Danger at Dunhaven Castle

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Cate Kensie is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Danger at Dunhaven Castle, the first novel in the Cate Kensie mystery series.

Welcome, Cate. 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 Cate Kensie, star of the Cate Kensie Mysteries, a cozy mystery series.  Well, maybe I’m not the star.  That honor probably rests with my dog, Riley, who gets A LOT of attention from readers (and I can understand why!). 

My series follows me from my humble beginnings as an American college professor to my current position as Countess of Dunhavenshire, Scotland, and mistress of Dunhaven Castle!  I inherited the castle from a relative I never realized I had: Lady Gertrude MacKenzie.  I didn’t think I had any relatives after my parents died, but it turns out I did and just as my career stalled, I inherited the castle, moved to Scotland and the rest, as they say, is history.

Little did I know I’d inherited a castle with a secret!  And WOW what a secret!  The castle, along with the timepiece passed on to me by Gertrude, allows us to TIME TRAVEL (see Book 1 if you want to know how we figured that out!).  When I say us, I mean myself and my estate manager, Jack Reid.  Only Reids and MacKenzies know about the secret, and we’re supposed to protect each other and the secret. 

Since discovering the anomaly, Jack and I have been time traveling to solve a few mysteries.  First, when my ancestor was accused of murder in 1856 and second when someone robbed my family of heirloom necklaces in 1925. 

This time around, though, I’m not sure what to make of things.  You see, I’ve just found the journals of my ancestor, Douglas MacKenzie, the castle’s builder.  And not a moment too soon!  We’ve been experiencing a few… oddities with the time rips that allow us to slip into other centuries.  Put that on top of the crippling nightmares I keep having and we’re smack dab in the middle of another set of mysteries. 

I really hope I can figure out who the man chasing me in my dreams is and how Douglas mastered time travel before disaster strikes!  Maybe you can help! 

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

I’m not sure either of us control what happens!  Life kind of happens to me and I relay it all back to her to write down!  I hope you enjoy my stories.  I usually do, at least after they are over.  Sometimes they’re stressful to live through!  That’s how I know Nellie doesn’t really control what happens to me!  I’ve been shot at, almost drowned, slipped back in time without realizing it and more!  She’d NEVER let anything happen to me.  After all, I’m named after her grandmother, Catherine!

How did you evolve as the main character?

Great question!  I started out pretty backward and introverted.  I spent most of my time alone (and I liked it just fine, no complaints!), but now that I’m a Countess, I can’t really hide myself away.  Mrs. Campbell, our town’s librarian and historical society president, really loves showing off the castle and I can’t say I blame her.  She’s already planned three parties on the estate and they’ve come off really well.

I recall slipping into my evening gown before the New Year’s Eve gala and thinking how different my life had become.  Only one year before, I’d fallen asleep before the ball dropped in Times Square in a pair of sweatpants with Riley curled at my side.  A year later, I was meeting and greeting lords and ladies along with our townsfolk at VIP event in my own castle!

I’m still not sure how well I’m doing at this Countess thing, but I’m hoping I’m making the transition from shrinking violet to sociable host!

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

Before I moved to Dunhaven, I was pretty much on my own, outside of my little black and white dog, Riley.  He is definitely my best friend, sounding board and boy, does he love Scotland! 

Since we’ve moved, I’ve got a whole new set of friends to share my life with!  First, there’s Jack Reid, my estate manager.  He knows about the secret and, though he doesn’t love time traveling as much as I do, he is great to share adventures with.  He’s fun, funny and he always looks out for me. 

Then there’s Bailey!  While Jack and I were busy solving a murder mystery in 1856, my buddy, Riley, was busy solving his own mystery!  He found his new friend, Bailey, in a folly on the property.  Bailey ran away from a local farm.  The farmers offered for me to adopt him, and I readily accepted.  It’s great that Riley has a new puppy pal!

And, of course, there are the Frasers, Charlie and Emily, my groundskeeper and housekeeper and our newest addition to the castle, Molly.  Molly was a friend of my from my college professor days and the department secretary for my department.  She just moved to Scotland to become my housekeeper-in-training after a nasty bit of luck.  I hope she loves it here as much as I do.

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

Dunhaven Castle and its grounds are simply stunning!  The castle itself is beautiful and pretty big, too!  I’m not sure I can count the number of rooms even if I tried.  My favorite ones are the sitting room off the foyer and the library.  I just love the tartan curtains and all the heavy, dark woods there.  I love the tearoom, too.  It’s so bright and cheery.  And, of course, I love my bedroom suite with its chaise lounge near the fireplace in the sitting area. 

My other favorite spot is the loch out back.  Riley, Bailey and I love to walk to it and then lounge on the bank and watch the clouds roll by.  And when the water is still, I can see the reflection of the castle in it!

P.S.  If you’d like to see pictures of my home, check out the Members Only area at www.nelliesbooknook.com.  I’ve got tons of pictures posted of my house and the grounds!

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

I’d honestly say this is one of my most exciting adventures so far!  Even if you haven’t read any of my other stories, you can jump right into this one.  And if you like some of the side characters that pop up on this story, there’s another entire series with them for you to dive into!

I hope you’ll join me for my latest mystery, I’d love your help in solving it!  And I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting Riley and Bailey, too!

Thank you for answering my questions, Cate good luck to you and your author, Nellie H. Steele, with Danger at Dunhaven Castle, the first book in the Cate Kensie mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Cate and her author, Nellie H. Steele by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram and Tiktok pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at Amazon.

About Nellie H. Steele: An Indies Today finalist for Best Book of the Year 2020 with Cleopatra’s Tomb, Nellie H. Steele made the leap from science to art with her first book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.

An animal enthusiast, Nellie often features a version of one of her fourteen rescue animals in her stories, though the fictional pets are usually better behaved than her own fur-babies!  A literary split personality, Nellie’s work ranges from cozy mystery to supernatural suspense to riveting adventure.She lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.  When she isn’t writing or engaging in animal care, she enjoys teaching Statistics and Data Science at a local university.

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The Mystery of the Eight Islands

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today McKenna is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Mystery of the Eight Islands, the latest novel in the Trouble in Paradise mystery series.

Welcome, McKenna. 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.

Hey, everybody, McKenna here. Thanks for inviting me to do this Q&A. I’m usually the one asking the questions, but I guess I’m not the one playing amateur sleuth for the day, eh, Ashcroft? Sorry, couldn’t resist myself. Anyway, Mystery of the Eight Islands is my eleventh Trouble in Paradise Mystery. A long time ago, he thought it would be fun to write a mystery set in Hawaii. He decided that since I’d been a skip tracer, I’d make a good amateur sleuth. I turned him down at first, but—like everything else in life—I got pulled in by a woman.

My writer had me traipsing around the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and O’ahu for a while. I haven’t done much traveling in the past few books. I’m guessing my writer’s travel budget ran out, but he won’t share those kinds of details with me. You know what cheapskates some of these writers can be.

Anyway, there seems to be plenty of crimes to solve on O’ahu. This latest one involves an attorney who fell down a flight of stairs and died. Coincidentally, the Eight Islands, a valuable antique necklace the man owned, disappeared the same day. The victim’s granddaughter wants help finding her grandfather’s killer—she claims he was murdered—but I think she’s got ulterior motives. Like getting back that quarter of a million dollar necklace.

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

If you talk to my writer, he’ll tell you he’s in control. He gets out his little index cards and fancy software and plays master and commander of the novel. He even went so far as to make me eat poi one time. I took one bite, told him it tasted like wallpaper paste, and laid down the law. He gave in because he knows I’m the one doing the heavy lifting. I get a big assist from my friend Chance Logan. My writer keeps trying to hold Chance back and not let him get his PI license. We all know that’s going to happen sooner or later. These writer types, they can only hold off the inevitable for so long. They just don’t like to admit it.

How did you evolve as the main character?

My writer tells me he was on Kauai and was looking through the slats of the blinds when inspiration struck. I think that’s a bunch of hooey. Once he started writing (after playing with his silly index cards and all his other little writer toys) I showed him how to get the job done. After that, I had him and he couldn’t let anyone else be the main character.

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

That depends on which part of the story we’re talking about. For the sleuthing part, I enjoy working with Chance. As far as my personal life goes, I much prefer sharing that part of the story with my wife, Benni. I’m pretty sure most of the folks who read your blog can figure out my reasoning.

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

Honolulu’s a great place. Warm days, gentle trade winds, and fabulous sunsets. What’s not to like? Right? Because Hawaii draws so many tourists, life can get a little crazy. The good news is that as long as you stay away from the tourist traps, we really don’t have to deal with them much. Most of them are here for the sandy beaches, warm waters, and palm trees. Personally, after being here for almost a decade, I’m starting to think of it as home.

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

Well, first of all, I got married a couple of books ago, so, ladies, I’m off the market. Second off, Mystery of the Eight Islands is a tricky case. We’re dealing with a century-old jewel theft, what seems like a bogus list of suspects, and a bunch of people with secrets. Then there’s the problems my writer caused—a big tenant issue and the possibility that Chance might lose his opportunity to become a PI. I’m telling you, people, my writer really needs to take a chill pill. He’s got this thing about complications. Anyway, I hope you check out Mystery of the Eight Islands. It’s a lot more fun than eating poi.

Thank you for answering my questions, McKenna, and good luck to you and your author, Terry Ambrose, with The Mystery of the Eight Islands, the latest book in the Trouble in Paradise mystery series.

Readers can learn more about McKenna and his author, Terry Ambrose by visiting the author’s website and his Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow him on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About Terry Ambrose: Once upon a time, in a life he’d rather forget, Terry Ambrose tracked down deadbeats for a living. He also hired big guys with tow trucks to steal cars—but only when negotiations failed. Those years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons such as—always keep your car in the garage.

Terry has written eighteen books, several of which have been award finalists. In 2014, his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. His series include the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries, the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, and the License to Lie thriller series.

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Death on the Shelf

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Allison Brook is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death on the Shelf, her latest novel in the Haunted Library Mystery series.

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

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

DEATH ON THE SHELF is the fifth book in my Haunted Library series set in a small town in Connecticut called Clover Ridge. Much of the action takes place in the library where my sleuth, Carrie Singleton, works as head of programs and events. Carrie often solves murders with the help of the library ghost, Evelyn Havers, who can only be seen by Carrie and Carrie’s little cousin.

In DEATH ON THE SHELF, Carrie’s best friend, Angela, who also works in the library, gets married. Angela is worried that her antagonistic brother will do something awful and ruin her wedding. And why is her newly-divorced cousin Roxy clinging to Aiden, her cousin Donna’s husband? Angela’s fears are realized when someone falls down dead at the wedding and Carrie must find out who is behind this dastardly deed.

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

This grew out of the previous book when Angela got engaged. The new characters, many of whom are Angela’s relatives, appeared and the story took on a life of its own.

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

The theme of DEATH ON THE SHELF is love and marriage. There’s Angela’s wedding, Carrie’s father’s upcoming wedding, and Carrie’s own engagement.  In contrast are the marriages of Angela’s cousins.

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

My characters simply come to me. I do have some favourite ones–like Evelyn Havers, the library ghost. Evelyn often helps Carrie solve mysteries. She lived in Clover Ridge for many years and knows many of the residents. Also, being older—forever in her mid-sixties–she occasionally offers Carrie advice. Yet, Evelyn is often mysterious, refusing to tell Carrie about her life when she’s not at the library. Or holding back information when one of her relatives just might be the murderer.

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

While the library and the town of Clover Ridge are inventions of my mind, I have specific places in mind when I write about them.

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

I find I’m always doing research, be it on wedding protocol, selecting a menu for an event or learning about various criminal activities. I do most of my research online. If I’m dealing with a profession I don’t know too much about, I will seek out a person in that field to learn about it.

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

The scene where Carrie spies on the murderer is a fun scene, and the final scene is rather touching. While each book in the Haunted Library series can be read as a standalone, readers who start with DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, will see how much Carrie has grown and changed over the course of the five books.

Thank you for answering my questions, Allison, and good luck with Death on the Shelf, your latest novel in the Haunted Library Mystery series.

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

The book is available on at the following retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

About Allison Brook: Allison Brook is a penname of Marilyn Levinson. Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

Posted in Archives, November 2021 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Nightmare on the Bike Trail

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Jodi Linton is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Nightmare on the Bike Trail, her latest novel in the Southwest Exposure Mystery series.

Welcome, Jodi. 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.

Nightmare on the Bike Trail is book four in my Southwest Exposure Mystery Series. The series follows amateur sleuth and outdoor guide, Andie Sullivan, as she solves crimes in her mountain community of Bushwhack, New Mexico.

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

A couple years back, my husband and I took the kids to Ruidoso, New Mexico for a trip. There we had the grand idea of renting mountain bikes to take on the trails. Well, my kids didn’t think the idea was so fabulous. They’d stop every two seconds, and I was behind them, so I had to stop, going uphill. It was a nightmare. And that’s how I came up with the idea for the title and some plot to storyline of Nightmare on the Bike Trail.

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

Not necessarily. The book is part of a series and some of the plot connects to an overarching subplot, but the book can be read as a standalone.

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

I created Andie Sullivan and Zac Mars after going on several vacations to the mountains and wondering what it would be like to live there. I just threw a murder mystery into it.

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

When it comes to Bushwhack, New Mexico—my family and I are regular vacationers to Red River, New Mexico and surrounding mountain communities so I was able to draw from my experiences or what I saw.

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

As to research for the Southwest Exposure Mysteries, I actually do outdoors adventures to get a feel of what Andie and her friends might be doing. A few weeks ago, I went canoeing on the Brazos River and spent a day out in nature.

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

Just that it’s a fun, thrilling story and if they haven’t started reading about Andie and her crime solving adventures—now’s the time.

Thank you for answering my questions, Jodi, and good luck with Nightmare on the Bike Trail, your latest novel in the Southwest Exposure Mystery series.

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

The book is available on at the following retailers:

 Amazon  B&N    Kobo     iBooks

About Jodi Linton: Jodi is an author of several romance novels and cozy mysteries. She pens funny, romantic, whodunnits during her days in between being a carpool mom. She lives in Texas with her husband, with who she runs the family day business with and two kids. When she isn’t writing her next page turner, she likes to delve into her hobby of finding all the cool, new makeup products to buy.

Posted in Archives, November 2021 | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

An Eggnog to Die For

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Helene Greenberg is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about An Eggnog to Die For, the latest novel in the Cape Cod Foodie mystery series.

Welcome, Helene. 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.

Greetings. My name is Helene Greenberg. I live inside the Cape Cod Foodie series, which features Samantha Barnes (known to her friends as Sam) a disgraced but resilient ex-chef who retreats home to Cape Cod, where she finds herself juggling a new job as the local paper’s “Cape Cod Foodie,” a complicated love life, a posse of just-slightly-odd friends (which apparently includes me), a falling-down house, a ginormous puppy and a propensity for falling over dead bodies.

The truth is I’m still amazed at the (sometimes hilarious, I admit) murder and mayhem in the first book of the series, A SIDE OF MURDER.  Nor do I see much relief in sight in the book I’m living in now, AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR. But I digress…

Back to me, Helene. For 25 years, I was a legal psychologist with the Manhattan DA’s office, where I evaluated countless people facing criminal charges. When I retired three years ago, I moved to the town of Fair Harbor on the Cape, where I’m now a librarian, a job I much prefer. Sam says I am like no other librarian you ever met. Perhaps. Who am I to say? I am 60-ish with a mane of curly silver hair that I don’t even try to tame, a penchant for t-shirts that say things like “Don’t judge my journey,” and very little tolerance for fools.  

But more to the point, I am Sam Barnes’ next door neighbor and confidant. 

When Sam she found she’d inherited her Aunt Ida’s house on the Cape, she retreated home to Fair Harbor, got a job writing restaurant reviews and, on her first assignment (in A SIDE OF MURDER), promptly found a dead body. (Sigh.) And now she’s doing it again in AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR.  Only this time, she stumbles over a very dead Santa in a very hip restaurant. (Sigh again.) No matter how many times I advise Sam to be very, very careful, she invariably is not.  But I keep trying…

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

Honestly, I find our writer a little controlling. Granted, she has to deal with Sam, who never fails to surprise us with her not-being-very-very-careful thing. But I am a reasonable person. You’d think I’d have some input.

About the only thing our writer will let me do is 1) train Sam’s dog, Diogi (pronounced Dee-OH-gee, as in D O G, get it?), which I am quite good at, although I have been accused of using untraditional commands (I ask you, what is wrong with “Diogi, shut up!”?).  And 2) she agrees to let me caution Sam about behaving sensibly in her detection. Also, 3, the writer turns to me to explain why bad guys do what they do. (Twenty-five years with the DA’s office left me with a deep, if cynical, understanding of human nature.) And, of course, 4) she’s all for me trying to guide Sam in her sometimes rocky relationship with the town harbormaster, Jason Captiva.

So actually, now that I come to think about it, apparently I do get a say. 

How did you evolve as a character?

I am 60-something years old, for goodness sake.  I stopped evolving a long time ago. 

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

I’m immensely fond of Diogi.  He’s is your typical Cape Cod mutt, part yellow Lab, part whatever (given his size, perhaps Great Dane). He is loyal and well-meaning, but he is not particularly intellectual. The only commands he responds to are “shut up” (on occasion), “sit” (on occasion), “stay” (almost never), and “go find Helene” (always). And, oh yes, “sic ’em.” Don’t ask.

On the other hand, his emotional intelligence is impressive. If you are feeling blue, Diogi is exactly what you need. First, he will lay his big head in your lap until you smile just a little bit, and then he will take you out for a nice long walk to cheer you up.  It never fails.

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

The series takes place in Fair Haven, a small town on Cape Cod nestled around the shores of Crystal Bay.  In the summer, it is gloriously beautiful, but during the holidays, it’s downright charming. 

Here’s how Sam describes it in AN EGGNOG TO DIE FOR: “There was something magical about a small New England town like Fair Harbor over the holidays. Pine garlands looped along white wooden fences, candles shining in the windows of four-square captain’s houses, wreaths with big red bows on the front doors of modest Capes, little wreaths with smaller bows on the dormer windows—it never changed, and it never failed to lift my heart.”

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

Yes. I’d like to thank all the readers who have written to say how much they enjoy my part in the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries. In the words of one reader, “Helene is a wise friend and always knows when you need a glass of wine and a hot bath!” If that isn’t the definition of friendship, I don’t know what is.

Thank you for answering my questions, Helene, and good luck to you and your author, Amy Pershing, with An Eggnog to Die For, the latest book in the Cape Cod Foodie mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Helene and her author, Amy Pershing by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also sign up for her newsletter here.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N   – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound 

About Amy Pershing: Amy Pershing, who spent every summer of her childhood on Cape Cod, was an editor, a restaurant reviewer and a journalist before leading employee communications at a global bank. A few years ago she waved goodbye to Wall Street to write full time. An Eggnog to Die For is the second of the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries featuring Samantha Barnes, a disgraced but resilient ex-chef who retreats home to Cape Cod where she finds herself juggling a new job as the local paper’s “Cape Cod Foodie,” a complicated love life, a posse of just-slightly-odd friends, a falling-down house, a ginormous puppy and a propensity for falling over dead bodies. Kirkus Reviews gave An Eggnog to Die For a starred review, saying, “A delightful sleuth, a complex mystery, and lovingly described cuisine: a winner for both foodies and mystery mavens.” A Side of Murder, the first of the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries, which Elizabeth Gilbert called “the freshest, funniest mystery I have ever read,” was the first book in the series.  The third, Murder Is No Picnic, will be published in May 2022.

Posted in Archives, November 2021 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Debonair in Death

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Jessica Fletcher is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Debonair inf Death, the latest novel in the A Murder, She Wrote mystery series.

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

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

My name is Jessica Fletcher and I am a school teacher turned mystery writer. Murder, She Wrote, Debonair in Death is book #54 in the series. When Coreen the manicurist at Loretta’s Beauty Parlor is accused of murdering a local merchant, I cannot stand by and see injustice done. While Loretta and I are trying to get Coreen’s name cleared, life gets more complicated because my old friend, MI6 agent Michael Haggerty, is discovered breaking into the dead man’s house.

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

Naturally, I get a say. Just look at the cover, it clearly says, “by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran”. Do you see whose name comes first?

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was fortunate enough to be selected as the main character for the television show Murder, She Wrote which debuted in 1984. A few years later the first Murder, She Wrote book was published. It seems I have a knack for stumbling over murders and an even great knack for solving them so I have become popular with television viewers and readers alike.

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

I love sharing the storyline in Murder, She Wrote, Debonair in Death with old friends, such as Seth Hazlitt, Mort Metzger, Michael Haggerty and the ladies at Loretta’s Beauty Parlor. There is a great level of trust with people I have known for a long time. But I must confess I also enjoy sharing stories with new friends.

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

It is home. I am always happiest to be at home in the small coastal town of Cabot Cove, Maine surrounded by longtime friends and familiar places. 

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

I would like to thank the many viewers and readers who have kept the Murder, She Wrotefranchise alive and well for nearly forty years. I hope we continue to be friends for many years to come.

Thank you for answering my questions, Jessica, and good luck to you and your co-author, Terrie Farley Moran, with Debonair in Death, the latest book in the A Murder, She Wrote mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Jessica and her co-author, Terrie Farley Moran by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon –  IndieBound    Barnes and Noble

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About the authors: Terrie Farley Moran is co-author, along with Jessica Fletcher, of the Murder, She Wrote series. Terrie is also the author of the beachside Read ‘Em and Eat cozy novels, and is co-author of Laura Childs’ scrapbooking mysteries. Her short mystery fiction has been published in numerous venues. Terrie is a recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer awards.

Posted in Archives, November 2021 | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Mia Carina is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, the latest novel in the Catering Hall mystery series.

Welcome, Mia. 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.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder is the third book in the Catering Hall Mysteries.  In the book, I’m over-the-top busy with a full schedule of events at our family business, Belle View Banquet Hall, which my dad Ravello and I run as a legit business for the not-always-so-legit Boldano Family. Parties scheduled include an out-there Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But my personal life is even more challenging. My estranged mother is trying to worm her way back into my life, and my friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. And then of course, there’s a murder or two. Happy holidays, huh?

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? We work together but to be honest, the writer has me on a pretty short lease.

How did you evolve as the main character? I moved back to New York from Florida after being considered a person of interest in my cheating husband’s disappearance. A boat turned up with the body of his mystery in it, but no Adam. He was assumed lost at sea, so I was off the hook. But it left me with relationship PTSD. Zero interest in dating again. Jamie and I started thinking about it but we’re better off as friends. There’s a new guy working for us, Shane. And between us, I am totally crushing on him. Shhh! Don’t say anything!

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? Have I mentioned Shane? I also getting a kick out of my coworker Cammie, who’s committed to coasting on the job. But Cammie working at ten percent is more than most people working at a hundred. And I love my nonna Elisabetta, who lives downstairs from me in our two-family house.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? You mean physically or emotionally? Physically, it’s almost Christmas and Astoria is decked out in Extreme Christmas Decorations. The old ladies in the neighborhood are duking it for Best Decorated Block and the competition is intense, lol.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? It’s funny! If you like reading about holiday parties, bodies showing up in outdoor décor, and an animatronic Tony Benne-Santa decoration that croons Christmas songs – this is the book for you.

Thank you for answering my questions, Mia, and good luck to you and your author, Maria DiRico, with It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, the latest book in the Catering Hall mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Mia and her author, Maria DiRico by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Chicks on the Case pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound 

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

Posted in November 2021 | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

There’s Trouble Brewing….

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Macy Hatfield is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Trouble Brewing, the latest novel in the Barks & Beans Café mystery series.

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

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

My current mystery is titled TROUBLE BREWING, and it’s Book 5 in the Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series. The Barks & Beans Cafe is a place where folks can enjoy a cup of java or tea, some delicious homemade pastries or sandwiches, and pet the shelter dogs that are brought in daily.

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

My author is great at plotting out the entire book, but sometimes things take a turn and more characters show up…or sometimes, I head in a more dangerous direction than she’d originally planned. 😉

How did you evolve as the main character?

A lot of time went into crafting my history with my ex-husband, Jake the Snake (he’s a cheater!), my shelter dog (a Great Dane named Coal), the cafe concept of bringing in shelter dogs, and most especially, my relationship with my big brother Boaz “Bo” Hatfield. Bo and I are very close, and he’s actually the one who renovated our great aunt Athaleen’s house into a cafe so I could enjoy working with dogs every day. My name “Macy” was actually the name of one of my author’s great aunts. Also, my author constantly visits the town where this series is set—Lewisburg, West Virginia, which has been voted one of the Coolest Small Towns in America.

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

I love my brother, Bo—he’s a fierce protector with a teddy bear heart (and a shelter cat!). My friend Summer runs the animal shelter. In TROUBLE BREWING, I’m helping my friend Della track down a treasure…and a murderer. Finally, I have an amazing boyfriend now, but if you haven’t read Book 4 to see who it is, you might want to do that first!

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

Although I hang out a little at the cafe and at my home (the back half of the cafe house), most of TROUBLE BREWING is set at a nearby inn. My friend Della and I went there for a girls’ weekend…and a little snooping. It’s a Halloween Spooks and Screams themed weekend, and there are hayrides, outdoor barbeques, a candlelit ghost tour in town…not to mention a murder that might be linked to a real-life ghostly legend. If you want to feel all the autumn vibes while getting a few shivers along the way, you’ll want to read this one!

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

I’m already gearing up for my next mystery, which is going to be set in the caverns near my town. It’s up for preorder now—COLD DRIP. Also, please note that this is a clean mystery series that adults as well as teens are enjoying. Thank you for letting me visit today!

You’re welcome, Macy, and thank you for answering my questions. Good luck to you and your author, Heather Day Gilbert, with Trouble Brewing, the latest book in the Barks & Beans Cafe mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Macy and her author, Heather Day Gilbert by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at  Amazon

About Heather Day Gilbert: Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather’s realistic characters—no matter what century—feel like best friends. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginia gal can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.

Posted in Archives, October 2021 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Once Upon a Seaside Murder

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Summer Merriwether is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Once Upon a Seaside Murder, the latest novel in the Beach Reads Mystery series.

Welcome, Summer. 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.

Yes, it’s the Beach Reads Series. In this book, the book store I run is hosting a cozy mystery author event and one of the books is based on a cold case that happened locally years ago. It’s a case that my deceased mother kept scrapbooks about. It’s a very odd connection…

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? I don’t get a say, at all.

How did you evolve as the main character? I was a bit of a book snob, but a party of my personal story is that I change my attitude.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? I love my cousin Piper—we are like sisters—her daughter Mia, and my Aunt Agatha.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? Brigid’s Island, a small island of the coast of North Carolina. This is where I grew up and where I am now running my mom’s book store—Beach Reads.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? Beach Reads is a fun part of the community—we even have a book club, “the Mermaid Pie” books club, which is full of my mom’s best friends.

Thank you for answering my questions, Summer, and good luck to you and your author, Maggie Blackburn, with Once Upon a Seaside Murder, the latest book in the Beach Reads mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Summer and her author, Maggie Blackburn 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 – Kobo – IndieBound 

About Maggie Blackburn: Maggie Blackburn is the pen name of Mollie Cox Bryan. She writes cozy mysteries with edge. She’s the author of several bestselling mystery series. She’s recently released a novella mystery series: The Victoria Town Mysteries. Her book, “Goodnight Moo,” has been shortlisted for a Fresh Fiction Reader’s Choice Award. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She makes her home at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley, Va.

Posted in Archives, October 2021 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stitch, Bake, Die!

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Anastasia Pollack is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Stitch, Bake, Die!, the latest novel in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysterie series.

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

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

I’m the crafts editor at a women’s magazine, and thanks to Lois Winston, I’m also the reluctant amateur sleuth of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. Stitch, Bake, Die! marks the tenth novel in the series. Lois has now been turning my life upside-down and sideways for ten books and three novellas. Prior to that, I was a typical middle-class wife and mother of two teenage boys. Then Lois came along and killed off my husband before the first page of the first book. As if that weren’t enough, she decided he was a closet gambler and had not only left me with debt greater than the GNP of most Third World countries, she stuck me with his communist mother and his bookie who’s demanding I pay off Karl’s debts—or else. Ever since, I’ve been scrambling to find ways to earn extra cash to climb out of that debt.

Before Lois decided to mess up my life, she wrote romance. If she wanted to make me a character in one of her books, why couldn’t I be the heroine of a romance? I really, really don’t like all these dead bodies she keeps tossing in my path.

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

Did you read how I answered your first question? If I controlled any part of my story, would I be dealing with murder and mayhem—not to mention all that debt?

How did you evolve as the main character?

It all started with a conversation Lois’s agent had with an editor. The editor was looking for a cozy mystery series with a crafting theme. Lois worked as a designer in the consumer crafts industry, creating projects for craft and women’s magazines, craft book publishers, and kit manufacturers. Her agent thought she’d be the perfect person to write such a series. So Lois patterned me after her own career, making me the crafts editor for a women’s magazine.

And remember how I mentioned I got stuck with my communist mother-in-law? Guess who had a communist mother-in-law that lived with her for six long years. Sometimes I think this series is more roman a clef than fiction. (Lois is demanding that I tell you her husband is still very much alive and has never set foot in a casino, she doesn’t have a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and she’s never stumbled over a single murder victim, much less the countless dead bodies she’s forced upon me. All of which she claims proves the series really is fiction.)

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

I will give Lois credit for one thing. She brought Zachary Barnes into my life when she had me rent out the apartment over my garage. (I’m convinced his genetic material swam in the same primordial soup as Pierce Brosnan and Hugh Jackman!) In my financially solvent days, the apartment was my studio/office, but I needed a way to bring in extra cash. However, in typical Lois fashion, although she made Zack a photojournalist, I suspect he’s got a side gig working for one of the alphabet agencies because he’s always dashing down to D.C. or flying off to weird places like Madagascar.

My bestie is Cloris McWerther, the food editor at the magazine where we both work. Cloris occasionally plays Watson to my Sherlock, which she does in Stitch, Bake, Die! after we’re both roped into working at a conference for retired women executives and—surprise, surprise—it’s not long before one of them winds up dead.

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

Home is Westfield, NJ, which is a real suburban commuter town outside New York City. Lois claims if you set your books in a real location, it’s easier to keep from making mistakes, like having a one-way street going in one direction in one book and in the opposite direction in another book. I say she’s just lazy. However, since she recently relocated to Tennessee, she’s going to have to rely heavily on her memory from now on. This Jersey Girl is NOT moving out of New Jersey. (Don’t tell her I said that! She just might move me to Tennessee to spite me!)

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

I certainly hope your readers will be interested in giving the series a try if they haven’t already. And if they’ve read other books in the series, I hope they’ll read and enjoy Stitch, Bake, Die!

Thank you for answering my questions, Anastasia, and good luck to you and your author, Lois Winston, with Stitch, Bake, Die! the latest book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Kindle – Nook – Kobo  – Apple Books 

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.

Posted in Archives, October 2021 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments