Tag Archives: small town

Giveaway – Corpse And Robbers by Stephen Kaminski @dollycas

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Corpse and Robbers: A Male Housekeeper Mystery by Stephen Kaminski

About Corpse and Robbers


Corpse and Robbers: A Male Housekeeper Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – A small town in Michigan
Cozy Cat Press (April 16, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1952579457
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1952579455
Digital Cozy Cat Press (May 13, 2022)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B1BD759B

Paul Bearer & Sons has two memorial services on the schedule, but three dead bodies. When Rusted Bonnet’s funeral home becomes the site of a murder, Cam Reddick finds himself as a prime suspect. To distance himself from the allegations, Cam must untangle a host of clever cons and mini mysteries, from corpse robbing to a fine art scam to a modern-day treasure hunt. Cam soon discovers that Paul Bearer’s more closely resembles a con artists’ colony than a funeral home. With help from his ex-wife and mother, Cam ultimately unearths the most devious and deadly ploy of all.

Corpse and Robbers in the second installment of Stephen Kaminski’s Male Housekeeper Mystery series.

Kaminski also pens the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective Mysteries. He is the recipient of the Murder & Mayhem Award for Best Classic Cozy, multiple Reader Views Literary Awards, and was a Chanticleer Media CLUE Award finalist.

About Stephen Kaminski


Stephen Kaminski is the author of two cozy mystery series: The Male Housekeeper Mysteries and the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series, both published by Cozy Cat Press.

“Corpse & Robbers” (2022) is the latest of Kaminski’s Male Housekeeper Mysteries. The first installment of the series, “An Au Pair to Remember,” was penned in 2019.

Each of Kaminski’s Damon Lassard books — “It Takes Two to Strangle” (2012), “Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk” (2013), and “Murder, She Floats” (2014) — was awarded the Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk was named Best Classic Cozy in the 2014 Murder & Mayhem Awards and was a 2013 Chanticleer Media CLUE Award Finalist.

Stephen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School and currently serves as the chief executive officer of a national energy association. He lives with his 120 lb Swissie, Siberian forest cat, rescue kitty, and a gaggle of occasionally tolerable but always loveable humans in Bethesda, MD.

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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Giveaway – Small Town Prince Charming by Megan Slayer @GoddessFish

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan Slayer will award a prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Can a high school romance that never happened have a second life in a small town?

Tracey Baker got out of Blakes Creek to find her purpose in life. She found it in the theatre scene in New York, but after ten years, she’s ready for a change. Working for the community theatre in her hometown is just what she needs—until she sees Ryan Greene.

Ryan Greene crushed on Tracey Baker in school, but he never thought she’d come back to Blakes Creek. When he sees her at the theatre, he’s determined to win her heart. His daughter Maisey is just as determined. She likes Tracey and sets out to prove her dad is Tracey’s Prince Charming.

Love might conquer all, but with the eyes and ears of the town focused on their relationship, Ryan and Tracey will have to prove they can set the stage alight together.


Read an Excerpt

“Ryan?” Tracey held a clipboard and one of the glittery chorus girl dresses. “Do you have a second?”

“I do.” He’d rather run. “How are you?”

“I’m good. Busy. You seem busy, too.” She smiled. “You’re doing well with the sets. I can’t wait to see them in action.”

“Thanks.” Was he blushing? The tips of his ears burned. “The costumes looked good. I haven’t seen them all, but I bet they’re great.”

“Oh, they’re not done yet. I still have to get everyone fitted properly and figure out where to add more glitz like Derek wants.” She fiddled with the garment in her hands. “I wanted to talk to you about Maisey.”

“What did she do?” He steeled himself for her answer. Maisey could tell tales and made things seem worse than reality. She craved attention, too.

“It’s not anything she did.” Tracey left the stage and strode out to the audience. “Here. This is less invasive. No, it’s what happened.”

“What happened? Did she try to set us up? She thinks I need another wife.” Shit. He shouldn’t have said that. “Sorry.”

Tracey paled. “Another? How many have you had?”

“One. Carol. It didn’t work out.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not looking to date anyone.” He could be convinced if the right woman asked him on a date—like Tracey.

“Uh…she didn’t say anything about a date or a wife.” Tracey fumbled with the dress and perched on one of the seatbacks. “No, she was wearing another girl’s costume because the other girl wanted Maisey to be able to dance in the performance.”

He wobbled onto the seatback one aisle behind hers. “Come again? Maisey did what?”

“Maisey wants to dance, and she’s in the class showing she can do it. One of the girls, a friend, gave her the wrong costume—the friend’s—so Maisey wouldn’t have to pay for it and could participate. I asked Maisey, and she said her dad couldn’t afford for her to dance.”

He had to be honest, but he hated the embarrassment. “I work two jobs, and I don’t have the time or money for dance. I barely keep us fed.” He tried to hide his shame. Tracey didn’t need to see him upset. If he hadn’t been saddled with Jessica’s debts, he’d be better off.

“Do you mind if she takes part in the recital?” Tracey asked. “I saw her practice with the other girls, and she’s good. She deserves to dance. She’ll have a costume, if you’ll let her, since I took her measurements. Actually, she’s already got one.”

“How much?” He’d have to shuffle a few things to find the money, but he had to give Maisey this.

“Nothing.”

About the Author:
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

Website
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Giveaway – Big Shot by Kirsten Weiss @GoddessFish

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Big Shot by Kirsten Weiss

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

BLURB

Small Town. Big Murder.

The number one secret to my success as a bodyguard? Staying under the radar. But when a wildly public disaster and a dead client blew up my career and reputation, it turned my perfect, solo life upside down.

I thought my tiny hometown of Nowhere would be the ideal out-of-the-way refuge to wait out the media storm.

It wasn’t.

My little brother had moved into a treehouse. The obscure mountain town had decided to attract tourists with the world’s largest collection of big things… Yes, Nowhere now has the world’s largest pizza cutter. And lawn flamingo. And ball of yarn…

And then I stumbled over a dead body. 

All the evidence points to my brother being the bad guy. I may have been out of his life for a while—okay, five years—but I know he’s no killer. Can I clear my brother before he becomes Nowhere’s next Big Fatality?

A fast-paced and funny cozy mystery series, buy Big Shot now to take advantage of the special pre-order price of .99 cents.

Murder mystery game included in the back of the book!

NOTE: The book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.

EXCERPT

Just to be clear, it wasn’t my fault.

It wasn’t my responsibility either. But when my client slipped me a mickey, there’s a principle involved. Though after falling down a flight of hotel stairs, I wasn’t sure what that principle was anymore.

I staggered to my feet, lost the rest of my dinner in a potted palm, and careened through the door into the hotel lobby.

Guests turned to stare, and why not? My blond hair fountained out of a high, pre-makeup-removal ponytail. Camo pajamas and flip-flops completed my tipsy party-girl look.

I staggered deeper into the chic gray and white lobby. Lights glinted off the chrome chandeliers, and I winced at their dizzying starbursts.

My fists clenched on my phone. Or at least I thought they did. My fingers were a little numb. But I’d expelled most of the drugs, and I was going to catch my wayward client, Toomas Koppel, and surveil him until it hurt. Him. Hurt him.

That wasn’t ego. I was well aware of my many flaws. But I also knew who I was and what I was, and what I was was very, very good at surveillance.

Plus, I was an optimist. Personal protection agents, otherwise known as bodyguards, frequently were. We liked to think we were tough and cynical, since our job was to watch for trouble. But you didn’t get into this business if you didn’t think you and your client would survive it. Maybe that was why I’d been snookered by mine. I still had no idea why he’d drugged me, but I was going to find out.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.

Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Links:

  • Website: https://kirstenweiss.com
  • Pre-order Swag for Big Shot with FREE Mystery Role-Playing Game: https://www.kirstenweiss.com/big-shot-pre-order-extras
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenweissauthor/

Buy links:

  • Kindle: https://amzn.to/3OnbbQI
  • Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1570681096
  • Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-shot-kirsten-weiss/1139623646
  • Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=_D8xEAAAQBAJ
  • Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/big-shot-12
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Review – Sara by Tony Hayden #tonyhayden

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I was scrolling through my reading list and came across the cover for Sara by Tony Hayden and I wondered why it has sat on my reading list since 8.10.14. Does the cover draw you in, make you wonder what evils are inside the cover?

Sara

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Sara unfolds like a Criminal Minds episode…a young college girl, a small town, a flat tire, a corrupt and dangerous police chief, a dad looking…

I was drawn in so quickly, with shivers running up and down my spine, rapidly turning pages…

At 20% my fears ramped up, the tension and pacing was off the charts and I couldn’t read fast enough. I could see this really happening, the events and characters could be real, the writing made the story come to life.

I found myself checking how much of the book was left because I had a really bad feeling…

I love this quote: “…we concentrate on finding the bad guys after the fact to ensure the cycle is broken.”

As the pieces came together, I knew my spidey senses hadn’t failed me, but I didn’t realize how bad these monsters were…and how many there were in one small town.

Tony Hayden took a twist I didn’t see coming and I love when an author can spin a twist to a story that I have read over and over…missing girl…in the woods…and make me unable to put the book down until I found all the answers.

I had two problems, which I won’t detail, one with the dad and one with Sara, but it kept the story going to the place Tony Hayden wanted it to be. That happens to me a lot in suspense novels, and I totally understand why it has to go that way. And, who knows how people will react until they are put in that position. Still, it kept nagging me, so a solid four stars it is.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

On a lonely two-lane highway through the foothills of Northern Colorado, Sara Jean Haller has disappeared. Her father, a rural county deputy, battles his own demons and a despotic sheriff in a desperate search to find his only child. Mike Haller must untangle a web of lies and secrets woven into the fabric of this small mountain town to discover the road that leads to his missing daughter.
Tony Hayden has laced together a story of struggle, hope and the untethered brutality of men without boundary that forces the reader up a dark mountain path to the edge of a shallow grave that hides no secrets.

ABOUT TONY HAYDEN

Tony Hayden

Tony Hayden is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. A former history teacher and fourteen year veteran of the Army and Army National Guard, he now lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and son.

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Giveaway – The Art Of The Decoy by Trish Esden @patesden @dollycas

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The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery) by Trish Esden

About The Art of the Decoy

The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
Traditional Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Vermont
Crooked Lane Books (April 5, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1643859641
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1643859644
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098PXZNDF

Perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland and Connie Berry, Tricia Esden’s series debut is sure to please.

After her mother is sent to prison for art forgery, Edie Brown returns to Northern Vermont to rebuild her family’s fine art and antiques business. She’s certain she can do it now that her mother is gone. After all, butting heads with her mom over bad business practices was what drove Edie away three years ago, including a screwup that landed Edie on probation for selling stolen property.

When Edie scores a job appraising a waterfowl decoy collection at a hoarder’s farmhouse, she’s determined to take advantage of the situation to rebuild the business’s tarnished reputation and dwindling coffers. In lieu of payment, Edie intends to cherry-pick an exceptional decoy carved by the client’s renowned Quebecoise folk artist ancestors. Only the tables turn when the collection vanishes.

Accused of the theft, Edie’s terrified that the fallout will destroy the business and land her in prison next to her mom. Desperate, she digs into the underbelly of the local antiques and art world. When Edie uncovers a possible link between the decoy theft and a deadly robbery at a Quebec museum, she longs to ask her ex-probation officer, and ex-lover, for help. But she suspects his recent interest in rekindling their romance may hide a darker motive.

With the help of her eccentric uncle Tuck and Kala, their enigmatic new employee, Edie must risk all she holds dear to expose the thieves and recover the decoys before the FBI’s Art Crime Team or the ruthless thieves themselves catch up with her.

About Trish Esden

Trish Esden loves museums, gardens, wilderness, dogs, and birds, in various orders depending on the day. She lives in northern Vermont where she deals antiques with her husband, a profession she’s been involved with since her teens. Don’t ask what her favorite type of antique is. She loves hunting down old bottles and rusty barn junk as much as she enjoys fine art and furnishings.

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Giveaway – Hippie Wagon Homicide by Mildred Abbott @MAcozymystery

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Hippie Wagon Homicide (Twister Sisters Mysteries) by Mildred Abbott

About Hippie Wagon Homicide


Hippie Wagon Homicide (Twister Sisters Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Small farming/tourist town in the Missouri Ozarks
Wings of Ink Publications, LLC (February 1, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 474 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8408091980
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 626 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8795278049
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 476 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09K4ZPZ93

Cordelia Davis lives with no regrets, despite her life changing drastically a half century ago when a tornado altered the destiny of the little Ozark town of Willow Lane. The town grew back stronger and more beautiful, and Cordelia, her sister, Pamela, and her best friend, Wanda, built a life to treasure.

As Willow Lane honors the memory of those lost and celebrates all that has been achieved, tragedy refuses to remain in the past. News of murder rocks the pastoral countryside when Cordelia discovers a body on her farm, beneath her beloved willow tree. And while the police make an immediate arrest, Cordelia finds herself untangling a web of lies and long-ago secrets.

With suspects in every nook of her cozy town—and an old flame knocking on her door—it will take all Cordelia’s tenacity to face the past and to weather the mysteries of Willow Lane.

About Mildred Abbott

Preoccupied with everything found in cozy mysteries: Puppies, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods.  Although not obsessed with murder, however. At least not in real life (No contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in everyday life.  Author of the Cozy Corgi series and the Twister Sister series.

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MY MILDRED ABBOTT REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Haunted Real Estate by J C Valentine @AuthorJCV @IndieSagePR

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WHERE’S GARY?

by J.C. Valentine A Haunted Real Estate Novel Publication Date: October 29, 2021 Genres: Adult, Mystery Romance, Small Town, Ghost Story

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pTSskx B&N: https://bit.ly/31RvYbN iTunes: https://apple.co/3yrL6bO KOBO: https://bit.ly/3lU9cqs Additional Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/31Kaln

SYNOPSIS

When a distant relative dies, Claire Montgomery inherits an ages old house with a storied past. Intending to flip it for profit, she travels to a quaint burrow in the middle of nowhere and becomes the talk of the town. Or maybe it has more to do with the house that everyone claims is haunted by a history that’s even more mysterious than Claire could ever imagine. Can she finish the renovations and get out of Dodge before the quest for a profit kills her?

About the Author

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB

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