Showing posts with label cozy mysteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cozy mysteries. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Tidbits on the Most Famous Cozy Mystery Author in the World

What a fascinating life this author had! She intrigues me with that, her successes, and most of all the novels she wrote. If you love mysteries--especially cozies--than you'll find these four tidbits as interesting as I do.

Read on to get a tiny glimpse of her life:


1.  Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born  September 15, 1890 in Torquay, Devon, South West England into a comfortably well off middle-class family. 

She was homeschooled largely by her father, an American. Her mother, Clara, who was an excellent storyteller, did not want her to learn to read until she was eight but Agatha, bored and as the only child at home (she was a much loved “afterthought” with two older siblings) taught herself to read by the age of five.







2.  From the age of 15 Agatha took piano and singing lessons. She could have been a professional pianist but for her excruciating shyness in front of those she did not know..








3.  She is the only crime writer to have created two equally famous and much loved characters - Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.  Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap.









4.  She is the only female dramatist ever to have had three plays running simultaneously in London’s West End.






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About Carole:

Besides being an active participant in many writing groups, Carole is an award-winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 


Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/











Monday, November 12, 2018

Weekly Windup: Still Time to Enter for Solve by Christmas by Amber Schamel

  Welcome to the Weekly Windup! There's still time to get your name in the drawing for Solve by Christmas, a fun and inspirational mystery set in Denver during the great blizzard of 1913.


If you are a winner, please Contact Us with your email address to claim your prize.

This Week's Giveaway: 

Solve by Christmas by Amber Schamel (ebook)

 Winner of the 2018 Christian Indie Award for Historical Fiction.


When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator.

“I’ve struck a deal with God, Jasper, and you’re my angel.”

Mr. Rudin charges Jasper to build a “case” of reasons for his employer to continue his life. If he fails, Mr. Rudin will end it in suicide on Christmas night.
As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile, and Jasper is left staring at the stark reality of his own soul. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?

Be sure to leave comments throughout the week to get your name in the drawing. Giveaway ends November 18th. Winner will be announced in the November 19th edition of the Weekly Windup.


Coming up this week:

Monday, 11/12: A Devotion by Catherine Castle
Tuesday, 11/13: Hollywood Gold by Linda Shenton Matchett
Wednesday, 11/14: Pickle Day by Shirley Raye Redmond
Thursday, 11/15: A book review by Jenn Fromke
Friday, 11/16: TBA
Saturday, 11/17: TBA


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Weekly Windup: Comment to Win Solve by Christmas by Amber Schamel

 Welcome to the Weekly Windup! Thank you for stopping by this week. We have a new giveaway for you, just in time for the Holiday reading season. But first, we have a winner to announce! 


Winner of  The Captain's Challenge (ebook) by Elaine Manders is...Connie Porter Saunders!


If you are a winner, please Contact Us with your email address to claim your prize.

This Week's Giveaway: 

Solve by Christmas by Amber Schamel (ebook)

 Winner of the 2018 Christian Indie Award for Historical Fiction.


When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator.

“I’ve struck a deal with God, Jasper, and you’re my angel.”

Mr. Rudin charges Jasper to build a “case” of reasons for his employer to continue his life. If he fails, Mr. Rudin will end it in suicide on Christmas night.
As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile, and Jasper is left staring at the stark reality of his own soul. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?

Be sure to leave comments throughout the week to get your name in the drawing. Giveaway ends November 18th. Winner will be announced in the November 19th edition of the Weekly Windup.


Coming up this week:


Tuesday, 11/6: The Wreck of the James Davidson by Pegg Thomas
Wednesday, 11/7: Fall Fun & Festivities with Amber Schamel
Thursday, 11/8: Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets, a book review by Heidi Main
Friday, 11/9: Celebrate Release Day with Angela Couch!
Saturday, 11/10:TBA



Friday, July 6, 2018

The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble

The House at Saltwater Point: Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a house flipper. But when her sister Mackenzie disappears, Ellie can’t focus on anything but uncovering what happened. Her only clue is the bloodstain on the deck of Mackenzie’s boat. Ellie knows her sister isn’t on the best of terms with her ex-husband, Jason, but he wouldn’t kill her—would he? 
Coast Guard intelligence officer Grayson Bradshaw believes Mackenzie faked her own death after stealing a seized cocaine shipment. The problem is convincing Ellie, who seems to view him as the true enemy.
Both Ellie and Grayson want truth, but truth—and family—is often more complex than it first appears. From international terrorism to the peaceful lavender fields of Puget Sound, The House at Saltwater Point is a thrilling race to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Heidi here. The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble had an interesting plot, it kept me up too late a couple of nights!

Colleen did a great job weaving in multiple plot lines, which made the read even more enjoyable. The book held a nice suspense, not too much, not too little. The plot held a home renovation, but those elements didn't detract from the plot, instead the reno helped things move along nicely.

Highly recommend. Grab your copy of The House at Saltwater Point today!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Genre Strays and Other Scary Beasts

The pitiful Genre Stray
Good morning, friends! I've got a pot of coffee on for ya'll, the tea kettle is whistling and the strawberry scones are still warm from the oven. I thought over brunch this morning we'd have a nice behind the scenes chat about what goes on in an author's head as they weave together a story.

Now, ya'll may not be aware of this, but there are scary beasts in an author's world. One of those is the Genre Stray. This mangy animal can be pitiful and harmless, (which for an author is scary because we don't want our stories to be pitiful, and harmless means there's no tension.) but other times they are baring their teeth and growling ferociously.

What do I mean by Genre Stray? It's what I did when I wrote Solve by Christmas. When an author strays from the genre that they typically write, we face the Genre Stray.  It can be terrifying because each genre has different elements that make it successful, and the new genre is not what we're accustomed to.

I typically write historical fiction. And while Solve by Christmas is a historical, it is also a mystery, which was a stray from my typical story. Suddenly there were red herrings, clues, and creating a semi-likable character that was just irritating and smart enough to also solve the case. The stakes of the story were high enough that I knew this stray wouldn't be pitiful and harmless, but it was certainly showing its teeth. The growls sounded something like this:
The ferocious Genre Stray

What if the mystery falls flat and everyone can guess what is going to happen?
What if your fans hate it and abandon you forever?
You should have stayed with what you were comfortable with. What made you think you could stretch yourself?
See? You don't even know what should happen next. You're a failure. 

There were days the story was almost devoured by this beast. But blessed be the Lord who can tame all beasts, whether figurative or physical. I could hear His whisper through my fears.

I gave you this story, now finish it. I'll tell you what happens next.
You can't grow if you don't stretch yourself. 
You won't be able to please everyone, but this story is for someone. 
If the goal is obedience, and you obey, there is no failure.

As Solve by Christmas made its way out into the world, I found that God's voice was right again. The story isn't for everyone, but there were a great many people who loved it and were touched by Jasper's tale. The Genre Stray doesn't stop growling after the book is published either. Doubts still creep in as we catch blips of negative reviews, or hear that a fan was disappointed that it was so different from your other books. But the Lord was gracious enough to confirm the book for me too. On Monday, I was surprised by the news that Solve by Christmas was awarded the 2018 Christian Indie Award for historical fiction.

I am humbled and honored that so many readers would find Solve by Christmas worthy of this award. So as a thank you, I'm running a special giveaway for readers. There are two prizes, the Solve by Christmas prize pack is for US residents and includes autographed paperbacks of Solve by Christmas and Dawn of Liberty (my two award winners), Solve by Christmas themed notepad, postcards, and a special edition Solve by Christmas mug. The other prize is for my international readers and is a paperback copy of Solve by Christmas to be delivered via the Book Depository.

Here's a link to the rafflecopter giveaway. Also, don't forget that leaving a comment will also get you entered in our giveaway for Cloaked in Love by Elaine Manders!

There are many other scary beasts we writers face, but that will have to be another post for another time. :) Have a wonderful day, my friends! 

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Stay Warm; Read A Book

Why Should You Read?

  1. It improves your vocabulary.
  2. You get to visit worlds you'd never see in real life.
  3. You'll be able to understand/read about other cultures that otherwise might remain a mystery or unknown to you.
  4. Increases your imagination skills.
  5. Super cheap(er) expense (?) than other methods of entertainment that might not be so constructive
  6. You learn new things you might never take time to research.
  7. Gives you life lessons you've heard from your parents but isn't quite so "preachy."  :)
  8. Reading gives you time alone and teaches you that you can be satisfied and happy being yourself and by yourself.
  9. Reading exercises your brain by expanding your powers of concentration and activating neurons as your mind processes information.
And last, but certainly not least (drum roll):
    10. Your mommy said so!


So:
Stay Warm this winter
and Read a book.




Toni DeLuca, the Italian owner of DeLuca Construction, finds herself confronted with doubts about her father and his possible deceptions—all because of the mysterious pink notes she's been receiving.

Relations with Perrin Douglas who has a troubling history—but the first man in years who's interested her—is building to a peak. Yet Perrin's own personal problems and his doubts about women and God, keep getting in the way.

Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business may ruin Christmas for Toni's employees as well as her own happiness.

Will a mysterious person succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen? And will this culprit destroy Toni's last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?

BUY THE BOOK here:




Happy Winter Reading!


About Carole:

Besides being an active participant of many writing groups, Carole is an award winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance and whimsy into her books, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 




Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/








Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Weekly Windup: Comment to win Solve by Christmas by Amber Schamel


Welcome to the Weekly Windup! We have a winner to announce!


Winner of the Handmade Dishcloth set by Gail Kittleson is...Jan Hall!





   If you are a winner, please Contact Us to claim your prize.

 

The Last Giveaway of the YEAR!

Solve by Christmas (ebook) by Amber Schamel!

When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator.

“I’ve struck a deal with God, Jasper, and you’re my angel.”

Mr. Rudin charges Jasper to build a “case” of reasons for his employer to continue his life. If he fails, Mr. Rudin will end it in suicide on Christmas night.

As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile, and Jasper is left staring at the stark reality of his own soul. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?

Comment on any post now through December 31st to get your name in the drawing! Winner will be announced in the January 1st issue of the Weekly Windup. Paperback giveaways are for U.S. residents only.

Coming up this week:

Monday, 12/11: A Devotion by Norma Gail
Tuesday, 12/12: How One Man Changed the War, by Linda Shenton Matchett
Wednesday, 12/13: Guest Post by Rose Allen McCauley
Thursday, 12/14: A book review by Heidi Main
Friday, 12/15: Seasonal Safety Tips
Saturday, 12/16:TBA