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Mystery Author Mary Feliz Reads Outside the Lines

7/25/2018

A Para-Paranormal List
by Mary Feliz

No matter how I disguise myself and my work, no one is going to mistake me for a paranormal author. So what am I doing here? What can I offer you?

I’m guessing that you, like me, sometimes read outside your genre. Either you want something new and different, or you’ve exhausted the books of your favorite author and are twiddling your thumbs waiting for her to cough up another book.

So I thought I’d approach your subject sideways, pointing out books I’ve read and enjoyed that might appeal to paranormal fans. Call it my para-paranormal list:

Colin Cotterill’s Dr. Siri series:

I picked up this series about a coroner who sees the ghosts of the dead after hearing Colin speak at a conference. He cracked me up. So do his books. He defies description. His books do too. On the surface, the books are about Dr. Siri Paiboun, an aging, beleaguered medical doctor, forced by the new socialist Laotian regime to become the national coroner. Powers that be hope he’ll do a bad job, but he’s too conscientious. From Amazon: “His lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky, to say the least. But Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often frustrating days.” But just under the surface is a rich celebration of being true to yourself, making the best of an unworkable situation, thinking outside the box, and finding ways for everyone to contribute.

Petaybee Trilogy, by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough:

Both these authors are best known for their science fiction and fantasy series, but a sentient planet populated with selkies and telepaths probably nudges the line dividing paranormal and science fiction. Inhabitants of the planet share a culture all their own, but it incorporates aspects of Celtic and Inuit customs. Classified as young adult, these books appeal to a wide age range and audience. I’ve read them all several times.

Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book (plus Black Out and All Clear):

Time-travelling historians from Cambridge University conduct field work to complete their degrees. Their costumes and accessories are carefully researched as are the time and place of their arrival. But futuristic technology can’t overcome human error. In the Doomsday Book, a student is accidently transported into the middle of a medieval plague outbreak while a similar epidemic erupts in the contemporary world, making it difficult for her academic advisors to bring her back. In Black Out and All Clear, the historians travel to World War II England. My family’s opinions on these books are split between those who consider them favorites worth rereading and those who never warmed up to the them.

Murder at the ABA by Isaac Asimov:

Yup, the king of science fiction wrote mysteries. Several compilations of his mystery short stories have been published, but Murder at the ABA (American Book Association) is, as far as I know, his only stand-alone mystery. There’s nothing paranormal here, but it’s a such a perfect example of a classic genre-buster that I had to include it. If you’ve ever thought that a conference would be a perfect place to set a murder mystery, or have been tempted to bump off an annoying conventioneer, this one’s for you.

About the Author:

Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She's worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises, competed in whale boat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character's stead, but Maggie's skills leave her in the dust. Address to Die For, the first book in the series, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews. All of her books have spent time on the Amazon best seller list.

Author Contacts:

maryfeliz.com
https://twitter.com/maryfelizauthor
https://www.facebook.com/MaryFelizBooks
https://www.facebook.com/mary.feliz.581

Mary's latest release:

Disorderly Conduct
Genre: cozy mystery

Professional organizer Maggie McDonald balances a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . .

With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters discover a dead body belonging to the husband of Maggie’s best friend Tess Olmos. Tess becomes the prime suspect in what's shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. When her own loved ones are threatened, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?

Links:

BUY ON AMAZON
BUY AT KOBO BOOKS
BUY AT INDIEBOUND.ORG
BUY AT BARNES & NOBLE

Happy Reading!

Cozy Up with a Kathy Krevat Mystery

7/18/2018

Welcome to this week's Coffee Chat!

If you're ready for your favorite beverage and some book talk, please join me in visiting with mystery author Kathy Krevat.
Good Morning, Kathy! How do you take your coffee?

Kathy: I am a total coffee addict! I prefer really good coffee to anything – even more than chocolate. I make a French press using about ¾ of a cup of coffee beans most mornings. If I’m feeling lazy, I use a Nespresso machine.

My favorite coffee beans are from Philz. I fell in love with their coffee years ago and I’m delighted that they’ve opened two shops here in San Diego. A third is opening about five minutes from my house and I expect that the third book in my series will be written there!

Ally: Wow! I think you can out shout me as a coffee fan! But my magic pot is up to any challenge. While I prepare our mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.

Bio:

Kathy Krevat is the author of the GOURMET CAT MYSTERY series featuring cat food chef Colbie Summers and her demanding cat Trouble, the culinary muse behind her recipes. Kathy also writes the bestselling CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series under the pen name, Kathy Aarons.

Kathy lives in San Diego with her husband of twenty-five years in the perfect location – close to Philz Coffee and the beach, and within visiting distance of her two grown daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s an advocate for youth arts education and president of Partners in Crime, the San Diego Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “My mother was an animal lover and we had tons of animals in our house. In high school, I brought a litter of kittens home from band camp, bringing our total number of animals in the family to 18. That included horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, and a rabbit.”

Author Contacts:

You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com

INTERVIEW:

Ally: Let’s start by telling readers what type of books you write.

Kathy: My books are cozy mysteries, which means very little sex or violence on the page – something you can give your grandma.

Ally: How do you go about putting a book together?

Kathy: My writing process is ridiculous. After five published books, you’d think I’d have figured it out but I haven’t. I do a pretty good job of outlining – figuring out who the villain is and his or her motive and means. Before I start writing, I also list other suspects and the clues that lead to them, along with at least one clue that clears them.

I create a schedule with weekly goals and then completely ignore it until I’m panicked about finishing by the deadline. When I’m writing, I wake up very early – like 4-5 am -- and I write my best first thing in the morning, after a lot of coffee. I don’t write linearly – I work on the scenes that I visualize happening and fit them all together later. Sometimes, I’m forced to delete scenes.

I continue to add to my outline so that I can keep track of the plot and details like days of the week. I edit quite a bit as I go along and then do extensive revisions before I send it in.

I’m lucky that I’ve had excellent editors through the revision process. Somehow, it all gets done.

Ally: Does your real life show up in your writing? In what ways?

Kathy: Yes. My daughters were involved in musical theater and I use my experience making costumes for Elliott’s musical theater scenes.

Ally: What part do animals play in your books?

Kathy: Coco the cat was a big part of my Chocolate Covered Mystery series, and Trouble the cat is featured in the Gourmet Cat Mystery series. My main character, Colbie Summers, started an organic cat food business after rescuing Trouble and learning that she had digestive issues. She started making cat food for Trouble and then for her friends who owned cats with similar issues. Then she graduated to selling her products at farmers’ markets.

Ally: Which of your books is your personal favorite?

Kathy: My favorite is always the one I’m working on. Right now, that’s The Trouble With Talent.

Ally: Will that be your next release?

Kathy: Second in the series, The Trouble With Truth, comes out next on August 15, and the Trouble with Talent comes out June 2019.

Ally: If you met Harry Potter author JK Rowling, what would you talk about?

Kathy: I’d love to ask her how she does it. I think she’s a master at storytelling and would love to learn her process.

Ally: Whether you write or read fantasy, almost everyone wants a supernatural power. What one ability would you choose?

Kathy: Great question! I’d love to be able to heal people. Bad health takes such a toll on happiness and productivity. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to snap your fingers and change that?

Ally: Tell us about your home and how you get around in your daily life.

Kathy: I live in a suburb of San Diego, so in a house that looks like every other house on the block. Where I live has no public transportation, so I drive everywhere. At least I drive an electric car!

Ally: Try out these quick answer questions:

a. favorite book – Belong to Me: A Novel, by Marisa de los Santos
b. book you're currently reading – Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
c. an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch – J.K. Rowling
d. an item on your bucket list – Spending a month in a cottage in Ireland

Ally: It’s been a pleasure, Kathy. Before you leave, please show us your featured book, The Trouble with Murder.

The Trouble with Murder
(A Gourmet Cat Mystery)
Genre: cozy mystery

Single mom and gourmet cat food entrepreneur Colbie Summers thought she’d escaped her tiny California hometown forever. But when her father needs her, she packs up her adolescent son, their finicky feline, Trouble, and her budding business. She knows change is tough—but she doesn’t expect it to be murder . . .

Between dealing with her newly rural life, her grumpy, sports-obsessed father, and preparing to showcase her products in the local Sunnyside Power Mom’s trade show, Colbie has more on her plate than she bargained for. Luckily, she has her official taste-tester, Trouble, by her side to vet her
Meow-io Batali Gourmet Cat Food line. Things look promising—until one of the Power Moms is found dead—with an engraved Meow-io specialty knife buried in her chest.

As the prime suspect, Colbie needs paws on the ground to smoke out who had means, motive, and opportunity among the networking mothers—including a husband-stealing Sofia Vergara lookalike. And the cat’s still not out of the bag when a second violent death rocks the bucolic community. Trouble may have nine lives, but Colbie’s only got one to clear her name and stop a killer from pulling off the purr-fect crime . . .

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Murder-Gourmet-Cat-Mystery-ebook/dp/B06XR2CHHD
B&N: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-trouble-with-murder-kathy-krevat/1126007331?ean=9781516102983
Mysterious Galaxy: www.mystgalaxy.com/ebook/9781516102983

Thanks for stopping. Hope to see you all next week!

Meet YA Fantasy Author Susan A. Royal

7/11/2018

Welcome to the Coffee Chat!

This week’s guest is young adult author Susan A. Royal, featuring her book, In My Own Shadow, a fantasy romance, rated PG-13.
Nice to meet you, Susan! How do you take your coffee?

SAR: I like it strong, with ½ and ½ and a spoon of sugar. There’s nothing better than that first cup in the morning.

Ally: Coming right up. While I pour, pleasure introduce yourself to readers.

Bio:

     Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a little cottage in the country outside a small east Texas town.

     She has three children (six counting their spouses) and six grandchildren. Her family is rich with characters, both past and present. Her grandmother shared stories of her life with three sisters and three brothers on a farm in Oklahoma Territory and working as a telephone operator in the early 20th century. She learned what it was like to grow up in in the depression from her father, and being a teenager during WWII through her mother’s eyes.

     When Susan isn’t writing, she does her best to keep up with her grandchildren. Music and painting are two of her passions. She also loves to bargain shop anywhere there’s a sale and began repurposing long before it was popular. She is a firm believer in getting what you want without breaking the bank. She paints, crafts and sews. Her office/craft/sewing room is littered with all her latest projects.

     She loves to take her readers through all kinds of adventures with liberal doses of romance. So far, she’s written two books in her It’s About Time series, Not Long Ago and From Now On. Time travel adventures with romance about two people who fall in love despite the fact they come from very different worlds. In My Own Shadow is a Fantasy Romance. Xander’s Tangled Web is a Fantasy. Look for her books at MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: Susan used to share a 100 year old farmhouse with a ghost who harmonized with her son when he played guitar and pulled the covers up over her feet on cold winter nights.

Author Contacts:

     Want to know more? Visit her blog: susanaroyal.wordpress.com or website: susanaroyal.com for a peek inside this writer’s mind and see what she’s up to. You never know what world she’s going to visit next.

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanaroyal
and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanaroyalauthor/

INTERVIEW:

Ally: Describe your editing process, from first draft to submission.

SAR: I get an idea, keep all my thoughts in a folder until I’m ready to start. I have a vague outline that changes, because my stories have the habit of veering into directions I don’t expect. I write about a third of the story, edit, then begin again. Once I’m finished with it, I edit again. Then I’ll send it to my beta readers.

Ally: How do you choose and name your characters?

SAR: Names are very important. Sometimes I’m 3 or 4 chapters in before I decide. Other times the name comes first and I write the story around it. It has to project the right vibe for the character or it doesn’t work for me. I’ve used ancient Scottish, English, Irish names for their meanings or I’ve used the name of a place. Whatever strikes me at the time.

Ally: Tell us about your favorite hobby (non-writing).

SAR: I love to haunt flea markets, garage sales and antiques malls, looking for something unique to repurpose.

Ally: Have you thought about one of your books being made into a movie? Who would play the parts?

SAR: In My Own Shadow…Tom Hardy would play Rhys and Bryce Dallas Howard would play Lara

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

SAR: Mere (working title) is a young adult fantasy about Mere, an 18 year old girl living in Titusville, a small town in east Texas, located smack dab in the middle of Ferry Woods. It’s filled with pine trees, Spanish moss and creepiness. Strange things happen there. Mere’s practical side says they’re only stories. Yet, she's drawn to the place.

Mere has spent her life trying to be ordinary. An impossible task in her family. Women in the Borchers’ family are witches. And Mere has powers. Even though she tries to ignore them. But with everything that’s been happening, she’s no longer sure that’s what she wants.

I’m hoping to have it finished by late 2018 or early 2019.

Ally: Let’s try a few quick get-to-know-me questions.

a. an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Ray Bradbury
b. manicure or pedicure: Pedicure (Don’t like polish or fake nails)
c. favorite book boyfriend: James Malcom Alexander McKenzie Frazier
d. favorite song: I Wouldn’t Be - Kodaline (a new favorite)
e. last book that made you cry: Hawthorne and Heathcliff – R. K. Ryals
f. favorite place to write: Next to the window in my bedroom, looking out at the bird feeders in my crabapple tree.

Ally: It's been my pleasure sharing coffee and book talk with you, Susan. Before you go, tell us about your featured book, In My Own Shadow.

In My Own Shadow
Genre: YA fantasy, adventure, romance
PG-13

Blurb:

   Talk about the worst day ever! Lara lets her friend Carrie talk her into a blind date, only it turns out the handsome stranger waiting for Lara after work isn’t Carrie’s cousin after all. And, when they’re chased through a portal to another world, Lara realizes Rhys really is out of this world.
     Lyra, her alternate in another dimension, has left clues to the whereabouts of the Book of Secrets explaining the mystery of time travel in Lara’s subconscious. Or so Rhys thinks. Power-hungry telepaths who pursue them will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means breaking Lara’s will. To complicate matters, Lara gets tangled up in her feelings for Rhys while exploring her connection with Lyra.
     With Rhys as her guardian, a bear of a man named Azle to guide her, and the spirit of Lyra haunting her dreams, Lara must find the Book of Secrets before it falls into the hands of those who want its power. Only then can she return to her world safely.

Book trailer: https://youtu.be/Wbg8Z-12ojY

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/My-Own-Shadow-Susan-Royal-ebook/dp/B00CPN41YQ
MuseItUp: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/in-my-own-shadow-detail

Also available at B&N and through Goodreads.

Other works by this author:

Not Long Ago (time travel, adventure, romance) Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/85vgye3
Not Long Ago Book trailer: http://youtu.be/vOIQVdWUigU/

Xander’s Tangled Web (fantasy, mystery) Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yconklde

From Now On (time travel adventure romance) Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Its-About-Time-Novel-ebook/dp/B00KIA3UW2

All books available Amazon, B&N, Goodreads and
MuseItUp: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/68-our-authors/authors-r/367-susan-royal

New Release Spotlight: The Corpse at the Crystal Palace

7/7/2018

New Daisy Dalrymple mystery!

The Corpse at the Crystal Palace (Daisy Dalrynple Book 23)
Author: Carola Dunn
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: July 3, 2018

Synopsis:

Daisy decides to take the whole family for an outing to the Crystal Palace, including her 3-year-old twins, their nurse and nurserymaid, and two young visiting cousins. On reaching the immense glass building, filled with exhibits as well as statuary, trees, and fountains, they split up to follow their various interests.

When it's time to rendezvous, Daisy discovers that Nanny has left the twins with the youthful nurserymaid, Bertha, and gone to the ladies room. Bertha says she's been gone for ages. Also, Daisy's stepdaughter Belinda and the two cousins have not turned up. Daisy leaves her friend Sakari in charge and goes in search of Nanny.

In the restroom she finds no trace of Nanny. But in one of the stalls is a different nurse who appears to be very very dead.

In the meantime, Belinda and the boys have spotted the twins' Nanny following yet another nurse. Intrigued, they surreptitiously trail the pair through the building and out into the extensive park. They lose sight of them for a moment, then round a bend to find Nanny sprawled unconscious in a pond.

Daisy's husband, DCI Alec Fletcher, takes over the investigation. Daisy, however, is very worried about Nanny, who has lost all memory of everything that happened after she left the twins. Surely she couldn't possibly have been somehow mixed up in the death of the second nanny, which turns out to be murder--with a very strange twist!

Buy links:
(Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio)

https://www.amazon.com/Corpse-Crystal-Palace-Dalrymple-Mysteries/dp/1250047056/ref
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corpse-Crystal-Palace-Daisy-Dalrymple/dp/1472125444/ref
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-corpse-at-the-crystal-palace/carola-dunn/9781472125446

EXCERPT:

[Daisy] and Tom went through to the inner room. "It's the far end. The last door. I left the door exactly as I found it."

"You didn't touch her?"

"Only to try to find a pulse in her neck. I didn't...disarrange her at all."

Tom nodded approval. He went on and Daisy followed a few feet behind, noting sadly how he had lost the lightfootedness that had always characterised his walk, despite his bulk. Stopping halfway, she watched him enter the last cubicle.
Not more than a minute and a half later, he came out and beckoned to her.

"She's dead. No obvious sign of injury. I hate to ask this, Mrs. Fletcher, but seeing I'm not strictly a copper, I'd like a corroborative witness. Would it upset you to take a quick look? Just so you could say it's the identical body you found and I've left it as you found it."

"No visible injuries? I don't mind, then."

"Just one thing. I've moved the hat and wig—you were right about that—to show the face. I'll put them back when you've looked at the face. Seeing your nurse has gone missing—"

"I'm sure it's not her."

"I'm sure you're right. But maybe it's a friend of hers you've seen before."

"She wouldn't have a friend come to the house, or stop and talk to one if I were with her."

"Still, you never know. Not that it's my business these days, but humour an old man's curiosity, will you?"

"You'll never be old, Tom, but all right."

"Here." He handed her a small electric torch. "Never go anywhere without one."

Daisy took it and went past him into the cubicle. Though willing, she wasn't exactly keen on examining the dead woman. Keeping the torch beam on the floor, she gave her a cursory glance below the neck. Everything looked the same as before. Then she flashed the beam quickly on her face. She frowned, puzzled.

"She does look sort of familiar," she admitted, leaving the cubicle, "but I can't place her. And she seems a bit odd, too, though I'm not sure why."

Tom was wearing his inscrutable expression. "Ah. No doubt you'll mention that to the officer who comes to investigate."
"It's just a feeling. Alec would say—"

"Aunt Daisy!" The anguished cry came from the entrance.

Daisy and Tom swung round. Mrs. Hatch had Charlie by the ear. At least the children had turned up, Daisy thought thankfully as she hurried over.

"Charlie, you shouldn't come in here!"

"Mrs. Aunt Sakari said to. Make the old witch let me go!" He aimed a kick at the attendant's skinny ankle.

Mrs. Hatch dodged with surprising agility, keeping a hold on his ear and screeching an unprintable comment about heathen brats.

"Let go of him," said Daisy in the grande dame voice she'd learned from her mother. "Charlie, apologise for being rude."

"Sorry," he muttered. "But, Aunt Daisy, it's urgent. We found Mrs. Gilpin in the water with the monsters and she's not moving and Ben and Bel went in to try and pull her out and Bel told me to fetch Mr. Uncle Tom Tring. So will you come, please, sir, quick!"

About the Author:

Carola Dunn was born and grew up in England and now lives in the US. She is the author of 23 Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, 4 Cornish mysteries, and 32 Regencies. She is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Contact the Author:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Carola.Dunn.Author/
https://www.facebook.com/DaisyDalrympleMysteries/
https://www.facebook.com/CornishMysteries/
https://www.facebook.com/RegenciesByCarolaDunn/

Website:
https://caroladunn.weebly.com/

Amazon Author page:
https://www.amazon.com/author/caroladunn

The Inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner

7/4/2018

The Story Behind the Song

“On a rainy September 13, 1814, British warships sent a downpour of shells and rockets onto Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, relentlessly pounding the American fort for 25 hours. The bombardment, known as the Battle of Baltimore, came only weeks after the British had attacked Washington, D.C., burning the Capitol, the Treasury and the President’s house. It was another chapter in the ongoing War of 1812.” Smithson.com

For a week prior to the battle--after 35-year-old American lawyer Francis Scott Key had successfully negotiated the release of his friend held by the British--his ship was detained until the Battle of Baltimore was over.

Key watched from the deck of his ship, convinced the British would win with their superior fire power. Once night fell, all he could see were the continuous red flashes over the fort. Early the next morning, as the haze of battle cleared, he was amazed to see the American flag with its 15 stars and stripes flying over Fort McHenry.

Key put his memorable experience into words, ironically set them to the notes of a British tune, and two weeks later it appeared in newspapers across America, taking the country by storm.

(To read more about the flag that inspired the song, its history and its preservation, click here to go to the Smithsonian site. )

Who sewed the flag now known as the Star-Spangled Banner?

Betsy Ross
A team of women President Madison hired
Mary Pickersgill with her daughter, two nieces, and an indentured servant

The correct answer to this Smithsonian quiz is found here: http://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/making-the-flag.aspx

The Star Spangled Banner sang by Jennifer Hudson: https://youtu.be/m0_mFru-9ds