A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello
Give a warm welcome to Jill Piscitello, author of A Sour Note (A Music Box Mystery)!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about A Sour Note.
“Where did the inspiration for your book come from?”
Such questions are among the most popular for authors. This is particularly true when a story setting is a very real place that many readers have visited. A Sour Note is a cozy mystery set in Hampton Beach, NH. There’s nothing like ocean waves and sand as a backdrop for a June release date. My family visits Hampton several times each summer, and I know firsthand how the sights, sounds, food, entertainment, and people create a feast for the senses. While the story can be read year-round, it also makes for an entertaining beach read given that the mystery takes place near July fourth.
As a sweet romance and cozy mystery author and reader, I enjoy all of the elements woven into lighthearted cozies such as culinary skills, pets, a thread of romance, and a touch of magic. However, I aimed for a unique spin with a heroine who can’t cook, is reluctant to believe in her cousin’s clairvoyance, and is allergic to her mother’s four cats.
A sleuth must have a job that allows enough free time to solve a mystery. When I heard about a local business offering music lessons and year-round performance opportunities, a rush of plot ideas set in various venues took shape. I hope readers enjoy a story about second chances, resilience, family, and friendship mingled with all the twists and turns of a mystery.
So tell us what is A Sour Note all about?
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
How about a sneak peak between the pages of A Sour Note?
With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.
If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.
“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.
“I found it.”
“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.
“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.
“Where was Vic?”
She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.
“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”
“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ ITunes ~ Google Books ~ Walmart ~ BooksAMillion ~ Indie Bound ~ Kobo
About the Author:
Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.
A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.
Social media links:
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Sour Note, Cozy Mystery, Jill Piscitello by Tena Stetler with 9 comments.
Security Force of Two #MFRWHooks
Yippee!! #MFRWHooks presents SECURITY FORCE OF TWO, first book in the Mountain Town Mysteries Series. A riveting #paranormal #romance, #mystery, Psst…its available for pre-order NOW with a release date of March 20, 2023! Join the #fantasy #cozymystery #adventure, and reserve a copy or two today! A former CIA agent and a Special Forces vet return to their small hometown for different reasons none of which includes involvement in an investigation of the new police chief’s murder.
A little about Security Force of Two:
Miacoh Zane, a Special Forces veteran, returns to Aspen Ridge, Colorado a small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, to settle his beloved grandmother’s estate. But the town holds painful memories and family secrets he wants to leave behind for good.
Candle Bearclaw, a gifted computer analyst/programmer with talents she’s buried when recruited out of college by the CIA. After fifteen years, she abruptly resigns her position with the agency. She returns to her sleepy hometown only to discover her childhood crush has also returned and a violent crime has been committed.
Due to their covert operations experience, Candle and Miacoh are thrown together to assist Homeland Security, FBI, and her father, former chief of police, with a murder investigation. As they search for the perpetrators, will their secrets be revealed as the investigation takes an unusual twist that could blow the case wide open.
A new peek between the pages of Security Force of Two:
As Miacoh turned the SUV into one of the School of Mines parking lots, one wing of a building exploded with debris flying everywhere and flames shooting over sixty feet in the air. He slammed on the brakes, put his hand over Candle’s head, and ducked over her as flying objects assaulted the vehicle. Cayson lay sprawled across the back seat.
The blast’s concussion overturned vehicles smashed them into other cars causing more explosions. Cars with shattered windows lined the rear of the parking lot just in front of their SUV.
Moments after the rain of debris stopped, Miacoh, Candle, and Cayson jumped out of the SUV and glanced around. They ran toward the scene, masks from Candle’s first aid kit covering their mouth and nose. They coughed and choked as the scent of burning debris, and heavy smoke filled the air. Their eyes teared as they fought their way towards the crater where the building had been. Due to the intense heat surrounding the crater, they stopped several yards from point of explosion.
“If there was anyone in the building, they were incinerated. Beyond help now. We should wait here for the emergency personnel.” Cayson raised his mask, mopped his face with his handkerchief, and replaced his mask.
Pointing at the flames, “That’s the Chemistry building,” Candle screamed. “Could be noxious fumes. Need to let everyone know to stay away.” She pulled out her phone and dialed Jedediah’s number with homeland security as she ran back toward her vehicle, motioning the others to follow. “I’ve gas masks in my emergency bag in the back of the SUV.” If their hunch was correct, this wasn’t the primary target. She was sure of that. After four rings, she left a message and stuffed the phone back in her pocket.
About the Author:
Tena Stetler is an internationally best-selling author of award winning paranormal tales. Some call her crazy others creative. She deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world and characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, magic, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.
Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a fifty-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.
Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.
This is a blog hop! Visit all the Book Hooks from #MFRWHooks – Your next GREAT read is waiting!
Thanks for stopping in for #MFRWHooks.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged #MFRWHooks, A Witch's Journey, Cozy Mystery, Mountain Town Mystery Series, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Security Force of Two, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Toes on the Dash by Karen C. Whalen
Give a warm welcome to Karen C. Whalen, author of Toes on the Dash, first book in the Tow Truck Murder Mystery Series, released on April 25, 2022. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Karen and Toes on the Dash. Karen, how did you come up with this idea for this unique series?
Hauling cars for a living provides my amateur sleuth, Delaney Morran, with many opportunities to find the bodies of murder victims. And of course, Delaney is not able to keep out of the way of the handsome homicide investigator, so she solves the crime before he does.
How did I come up with the idea for this series? I met a few tow truck drivers.
In my previous life, I worked as a paralegal at a law firm that represented tow truck companies. These car haulers are an under-appreciated, crazy breed, with interesting stories to tell. One crusty character operated his office from his truck which he parked in the middle of a junkyard. His lobby was a carpet remnant, sopping wet and smelly, that led up to the truck door. The visitor’s chair was the passenger seat, dirty and worn. His filing cabinet was his sun visor. His professional demeanor was lacking. I’m sure all tow truck drivers are not alike, but this man was a character bigger than life, someone I will never forget.
That all of the tow truck drivers the law firm represented were men made me think…women in the industry would need to be tough to compete in this man’s world. But what if a woman did own the business? What if the woman was young and inexperienced? What if she wore high heels to set herself apart? Oooh, sounds fun, amiright? And that’s where the idea came from.
Then I met a few female tow truck drivers.
One woman tower told me she was bit by the towing industry bug and fell in love with the career. She hauled cars after a catastrophic flood while in her second trimester with her fourth child. Talk about a larger than life character! And she’s given me some exciting story ideas, too.
And so the first book was born. In Toes on the Dash, super-feminine and confirmed shoe-a-holic Delaney Morran receives an unexpected inheritance—the keys to a tow truck—from a dad she’s never known. Despite the fact she hasn’t changed a tire in all of her twenty-eight years, she decides to give the dangerous business a chance. When she finds her jerk of an ex-boyfriend’s body in the truck of the first car she hauls, she becomes the prime suspect. Delaney must toughen up her image as the tow truck operator in high-heels and find the killer in her otherwise safe mountain town.
Sounds like a winner, Karen!
Tell us a little about Toes on the Dash.
Super-feminine and confirmed shoe-a-holic Delaney Morran receives an unexpected inheritance—the keys to a tow truck from a dad she’s never known. Even though she hasn’t changed a tire, or even driven any kind of a truck, she’s determined to make the rough and dangerous business a success. When she hauls a vehicle with the body of her jerk-of-an ex hidden in the trunk, the small-town cops in Spruce Ridge, Colorado do not believe this a coincidence. They have her in their headlights as the prime suspect. When the news hits, her business stalls. As a woman trying to make a living in a man’s world, she drives her rig in four-inch heels to set herself apart. But she must toughen up her image and solve the crime or she’ll end up parked in jail.
A sneak peek between the pages of Toes on the Dash:
Stopping with my hand on the door, I sneaked a peek left and right, worried someone I knew would recognize me, then I took a deep breath and stole inside. Need I explain? This is a small town.
My eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark. One girl wearing a thong—thank goodness she wasn’t anyone I knew—was on stage. Mr. Hot Head sat at the bar with a tall beer, foam on top, glass full. Looked like he had just been served a fresh, cold one, and this early in the day, too. I backed out the door, ran for the tow truck, and zipped back to the alley as fast as I could.
I angled the truck in front of Hot Head’s Jeep and muscled the dolly wheels over to the rear end, crouching low to the ground, getting a whiff of the rank dumpster. Hot Head couldn’t see me from inside the building, but he had a sixth sense about me, and I was determined to keep under his radar. I jacked up the first dolly wheel and was on my way around the back bumper to jack up the second one, when bam!
I stumbled right into Hot Head. He had a tire iron in his meaty fist.
Here is the tagline:
She went from wearing stilettos to hauling stiffs
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble and ibooks
About the Author;
Karen C. Whalen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Moran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner clubs, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, and read cozy murder mysteries.
Social media links:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-c-whalen
It’s been great having you with us today. Good luck with Toes on the Dash.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Cozy Mystery, Karen Whalen, Mystery, Toes on the Dash, Tow Truck, Two Truck Murder Mystery Series by Tena Stetler with 12 comments.
Sleuth on Safari by A.R. Kennedy
Give a warm welcome to A.R. Kennedy, author of Sleuth on Safari. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about A.R and her Sleuth on Safari.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A. R. Kennedy will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Naomi and her estranged sister are off on a trip of a lifetime—an African safari, a bucket list trip for Naomi on which she got a last-minute deal. Naomi thinks traveling with her sister will be the worst part of her African safari until she finds one of their fellow travelers, the unlikable Dr. Higgins, dead. She gets more adventure than she bargained for when she starts investigating what she thinks is murder but the luxury lodge says was a tragic accident. She only has a few vacation days, and a few game drives, to find the killer.
Read an Excerpt
Something red on the walkway, about fifteen feet away from me, toward his room, caught my eye.
I slowly walked toward it. From a few feet away, it looked like a blob, something spilled. As I stood over it, it looked like a paw print. Like the ones my childhood dog, Molly, would leave in the kitchen after playing in the mud. But it was red.
I looked to my left, down the walkway, toward the fifth cabin, Dr. Higgins’ cabin. “Dr. Higgins, you there?” I shouted. There was no answer. I hesitated but then stepped off the walkway. Slowly, I walked toward his suite, listening intently for any sound. I stood at his door, which was ajar. “Dr. Higgins? It’s Naomi from next door. Everything okay?”
With each step, I saw more red. Maybe he had spilled some wine. He liked the red wine. Not as much as Jack liked his beer but it was his drink of choice for the trip so far. He was still at dinner when Charlotte and I left last night. Maybe he came back to his room and had a few more glasses. And somehow spilled it everywhere outside his room.
Standing at the door, I yelled in, “Dr. Higgins? It’s Naomi. I’m going to come in, okay?”
No response. No refusal but no permission either. I went in anyway.
Seated in the sitting area’s plush chair, facing the window and the beautiful landscape, was Dr. Higgins. His head was hanging back. His hand was hanging down by his side, a broken wineglass on the floor next to it. There was even more red everywhere inside the room too. Maybe he’d had a late night after all.
I poked him on his shoulder and prepared for him to yell at me for entering his room unauthorized.
Still no response.
“Dr. Higgins, it’s time for our morning drive.” I tapped him again. “You’re late,” I added, just to annoy him.
Still nothing.
I walked around him to face him head on.
And I screamed.
African Safari, I always wondered what it would be like. Naomi gets a last minute deal. She and her estranged sister Charlotte embark on what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime – an African safari., but turns out to be so much more. Everything was fine until one of their fellow travelers ends up dead. Deemed a terrible accident, Naomi can’t let it go. She believes it murder and begins an investigation into what really happened. Everyone is a suspect.
The characters, animals and descriptions were wonderful. The reader experienced the sights, sounds, feelings, and smells of the adventure through the characters. Kudo’s to the author for this. There are laugh out loud moments when Naomi chases down leads and questions suspects with chaotic results.
Over all I enjoyed Sleuth on Safari and highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.
4-stars
About the Author:
A R Kennedy 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.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ark_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARKennedyauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ark_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382548.A_R_Kennedy
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/a-r-kennedy
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Sleuth on Safari!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A.R. Kennedy, Cozy Mystery, Sleuth on Safari by Tena Stetler with 23 comments.
