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Did you know death stalks this diner owner?

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Chef Charlie Cooke is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Mousse and Murder, the first novel in the Alaskan Diner 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.

MOUSSE AND MURDER is my first adventure, kicking off The Alaska Diner Mysteries. The cozy series follows me, Charlie Cooke, owner and manager of The Bear Claw Diner as I juggle the responsibilities of running a diner and going about the occasional criminal investigation. I live at the center of the tourist trade in the great 49^th state of Alaska. Tourists come from all over to see and maybe climb the world’s tallest North American mountain, Denali, and to view the spectacular aurora borealis. My job is to feed them and help them on their way to arctic splendor. Unfortunately, there’s usually trouble brewing and I’m called (or not) to help out our understaffed law enforcement community. So far in the series (Mousse and Murder, May 5, 2020) and Fishing for Trouble (due November 2020)), my team and I have solved two homicides, and lived to talk about it!

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

This is my writer’s 4^th pen name, Elizabeth Logan, which is nothing like her real name, Camille Minichino. This makes me think she’s in the Witness Protection Program. Who knows how she got there, but I’m kind of afraid to go against her, so I let her lead me around as she wishes.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I dabbled around as a young person, pursuing various jobs and interests, including law school and, ultimately, culinary school in San Francisco. So now at 33, I’ve settled in as owner and manager of the Bear Claw, in a small town in Alaska. When my mom announced that she was retiring and I could have the diner, as well as her orange tabby, Benny (short for Eggs Benedict), I didn’t hesitate. I think I’ve finally found my niche, and it’s right back home again, no matter what Thomas Wolfe thinks!

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

My support team is great—my staff at the Bear Claw, the State Trooper who’s known me since I was a kid, and Annie, my BFF from grade school. Then there’s Christopher, the town’s one and only newspaper reporter. We all work together on cases that come up, but I’m still trying to figure out where Chris and I are going, if anywhere. We did eventually have a “date date” once, but of course we devolved into talk about the case we were working on with Trooper. I can hardly wait to see where this relationship goes. As we speak, my writer has me on a road trip with him to solve another crime.

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

Elkview is very close to Talkeetna, the stepping stone to Denali. The scenery in every direction is breathtaking—mountains, fjords, lakes, glaciers, parks, and wildlife. And it’s not uncommon to find a herd of elk in my expansive back yard.

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

I enjoy being featured in this book and in the whole series. Also, I love seeing my name CHARLIE COOKE in print, so if you could post a review, I’d appreciate it!

Thanks for answering my questions, Charlie, and good luck with Mousse and Murder, the first book in the Alaskan Diner Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about the author, Elizabeth Logan and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

About Elizabeth Logan: Camille Minichino writes as Elizabeth Logan and she is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series. A retired physicist, she’s the author of 28 mystery novels in 5 series, with different pen names. She’s also written many short stories and articles. She teaches science at Golden Gate U. in San Francisco and writing workshops around the SF Bay Area.

Posted in Archives, May 2020, Uncategorized | Tagged Alaska, American mysteries, Camille Minichino, cozy mystery, Elizabeth Logan, Mousse and Murder | 2 Comments

Is traveling a crime?

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Naomi Hanley is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about R.I.P. in Reykjavik, the latest novel in the Traveler cozy mystery series.

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

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

Yes, it’s part of a series—The Traveler Cozy Mystery series. You’ll follow me as I travel internationally. In the first few, I’m with family members—my sister, Charlotte in book 1, Sleuth on Safari; my mother, Deirdre in book 2, R.I.P. in Reykjavik; my father, Richie in book 3, Undone in Uluru. I’m thinking in book 4, my Nan and I will go to Israel. Our travel plans have yet to be confirmed.

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

I think I’m in complete control, well as much as I’m in control of my life as a whole. I’m more of a play it by ear kind of person. A R is more like my sister and my father — always prepared, always has a plan.

How did you evolve as the main character?

RIP IN REYKJAVIK COVER I haven’t evolved—I’m still me, exploring the world, taking any opportunity I can to travel. But my relationships with my family have definitely evolved.

My relationship with my sister Charlotte has certainly improved. We had no relationship prior to going to Africa now we communicate practically every day.

You’ll have to read R.I.P. in Reykjavik to see where my strained relationship with my mother goes.

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

Well, don’t tell my sister but I like sharing my adventures with her. As a med student, she is a fount of medical information, which is especially helpful when you’re investigating a murder. Plus, she is often more logical than myself.

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

I’m traveling with my mother to Iceland. I’ve never traveled anywhere with her and usually have contact with her only on major holidays. Spending a week together in a small European country on a tour may further strain our relationship.

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

Iceland is a beautiful country. I hope you enjoy the journey with me and my mother!

Thanks for answering my questions, Naomi, and good luck to you and your author, A. R Kennedy with R.I.P. in Reykjavik, the latest book in the Traveler Cozy Mystery series.

Readers can learn more about A. R. Kennedy and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Bookbub pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online on Amazon.

About A. R. Kennedy: She lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life’. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.

Posted in May 2020, Uncategorized | Tagged A. R. Kennedy, cozy mystery, European mystery, Iceland, international mystery, RIP in Reykjavik, travel mystery | 2 Comments

Meet Maizie Albright

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Maizie Albright is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about 18 Caliber, the latest novel in the Maizie Albright Star Detective mystery series by Larissa Reinhart.

Welcome, Maizie. How are you?

I’m great, thank you! Thanks so much for having me here. I used to do a lot of interviews, back in my celebrity days, but I don’t give them much anymore. This is so exciting! (Do you need my headshot? It hasn’t been updated, although I did recently get my Georgia driver’s license.)

Could you please introduce yourself. Where are you from? Where do you live now? What do you do for a living?

I’m Maizie Albright. Originally Maizie Spayberry. Albright was my stage name, but my ex-manager, Vicki, had it changed permanently when I turned eighteen. Albright had more of a “ring,” as she put it. And also that was her name after she divorced my father.

My ex-manager is also my mother. Or should I say, still my mother?

I’m originally from Black Pine, Georgia, a lake resort town in the North Georgia Mountains. I lived in southern California most of my life, though, and now I’ve returned to start a new career. And also because a judge made me.

I wouldn’t call it a living, but my new career is apprenticing a private investigator until I can get my license.

What are your strengths?

Not cardio. Or weights. Also, I’m not good at dieting. I do love creating characters for new roles. It’s helpful as an actress and investigator to get in character quickly. I also have a lot of movie trivia knowledge. I’m not sure if that’s a strength, unless we’re playing Trivia Pursuit. During cases, it usually causes me to jump to conclusions. And I’ve been told, that’s not a good trait in an investigator.

Wait. Strengths…I’m a great friend in need!

Do you have any weaknesses or bad habits?

Not doing cardio or weights, my love of carbs and saturated fats, and jumping to conclusions.

18 Caliber small Tell us about a defining moment in your life.

That would probably be my birth, but I don’t remember much about it.

My other defining moment was walking into Nash Security Solutions for the first time and seeing Nash half-dressed…well, meeting him for the first time. I fell in love with the job (and the man) at first sight.

It took him longer. To fall in love with the idea of hiring me as an investigator. And as for falling in love with me as a woman, we’re working on that, too.

What’s your most prized possession?

To be honest, after all my legal trouble in Hollywood, I don’t have a lot of possessions left. A totally rad wardrobe, but I had to sell or return everything else. I’m completely broke.

So I would say my most prized possession is the heart I wear on my sleeve (proudly).

Is there a love interest in your life, if so, could you please tell me about him?

If Dwayne Johnson and Timothy Olyphant as Raylen Givens from Justified had a baby, he’d be Wyatt Nash. Not literally, of course, because I think it’s biologically impossible. The man has a hard body with Paul Newman-blue eyes and a wicked scar running from chin to jaw. He looks scary until he smiles, then a dimple winks just above the scar. Totally dreamy. Unfortunately, you don’t see the smile or dimple too often. Nash is a Southern gentleman through and through. Sometimes too much so. Like when it comes to developing at-work relationships.

And yes, I am interested in love with Wyatt Nash. You can tell him. But he’s probably figured it out.

Can you tell me a little bit about what readers can expect from 18 Caliber?

Expect a showdown with my ex-manager and still-mother, Vicki. She’s gone too far. Not only has she bought Nash Security Solutions, but she’s making us work for her celebrity management clients. However, when the Chinese action star, Lili Liang, hires us to find her missing kung fu master, I suspect foul play. Particularly where my mother is concerned. Her ambition for power and prestige (plus the money doesn’t hurt) may have her wading too deep in criminal waters. And murder.

Did I mention murder?

How do you feel your creator, Larissa Reinhart, has handled writing your story and the situations she’s put you into?

I could use more spa time. And lunches. I don’t know why I never have time for sleeping, eating, and relaxing. The cases are always the “solve this mystery in a week or you might get killed” sort. Honestly, it’s exhausting and unnerving.

Maizie, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me.

Thanks so much for having me! It’s been a blast! (Not literally. I’ve had enough bullets for a while.)

Readers can learn more about Maizie and her author, Larissa Reinhart, by visiting her author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub and Pinterestpages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/kindle18 – Barnes & Noble: http://smarturl.it/Nook18 – Kobo: http://smarturl.it/Kobo18 – Apple Books: http://smarturl.it/iBooks18

About Larissa Reinhart: A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series as well as romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She loves to tell funny stories about Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places. You might have seen Larissa and family with their little dog, Biscuit, on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode, but they’re back in Georgia now.

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged 18 Caliber, cozy mystery, Larissa Reinhart, Maizie Albright, mystery | 1 Comment

Meet p. m. terrell

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today p. m. terrell is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about her historical novel, A Struggle for Independence.

Welcome to the blog. Let’s get started, shall we?

What prompted you to write about this historical event?

I have been interested in Irish history since discovering my ancestors’ ties to the Emerald Isle. It is nearly impossible to research it without learning of the 1916 Easter Rising, the War for Independence and the Irish Civil War. In A Struggle for Independence, Lady Independence Mather must choose between remaining in a loveless marriage with a British loyalist or risk everything for the man she loves—an Irish rebel. I felt the Rising was an apt backdrop because it parallels her inner conflict. Every citizen had to choose whether to support the Rising and later, the two wars that officially stretched to 1923. In Ulster, the war still rages but under different names, because Ulster was partitioned away from the new Republic of Ireland and continues to remain under British rule as of this writing.

How closely did you stick to the historical facts? If you used them loosely, how did you decide whether to deviate from them?

struggle cover I believe in adhering to the facts as much as possible. I began with Internet research, and because there is so much misinformation on the web, I stayed with university sites, historical societies, and non-profits formed to preserve Irish history. I watched documentaries and contacted historians, archaeologists, and university professors. I also visited the sites mentioned in the book, from Dublin Castle, where the first casualty occurred, to the General Post Office, where Patrick Pearse read the proclamation of independence and to Saint Stephen’s Green, where the British fired down upon the rebels that had dug in there. I also stood in the courtyard where the leaders were executed by firing squad and where bullet holes can still be seen to this day in the wall behind where they stood—and in James Connolly’s case, where he was strapped to a chair because he was unable to stand. I also toured the cells where the men were incarcerated.

The difference between A Struggle for Independence and a purely historical work is the events unfold through Lady Mather’s eyes, who happens to be only a block from the GPO when the rising began. Even seemingly anecdotal information is historically accurate, such as Michael Collins’ habit of riding his bicycle past British soldiers though he had a price on his head. They were looking for a ruffian, and he was dressed as a businessman.

Do you use a mixture of historic figures and invented characters in the novel? Which is more difficult to write? Which do you prefer to write and why?

I used several historical figures, including Roger Casement, who attempted to smuggle German weapons into Ireland but was caught by the British, Countess Markievicz, perhaps the highest-profile woman to participate in the rising, and several leaders, including Patrick Pearse, Michael Mallin, Sean MacDiarmada, and James Connolly. Others were invented, including Lord and Lady Mather and architect Nicky Bowers.

I enjoy writing about both historical figures and fictional ones. Historical is more difficult because I take great pains to get the facts straight, but it is more rewarding in the end. I use fictional characters because it provides me with literary license to place them where they need to be as events unfold.

In a historical novel, you must vividly re-create a place and people in a bygone era. How did you bring the place and people you are writing about to life?

This was very easy for me because I stood on the same ground they had walked a hundred years ago. Something happens when you stand in hallowed places, such as Kilmainham Gaol or the GPO. Time seems to turn backward, and I can feel the events that occurred there. I was also there in April when the Easter Rising took place so that I could make a note of the weather conditions and seasonal changes. Even the slightest nuance was noted.

There often seems to be more scope in historical novels for male characters rather than female characters. Do you prefer to write one sex or the other? And, if so, why?

I have written historical works in both the male and female voices. Which one I choose depends entirely on the storyline and how each would fit into it. I selected a female for A Struggle for Independence because it was also an era of suffragettes, of women discovering their voices and breaking out from traditionally silent roles, and of becoming unafraid to face a future without the protection of a male relative. The book begins with Lady Mather at Matherscourt, an estate that has become a prison to her. We learn that she is in an arranged marriage with a man that never loved her. But as events unfold, she becomes emboldened, much like the caterpillar morphing into the butterfly. The success of the Easter Rising is far from ensured, however, and if she chooses the side of her rebel lover and she is caught, she could be imprisoned or executed for treason.

Thanks for answering my questions.

p. m. terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. To enter the draw click here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3330

You can find a list of the rest of p. m. terrell’s tour stops here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/03/vbt-struggle-for-independence-by.html

Why not drop by some of the stops? You’ll have a chance to enter the draw again at each stop.

Readers can learn more about p. m. terrell and her writing by visiting her website and her Facebook and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Twitter (@pmterrell).

About p.m.terrell: p. m. terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 24 books in multiple genres, including contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer instructional, non-fiction and children’s books.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in the detection of white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.

A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. Her second series, Ryan O’Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN).

She was the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She was the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime and served as its chairperson and organizer for its first four years. She also served on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County (NC) Public Library, the Robeson County (NC) Arts Council, Virginia Crime Stoppers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.

Posted in April 2020, Uncategorized | Tagged 1916 Rebellion, A Struggle for Independence, historical fiction, Irish fiction, Irish Independence, Irish Rising, p. m. terrell | 6 Comments

‘Tails’ of Murder and Mystery

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today at Ascroft, eh? we’re talking to the authors of To Fetch a Scoundrel, four fun ‘tails’ of murder and mystery.

Welcome, everyone. 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.

Heather Weidner

Heather Weidner: The Mutt Mysteries is a anthology of four, dog-themed mysteries by four cozy mystery authors. Each story has a spunky canine that helps solve the mystery.

Jayne Ormerod: Mutt Mysteries is a series with each book comprised of four fun “tails” of mutts, mayhem and murder. “Pawsitively Scandalous” is my contribution to the 2nd Mutt Mystery, To Fetch a Scoundrel. Plans for the 3rd installment are in the works.

Rosemary Shomaker: “Ruff Goodbye” is my contribution to the To Fetch a Scoundrel novella collection. Scoundrels abound at a local funeral home when good guy Curt’s visitation is held the same time as that for local crime boss Lionel Winks, Sr. Curt’s miniature poodle Cloud moves in the background, clueing in Curt’s best friend Len and window Sharon to friends and foes. The Mutt Mysteries showcase amateur sleuths abetted by canines.

Teresa Inge: To Fetch a Scoundrel is the second book in the Mutt Mysteries collection. The first book, To Fetch a Thief, was published in 2019 and To Fetch a Scoundrel in 2020. Each book in the series includes “Four Fun Tails” of mysteries. Teresa Inge, Jayne Ormerod, Rosemary Shomaker, and Heather Weidner are the featured authors and collaborators in the series.

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

Jayne Ormerod

Heather Weidner: We have a local racetrack, and I thought a small town track would be a great setting for murder.

Jayne Ormerod: An incident from my childhood. I overheard my parents whispering about a town official who was arrested by the FBI. Quite scandalous! I never knew the circumstances, but it sparked an idea for this story.

Rosemary Shomaker: The mystery central to “Ruff Goodbye” stems from recent funeral home visitations I’ve attended. I was struck by the long memories of attendees and their varied views of the deceased. I took the idea of bad seeds form the past and wove that into a story in which multiple characters have historical secrets. In “Ruff Goodbye,” no character is faultless and several are motivated by greed, revenge, shame, or pride.

Teresa Inge: In the first book, To Fetch a Thief, and my story “Hounding the Pavement”, I created the main character, Catt Ramsey, a dog-walker and business owner of the Woof-Pack Dog Walkers to have flexibility to get her out and about to solve murders in between walking her dogs Cagney and Lacey and her clients’ dogs. This profession would eliminate her from being stuck behind a desk to solve crimes. I continued writing about Catt Ramsey and her dog walking service in the second book, To Fetch a Scoundrel, and in my story, ”A Doggone Scandal.”

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

Rosemary Shomaker

Heather Weidner: Cassidy Green is my amateur sleuth. She was a marketing specialist who left her day job to run the Amelia Race Track when she inherited from her father. She and her Rottweiler, Oliver, work hard to keep the business afloat.

Jayne Ormerod: Cozy mysteries adhere to the basic theme of good triumphs over evil. In our stories, we incorporate our canine companions to insure that happens.

Rosemary Shomaker: I wanted to stress a theme of second chances. All characters have foibles and faults in “Ruff Goodbye.” Sins of the past can be mitigated. We are more than the worst action we’ve taken or worse thought we’ve had or most damaging words we’ve uttered. I write about that as part of my journey towards being a less judgmental person.

Teresa Inge: The theme is to write about Catt Ramsey and her dogs Cagney and Lacey and all the crimes, murder, and trouble they get involved in to solve the mysteries.

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

Teresa Inge

Heather Weidner: I plot out my stories, and the characters, their quirks, and names come as I write. I write the Delanie Fitzgerald series. Delanie is a sassy private investigator with a computer geek sidekick, Duncan Reynolds. I love writing about these characters because they get in all kinds of humorous situations. This series also has an English bulldog, Margaret. She’s Duncan’s shadow and rules the office.

Jayne Ormerod: For me, the story comes first. I think of the worst thing that can happen, and then I plop a female least able to handle the situation right in the middle of the mayhem. From this comes conflict, and often humor. Is an author allowed to have a favorite character? It’s like a mother having a favorite child. But just between us, I relate the most to Ellery Tinsdale in my Blonds at the Beach series, The Blond Leading the Blond and Blond Luck. I think she is my evil twin.

Rosemary Shomaker: My characters are amalgams of people I’ve seen or known or read about. The main point of view character is a personality type I can understand in some way, so I can see and feel plot events through him/her. I like my male characters. I was raised almost solely by and around women, so having a husband and a son has introduced me to the male psyche and its challenges and viewpoints in a way I never considered as a child and young woman.

Teresa Inge: I always create strong female characters who are business owners. They have more at stake in losing their business when accused of murder. I set them on a journey in each book to solve murders and crimes since they want justice and are nosey in general.

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

Heather Weidner: I always write where I know. I’ve lived in Virginia all my life, so all my stories, novellas, and novels are set in the Commonwealth.

Jayne Ormerod: It takes a village. Seriously. I pepper the story with lots of interesting and quirky characters, and it’s their interactions with the shopkeepers, the waitresses, the dog walkers, and the park-bench sitters, that breath life into the setting.

Rosemary Shomaker: Bringing life to a story’s, or a scene’s, setting is about the little details and little moves. For example, the scent of ammonia in the busboy’s spray bottle, the pattern on the tablecloth, and the sticky patch on the floor at a restaurant all conjure for the reader aspects of that environment. At a park, how a woman lifts a child, that a man pushes a dog away, and how a child bounces up or cries after a fall lend reality to a scene and give a reader insight into characters.

Teresa Inge: Since Catt Ramsey’s dog walking service is located in Virginia Beach, I use the boardwalk, ocean, and beautiful scenery as the backdrop and character for the location.

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

Heather Weidner: Actually, a lot of research goes into writing contemporary mysteries. For my story, “The Fast and the Furriest,” I had to make sure that the race terms, cars, and equipment were accurate. I also set the fictional track in Amelia County, Virginia, so I had to make sure that my locations were correct, too. While it is fiction, there are a lot of real places, and I want my writing to be as accurate as possible.

Jayne Ormerod: In fiction it isn’t so much research as it is planning. I layout a grid for my town and consult it often so as not to make any wrong turns. One aspect of my research I take seriously is the vehicles. Fortunately, I have friends with cars. The Porsche ride was exhilarating (it would have been better if I’d been allowed to drive!), but my favorite was fitting a large woman into the backseat of a small mini-cooper. I practically wet myself watching that. Thanks friends! You are the best!

Rosemary Shomaker: Written details and descriptions of locations, actions, job duties, personality types, etc., must be legit, or some or many readers will notice and lose faith or interest in an author. If I write about a baker, I’ve read a lot about bakers, visited a few bakeries, and talked to bakery staff. These days, one can virtually “visit” locations online, and that’s handy—if the map or videos are up to date. Whenever I wonder if I have detail right, I’ll check online and/or with people who can verify the detail. It pays to check—write once, verify twice! That said, it’s a great superpower to go anywhere and ask anything by prefacing with, “I’m a writer, . . .” Doors will open, people will talk to you, and maybe even trespassing will be forgiven?

Teresa Inge: I do lots of research! It’s my thing to make sure I get the city, town, location, characters, and profession accurate. I usually visit the location and conduct interviews of someone in the profession that I am writing about. I also do extensive online research to get it right.

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

Heather Weidner: The Mutt Mysteries are fun collections for cozy mystery and dog lovers. I love the variety of the stories and the locales. This is such a fun project to work on.

Jayne Ormerod: Four fun “tails” of scandal and murder! What more do you need to know?

Rosemary Shomaker: Support local authors. Read a mystery. Comment on social media about what you liked about a story, book, or author event. Post short reviews on bookseller websites about local authors’ books.

Teresa Inge: Well, if you love dogs, animals, or just want to read good mysteries, then check out the Mutt Mysteries Collection, To Fetch a Thief and To Fetch a Scoundrel. Additional books in the series are in the works.

Thanks for answering my questions, everyone, and good luck with To Fetch a Scoundrel, four fun ‘tails’ of murder and mystery.

Readers can learn more about this collection of stories by visiting its website and its Facebook and Twitter pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – BAM!

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged animal mysteries, cozy mystery, Heather Weidner, jayne ormerod, mystery, rosemary shomaker, tails of murder and mystery, teresa inge | 5 Comments

Enjoy some magick and mystery

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Sharon Pape is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about This Magick Marmot, her latest novel in the Abracadabra mystery series.

Welcome, Sharon. 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.

This Magick Marmot is the fifth and final book in the Abracadabra Mystery series. The stories focus on Kailyn Wilde, a sorcerer descended from an ancient English line. Her ancestors came here in the seventeenth century and settled in what is now Upstate New York. Over time, the quaint tourist town of New Camel grew up around their shop. When murder finds its way to her town, Kailyn sets out to find the killer. After all, murder is never good for business.

Each of the five books has a standalone murder mystery, as well as other mystery threads that run through the series and are resolved over its course.

The story in This Magick Marmot concerns two deaths, the first, ten years earlier on the night of Kailyn’s high school prom, was labeled accidental, the second, at her high school reunion, is a clear case of poisoning.

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

Magick Marmot cover I’m not sure exactly what gave me the idea for the murder in This Magick Marmot, but I can let you in on my thoughts at the time. Some of the plots in the earlier books in the series had a wider focus, and I wanted to narrow that focus down again in this last book. I needed a plot that would impact Kailyn in a deeply personal way. Given these parameters, my brain churned out the idea of a murder at her high school reunion that leads to a new look into another death ten years earlier.

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

I wanted to try my hand at a cozy with a magical theme, but since there are already quite a few, I was determined to make mine different. My main character needed credentials that set her apart from the more ordinary witches out there. I gave her a magickal heritage that spans centuries and was passed down genetically from a famous character in literature and folklore. In keeping with this idea, I created the characters in her family – the ghosts of her mother and grandmother, and her only living relative, Aunt Tilly. Tilly, who has her own magickal powers, is a perfect foil for Kailyn and the more serious nature of the murder cases. The arrival of a relative from the past adds to the magick and mayhem throughout the series. I love all my characters, but most of all the ones who add the humor like Aunt Tilly.

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

Details bring a place to life – descriptions that involve the five senses allow readers to imagine they are right there with the characters. And three dimensional characters also bring a place to life. I prefer to write about places I’ve been. The town I create may be a product of my imagination, but the settings are always real.

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

I love doing research for my books. I wrote three books back in the dark ages before computers and the internet. Doing research at that time was more of a challenge than it is today. I spent a lot of time at the library, which wasn’t a hardship since I’ve always loved libraries. Now I do most of my research on the internet – I’m always amazed at what I can find there. If the police ever have cause to look into my “google” searches I’m done for.

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

This Magick Marmot is the final book in the Abracadabra series. I think readers will be satisfied with the way it ends. I’m always a little sad at the end of a series – after all I’ve been living with the characters for several years. But then I turn my thoughts to my next series and the new characters who have been waiting impatiently in the wings, to “strut and fret their hour upon the stage,” in the elegant words of William Shakespeare.

Thanks for answering my questions, Sharon, and good luck with This Magick Marmot, the latest book in the Abracadabra Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B & N

About Sharon Pape: Sharon describes her writing career as having two stages. Back in the dark ages, before computers were in every household, she had three paranormal books published. The first one was condensed by Redbook Magazine, the first paperback original they had ever condensed. Around the same time, Redbook published her first short story.

Then life brought her an unexpected challenge that went by the name of breast cancer. When her treatment was over, she became a volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery Program and went on to be the program’s coordinator for Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. Several years later, with the help of her surgical oncologist and two other survivors, she started her own not-for-profit organization to provide information and peer support to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Once the organization was running smoothly and didn’t require as much of her time, she returned to her first love – writing. During this second stage of her career, she’s been writing cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist and a splash of humor.

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged cozy mystery, mystery, paranormal mystery, Sharon Pape, This Magick Marmot | Leave a comment

Looking for old fashioned heroes and heroines

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Shelly Frome is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Miranda and the D-Day Caper.

Welcome, Shelly. 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.

SF: Miranda and the D-Day Caper is a standalone meaning that it centers on a singular issue or dilemma, follows all the ups and downs in a certain trajectory and finally resolves.

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

SF: In a sense, the mystery is a hunt for the endgame–what is this subterfuge all about? What dire event eventually has to take place or be thwarted and why? What truly is at stake here well beyond the abduction of a stray cat which, in effect, is only an initial clue?

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

SF: Underneath it all is a battle between small town virtues that currently seem to have been lost along the wayside, like truth, decency and integrity as opposed to ultra right-wing machinations in service to the retention of power at any cost. I suppose the dubious tactics of the current administration finally got to me as I began longing for the days of my childhood when radio programs and comic books gave me something to believe in: heroes and heroines I could identify with, leaders I could trust, noble lost causes that were worth fighting for.

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

SF: As a former professional actor I am able to inhabit all my characters who, in a way, are a composite of roles I have played, countless movies I’ve seen, plays I’ve watched, radio shows I’ve listened to, and colorful people I have met. In effect, they just come to me in terms of who can drive this tale forward and who can provide conflict and a viable counterpoint. And, as a former professional actor I love all my characters, even the cat, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to bring them truly to life. They would be just pawns.

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

SF: The setting is vital. Places and cultures I know all too well. Even the weather patterns. All of it affects everything that happens. My innate sense of truth guides me in terms of what would happen in these given circumstances when, for instance, Miranda approached the reopening of the tailgate market in Black Mountain on a crisp, vibrant Saturday morning in April? What mood would she be in and how would she great the venders in their popup tents?

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

SF: There are realities I know absolutely nothing about like, in this instance, detonating devices that are, on the face of it, hard to detect. In this case, Vin, my anti-hero knows all about such things and to “play him” I have to obtain this knowledge and use it like it was simply every day, received wisdom.

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

SF: Miranda and her cousin Skip have an antic, loveable quality that I’m sure will see readers through. They may even find themselves rooting for Duffy the stray cat.

Thanks for answering my questions, Shelly, and good luck with Miranda and the D-Day Caper.

Readers can learn more about Shelly and his writing by visiting his Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub and Instagrampages. You can also follow him on Twitter.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon B&N Kobo Apple Books IndieBound IPG

About Shelly Frome: Shelly is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He is also a features writer for Gannett Media’s Black Mountain News. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games and The Secluded Village Murders. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio and texts on the art and craft of screenwriting and writing for the stage. Miranda and the D-Day Caper is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged cozy mystery, D-Day, Miranda and the D-Day Caper, mystery, Shelly Frome, small town mysteries | 1 Comment

Did You Know That A Small Town Can Be Murder?

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Angel Delaight is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about A Small Town Can Be Murder, the novel she has found herself in.

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

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

Hi, I’m Angel Delaight and I live in A Small Town Can Be Murder. Who knew small towns could be so interesting. I grew up in Chicago and I chose an untraditional woman’s career. I am a carpenter, and I wore many hats in my dad’s construction company. He decided to retire, and I decided it was time to strike out on my own. I happened to be driving through Whistle Stop, Minnesota and fell in love with an old Victorian House there. It was uninhabited and in need of repair. I decided then and there I would try small town living and rehab the old Victorian. I thought for once I would lead a quiet life in a small town out of the big city of Chicago where it wasn’t unusual to find squatters or even dead homeless people in the properties we bought. However, on my first day in town I found a dead body in my new home, met Barney Pipe, the policeman and a very handsome bed-and-breakfast owner. And… my dad moved to town. It wasn’t very quiet but it was mysterious, especially when strange things happened in my house. I hope you visit. Whistle Stop is interesting and it is the name of the new series by my author, Julie Seedorf.

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

Oh no, I control her or should I say the story gets away from both of us. We never know what is going to happen from beginning to end. She can’t keep up with my small town happenings and I can’t keep up with her. We make a very interesting mix, and then the animals disrupt our plans too. Those critters have a way of doing that.

How did you evolve as the main character?

I was a very strong woman when I moved to Whistle Stop. I never married because all the men wanted me to change my career and have a traditional life with them. I always got cold feet at the last moment because I was afraid I would lose myself. Moving to Whistle Stop and getting involved in the community and history of the small town made me realize I can be strong, but I can also ask for help. It is part of small town living.

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

small town cover I met many interesting people, such as Matthew Harkin and his Aunt Mayme. Then there is Barney Pipe, one of the policeman who has eyes for the medical examiner, Lila Henshaw. One of my favorite people is Eudora Brown. At least she became that once I got used to her tapping me with her cane.

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

I grew up in a small town and Whistle Stop is modeled a little after my life in a small community. Everyone knows everyone and what you are doing before you are doing it and occasionally that is frustrating, but there is no better place to be when you need help and support. I wanted to reflect that in my book.

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

This book is a little more serious than my other series. While I want it to be enjoyable, I also wanted to touch on subjects close to my heart which I hope I did in the storyline. As writers, no matter which genre we write in, I feel we have the responsibility to bring awareness to some subjects. In my Granny books, I touch on Alzheimer’s which has plagued my family. In this book, I touch on Domestic Abuse, which is also close to my heart right now.

Thanks for answering my questions, Angel, and good luck to you and your author, Julie Seedorf with A Small Town Can Be Murder, the first book in the Whistle Stop Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Kobo – BarnesandNoble.com Smashwords – Apple – Skye Bridge Publishing

About Julie Seedorf: Julie has worn many hats throughout her life such as working as a waitress, nursing home activities person, office manager and finally a computer repair person eventually owning her own computer sales and repair business. She never forgot her love of writing and quit her computer business in 2012 after signing a contract with Cozy Cat Press for Granny Hooks A Crook, the first book in her Fuchsia, Minnesota Series.

Adding five more books to the Fuchsia Series, adding a Brilliant, Minnesota Series and writing a column for local newspapers feeds her writing creativity. This year the Whistle Stop series was born. Small towns have her heart and she hopes to convey that in her new series.She also dabbles a bit in watercolor painting and hopes to eventually add pictures to her children’s book series, Granny’s In Trouble.

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged A Small Town Can Be Murder, American fiction, cozy mystery, Julie Seedorf, small town fiction, Whistle Stop Mysteries | 1 Comment

Meet Sheriff Bet Rivers

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about All We Buried, the novel she features in.

Welcome. 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.

All We Buried is the first novel I appear in. I’m very hopeful there will be a second. My author is working on one now, so I’m rooting for her.

My story starts out when I return to Washington State to fill in for my father as interim sheriff in my tiny hometown. After my father dies, I have a big decision to make: stay and fight for his seat or return to Los Angeles and the plans I had in place for my future.

If that wasn’t enough, a visiting scientist finds a Jane Doe—floating dead in a nearby lake. So now I’m also facing my first homicide investigation.

AllWeBuriedCover Now, don’t get me wrong, I wanted to become a detective down in LA—but that would be a very different process. I would work with an experienced partner and have all the resources of the biggest police department in the country.

Instead, I have a couple deputies, one of whom wants my job, and a septuagenarian office manager who thinks she’s better at law enforcement than I am.

It’s going to be a challenge to discover an identity for Jane Doe, let alone figure out who killed her, but I am deeply committed to returning her to her family and holding someone accountable for her death.

You’ll have to read the book and see how you think I did . . . and if I made the right decision for my life in the end.

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

I am proud to say we finally work as a team. It took us a long time to get to this place. She fought against us working together for YEARS, which got a little frustrating. But I’m a very patient character and knew that once she started to trust me, she’d realize we’re better off as a duo.

How did you evolve as the main character?

There was never any question I’d have my own story. I’m patient, but I’m also strong. I just kept pushing at my writer’s mind, reminding her that the draft she was working on wasn’t finished. That no matter how many rejections we got, if she kept rewriting (and listening to me) we would find a home. And we did!

I’m so happy to be a character with Crooked Lane Books. The best thing about our long journey was that now my writer and I have amazing support from our agent Madelyn Burt and the developmental editor at our publisher. Our editor, Jenny Chen, forced my writer to pay more attention to me, so it worked out for everyone.

But just to be clear, there was never any question I was going to be the protagonist of this story. One thing that did develop a LOT, however, in the final rewrites, was to dig deep into my motivations. I can’t tell you how good it felt to have those finally get unburied.

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

My favorite fellow character is Schweitzer. He was my father’s Anatolian shepherd. Once my father died, Schweitz had to learn that I was going to be his person. It wasn’t easy to win him over, but our relationship is the best thing in my world.

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

My hometown of Collier, Washington, is pretty amazing. It’s a lot like Roslyn, Washington, which you may remember was the location where they shot Northern Exposure. My writer lives about an hour west of Roslyn, so she knows the area really well.

There’s a road that runs north and slightly east of Roslyn, called Highway 97. If you go up 97, you’ll find an old road leading up into the mountains called Old Blewitt Pass Highway. If you drive up that road, and pictured Roslyn there, high in a hanging valley, that would be Collier.

It’s isolated and filled with Doug firs and ponderosa pines. There are a lot of good fly fishing rivers and elk abound, there’s no hunting permitted on our valley floor and they seem to know they’re protected. But I have to warn you to stay out of the lake. It’s not safe to get too near the water.

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

We’re like a train traveling up a mountain. We chug along, gaining speed, until we reach the crest, then we fly down the other side. If that’s your kind of mystery, I think you’ll enjoy all our time together. Come spend time in Collier, it’s a wonderful place to be, even with the occasional murder.

Thanks for answering my questions, Bet, and good luck to you and your author, Elena Taylor, with All We Buried, the first book in the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon: Barnes& Noble Books-A-Million IndieBound

About Elena Taylor: Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime-fighting duo. With All We Buried, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers a much more serious and atmospheric novel. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce a forbidding story of small-town secrets and things that won’t stay buried. Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.When she’s not writing or coaching writing, her favorite place to be is at the farm with her horses, Jasper and Radar, or at her home, on the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River in North Bend, Washington, with her husband, their dog, Polar, and their cats, Coal Train and Cocoa. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

Posted in April 2020, Archives, Uncategorized | Tagged All We Buried, cozy mystery, Elena Taylor, mystery, Sheriff Bet Rivers, small town mystery | 1 Comment

Why Me? That’s the question today

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Dianne Ascroft

Today Bryn Baczek, the main character in Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums and Dead Goldfish is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about the novel.

Welcome, Bryn. 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

BB: Why Me? Chimeras, Conundrums and Dead Goldfish is the first in the series featuring me and my good friends Logan and Sophie. The tentative title for the second is Who me? Fraud, Mental Floss and Aphrodite. I’m very lucky to be in this series. I get to drink all the coffee I want, live on a classic wood sailboat, share my home with a loveable but cantankerous cat, and interrupt my normal life as a management consultant with the adrenaline rush of an occasional adventure. I do have to put up with criticism from several family members, but being an aunt to three wonderful children makes up for that. All in all, I lead a very satisfying life.

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

BB: My writer hears my voice in her head, but she doesn’t always understand what I’m saying right away. Of course, that’s partly my fault. I change my mind a lot. And sometimes I don’t end up where I intended to go. Life is complicated.

How did you evolve as the main character?

BB: I was born on a boat in a small marina. Like my good friend, Logan, I’m tall and have red hair. People often assume we’re related. My cat, Macavity, and I both have two different colored eyes. That’s why I adopted him when I went with a friend to find a cat for her. I never wanted a cat, but now I can’t imagine my life without him. Logan is my soulmate, Macavity is part muse part familiar, and Sophie is my best friend and has been since we were kids. Together we manage to bump into disturbing situations and solve mysteries.

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

BB: I’m very fond of my brother’s twins and his older daughter by his first wife. They light up my life with their youth and energy. And, when they are on good behavior, I’m also fond of my parents and my brother. Unfortunately, my mother and brother are seldom on good behavior.

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

BB: This story begins with me being absolutely miserable. I’m in the Scottish Highlands, hiking alone in a downpour, surrounded by a swarm of midges, horrible bugs that don’t have enough sense to get out of the rain. After coming across a body, I finish my vacation on a more pleasant note and return to my urban marina home in Seattle. My consulting office is in a building at the marina, so my daily commute is short. I’m happy living and working at the marina, surrounded by boats and water and just one dock away from two liveaboard friends.

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

BB: Some people have very rigid expectations about cozy mysteries, and my story violates a few of the rules. I’m traveling in Scotland at the beginning of the book. I’m perhaps not as nice as most cozy protagonists. And I get involved in serious issues as well as trying to discover who did it. Although I don’t get stalked by serial killers or get tortured by sadistic psychopaths, Miss Marple I’m not. I do, however, wear sensible shoes and try to approach the mysteries I encounter with logic and intelligence. As well as with a smattering of humor.

Thanks for answering my questions, Bryn, and good luck to you and your author, Charlotte Stuart, with Why Me: Chimeras, Condundrums and Dead Goldfish, the first book in this new series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – Barnes and Noble – IndieBound

About Charlotte Stuart: In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and was the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. She is the VP for the Puget Sound Sisters in Crime. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.