Tuesday, April 28, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: JANET LoSOLE




ABOUT THE BOOK


Embarking on a homeschooling field trip to Central America is stressful enough, but add in perilous bridge crossings, trips to the hospital, and a lack of women’s underwear, and you have the makings of an Adventure by Chicken Bus.
Buckling under a mountain of debt, Janet LoSole and her family are at their wits’ end. Determined to make a drastic change, they sell all worldly possessions and hit the road. With only a few items of clothing, a four-person tent, and little else, the family visits a sleepy island backwater in Costa Rica to save endangered sea turtles. In Panama, they bounce around like turnips in the back of a vegetable truck to reach an isolated monkey sanctuary. In Guatemala, they scale the ancient Mayan temples of Tikal.
In between tales of begging rides from total strangers and sleeping overnight in the jungle with an indigenous family, Janet endorses community-based travel—supporting local businesses and favoring public transportation called chicken buses. She also writes candidly about what it takes to travel long-term with two little girls amid the chaos of border crossings, erratic drivers, and creepy crawlies lurking at the edge of the jungle.




Book Details: 


Title: Adventure by Chicken Bus: An Unschooling Odyssey through Central America


Author: Janet LoSole


Genre: nonfiction (memoir)


Publisher: Resource Publications (Dec 11, 2019)


Print length: 226 pages





LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH JANET LoSOLE


Things you need in order to write: a good night’s sleep, tea, comfortable chair.
Things that hamper your writing: lack of sleep.


Things you love about writing: getting my ideas down and crafting a sentence.
Things you hate about writing: how draining it is mentally.

Easiest thing about being a writer: working from home, until I start to feel isolated, then I go out and meet people for coffee.
Hardest thing about being a writer: isolation, and editing.

Something you like to do: learn foreign languages . . . when we arrange vacations, I build in time to visit places where I can practice speaking the language.

Something you wish you’d never done: listened to someone tell me I couldn’t write.

Favorite places you’ve been: Nicaragua – the people are so warm and generous.

Places you never want to go to again: Amsterdam – way too crowded and chaotic.

Favorite things to do: travel, read.

Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: getting up early.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Homeschool my kids.

Biggest mistake: staying too long in toxic relationships.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: backpacked through Central America with two young daughters.

Something you chickened out from doing: joining a francophone Toastmasters meeting in order to improve my French.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Janet LoSole is a freelance writer living in Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French Linguistics from York University in Toronto and a Bachelor of Education Degree from Nipissing University. She is a certified TESOL instructor and has taught ESL internationally since 1994. She began homeschooling her daughters in 1997. She writes about traveling with children and homeschooling. Her work has been published in: Canada’s Education Magazine, Natural Parent Magazine, The Alliance for Self-Directed Education, Outdoor Families Online, Unravel, and elsewhere.



Connect with Janet:
Website   |  Twitter


Buy the book:

Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble

Friday, April 24, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: CHRISTA NARDI




ABOUT THE BOOK


A touch of nostalgia, a murder, and good friends. 

When a former colleague is implicated in his neighbor’s demise, Sheridan Hendley returns to Cold Creek to prove his innocence. Annoying as Max can be, she can’t imagine the quirky professor is capable of murder. Unfortunately, not everyone shares her opinion. Of course, it doesn’t help that Max threatened his neighbor in a public place soon before the man was murdered. Or that the victim’s drug shipments had a habit of turning up on Max’s doorstep.


Book Details:

Title:  Old Friends and New, Another Murder

Author: Christa Nardi

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths, Amateur Sleuths


Series: Sheridan Hendley Mysteries Book #3


Published: December 15, 2019

Print length: 206 pages


On tour with: Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours













IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTA NARDI


Ifs


If you could talk to someone (dead), who would it be and what would you ask them? 


Louisa May Alcott. I’d ask her if she ever imagined the changes in the world, how Jo (Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys) would have liked writing her books with all this technology, and how she sees the role of women in the work place changed from her time.

If you could live in any time period which would it be?


The roaring 20’s. It was a period of economic growth and promise. And the clothes and music make me smile.

If you had to do community service, what would you choose? 

I would help out an animal rescue, working and playing with dogs (allergic to cats). I have helped out at one previously and hope to do so again.

If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book?

LOL. Keeneston, Kentucky from Kathleen Brooks’, Blue Grass series. I really want to visit the Blossom CafĂ© and see the rolling hills and horses. My husband and I were scheduled to visit Kentucky and the general area of the fictional town in May. Unfortunately, that trip has been postponed.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
I’ve visited many places, mostly Europe, Canada and Israel, as well as various Caribbean islands. I love to travel, I love to visit new places. Next destinations include the Panama Canal, Great Britain (again), and Scandinavia. For all the travel, even though there are things I wish were different, I’m always glad to come home (US).



Ands


5 favorite possessions:
    •    books
    •    chocolates
    •    family photos
    •    Kindle
and
    •    Diet Coke

5 things you need in order to write:
    •    time
    •    space
    •    motivation
    •    my laptop
and
    •    some initial idea; preferably all at the same time.

5 things you never want to run out of:
    •    optimism
    •    empathy
    •    curiosity
    •    generosity
and
    •    chocolate

5 things you always put in your books:
    •    dogs
    •    wine
    •    coffee (though I don’t drink it)
    •    walks in the park or an arboretum
and
    •    at least a bit of romance

5 favorite things to do:
    •    read
    •    write
    •    dance
    •    talk with friends
and
    •    travel

5 people you consider as heroes:
Given the current and past crises:
    •    veterans
    •    first responders
    •    health care professionals
    •    active military
and
    •    people who help others


Whats



What’s your favorite dessert? 
 
Chocolate.


What’s your favorite beverage? 

Diet Coke.


What’s your favorite thing to do when there’s nothing to do? 

Read or write.


What’s your favorite color?

Blue.


What book are you currently working on? 

I’ve started a holiday book for the Sheridan Hendley Series – Holly and Mistletoe, Another Murder. The plan is to finish it and release by Fall 2020.






ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Christa Nardi is an accomplished writer and an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery crime authors over time, but she still loves a good mystery. Christa has authored the Cold Creek Cozy Mystery Series, the spinoff Sheridan Hendley Mystery Series, and the Stacie Maroni Mystery Series.  She co-authors the Hannah and Tamar Mystery Series. When not reading or writing, Christa enjoys travel with her husband and playing with her dogs and three grand-daughters.

Connect with Christa:

Website  |  Amazon  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Bookbub   |  Pinterest



Buy the book:
Amazon





Wednesday, April 22, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: MAGGIE TOUSSAINT



ABOUT THE BOOK



Caterer River Holloway has talents beyond her to-die-for cooking. She is also known among friends and family on Shell Island as a “finder” of things. Which is why a desperate mother begs River to track down her grown son, Chili Bolz, who’s seemingly vanished.


Deputy Lance Hamlyn, a newcomer to Shell Island, has hit a dead-end in trying to locate the missing man. Familiar with River’s reputation, he attempts to team up with her, hoping that her inside track with the locals might aid his investigation. But the simple missing person case begins to boil over into something far more frightening when Chili’s mother falls victim to a brutal assault. Worse, her dying words to River seem to incriminate more than one of River’s friends in both kidnapping and, now, murder.


While Deputy Hamlyn conducts the formal criminal investigation, River uses her time between catering events to do some sleuthing of her own. Her efforts are hampered by the unexpected return of her absentee boyfriend, who has his own reasons for wanting her to stay safely in the kitchen. With the number of suspects growing longer than her food shopping list, River soon finds herself caught in an unsavory recipe for disaster. She must locate the missing Chili and discover who killed his mother before her own goose is quite literally cooked! 


Maggie Toussaint serves up a fun and captivating read in Seas the Day, the first in her Seafood Caper Mystery series! Complete with Southern recipes.





Book Details:


Title: Seas the Day


Author: Maggie Toussaint


Genre: culinary cozy mystery 


Series: A Seafood Caper Mystery


Publisher: Henery Press (April 22, 2020)


Print length: 280 pages








LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH MAGGIE TOUSSAINT



A few of your favorite things: highlighter pens, birds in flight, wellness, clean underwear (thanks, Mom!).
Things you need to throw out: nothing! I love all my stuff.



Things you need in order to write: quiet, morning time, caffeine, inner voices.
Things that hamper your writing: noise, interruptions, focus issues.



Things you love about writing: world building, quirky characters, getting even (in fiction) with those who’ve done bad things.
Things you hate about writing: hard to see your mistakes, throwing out scenes that go nowhere but I love, volatility in the publishing industry and associated cutbacks.


Easiest thing about being a writer: sharing my love of writing with family, friends, and fans.

Hardest thing about being a writer: owning your creative time and not letting it get frittered away doing Other Things.



Things you love about where you live: scenic natural beauty of Georgia coast, you can see for miles here, no tall buildings or crowds, no lines in the stores.
Things that make you want to move: I am far from kids and grands-would enjoy being closer; increased hurricane risk in fall.

Things you never want to run out of: tea! Chocolate! Excedrin! Automobile gas!
Things you wish you’d never bought: red onions, cumin (allergy), clothes that fit wrong.


Words that describe you: curious, creative, helping nature, loyal.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: has a hard time saying no to extra activities.

Favorite music: I love classic rock, yoga music, classical music, and a lot more.
Music that make your ears bleed: for me, it’s the volume of music. Too loud and I get dizzy.

Favorite beverage: I’m sure you can guess by now—tea!

Something that gives you a pickle face: bathroom scale numbers.

Favorite smell: citrus anything.

Something that makes you hold your nose: flowers (so sad because I love to look at them).

Something you’re really good at: finishing what I start.

Something you’re really bad at: air math.


Last best thing you ate: roasted Brussels sprouts.

Last thing you regret eating: no regrets.

Things you always put in your books: a strong sense of community.

Things you never put in your books: onscreen violence.

Things to say to an author: I love your book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I gave your book a one-star rating because I don’t read that kind of book.

Things that make you happy: family, nature, yoga, singing.

Things that drive you crazy: people who say one thing and do another.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Southern author Maggie Toussaint became a cozy mystery author after getting her feet damp in romantic suspense and dystopian fiction, with twenty fiction novels and two nonfiction novels to her credit. A three-time finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, her work won three Silver Falchions, the Readers’ Choice, and the EPIC Awards. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.

Connect with Maggie:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble



Monday, April 20, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: DAVIN GOODWIN




ABOUT THE BOOK


After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy and friend back home, is murdered.


Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It’s slow going. No surprise, there. After all, it’s an active investigation, and his compadres back home aren’t saying a damn thing.


He’s 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go to the beach and catch some rays.


For Conklin, it’s not that simple. Outside looking in? Not him. Never has been. Never will be.


When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence and challenges the department’s methods. Something isn’t right.


Arabella wasn’t the intended target.



Book Details: 


Book Title: Diver’s Paradise


Author: Davin Goodwin


Genre: mystery


Series: Roscoe Conklin Mystery Series


Publisher: Oceanview Publishing (April 7, 2020)


Print length: 336

On Tour with: Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours







LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH DAVIN GOODWIN



A few of your favorite things: family is my cornerstone. My wife, Leslie, keeps me grounded. I’d be lost without her. Daughter, stepson, nieces, brothers, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins . . . I have deep southern heritage, and growing up I was always surrounded by large numbers of family members.
Having said that, however, I couldn’t live without my banjo and fiddle. Although I don’t play them as often as I should, they’ve been a huge part of my life since childhood. Also, don’t try to take away my Jeep Wrangler. I didn’t buy it for the ride or comfort—I bought it for the lifestyle.
Things you need to throw out: our basement is full of books that we’ve read. Some we want to keep, but most of them need to be donated or recycled. I’m talking hundreds! Also, we still have a bunch of old VHS tapes that we need to do something with.


Things you need in order to write: a glass of Diet Coke with ice. Also, Post-it®—I make lots of notations while I write, things I need to go back and change or enhance. Sometimes, depending on my mood, some sort of background noise. Music, the news, some random TV show, just something to break up the silence.

Things that hamper your writing: my inability to sometimes stay focused. My mind can wander, and I find myself getting up from the computer to do the dishes, throw clothes in the dryer, stare out the window. 


Things you love about writing: allowing myself to be taken away to other places, ones that I’ve created. And I like the concept that my characters live or die at my whim. If they make me mad, they meet with an untimely (or timely, depending) demise.
Things you hate about writing: writing is hard work. Like many other things, it can take a toll on you. I find creativity and staying focused difficult tasks. It’s all a huge challenge for me.

Easiest thing about being a writer: I find editing and re-writes exciting, easy, and fulfilling. It comes easy to me, and I actually look forward to that part of the process.

Hardest thing about being a writer: I never realized the amount of marketing and social media work involved. In the past, I’ve owned several small businesses, so I understand branding, customer acquisition, and advertising. But this is my first bout with Facebook, Instagram, and such. It’s a huge time commitment.


Things you love about where you live: I love the summers. Mild weather, not too much rain, and cozy evenings. Being a state capitol and large college town, there’s always something going on. Lots of live music venues, which I really appreciate, and most of them are amateur or local musicians.
Things that make you want to move: I hate the Wisconsin winters. Seriously, from about mid-November to April 1st every year I ask myself why I live in this part of the country. Painful, painful winters. And for the record, we live here because my wife’s family is close by. Otherwise, I’d live someplace with year-round warmth.

Words that describe you: sarcastic (in a self-deprecating sense), funny, loyal, knowledgeable, talented, friendly, out-going, extraverted, driven.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: procrastinator, talkative, over-bearing, bossy

Favorite foods: pork bar-b-que, ribs, burgers, pizza, French fries, pies, ice cream, chocolate, potatoes, pop-tarts. Basically, anything that’s bad for me and would send my doctor through the roof.
Things that make you want to throw up: anything that comes from the ocean (fish, shrimp, lobster, crab, etc.), most vegetables. Basically, everything that’s good for me and would make my doctor nod and smile.

Favorite music: I prefer bluegrass. Also, mild country and 70’s rock.
Music that make your ears bleed: rap and anything that has a hard driving, pulsating bass beat.

Favorite smell: I love the smell of the ocean, especially early in the morning around sunrise.

Something that makes you hold your nose: any type of seafood cooking.

Something you’re really good at: playing banjo. I’ve played since the age of 16 and have played in multiple bands, some locally known and one nationally known. Have taught banjo and given workshops and seminars at festivals.

Something you’re really bad at: singing. I can’t carry a tune to save my life. Seriously, my singing would bring a tear to a glass eye.


Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk further than a mile to hear a good bluegrass band. Hopefully, it would be straight acoustic, no mics or amplification. And it’d be listening under a shade tree someplace.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: shoveling snow from the driveway. Ugh . . . even using a snowblower. I hate it.

Things you always put in your books: I try to include some level of my family and/or heritage in my novels. It may not be evident to the reader, but I know it’s there and that’s important to me. Some of my family members notice it as well. I have deep southern roots (my family is from the Ozark foothills in Arkansas) and am very proud of my heritage.

Things you never put in your books: any type of child abuse or child killings, as well as cruelty to animals. I write murder mysteries, so there’s going to be some killing, but they aren’t grotesque and most of them happen off-camera, so the reader isn’t exposed to the gory details.

Things to say to an author: ‘Tell me about your next project.” “How’s the writing going?” “What book have you read lately?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: anything in the form or starts with “You know what would make that better?” or “Here’s what you should do.”

Favorite places you’ve been: my favorite place to visit is Bonaire, a small island in the southern Caribbean. A close second is Los Angeles to visit our daughter and her husband.

Places you never want to go to again: Chennai, India. I spent a week there on business travel in 2014. The food and spices don’t agree with me, especially curry. Since my business traveling colleagues wanted to experience authentic Indian cuisine, I was left eating bread and fruit all week. I actually lost ten pounds during the trip.

Best thing you’ve ever done: my wife and I owned several small businesses. We learned quickly about budgeting, sacrifice, and community relationships. Everything we learned made us better people and better employees for future companies.

Biggest mistake: I’m a pilot and have always loved airplanes and anything aviation related. I’ve had several opportunities to make aviation a career but failed to act upon those opportunities.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: we flew single-engine, four-seat piper airplanes from Key West Florida to Grand Cayman. 175 miles over open ocean with only one engine!

Something you chickened out from doing: I couldn’t force myself to bungie jump.

The last thing you did for the first time: write a publishable novel. I spent ten years, off and on, to make it a reality.

Something you’ll never do again: take ten years to write a novel. I know how to do it quicker now.



EXCERPT FROM DIVER'S PARADISE

With the windows down and the top off, the warm Bonaire-island breeze flowed through the cabin of my four-door Jeep Wrangler. I glanced right, across the sea, savoring the salt-filled air. A brilliant shade of blue—one found only in the Caribbean—filled the cloudless sky.
Living on Bonaire, I never worried about traffic lights or big city hustle and bustle. With fewer crowds and more locals, I considered this tiny island my undiscovered paradise, not yet spoiled by restaurant chains, high-rises, or all-inclusive resorts. Scooters and bicycles were primary transportation for many, while others walked, greeting each other with smiles and waves. The culture, best described as laid-back with an unhurried pace, continued to have that slow, relaxed feel of the old Caribbean.
Unhurried, unspoiled, unforgettable.
My phone rang as I turned left, heading north on the road called Kaya International, toward Kralendijk. Even island life has its flaws.
Damn cell phones.
“Hello, Erika,” I said.
“Hello, R. You are on your way back?”
My full name is Roscoe Conklin. However, most folks refer to me as R. “Yes. Do you need anything?”
“It is Friday,” she said. A Bonaire native, and having lived on the island her entire life, Erika spoke English as a third, maybe fourth, language. As with most of the local population, her speech contained a hint of Dutch accent and reminded me of someone who wanted to sound formal and correct, but sometimes placed words in the wrong order.
“Yes, it is Friday… all day,” I said.
“I must leave early today.”
She had reminded me three times since noon. I smiled, downshifting around a curve.
“I know, I know. You must have a wonderful boss.”
“I did have a wonderful boss. Now I work for you.”
“Yes, you do.” I sighed. “Need anything?”
“I need a raise.”
I shook my head. “Anything else?”
“I do not think so.”
“See you soon.”
A few turns later, I stopped for a road-crossing iguana, or tree chicken as they’re called on Bonaire. It stood in the middle of the lane and swiveled an eye my direction which I considered a gesture of gratitude for saving its life. Even so, this guy had better quicken the pace. Many locals considered iguanas a food source, and one this size—maybe three feet long from head to tail—would be a prized catch.
We studied each other a moment or two, then I beeped the horn, ending our one-sided standoff. The iguana scurried away and found refuge in the roadside underbrush.
I pulled into the parking lot of the YellowRock Resort, which I owned, courtesy of my life savings and a large chunk of my pension. The Resort part, however, was a bit of a misnomer. It was a 10-unit ma-and-pa type hotel with a front reception area and a small apartment upstairs where I lived.
Guilt shot through me knowing the roof leaked in several units, and, scattered along the path, yellow flakes of paint reminded me of some much-needed upkeep. Bonaire is an island for water lovers and, most days, I wished for more time in the sea. Retired, and in no hurry to overwork myself, I struggled to stay ahead of the repairs. Erika seemed her happiest when keeping me busy.
I’d be lost, though, without her.
Before going into the office, I walked around the side of the building. Mounds of dirt, a cement mixing tool, and several wooden forms laid haphazardly around a partially repaired section of the foundation. The mess had cluttered the small side yard between the YellowRock and the building next door for several weeks. Neither the contractor responsible for the work nor any of his crew had bothered to show for work in several days. He wanted more money to finish; I wanted the job completed before paying him another cent. A stalemate like this on Bonaire—on island time—could last for months. Shaking my head, I walked into the guest reception area, which also doubled as the office, on the first floor.
Erika sat behind an old gray desk that reminded me of something from a 1960’s secretarial office. I did my work on an identical one against the back wall, and a third, stacked high with papers and other junk, gathered dust in the corner. The place needed an upgrade, but the retro decor of our cozy office served our function and suited us well.
Erika punched away at a computer keyboard, acting as if she hadn’t seen me enter. Her yellow polo, embroidered with YellowRock Resort on the upper left shoulder, deepened the tint of her dark skin. She refused to tell me her age, but insisted she was older than me “by several years.” I loved her like a big sister, and most of the time, she treated me like a little brother.
With black-rimmed glasses perched halfway down her nose, she rolled her eyes as I walked by her desk. “There are still some papers on your desk that still need your signature,” she said, turning back to her work.
“Hello to you, too.”
I laid a plastic bag on my desk and retrieved a bottle of water—or awa as it’s called in the native language of Papiamento—from the small fridge in the corner. I sat and put my feet on Erika’s desk, playing a game with myself by blocking out most of her face with my size eleven sandals. Her modest afro formed a dark halo around the tops of my toes.
“You still have not fixed the problem with that bathroom light.” She continued to gaze at the computer, not giving me the satisfaction of showing the least bit of aggravation.
I didn’t say anything and hoped she’d look over and see the soles of my sandals.
“The light?” she said.
I decided I’d better answer. “Which unit?” I glanced at the bags I’d placed on my desk. They contained several packages of light bulbs.
“You know which unit.”
“It’s just a light bulb.”
“Then it will be easy to fix, yes?”
“I’ll get it tomorrow.”
She moved her head to look around my sandals. “That is what you said last month about the paint.” She grabbed a small stack of papers, slapped my feet with them and turned back to her work, muttering “hende fresku.”
My Papiamento wasn’t good, but I got the gist of what she said. “What would I do without you?” I lowered my feet to the floor.
Knowing how far to push was most of the fun.
“Don’t forget you have some friends arriving on tomorrow afternoon’s flight,” Erika said. “You’ll need to meet them at the airport.”
“Yup, I remember. Tiffany and her boyfriend.”
She removed her glasses, laid them on the desk, and leaned forward resting on her elbows. “And how does that make you feel?”
I knew what she trolled for but didn’t bite. Tiffany and I had met during a case many years ago and were friends long before I moved to the island. She had visited me on Bonaire in the past and decided to bring her new boyfriend along on this trip.
“I feel fine about it.”
“You know what I mean.” She leaned back in her chair. “When do you plan to introduce her to Arabella?”
“Tiffany is a friend. That’s all she’s ever been. Nothing more, nothing less.” I took a swig of water and wiped my mouth with the back of my arm. Letting out an exaggerated “Ahh,” I concentrated on screwing the cap on the bottle before continuing. “Erika, you think you know more than you actually do.”
“Uh-huh.” She put her glasses back on, grabbed the stack of papers, and walked to the filing cabinet.
Wanting the conversation to end, I stood and headed up the stairs leading from the office to my apartment. “I’m going to take a shower. Have a nice weekend and don’t forget to lock up when you leave.”
Entering my apartment, I went straight to the fridge for a cold beer, my favorite being an Amstel Bright. The advertisements described it as a “Euro Pale Lager,” whatever that meant. Most of the bars and restaurants served it with a slice of lime wedged atop the bottle’s neck. At home, I didn’t waste time slicing limes.
Unlike Jeff “The Big” Lebowski, I liked the Eagles and Creedence, so I popped the Eagles Greatest Hits, Volume 1 into the CD player and sat in front of my computer to check email. Twelve new messages. Eleven went straight to my junk folder, but one had a recognizable address—Marko Martijn, the contractor responsible for the unfinished foundation work. Before I clicked it open, my cell phone rang.
“What’s up, Bella?” I said.
“Hey, Conklin, happy birthday.”
I laughed. “Thanks, but you’re a little early.”
“I know, but since it will be the big five-oh, I thought your memory might slip and needed a reminder.”
“Yeah, that’s funny.” Arabella was from the Netherlands, and I’d found sarcasm doesn’t always work on the Dutch.
“I thought so. I called to see how you are doing.”
“Well… I’m about to take a shower. Want to join me?”
“I wish I could, but I am on my way to work. They called me in to work the desk tonight.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yes, for both of us. It is that new inspector, Schleper. He thinks we are at his beck and call.”
I walked out on the balcony and sat on a lounger facing the sea. “Yup, sounds familiar.”
“Ach. You think he would give me more respect.” She exhaled a short, hard breath. “I’ve been a cop for ten years on this island. Longer than him!”
Changing the conversation, I asked, “We still running tomorrow morning?”
“You bet. Eight kilometers?”
“If you mean four point nine miles, then yes.”
She laughed. “No, I mean eight kilometers.”
“Ah, forgive me. My measurements are still strictly American.”
“I will forgive you. You are drinking a beer right now?”
“Yup. Need to drink away my sorrows before I shower. Alone.”
“Do not drink too much. I do not want to hear excuses for tomorrow’s run.”
“Maybe one more, then I have some paperwork to do. Or maybe change a lightbulb.”
“Yeah, right. You are drinking, so you will not do more work tonight.
“Hey…”
“I will see you tomorrow. Usual time?”
“Yup. Good night.”
She chuckled. “I will send you a text reminder.”
I seldom read text messages and never answered them, but the phone pinged as soon as I set it down. She’d included the words “old man” as part of the reminder about our run.
The sun had moved closer to the distant horizon, creating an orange aura behind the few low clouds. Palm trees and sunsets. Tough to find a more relaxing setting. I nursed my beer and watched the sparse traffic crawl along the one-lane road that ran between the YellowRock Resort and the sea.
I imagined Erika’s delight in arriving at work in the morning and finding the light fixed. It’d be easy—just a bulb. As I headed towards the stairs to retrieve the bags sitting on my office desk, the landline phone rang; the one used most often for off-island communications. It might’ve been a future guest wanting to make a reservation at the YellowRock or maybe an old friend from the States calling to chat me up about retirement in paradise.
Darkness was settling over the vast, smooth sea and I took a swig of beer, not interested in answering the phone, content with letting voicemail do its job. Besides, the Eagles were telling me to take it easy, and, regardless of the lightbulb, that sounded like a good idea. Arabella was right. I was drinking; my work finished for the night.
Second ring.
Nearby, my banjo sat on its stand. Erika had kept me busy enough lately that practice had eluded me. Picking some tunes sounded good.
Third ring.
Turning around, I noticed my old 7-iron propped in the corner. I hadn’t played golf since moving to Bonaire five years ago but still fed the urge to practice my swing. Make sure my elbow stayed tucked, and the clubface didn’t open.
Fourth ring.
Or I could swap the Eagles CD for Creedence, sit on the balcony, and drink another beer or two or three, watching the sun settle below the horizon. Maybe skip the shower, doze off early, and catch a few Zs to the rhythm of the waves.
Fifth ring.
I could’ve done any of those things but didn’t.
Instead, I went to my desk and answered the phone.
***
Excerpt from Diver's Paradise by Davin Goodwin.  Copyright 2020 by Davin Goodwin. Reproduced with permission from Davin Goodwin. All rights reserved.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Davin Goodwin is a graduate of Arkansas State University and works in the technology industry. He has been a small business owner, a real estate investor, an aerial photographer, a flight instructor, a semi-professional banjo player, and—important to Diver’s Paradise—a scuba diver, often seen on the island of Bonaire. Diver’s Paradise is his debut novel and he intends to continue writing the Roscoe Conklin series, set in Bonaire. Goodwin lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, Leslie.





Connect with Davin:
Website Facebook  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble

Thursday, April 16, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: TIM BAGSHAW




ABOUT THE BOOK


With the Belgae defeated, and the Durotrages given their freedom, Artur casts his eyes across the sea to the ever-gathering shadows of war. Around him, there is disharmony and discord, with friends having fallen or turned against him. Before him, there is an army more powerful, and more vicious, than any the world has ever seen.

Can he make a stand where so many have fallen? Can he defy a great tide that is set to wash the Dewnan from their lands?

There is little chance for them in battle, and no choice but to fight, so he does the only thing he can do . . .

Gathering his Company, he joins the Veneti warriors in crossing the Mor Pretani. Whether he is ready yet or not, he has to put aside the suffering of his childhood so that he can confront Caesar’s forces and save his people.

Even with Morlain’s guidance and Lancelin’s blade, it might not be enough. Even with his men’s undying loyalty and the Sword of Menluit in his hand, it might not be enough. But they will stand and they will inspire the legends that will follow and, if this is to be the last page of their story, so be it. For it will be a story well told. A story to inspire. The story of the Dewnan.


Author: Tim Bagshaw


Genre: historical fiction / historical fantasy


Series: The Chronicle of the Dewnan
, book 2

Publisher: Publishing Push (March 2020)


Print length: 499 pages







LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH TIM BAGSHAW


A few of your favorite things:
Cornwall and the ocean! Swimming on a balmy evening in June at Lansallos Cove, the barbecue cooking on the beach . . .
Things you need to throw out: anything that gets in the way of achieving something productive. There’s too much ‘stuff’ in this life . . . 


Things you need in order to write:
peace and quiet.
Things that hamper your writing: life and all its commitments— and having to pay the mortgage!


Things you love about writing:
the research, the escapism, and the relationship with my characters.
Things you hate about writing: nothing, it’s all an adventure.


Things you never want to run out of: energy and optimism.
Things you wish you’d never bought: following a fad of the time we bought a futon in the early 1990s. Even now I can’t think why.  


Words that describe you: confident, supportive, emotional.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t:
irritable, moody, irrational.

Favorite foods: I have many—but there are few things more comforting than a warm sausage sandwich (Warrens, Old Cornish for preference) on thick sliced wholemeal bread with butter and a good squirt of HP brown sauce.
Things that make you want to throw up: a few years ago, in a restaurant in Tokyo, someone gave me a raw sea urchin. I love Japanese food, but I needed a lot of green tea after tasting that!   

Favorite music: I’m a child of the 1970’s! I like a brass band as well, and a bit of opera . . .
Music that make your ears bleed: the words ‘club anthem’ would cause me to immediately leave the room.

Favorite beverage: a cup of strong tea.

Something that gives you a pickle face: anything that has Anise in it.

Something you wish you could do: be fluent in Greek.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: paint windows!

Something you like to do: read— loads of great authors, but Patrick O’Brien, Patrick Leigh Fermor have inspired me, and I can lose myself completely in the novels of Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy.

Something you wish you’d never done: I went to see a film called Freebirds with my youngest son, quite a few years ago now, it was awful!

Things you’d walk a mile for: a pint of Doombar. It’s about a mile to the pub from my house!
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: note comment on Club Anthems above . . .

Things you always put in your books: determined, confident characters— and characters who need to be challenged and the basis of an historical connection.

Things you never put in your books: gratuitous violence.

Favorite places you’ve been: I love southern Greece and the Peloponnese. I’ve also been to Chicago, New York, and San Francisco several times— great cities. And then we had a really good couple of days in Memphis, on Beale Street and going to Graceland . . .
Places you never want to go to again: nowhere, everywhere has it charms if you look for them.

Things that make you happy: a sunny day after the rain.

Things that drive you crazy: people who don’t remember that you should give way to the right at a roundabout!

Proudest moment: being married to my wife, and watching my sons grow up into fine young men.
Most embarrassing moment: I’m not sure I can put those here; suffice to say they are all because of one too many glasses of wine.

Best thing you’ve ever done: being married to Penny, it is the cornerstone of everything.

Biggest mistake: lots of mistakes. But perhaps in the beginning I should have stuck to my aspiration to be a journalist and not come to serious writing much later in life.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: submitting to peer pressure and jumping into the river in the Ardeche Gorge in France from a great height (see answer below). 

Something you chickened out from doing: Anything that involves heights (except for the above).

The last thing you did for the first time: fly to the Isles of Scilly (not for the fainthearted!)

Something you’ll never do again: fall in love for the first time.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Tim Bagshaw lives in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, in the midst of the ancient land of the Dewnan.

An amateur historian and seeker of hidden truths, he is passionate about the place he lives in, and through a combination of walking, observing and living in the landscape, and a keen interest in lost and forgotten histories he has created a new take on the story of Arthur, where the legend begins far earlier, with a valiant stand against the inevitable advance of the Roman legions.

Connect with Tim:
Website Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads


Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble

Monday, April 13, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: CARA PUTNAM





ABOUT THE BOOK


Savannah Daniels has worked hard to build her law practice, to surround herself with good friends, and to be the loyal aunt her troubled niece can always count on. But since her ex-husband’s betrayal, she has trouble trusting anyone.

Jett Glover’s father committed suicide over a false newspaper report that ruined his reputation. Now a fierce champion of truth, Jett is writing the story of his journalism career—an international sex-trafficking exposĂ© that will bring down a celebrity baseball player and the men closest to him, including Savannah’s ex-husband.

When Jett’s story breaks, tragedy ensues. Then a commercial airline crashes, and one of Savannah’s clients is implicated in the crash. Men connected to the scandal, including her ex, begin to die amid mysterious circumstances, and Savannah’s niece becomes an unwitting target.
Against their better instincts, Jett and Savannah join ranks to sort the facts from fiction. But can Savannah trust the reporter who threw her life into chaos? And can Jett face the possibility that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life?


Book Details:


Title: Flight Risk


Author: Cara Putman


Genre: romantic suspense


Publisher: Thomas Nelson
 ( April 7, 2020
)

Print length: 336 pages








LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH CARA PUTNAM


A few of your favorite things:

    There are so many! But here are a few of my go-tos:
•    Nebraska football,
•    travel in Europe,
•    coffee,
•    books, books, and more books!
•    teaching my students at Purdue
•    writing (most days)

Things you need to throw out:
•    Paper. I love having real paper files. But it can get overwhelming.
•    Magazines. I really need to quit subscribing, but I love flipping through them.
•    Clothes I don’t wear. I do a decent job turning over my closet, but…

Things you need in order to write:
•    a little bit of noise in the background. Too much quiet is actually distracting to me. I need an odd balance of noise and focus. I’m listening to a webinar as I type this. I guess my minds needs a little bit of multi-tasking.
•    a computer…most days. I love writing on TheQuill.io because it allows me to write anywhere as long as I have a computer and WiFi. It means I don’t have to worry about having the right file with me because the book is stored on the cloud.
•    coffee, water, and almonds. Those are my go-to writing foods.

Things that hamper your writing:

•    OVERWHELM. I didn’t mean to capitalize the word, but it does work. I have a lot going on and many days they collide, but I love writing, so make it a priority.
•    research. I can take so many rabbit trails, because input is my strength. That means I’m always taking in information and categorizing it. I just do. So I find so much fascinating, I can easily get derailed. I’m also a perfectionist who wants to get it right. Even when it’s a novel. So for Flight Risk, I knew where I wanted the story to go, but also felt stymied until I found the right people to talk to. Fortunately, I kept asking, and I did, but sometimes not until ten days before the deadline.

Things you love about writing:
•    the community. Some of my best friends, and the ones I know will be there when I call, are from writing. That is an absolute gift.
•    the creativity. While I’m an attorney who also has a MBA, there is a very creative side to me as well. The right brain gets to play when I write.
•    the stories. There is no better feeling than getting to edits and thinking, “Wow, I really love these characters, this story.” And “I wrote that? It’s GOOD.”

Things you hate about writing:
•    the isolation. I am an extroverted people person, so I need my teaching job to help balance the hours in front of the keyboard.
•    sitting. I LOVE movement. It’s not unusual for me to get 2,000 steps in an hour of teaching. So the sitting…for hours…is draining.
•    writers block. It’s real. But after 35 books, I have strategies for dealing with it. The biggest is to walk away and do something else while my subconscious works on the issue.

Things you love about where you live:
•    the size of this town is awesome. About 150,000 it has all we need.
•    Indianapolis is only an hour away.
•    it’s the Midwest, sort of, so the people are amazing.
•    it’s a great place to raise a family.
•    Purdue gives it an amazing energy.
•    it gets all four seasons…most years.

Things that make you want to move:
•    I miss politics from DC.
•    I miss the endless options on how to spend your time on the weekend.


Things you never want to run out of:
•    coffee
•    fruit
•    toliet paper

Things you wish you’d never bought:
•    an instapot – I must not have the right recipes!
•    the third copy of Toy Story 3 – long story!
•    that suede pair of heels. Too many days I can’t wear them in the winter in Indiana.


Words that describe you:
•    kind
•    compassionate
•    loyal
•    dedicated
•    high energy
•    communicator

Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t:
•    overwhelmed
•    guarded
•    intense

Favorite foods:
•    runzas
•    berries
•    coffee

Things that make you want to throw up: 
•    fish: it’s a texture and smell issue for me.
•    too much of anything: I’m all about moderation
•    sacchrine

Favorite music:
•    worship music. I love turning it on and turning my thoughts to the One who really matters. It’s a great way to reset when I’m off.

Music that make your ears bleed:
•    heavy metal

Favorite beverage:
•    water
•    coffee
•    lightly sweetened tea

Something that gives you a pickle face:
•    straight lemons
•    pickle brine


EXCERPT

The conversation flowed over the antipasti course and into the pasta della casa. Every bite of Savannah’s manicotti alla fiorentina was wonderful, the ricotta and spinach blending perfectly. Just when she knew she couldn’t take another bite and get anything done afterward, thanks to the food coma, a waiter came out with a slice of cheesecake. Her mouth watered as she took in the raspberries atop the homemade delight. She put a hand on her stomach and then smiled. “I hope you brought fresh forks for everyone.”
The handsome waiter flashed a bright smile. “Whatever the birthday donna wishes is my command.” He gave a slight bow and turned away. A moment later when he returned, a fist of forks at the ready, his demeanor had changed.
Emilie watched him a moment. “What’s wrong, Antonio?”
“There has been a horrible accident. It is on the TV in the office.”
“What kind of accident?” Savannah leaned toward him. “Does it involve someone you know?”
“No.” The man shook his head, and not one of his dark hairs moved. Yet his eyes were weighted with sadness and the shadow of something more. “It is a plane. It looks bad.”
“Oh no.” The memory of a plane careening by as she looked out a courtroom window in downtown Washington, DC, years earlier flashed through her mind. Savannah fought a shudder as she withdrew a credit card from her phone case and placed it on the bill, only for Hayden to slide it back to her and replace it with her own.
“Thank you.”
Please let this be a terrible accident and not the beginning of another 9/11.
Jaime’s head was bowed over her phone as she clicked the screen. “Looks like an isolated crash.”
All Savannah could think was that Jaime should add so far to her sentence. “That’s what we all thought on 9/11 too.”
Then a second plane careened into the Twin Towers. She saw the plane that hit the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania, killing one of her fellow law students. She cleared her throat and stood, motioning the gals to join her.
“Let’s get back to work and see what we can learn.”
As they left her favorite restaurant, her phone buzzed and she paused to pull it out of her pocket. She glanced at the text message on the screen and her blood froze.
911. From Addy. Their emergency code.
***
Excerpt from Flight Risk by Cara Putman. Copyright 2020 by Cara Putman. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cara Putman is the author of more than twenty-five legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Cara graduated high school at sixteen, college at twenty, completed her law degree at twenty-seven, and recently received her MBA. She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives with her husband and children in Indiana. 



Connect with Cara:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Twitter Goodreads  |  Instagram
Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 






Friday, April 10, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: ELENA TAYLOR




ABOUT THE BOOK



Interim sheriff Elizabeth "Bet" Rivers has always had one repeat nightmare: a shadowy figure throwing a suspicious object into her hometown lake in Collier, Washington. For the longest time, she chalked it up to an overactive imagination as a kid. Then the report arrives. In the woods of the Cascade mountain range, right in her jurisdiction, a body floats to the surface of Lake Collier. When the body is extricated and revealed, no one can identify Jane Doe. But someone must know the woman, so why aren't they coming forward?

Bet has been sitting as the interim sheriff of this tiny town in the ill-fitting shoes of her late father and predecessor. With the nightmare on her heels, Bet decided to build a life for herself in Los Angeles, but now it's time to confront the tragic history of Collier. The more she learns, the more Bet realizes she doesn't know the townspeople of Collier as well as she thought, and nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.



Book Details:

Title: All We Buried

Author: Elena Taylor

Genre: mystery


Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (April 7, 2020)


Print length: 304 pages
On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours







IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH ELENA TAYLOR


Ifs

If you could talk to someone (dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?
My father - how’s it going?

If you could live in any time period which would it be?
1800s. I would be a cowgirl and own a big ranch.

If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?

Horse trainer.

If you had to do community service, what would you choose?
Animal rescue.

If you were on the Amazon bestseller list, who would you choose to be one before and one below you?
This is the best question! Before me, Karen Slaughter, after me, Lee Child.

If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be and from what book?
I’d live in Three Pines from Louise Penny’s Gamache series. It’s so lovely and quiet, if you ignore all the killing.




Ands



5 favorite possessions:  
    •    My mazda CX5
    •    flannel pajamas
    •    coffee cups with my animals photos on them
    •    my wedding ring
and   
    •    my laptop

5 things you need in order to write: 
    •    time
    •    coffee
    •    quiet
    •    images in my head
and  
    •    focus

5 things you love about writing: 
    •    creativity
    •    independence
    •    solitude
    •    my characters
and
    •    making sh*t up

5 things you never want to run out of:   
    •    coffee
    •    dog food
    •    horse food
    •    cat food
and 
    •    computer memory

5 favorite things to do:  
    •    read
    •    spend time with my  dog
    •    work with my horses
    •    travel
and   
    •    rewrite - it’s so much better than writing the first draft


Whats


What’s your all-time favorite place?

My bed when it’s raining—the stables when it’s not.

What’s your all-time favorite author?
C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia.

What’s your all-time favorite city?
Edinburgh, Scotland. I took a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival one year as a director. I’d love to go back as a playwright and/or performer. Such a great city and the festival is an incredible experience.

What’s your all-time favorite library?
I don’t know that it’s “all-time” but I always loved the library in Port Townsend, Washington, where I lived for a year. 


What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Mean people.

What’s the loveliest sight you’ve ever seen?
My horses waiting for me at the gate.

What’s the most beautiful sound you’ve heard?
Boys choir practicing at St. Paul’s Cathedral.


What’s your all-time favorite place in your town?
My backyard.

What’s your favorite time of day?
Early morning when I can stay in bed and read.

What’s your favorite meal?
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

What’s your favorite snack?
Popcorn.

What’s your favorite beverage?
Cappuccino.

What’s your favorite hobby or past-time?
I love to paint. I would say, work with my horses, but I’ve written a lot about them! 

What’s your favorite thing to do when there’s nothing to do?
Nap.

What’s your favorite quote?
Don’t confront me with my failures. I had not forgotten them. Jackson Browne.

What’s your all-time favorite picture of yourself?
Photo with Radar.

What’s your favorite candy bar?

Heath.

What’s your favorite movie snack?
Popcorn—butter AND salt.


What’s one thing you never leave the house without?

Contact lenses.

What drives you crazy?
Running out of time.


What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
Things are rarely as important as they seem—except the things that are more important than you expect.


What movie genre do you prefer?

Drama.

What are your idiosyncrasies?
I can’t talk about a book I’m writing until I finish a first draft.

What do you collect?
Musical instruments. I’m not a musician, but I LOVE having them around.


What smells remind you of your childhood?
Sunlight on dirt with pine needles mixed in.


What author would you most like to review one of your books?
William Kent Kreuger
.

What book are you currently working on?

Second one in the new series.


What’s your latest recommendation for:
Food: I just discovered sipping vinegar. It’s a real thing. I have one made with rosemary and brown sugar. It’s to die for.
Music: Zumba playlists!
Movie: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was a nice piece of escapism.
Book: F*ckface and Other Stories by Leah Hampton
Audiobook: Red Metal by Mark Greaney.
TV: I’m digging Stumptown. Not just because it’s set in the Pacific Northwest (Portland) but also because it feels fresh—like it’s not a story or characters I’ve seen before.
Netflix/Amazon Prime: I just finished Happy Valley—I loved the protagonist. She’s so incredibly real as a complex human being.
Miscellaneous: Physical Therapy and massage—because you have to take care of the body. Don’t wait until you’re in a lot of pain. Catch it early!
Pololu Valley, Hawaii - it’s a black sand beach, accessible from a trail that starts at a tiny parking lot at the east end of 270 on the north end of the big island. Remote, isolated, stunning.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR 



Elena Taylor lives on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River in a town made famous by Twin Peaks. When she's not writing or working one-on-one with writers as a developmental editor, she can be found hanging out with her husband, dog, and two cats. Her favorite place to be (besides home) is the stables down the road, with her two horses Radar and Jasper.



Connect with Elena:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter Goodreads  |  Instagram

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound  |  Books-a-million 














Monday, April 6, 2020

FEATURED AUTHOR: CHARLOTTE STUART



ABOUT THE BOOK


In ancient Greece, the chimera was a bad omen. In Why Me?, it's a motive for murder. Bryn Baczek, a Seattle consultant, is vacationing in Scotland, hiking alone in a downpour, surrounded by midges, when she sees a body at the bottom of a ravine. Before she can return to the scene with the mountain rescue team, the body disappears. She learns that he was a scientist and that his laptop containing his cutting-edge research has disappeared. Rumors that Bryn has the laptop make her a target.



Book Details: 


Title: Why Me? Chimeras, Conundrums and Dead Goldfish


Author: Charlotte Stuart


Genre: mystery/modern cozy


Publisher: Taylor and Seale (November 2019)


Print length: 247 pages









LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH CHARLOTTE STUART


A few of your favorite things: watching the patience of herons, waiting for their breakfast, to swim by. Laughing with friends. Swimming in a lake.
Things you need to throw out: corporate wardrobe, ancient spices that I used once for recipes I never made twice, moldy smelling children’s books from my childhood.


Things you need in order to write: a computer and a cup of coffee. And a good night’s sleep.
Things that hamper your writing: the captivating view from my office window. Guilt over not doing the “should do’s” of daily living from my lengthy “to do” list.


Things you love about writing: getting lost in another world in which anything’s possible.
Things you hate about writing: trying to keep all the online file folders organized so I can retrieve information easily and remember which “update” is the most recent!

Things you love about where you live: living on the water is always interesting – birds, boats, kayakers, seals, otters, orcas . . . there’s always something to look at and, at the same time, there’s always that moment when you realize you’ve missed an opportunity to take the perfect picture.
Things that make you want to move: fear of rising water due to climate change and living a ferry ride away from friends and family.

Things you never want to run out of: popcorn, coffee and the ability to find humor in everyday life.
Things you wish you’d never bought: cleaning supplies – they make me feel guilty for not cleaning more often.


Words that describe you: short, stubborn, competitive.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: short, stubborn, competitive.

Favorite foods: prawns, wild blackberry pie, apples picked fresh from the tree, homemade bread (if someone else makes it).
Things that make you want to throw up: oysters, head cheese, and anything the color and texture of oysters and head cheese.

Favorite smell: coffee when the container is first opened and the beach at low tide.
Something that makes you hold your nose: some political pundits, especially those I disagree with.

Something you like to do: read outdoors on a warm sunny day, while sitting in a comfortable chair in the shade.

Something you wish you’d never done: I set an unofficial Guinness Record by spending five hours on Queen Charlotte Sound in a sailboat while holding a bag of vomit because I was too sick to get up and dispose of it.

Things you always put in your books: family foibles, friendships, animals, and humor.

Things you never put in your books: graphic depictions of violence and sociopathic serial killers. Those are worlds I don’t want to spend time in.

Things that make you happy: feeling productive, being around upbeat people, a walk in the woods, quirky Facebook and Twitter posts, a good detective TV series.

Things that drive you crazy: sensational and misleading headlines, people who don’t pick up after their dogs, the ragwort invasion of my front yard, some relatives who shall remain nameless, long “to do” lists.

Proudest moment: when I walked out of my orals for my PhD and knew I’d aced it.

Most embarrassing moment: I’ve had several. One was falling down on the stage after playing a solo at my high school graduation and having to walk back to my seat in the last row in the auditorium listening to “Oh, poor Charlotte” as well as hearing snickers and giggles.

Best thing you’ve ever done: marry my husband. He’s a risk taker and embraces change. Without him I never would have left a tenured teaching position to spend a year bumming around in a sailboat. I wouldn’t have spent another year helping him build a sailing/fishing boat. And I wouldn’t have traveled to Alaska by boat to go commercial salmon fishing.
Biggest mistake: not focusing on mystery writing full time until recently. When I think of all the fun I’ve missed!

The last thing you did for the first time: went to a wine and paint party. 

Something you’ll never do again: go to a wine and paint party. (Even though I did manage not to dip my paint brush in my glass of wine.)





ABOUT THE AUTHOR 



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

Connect with Charlotte:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble







a Rafflecopter giveaway