Tag Archive for: giveaway

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect Wedding? by Debra H. Goldstein

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Summer is wedding time, and when my friend Debra H. Goldstein’s newest book arrived with a wedding theme, I couldn’t wait to dive in and ask her Just One Question: Is there such a thing as a perfect wedding? Debra’s answer is below, along with a chance to win her latest terrific mystery, Five Belles Too Many! Take it away, Debra! — Shari Randall/Meri Allen

When I think about a “perfect wedding,” I think about a beaming beautiful bride and a thrilled groom. They only have eyes for each other as they happily share their vows, oblivious to everything else at the moment their union is sanctified. It is a wonderful illusion.

Wedding reality differs – none are ever perfect.

From the moment a couple decides to get married, tension ensues. One may want a large wedding, the other a small wedding and the parents may have a third idea as to what they can afford. There may be religious differences that impact who the chosen officiant will be or the venue that can be used. Are there allergies that prevent the use of flowers? Is there a venue rule that prohibits animals which makes it difficult to have the couple’s dog be the ring bearer? Do the parents like the groom or bride? Is there a bridezilla or Mamazilla involved?

Even if all of the pre-ceremony issues can be resolved, things can go wrong during the ceremony. Someone may faint. Rain may disrupt the planned outdoor wedding. Bees may beset a fruit display used as the centerpiece for food being served on the lawn. The rings may be lost or, as happened during my wedding, instead of being tied to the pillow with a slip knot, the six-year-old ringer bearer may re-tie them with double knots so he won’t drop them going down the aisle. To this day, I remember the best man, when asked for the rings twice, saying, “Dammit, Rabbi, I’m trying!” as he feverishly unknotted them.

In the newly released fifth Sarah Blair mystery, Five Belles Too Many, I incorporate the concept of the “perfect Southern wedding” with what happens behind the scenes of reality TV shows. In Five Belles, a New York TV show comes to Wheaton, Alabama to tape five finalist couples vying to win that “perfect Southern wedding.” Four couples are in their twenties, but the fifth couple is Sarah Blair’s sixty-plus-year-old mother, Maybelle, and her friend, George. They entered the contest on a lark, although Maybelle was sure they had a good shot at being finalists because of the demographic need for an older couple.

The show requires the five competing Southern Belles to each have a chaperone. Because Sarah’s twin, Chef Emily, works at night and Mother Maybelle doesn’t want to inconvenience any of her friends, Sarah is forced into the role. Not only does Sarah have mandatory chaperone duties, but she also must juggle her law firm day job and caring for her furry pets, RahRah and Fluffy. What makes it even worse is that the show contracted with Sarah’s greatest nemesis, Jane Clark, to have the contestants and chaperones stay at Jane’s bed and breakfast. Mother Maybelle assures Sarah it won’t be a big deal because she’ll be sleeping most of the time she’s at Jane’s Place, but, unfortunately, on the first night the TV show’s producer is murdered and Jane is found kneeling over his body with blood on her hands. When it is decided that the show must go on, Sarah must find the true killer before any more of the contestants or crew are permanently eliminated.

For a chance to win a copy of Five Belles Too Many (U.S. only), tell me, do you have any “perfect wedding” stories like what happened with the rings at mine?

 

Allow Me To Introduce Myself – And My Other Self: Using a Pen Name

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 By Shari Randall

 

Any writer will tell you there are ups and downs on the road to publication. To torture the metaphor, there are washouts, hairpin turns, and dead ends along with the rare, blessed miles of straight-as-a-pin, put-the-top-down-and-blow-your-hair-back Montana highway. I thought I’d managed these changing conditions pretty well until the publication journey threw up a completely unexpected challenge.

 

A hitchhiker.

 

Anyone who’s ever watched horror movies is now having flashbacks and shouting, “Never pick up the hitchhiker!” But since it was required, I took a deep breath, swung open the door, and let her in.

Not only did I let her in, I let her drive.

I picked up a pen name, Meri Allen.

 

“Why a pen name?” readers asked. My agent says “new series new name,” and luckily, the new Ice Cream Shop series has been welcomed with great energy and reviews.

 

But how does one “be” another author? Sally Field in Sybil haunts my dreams. I have questions. What about Meri’s author photo? Should I change my look? Use a disguise? The pandemic already changed my hair color, so at least I have that going for me. A new website is in order, but who gets it, Shari or Meri? How to write Meri’s bio when she doesn’t really exist? 

 

Thank goodness the writing has gone smoothly. Both Meri and Shari adore the same writers and cut their teeth on Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Agatha Christie, Ross MacDonald, and Sue Grafton. They’re both huge Murder, She Wrote fans.

 

Shari’s main character, Allegra “Allie” Larkin is a dancer who works in a lobster shack and discovered a talent for and love of sleuthing. Meri’s main character, Riley Rhodes, is a librarian who worked for the CIA – and had a few undercover assignments on her many travels. Riley’s older and has been around the block a few more times than Allie, but both are independent women, fiercely loyal to their families and friends. Shari set her stories on the Connecticut shoreline, Meri sets hers in a wonderful little spot in Connecticut we call the Quiet Corner. Quiet, except for the murders I’ve written in. The Lobster Shack Mysteries had definite Gilmore Girls vibes, while Meri’s Ice Cream Shop Mysteries have a Midsomer Murders vibe, darker, as befits a protagonist who has secrets of her own.

 

The writing process took me to some unexpected places, but I’ve come to love Riley and her friends in Penniman, a quintessential New England village with the covered bridge, town green, and locals with generations-long grudges and secrets to prove it. At first it was hard to put aside my Lobster Shack mysteries characters, but I’ve signed on to the Destination Murders anthology series and will bring them back in short stories once a year. I’ll still get to spend time in beloved Mystic Bay. 

 

As a writer, I’ve discovered one big benefit to a pen name. In talking with a friend who uses pen names (three!), I realized a wonderful advantage. Using a pen name gives you clear headspace to write new characters. When I write as “Meri Allen,” it’s easy to switch gears and enter into Riley’s world.

 

To my relief, Meri’s a terrific driver, and I’m enjoying the ride.

 

Writers, have you ever used a pen name? What was your experience? Readers, what do you think about authors using pen names?

 

Shari Randall is the author of the Lobster Shack Mystery series. The first in series, Curses, Boiled Again, won an Agatha Award for Best First Novel.

 

Meet Meri on social media. She’ll, well, we’ll be celebrating her new book, The Rocky Road to Ruin, with lots of giveaways and fun, plus sharing all things cozy New England and ice cream galore!

 

Check out The Rocky Road to Ruin here.

Instagram: @meriallenbooks

Facebook: Meri Allen Books

July 14-26: Win a paperback copy of The Rocky Road to Ruin! Macmillan has set up a Goodreads Giveaway! 

summer scene with books

Summer time and the livin’ was easy…

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 by Mary Lee Ashford

Summer time and the livin’ was easy… so goes the song.

Here it is – already the first of July and here in the Midwest we are definitely feeling the heat of summer. And the humidity…

I can’t even imagine what it’s like for some of you who are seeing triple-digit temps. I’m thankful every day that my air-conditioning is working and that I’m not relying on a fan like we did when I was a kid. 
Because I grew up in a very small town, my summers were mostly spent hanging out with friends and reading. 
When I think of summers growing up, I think of the sweet tea that my mom would steep in a pot on the stove and then cool and pour over ice.  In my mind I can smell the green grass that cushioned the blanket in the backyard where I’d park myself for hours with the latest book I’d checked out from the library. A comfy spot and usually a  radio along for a little background music. Now, I’m dating myself, aren’t I? 
Different summers, different tastes in reading but always the backyard and a book. One summer I devoured Trixie Belden books. Another time it was Nancy Drew. My mom was an Agatha Christie fan and one summer I started on her collection of mysteries. 
There were chores to do, of course. But in retrospect, life really was pretty slow and easy. Not much rushing about. Time for really diving into a good book. 
What memories come to mind for you when you think about your summers growing up? Were you busy with activities or were your summer days slow and easy like mine? Any favorite reads come to mind? 
Leave a comment below and on Friday, I’ll draw a name to receive a fun summer bag and a copy of my most recent book, Quiche of Death. (Or if you already have that one, thank-you for that, and we’ll figure out a different one.) 
Mary Lee Ashford is a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice mysteries series for Kensington Books, she also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. Prior to publishing she won first place in the Daphne du Maurier contest sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA. 
She’s the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and loves encouraging other writers. Mary Lee has a passionate interest in creativity and teaches a university level course on the topic. In her day job, she is a Deputy Chief Information Officer, and is happy to answer technology questions but probably can’t fix your computer. She resides in Iowa with her husband, Tim, and Zoey the cat. Her delights are reading and enjoying her family, especially her six grandchildren. Her family has come to terms with the idea that plotting murders is a frequent topic at family gatherings. 

Quiche of Death – Book 3 in the Sugar & Spice series

When editor
Sugar Calloway and baker Dixie Spicer went into business creating cookbooks,
they found a sideline as amateur sleuths. Now a bitter family grudge could
leave a fatal aftertaste…

At Sugar & Spice Community Cookbooks, the
friends and business partners have secured a tasty new commission: producing a
cookbook for the Arbor family. The Arbors have made their fortune in quiches,
and Sugar and Spice have been invited to a weekend gathering where all the
siblings, along with crusty matriarch Marta, will be in attendance. But it’s
soon clear that this trip will come with a hefty slice of drama.

Theo, the only grandson, arrives with his flaky
fiancée, Collette, who quickly stirs up trouble . . . and is found dead the
next day. As the investigation unfolds, secrets—and recipes—are shared, and
Sugar and Spice realize just how messy and murderous the situation may be. As
another family member falls ill, can they solve the case without getting egg on
their faces . . .and a target on their backs?

Amazonkindle Apple Google Kobo Nook

A Delicious Debut and a Giveaway!

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by Shari Randall

Dear Readers,

Greetings from the quiet northeastern corner of Connecticut, the setting for my new series, The Ice Cream Shop Mysteries. The setting, the village of Penniman, comes complete with a covered bridge, pocket farms, and the Udderly Delightful ice cream shop that specializes in unique flavors crafted with local products. It’s a dream setting and I have to be honest – the research for this series has been a dream, too! I’ve traveled the back roads of New England searching out the most delicious little ice cream parlors to inspire Udderly Delightful. The ice cream maker on my kitchen counter has gotten quite a workout as I’ve experimented with recipes for the book.

I’ll share more about the series as we get closer to publication date, but I did want to let you know that my wonderful publisher has set up a Goodreads giveaway with 50 (!) print copies of THE ROCKY ROAD TO RUIN on offer. So click the link to head on over, enter, and read more about the story! Here’s the link to the Goodreads Giveaway.

Shari Randall is the author of the Agatha Award winning Lobster Shack Mystery series. Her new series, The Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, written as Meri Allen, debuts on July 27 with THE ROCKY ROAD TO RUIN. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @ShariRandallAuthor and @MeriAllenBooks.

#goodreadsgiveaway #cozymysteryseries #icecream 

The Marketing Paradox

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by Bethany Maines

A funny thing happens when you begin marketing book. Suddenly
a project that has been intensely personal becomes public property. And even
worse, once it’s public, the public begin to have opinions about it. (The
nerve!) And as much as an author wants everyone to universally love our
precious baby novel, not everyone is going to. From reading while in a bad
mood, to just not being someone’s cup of tea, not everyone is going to like a
book.

But even if everything does go as smoothly as possible and
someone does love the book, suddenly ownership becomes shared with everyone who
loves it. The story takes up residence in someone else’s head which, for an
author who has had those characters living in her head for months or years, is
intensely strange and disconcerting. With each book I write I start out wanting
to share about it immediately.  It’s like
falling in love.  You’ve met these
wonderful, hilarious, romantic, daring people and you want to tell everyone
about them. But as I move into the marketing stage I find that in some ways I
become more protective of my characters and story. Please love that one even
though I’ve made him annoying.  And don’t
make fun of her – she has hidden depths! Although, yes, go ahead and hate
him.  We all should hate him.

Except that a book needs to be shared to be successful. I
want strangers to talk about it, readers to review it, and friends to share it.
Those things are literally what make a book a success. It is a very strange dichotomy
of wanting to shout as loud as possible while at the same time hoping nobody
looks at me while I’m doing it. So nobody look at me while I say this next
bit…

The Second Shot is coming out in two weeks!!! Please share the news with others.
A drunken mistake in college cost US Marshall Maxwell Ames the love of Dominique Deveraux. Six years later, he’s determined to fix the slip-up, but there’s just one tiny problem: someone wants the Deveraux family dead. Now Max must make sure that the only one getting a second shot at Dominique is him.

Pre-order on all epub platforms (Kindle coming soon!): CLICK HERE

Want a chance to win a free print edition of The Second
Shot? Enter to win at Goodreads!   CLICK HERE to Enter!

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous
short stories. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some
serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her
daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

The American Library Association Conference AKA Book Heaven

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by Shari Randall

You may know me as the author of the Lobster Shack Mystery series, but this week I get to wear another hat, that of Library Liaison for Sisters in Crime.

Part of the Library Liaison gig is organizing the Sisters in Crime booth for the American Library Association’s convention in Washington, DC June 21-24. After years working in children’s services at a public library in Virginia, it will feel good to be back in the library world, even if it’s only for a weekend.

Never been to ALA? It’s book heaven. The ALA Conference is a souk of ideas, connections, and fun. Dozens of authors will appear on panels and sign books. There’s a Cooking Stage to celebrate cookbooks with live demonstrations. Speakers! This year the speakers include Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor, award winning children’s author Jason Reynolds, tv talk show star Hoda Kotb, comedian Mo Rocca, graphic novel legend Frank Miller, publishing sensation Tomi Adeyemi, and Star Trek icon George Takei. Talk about something for everyone!

The Exhibit Hall, with hundreds of booths and displays by publishers and other businesses related to libraries, is just as exciting as the speakers. Because librarians are taste makers and influencers, publishers entice them with heaps of swag and give away advance readers copies of books they hope will become best sellers  – stacks of them. Because wheeled carts have been banned from the hall, librarians struggle to get all the free books home – you’ll see them weighed down by bulging tote bags, but smiling through. All those books are a nice problem to have.

But the thing I’m most excited about is the chance to tell librarians, publishers, and readers about Sisters in Crime. Sisters in Crime is a world-wide organization devoted to promoting the advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers.

And we love libraries! Tell your librarian friends to stop by the SINC Booth 1353. We’re doing a giveaway called It’s Raining Books. The library that wins the giveaway will receive a shower of books from over 100 authors – best sellers, award winners, mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense. The best part? As any librarian who has hauled home all those ARCS can attest, the only downside of ALA is getting all the books home. Well, Sisters in Crime will ship the shower of books to the winning library. #freeshipping

We also offer the Doris Ann Norris We Love Libraries grant. SINC gives a $1,000 grant to one library per month. You can find out more here.
See you at the conference!

National Writing Month

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By Bethany Maines
National Novel Writing Month, officially abbreviated to
NaNoWriMo, is now over and many of my writer friends are crawling out of their holes
with fingers permanently curved into the typing position and blinking around at
the world that they left behind. 
Essentially, we’re all Gollum. 
What did we learn?  What did we
accomplish? Other than scoliosis and arthritic fingers.
The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write fifty thousand words, the
general baseline amount for a complete novel. I’ve completed a NaNoWriMo
before, but my goal this year was to complete about half the word count and
outline the rest of a novel that’s been lingering out on the edges for awhile.  I didn’t make it.  I made the word count, but I filled it on two
different projects, neither of which was what I set out to work on. 
One project was a holiday short story for a holiday giveaway
with several other authors I know from my time at the Girlfriend’s Book Club.  (Enter below).  I’ll also be sending my story to everyone in
my Reader’s Group, whether they win the raffle or not.  So that was not time wasted!  But it wasn’t exactly the challenge I was
setting out to meet.

I think the interesting thing about NaNoWriMo is that
imposition of an immovable deadline. 
There is no flex and no one you can complain to if you’re not going to
make it. We all deal with deadlines (even self-imposed deadlines) in different
ways.  Some of us rise to the occasion,
some of us rail against “the man” and some of us quietly head out of the office
for a drink.  I think you could safely
say that I headed out for happy hour.  So
now I’m scrambling to reapply my deadline to December.  That outline still needs to be written, my
rough draft still needs to be started. 
Will I make it?  We’ll find out in
January.

Enter to win one of 50 copies of Baby it’s Cold Outside, a not-for-sale collection of holiday stories from USA Today & Kindle Bestselling Authors!  Including Oh, Holy Night – The Christmas Season is a lot more dangerous than it used to be.Violet Harper is usually found at her local Starbucks. Roman Knox is usually carrying a gun. Tonight they’re both in a bank and there’s a body on the floor. It’s a mess, but maybe a Christmas miracle can get them out of the bank and into love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Creepies, Crawlies & Other Scary Things Like Politics

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by Bethany Maines

Welcome
to the Halloween / Election Season where we’re all hiding under our covers and
hoping that come sunrise it will all be over and the tangerine menace will have
gone back under his rock.  I don’t know about you, but I long for the days
when October child safety meant checking the candy for tampering, not checking
the news for use of the word “pussy”.  When the boomers talk
about bringing back the “good old-days” I nod along, but I’m pretty
sure we’re talking about different old days.  My definition of good old
days was when I didn’t have to listen to a year-long build up to an election.
 So, basically, 1984. Can Back to the
Future happen now?  
Sadly, Doc Brown has not turned up
to rescue me. So I’m forced to devise my own escape plan.  It’s called
books. I’m going to bury my nose in a book or computer and read and write my
way through October. In case you wish to enact your own escape plan, I’m offering
this giveaway opportunity from my publishing company Blue Zephyr Press.
 Enter for a chance to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card, one of three print
novels (Exile by Karen
Harris Tully, An Unseen
Current by Bethany Maines,
and Perfect Likeness by J.M. Phillippe), and one lucky
winner will win five e-books (Exile and Inheritance by Karen
Harris Tully, An Unseen Current and Wild Waters by
Bethany Maines, and Perfect Likeness by J.M. Phillippe).
 Contest runs through 10/30/16. 
Tweet for extra entries!

***
Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Wild Waters, Tales
from the City of Destiny and An
Unseen Current.  You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Where Do You Read?

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by Sparkle Abbey

We just spotted a great article on the BookBub Blog about places to read. Check it out: How to Create the Perfect Reading Nook. 

Reading Nook with Hanging Shelf

 Aren’t those some gorgeous reading nooks?

But the truth is most of us don’t have the luxury of the “perfect” place to read. So we improvise.

We find places to read. Coffee shops, libraries, easy chairs. Some maybe slightly imperfect, but we make it work.

Some readers like the buzz of others around them and can read in the midst of a rambunctious family and a blaring television. Others prefer the quiet of some alone time with their reading.

There are those who read while they exercise and others curl up in a chair or snuggle under the covers with their book. Busy parents sometimes sneak in a few pages while waiting to pick up children at school.  Commuters take advantage of time on the train to immerse themselves in a story.

In fact there are so many unusual places to read that Goodreads did a poll: What are the most unusual positions (or places) you find yourself in while reading a book? You can see the wide variety of responses here.  Goodreads Poll Voting is over but it’s still. an interesting list.

The thing is, those of us with a love of the written will find a place to read. Check out our Pinterest board Books and Book Stuff for some other great book nooks. 
What about you? Where do you read? 
Leave a comment below to be entered in the #giveaway for a free Sparkle Abbey book and “mobile reading nook” care kit.  Would you like a second entry in the drawing? Sign up for updates on our website at www.sparkleabbey.com 
In our most recent book, The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo, we revisit lovely Laguna Beach and some of the colorful characters readers have requested make return engagements. It features Melinda Langston and her quirky assistant, Betty Foxx, in the cutthroat world of Doxie racing. Cheating, doping, gambling. Controversy lies at every turn and it seems everyone has a secret – including Betty. 
Next up? Book 7: Downton Tabby  Tea, crumpets…and murder. 

Untitled Post

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If you read my post from a few weeks ago you’ll know that I
was anxiously awaiting the ARC of my next book.  It was so close to perfect.  So close, but not actually perfect.  The inside looks great, but there was a
tiny little printing error on the cover and the top of the letters that made up
title were chopped off!  Sigh. But
what’s bad for me could be good for you! 
Leave a comment here or on Facebook for a chance to win this slightly
not right advance copy of Tales From the City of Destiny.  I will select one commenter at random
and announce it on the Stiletto Gang Facebook page tomorrow!

In other, non-book related news, the Seahawks won their game
and are headed for the Super Bowl. Now maybe you don’t care, but I live in
Tacoma, which is 45 minutes from Seattle and EVERYONE cares.  Although apparently, in the rest of the
country, they only care that Seahawks Cornerback Richard Sherman was, to put it
in the vernacular, kind of a dick to another player and then shot his mouth off
on national TV.  I’m not sure where
you come down on the unsportsman like conduct issue, but I come down on the
side of not giving a crap. Sure, I disapprove. His behavior violated the prime directive of proper societal
behavior, also known as the Golden Rule, also known as “Don’t be a dick.”  But considering that there are people
out there suffering from actual problems, whether or not Richard Sherman’s
behavior is a sign of the coming apocalypse (hint: it isn’t) does not occupy a
great deal of my brain space. But you know the part of my brain it does
occupy?  The part that thinks,
“That’s an interesting character. An hour after losing his temper he’s joking
and charming in a custom cut suit and a bow tie (because bow ties are cool).  Where can I use that?  I’m not sure I’m comfortable writing
someone like that.  Maybe that’s
why I should write someone like that.” 
Which is how I came to the conclusion that I should write
someone like Richard Sherman – brash, excitable, charming, angry, and talented.
Because half of writing is about challenging my skills. Not just the mechanics
of how to construct a more elegant sentence, but how to build realistic
characters that aren’t like me. Staying in the safe zone with my characters and
my emotions means that my books will become flat and repetitive. If I’m not
looking to understand other types of people – Richard Sherman or anyone else
that’s different from me – then how can my writing grow?

Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.