Murder in the Family

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Eve Appel Egret is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Murder in the Family, the latest novel in the Eve Appel mystery series.

Welcome, Eve. 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 Eve Appel Egret, and for the last few years I’ve inhabited the Eve Appel Mysteries. There are eight books in the series, the eighth one having been released by Camel Press in April. It’s entitled Murder in the Family. I’m a gal from Connecticut who has settled in rural Florida to open a high-end consignment shop with my best friend Madeleine. Before we could even get our business off the ground, on opening day I found someone stabbed to death on our dressing room floor. Murder may attract customers in the short run, but it’s never good for business long term. Anger fueled my determination to track down the killer. And that’s the way it has remained throughout all eight of the books: Someone gets murdered, and I jump in to save the day. Of course, I have a lot of help from my family and friends who sometimes caution me against acting precipitously, but I don’t really know the meaning of curbing my curiosity.

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

The writer thinks she creates these stories, but what does she know? I’m a tall, spunky, in-your-face kind of woman, one who can run in high heels and who is in the prime of her life. The writer is much older than me and she does nothing but sit at her computer and dream up crazy stories. I’m the action member of the pair, so I guess I must concede that we both have a hand in the stories. BUT the series wouldn’t be as filled with deeds requiring physical stamina, skill and sheer boldness if my chubby creator had to do them. She’s nothing without me.

How did you evolve as the main character?

The writer got this idea for a short story featuring me as the main character. She submitted it to a contest (Sleuthfest Short Story Contest sponsored by Mystery Writers of America, Florida Chapter 2009) and won first place. She liked me as the protagonist so much (not everyone who meets me feels the same as I can be a bit too much because I can’t seem to ever keep my mouth under control) and the rural Florida setting is unique, so she decided she had the makings of a series. I do have to thank her for introducing me to my husband Sammy. Along with not reining in my curiosity, the writer gave me the best husband and family ever.

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

I’m a very fortunate women to have been raised by a grandmother who is my role model for snoopiness, for my best friend who taught me some manner and social appropriateness, and for my mob boss friend, Nappi, who gets me and supports me as much as any other man except for my husband and his family.  Along with my husband’s family members, especially his grandfather, who are all Miccosukee, Sammy loves me more than I probably deserve. He and I have been through some trying times including getting lost in the swamps of Florida, but together we’ve come through. And my mob boss friend has connections that have helped me ferret out some really awful criminals. Without him I would be lost. Police detective Frida Martinez has always backed me up although she worries about the relationship between Nappi and me, but just between us, I’m not certain he’s really part of the mob. So you see, it’s as if I have an entire posse to work with.

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

Physically, I’ve settled in rural Florida and am happy here. I’ve surprised myself at how well this city gal has become a country dweller. I don’t even miss the fine restaurants in the city as long as there’s barbeque, slaw and a good scotch available at the Burnt Biscuit Bar and Grill. I still, however, insist upon wearing my stiletto heels. No cowboy boots for this fashionista!

This new book finds me pregnant with Sammy and my second child. We have one girl already, Netty, a clone of me with her sassy mouth and stubborn attitude, and we have three adopted sons, children from Sammy’s half-brother. I still own the consignment shop with Madeleine, but I’m devoting more and more time apprenticing with Crusty McNabb, a local private detective. The work is perfect for me. How do I find time to do everything? Well, there are a few problems, but you can see how well I handle some of them and not others in Murder in the Family.

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

You’re going to love being introduced to the swamps of Florida, a place you might think would be creepy. It’s much more than that. It has its share of creatures you might not like, snakes, alligators, feral pigs, and humans engaging in bad behavior, but it also has its share of wild beauty, broad vistas with grazing cattle, cowboys on horseback, exotic birds and sunsets you won’t see anywhere else. The people here are as rugged as the land. They might hold beliefs I don’t agree with, but they are strong and determined… like me.

Thank you for answering my questions, Eve, and good luck to you and your author, Lesley Diehl, with Murder in the Family, the latest book in the Eve Appel mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Eve and her author, Lesley Diehl, by visiting the author’s website and blog, and her Facebook, and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon Kindle – Amazon Paperback – B&N Nook – B&N Paperback

About Lesley Diehl: Cows, Lesley learned growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she went to the field to herd them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t a good career choice, instead she uses her country roots and her training as a psychologist to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. “A good chuckle,” says Lesley,” keeps us emotionally well-oiled long into our old age.” She is the author of several cozy mystery series and numerous short stories.

Posted in June 2021 | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Three Ds – Donuts, Deception & Death

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Eloise Brightly is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Donuts, Deception & Death, her first novel in the Paradise Beach Cozy Mystery series.

Welcome, Eloise. 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.

Donuts, Deception, and Death is the first book in the Paradise Beach Cozy Mystery series. Daisy’s life hasn’t been easy. Her husband passed away six years ago, and she made the best of the situation, opening a bed and breakfast in the house they inherited from his parents. She loves her B&B and her cats, but her neighbor not, not so much. Daisy has every reason to want her neighbor gone since the woman took Daisy’s business name and used it for her new B&B. When the neighbor ends up dead, Daisy is the prime suspect. She has to solve the case by finding the real killer, and run her B&B.

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

I live in a beach town that isn’t anywhere near as quaint as Paradise Shores, but it does provide me with inspiration. People can be quirky in small towns and their antics can show a darker side sometimes.

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

The main theme is living after disappointing events happen. Life isn’t always easy, but people can move on. Recovery and mourning take different paths for everyone, and Daisy’s path of rebuilding her life is inspirational for me.

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

I try to create characters who have gone through difficulty, but they find the silver lining eventually. Daisy has overcome so much, and her upbeat outlook on life is one she has to keep choosing to live. Stuff happens to her, but she keeps pushing forward even when bad things happen.

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

The characters in my stories love where they live. They are the spice that makes the town come to life. Whether quirky or strait laced, the characters make the town better.

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

I’ve tried to make this series realistic in some ways, but also fun and filled with excitement. I grew up reading Lilian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who series and though I’ll never match her grace or style, I love how she wove her stories so much I chose to write cozy mysteries. With improvements in criminal investigations, real cops are a bit better at finding out who murdered the victim, but in my story, it will always be the female sleuth who solves the case. I’ve spent time taking writing classes for mystery authors, searching out information necessary to write a convincing mystery, but more importantly, I hope the stories are enjoyable for the readers

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

I hope the reader finds Donuts, Deception, and Death to be an enjoyable read. The next book, Cupcakes, Collusion, and Casualties will feature Daisy solving another murder that hits very close to home.

Thanks for answering my questions, Eloise, and good luck with Donuts, Deception & Death, the first book in the Paradise Beach Cozy Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Eloise and her writing by visiting her Facebook page.

The novel is available online at Amazon.

About Eloise Brightly: Eloise loves cozy mysteries. Crime fiction is her favorite. She enjoys figuring out whodunit while curled up before a roaring fire with a mug of hot cocoa. She lives on the eastern seaboard and combs the beaches while watching dolphins play, searching for inspiration for another mystery series.

Posted in June 2021 | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

How many is too many?

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Debra H. Goldstein is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Four Cuts Too Many, her latest novel in the Sarah Blair Mystery series.

Welcome, Debra. 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.

Four Cuts Too Many is the fourth book in Kensington’s Sarah Blair cozy mystery series. Sarah Blair is a woman who finds being in the kitchen more frightening than murder. Introduced in One Taste Too Many as having been married at eighteen, divorced by twenty-eight, with the only thing she got out of the marriage being RahRah, her Siamese cat, Sarah has evolved from being shell shocked to gaining some confidence in her abilities. Although she thinks she is the last person capable of solving murders, her concern for family and friends, particularly her twin sister, mother, and two friends who work in her sister’s restaurant, consistently compel her to become involved in finding out whodunit.

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

Like Sarah, the kitchen is not my natural habitat. Consequently, to write this series I did extensive research behind the scenes in restaurants and talking to friends whose positions ran from owner/chef to waiter/busboy. As I learned about the culinary world, I became interested in how chefs learn their skills and how important their tools, especially their knives, are to them. Realizing that the culinary world can be competitive, gave me the idea to intwine culinary education, knife skills, and knife cuts together to create a path of death and intrigue.

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

In Four Cuts Too Many, the theme of loyalty underlies the story, as does the comparison of the education system and the economics of running small businesses – in this case all tied to the culinary world. The development of my interest in these things is ironic in that I, like Sarah, find the kitchen frightening. I’m as liable to catch the oven on fire as I am to properly sear a steak.

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

Two of the greatest influences for my creation of the Sarah Blair mystery series characters are living in the South and being the mother of twins. Although my twins are boy-girl, their personalities are so different that I often kidded that I gave birth to a litter. Creating Sarah, who is afraid of the kitchen, and her twin, Chef Emily, let me play off that kind of relationship and its ramifications in a small Southern town where everyone knows everybody and everything. It also let me create the twins’ mother as a woman from whose mouth phrases like “Bless Your Heart” flow with honey. I’m very partial to these three characters, but my favourite is RahRah, Sarah’s Siamese cat. RahRah doesn’t talk or think out loud. Instead, he communicates like a real cat – through his behavior. One minute he can be cuddly, the next a true alpha cat. I love his spirit and his influence on the other characters in the book because RahRah’s presence reflects the relationships pet owners and pets have.

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

I don’t bring the place I’m writing about to life. Rather descriptions and sensations of the place itself bring it to life for readers. Beliefs about small Southern towns are ingrained in all of us, but I hope my writing takes apart any myths and lets the reader absorb the flavor of the place I am writing about.

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

Besides reading and googling, most of my research for the Sarah Blair series has been hands on. For One Taste Too Many, I spent time in the restaurants of our community and talking with people who worked all jobs in the establishments or who were involved in economic development related to the culinary industry. Two Bites Too Many, which continued the underlying themes of restaurants and economic development, addressed animal shelters and rescue animals. For that, I visited shelters and interviewed owners of rescued animals. Three Treats Too Many included the community motorcycle club which was anything but the TV stereotype. For that book, I talked to folks who rode for fun and comradery and whose involvement in their motorcycle club included raising money and awareness for local charities. Now, for Four Cuts Too Many, I spent more time getting hands on lessons in the impact of different knives and knife cuts, while interviewing educators in both the culinary and the college world.

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

Four Cuts Too Many, like the other three books in the Sarah Blair series, is meant to be a fun and easy beach, airplane, bedside read. Although each book addresses social issues, none beat the reader over the head with them. What does resonate for the reader is love and loyalty for friends and family.

Thanks for answering my questions, Debra, and good luck with Four Cuts Too Many, the latest book in the Sarah Blair Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Debra and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Bookbub pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

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

About Debra H. Goldstein: Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, One Taste Too Many). She also authored Should Have Played Poker and IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories have been named Agatha, Anthony, Derringer finalists. Debra serves on the national boards of Mystery Writers of America and is president of SEMWA. She previously was on Sisters in Crime’s national board and president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter.

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

Death by Donut

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today JJ MacGregor is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death by Donut, the latest novel in the Pismawallops PTA mystery series.

Welcome, JJ. 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, this is JJ MacGregor, and I’m the sleuth in Rebecca M. Douglass’s Pismawallops PTA mysteries, though I never set out to be. I live on Pismawallops Island, in Washington State. We’re way up almost in Canada, so it’s cold and wet a lot on the island, which means we have to drink a lot of coffee, which is always best with espresso brownies. My fondness for the local bakery might have been why I got messed up in this latest murder, but not even a corpse before I’ve finished my coffee will keep me away from the Have-A-Bite bakery.

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

I’m pretty sure Ms. Douglass thinks she’s in charge, but I have never been good at doing and saying what I’m told to, so sometimes I get to make things happen my way. She keeps sending me back to that scary Mrs. Halsey, though. If I had my way, I’d never go near that woman again, ever.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I’m sure I’ve grown in a number of ways, besides the obvious one that comes from my fondness for brownies. But Kitty says that I’ve learned not to be so scared of loving people, and I admit it can feel good. I used to push Ron Karlson away when he flirted with me, but now I mean to marry him, just as soon as I’m good and ready.

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

Kitty Padgett is my best friend, and I always share the fun of finding clues and sorting out the island’s problems with her. She was the first person who made me feel welcome on Pismawallops. She won’t admit it, but islanders can sometimes be a bit clannish, and it’s hard to break into their circles. She took me on because I was willing to work for the PTA, and work hard.

Or course, I’ll share any story you like with Ron Karlson. Eventually, I’ll even share my house, though probably not my espresso brownies.

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

You want to know about the Have-A-Bite Bakery? I can tell you it’s the best place in the world. You walk in the door and the smell of really good coffee and the best baked goods you ever met about knocks you over. Just make sure that Jasmine fixes your espresso, never Moira. Trust me on this one.

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

Look, if you are trying to ask when the wedding will be, you can just get in line with all the others! Oh, wait. Kitty says you just want to know about the case and I shouldn’t be so paranoid.

It’s a bit of a shock in a place as small as Pismawallops when we lose one of our own, and it seems like we are always so busy, it’s hard to have to stop everything to solve mysteries. The police should do it, of course, but there’s only Ron and Karla—she’s the deputy, the only one who matters—and they can’t do everything. I just want to help out a little, and I certainly never meant to get so involved…

Well, hey, I need to go pick up the kids from school, so thanks for having me over for this visit. Stop in if you ever make it up to Pismawallops!

Thank you for answering my questions, JJ, and good luck to you and your author, Rebecca M. Douglass, with Death by Donut, the latest book in the Pismawallops PTA mystery series.

Readers can learn more about JJ and her author, Rebecca M. Douglass by visiting her Amazon and Smashwords author’s pages, and her Facebook and Goodreads pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon –  Smashwords    B&N     iTunes     Kobo 

About Rebecca M. Douglass: Rebecca was raised in Washington State on an island only a little bigger than Pismawallops. Though she has lived most of her adult life in California, the salt waters of Puget Sound continue to call to her and she enjoys owning an island in the Salish Sea, even if she had to invent one to do so! Rebecca has written a number of children’s books as well as her Pismawallops PTA mysteries and has had short stories published in several anthologies. When she isn’t writing, she likes to spend her free time hiking and biking, and her vacations exploring the outdoor world by camping, hiking, and backpacking.

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

You found a body where? The beaver pond?

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Keri Isles is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about The Body in the Beaver Pond, the first novel in the Keri Isles Event Planner Mystery series.

Welcome, Keri. 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 Keri Isles and my life turned completely upside-down when I divorced my cheating jerk of a husband. Even though I ended up with the Christmas tree farm in the Cascade Mountains rather than the Seattle townhouse, I’m definitely better off without him.

I lost my event planner job shortly after the divorce, so for now, I’m concentrating on the Christmas trees. I’m the first to admit I don’t know how to run the tree farm, but I’m learning and my neighbors in the mountain valley offer advice and lend a hand when I’m totally drowning.

Eh, speaking of drowning, my dog accidently found a body in my beaver pond and I swear, I had nothing to do with it. Since the local law enforcement officers seem to think I killed the guy, I rounded up the archaeology students from the dig on my neighbor’s property, a bad boy photographer, and assorted eccentric neighbors to find the killer and clear my name.

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

What makes you think anyone is in control of my life? Since I’m living it, and it gets more interesting every day, I’m clearly feeding the story line to the woman who writes it down.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was shell shocked when I landed in the mountains, on a tree farm in the middle of nowhere. But ya know, while I still miss parts of life in Seattle—and I really miss the steady paycheck from my event planner job—I’m learning to love both the farm and the town. I’ve always stood up for myself, but there is nothing like a murder rap hanging over your head to make you grow a spine and learn what real friends are like.

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

Where to start? My best friend, CoCo, runs a great café in Liberty Falls, the small, not-ready-to-admit-it’s-a-tourist-town near my farm. Not only is she a warm, generous person, she’s also an amazing cook. She’s trying to teach me to cook. Really simple—okay, idiot proof, although I’d never admit it aloud—cooking is all I can manage. Just ask my ex-husband. He’ll be thrilled to note it’s one of my many shortcomings.

Then there’s my neighbor, Bill, who I wish would adopt me. Seriously, he lends me tools, helps me understand life in the valley, and ran off the protestors who had me trapped up on High Bridge Road. (You’ll need to read the story to understand them. Well, if it’s possible to understand them.) There’s also Richard, my attorney. Our relationship is probably as strange as the contract I signed when he started working for me. Or maybe that should be I work for him…

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

I mentioned before that I live on a Christmas tree farm in a mountain valley outside the small town of Liberty Falls. The farm is amazing, several hundred acres along a mountain river. The beavers dammed the river’s side stream, creating the pond in front of my cottage. The cottage itself? Not so much. It was built at the turn of the century, the one where the 1800s turned into the 1900s. The plumbing is suspect, a mama bird built her nest inside one of the walls, and it’s a good thing I’m short since it has seven-foot ceilings. Apparently, people were much shorter 125 years ago.

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

I hope you’ll visit me, the farm, and Liberty Falls. I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people during this transition. Other than the dead body and the murder accusation, it’s been a lot of fun.

Getting used to my new friends and neighbors helping me out has been an adjustment after life in Seattle. I’m not completely sure if Coco is helping me or tying me down with her other attempts to assist/manage my life. For example, in that five degrees of separation in small town thing, CoCo’s husband’s brother-in-law is on the city council, and they convinced the council to hire me as the new event planner for Liberty Falls. I hear my first gig—Pioneer Days—is the focus of my next story, Peril in the Pony Ring.

Thank you for answering my questions, Keri, and good luck to you and your author, Cathy Perkins, with The Body in the Beaver Pond, the first book in the Keri Isles Event Planner mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Keri and her author, Cathy Perkins by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon  Nook   Kobo

About Cathy Perkins: Cathy’s suspense writing lurks behind a financial day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflage, hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. A member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, she has coordinated conferences, contests and debut author programs, and is a contributing editor for The Big Thrill.

When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.

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

Jackal & Hide

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Victoria Tait is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Jackal & Hide, the latest book in her Kenya Kanga mysteries series.

Welcome, Victoria. 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.

Jackal and Hide is the fourth book in my Kenya Kanga Mystery series.  The series is set in Kenya and revolves around a silver-haired amateur sleuth.  She is a community vet and with her diverse group of friends she helps the local police solve crimes.

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

The idea for the story came from one of Miss Marple’s Tuesday Night Club tales, in Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems.  I am intrigued by how people see each other and that wearing something bright, or bold, can alter that perception.

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

My books follow the calendar year around actual events which take place in Kenya.  Jackal & Hide is set in June when the Lewa Marathon takes place. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a UNESCO Heritage site.  The marathon is renowned for its tough course, along dirt roads over undulating African plains.  Runners usually see wildlife such as giraffes, zebra and gazelles.  Some characters compete in the marathon and the story’s events take place around and during it.

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

For my characters, I have an idea of the type of personality I need for the role, and then the person begins to take shape in my mind.  I sometime look up images of people on the internet, and once I find someone I’m able to build their character.

In each book I’ve introduced characters, and many join the journey and continue through the series.  Sometimes, seemingly unimportant characters muscle their way in and demand more prominent roles in future stories.

Jackal & Hide has a large cast.  Mama Rose, the protagonist, has personal issues which tend to pull her away from the main mystery.  The other characters take up the investigation and effectively report back to her, and she solves the crime in the end.  Of all my books so far, characterisation dominate this story and adds a huge depth to it.  I was in tears when I wrote some scenes.

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

Mama Rose’s home town, and locations such as Dormans coffee shop, were introduced in previous books.  Another restaurant where characters spend time, and the local cottage hospital, are based on actual places which I have adapted for the story.

Aureus Lodge is also based on a real property in Borana conservancy.  Although I have not visited it, I have stayed at similar lodges, and I’ve used images from the internet to develop Aureus, and describe it in the book.  Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and the Lewa Marathon, are based on my own experiences of running and helping at the event.

I try to describe the look, feel and smell of the locations.  In respect of the conservancies I wanted to portray my own feeling of insignificance in a vast and generally untamed landscape.

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

I’ve now developed a process whereby I write notes in a separate A4 booklet for each book.  I think of a theme, or topic, which I research and write up in the booklet.  This may lead me to consider other themes, and although I don’t use everything I research, I’m drawn into the story world.

Some of the themes are factual such as looking after baby ostriches, or reintroducing jackals into the wild.  Other topics are more character based such as the impact an illness, or an event in a character’s past, might have on the way that person views the world.

Regarding plot, I start with a theme and develop it out.  I consider potential causes of death, how a murder could take place and be covered up, and how the murderer and victim interact with established characters.

Whilst writing the book I continue researching particular aspects as they arise and jot my ideas in my booklet. 

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

The first three books in the series have introduced characters and the issues they face.  Jackal & Hide develops and expands on these and draws various threads together.  The subtitle is a ‘Compassionate Cozy Murder Mystery’ because there is sorrow and grief, and the characters need to help each other cope with it.  As I said previously, I was very emotional writing the story, and I hope readers feel some of that when they read the book. I hope you enjoy Jackal & Hide.

Thank you for answering my questions, Victoria, and good luck with Jackal & Hide, the latest book in the Kenya Kanga mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Victoria Tait by visiting the author’s website and her Goodreads and Bookbub pages.

The novel is available online at the following retailers:

Amazon    Kobo    Barnes & Noble    Apple   Google Play    Books2Read

About Victoria Tait: Victoria is the author of the enchanting Kenya Kanga Mystery series.  She’s drawn on 8 years of experience living in rural Kenya, with her family, to write vivid and evocative descriptions.  Her readers feel the heat, taste the dryness and smell the dust of Africa.  Her elderly amateur sleuth, “Mama Rose” Hardie is Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple reincarnated and living in Kenya.

Like all good military wives, Victoria follows the beat of the drum and currently lives in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  She has two fast growing teenage boys and enjoys horse riding and mountain biking.

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

Beyond a Reasonable (no, not Doubt) – Donut

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Ginger Bolton is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Beyond a Reasonable Donut, the latest book in her Deputy Donut mysteries series.

Welcome, Ginger. 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.

BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT is the fifth book in the Deputy Donut Mystery Series. Emily Westhill and Tom Westhill, the father of Emily’s late husband own Deputy Donut, a café in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. The café is named after Emily’s cat, who is usually called Dep. Tom has retired from being Fallingbrook’s police chief. Emily was once a 911 operator. Her two best friends since junior high are a police officer and an emergency medical technician. Other friends include another police officer, the fire chief and a detective. When there are crimes in the community, Deputy Donut is a good place to overhear rumors and pick up clues. . . .

In BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT, Fallingbrook is celebrating Friday the Thirteenth with a Faker’s Dozen Carnival. In addition to the usual fair foods, games, and rides, an entire tent is devoted to good luck and bad luck. No one expects bad luck, but Emily and Nina, who is helping her make and sell “corny” fritters at the festival, end up with more than their share of it. First, a bucket of powdered sugar goes missing, then a magician causes bills from their cash drawer to disappear. Later that night, Emily finds the mime who had appeared to be helping the magician in Nina’s loft. Nina is nowhere around, and the bucket of powdered sugar has magically reappeared. The mime has the worst luck of all. She apparently fell from Nina’s ladder while throwing handfuls of powdered sugar at the drying paint of the masterpiece that is to be the focus of Nina’s solo show at a prestigious art gallery. Despite Emily’s attempts to save the mime, the woman is suffocating with her head in the bucket of sugar. Nina shows up almost immediately. She’s angry about the damage to her painting, and other clues point to her as the mime’s attacker. Emily knows that Nina would never have done such a terrible thing. Can she prove it in time for Nina to attend the wedding of two of their friends and the opening of Nina’s art show?

The books in the Deputy Donut Mystery Series are, in order:

            SURVIVAL OF THE FRITTERS

            GOODBYE CRULLER WORLD

            JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS

            BOSTON SCREAM MURDER

            BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT

            DECK THE DONUTS (in stores October 26, 2021)

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

In the previous book, BOSTON SCREAM MURDER, it seems that Nina’s dreams of becoming an artist might be about to come true. But how well did we really know Nina, and what might she do if she encounters potholes in the road to success (or failure?)

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

Luck, both good and bad, and how people cope with whatever life throws at them underlies the story. The idea of focusing on luck came when I decided to set the story around a Friday the thirteenth festival.

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

Each book has two sets of characters, the regulars and villains and victims of the current story.

In creating the regular cast, I try to come up with people who can work together to solve a murder in a way that will be entertaining to the reader and make the reader want to visit them in their setting again.

The suspects don’t usually appear in later books. To create them, I need to figure out a motive for murder. I have to give the victim and the villain(s) histories. They and all the other suspects need to seem like they could be real. A lot of their backstory never gets into the novel, but I know the characters fairly well before I start writing. They often write to me from their individual viewpoints, giving me their thoughts and feelings and their explanations and justifications for what they do.

I like my regular cast best. To me, they can become alarmingly real. For a split second, I might think I see them walking down the street or passing in a car or bus. Imaginary friends! (Villains can seem to alarmingly real, also, but we won’t think about that.)

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

I hope that I bring Fallingbrook and Deputy Donut to life! I draw maps, and I picture each setting. And when I describe them, I try to involve more than sight and hearing. Luckily, there can be delicious fragrances in a coffee and donut shop….

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

My entire life has been a form of research. Readers of the Deputy Donut Mysteries will probably see my love of northern forests and lakes, and they’ll probably see the influence of gothic suspense novels in chases through the woods at night. Specific to this series, my research tends to be in the kitchen with a deep fryer. And flour and sugar on nearly every surface. And visits to coffee and donut shops are often required. Yes, definitely necessary . . .

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

Those who like a touch of romance in their cozy mysteries won’t, I hope, be disappointed. Emily and her late husband’s detective partner, Brent, share a deep grief that keeps them apart. Emily doesn’t think she’s ready to date again. We don’t know for certain what Brent thinks about possibly dating Emily, but the astute reader probably began to figure it out beginning in the first book of the series. And many readers will want both Emily and Brent to find happiness, one way or another. BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT might bring them a little closer. Might, I said . . .

Thank you for answering my questions, Ginger, and good luck with Beyond a Reasonable Donut, the latest book in the Deputy Donut mystery series.

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

The novel is available online at the following retailers:

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

About Ginger Bolton: Ginger writes the Deputy Donut mystery series—coffee, donuts, cops, danger, and one curious cat. The first four books in the series are SURVIVAL OF THE FRITTERS, GOODBYE CRULLER WORLD, JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS, and the latest, BOSTON SCREAM MURDER. JEALOUSY FILLED DONUTS was chosen as the Woman’s World Best New Cozy Mystery of the week and was named as one of Dollycas’s Best Reads of 2019. BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT will be on store shelves May 25, 2021. When Ginger isn’t writing or reading, she’s crocheting, knitting, sewing, or generally causing trouble. She’s also fond of donuts and coffee. As Janet Bolin, Ginger wrote the Threadville Mysteries—murder and mayhem in a village of crafty shops.

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

Treasure Most Deadly

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Richard Atwood is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Treasure Most Deadly, the latest novel in the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast mystery series.

Welcome, Richard. 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 Richard Atwood and I’m the owner of the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast. Treasure Most Deadly is the fifth Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery. Once again, my eleven-year-old daughter and I are dragged into the middle of a murder that rocks our little town. This time, the victim is a known treasure thief who my daughter and one of our guests caught stealing artifacts from an archaeological site.

What’s odd isn’t the murder itself, but all the other things going on in town. Someone sent a tip to the press that the archaeologist in charge of the excavation is corrupt. Our little town is teeming with reporters chasing that story. There’s also been an attempt to sabotage the vessel being used by the archaeologist in charge. As a former reporter who covered the crime beat, I can tell you this whole mess has well-organized stamped all over it.

The thing that annoys me most about this series is that I’m always in a race against my daughter to solve the crime. No matter how many times I ground her, she never stops sticking her nose in a police investigation, someplace where it definitely doesn’t belong.

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

I have a lot of empathy for our writer. He’s got all these characters with their conflicting demands, and it’s his job to keep it all moving in one direction. I can remember those days and nights in New York when I had to make sense of what was happening on the crime beat. But he chose the job, so he just has to suck it up and get it done. He does a lot of planning to make sure things don’t slow down and that the murder gets solved, so unless he really messes up, I let him do his thing.

How did you evolve as the main character?

Well, I suppose that’s because I’m the dad. I’m the guy with the news-writing background. Of course, if you ask my daughter Alex, she’ll tell you she’s the main character. It’s another one of those parent-child differences of opinion.

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

I do like sharing the story with Alex. She has a very different perspective, and sometimes all those wild theories of hers actually turn out to be something. And let’s face it, I’m partial to her because she’s my daughter.

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

My writer likes to call Seaside Cove ‘the little town where murder meets the sea.’ I prefer to think of it as a good place to raise Alex, run my business, and deepen the relationship with the love of my life. After all, who wants a lot of drama in a small town on the California coast? We have a couple of excellent restaurants, friendly people, and moderate weather. We get a lot of fog in the spring, something I didn’t realize when we moved here. And we do seem to have had an inordinate number of murders. You know what? Maybe my writer’s got the description correct. Just don’t tell him I said that or he’ll get a swelled head.

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

I’ve found a place where I want to settle down for the long run and enjoy life. That would be a lot easier to accomplish if it wasn’t for all these murders. I mentioned the love of my life. Her name is Marquetta Weiss, and she’s our cook here at the B&B. I fell head-over-heels in love with her the first time we met, but it took almost a year before we had our first kiss. This is another case of a parent-child difference of opinion because if you ask Alex, she’ll say she’s the one who brought us together. You know what? Maybe I’ll let Alex take the credit for that one. After all, she did a lot to help me avoid getting snared in the town’s marriage competition. That, however, is another story.

Thank you for answering my questions, Richard, and good luck to you and your author, Terry Ambrose, with Treasure Most Deadly, the latest book in the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Richard and his author, Terry Ambrose by visiting the author’s website and his Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and LinkedIn 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. Today, Terry likes fast, funny mysteries and cool photography. He writes the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries and organized an anthology to benefit Read Aloud America. He fondly likens his efforts to those of a blind man herding cats.

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Peaches and Schemes

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Anna Gerard is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Peaches and Schemes, the latest novel in the Georgia B&B mystery series.

Welcome, Anna. 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. PEACHES AND SCHEMES is book 3 in the Georgia B&B Mystery series featuring innkeeper/amateur sleuth Nina Fleet. The story takes place in the fictional tourist town of Cymbeline, Georgia. Recently divorced after 20 years of marriage, Nina has spent a good chunk of her divorce settlement on the Queen Anne home she impulsively bought there and turned into a B&B.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from? I’ve taken part in numerous expos over the years, sometimes as a vendor and sometimes as an attendee. Such a setting with its crowds and high energy is always ripe for disaster…including murder! And when it comes to murder, a public event allows for all manner of potential victims and possible suspects, making the job of my amateur sleuth much harder.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it? I tend not to recognize my theme until I reach the end of my book, at which time I look back and finally see it. PEACHES AND SCHEMES is all about marriage and the fact that no one except the partners involved ever knows the truth about their relationship. It also emphasizes the fact that broken relationships sometimes can be healed if both parties care enough to make that happen.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them? Characters tend to fill a story need, but sometimes the story bends to fit the characters. I really enjoy my protagonist, Nina, but I get a true kick out of her best frenemy, the out-of-work actor Harry Westcott. Harry is more complicated than Nina and is one of those characters you love to hate.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about? I employ the writer’s toolbox of using all the senses while harking back to actual sites I’ve known or visited in real life.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel? In addition to the usual online and book research, I must give a hat tip to my friend and fellow author, Maggie Toussaint. A Georgia native, she wrote me a fabulous list of “small town Georgia stuff”…details specific to life in that part of the world that I have incorporated into the series to add verisimilitude.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book? If you like character-driven cozy mysteries with just enough quirkiness to make you smile, you will love PEACHES AND SCHEMES.   

Thanks for answering my questions, Anna, and good luck with Peaches and Schemes, the latest book in the Georgia B&B mysteries.

Readers can learn more about Anna Gerard by visiting her author website, and her Facebook and Booklover’s Bench pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N

About Anna Gerard: DIANE A.S. STUCKART began her writing career in the 1990s as the critically acclaimed author of historical romance under the names Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard. She later switched to the mystery genre and is the NYT bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries (written as Ali Brandon) and the award-winning Leonardo da Vinci historical mysteries. Her Tarot Cats Mystery series launched in 2018 with FOOL’S MOON. Her Georgia B&B Mystery series (also written as Anna Gerard) debuted in 2019 with PEACH CLOBBERED. Kirkus Reviews describes that book as “Filled with Southern charm and enough ditzy characters to keep readers guessing and laughing.” 

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Death Gone A-Rye

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Ivy Culpepper is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Death Gone A-Rye, the latest novel in the Bread Shop mystery series.

Welcome, Ivy. 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.

Of course! My name is Ivy Culpepper and I live in Santa Sofia, inside the Bread Shop mysteries written by Winnie Archer. She moonlights as Melissa Bourbon and also writes Pippin Lane Hawthorne’s world. She’s busy!

My latest adventure is chronicled in Death Gone a-Rye. It’s my 6th mystery adventure. I’m getting pretty good at solving crimes!

In a nutshell, my series revolves around Yeast of Eden, the artisan bread shop in town. I work there part-time. I’m also a photographer, so I do a lot of freelance work, building my business. Miguel Baptista is my high school boyfriend and we’ve reunited. He’s a pretty special man.

Penelope Branford is my neighbor across the street. She’s my 80-something sidekick. Sometimes I’m scrambling to keep up with her! Then there’s Olaya Solis, who owns Yeast of Eden. These two women are a big part of my foundation. My brother, my father, and my best friend, Emmaline, who is also the sheriff, make up the rest of it.

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

That’s a funny question! I think the honest answer is we both do. Winnie has a pretty good idea of where the story starts and where it ends. Sometimes the fine details are loose, and that’s when I get to dig in and take the lead.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I grew up in Santa Sofia, but Miguel and I broke up and I moved to Austin, Texas for college. I stayed there and married Luke Holden. Till I divorced him. I didn’t return to California, though, until my mother passed away. Once I got back there, I never wanted to leave again.

Then I met Olaya and Mrs. Branford (I just can’t call her Penelope or Penny like she wants me to) walked into my life—or, I guess, I walked into theirs—and I felt settled again for the first time in a long time.

As my relationships in Santa Sophia grow and my freelancing takes off, I am discovering more about who I am. I’m 36 and still learning, and I’m pretty happy about that.

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

Like I mentioned, Miguel Baptista is back in my life. He’s become very important to me. Actually, he never stopped being important, we just both got a little sidetracked.

I’m always meeting new people—Like Candace Coffey, for example, in Death Gone a-Rye. We were friends in high school and I’ve run into her again. I love sharing my stories with whoever is in my writer’s head.

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

Santa Sofia is a dream town. It’s on the Central California coast. Think Santa Barbara mixed with Santa Cruz, but the size of, say, Capitola. It’s quaint and is a little bit of a hidden secret, though the secret is getting out. People come from far and wide to get a taste of Olaya’s bread. She’s got a touch of magic in her and her bread reflects that.

Santa Sofia is a great place to live! Minus the murders, of course.

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

If you love bread—and honestly, who doesn’t?—you need to give this series and this book a try! Start with Kneaded to Death and work your way through. Books 7 and 8 are coming at the end of this year and the middle of next year! Happy Reading!

Thank you for answering my questions, Ivy, and good luck to you and your author, Winnie Archer, with Death Gone A-Rye, the latest book in the Bread Shop mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Ivy and her author, Winnie Archer by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook and Kensington Books pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

About Winnie Archer: The indefatigable Winnie Archer is a middle school teacher by day and a writer by night. Born in a beach town in California, she now lives in Colorado. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with both yoga and chocolate, adores pumpkin spice lattes, is devoted to her five kids and husband, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams. 

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