Island Confidential: October 31

Showing posts with label October 31. Show all posts

New Grime Pays Mystery, #Giveaway, and author interview: Death, Diamonds and Freezer Burn by Tricia L. Sanders

An unwelcome visitor, an unrequited love, and a dead body create chaos in a middle-aged woman’s plan for a productive summer. Despite a looming divorce, an empty checkbook, and a struggling cleaning business, Cece Cavanaugh is determined to land on her own two feet. Adamant about staying a safe distance from the handsome detective who … Continue reading
from New Grime Pays Mystery, #Giveaway, and author interview: Death, Diamonds and Freezer Burn by Tricia L. Sanders

Step Inside a 13th-Century Chapel Filled With Human Remains—Using Digital Models

In medieval Britain, if human remains were disturbed in the grave or disinterred, they would be removed from the cemetery and placed in what was called a charnel chapel, a religious structure that often had walls stacked high with human remains that temporarily lacked a proper resting place. Charnel houses were popular in England between the […]
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Author Interview and giveaway: Terri L. Austin, Diner Knockout

Today’s guest is author Terri Austin, author of Diner Knockout and three previous Rose Strickland mysteries. If you’re a fan of greasy spoons and fight club goons, read on!

Q: Terri, can you tell us what the book is about?

A: I’d be happy to. And thanks so much for having me on today!

Rose Strickland’s life is complicated. Besides her waitressing gig, she works part-time for Andre Thomas, a PI with no faith in Rose’s ability to investigate, her love life with Sullivan has stalled, and her BFF, Roxy, has found a new bestie, leaving Rose out in the cold.

Determined to prove herself, Rose takes a case on the sly. As she searches for a missing MMA fighter, Rose discovers an illegal fight club, a group of ruthless businessmen, dead bodies, and a trail of drugs.

Hunting down clues that lead too close to home, Rose finds herself in the fight of her life. Can she beat the killer to the punch before she gets knocked out for good?

Q: What kind of research did you do for Rose’s PI job? Do you have any PI experience?

A: I have no PI experience, sadly. I find news articles and I also subscribe to a PI magazine that I find fascinating. I’m always surprised at the lengths to which criminals will go. If they’d just put all that initiative to good use!

Q: When I was younger, with a stronger stomach, I used to love going to diners– the sketchier, the better. Tell us about your favorite diner!

A: Unlike the fictional Ma’s Diner, my local greasy spoon is open for breakfast and lunch. The omelets are amazing and there’s always a wait time. The waitresses are tatted up, but super friendly. It’s homey and smells divine.

Q: Your series covers are fantastic–who designed them? Who came up with the idea?

A: Thank you! I love them, too. I have to give all the credit to my editor, Kendel, and the creative team at Henery Press. They’ve really branded their cozies with adorable covers.

Q: Your Amazon author page lists nine books, and the earliest publication date is 2012. What are your productivity tips for writing several books a year?

A: Life will try to horn in on your writing. Don’t let it! Make time to write. NaNoWriMo your way through each book if you have to. At the end of the year, that’s a lot of words on the page.

Q: Writing can be very solitary. How do you balance the need for solitude with the need to get out and be with people?

A: I’m an introvert, so I don’t mind holing up at home. I have a group of friends I see almost every Friday night for dinner and board games. They keep me from being a total hermit.

Q: What’s next for Rose?

A: More mysteries to solve. More family drama to wade through. And more time with the hottest crime lord in town, Sullivan!

Enter to win a print copy of HEARTACHE MOTEL

As a girl, Terri L. Austin thought she’d outgrow dreaming up stories and creating imaginary friends. Instead, she’s made a career of it. She met her own Prince Charming and together they live in Missouri. She loves to hear from readers. Drop her a note at TerriLAustin.com.

Website | Facebook | Henery Press | Twitter | Goodreads

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Filed under: Author Interviews, Fun, Terri L. Austin
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Halloween Special Guest Post: Dangerously Dark (as in chocolate)

Chocolate-whisperer Hayden Mundy Moore has just arrived in Portland, Oregon, where she’s about to scarf soufflés and sip cacao-based cocktails at her friend’s engagement party. Fresh from nabbing her first candy-covered killer, the last thing Hayden wants to do is mix her love of chocolate with criminal mischief again. But then the groom-to-be turns up dead before beginning his renowned Chocolate-After-Dark tour. . .

Hayden’s friends insist that Declan’s death was a freak accident, but she knows there’s no mistaking the bitter aftertaste of homicide. In the midst of habañero hot chocolate and mocha-chunk gelato, a choco-crazed killer waits to strike again. Hayden will need to use more than her extraordinarily gifted taste buds to bring this murderer to justice, but she just might have bitten off more than she can chew in the process. . .

Colette writes:

Why reading this book is like living inside a chocolate shop

When the first book in my “chocolate whisperer” cozy mystery series came out earlier this year, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait for readers to meet Hayden Mundy Moore, my chocolate expert turned amateur sleuth—for them to discover firsthand Hayden’s world of traveling, perfecting chocolates, and hanging out with her sidekicks, Danny and Travis. To my (endless) delight, readers liked Criminal Confections…and they continue liking it even now, months after it was released. Hooray! To say I’m happy about that would be like saying caramel praline truffles are “okay.” It would be an understatement, is what I mean. So, thanks, everyone!

Some of the most frequent feedback about Criminal Confections surprised me, though. I heard variations of, “This story had TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE.” (Is that really a thing?) Or, “I had to stop reading and go bake brownies.” (Hey, I’ve got a great recipe for that coming soon on my website!) Or, “I was craving chocolate like crazy by the time I finished this book.” (Me, too!)

I can only conclude that these folks need more chocolate in their lives, not less. Right? They need to be helped along with samples of the best small-batch chocolate chip cookies, the most delicious chocolate butter, and the tastiest chocolate “un-cinnamon” rolls (one of the recipes featured in Dangerously Dark, the second book in the series). They need to whip up a batch of almost-instant (but no less scrumptious) “You Won’t Believe It” chocolate mousse (a three-ingredient recipe featured in Criminal Confections), or try a drizzle of hot-fudge sauce on their oatmeal one rainy morning. Why not? Chocolate makes almost everything better.

I like to think that chocolate makes my books better, too. While I couldn’t give an expert like Hayden too much competition (I don’t have any couverture spoons, for one thing), I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about chocolate—and I love to share them! I understand the difference between conching and tempering, and I’ve visited enough artisanal chocolateries, both in the US and abroad, to know that for me, Belgian chocolates trump Parisian delicacies (surprise!), British confections are a dream come true, and US artisans make some of the most intriguingly creative bars. But I still can’t say I’ve had too much chocolate. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Chocolate is much too versatile for me to ever have “too much” of it. In a cake, it’s a happy birthday shared with loved ones. In a cookie, it’s a welcome-home-from-school treat. In a cocktail, it’s sophisticated, and in an over-the-top chocolate stout affogato, it’s (really) eye opening. Then too, the chocolate industry belongs between the pages of a book. Like so many other “luxury” industries, chocolatiering is full of drama and intrigue, back-stabbing and secrets-stealing, personal conflicts and egoists run wild…and so much more!

Given all that, how could I not pack as much chocolate as possible into every book? I went all out in Criminal Confections (set across the bay from San Francisco), and I didn’t take my foot off the gas for Dangerously Dark (set in the up-and-coming foodie city of Portland, Oregon), either. But now I want to know—can there be too much chocolate in a chocolate-themed mystery? Is it a bad thing to read about something and immediately want to make it? (If so, I’m guilty.)

Please tell me what you think! In the meantime, I’ll be making some delicious chocolate mug cake (courtesy of Cooking Classy!) and working on sending Hayden to London for book number three!

– – – – – – –

Colette London sometimes eats salad. She always eats chocolate. And she’d love for you to join her chocolate-loving community! If email isn’t your style, but you want to get new recipes and occasional book news, drop by her Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+ pages right now. Let her know you came from this site, and she’ll send you a bonus recipe!

p.s. – Colette London is a pseudonym for a best-selling novelist who’s published more than three dozen books worldwide. Want to use your Google Fu to find out her secret identity? Nah. Don’t spoil the surprise. Use your powers for good and order Dangerously Dark instead!

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Filed under: Author Interviews, Buy Tagged: Chocolate, Colette London, cozy, Dangerously Dark, Halloween
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