Behind the Words: Cozy Mystery Author Winnie Archer

25 August 2020

Welcome Winnie, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?

Hello! It’s so nice to be able to introduce myself to mystery readers. You’re the best!

I’ve started my life in California—born in Newport Beach, not that I had any sand or sun there since we promptly moved to Texas, then to Northern California. I grew up and went to college in the South Bay and then college in the Sacramento Valley. English major! My husband and I met at UC Davis, and after time in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, we moved our family to Texas (the DFW Metroplex) where we lived for ten years. We spent a brief stint in the mountains of Colorado, and now are settled, hopefully for a good long time, in North Carolina. We love it here!

I’m fortunate enough to be able to write fulltime, which is a treat after juggling my writing with raising our 5 kids and teaching middle school. Right now, pandemic notwithstanding, life is good.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing seriously, with an eye toward finding an agent and having my book published, in 2002 when my youngest was just a baby. He’s 17 now. My first book, Living the Vida Lola, was published in 2008, so it took a few years from the time I began. That series will always have a special place in my heart. Lola was the first character I created and I feel she is an alternate version of myself in a lot of ways. There are five books in that series. I followed it up with the Magical Dressmaking Mysteries. There are 6 books in that series. Harlow Cassidy (a descendent of Butch Cassidy based on some revisionist history) is the sleuth. The series takes place in Bliss, Texas.

I wrote a few romantic suspense/mystery novels (look on my website!) which I love. They are themed around two Mexican legends: La Llorona and Chupacabra.

And, of course, the Bread Shop Myseries, which I write as Winnie Archer. I have several more books to write in this series, and I hope to continue it beyond that.

It blows my mind sometimes when I think of how many people I’ve killed. ?

Give readers a look at a typical writing day.

Sure! I tend to get all the chores and errands I have to do done in the morning. Spin class, when there was such a thing, walking the dogs (although I do that after dinner, often, too), emails, social media, etc. Mid to late morning is when I really dig into whatever I’m writing (currently the first in a new Book Magic series, which I’m very excited about). I have a word count minimum of 1000 words a day. Often, I exceed that. Sometimes by a lot. Occasionally I don’t meet my goal. That’s usually because I’m stuck in some way with the plot.

I’m enjoying cooking more now that I’m no longer making meals for 7 on the regular, so I’m trying to expand my repertoire and make more healthy plant-based meals. Dinner, walking the dogs, yoga, and reading and/or some TV round out the day.

Tell us about your latest release?

Dough or Die is the 5^th book in the Winnie Archer Bread Shop Mysteries (my other books are written as Melissa Bourbon). The Bread Shop books follow Ivy Culpepper, our intrepid sleuth, in the fictional California coastal town of Santa Sofia. She has the help of her octogenarian sidekick, Penelope Branford, and Olaya Solis, the owner of Yeast of Eden, the bread shop where Ivy works.

Dough or Die’s mystery revolves around Yeast of Eden’s Bread for Life program and a reality TV show. There are a lot of threads in this book, each of which challenge Ivy in a different way. The Bread Shop books are always fun to write. I get to bake and try new bread recipes. Writing about food is always fun!

Could you share something about an element in your books that is important to you?

What a great question! One of the things I try to incorporate in all my books is a multicultural cast of characters to reflect real life, especially in the areas where my books are set. I’m married to a first-generation Mexican American man and, as I said above, we have 5 children. We made a very concerted effort to honor and continue elements from my husband’s culture as we raised our kids. It’s not always easy because our day to day life is very American. My kids are Mexican American but have grown up in a completely American lifestyle. We have an annual tamalada (Tamale making party), the kids have all sought out the Spanish language to become more fluent. Music. Food. These things influence our family life.

With my books, I have always wanted to tap into that cultural element in one way or another. Lola Cruz, from my first series, is Latina. She’s a young Mexican American woman working in a typically male profession, trying to honor her parents and their old-fashioned beliefs, all while valuing her family, her culture, and her independence and passion. Not always easy!

In both the Magical Dressmaking and Bread Shop mysteries, the love interests are Latino. A little snippet from my real life! The communities are diverse, as are the friends of my characters. In the Bread Shop mysteries, for example, Ivy’s brother Billy is in a relationship with Emmaline Davis, a Black woman in law enforcement. Billy’s best friend is Japanese American. The Bread for Life women are a diverse group. Olaya, Ivy’s mentor, is a Mexican business owner. These elements really round out the books for me.

I feel it is so important to have books that are a mirror to life.

Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?

I find the villains to be the most challenging to write. Their motivations have to be solid. They have to be well-rounded. Their actions have to be warranted in their own eyes. After all, they are the heroes of their own stories. Since I’m not a villain in real life, it’s sometimes difficult to put myself into their shoes.

If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?

Oh, wow. That’s a tough one. My first gut reaction to that is Lola Cruz. I love her fearlessness, her determination, and her spunkiness. That being said, all of my heroines reflect me in one way or another. That’s why I relate and connect with them so well. I’d be happy being any of them.

Oh, and Penelope Branford because she’s a hoot!

Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?

I’m 54 and I recently completed my 200 hour teacher training for yoga. It was really challenging in a lot of ways, very inspiring and humbling, and took some grit to get through it. Now I’m teaching one class a week and really loving it!

Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!

We eat gluten free and we just discovered a small pizza oven and Italian gluten free flour. It is the best pizza we’ve had.

I’m an unsweet iced tea drinker, and I’m enjoying wine with dinner. I love a gin & tonic, too, and frosty margaritas!

Thank you for having me, and happy reading!

DOUGH OR DIE……….

Known for its mouthwatering traditional breads, the Yeast of Eden bakery has gained fame across Northern California’s coast. Now the shop is bound for Reality TV—but a murder may kill its reputation . . .

People come to the beach town of Santa Sofia as much for the healing properties of Yeast of Eden’s breads as for a vacation getaway. And now a cable food channel has selected the bakery as a featured culinary delight for a new show. Baking apprentice Ivy Culpepper is excited as the crew arrives, ready to capture all the ins and outs of the renowned bread shop. But instead they capture something much harder to stomach: the attempted murdered of the show’s cameraman just outside Yeast of Eden . . .

With no motive and no clues, and the town craving answers, it will be up to Ivy to sift through the evidence to find the truth. But she’ll have to move quickly before someone else is targeted or the wrong person gets the heat—and the business collapses like a deflated soufflé, right before her eyes.

YOU CAN PURCHASE DOUG OR DIE AT:
Amazon

About the Author:
Melissa Bourbon is the national bestselling author of more than twenty mystery books, including the brand new collaborative Book Magic mysteries, the Lola Cruz Mysteries, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, and the Bread Shop Mysteries, written as Winnie Archer. She is a former middle school English teacher who gave up the classroom in order to live in her imagination full time. Melissa, a California native who has lived in Texas and Colorado, now calls the southeast home. She hikes, practices yoga, cooks, and is slowly but surely discovering all the great restaurants in the Carolinas. Since four of her five amazing kids are living their lives, scattered throughout the country, her dogs, Bean, the pug, and Dobby, the chug, keep her company while she writes. Melissa lives in North Carolina with her educator husband, Carlos, and their youngest son. She is beyond fortunate to be living the life of her dreams.

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks

Facebook Book Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookWarriors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissabourbonbooks/

Buy Links: https://melissabourbon.com/bookshelf/dough-or-die-book-5/

BOOK REVIEW: “W” IS FOR WASTED

Jocie McKade

25 August 2020

Review by Tracyreaderdad – Mike Pihlman

“W” IS FOR WASTED BY SUE GRAFTON

Kinsey Millhone is a private detective living in Santa Teresa, CA. She is an ex-cop, been married and divorced several times. She is an orphan raised by her Aunt, and she is self sufficient to the extreme.

Kinsey lives in a small apartment that has been refurbished (a bomb destroyed the old one) in a nautical motif by her beloved landlord, Henry, and currently drives a bright blue Mustang after her VW Beetle met it’s demise at the hands of a bad guy.

Kinsey, a few books ago, found (albeit hesitantly) that she has family. And, in “W”, Kinsey’s family connections grow substantially…but….. not in a good way.

But, I get ahead of myself…..

Two men are dead.

One Kinsey knew from working with him in the past (he also was a PI), and one she never met, but……he had her phone number and name in his pocket.

Pete Wolinsky was shot to death near a bar filled with cops. He was the PI, and, while he was alive, he did all he could to cheat the system, cut corners, and, generally piss everyone off.

His violent death was a shock, but, not a surprise.

John Doe (no ID yet) was a homeless man who died in his sleeping bag on the beach. John Doe had Kinsey’s name and number in his pocket which led to Kinsey seeing the man for the first time…..at the morgue.

Little did Kinsey know that investigating these two deaths would lead to……

Oh, to find out what happens, you will have to read the book.

“W is for Wasted” is a long (over 500 pages), interesting, complex mystery where Kinsey has to unravel more than one thread…all of which are dangerous. I loved it, and took my time reading it, as there are only two more books to go. Sadly, the alphabet ends with “Y”. ?

SNEAK PEEK: NIGHTS OVER EGYPT BY BARBARA KEATON

Jocie McKade

24 August 2020

Nights Over Egypt by Barbara Keaton
(Reprinted with permission from Black Pearls Magazine)

Two people searching for the same thing …

Ashalon is a professor of Egyptology at Cairo University in Egypt and he is none too happy to learn that another American is coming to his country to conduct a dig among the ruins of his ancestors. He vows to make it difficult for this foreigner, who has been given permission by the Supreme Council of Antiquities … at least until he meets the American, Corina Camden.

Professor Camden is searching for mummified remains from the Twenty-first and Twenty-second dynasties and is hard pressed to hear her every move in Egypt would be supervised by some professor.

Corina and Ashalon are each surprised by their reaction to each other as they set across the blazing desert, captivated by their love of antiquities and unknown passions.

Nights Over Egypt is a story of archeological digs, rich culture and buried passions.

For years Corina Camden has been the baby everyone doted on and the geeky little girl of the family, with the exception of one night when she was transformed into a raving beauty to attend her high school prom. Her date was arranged by her older brother with plenty of threats and instructions. The date was magical a one for Corina considering the response she was getting from her classmates and her escort. She listens intently to him as he describes his Egyptian homeland and his desire to be an archeologist, echoing similar desires she herself has dreamed of doing.

Fast forward several years and Corina is all grown up and a well-known professor of archeology in the United States. She has been offered the chance to participate in an excavation in Egypt among the Royal Tombs of Tanis. The honor is one that hasn’t been granted in ten years and will establish her as a serious Egyptologist. It is of little consequence Dr. Ashalon El Asab will be supervising the dig; she only hopes they can get along.

Upon meeting Dr. El Asab, they each get a vague feeling of familiarity. There is one thing for sure; they are both instantly attracted to each other. However, Corina recognizes a personal involvement could only lead to trouble, so she resolves to fight the feelings. Working in close proximity with fireworks looming in the background, the dig may result in more then ancient artifacts to secure.

NIGHTS OVER EGYPT is an endearing love story that casts an African American woman in a very nontraditional role in a country rich in history and culture. I was captivated by the obvious research Barbara Keaton put into this project and the vivid imagery she used to bring Egypt, its people and its heritage to life.

If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought Keaton herself was of Egyptian decent. Her character development was excellent with even the secondary characters showing budding potential for an additional story or two. This is definitely a must have for the romance enthusiast. —-Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Chapter Excerpt: Nights Over Egypt

Corina was embroiled in a conversation with a fellow black American, Eric Tate, a visiting professor of history at American University of Cairo, Department of Humanities, when a man, skin the color of burnt bronze and eyes a shade of opulent cognac, entered the room. She nearly choked on a sip of sweet wine she hadn’t yet swallowed as she took in what she thought was the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.

Dressed in black, his dark hair rested in abundant curls about his shoulders, she watched the stranger pause to speak to several people before his eyes met hers. She had never seen a brother so damn fine. Her back stiffened as he made his way to where she stood. Corina couldn’t turn her eyes from his.

“Oh, oh. This is where I lose. Ashalon has made his grand entrance,” Eric sighed.

“That’s Professor Ashalon El Asab?” Corina’s brown, doe eyes became large.

“The one and only. You haven’t met him?”

Corina could only shake her head “no” as she watched Ashalon stroll leisurely across the room heading to where she stood next to Eric. As he neared, she thought there was something familiar about him, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t place it. Besides, she reasoned, the more she thought about it, she knew the more it would bother her, so she opted to let the thought go for the moment and focus on the handsome man who had come to stand mere feet from her. He held out his right hand.

“I must say, you are not who I was expecting,” Ashalon stated, then took Corina’s hand in his and kissed the back of it. “Welcome to Egypt.” He held her hand in his, his eyes focused upon hers. At the sound of Eric clearing his throat, he released her hand.

“How are you feeling, my friend? I hear you had a run in with a snake down in Tanis.”

Without taking his eyes from Corina, Ashalon answered absently. “I am well. It was a scorpion. And you, Eric?”

“I’d be better had you not shown up,” Eric chuckled ruefully, then noticed that neither one of them was paying him any attention.

“Dinner is served,” a manservant announced.

Ashalon nodded toward the dining area. “It would be my pleasure if you would sit next to me during dinner.”

Again, Corina could only nod. She willed her feet, clad in four-inch heels, to move as Ashalon led her into the dining room. She hardly remembered anything other than his large hand at the small of her back, which felt strangely hot, as her pulse raced unchecked.

She smiled politely as the thirty guests sat down. Several near her asked her questions about her work at the University in Chicago and her life in United States. Corina graciously answered each question, but couldn’t seem to find her voice whenever she stole a glance into Ashalon’s light, intense eyes. They seemed to burn a hole into her very being.

“If I may,” Ashalon said. He took her glass and filled it with wine, his eyes never leaving hers.

Corina hadn’t been speechless since high school and she found the very notion oddly annoying, so much so that she forced herself to avoid Ashalon’s penetrating stare. She began to converse with a professor who sat to her right.

“Dr. Abou Sabh, I cannot thank you enough for adding your persuasion with the council to allow me to dig at the royal tombs of Tanis.”

“Well, actually it was Dr. Jahwass and your Uncle David. Your uncle and I go way back to when he was an emissary in South Africa, and I was a visiting professor of Arabic Languages at the University there. So, when he told me about you, I knew we couldn’t resist. Besides, not many black Americans are archaeologists. And none are as beautiful as you. We find this is an opportunity that should not, and could not, be passed up. Isn’t that right, Dr. El Asab?”

Ashalon nodded. “And of course, Dr. Camden, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask,” he said.

She watched his slow smile, the twinkle in his eyes, and absorbed his deep voice that was peppered with a slight Middle Eastern accent.

Corina lowered her eyes and returned her attention to Dr. Sabh. She frowned as Dr. Sabh began speaking in Arabic to Ashalon. She raised her right eyebrow.

“Dr. Sabh, it is quite inappropriate for you to whisper across me, but it is even more abominable and disrespectful for you to discuss my varying body parts in my presence.”

Chastened, Dr. Sabh’s tan skin went pale. “My full apologies. I didn’t know.”

Corina flashed Ashalon a pointed stare when he chuckled at the expression on his colleague’s face. He quickly quieted as she turned her attention back to Dr. Sabh. “Sir, I speak fluent Arabic and Latin, and know enough Italian to not get lost. It would suit you, and our relationship, well if you would study my vitae a little closer.” She spoke in Arabic, before slipping into Italian with a few choice words of her own.

“Well said,” Ashalon whispered in her ear. She felt his warm breath float across her neck. “You called him a pompous, raggedy ass, and he hasn’t a clue.” Corina shivered from the sweet smell of his breath and the heat of his closeness. “Are you cold?” he asked as she felt his hand brush lightly across her back.

( Continued… )

About the Author
Chicago native, Barbara Keaton loves the city and says she cannot imagine living anywhere else. Educated in Catholic schools up until 12th grade, Barbara credits the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the oldest order of black nuns, and her late maternal grandfather, Thomas Hill for her love and respect for the written word.

Barbara’s first romance novel, All I Ask, was published in 2000. Since then she’s gone on to write a total of thirteen romance novels which celebrate black love. In addition to her books, she’s also written several articles and editorials that have appeared in various publications: Today’s Black Woman Magazine; The Chicago Crusader; The Chicago Defender; The Chicago Reader; Bronze Thrills; True Confessions; and, Affaire de Coeur.

Barbara holds an MS in Journalism from Roosevelt University and belongs to several civic and professional organizations, namely Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she’s an avid reader and writer.

Married to a minister, Barbara has no children of her own, but she considers her niece and nephew, Stephanie and Matthew, and her stepdaughter, Candice, her “babies.” In addition, she’s a grandma and a great-aunt. Barbara lives by a personal credo: I ANSWER TO TWO—MY GOD AND MYSELF!

Website: BarbaraKeaton.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraKeaton26

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarakeatonstubblefield

Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/Barbara-Keaton-582585395172168

Crown Holders: http://crownholderstransmedia.com/book-author/barbara-keaton/

Independent Bookstore Spotlight of the Week – The Strand, New York, New York

Sheila English

24 August 2020

The famous bookstore located in New York City, New York, The Strand has been around since 1927! With New York City as the heart of publishing you could say stores like The Strand are the life’s blood of books.

If you ever get the chance to go to New York City I highly recommend a trip to The Strand bookstore. It’s larger than life in so many ways. I have visited this independent bookstore several times and have the swag to prove it! You’ll find books and more. But, set aside time so you can enjoy your experience of book shopping to the fullest when you go.

Never fear, you can shop online as well! And we really hope you will!

The history of the store (from the website):

Where it all began: Bound by a Family

The Strand was born in 1927 over on Fourth Avenue on what was then called “Book Row.” Book Row covered six city blocks and housed forty-eight bookstores. Ben Bass, the father, was all of twenty-five years old when he began his modest used bookstore. An entrepreneur at heart and a reader by nature, this erudite man began with $300 dollars of his own and $300 dollars that he borrowed from a friend. Ben sought to create a place where books would be loved, and book lovers could congregate. He named his bookstore after the London street where avant-garde writers like Thackeray, Dickens and Mill once gathered and interesting book publishers thrived. The Strand quickly became a Greenwich Village institution where writers went to converse, sell their books and find a hidden treasure to buy. Today, the Strand is the sole survivor of Book Row’s colorful past.

Ben’s son, Fred, was learning the family business by the age of 13. He too a lover of books quickly took to the book trade. After Fred completed a tour of duty in the Armed Forces, he came home to New York where he worked side-by-side with his father. By 1957, Fred moved the store just around the corner, to our current space at 12th Street and Broadway. Fred came to spend most of his time at the buying desk, cultivating relationships with regulars and scoping out the next great find…

The next in the Bass family to take to the business was Fred’s daughter, Nancy. After college and a short stint in Louisiana, she came back to her roots and joined the Strand team at the age of 25. Today, she manages the store and is honored to carry her family’s 90 year legacy forward. The jury’s still out on whether one, two or all three of Nancy’s kids will be next in line to join the Strand team.

This bookstore is New York City treasure that we highly recommend experiencing and hope you’ll show your support to this amazing independent!

BOOK REVIEW: THE CUCKOOS CALLING BY ROBERT GALBRAITH

Jocie McKade

23 August 2020

Review by Tracyreaderdad – Mike Pihlman

THE CUCKOOS CALLING BY ROBERT GALBRAITH

This is the first book of the Cormoran Strike series. It is not quite as magical as other books by this author, but, it sure is good fun. ?

Super-model, Lula Landry, flew from her third floor apartment balcony. When she hit the snow covered ground three stories down….she died. The police determined it was suicide.

Three Months Later

Cormoran Strike runs a very small private detective agency (one client, one full time employee…himself) and had just left his long time girlfriend, Charlotte. He has, just last night, set up his office as his home and office. Strike is an ex-military investigator who was badly injured in Afghanistan (leaving one-half of one leg needing a prosthetic). He is very detailed oriented, but, not the greatest business man. His rent is overdue, and his temporary secretary just left.

His life, at the moment, sucks.

Robin Ellacott is a young college dropout (Psychology) headed for a temporary secretarial position at a small private detective agency. Her longtime boyfriend, Matthew, proposed to her last night, and Robin is walking in the clouds.

She is the happiest she has ever been.

As she approaches the door of the detective agency…..a dark haired woman flies out of the door followed by a huge hairy man who knocks into Robin sending her flying over the edge to her……

Oh, wait, that huge man grabbed her just in time to save the life he almost ended.

Robin meet Cormoran, Cormoran meet Robin.

A few minutes later, John Bristow walks into the office. He is a lawyer and Lula Landry’s brother. And he wants to hire Strike to investigate her death as he thinks it was…..murder.

WTF?

To see what happens, you will have to read the book. ?

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” is a fun, fast, interesting read by one of the most famous authors in the world today. In it’s own way, it is magical. ? It is the first book in the Cormoran Strike Series.

Sheila’s Book Review: My Dog’s Health and Wellness Records

Sheila English

22 August 2020

My Dog’s Health and Wellness Records by Ashley Pearson

4 out of 5 stars

Most people who know me know I love dogs. I’m a dog person. I have six dogs and call my home the “Doglette Farm”. My dogs are like my children. They really are family to me. And as such, I give a lot of care and consideration to their well-being.

My Dog’s Health and Wellness Records is a simple tool that can be powerful when you need it. It’s like a baby book. Remember those? Where you write down all of the immunization records, details for the doctor, etc. This is like that. It’s a record keeping device as well as a memory keeping device.

The pages seem repetitive, but they are meant to use over a long period of time, so that’s actually helpful. At least check it out! If you love your dog, it’s worth checking out.

Reviewed by Sheila English

B&N August Book Club Selection

Jocie McKade

21 August 2020

Barnes & Noble Selects Emma Donoghue’s The Pull of the Stars as August 2020 National Book Club Selection

Readers Invited to a Free Virtual Book Club Event featuring Emma Donoghue on Tuesday, September 8

Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s largest retail bookseller, today announced The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue as the August 2020 selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, a monthly book club designed for readers across the country to discuss the most compelling books. Barnes & Noble is selling a special, exclusive Book Club edition of The Pull of the Stars as well as hosting a free LIVE virtual event on B&N’s Facebook Page with Emma Donoghue on Tuesday, September 8, at 7pm East Coast Time. Customers can purchase the exclusive edition in-stores or online at BN.com.

“The Pull of the Stars is an unexpectedly timely novel bringing readers to the maternity ward of a Dublin hospital during the height of the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic,” said Jackie De Leo, Vice President, Bookstore, Barnes & Noble. “It is a story of war, death, birth, family traumas and independence that will leave our Book Club readers wanting to talk about it. We hope everyone is able to join us for the virtual event in September to discuss.”

While Barnes & Noble can’t hold its usual monthly Book Club meetup in stores for readers to discuss the book, the bookseller is encouraging customers to engage with this important and gripping novel on social media and join the new B&N Book Club Facebook Group, as well as through a special virtual Book Club event a month after publication.

“I am delighted for The Pull of the Stars to be selected as the August pick for the Barnes & Noble Book Club,” said Emma Donoghue. “I hope everyone is able to join me for the virtual event on September 8.

The virtual event with Emma Donoghue on September 8 will be hosted on Barnes & Noble’s Facebook Page. Before the virtual event, customers can also join in discussion at their convenience in the new B&N Book Club Facebook group and on social media via the hashtag #BNBookClub.

Previous Barnes & Noble Book Club selections have included: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin, The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly, Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, Inland by Téa Obreht, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED……SHERRY HARRIS

Jocie McKade

21 August 2020

A Funny Thing Happened
By Author Sherry Harris

One day early in my writing career, I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up some groceries. I came home, opened Facebook, and found a message from a woman that said, “I was about to say that I was about to write a rather awkward message to you, but now I’ve sent a two word greeting making it all the more awkward. Oh well. Anyway, I believe I may have seen you today at Trader Joe’s and wanted to say ‘hello’ and ‘loved your last book—especially the ending’ but since my last two meet-ups with writers I admire devolved into me saying “I’m a Facebook friend!” and “Oh wow, I love your books” I decided not to try for a third strike. The sentiment remains—your books are fun to read especially for the undercurrent of serious issues that work within the story line. And if it wasn’t you at Trader Joe’s, well I’ll just add it to the awkward pile I’m currently creating. Have a good day.”

I wrote back and told her that I wish she would have said hello. Fast forward a month. I go back to Trader Joes and there is the woman who wrote me. What are the odds?!

One day I was doing a signing at a big chain bookstore. They were moving stuff around in the adult section of the store, so they put me in the children’s section. My books have friendly, cheery looking covers. I spent the few hours there explaining over and over that my books weren’t for kids. When a little girl was begging her dad to buy one for me I found myself saying, “Don’t buy my books, don’t buy my books.”

Here’s a look at Sherry’s latest release —

FROM BEER TO ETERNITY, A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery Book 1

With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect?

In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi.

YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM BEER TO ETERNITY AT:
AMAZON

About The Author:

Sherry Harris is the Agatha Award nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries.

Sherry is the immediate President of Sisters in Crime, a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Sherry loves books, beaches, bars, and Westies — not necessarily in that order. She is also a patent holding inventor.

Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next.

When Groundhog Day meets Paris, France on the worst day ever–Amy Bearce

Sheila English

21 August 2020

Reader’s Entertainment Radio presents a wonderful, warm interview talking about a middle school series you’re going to love!

Amy Bearce writes magical escapes for young readers and the young at heart. She is the author of the World of Aluvia series, Shortcuts, and Paris on Repeat (July 2020). She is also a former reading teacher and school librarian. As a military kid, she moved eight times before she was eighteen, so she feels especially fortunate to be married to her high school sweetheart. Together they’re raising two daughters in San Antonio.

LISTEN to the podcast!

You can find Amy at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin.

Her books are on Amazon and Bookbub.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

GROUNDHOG DAY gets a hilarious French twist in this delightful upper middle grade novel about first crushes and friendship. When an eighth-grade class trip to Paris goes horribly wrong, the worst day of one girl’s life keeps happening over and over.

Fourteen-year-old Eve Hollis is ready to push through her fears and finally let her crush know how she feels. And what better place to tell him than on top of the Eiffel Tower in the City of Love? But things don’t go as planned, and Eve is sure she’s had the worst day of her life–until she wakes up the next morning to realize the whole disaster of a day is happening again. She’s trapped in a time loop.

Desperate to make it stop, Eve will have to take some big risks and learn from her mistakes or she’s destined to live the most awkwardly painful day of her life over and over again, forever.

AUTHORS AND THEIR AMAZING PETS – MIRANDA OH

Jocie McKade

20 August 2020

SPECIAL FEATURE

AUTHORS AND THEIR AMAZING PETS WITH MIRANDA OH

Our family therapy dog – Miss Maddison –

This is a photo of me, my brother and our poochie celebrating 3^rd birthday this past July 1^st – which is also Canada Day. So we double celebrate that day and have so much fun together. She brings us so much joy and is the walking definition of unconditional Love.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED………WITH MIRANDA OH

Something funny that happened as an author – as most of us know authors sometimes write under a pen name. It helps us keep our author career separate from our daily career and work life. I was out on a first internet date and a book fan had come up to me and was very excited to see me in person. “Miranda, Miranda, Oh Em Gee, Chin up tits out, right????” they squealed. My date turned beat red, as he knew me not by my pen name, but by my day to day name. Once the fan and I exchanged our hellos and a quick chat, I returned my attention to my date he was more than confused. After trying to explain to him my two names and the reason behind them, he had completely lost interest and claimed he didn’t want to be with someone who would be recognised when we went out. He liked a discreet life style. I will also tell you that that fan experience has never happened before, and hasn’t happened since, so it wasn’t a common occurrence. Needless to say that was the first and last date we had, and we barely made it through a cup of coffee.

Check out Miranda’s latest book:

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT: CHIN UP, TITS OUT
A chick lit romantic comedy 18 year old Hadley has led a charmed life, always knowing exactly what she wanted from it. She’d had her life distinctly mapped out in her head for as long as she remembered, but a chance meeting sends her into a tailspin…albeit a sensationally delicious one. As she travels halfway across the world to fight for what’s hers, she stumbles time after time. It’s a journey of love, tears and learning; as she fights and attempts to overcome multiple hurdles standing in her way. READER REVIEWS “I recommend it to fans of romance, chick lit and humor” -Shruti Faren “Brings back all those happy memories of first falling in love… LOVED it!” -Penelope Leilani “This is pure frothy chick-lit. An easy read I really didn’t want to finish.” -Lucy Westerveldt