In the Dead of Winter

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Victoria Treadwell is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about In the Dead of Winter, the first novel in the Blue Water mystery series.

Welcome, Victoria. 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 Victoria Treadwell and I’m the Dispatcher for the sheriff’s office in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
  • “In the Dead of Winter” is the first book in the Blue Water Mysteries series

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

  • I definitely get my say. Sometimes, in fact, I even surprise the writer.

How did you evolve as the main character?

  • In this book, I’ve got my first chance to prove myself in the sheriff’s office.
  • I’m a woman in an all male, macho environment, plus I get dismissed because I’m not a police officer.
  • Nonetheless, in our first major case in 15 years, I find a piece of evidence that eventually helps convict the killer.

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

  • In this book, I particularly identify with the victim, Carly Yellowwood.
  • When Carly dies, leaving behind a toddler, I want to adopt the poor motherless mite.
  • Unfortunately, it takes a lot to convince my husband, Matt.
  • He’s a guide for fishermen and hunters and we have two sons. He’s the stay at home parent and we just got the youngest into school full-time.
  • Since little Chenoa is half Native, the court intervenes in her custody.
  • I struggle to decide the right thing to do.

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

  • Since there is so little crime in the County, there are only 5 members of the sheriff’s office: the sheriff, a jailer, two deputies and me.
  • The County is vast, and we have one deputy based on Beaver Island out in Lake Michigan.
  • The other deputy is based on Boyne City.
  • I live in Ellsworth with my husband and two sons.
  • Charlevoix County is a gorgeous natural setting that encompasses not only Lake Charlevoix, but a segment of Lake Michigan as well.

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

  • I’m an experienced mystery author, having written 14 cozy mysteries.
  • My first series was called “The Mae December Mysteries”
  • The second series was “The Rosedale Investigations”
  • “In the Dead of Winter” is the first book in the 3rd series.
  • The second is called, “The Silent Solstice,” and is already written
  • I’m just completing the third, “The Equinox Enigma”

Thank you for answering my questions, Victoria, and good luck to you and your author, Lyn Farrell, with In the Dead of Winter, the first book in the Blue Water mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Victoria and her author, Lyn Farrell by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon   Bookshop.org    B&N

About Lyn Farrell: Lyn Farquhar—pen name Lyn Farrell—holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and is an experienced author, having published the seven-book series (the Mae December mysteries) with Epicenter Press and four  books in the Rosedale Investigations series. She has also published one women’s fiction book. To date, eight of her books have been picked up by a secondary publisher, Harlequin. Sales to date from both primary and secondary publishers are approaching 50,000. Lyn worked for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine for 35 years before retiring to pursue her dream of becoming a published fiction author. Lyn is the mother of two, has six stepchildren, and twelve grandchildren. She loves gardening, playing with her Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and is always on the lookout for paintings by her famous artist grandfather, Eugene Iverd.

Posted in Archives, May 2026 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Murder in the Mix

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Carolyn Eichhorn, author of Murder in the Mix, a Gina Morrison mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about Writing Where You Know (And Where You’d Like to Go).

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

We’ve all heard “write what you know” as a starting place to story creation (and, I assume, nonfiction, but that’s a different article) and it makes sense. If we start from the familiar, there is opportunity for authentic detail, for personal reflection, and it gives a solid base for the whimsy or exploration outside of the known that becomes the world inside our readers’ heads – or so we hope. As a mystery writer and lifelong fan, I’ve gotten to know London through Sherlock Holmes and village life in England through Miss Marple. Of course some of Christie’s best known works are in more exotic locales – the Orient Express, the River Nile, but I still believe her – that she knows these places.

Many writers have become inextricably linked to the places where their sleuths solve crimes: seedy L.A., mid-century New York City’s brownstone, wild, unapologetic Florida. My first (and forever unpublished) novel is set in Orlando. Not theme park Orlando, but Thornton Park – a small historic neighborhood not far from the iconic Lake Eola and its fountain. I took some liberties with specific locations in the story, partly out of necessity – my dream coffee shop/mystery bookstore does not exist there sadly – and partly because I imagined that small business owners probably don’t want murders or shady characters or crimes scenes in their workplace.

Laura Lippman – a mystery writer known for stories in and around Baltimore – was asked if the restaurants in her Tess Monaghan books were real and she replied: “If Tess likes the food, the restaurant is real. If the food is bad, the place exists only in my imagination.” (Lippman, n.d.)  This makes sense to me. I want to hype up the favorite spots that make my setting authentic.  I wrote a series of short stories inspired by the mind-numbing realities of corporate cubicle life- a space I know quite well – in which I take a familiar kernel of truth and push it into terrible places outside of my experience. Clearly, I had no desire to name a specific organization, so I made one up. And not because I feared comparisons to real places, but because our own experiences limit us. We have to push our characters into unfamiliar spaces, make them uncomfortable, unsure where to go. That said, the corporate parks, the nearby quarry blasting periodically, the winding streets through Columbia, Maryland that annihilate one’s sense of direction in those tales are all very real. When Lippman, a former journalist at The Baltimore Sun, was asked if the Beacon Light in Tess’ world was really based on the Sun, she gave this cheeky reply: “Obviously not. The Sun is on Calvert Street, while The Blight is on Saratoga Street  (Lippman, n.d.).”

In Murder in the Mix, my main character Gina lives in a bungalow in Baltimore. She frequents diners with her friend Mark. I love diners and in fact wrote scenes for this book in a few. My real-life spot, the BelLoc Diner closed before I finished writing the book and was transformed into a Starbucks. Not the same vibe, so I shifted Gina’s lunch to the Towson Diner. She travels to Savannah and New York City to solve the mystery, stopping at real places along the way – Gabrielas on the Upper West Side, The Place in the Village, and others. Most, I’ve visited, but The Place was chosen for its name and my descriptions came from photos I found online. Sadly, it also closed before I finished my book, so I made the decision to leave the story existing in a time before that happened. I’m still sad I didn’t get to eat and drink there.

Place has such a fundamental impact on us as humans that it makes sense to carry that emotion, those sensory details, that personal history into the worlds we create for our characters. My summers at Lake Gaston, NC inspired a short mystery chosen for inclusion in Malice Domestic’s Murder Most Traditional anthology. I suspect it was not the mystery itself that caught the editor’s attention, but the smell of the ski boat exhaust, the cloudy water always a bit cooler at toe-depth where one can’t see, the coves off the main lake and their piers full of holiday weekend renters who drink a little too much, drive boats a little too fast and make a little too much noise to suit the locals. So if tragedy falls upon one of these obnoxious visitors, that resonates with those who know that world. There is enough familiar to make it real.

My next novel is set at a writing retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, another setting I know reasonably well. But, like Christie, I aspire to write some mysteries in more exotic destinations while I still can. Perhaps the sparkling clear waters of Croatia? A European river cruise at Christmas Market time? The stunning views at Zion National Park? A girl can dream tax-deductible travel dreams, right?

Kudos to the writers of fantasy and sci-fi who build their places without that familiarity and yet still make them feel familiar and grounded in truth. You inspire me. For now, I’ll pull inspiration from places that have moved me and places I dream to visit that have ignited my curiosity.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Carolyn, and good luck with Murder in the Mix, the latest book in the Gina Morrison mystery series. Readers can learn more about Carolyn Eichhorn by visiting the author’s website and Grounds for Suspicion as well as her Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Threads.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon – Bookshop.org  B&N

About Carolyn Eichhorn: Carolyn is a mystery novelist and former Disney Imagineer whose work blends suspense, humor, and heart. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has published short mystery fiction and essays. Based in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she draws inspiration from small towns, big secrets, and the stories people tell to survive.

Posted in May 2026 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Murder in a Lazender Daze

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Daryl Wood Gerber, author of Murder in a Lavender Daze, the latest novel in the Aroma Wellness mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Daryl.

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

Murder in a Lavender Daze is the 2nd in the Aroma Wellness Mysteries.  The series takes place in Carmel-by-the-Sea and features a spa owner, Emma Brennan, and her grandmother Lissa Reade, who is her partner and also the head librarian in Carmel. Emma wants to inspire everyone to breathe and meditate and be kind to their bodies and spirit.

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

I worked on the idea with my editor. We wanted a mystery series that would deal with health and healing. I was already writing the Fairy Garden Mysteries, set in Carmel, and asked if I could set this series there, too. Carmel is a charming and very spiritual kind of place. Whenever I visit, I feel restored.

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

Healing is the theme for the series. In this particular story, Addison Lacey, a regular customer at the spa, is divorcing her husband of eight years. To kick off her journey toward becoming a better version of herself, Addison wants to celebrate with her friends and family at the spa by throwing a Happily Divorced Party. The idea came when I saw a vivacious group of women on a pedal-style open-air bus drinking and whooping it up. They were merely along for the ride; the driver did all the real pedalling. Anyway, I wondered what they might be celebrating. My writing group came up with a few ideas and the divorce party sounded perfect.

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

I try to understand each of my characters’ journeys. For Emma, as a young girl, she learned from her aunt about crystals and healing and essential oils. I thought about how she might have then found her way to opening a spa as a career. After graduating college, she went to Tibet to learn meditation. When she came home, her enthusiasm thrilled her grandmother, who wanted to invest with her. I can relate to Emma’s need for peace and healing. I do get regular massages, and I do everything I can to keep my body and mind humming. Writing helps.

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

Carmel is a real town, so I am able to draw from the location. The ocean is nearby. There are hiking trails and golf courses and such. Many people bicycle. I like to have Emma go outside to take in the environment. She walks from her place to work or to the beach. Her cousin is a cyclist. There are shop owners and visitors to Carmel who frequent the spa or the spa’s café. Emma also participates in classes and events in Carmel, like tai chi classes or fairy garden workshops or library literacy events.  At these events, we meet many of the characters with whom she associates.

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

As a girl, I visited Carmel often. I’ve always enjoyed the galleries and the restaurants. Once I chose it as my location, I have visited the town many times. On one of my visits, I toured all the secret passages and courtyards that Carmel is noted for. On another, I took a self-guided walking tour.

Other research has included visits to crystals and essential oil shops. In addition, I participated in a sound bath so I could understand the technique. It was very calming. I highly recommend it!

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

I hope the readers will enjoy Emma’s journey, her friends, and her family.  I hope they will feel supportive of Addison as she discovers more about herself and as she mourns the loss of her mother. I hope they’ll enjoy Addison’s quirky friends, too.  Loving ones friends and extended family is a vital theme in many of my books.

Thank you for answering my questions, Daryl, and good luck with Murder in a Lavender Daze, the latest book in the Aroma Wellness mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Daryl Wood Gerber by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, Goodreads and YouTube pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky @darylwoodgerber.bsky.social.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Website

About Daryl Wood Gerber: Daryl is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries, and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also, she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Die to Your Own Tune

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Rebecca McKinnon, author of Die to Your Own Tune, an Octavia Fields mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us how to host the perfect cozy mystery party (murder not required).

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

Hello, and thank you for having me! As a cozy mystery author, you might think what I’m about to say is strange, but here it is: It’s time to put down your book. Get out in the world and interact with real people. Throw a party. You can absolutely keep your cozy mystery vibe while you do!

Now, you’re probably thinking I mean the kind where someone gets “killed,” everyone gets a character card, and you spend three hours pretending to be a 1920s socialite with a secret gambling problem.

Those parties are fun, but I’m talking about something different.

This is a cozy mystery party. Which means no one dies (probably), everyone’s comfortable, and the biggest crime of the evening is someone eating the last lemon bar before you got one.

Here’s how to pull it off.

The Invitations

Keep them simple but themed. Handwritten notes are ideal, but let’s be honest—a group text works too. The key phrase to include: “Signature accessory required.”

This is non-negotiable. Everyone needs to show up wearing their coziest, most dramatic scarf, shawl, cardigan, or statement piece. If someone asks what that means, tell them to imagine they’re about to solve a crime at a farmer’s market. They’ll figure it out.

The Dress Code

Cozy. Comfortable. Layered. Think: oversized sweaters, soft pants, fuzzy socks. Pajamas, if they’re brave enough. This is not a heels-and-cocktail-dress situation. If someone shows up in anything remotely uncomfortable, you’ve failed.

And, of course, their signature accessory.

The Menu

Tea station: Set up at least three types of tea. Herbal, black, and something weird like lavender-earl-grey that makes people feel fancy. Provide honey, lemon, sugar, and those tiny spoons that are completely impractical but look adorable.

Coffee and/or Hot Chocolate and/or Spiced Cider (optional but recommended): Some people don’t do tea. Don’t alienate them. They might be your best alibi later.

Pie: At least one. Bonus points if it’s suspiciously good and you refuse to share the recipe. Let people wonder.

Cookies, scones, or other baked goods: Go for a variety. Chocolate chip. Oatmeal raisin. Maybe something fancy, with dried cranberries.

Savory option: Cheese and crackers, veggie tray, something so people don’t go into a sugar coma by 8 PM.

The goal here is abundance. Cozy mysteries always have too much food. Embrace it.

The Activities

Activity 1: The Town Scandal Game

Before the party, create a fake small-town scandal. Nothing too dark—think “someone’s been stealing garden gnomes” or “the town’s prized peach preserves recipe has gone missing.” Write up a few “clues” on index cards and hide them around your space. Guests have to find them and piece together what happened.

No one actually solves it. That’s not the point. The point is everyone wandering around with tea, dramatically pulling their scarves tighter, and accusing each other of crimes that don’t matter.

Activity 2: Signature Accessory Judging

Everyone votes on whose accessory is the most “amateur sleuth.” Categories might include: Most Dramatic, Most Likely to Hide Evidence, Most Comfortable, and Best for a Stakeout.

Prizes are optional. Bragging rights are not.

The Vibe

This is the most important part.

Soft lighting. Candles if you’re not worried about someone (or any pets) knocking them over. A playlist of music without distracting lyrics. Blankets available for anyone who wants one. The temperature should be just cool enough that people appreciate their layers.

The goal is for everyone to feel like they’ve stepped into a cozy mystery novel. Comfortable, slightly whimsical, and entirely safe from actual danger.

What Not to Do

Don’t make it stressful. No complicated games that require too much prep or brain power. No strict schedules. If someone just wants to sit on the couch with tea and pet your cat for two hours while everyone else solves the gnome mystery, that’s valid.

Also, don’t actually commit any crimes. Breaking and entering is only charming in fiction.

The End of the Night

Send everyone home with leftovers. A cookie in a napkin, an extra scone, whatever’s left of the pie. Cozy mysteries always end with the community coming together, and nothing says community like sending your friends home with baked goods.

And if someone asks when the next one is? You’ve succeeded.

Just maybe space them out. You don’t want your friend group developing the same murder rate as an actual cozy mystery town.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Rebecca, and good luck with Die to Your Own Tune, the latest book in the Octavia Fields mystery series. Readers can learn more about Rebecca McKinnon by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Bookbub, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The book 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 April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Blue Ribbon Murder

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Shell McMillan is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Blue Ribbon Murder, the latest novel in the Urban Tails Pet Shop mystery series.

Welcome, Shell. 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 Blue Ribbon Murder. It is the last entry in the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries, which centered around me, an ex-actress who returned to my hometown of Fox Hollow CT after my spy series was cancelled. Along the way I find a lot of dead bodies!

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?  Oh I definitely get a say.  I have heard the writer say many times she’s going in one direction and then gets pulled into another J

How did you evolve as the main character? Unless you count the cats, I have always been the main character. 

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? I enjoy sharing the limelight with the cats and also with my former co-star Gary. He turned out to be a pretty good sleuth himself!

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?  The Pet Show is a place that I’d definitely revisit again – only minus the dead body.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? We are grateful to all the loyal readers who have supported me and company over the years and who knows. Someday we may meet again.

Thank you for answering my questions, Shell, and good luck to you and your author, T C LoTempio, with A Blue Ribbon Murder, the latest book in the Urban Tails Pet Shop mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Shell and her author, T C LoTempio by visiting the author’s website and blog, and her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon   B&N   Kobo

About T C LoTempio: While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing.  They also write the Pet Shop Series and the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger series and brand new Cozy Bookshop Mysteries!

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Sparks, S’mores and Scandals

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Taryn O’Kelly is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Sparks, S’mores and Scandals, the latest novel in the Taryn O’Kelly mystery series.

Welcome, Taryn.

Thank you so much for having me here and helping Michelle and me celebrate my newest mystery, Sparks, S’mores, and Scandals.

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 am a party planner by trade and body finder by accident. Unfortunately for me, “accidents” keep happening. Detective Parker seems to think that I go looking for trouble, but I swear to you, trouble finds me. So, for now, I am Taryn O’Kelly, the trouble-finding, party-planning, sleuth of Silver Springs, Colorado.

Michelle, my writer, has affectionately named my series the Taryn O’Kelly Mysteries, after me. Detective Parker knows this. I promise I was doomed to find trouble from the start!

During my current mystery, Sparks, S’mores, and Scandals, I have found that some people in our quaint town want to change things. They are plotting to remove some of the country characteristics that the Silver Springs residents and tourists have come to love and preserve.

We have had an unusual rainy season, and fires seem to be breaking out at random. An insurance adjuster, known for denying claims, has gone missing, and the KOA campground summer kickoff party I have planned looks like it won’t go as smoothly as I like.

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

Michelle sets the stage, but we discuss the endgame. As I go through the story, since it’s told from my perspective, I let her know what I am seeing and hearing, and what I want to do next. But she holds information back from me so the story can unfold authentically. By the time the mystery ends, I am as surprised as you!

How did you evolve as the main character?

Michelle has a daughter, and my name was on the baby list. But when it wasn’t chosen, and she didn’t have another daughter, she decided to create me. Michelle wanted me to have my own story. She loved planning her wedding to her husband so much that she thought this was what Taryn needed to do. And I must say I am grateful. I love planning and organizing things! And weddings are my most favorite.

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

Oh, this is actually a funny question because Michelle, I, and the whole gang were just discussing how this group has evolved. Even Detective Parker refers to us as Mystery Inc.!

It all started with Party Planning for Murder, the first mystery I found myself in. I was planning a wedding for a real-life bridezilla, and there was a murder at the bachelor party. The men in my life, Robert, my ex, and Alex, my boyfriend, were behaving weirdly. My best friend, Kandice, really pushed for us to figure out who the murderer was, with Bridzilla insisting I find the killer. That investigation nearly cost me my life, but Kandice dubbed us Charley’s Angels and still maintains we are that cool.

The second mystery I was involved in was one I didn’t think Michelle was going to mention. Frost and Foul Play, a Mystery Novella, where once again, Kandice insisted, we investigate. And since I was threatened by the mayor during my Skijoring event, investigating seemed like the right thing to do. No boys in that one.

Then came Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses, which was supposed to be a relaxing getaway with Alex. But my ex showed up, a past bad guy appeared, and, of course, more murder happened. What’s a vacation without a few dead bodies? Right? Well, Alex, Robert, and I teamed up to catch the killer. The boys were so scared from my last encounters that they wouldn’t let me out of sight.

That brings us to our current situation. Now all four of us are usually involved. Since I’m typically the one being targeted by the bad guys, no one wants me going it alone. I’m not complaining, I love having these guys around. We’ve found a fun groove where everyone feels comfortable. There was a time I would have said I never wanted to see Robert again, but now I can’t imagine my life without him as a friend. I love Alex, and he loves me enough to embrace Robert and Kandice as my sidekicks, too!

Michelle has all of us talking to her now, and these mysteries are getting more and more complicated.

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

Silver Springs sits in a valley tucked into the Rocky Mountains. It’s a beautiful historic mining town. We have a river that zigzags through town. And a narrow-gauge railroad that takes tourists on a historic ride into the wild west of the Rockies. Eclectic shops and local artisans fill Main Street, and the fields surrounding the town are farms supplying most of the restaurants we have and/or the local community. We have an active VFW, and St. Bridget’s Catholic Church is a staple of the town’s hospitality. Honestly, it’s a mountain paradise, an escape back in time, where things are usually slower.

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

I would invite you into my world where love, passion, kindness, and persistence always win. Bad people do bad things, good people do the right thing, no matter how hard it is, because in the end, all we have is love and compassion. Nothing else.

If that’s a little cheesy or hopelessly romantic for you, then consider this. My mysteries are usually high-stakes, offering humorous situations, quirky supporting characters, and always a happy ending. An escape from the real world, where, as Michelle puts it, the cast of Friends meets the cast of Scooby-Doo and solves a big mystery.

Thank you for answering my questions, Taryn, and good luck to you and your author, Michelle L Clifton, with Sparks, S’mores and Scandals, the latest book in the Taryn O’Kelly mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Taryn and her author, Michelle L Clifton by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon   B&N Barnes & Noble

About Michelle L Clifton: Michelle writes lighthearted, high-stakes cozy mysteries filled with humor, romance, and small-town shenanigans. She is the author of the Taryn O’Kelly Mysteries, a fast-paced series featuring party planner and amateur sleuth Taryn O’Kelly and her growing circle of friends who somehow keep stumbling into trouble. Her stories blend the charm of traditional cozies with the quick pace and comedic flair readers love in Janet Evanovich  books, always with a satisfying, happy ending.

Michelle serves on the board of the Southwest Florida Fiction Writers and is Editor-in-Chief of Inkwell Magazine. She is also the founder of Salty Inspirations, her blog, journal pen name, and publishing imprint, which serves as a home for her writing, creative projects, and behind-the-scenes insights into life as a cozy mystery author.

She lives in Cape Coral, Florida, with her husband. Her books are perfect for readers who enjoy humorous mysteries with heart, memorable characters, and a touch of romance mixed with murder.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Murder, Local Style

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Valerie Corbin is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Murder, Local Style, the latest novel in the Orchid Isle mystery series.

Welcome, Valerie. 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.

Murder, Local Style is the story of how in order to make new friends, I joined the neighborhood orchid society here in my new-found home of Hilo, Hawai‘i, how I volunteered to oversee their annual benefit dinner (since I’m a retired caterer for the film and TV industry in L.A.), and how it all went horribly wrong when my food ended up poisoning the guests and killing the elderly president of the society.

Not a good way to make new friends.

That’s how I found myself once again trying to solve a murder and exonerate the prime suspect (myself, in this case). You see, this is the third time I’ve found myself in this situation, crazy as it sounds. The first two murder investigations are recounted in the previous books in Leslie Karst’s Orchid Isle mystery series: Molten Death (involving a body—which only I witnessed—being covered over by hot, molten lava) and Waters of Destruction (in which I undertook to prove my good friend Sachiko innocent when the body of the bartender at her restaurant, the Speckled Gecko, is pulled from the dangerous Wailuku River shortly after a heated argument between her and her barkeep).

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

Oh, I have a say, all right! I mean, c’mon—it’s my story. Leslie may have editorial control over how the story is told and what to emphasize, and she may embellish a bit (I suppose that’s the writer’s prerogative), but she better darn well stick the facts. If not, I may well refuse to let her write any more stories about me.

How did you evolve as the main character?

That’s gotta be obvious, right? Because I’m the one who’s been undertaking to investigate these murders here on the Big Island, and the protagonist of crime writing is always the sleuth. (Okay, I suppose on occasion the main character is the villain. But in my case, I had no idea who the murderer was until very late in the game, so that wouldn’t have been an option for Leslie.)

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

Well, I do love sharing the story with my wife, Kristen, who’s been very supportive of my new…hobby? Can putting yourself in danger as you try to track down a killer be a hobby? I guess it can, but it’s not an advisable hobby for most people out there.

And I also quite enjoy sharing my stories with our pals Isaac and Sachiko, who were the first people we knew here in Hilo. Isaac—who grew up down in Puna, a ways south of Hilo—is a great resource for all things Big Island, and his partner Sachiko not only gave me a part-time job as bartender at the Speckled Gecko, but she’s also a hoot-and-a-half to hang out with. Kristen and I love hangin’ with those two whenever we can, over cocktails and a delicious meal of Kalbi ribs or kālua pork with papaya coleslaw and the ubiquitous scoop of steamed white rice.

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

Hilo is a charming town on the eastern/windward side of the Big Island of Hawai‘i which, because of its reputation for rain, has far less tourists than the better known Kona coast on the leeward/dry side. I love little Hilo town for so many reasons, including the fact that it seems stuck in the 1960s and ’70s with its small shops and restaurants and walkable downtown and the presence of the university and so much music, art, and constant cultural activities, including the world-famous Merrie Monarch hula festival. And the best-kept secret of the place? The rain falls mostly at night, which is absolutely lovely when it pitter-pats upon your metal roof as you slide into sleep.

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

If you like Hawaiian-style food and drink, know that there are recipes included in the book—all tested by me and given my hearty stamp of approval!

Thank you for answering my questions, Valerie, and good luck to you and your author, Leslie Karst, with Murder, Local Style, the latest book in the Orchid Isle mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Valerie and her author, Leslie Karst by visiting the author’s website, Chicks on the Case, and Mystery Lovers Kitchen as well as her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Bookshop

About Leslie Karst: Leslie is the Lefty and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle mysteries Waters of Destruction and Molten Death, of the Sally Solari mystery series, and of the IBPA Ben Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School, then returned to school to study the culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie splits her time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California, spending her days writing, cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock.

Posted in April 2026, Archives | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

A Staged Death

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Mrs Tiffany Lathrop and Miss Rosalyn Arden from A Staged Death, A Lady Librarian mystery, are visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about being an actress during the eighteenth century.

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

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop: I am the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian and I am here today with the famous London actress Miss Rosalyn Arden. Let me first say, what an honor it is to be speaking with you. Allow me the pleasure of introducing you to our audience today. Rosalyn is a famous London actress and the female star of Silas Everton’s acting company. Her most recent role is Kate Hardcastle in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer.

Now for my first question. During William Shakespeare’s time in England (1564-1616) all of the parts were played by men. When did women begin to act on London stages?

Miss Rosalyn Arden: It wasn’t until a royal warrant in 1662. King Charles II (1630-1685) declared that “women rather than boy actors were to play all female roles.” However, in other parts of Europe, such as in Italy, women were performing an entire century before it was allowed in England.

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop: Did women have no part in the theatre until after the English Civil War?

Miss Rosalyn Arden: That would be inaccurate, ma’am. Women sewed the costumes and often made the wigs used by the players. They would also assist with make-up. And Ellen Burbage was involved in the business side of the theatre. She was of the actor James Burbage, who was an associate of William Shakespeare.

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop: My dear that is fascinating. I envy your ability to play so many different parts and pretend to be different people. My next question is—how shall I say this—a little indelicate. I have no desire to offend yourself or other women, no matter what their personal choices are…but is it true that famous actress are often the mistresses of wealthy men?

Miss Rosalyn Arden: I think that it would be an oversimplification to believe that all actresses are mistresses. However, it is also true that many famous actresses did have aristocratic benefactors. You mentioned King Charles II, one of his mistresses was an actress named Nell Gwynn (1650-1687). And the most famous comedic actress of our time in 1787 is undoubtedly Dorothea Bland, better known as Mrs. Jordan (1761-1816). She is currently in a relationship with Sir Richard Ford, a police magistrate and lawyer.

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop: Thank you for your honesty, Rosalyn. Now that I have asked about the history of the theatre, I am interested in knowing more about your role in the play She Stoops to Conquer. How do you stoop?

Miss Rosalyn Arden: I play the part of Kate Hardcastle. She is a woman of birth, fortune, and education. Kate Hardcastle pretends to be a maid because Charles Marlow is shy speaking to ladies of similar rank. He falls in love with me as a maid and then we marry.

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop: Then I suppose “all’s well that ends well.” Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you in your newest role: potential victim or possible killer in A Stage Death. Any hints for our audience?

Miss Rosalyn Arden: No spoilers. But I shall end with a quote from Shakespeare:

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

References:

“Dorothea Jordan”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Nov. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothea-Jordan. Accessed 25 January 2026.

“Women on the Stage.” https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeares-life-and-times/women-on-stage

Thank you for sharing this with us, ladies, and good luck to you and your author, Samantha Larsen, with A Staged Death, the latest book in A Lady Librarian mystery series.

Readers can learn more about the ladies and their author, Samantha Larsen by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Bookbub and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Dreamscape – Amazon – B&N

About Samantha Larsen: Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, having tea parties, and chauffeuring her four kids. She teaches World Literature at Brigham Young University. Her young adult fiction books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and her historical romances are published around the world. She also writes murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen that Publisher’s Weekly called “wildly enjoyable.”

Posted in April 2026 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Terror in Taffeta

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Marla Cooper, author of Terror in Taffeta, the first novel in the Destination Wedding mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Marla.

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

Hi! Thanks for having me on the blog. Terror in Taffeta is book one in the Destination Wedding Mysteries starring Kelsey McKenna, destination wedding planner extraordinaire. Part of Kelsey’s job is knowing what to do when something goes wrong — and when you’re traveling to far-away places with people you hardly know, something always goes wrong. Each book takes the reader to a different location, providing lots of fodder for mystery and mayhem.

They were originally published by Saint Martin’s but I got the rights back last year and now I’m relaunching the series!

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

The same way that one eats an elephant: One piece at a time. First there was the inspiration for the main character. That happened when I ghost wrote a book on destination weddings for an actual wedding planner. Right around that time, someone I know sold a cozy mystery and I realized that a destination wedding planner would make the perfect amateur sleuth! Then I had to choose my location. I picked San Miguel de Allende for the first book because It’s a place I love spending time. It’s a super charming colonial village in central Mexico, very romantic — in fact, it’s where my parents went on their honeymoon! Then it was just a matter of figuring out who died, who the suspects were, and who actually did it.

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

I didn’t set out to write the book with a big capital-T theme in mind. It’s a cozy mystery, so my main goal was to tell a fun story with a destination wedding, a murder, and a lot of chaos along the way. But looking back, one theme that does emerge is justice. Kelsey can’t stand the idea that the bride’s sister might be in jail for something she didn’t do, and her loyalty to her client pushes her to keep digging. As a wedding planner she’s used to fixing problems, and in this case that instinct turns into solving a murder. In many cozies, that sense of personal responsibility is what drives the sleuth to uncover the truth and set things right.

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

Okay this is controversial but I have a character I enjoyed writing so much because she was loud and outspoken and kind of a diva: Mrs. Abernathy, the mother of the bride. I absolutely loved her. She was the first character I’d ever written who would just pop off and I would hear her lines of dialogue out loud in my head. (One of my favorite lines of hers was one that a Mother of the Bride actually said to a member of my writing group: “Put your shoes on, girls! This is a wedding, not a hoedown.” That still makes me laugh to this day.)

As much as I enjoyed enabling her, though, I think she might have triggered some of my readers. However, the story arc where Kelsey earns her respect by the end of the book actually made me tear up as I wrote it!

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

So far I’ve only written about places that I’m deeply connected to. As I mentioned, San Miguel de Allende has a personal meaning for me and my family. My second book is set in Northern California, where I lived for many years. And book three is set in Hawaii, which was my favorite vacation destination when I lived in the Bay Area. I love writing about these places because I get to spend time in them, even when I’m sitting at my desk. In book three, which I’m currently writing, there’s a scene where they go snorkeling and I can feel it in my bones when I reread it.

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

The best part of my research is traveling to the places I write about. Other than that, the biggest thing that I needed to know was what it’s like to be a destination wedding planner. Conveniently, when I ghostwrote the nonfiction destination wedding planning guide, it was my job to translate the contents of my client’s brain onto paper, so I did hours and hours of interviews — not realizing that it was actually research for what would become my first novel!

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

Please don’t be mad at Mrs. Abernathy! She’s demanding, but she means no harm.

And if you choose to read it, thank you! This book was my way of escaping after a long day of writing things for other people. I just wanted something that would make me laugh. I hope it makes you laugh, too.

Thank you for answering my questions, Marla, and good luck with Terror in Taffeta, the first book in the Destination Wedding mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Marla Cooper by visiting the author’s Facebook, Goodreads, Threads and Instagram pages.

The novel is available online at Amazon.

About Marla Cooper: Marla is the author of the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries. As a freelance writer, Marla has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku, and it was while ghostwriting a guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her series. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and a few too many cats. She is the Vice President of Sisters in Crime, Heart of Texas chapter.

Posted in Archives, March 2026 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Arson, Old Lace and Murder

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Charlie Kingsley is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Arson, Old Lace and Murder in the Charlie Kingsley mystery series.

Welcome, Charlie. 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.

Arson, Old Lace and Murder is book 8 in the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. It’s a bit darker and has more action than the other Charlie Kingsley Mysteries (Michele has been calling it a cozy thriller, but that seems like an oxymoron to me as part of the cozy vibe is low stakes, whereas the thriller vibe is all about high stakes and this book definitely has higher stakes than most cozies–but other than that, it does have all the other cozy elements, such as small town, tea, pets and quirky characters.)

The series takes place in Redemption, Wisconsin, in the 1990s. This particular book also delves into a lot of Redemption lore—Redemption is a haunted town with a troubled past and this book really digs into that. That said, it’s not necessary to read any of the other books in the series to enjoy this one. All books in the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries can be read as standalone, including this one.

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

I most definitely get a say or Michele would mess things up. It’s much better if I am involved.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I started as the dead aunt in the Secrets of Redemption series, which is a psychological thriller series (The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is a spin off of Secrets of Redemption—both series are clean). From the beginning I had to take control as Michele had my name wrong and she also thought I would be a very minor character. It happened in stages but she eventually came around to the idea that I needed my own series.

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

Pat’s my best friend, and I always enjoy spending time with her, although things get a little tense between us in this book. I ended up having a different side kick, Mildred, who was first introduced in Murder Next Door, which is book 3 of The Charlie Kingsley. Mystery series plus she’s in The Redemption Detective Agency. Also, things get a little…complicated between myself and Officer Brandon Wyle in this book.

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

As I said earlier, this story is a little darker and has more action. It opens with me discovering a burning bar and trying to save a pregnant waitress who is trapped inside…who then disappears. And that’s just the beginning.

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

If you love cozy mysteries that are twisty (think Agatha Christie vibes) you’ll probably love The Charlie Kingsley Mystery series.

Thank you for answering my questions, Charlie, and good luck to you and your author, Michele Pariza Wacek, with Arson, Old Lace and Murder, the latest book in the Charlie Kingsley mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Charlie and her author, Michele Pariza Wacek by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Instagram pages.

The novel is available online at  Amazon 

About Michele Pariza Wacek: A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her  books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Posted in Archives, March 2026, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment