroom Mystery.

Posted in November 2022 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Minestrone Mischief

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Rosie Genova is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Minestrone Mischief, her latest novel in the Italian Kitchen Mystery series.

Welcome, Rosie. 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. 

First, these are such great questions! Minestrone Mischief is Book 4 of the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, a cozy series set in an Italian restaurant at the New Jersey seaside. The main character, Victoria Rienzi, is a mystery author and an amateur sleuth. Minestrone Mischief takes place after the summer season in the fictional shore town of Oceanside Park. The major events occur between Halloween and Thanksgiving, after a body is found on the boardwalk dressed as the detective who features in Victoria’s mysteries.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from? I’ve wanted to do a Halloween story for some time. It actually began as a novella, and I got so into the idea of Mischief Night and a costume parade, that I developed a full-length novel around it. I knew I wanted to include costumes and disguises, Mischief Night pranks, and the generally spooky atmosphere of October.

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

Okay, let me start by saying that I have never had a fan who turned into a stalker! (My fans are the best, and they know it!) In this book, Victoria is harassed by an obsessive fan who ends up dead. In many ways, the story is about the relationship between writers and readers, especially in the age of social media. I always start my mysteries with What If? questions: What if the love of an author’s work crossed into obsession? What if a fan started harassing Victoria? What if he then ended up dead? And it took off from there.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them? Yikes, where to begin on this one? I love the whole Rienzi family, a tight-knit Italian clan who love each other to the point of annoyance. (I may have had some experience in this area.) So yes, while my own family has inspired the Rienzi gang, that’s as far as it goes. I will say that the formidable Nonna was absolutely based on my own grandmothers, bless ‘em. What I had great fun with in this book was giving little glimpses into Bernardo Vitali, the hero sleuth of Victoria’s mystery series. There are “excerpts” from Victoria’s book, which of course only exists in my imagination. Bernardo is sort of an Italian Poirot, and I delight in him. I’m thinking I should give him a novella of his own. . .

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about? I grew up going to the Jersey shore every summer of my childhood, and I have such great affection for the seaside towns that inspire Oceanside Park. I mostly rely on nostalgia and wonderful memories!

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel? Another great question. I worked in Italian restaurants as a college student, so I have some sense of how they operate. I’ve interviewed friends and colleagues on everything from karate moves to the use of asbestos in construction. And for every book in the series, I have done lots of research regarding manner of death, effects of substances on bodies, health conditions, how long a corpse takes to cool, and other details which make my search history a grim place indeed. (The cause of the character’s death in Minestrone Mischief also required research, which I can’t share because, spoiler.)

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

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks for answering my questions, Rosie, and good luck with Minestrone Mischief, the latest book in Italian Kitchen Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Rosie and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Bookbub pages.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About Rosie Genova: Bestselling and award-winning author Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. The inspiration for her cozy series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, comes from her deep appreciation for Italian food, her affinity for the New Jersey seaside, and her love of classic mysteries from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. A former journalist and teacher, Rosie also writes women’s fiction and suspense. The proud mama of three grown sons, she still lives in her favorite state with her husband and a charming mutt named Lucy.

Posted in Archives, October 2022 | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Christmas Candy Killing

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Alex Wright is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about A Christmas Candy Killing, the first novel in the Killer Chocolate mystery series.

Welcome, Alex. 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 Christmas Candy Killing is the first novel in the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. I’m Alex Wright and my sister, Hanna Eastham, and I own Murder and Mayhem: Killer Chocolates and Bookshop. For years I slaved as a business banker to save up enough money to open a bookshop. Then at the last minute Hanna quit her job as chocolatier at my parent’s restaurant and gift shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan to come work with me. You can imagine how that went over. Can you say angry? My mother didn’t speak to me for weeks. Like it was my fault.

Did I mention that we name all our chocolates after poisons? One of my favorites is Strawberry Strychnine. Oh, so good. Recently, the Sleuth Book Club met at the shop for our monthly dissection of a mystery novel. Jane Burrows gave a great presentation on M.C. Beaton’s, The Wizard of Eavesham. I just love Agatha Raisin. After the presentation Jane pulled me aside and told me she’d watched a true crime show and she was positive the killer was living in our village. To be honest, she’s said this more than once, so I wasn’t really too concerned. Until Jane ended up murdered.

When the sheriff named me as a suspect I ended up having to put on my sleuthing cap and look into the murder. Thankfully, I have some wonderful friends, not to mention my twin (did I mention Hanna and I are twins?) that helped me on my first case. My author says there’s another book coming out next year, so I’ll have to see what kind of mess she gets me involved in next time.

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

The author that wrote the book is so controlling. She thinks just because the contract is in her name she gets to call the shots. But every now and again I say enough and I put my foot down when she’s trying to get me to say something I would never say. She’s a little too snarky for me at times. Don’t tell her, but I’m much nicer than she is. 

How did you evolve as the main character?

The author and I are still getting to know each other in the first book and so I continue to evolve as a fictional character. My divorce early in my twenties has made me very careful. Hanna says I have trust issues. She should talk. Throughout the book, I’ve discovered a bit of a daredevil streak I didn’t know I had. I usually make a list and check it twice before buying a new mascara, but lately I’m just diving into things and thinking about it afterwards. Who knew I had it in me.

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

Of course, I love the fact that Hanna and I get to be in this story together. I moved away from Michigan right after high school and I missed her terribly. It’s been so nice having her close by again. I also partial to my neighbor, Drew. He’s a retired pharmacist and a total hypochondriac. His wife works at the store occasionally, I think so she can get away from him for a bit. But he’s super nice and helpful.

Our next door neighbor, Tom, is also fun to be around. He’s got a wicked sense of humor, though you have to get to know him before he’ll let you see that side of him. He’s also the pastor of our church, and was recently widowed. He’s kind of handsome in a Clint Eastwood sort of way. Well, when Clint was younger.

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

Harriston, Montana is where I live. It’s a quaint village with twelve hundred of the nicest, nosiest people you can imagine. We are at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, right on the edge of Echo Lake, about half an hour from Kalispell. We do get some cold, snowy winters, but summer is wonderful here. The village does an annual Christmas festival with a tree lighting, carollers that wander main street, free hot chocolate and cookies, and a dance. It’s all so fun.

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

 Hanna and I love Christmas. It’s a big deal at our house. We decorate November first and watch all those made for television Hallmark Christmas movies. That’s what it felt like being in this book, like someone combined one of those Christmas movies with one of the Hallmark mysteries and threw us into the action. I’m curious what’s going to be happening next Christmas?

Thank you for answering my questions, Alex, and good luck to you and your author, Christina Romeril, with A Christmas Candy Killing, the frst book in the Killer Chocolate mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

About Christina Romeril: Christina loves to plot murders, especially by poisoning. When she’s not plotting how to kill one of her characters she’s coming up with ways to dispose of the body. Since writing her debut novel her husband’s friends have been regularly checking on his well-being.

Christina also loves to read, eat chocolates, and travel when she’s not in her she shed writing. She grew up in Southern Ontario and spent most of her summers in Muskoka swimming, boating, and generally getting into mischief. She’s lived on both coasts of Canada and has a love of being near the water and close to a forest. Thus, it makes perfect sense that she moved to the prairies of Southern Alberta over twenty years ago.

During the warmer months you’ll find her escaping to nearby Waterton Lakes National Park with her cooler stocked full of chocolate and pastries. Occasionally, the once avid hiker will even set out on one of the many hiking trails and hope she doesn’t run into a hungry bear. 

Christina is a member of Sisters in Crime and enjoys interacting on social media.

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Kill Them With Canvas

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Chloe Abbington is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Kill Them With Canva, the latest novel in the Paint by Murder mystery series.

Welcome, Chloe. 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 Chloe Abbington and I live in the picture-perfect town called Whisper Cove. My sister Izzie and I run a painting party event business. Of course, that makes sense since all of our family members are artists. We’d be lost and truly unhappy if we didn’t do something with art. Anyway, life doesn’t always turn out like you plan it. I’m the perfect example. My crazy journey took me from college and across the ocean to live like a poor and starving artist in Paris, then back to the states, living in Manhattan and thinking I could make my name as a successful artist by showcasing my work in some posh gallery. Yeah, that didn’t work out at all. Coming full circle to return home and run Paint with a View with my sister turned out to be surprisingly the move that fits me best. It’s a peaceful life with no stress. Wait. Did I say no stress? Murder kind of ruins that mood, doesn’t it?

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

I’m pretty stubborn and opinionated so I’ll argue or spout off with my thoughts on which way the author should take the story. Especially when it comes to relationships. I mean, I had a boyfriend back in Manhattan. He’s a lawyer and very successful. Too successful because he spent most of his time at the office. I felt like something had to change. My issue is how the author tries to keep him in the story, as if his effort to win me back will change my mind. No way. I’ll dig my heels in concrete before that move happens. Now, the detective in town is altogether different. Author, you can drop him into the story whenever you like!

How did you evolve as the main character?  

Take one major breakup, a NYC career goal flop, and a much needed change of scenery. A new chapter in life with all the drama and challenges put the focus on me and how I learned to handle everything that’s been happening.

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

My sister is my bestie. She and I are a year apart in age, and even though our personalities are way different, we cherish the same things—family, loyalty to those we care about, and art. Our craft is a passion we connect to on every level. I definitely would share the story with her. Of course, our parents, all the craft shop owners along Artisan Alley, and most of our friends in Whisper Cove are welcome to take a scene once in a while. After all, we’re a close community. It’s hard to hide what goes on, and we care what happens to each other.

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

Whisper Cove is a touristy town in southwestern New York along the beautiful Chautauqua Lake. We have lots of craft shops on Artisan Alley, including our quaint little cottage where Paint with a View is located on the lakeshore. One very cool attraction is the ferry which can take visitors and their vehicles across the lake to the town on the opposite shore. It’s a fun ride for tourists…unless something tragic happens, but I won’t spoil the story. I’ll let you find out that excitement when you read it! Obviously, this may be a small place but we keep things busy with lots of festivals, like the Hallows Eve celebration coming up soon. All sorts of vendors with activities, games, and food. There’s even a special guest. Like all small towns with their folklore, Whisper Cove has the ghost of Chautauqua Lake, Abigail Bellows, who is known to haunt the town on Hallows Eve. Everyone hopes to get lucky and snap a photo of her rising out of the water! Creepy, right?

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

For all you pet lovers, I have to brag about my pooch Max. He’s twelve pounds of fluffy white fur and with an abundance of energy that keeps me on my toes. No wonder he “digs” in to help me and Izzie solve the murder case. Oh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he even finds a four-legged friend to pal around with him soon!

Thank you for answering my questions, Chloe, and good luck to you and your author, Bailee Abbott, with Kill Them With Canvas, the latest book in the Paint by Murder mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE     KOBO     APPLE BOOKS 

About Bailee Abbott: Bailee Abbott 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. Bailee lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. Bailee also writes the Sierra Pines B&B mystery series under the name Kathryn Long.

Posted in Archives, October 2022 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Live and Let Grind

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Tara Lush is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Live and Let Grind, her latest novel in the Coffee Lover’s Mystery series.

Welcome, Tara. 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 book is called LIVE AND LET GRIND, and while it’s the third in the Coffee Lover’s Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone. The series is about a former journalist-turned-barista on a fictional Florida island. She lives with her Shih Tzu named Stanley, and her boyfriend is the island’s police chief. She also has many friends and family members that are quite quirky, as people are in beach communities.

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

The victim in LIVE AND LET GRIND is someone who is an incessant leaf blower. This is based on my real-life experience of trying to focus and write in my office, while literally all my neighbors have their leaf blowers revving and roaring. As you can imagine, this gets quite annoying and breaks my concentration. Everybody in Florida complains about leaf blowers, because they’re so loud and ubiquitous. It’s as if you can’t ever have an hour of peace! So I decided to make the victim, and the crime, centered around someone who died from an exploding leaf blower.

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

The theme is the importance of family, both blood relatives and found family. Before moving back to Devil’s Beach, Lana lived and worked in Miami. And while she found great success there, she also didn’t form many deep relationships. On Devil’s Beach, she learns to let people into her life and to lower her emotional walls. She discovers that it’s actually a wonderful thing to be open to new experiences and say yes to life.

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

My character Lana Lewis is one that I will always love. She’s my first mystery heroine and like me, she’s a former journalist, so I think I’ve imbued her with my deep sense of curiosity. I also adore Stanley the Shih Tzu, probably because he is based off my own Shih Tzu, Gigi!

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

I make it easy: I write about what I know. All my mysteries are set in Florida, and are loosely based on Sanibel Island, which is just off the coast of Southwest Florida. The vibe of the fictional Devil’s Beach is similar to my city — St. Petersburg — and it’s a very laid-back, touristy, Jimmy Buffett kind of place. As I type this I have tears in my eyes because I’m thinking of the real life Sanibel Island, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The west coast of Florida is a special, beautiful place. I’ve lived here for many years and it’s the inspiration for my fiction.

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

For this book and all the Coffee Lover’s series, I did a lot of coffee research — and not just drinking coffee, either! I befriended someone who works for a coffee wholesaler who does a café tour in my city. He takes people around to various coffee shops and explains the ins and outs of various brewing techniques. He became my go-to expert and helped me brainstorm the signature coffee drink in this book, the Orange Blossom Special.

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

If you want to be transported to a beach location with coffee, quirky friends, eccentric island characters and cute puppies, then this is the book for you. Oh, and there’s also murder, of course.

Thanks for answering my questions, Tara, and good luck with Live and Let Grind, the latest book in the Coffee Lover’s Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Tara and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon  BARNES AND NOBLE   APPLE   KOBO   INDIEBOUND   GOOGLE PLAY

About Tara Lush: Tara is a Rita Award finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and a George C. Polk Award winning journalist. For the past decade, she’s been a reporter with the Associated Press, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations. A fan of vintage pulp-fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, and 1980s fashion, she lives with her husband and two dogs on the Gulf coast.

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

A Hill to Dye On

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Jemma is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Hill to Dye On, the latest novel in the Clear Creek mystery series.

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

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

Hi, I’m Jemma. A Hill to Dye On is the second book in the Clear Creek Mysteries. It all started when my grandmother, Mary, begged me to help her. When I arrived, she’d been killed and I inherited her yarn shop. After helping bring her killer to justice, I decided to stay. Things have been quiet for a few months, but now . . . well, we’re thrown into another mess.

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

Let’s just say I like to let Rebecca think she’s in charge. I don’t think she realized quite how stubborn the people of Clear Creek can be, and while she’s dealing with them I can sneak around, leaving enough hints of what I want to do that she thinks it was her idea. Then we’re both happy.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I actually didn’t start out as the main character. Rebecca was trying to tell some other woman’s story. Eventually she realized that I really was the right person to highlight, and I headed to Clear Creek. I just wish I’d arrived to a happier scene.

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

I have a few dear friends in Clear Creek. Kitty, of course — I spent summers with her as I grew up.

Emmilene is a southern belle who moved here recently, and she keeps me laughing with her southernisms.

Granny — well, Granny helped me get into all kinds of trouble when I would visit as a teenager, and she hasn’t stopped.

Then there’s Brandon. There’s a lot of attraction there, but I can’t tell you too much about it because we’re trying really hard to keep our budding relationship a secret.

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

After I made up my mind to stay in Clear Creek and take over the yarn shop, my friend Emmilene stepped forward and started organizing a whole bunch of things. Because of her, the town has a new community center that hosts everything from classes to an open gym.

Running the shop hasn’t been as hard as I’d worried it would be, and business is better than I hoped! I’m also trying to figure out how to keep my travel vlog going at the same time, which is a bit of a handful, but I hate to give it up after spending fifteen years of my life on it.

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

In this book you’ll get the chance to know Kitty better. She finally tells me what happened to turn her from the vibrant girl I remembered into the quiet, timid woman she became. I have a feeling you’re going to be as angry about it as I am.

Thank you for answering my questions, Jemma, and good luck to you and your author, Rebecca McKinnon, with A Hill to Dye On, the latest book in the Clear Creek mystery series.

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

The novel is available online at  Amazon   

About Rebecca McKinnon: Rebecca enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Posted in Archives, October 2022 | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Murder Up To Bat

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Elizabeth McKenna is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Murder Up To Bat, her latest novel in the Front Page Mystery series.

Welcome, Elizabeth. 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.

Murder up to Bat is Book 2 in my Front Page Mystery series. The Great Jewel Robbery (Book 1) introduced readers to Emma and Grace, news reporters who have been friends since college. Emma is a bit wacky and impulsive, while Grace does her best to keep her friend in line. When confronted with a mystery or murder, they rely on their investigative skills to solve it.

In Murder up to Bat, their friend Luke, who owns a gym catering to athletes, is accused of killing the head coach of his travel softball team. Hoping to prove reasonable doubt and free Luke, Emma and Grace zero in on several suspects, including a drug-pushing carnival worker and the assistant softball coaches.

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

My daughters played several sports, including softball. Over the years, I witnessed profanity-laced tantrums from coaches and parents and even police intervention due to threatening behavior. All because an adult took winning a game or a tournament too seriously. It was often embarrassing and sometimes frightening. My story takes the need to win a step further – into murder.

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

One of the themes is the unnecessary pressure we put on our children to win, no matter the cost. My daughters enjoyed sports because they liked to hang out with their friends. Winning a game was a bonus, and losing hurt, but at the end of the day, they remember being with their friends. My youngest played college softball for two years. She said the day she stopped was the best day of college to that point. The pressure was creating so much anxiety that she was miserable. Her coach didn’t understand and called her weak. I thought it was terrible that an authority figure didn’t support my daughter’s decision to put her mental health first.

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

Throughout my books, my main characters have a bit of me in them. Luckily, as a Gemini, I have several personalities to pull from! Other characters come from friends and family. A high school friend recently scolded me because he hasn’t been included in a book yet. Of all my books, Cera and Jake from Cera’s Place are still my favorite characters. I guess I love my “firstborns” the best.

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

The setting for the Front Page Mystery series is the area I have lived in for the past twenty years. I did change a few things to make it easier on the reader, but I used real businesses and town names etc. It’s easier to write what you know.

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

I try to make my stories as accurate as possible, so I’m constantly doing internet searches. For example, having never been arrested, I didn’t know Wisconsin’s procedures or even what a reasonable bail would be for the crime Luke is accused of. So, I read numerous state statutes and law firm web pages to educate myself.

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

Murder up to Bat is a quick read – as is The Great Jewel Robbery (Book 1). If you are new to the series, I encourage you to start with Book 1, though both are standalone stories. For September and October, the ebook version of The Great Jewel Robbery is discounted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Writing Murder up to Bat was a struggle, and it took me longer than usual to complete it. I started it days before the 2020 pandemic took over our lives. I didn’t write for almost two years with all of the chaos and tragedies. But eventually, I got my groove back, and the story became fun to write as I remembered when my children were young and living with me. Thank you for spending some of your precious time with me, and I hope you enjoy my story.

Thanks for answering my questions, Elizabeth, and good luck with Murder Up To Batl, the latest book in Front Page Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Smashwords

About Elizabeth McKenna: Elizabeth’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood. Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband and Sidney, the rescue dog from Tennessee. When she isn’t writing, reading, editing, or walking the dog that never tires, she’s sleeping.

Posted in October 2022 | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Ghost Cat on the Midway

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Mollie Hunt is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Ghost Cat on the Midway, her latest novel in the Tenth Life Mystery series.

Welcome, Mollie. 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.

Ghost Cat on the Midway is the second book in the Tenth Life Cosy Mystery Series featuring septuagenarian Camelia Collins who recently moved from her city home to the small coastal town of Ocean Cove. What she pictured as a quiet retirement is soon disrupted by an unexpected presence. Her property comes with a ghost cat! Thankfully Soji is a gentle if spritely spirit who helps Camelia out of a few fixes, some of which involve murder.

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

As a cat person, I’ve often contemplated the possibility of ghost cats. As I asked around my cat-people friends, I found I wasn’t the only one. A great number had experienced what they considered to be visitations from their felines who had crossed Beyond. I knew I wasn’t the only fiction writer to create a ghost cat character, but once Soji came to me and showed me her potential, I had no choice but to build a story around her.

The mystery for this particular book came to me as ideas always do—bit by bit as I got to know the new characters and their situations. In other words, they tell me what’s going to happen, not the other way around.

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

Unlike my Crazy Cat Lady Series which, with the central character being a cat shelter volunteer, follows the theme of cat rescue and advocacy, the Tenth Life series is blissfully benign. But that in itself is the underlying premise, one of easy reading as a respite in a difficult world.

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

As I mentioned, my characters tend to come to me. They walk, run, jump, leap, or swager into the story and demand my attention. Sometimes they look and act like someone I know or have seen on TV; other times they spring from my imagination, and who am I to say no? The cats tend to be my favourites.

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

As I am the same age as Camelia, I’ve been around a bit. I’ve done some traveling and tend to remember those places with an artist’s eye. Most of Ghost Cat takes place in a small town on the Oregon Coast, an area I’ve toured all my life. Ocean Cove is fictitious, but it could be one of many on that route. I use colour, scent, sound, and touch along with visual descriptions to create a complete picture.

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

Even for the lightest fiction, some research is required. If I don’t know about something, I’ll find out before committing it to the page. Sometimes that entails online work and others I need to go farther afield.

In Ghost Cat on the Midway, one character, 17-year-old Yui Smith, is involved in 4-H and horses. Though I have experience with county fairs, I had to get an expert to help with that subject. Big thanks to Reagen Richey and her mom Kari for the fun and helpful information about 4-H, horse competitions, and horses in general.

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

Thanks for reading, or even thinking about reading my book! It means so much to me to share my stories. Though I would still write them if I were the only person on Earth, there is a special bond between an author and their readers that is as satisfying as petting a purring cat. (Well, almost.)

Thanks to Ascroft eh? for asking thought-provoking questions, as well as for spotlighting me and Ghost Cat on the Midway

Thanks for answering my questions, Mollie, and good luck with Ghost Cat on the Midway, the latest book in the Tenth Life Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Mollie and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram pages. Readers can also sign up for her extremely informal newsletter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Mollie Hunt: Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the award-winning author of two cozy series, the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and the Tenth Life Mysteries. Her Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy features extraordinary cats saving the world. Mollie also pens a bit of cat poetry.

Posted in Archives, September 2022 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Guilty as Framed

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Dianne Ascroft

Lois Winston, author of Guilty as Framed, an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about weaving the plot of her latest book around the theft of several Rembrandt paintings.

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

I fell in love with the paintings of Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn the first time I walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. From that day on, I spent many hours seated in front of my favorite of his paintings, Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer. I even wrote a paper on the painting my senior year of high school.

Because of my love of Rembrandt’s works, I was devastated when the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was burglarized in 1990. Three of the thirteen works of art stolen were by Rembrandt, two paintings and an etching. These included his only seascape, “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, a painting that was nearly five-and-a-half-feet tall, and the postage stamp sized “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” an etching, also known as “Rembrandt ‘Aux Trois Moustaches.”

For years, I followed the investigation, reading articles and newspaper accounts and watching documentaries on the crime, always hoping the stolen works would be found intact and the perpetrators caught. Thirty-two years later, neither has occurred. Most of the people questioned by Boston P.D. and the FBI through the years, including persons of interest, witnesses, and relatives, have since died. To this day, the crime is considered the greatest art theft in history.

For the eleventh book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, I decided to create a story that would incorporate the actual museum burglary and the missing artworks. This gave me quite a challenge. I had to figure out how I could connect a decades-old museum heist in Boston to my humorous New Jersey-set cozy mystery. I did so by digging into the weeds of the crime and taking some authorial liberties. Many of the facts from the actual case make their way into Guilty as Framed, with names changed to protect the innocent and the not-so-innocent. Although Anastasia doesn’t solve the mystery of what happened to the stolen artworks or who stole them, she does find herself inadvertently drawn into the unsolved crime and as usual, racing to unmask a killer.

Guilty as Framed

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11

When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.

Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.

A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.

But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lois, and good luck with Guilty as Framed, an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery.

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

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

 Amazon – Nook – Kobo – iBookstore 

About Lois Winston: USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.

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