The Money Bird by Sheila Webster Boneham Guest Post and Review



Book Details:
Genre: Traditional/Cozy Mystery
Published by:  Midnight Ink
Release Date: (September 8, 2013)
Number of Pages: 336
2nd in Series

 

Synopsis

Animal photographer Janet MacPhail knows that trouble is in the air when Labrador Retriever Drake fetches a blood-soaked bag holding an exotic feather and a torn one-hundred-dollar bill during a photo shoot at Twisted Lake. One of Janet’s photography students reports seeing a strange bird at the lake, but he turns up dead before Janet can talk to him. When she learns that the mysterious retreat center near the lake is housing large numbers of tropical birds, Janet is sure there’s a connection and decides to investigate between dog-training classes, photo assignments, and visits to her mom at Shadetree Retirement. With help from her Australian Shepherd Jay and her quirky friend Goldie, Janet is determined to get to the bottom of things before another victim’s wings are clipped for good.

 

 

My Review:

This was a very good read.  If you love dogs, then this is a book for you.  Janet has an Aussie named Jay and her boyfriend, Tom, has a Black Lab named Drake.  I learned a lot about dog training from this book and I also learned a lot about exotic birds.  Janet and Tom end up having to solve a crime centered around the smuggling of exotic birds.  This cozy had humor in it also, Janet was somewhat of a smart-aleck at times, but still likable.  Great job Sheila.  I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Sheila Webster Boneham

Sheila Webster Boneham is the author of 17 nonfiction books, six of which have won major awards from the Dog Writers Association of America and the Cat Writers Association. She is also the author of Drop Dead on Recall, the first in the Animals in Focus Mystery series. For the past two decades Boneham has been showing her Australian Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers in various canine sports. She has also bred top-winning Aussies, and founded rescue groups for Aussies and Labs. Boneham holds a doctorate in folklore from Indiana University and resides outside of Wilmington, N.C.

Links

Website - http://www.sheilaboneham.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/sheilawrites
Blog - http://www.sheilaboneham.blogspot.com
Purchase Links:
Amazon   B&N    Book World   Powell’s Books      Book Depository
Cool Option!
If you would like an autographed copy you can place your order here.

Guest Post

 

Plotting a Series

By Sheila Webster Boneham

 

Developing the plot of a book is one thing. Developing an ongoing “plot” or arc for a series is something else entirely. In essence, each individual book needs to have its own plot and story arc, but it also needs to fit into a longer “story” that progresses through the sequence of books. There are many ways to structure a series. In the case of my Animals in Focus mysteries, I see three driving forces behind the individual books and the ongoing series “story”—character, animal-oriented activity, and critical issue.

Let’s start with the characters. Fifty-something animal photographer Janet MacPhail, her Australian Shepherd Jay, and her orange tabby Leo are at the heart of the series. Other essential characters include a good-looking anthropologist, Tom Saunders, and his black Labrador Retriever, Drake, who are both “persons of interest” to Janet. Also vital to Janet’s situation and story are Janet's mother (who is battling dementia), Janet's brother, Bill, and his husband, Norm, and Janet's quirky neighbor Golden "Goldie" Sunshine.

The plot of each book in the series revolves around an animal sport or activity and a larger issue.  In Drop Dead on Recall we had dog obedience, breeder ethics, rescue, and runaway competitiveness. In The Money Bird, the activity is retriever training and the larger issue is illegal trafficking in endangered birds. The title, The Money Bird, comes from retriever field competitions but applies to the money made by smugglers as well. There is, though, more to the books than the animals - more on that later.

 

Although I have known about the horrors of wildlife trafficking for many years, it wasn't until I read Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird by Tony Juniper a couple of years ago that I immersed myself in books and articles about tropical bird trafficking in particular. The money and illegality made trafficking prime mystery material, and although I try not to beat my readers up with too much information, I do hope that the book may lead some people to learn more about the problem of wildlife trafficking, not only as it affects birds, but mammals and reptiles as well. Retriever training seemed a natural activity for the book because, in addition to Aussies, I've had Labrador Retrievers in my life since 1988 and have done some field training with them. Besides, Janet meets a good lookin' guy with a good lookin' black Lab in Drop Dead on Recall. It just all fit together.

Like many mystery series, other plot threads run through the Animals in Focus books as well. One of the sub-plots has to do with Janet's struggle to deal with her mother's progressing dementia. In fact, since Drop Dead on Recall came out last year, several readers have written to tell me how realistic and sensitive the book's handling of the issue is. The nursing home that Janet moves her mother to uses several innovative approaches, including therapy animals and a therapy garden, which may be of interest to some readers.

Another detail that a number of readers say they like is that the central characters - Janet and Tom - are in their fifties, and Janet's friend Goldie is in her sixties. I was asked at one point to make Janet younger in years because, it was thought, she acts younger than her age. Really? That both irritated and amused me because in many ways, Janet acts like me and my friends, and a lot of us are even older than Janet. This is the way people our age act, folks!

Now I’m wrapping up book three. I won’t say much about it at this point, except that Leo and his ilk get to step even further into the spotlight, and Janet steps into even more trouble. And all the other series threads continue to continue!

 

 

 

Riverstar by Tess Thompson

Pictures, synopsis, and author info from Goodreads.com

After ending an affair with a married movie producer, feisty Hollywood makeup artist Bella Webber finds herself back in the quaint Oregon town of River Valley, the location of a famous director’s latest film. Despite trying to distract herself with work, Bella is unnerved by the proximity of Benjamin Fleck – a man who once so expertly made love to her she’d temporarily forgotten everything painful about her life. But now Ben sees her as nothing more than a heartbreak waiting to happen.

When an actress is found murdered after she’s seen leaving the restaurant Riversong with Ben, he is accused of the crime and arrested. Convinced of his innocence, the River Valley ‘gang of misfits’ band together to find the real killer, and Bella must face her biggest fear to ensure the truth is revealed.

Romantic, suspenseful, and engaging, bestselling author Tess Thompson’s third novel in the River Valley Collection delivers another tribute to the power of community and the bonds of friendship.(less)

Paperback, 242 pages

Published August 28th 2013 by Booktrope

more details...

ISBN

1620151464 (ISBN13: 9781620151464)

edition language

English

https://www.tesswrites.com

 

My Review:

 

Tess Thompson writes so well, this book just flowed.  It was a very easy and quick read, but it had so much emotion.  I truly enjoyed this book so much.  It was again filled with the wonderful characters that inhabit River Bend that we have all come to love.  But I think this has been the best visit yet.  I love a mystery and when an actress is killed on the set of a movie being filmed in River Bend, Ben is accused of the murder, so Bella helps Drake's friend, Peter, solve the crime.  They think they have the crime solved, but there is curve ball thrown.  Bella has to overcome some fears to get out of a very sticky situation.  Very good job, Tess, like I said, this has been my favorite visit to River Bend so far.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

 

  

 

Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright. She has a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California.

After some success as a playwright she decided to write a novel, a dream she’d held since childhood. She began working on her first novel, Riversong while her second daughter was eight months old, writing during naptimes and weekends. She considers it a small miracle and the good-nature of her second child (read: a good napper) that it was ever finished. Riversong was released in April 2011 by Booktrope, a Seattle publisher and subsequently became a #1 Nook book and Kindle best seller. Learn more about Booktrope at www.booktrope.com

Like her main character in Riversong, Tess is from a small town in Southern Oregon. She currently lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her two small daughters where she is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.

She was an active member of the theatre community in Seattle as an actor and director during the late nineties. In 2000 she wrote her first full-length play, My Lady’s Hand which subsequently won the 2001 first place prize for new work at the Burien Theatre.

A voracious reader, Tess’s favorite thing to do is to curl up on a rainy afternoon and read a novel. She also enjoys movies, theatre, wine and food. She is fed emotionally by her friends and family and cherishes relationships above all else.

Tess will be releasing her second novel, Caramel and Magnolias, in February 2013. She is busy working a historical fiction set in 1930’s Alabama that is based on a short story of her great-great grandmother’s.

Bran New Death by Victoria Hamilton Guest Post and Review

 

Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery – New Series
Published by: Berkley Prime Crime
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Number of Pages: 304

Synopsis
Expert muffin baker Merry Wynter is finally ready to turn her passion into a career. But when a dead body is found on her property, she’s more worried about cooking up an alibi…

Merry is making a fresh start in small-town Autumn Vale, New York, in the mansion she’s inherited from her late uncle, Melvyn. The house is run-down and someone has been digging giant holes on the grounds, but with its restaurant-quality kitchen, the place has potential for her new baking business. She even has her first client—the local retirement home.

Unfortunately, Merry soon finds that quite a few townsfolk didn’t like Uncle Mel, and she has inherited their enmity as well as his home. Local baker Binny Turner and her crazy brother, Tom, blame Melvyn for their father’s death, and Tom may be the one vandalizing her land. But when Tom turns up dead in one of the holes in her yard, Merry needs to prove she had nothing to do with his death—or her new muffin-making career may crumble before it starts…

My Review:

This was one of those books that once started, I couldn't hardly put down.  This book was great, one of the best I have read in a while.  Merry was an awesome character.  And the small town of Autumn Vale was really charming.  This book left me guessing the whole way through.  Victoria Hamilton gave teasers all the way through the book, but I didn't see the ending coming at all.  I was really sad to see the end of this book, I just wanted to keep reading about this charming town and it's quirky characters.  The ending definitely left me wanting more and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. If you are looking for a great cozy, then this is the story for you.  It  has everything you expect in a great cozy, food, pets, quirky characters, and a small town.  Excellent job Victoria.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

Victoria Hamilton Guest Post

Who Is Merry Wynter?

By Victoria Hamilton

 

When I create a character, sometimes I go in to the planning of the book/series knowing a lot about the main character and sometimes I’m exploring along the way. In this case, as the author, I already knew a lot about Merry from the very start. I knew that she was the widow of a photographer. I knew that she was plus-sized and had been a model and then stylist. I knew that her family background was a bit of a mystery to her. I knew she had suffered loss, and was left damaged but not broken by it.

 

I also knew that she was the kind of woman who inspires fierce loyalty from her friends, and yet isn’t aware of it until crunch time. Her voyage of discovery in the series will be internal as well as external. She is surrounded by family mysteries at Wynter Castle, and begins to get curious about her background. But she also embarks upon a journey into her grief, as a widow, and starts to question why she hasn’t begun to heal, even though it has been over seven years since her husband died in a tragic car crash. The answers to those questions are important to me as the writer, just as they are to the character I create.

 

I wonder, though, where did Merry come from? Why, in this case, did she spring almost fully formed into my mind. Or did she? Had I been working subconsciously on her for some time, and she rose to the surface, breaking free when I needed her?

 

I’m not sure I know the answer, nor am I sure I need to know the answer. All I do know is there is more I have yet to learn about Merry, and that she will talk to me as the time is right. It is not some mystical happening, it’s the writer’s internal work, my mind creating even as I go about my other tasks.

 

What I’m curious about is, do readers expect authors to know a lot about their character when they begin, or do they ‘get’ that it is often an voyage of discovery for us writing the book, as much as it is for you who read it? I hope it is a journey for both of us, and I say, bon voyage!

 

I do hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did.

 

~::~

 

Bran New Death, Book 1 of the Merry Muffin Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton, (Berkley Prime Crime) is out September 3^rd!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Victoria Hamilton

Victoria Hamilton, nationally bestselling author of the Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series, is the pseudonym of Donna Lea Simpson, bestselling author of romance and historical mystery novels.

Victoria starting reading mystery novels at the age of 12 and devoured Agatha Christie mysteries, as well as those of Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. She still adores mysteries, especially the cozy mysteries of Janet Bolin, Krista Davis, and others.

She loves to cook, and collects teapots and teacups, as well as vintage kitchen utensils and bowls. She also enjoys crafts, especially cross-stitching and crocheting, and summer days in the garden, drinking tea or wine. Besides the Merry Muffin Mystery series (Bran New Death – September 3^rd) Victoria writes two other mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series (Book 3, Freezer I’ll Shoot, debuts November 5^th) and the Teapot Collector Mystery series which debuts with Tempest in a Teapot, June 3^rd, 2014.

 Links:
Website: www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com
Facebook:
Victoria Hamilton: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHamilton
Merry Muffin Mysteries page: https://www.facebook.com/MerrysMuffinsMysterySeries
Twitter: @MysteryVictoria
Blog: Killer Characters the 21st of each month… www.killercharacters.com

Purchase Links:
Amazon       Book World      B&N     Powell’s Books      Book Depository


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sandra D Bricker Raw Edges Review and Interview

 

 

Picture and Synopsis from Amazon.com

Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie’s young heart. But is there hope for Gray’s heart too along the way?

My Review:

Raw Edges was a wonderful book.  It is the story of three different people who are affected by ovarian cancer that are brought together by a quilt.  Grayson lost his wife, Jenna, to ovarian cancer.  They had a young daughter, Sadie.  Annabelle overcame ovarian cancer and she is heading up the quilt project.  When Sadie drags Gray to Ovacome, an ovarian support group, meeting, they meet Annabelle and Sadie wants to help with the quilt.  As Gray and Sadie spend more time with Annabelle, they open their hearts to her.  This is a fast read that leaves you feeling good and gives you hope after you finish it.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gray and Annabelle’s story.  Sadie was also such a sweet little girl, I fell in love with her.  I highly recommend this book, especially if you have suffered in any way from ovarian cancer or any type of cancer.  But this book is great even if your life has never been touched by cancer.  It is very insightful and gives a whole new perspective on the issue.  Great job Sandie.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

SANDRA D. BRICKER was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for 15+ years where she attended school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several semesters. She is now a best-selling, award-winning author of LAUGH-OUT-LOUD fiction for the inspirational market, best known for her Another Emma Rae Creation series for Abingdon Press; the final novel in the series, Always the Baker Finally the Bride, is available in bookstores now. As an ovarian cancer survivor, she gears time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics and a cure.

Questions about writing and about Raw Edges.

 

1.        How long have you been writing and what are your inspirations for writing?

I wrote my first short story in the 4^th grade.  J  But that’s probably not what you meant, right? I went to film school to study screenwriting in the mid-80s, but I didn’t start the learning (and attempt) process with books until the late 90s.

 

2.        Where did you get the idea for Raw Edges?

I have to give that credit to my Abingdon editor, Ramona Richards. We’d already worked together on several books and when she thought up the Quilts of Love series, she came to me with the idea of writing one centering around an ovarian cancer memory quilt. It kind of unfolded (no pun intended) from there.

3.        Do you quilt?

Oh, no! I do not. I have no real talents in the world of crafty. But I admire it a lot. Does that count?

4.        Besides writing, what are your other interests?

I love dogs, and I support a lot of dog rescue organizations. I also have a serious penchant for seeing movies, learning about wine, and serving in my church.

5.        Who are your favorite authors?

There are so many of them! I enjoy Kristin Billerbeck, Frank Peretti, Robin Jones Gunn, Rebecca York, Jim Rubart, Nicholas Sparks, Lorena McCourtney… Okay, this is getting out of hand. But as you can see, I do love the wordsmiths!

 

Now, some random questions that really don’t pertain to writing.

6.        What is your favorite season and why?

Autumn! And I think I’m going to renew that love this time next year when I’m (hopefully) living back in Ohio and can experience the change of seasons again. I’ve lived in Los Angeles and Tampa for the last 30 years or so, and I’ve had to travel to see leaves change colors or wear gloves.

7.        Where is your favorite place to vacation?

San Diego, CA. I love the place and get a fever to return every few months. I also like Sanibel Island here in Florida, but San Diego is my fave.

 

 

 

8.       If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
As long as I didn’t have to fly there, I want to tour Israel … drink wine in Tuscanny … eat pastries in Paris … I dream big when it comes to travel. Too bad I don’t enjoy it more, right?

 

 

 

Right and Left Grand by Rosalee Richland

 

 

 

 

Book Details
Genre: Cozy Mystery – New Series
Published by: Wordsmiths4u
Release Date: April 22, 2013
Number of Pages: 242

Synopsis
In this first Darla King novel, Darla returns to square dancing in midlife following tragedies in both her personal and professional lives. She moves from Florida to Texas and from high-powered investigator to life in a small town and a job as far removed from crime as she can think of—she becomes a square dance caller. But when an unconscious stranger turns up on the ranch of one of her dance club members, her specialized knowledge may hold the key to the identity of his assailants. At first, Darla is concerned that her friend Doug is the target. When the same square dancer is assaulted not once but twice, she realizes something else is wrong. Even more telling is the secretive but disturbingly handsome FBI agent that enters the picture.

Darla didn’t plan it this way, but her curiosity pulls her into the case and she has to use the investigative skills from her past that she thought she’d left behind. She’s inquisitive by nature, and looks for patterns to unravel it all. Patterns like the ones she uses to choreograph a dance. Combined with her contacts as a square dance caller and her square dance knowledge, she’s just the person to fit all the pieces fit together. Darla, along with her close friends from the Clearton Squares Dance Club, ends up in the thick of things—and in danger.

 

 

 

My Review:

 

This book was okay.  It has a lot of information about square dancing in it, and I know next to nothing about square dancing.  I found the information hard for me to understand.  Darla was a very likable character, she had a good head on her shoulders.  This story really picked up towards the end.  The mystery in this story didn't really have a whole lot to do with the characters.  I was left guessing up till the end, and I am still guessing a little bit.  The perps didn't really have any contact with the characters and were really strangers.  I guess I like the cozies where the killer is a character, whether major or minor, in the story.  Other than that this book was pretty good.  Good job Rosalee.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

 

About Rosalee Richland
Rosalee Richland is the pen name of two real-life square dancing writers. As Rosalee, co-authors Cyndi Riccio and Rhonda Brinkmann joined forces to create the Darla King cozy mystery series. Darla and her friends portray the best of the square community, the warmth and friendship among people in it, and the enjoyment square dancing brings worldwide. Darla’s curiosity often puts her squarely in the midst of unusual circumstances, and Darla can’t let go until the mystery is solved.

When not writing, Darla’s co-authors enjoy reading, traveling, meeting readers and fans, networking with other authors, and – of course – square dancing. They are learning to blog, and are always working on Darla’s next mystery. If you have a chance, stop in at a book signing and find out which half of Rosalee shows up! In the meantime you can stay in touch with Rosalee and Darla on on Facebook, Goodreads, or the Darla King Series blog. Or just search for “Rosalee Richland” anywhere in cyberspace.

Online links:
Goodreads/Rosalee Richland:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6577514.Rosalee_Richland
Rosalee Richland on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosalee-Richland/284946448289065
Rosalee Richland blog:
http://rosaleerichland.blogspot.com/
Purchase Links
Amazon             B & N           Book World



 

Raw Edges by Sandra D. Bricker Link Along: Post 3

 

 

 

Welcome to the Raw Edges Link Along stop number 3.  This Link-Along is a series of blog stops by a group of us women who are on the Launch Team for Sandra D Bricker's book Raw Edges.  At each stop you will find information on Sandra, the book, and on characters from the book.  The last stop on the tour is going to offer a quiz to enter a giveaway, so be sure to use the navigation buttons at the bottom to visit all of the blogs on this Link-up.  On this stop you are going to meet Gray (Grayson) McDonough. 

 

Character Focus:

Gray, or Grayson McDonough, is the father to Sadie and the husband to Jenna, who, as you read in the previous blog post for the link-up, passed away after battling Ovarian cancer.  We are introduced to Gray in the prologue, as his daughter Sadie comes into their bedroom early in the morning to be with Jenna.  He is asleep in the chair and the two try not to wake him up, but he is awake, unbeknownst, to them, and observes their exchange, which is one of their last. 

            Gray is devastated at the loss of his wife, but tries to do the best for his daughter.  He and Sadie have a standing Friday night “Pizza night” and Sadie is very upset when Gray misses it because of work, especially because it is the anniversary of Jenna’s death.  This is when she suggests to him that they attend a meeting of the Ovacome Support Group meeting.  Gray doesn’t want to and is against the idea, but Sadie is persistent, and they attend.  This is where they meet Annabelle, whom you will meet in another blog post.  Sadie and Annabelle strike up a close relationship.  Will Gray also open his heart to Annabelle, even though he is still reeling from the death of his wife?
Be sure to check back tomorrow as I review Raw Edges

 

 

 

 

 

 Raw Edges is expected to be released on September 17, 2013.

Pre-Order Your Copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and CBD

www.sandradbricker.com
www.abingdonpress.com
www.quiltsoflovebooks.com
www.ovacome.org

Just hit the NEXT button to go to the next stop on the Link-up.  If this is your first visit to this link-up, please hit the BACK button to go to the previous stops. (You need to visit all the stops to get info to enter the giveaway.)



 

Cate Price-Going Through the Notions Review and Interview and Giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Berkley
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Number of Pages: 304
This is a Brand New Series

Synopsis
A retired schoolteacher—and yes, daughter of a Fitzgerald fan—Daisy Buchanan has found her calling in the village of Millbury, Pennsylvania. While her husband endlessly renovates their old house, Daisy happily presides over Sometimes a Great Notion, a quirky shop that sells sewing bits and bobs, antiques, and jewelry.

Daisy has her eye on an antique dollhouse and a classic Singer Featherweight at the local auction—until her friend and mentor, auctioneer Angus Backstead, is led away in handcuffs. It appears he bashed in the head of a drinking buddy who stole a set of fancy fountain pens. Daisy’s sure the sprightly old-timer couldn’t have done it. But she soon learns Angus had more than a few enemies…including the detective on the case.

As Daisy seeks the truth, she also uncovers some leads: a disgruntled heiress hunting for the pens, two farm boys with a grudge against the deceased and the accused, and a twisted scam that entangled the dead man. But if Daisy can’t stitch together the bidder truth soon, Angus will be going once, going twice…gone forever.

 

 

My Review:

 

This cozy mystery was a little different than most cozies I read, but it was still very good.  I liked the small town feel of this story, I liked how all of the citizens in the town pulled together to pull off the festival that takes place in this story.  I also think that Daisy's shop would be a great place to visit.

Daisy was a likable character for me.  When her friend, Angus, is accused of murder, she pulls out all the stops to prove that he didn't do it, even after everyone else in the town wrote him off, even his wife.  I think this story was pretty realistic in the fact that the small town sheriff, who had a grudge against Angus, didn't want to look into the possibility that Angus was innocent.  I think that happens a lot in small towns.  When a detective from New York is brought on the case, Angus is found innocent, but we still don't know who the murderer is.  Daisy still has to solve the case. 

Full of quirky characters that I am looking forward to meeting again, I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the Deadly Notions Mystery series.  If you are looking for a quick read that leaves you guessing and has a great small town vibe, then this is the story for you.  Great job Cate.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.


 

 

About Cate Price Cate Price was born in England and came to the U.S. when she was sixteen. She is a regular sight on the streets of her home town walking her two amazing rescue dogs, and enjoys gardening, yard sales, and cooking with friends. Her previous (unpublished) books span the genres of romantic comedy, romantic suspense and murder mysteries, and have finaled in numerous contests, including the prestigious Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America.

Writing the first book in the Deadly Notions mystery series proved to be rather an expensive project, because while researching auction houses, she also became addicted to bidding on box lots. She is currently hard at work on the next book in the series, A DOLLHOUSE TO DIE FOR.

Links:
Cate loves to connect with readers at her website, http://cateprice.com/ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catepriceauthor or Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/cateprice
Purchase Links:
Amazon              B & N                   Powell’s Books                   Book Depository


Interview with Cate Price

1.      How long have you been writing? 

 

     All my life actually, but in 2001 I finally decided to get serious about finishing a novel. I joined Romance Writers of America, and with the help and feedback from the wonderful authors in my local chapter, I wrote a romantic comedy that finaled in the Golden Heart.

 

2.       Where did you get the idea to write this book?

 

      An editor at Penguin had come up with the idea for a series based on a vintage sewing notions store and was looking for someone to write it. Around the same time, I’d queried my dream agent with a murder mystery of mine, hoping for representation. They liked my style, and thought I would be a good fit. I wrote a proposal for Going Through the Notions that consisted of the first three chapters and a synopsis, and based on that, my agent negotiated a three-book deal. Magical stuff.

 

3.    Where did you get the idea for the setting of this book?

 

     The area around New Hope, Pennsylvania seemed perfect for a fictional village that might have a quirky antiques shop like Daisy’s. It’s also close enough to Philadelphia and New Jersey to be a viable destination for interior designers, collectors, and antique dealers.

 

4.      Since the shop in this book is a shop that sells sewing notions, antiques, and jewelry, do you sew, go antiquing and love jewelry?

 

      I go antiquing frequently, and love jewelry, but I’m afraid I’m not the world’s best seamstress. I’m lucky to have some accomplished friends to point me in the right direction, though, and while writing this series, I’ve developed a real passion for vintage buttons. My editor collects hand-sewn vintage tea towels, so I’m always on the lookout for those, too.

 

5.       How many books do you plan for this series?

 

       Currently my contract calls for three books, but I have several more planned so I hope I  have the opportunity to write them!

 

6.       Besides writing, what are your interests and how do you spend you free time?

    

      I enjoy gardening, long walks with my dogs and watercolor painting. A thoughtful conversation and a good glass of wine with close friends is another favorite pastime.

 

7.       Where is your favorite place to vacation?

 

      I haven’t actually taken a real vacation since 2005. My funds have mainly gone towards putting my daughter through college, but it’s okay. I’m not keen on flying, and I miss the dogs too much when I go away.

 

8.      If you could go on vacation anywhere, where would it be?

 

       Martha’s Vineyard.

 

9.       Since we are coming to a season change soon, what is your favorite season and why?

 

     Spring, because it’s a time of renewal and hope. I can enjoy working in the garden before the brutal Philadelphia humidity arrives. It’s such a relief after the harshness of winter to ditch the heavy coats and boots, and to leave the windows open at night.

 

 Cate Price has graciously agreed to give away one copy of her book per blog, please leave a comment about why you would love to read her book, and don't forget to put your email address so I, or Lori, can contact you.  I will randomly pick a winner on Sept.  6.  I will then forward your email address to Lori Caswell, the tour coordinator, and she will contact Cate.