Hello Readers,
It's spring and I'm as busy as a bunny. How about you? Not only am I mapping out my year for writing and promoting new books, but I'm looking at my garden and thinking, hmmm, what do I need to plant? There's a spot here and spot there that are sort of empty. Do you do that? Constantly tweak? Also, I added a hummingbird feeder to the yard. My first ever. When I lived in North Carolina and in Connecticut, I put out bird feeders to feed the birds . . . and the squirrels. LOL I think the hummingbird feeder will NOT attract squirrels; however, I will have to pay attention for ants, I've heard. We'll see. I love hummingbirds. I'm a firm believer that when a hummingbird appears, an angel is near.
I have a new book coming out in 26 days!! The 10th Cookbook Nook Mystery WINING AND DYING. As I've mentioned before, and I'm sure lots of authors tell you, pre-orders are vital to the sales of a book. They gin up the excitement for the release as well as the algorithms. So please, order your copy now or tell your library or a friend. What's the book about? Read more below.
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You can read more about it on my website, and get into the world of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, watch the book trailer, and more below.
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What is it about?
It will take a stroke of genius for Jenna Hart to solve the murder of a local artist . . .
Crystal Cove is buzzing with the launch of its fifth annual Art and Wine Festival, when local wineries are paired with local artists to show off their latest creations. Jenna’s thrilled to be showing one of her own amateur paintings at the fair, but her excitement quickly fades when an up-and-coming artist is murdered. What’s more, all the evidence points to a good friend of Jenna’s as the culprit, and she’ll have to use all her wits to prove his innocence before he paints himself into a corner.
Certain that her friend is being framed, Jenna tries to blend in as she starts digging into an array of colorful suspects, including a tech guru with a penchant for stalking women, the mayor’s wayward son, and an older art instructor who might have been closer to the victim than anyone would have guessed. Jenna will have to wine and dine her way through all the clues before she can see the full picture and put the real killer behind bars—all the while avoiding her own brush with death . . .
Includes tantalizing recipes!
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In addition, the second book in the Fairy Garden Mysteries, A GLIMMER OF A CLUE, will release June 29. Don't you love the cover? Pixie, the cat, is enamored with Fiona, a fairy.
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You can read more about it on my website, and get into the world of the Fairy Garden Mysteries, watch the book trailer, and more below.
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What is it about?
Courtney Kelly has a shop full of delights, a cat named Pixie, a green thumb—and a magical touch when it comes to garden design. But in Carmel-by-the-Sea, things aren’t all sweetness and fairy lights . . . When Courtney’s friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose. But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle—in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less—and lobbing insults around like pickleballs. Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney's fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking “What have I done?” But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems, since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze. Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious? Or is the guilty party someone else Lana’s ticked off, like her long-suffering husband? To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt . . .
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And not to be forgotten, late last year, COLD CONVICTION, the 3rd in the Aspen Adams novels of suspense came out. This series has earned terrific reviews. I hope you'll give it a try.
“This was a fast-paced drama that immediately grabbed my attention as I had to know how this was going to end.” ~ Dru’s Book Musing
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What is it about?
Private investigator Aspen Adams takes on a cold case that has haunted her for years . . .
When her parents were murdered fourteen years ago, Aspen Adams coped as best she could as a college freshman and numbly moved on when the case was never solved. Living since then with almost daily reminders of how the tragedy shaped the lives of her and her sister, she’s always known that someday she would launch an investigation of her own. And now, with her sister in crisis, she draws on all her experience as a private investigator to untangle a case that left the police baffled and her family in ruins.
Interviewing the detectives who worked the case, scouring endless pages of their notes, and even tracking down the original suspects, Aspen discovers aspects of the crime and her parents’ lives she never knew about—and ignites a menacing series of events that threaten to engulf everyone near her. Certain she’s on the trail of the killer and unwilling to be deterred, Aspen faces down her own fears about what she’ll find in her search for answers—and justice—before a killer who scarred her life can resurface to wreak havoc on her family once again . . .
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I'll be doing a 14-day countdown to the release of WINING AND DYING on my Facebook author page. Every day, I'll pick one name to receive a fairy charm and fairy card. On release day, I'll pick the grand winner of the mixed media giveaway. Will it be you? What is "mixed media"? In visual art, mixed media describes a work in which more than one medium or material has been used. A collage is a common example of art using different media, like paint, cloth, paper, wood, and even objects like buttons, pens, mementoes, and more. In my "mixed media" giveaway, you'll see a hodgepodge of goodies I've collected over the years to bestow to one winner.
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A SPRINKLING OF MURDER, the first Fairy Garden Mystery, will be discounted across all major ebook retailers to $1.99 from 4/1 - 4/30.
PLUS, there's going to be a Bookbub surprise this month, too. Keep your eyes peeled.
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There are three winners for this month!
Winner's choice of a Cookbook Nook Mystery, paperback or e-book, plus swag!
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What's on your to-be-read pile? I just finished MURDER IN THE MARGINS, by Margaret Loudon (aka Peg Cochran.) I really enjoyed it. Set in England. Pen, the protagonist, is a best-selling author who has writer's block and has moved to England to find her inspiration. I also read WINE TASTINGS ARE MURDER by Libby Klein. A fun read. The protagonist, Poppy, a gluten-free baker and B&B owner, must solve a murder at a winery. Poppy and her aunt are a hoot! Next up, I'm reading the next Paws & Claws Mystery by Krista Davis, BIG LITTLE SPIES. The cover with the dog Trixie looking like a spy is so much fun! Love this series.
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It's strawberry season. WAHOO! Are you getting as many berries as you like? Are you going to farmer's markets to find them? They are the best! I found the recipe for this cake online thanks to Martha and One Perfect Bite. If you want the gluten-free version, write me and I'll send it along. It's delicious.
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Thanks to Martha & One Perfect Bite
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar (for the top)
Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream sugar with the egg and softened butter.
Gradually mix in the flour and add the milk, zest, and extracts, mixing until a nice thick yellow batter turns out.
Pour the batter into a greased 9” pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle raw sugar over the top.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Let cool and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
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Sparky has been in a pensive mood. Okay, not really. But at night there are times he seems mesmerized by something. I can talk to him and he won't take his eyes off that something. Usually a toy I've thrown and he can't decide whether he should go get it or not. It's hysterical, honestly. I made a little video and posted on YouTube if you'd like to take a peek.
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That's it. That's all that is fit to print. May your joy come from reading. May your lives be filled with love. Until next time…all my best,
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