On the turbulent high seas, an archeologist must protect a historic shipwreck from treasure hunters—not fall for one.
Bio:
D. V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while often with humor. Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life. D. V. is also a bi-monthly contributor to Still Moments Magazine sharing beloved recipes.
Now retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books. After a varied career as a former Emergency Medical Technician, the proprietor of a coffee shop, and a small restaurant/ice cream stand. The years following were as a manager in an animal emergency hospital, and her last position in a human medical office.
When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.
D.V. is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.
“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”
Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” (Loosely translated as support your local animal rescue).”
Buy at this book at Amazon or wherever books are sold!
Review by Avis M. Adams:
D.V. Stone’s “Sea Hunter”is part of The Mortar & Pestle Series. All the books are stand-alone and by different authors. In “Sea Hunter,” a historical, paranormal romance set in WWII, Stone gives us Zahra Corbin, Ph.D., and underwater archeologist as our hero in search of artifacts for Corbin University. Zahra is sailing home on a ship when she encounters Mr. Wrong, Hugh. In the war, she danced and sang in the USO, and Hugh thought that made her easy. When she differs with him, he tosses her overboard, and Zahra has her first glimpse of Davey Jones’ Locker, and a bright light that might be the long-lost Sea Wraith, rich in archeological artifacts.
An experienced diver, Sarah realizes hypothermia is setting in, but Jack Alexander sees something go overboard and motors over to check it out. He finds Zahra and pulls her from the clutches of the deep. Zahra regains consciousness and on his boat Freya, and the sparks are immediate. Zahra is thankful, but when she learns he really is a pirate, She doesn’t want anything to do with him.
Fast forward a couple weeks to the halls of Corbin University of History and Archeology where Zahra teaches. Her College Dean, Malcomb Armitage, informs her that she has been chosen for an underwater archeology project to recover the Sea Wraith, but her little toss in the drink episode has left her with PTSD and a feeling of drowning that incapacitates her, but Malcomb persuades her to overcome her fears. She regrets her decision when she finds she is working with a rich entrepreneur and antique seeker, Gilbert Carter, a man she despises.
Then she learns she’s also working with her rescuer, Jack Alexander, because he owns the missing piece of the map, so she’s in the frying pan without a spatula. Little does Jack or Zahra know that Carter hired Nicklaus Roth to infiltrate the group as Jack’s first mate and inform him of Jack and Zahra’s movements. Carter also calls Hugh Turnbull, the tough who tossed Zahra in the drink when she rebuffed his amorous advances. Hugh is Carter’s strong arm and gopher and will be Carter’s second in command as he follows Jack and Zahra and the students from CUHA on their search of the Sea Wraith. When Jack hires Nick, little does he know, he has a rat in his wheelhouse, and thus Stone has set up her novel with multiple twists and lots of tension in the first two chapters!
Zahra is a woman of her time, but she is singularly independent with a fair streak a mile wide, and she just wants to do what’s right, but as they closer to finding the treasures of the Sea Wraith, can she convert Jack, the man she can’t seem to keep her hands off of? To be fair, he can’t keep his hands off her either, and every time they meet, the tension is thick, and their encounters steamy.
Stone melds, mystery, mystique, history, romance, and adventure in the rollicking tale of love and treachery on the high seas, and in the middle of it all is the mystical pestle calling out to both Jack and Zahra. This is a wonderful tale of love and betrayal with villains you’ll love to hate, and couples who would love to love, but—well—it’s complicated! This is a five-star read, and a page turner to the very end.
And furthermore:
The Pestle is used in each of the seven stories in this series, and the magical vessel comes complete with this folklore:
“A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe.
Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive.
Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters.
Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.”
She gave “skeleton in the closet” a whole new meaning.
Who wanted Lissa Charney dead? The list was as long as your arm….but which one actually killed her? The last thing Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected to find when she opened the closet door was nasty competitor Lissa Charney’s battered corpse nailed to the wall. When Holly’s colleague is wrongly arrested for Lissa’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to sniff out the real killer. Nothing turns out the way she thinks it will as Holly matches wits with a heartless killer hellbent for revenge.
Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author, Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.
She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.
Hi readers! Welcome to YNFA with Susie Black, cozy mystery author of Death by Pins and Needles.
Avis: This is your second visit to YNFA, and I’m so glad you’re back with another gripping cozy for us to devour! Your second book in the Swimsuit Series follows Holly Schlivnik once again, as she defies the authorities and solves yet another mystery at the California Apparel Mart! Here’s our first question:
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
SUSIE: Accurately and realistically writing male characters. Fortunately, I have two experts-a husband and a grown son- who I can and do consult regarding male personality traits, how a male character would approach, handle, or react to a situation versus a female etc.
Avis: You are so lucky to have willing family to help you fine tune your male characters! That’s worth so much to a writer! I have trouble with my male characters too, and the male members of my crit groups call me out when I get it wrong! 😊
Here’s our next question:
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
SUSIE:A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In my opinion, this book and The Diary of Anne Frank should be required reading for every young woman coming of age.
Avis: Two thought-provoking and powerful reads. Thanks for these choices, and I know how hard it is to choose just ONE! Both titles are excellent. Our next question:
How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking
care of the reader?
SUSIE: By delivering to the reader what I promise to. I do this by not leaving the reader hanging at the end, and by giving the reader all the information they need to figure out whodunit on their own. But I make them work for it by throwing in enough red herrings to twist the story into a surprise as to who the killer is. So far, no one has told me they figured out whodunit!
Avis: Good answer! I know I’ve never figured it out, and I really tried on this one! It will surprise readers, for sure! Next:
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
SUSIE: I think that some aspiring writers do not understand the importance of writing what they know or do not do sufficient research on a topic and their writing lacks the authenticity that readers demand.
Avis: Amen, sister! Readers are savvy, and they will point out the gaps if the research isn’t thorough! Good call! Next:
What is your writing Kryptonite?
SUSIE: Overusing certain words.
Avis: I must ditto you on this one, sister! Next question:
Have you ever gotten writer’s block?
SUSIE: No, not yet…One way I’ve avoided it is by allowing the characters to take the story from the middle to the end. Of course, if I don’t like what they have done, they know I can change it. Or, if I absolutely HATE what they did, they know I can either write them out of the story or kill them off…so they are highly motivated to do a fabulous job.
Avis: LOL! Way to manage your characters! Characters do drive the story, so way to let them keep you in writing mode! Next question:
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
SUSIE: Susie Black is my pseudonym. When I chose to write under one, I had to select one I could remember. LOL My real middle name is Susan and Black is the English translation from the German of Schwartz, my legal surname.
Avis: Very interesting! All I know is it’s working well for you and looks great on your covers. 😊 Next question:
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
SUSIE: I have four contracted and completed, but unpublished books that will all be published in 2023. I have one half-finished book that should have been completed a long time ago but keeps getting pushed to the back of the line. I am determined to complete and submit it to my editor before 2023 is over.
Avis: Wow, Susie! That’s a library! You’ll fill a shelf at the bookstore before you know it! Congratulations, and such good news for us because you give us such great stories! Next question:
What does literary success look like to you?
SUSIE: When a reader says, “I could not put your book down. I stayed up all night reading it because I simply had to find out what happened next.”
Avis: Another great answer because we are nothing without our readers, and if they love your stories that much, it truly is success! Last question:
What’s the best way to market your books?
SUSIE: Because I find it impossible to quantify success with most marketing ploys, my knee-jerk reaction to this question was to throw in the towel and hire someone who knows how to do it. But I have found that doing guest spots on podcasts and blogs, and Facebook book clubs are some of the most effective ways to introduce myself and my books to a widespread audience of captive listeners.
Avis: Marketing is difficult to say the least, but I like your ideas and might borrow the FB book club idea! That’s a good one!
Thank you so much for joining us again on YNFA, Susie! I can’t wait to see what you have coming next, but in the meantime, readers, make sure you pick up a copy of Susie Black’s Death by Pins and Needles. Also, check out Susie’s socials below, and for more details on the book, please read my review of this five-star cozy from award-winner, Susie Black!
Review by Avis M. Adams
Susie Black is at it again! Her newest release in the Holly Swimsuit Mystery series, Death by Pins and Needles, takes us back to the California Apparel Mart with Holly Schlivnik, the Yentas, Queenie, and the world of swimsuit fashion for another murder mystery, one that only Holly can solve.
Holly Schlivnik and the Yentas join forces to withstand the competitive backstabbing that takes place at the California Apparel Mart. Enter Lissa (same as Melissa but leave off the Muh) Charney. Luck seems to follow Lissa as she moves from a successful job in sales for Barely There Swimwear to showroom manager with Royal Swimwear, so why does everyone hate her? Hmmm.
When our hero, Holly, gets stuck in a marketing meeting, she has to rush back to the Mart for a late Friday afternoon meeting with “her majesty” Sue Ellen MaGee, a hard to please buyer. But Holly can’t find her keys to the office. When she goes in search of Lissa who has a spare, Holly finds something that makes her laugh hysterically. Yes, Holly has inherited her nana’s fear of death, and she overcompensates with nervous laughter, so when she finds Lissa’s bloody corpse, she does just that.
When she finishes laughing, she calls 911. The police follow the clues, which leads them to former showroom manager, newly reinvented multi-line independent sales rep and mother of two, Joan Binder. Joan travels the roads in search of a sale. Where once she worked from a desk, she now works out her car and cheap hotel rooms. Demotion doesn’t begin to cover what Lissa has done to Joan.
The police see motive written all over this woman, and the blood on her coveralls doesn’t help. When the police arrest Joan, Holly knows they have the wrong person, and she won’t let Joan take the fall for a murder she knows Joan didn’t commit.
Holly goes on the hunt, but along the way she picks up enemies like lint on a mohair jacket. She can handle; hate mail, which don’t frighten her but provide clues, and she proves Joan’s innocence, which means the cops have to search harder for their perp. Holly has really stuck her chutzpah in it now.
Our hero goes through a long list of haters who all have cause to snuff the cold-hearted Lissa, like Eileen, head of her own company, who fell in love with Lissa, but Lissa spurned her. Ah ha, your say. But then there is the handsome recipient of her love, Rez Javadi, or Bobby as he likes to be called, an immigrant who is in danger of losing his green card. He fears deportation, and Lissa refused to marry him to help out.
Intriguing so far? This delightful cozy follows the intrepid Ms. Holly Schlevnik as she forges her way from clue to clue, against the wishes of LAPD homicide detective “AJ” Yakamura, and Holly does so with all the flair and humor that Suzie Black brings to her all her novels.
Black has crafted another gem with Death by Pins and Needles. Fans will adore this fast-paced frolic through death, and readers new to Black will delight in her mastery with the cozy mystery genre. Death by Pins and Needles reads like a stand-alone novel but beware because you’ll want to read the first one, Death by Sample Size, too!
Be prepared to read into the night, as Holly Schlivnik’s search for the murderer takes her to dark warehouses and dark, bankrupt businesses to solve the mystery of who murdered Lissa Charney. This is a riveting five-star read!
Allison Lee wilts under the bright light of celebrity after being exposed as a shape-shifting monster. She’d rather be behind the camera than in front of it. Being under the tooth and claw of her monstrous mother is even less enjoyable. All she desires is for everything to go back to the way things were before she discovered her true nature.
But, after she accidentally kills a mysterious man sent to kidnap her, she realizes piecing her old life back together is one gnarly jigsaw puzzle. When Allison’s sometimes boyfriend Haji goes missing, Allison and her squad suspect his unhealthy interest in magic led to his disappearance. Their quest to find Haji brings them face-to-face with beings thought long ago extinct whose agenda remains an enigma.
DAN RICE pens the young adult urban fantasy series The Allison Lee Chronicles in the wee hours of the morning. The series kicks off with his award-winning debut, Dragons Walk Among Us, which Kirkus Reviews calls, “An inspirational and socially relevant fantasy.”
Avis: Welcome, Dan Rice, to Your Next Favorite Author! I’m so happy to meet another YA fiction author from the Pacific Northwest! First, I have to say, I love your cover! It gives reader’s an idea of what’s inside the book, which is why we’re here!
Let’s begin, shall we? My first question is one I’ve been warned not to ask, but out of all the questions I sent to you, you were brave enough to tackle! Here it is:
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Dan: I don’t suffer from writer’s block. Do I believe in it? After a fashion, I suppose. In most cases, I suspect what people call writer’s block is a lack of planning. To write a novel, you must juggle the plot, subplots, and a whole cast of characters at once. Trying to make everything up as you write the draft leads to a greater cognitive load. I think people get overwhelmed by the minutia they need to keep track of, become frustrated, and eventually give up. They call this writer’s block. I believe the remedy for this is upfront planning. I wrote extensively about my planning process for Author News Daily https://authornewsdaily.com/planning-to-streamline-your-writing-process/.
Avis: Good answer, and I encourage people to check out Dan’s link to a really great article! Here’s another question that gets some great responses:
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Dan: Writing energizes me! It’s the best time of the day! On a typical weekday, I’m at the computer by five a.m. when everyone else in the household is still asleep. I never have a hard time leaping out of bed to write. Often, I’m awake before my alarm. Even on the weekend, I usually arrive at the computer by six a.m.
Why is writing so energizing? It’s so much fun stringing together stray thoughts into a plot and characters. When I first started writing, I didn’t enjoy editing one bit. Now, I find the editing process one of the most rewarding aspects of writing. It’s incredible how much your story can improve when you take the time to cut away the excess words, tighten up the plot, refine the characters, and plug all the plot holes. It still astounds me!
That’s not to say everything about being an author is rainbows and unicorns. Marketing is a tough nut to crack and is essential if you want anyone to read your book. While it’s not exhausting, it takes a bite out of my precious writing time. For the busy author, time is priceless.
Avis: Another great answer! No wonder you have so many books out! I too like the wee hours of the morning to write. And I agree, marketing takes precious time away from the writing! I really appreciate your comments about revision as well. Turning revision into fun is totally key! Here’s a question that many readers and aspiring writers wonder about:
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Dan: The one I fell into was not editing nearly enough. After I finished my first novel-length rough draft, I told my writing group’s resident writer my work wasn’t good enough to spend time editing. He told me I should edit it anyway to complete the entire novel writing process from planning, drafting, and finally editing. I followed his advice half-heartedly and was soon working on a different project. What a foolish lad I was! I have subsequently discovered that it is during the editing process, which can take as long as writing the rough draft, that life is breathed into the story.
Another problem that impacts aspiring authors is lack of focus. At least, based on what I read on Twitter, it is. Many people proudly proclaim to be working on multiple projects at once. I think this is a recipe for not accomplishing much. Writing a novel requires concentration and long-term commitment. In my mind, juggling multiple writing projects is the antithesis of this. Now, a full-time fiction writer might be able to pull off numerous projects at once successfully, but even then, it’s an uphill battle leading to projects that drag on and on and on. For example, how long has George R.R. Martin been working on Winds of Winter? A decade? I contend that his many authorial commitments are slowing down his writing process, and he is a full-time author.
Avis: Wow! These are excellent pieces of advice from an author who is producing good results! It’s sometimes difficult to listen to the wisdom and advice of more experienced writers, but it sounds like you did eventually, and now at the wonderful books you have to show for your hard work!
Thank you, Dan, for joining us today, and giving a bit of insight to you and your writing process! Please check out Dan Rice’s social media links, and his other books! And don’t forget to scroll down for my five-star review of his latest work, The Blood of Faeries, releasing from The Wild Rose Press February
Review by Avis M. Adams
Dan Rice’s The Blood of Faeries: The Allison Lee Chronicles Volume 2, is a YA fantasy, action/adventure that brings to the stage dragons, faeries, skaags, and magic. Rice continues the saga of Allison Lee. Set in the Pacific Northwest with environmental and social undertones, Rice picks up thus story after the battles in which she finds out what she is and that her perfect mother is the reason why. They are both skaags—monsters.
Allison’s new life requires a protection crew and has attracted the media who now know she’s a skaag, a shapeshifter capable of morphing into an alligator, eel abomination. Hence, Allison’s new nickname, monster girl. Her fan base has made her something of an idol but the haters, and yes there are many, have turned her into something to fear. What Allison wants to avoid at all costs is a “one-way trip to a lock-up on a military base.”
Her biggest problem is how to return to “normal.” She’d really like to go to school, hang out with her best friend Dalia, and she’d like her teen life back please. Fat chance any of that will happen with her protection detail trying to save her from “the crazies” who want her dead. Rice makes sure she knows in the first couple chapters, though, that she can’t trust her own bodyguard who lets in an assassin, Timmy the little kid next door who takes seemingly innocent selfies with her to post on Monsterspotting.com destroying her anonymity, and then there’s Haji. He’s the boy she locked lips with, the boy she hoped she could trust.
Allison and her friends slip through the surveillance, on their way to a protest march about the environment, but when Haji badgers Allison to agree to an interview with a podcaster keen to host a monster on his show, she gets angry. No. Pissed is more like it, and when the “sleeper” within her threatens to wake, she begins to fear herself and what she is capable of, i.e., murder, mayhem, and general chaos on a grand and epic scale.
Then Haji disappears, and Allison has a very bad feeling. Haji’s increased interest in magic has led him to some of the sketchiest places in Seattle because in this world it is well known that heroin enhances the capabilities of magicians, and Haji would do anything to impress Allison with his magical skills to win her back. Allison and Dalia enlist a creature they can trust, Mauve, a dragon hidden in human form, to join their team and rescue Haji, but what they encounter proves to be too much even for Mauve.
Dan Rice develops a strong female protagonist in Allison, and her sense of loyalty to her friends gets her in and out of trouble. She would never hurt her friends by transforming into a skaag, and her decision never to kill again is becoming harder to resist, but will she have to in order to save humanity? She grapples with these internal struggles as she tries to save Haji from the evil scientists who have found a way to enhance human abilities and form a magical army to fight the monsters. How are they doing this, you ask? By using the blood of faeries.
Rice’s masterful plot twists and action scenes will keep you reading as you root for Allison and her friends in what seems at times a lost battle for the lives of her friends. Magic, dragons, skaags, and technology straight out of the best science fiction has to offer are the fuel that launch this novel in page turning overdrive.
Dan Rice’s novel is a force of magical creatures against evil, but it’s up to Allison to figure out what is real, what is illusion, and how can she manage and control the powers within her own body. This paranormal, fantasy, adventure takes on the environment, the establishment, and any form of authority to show a strong female hero at work to make the world a better place.
Until the next time.
Dan Rice’s The Blood of Faeries: The Allison Lee Chronicles Volume 2 is a five-star page turner that will captivate your imagination.
Dan Rice’s The Blood of Faeries: The Allison Lee Chronicles Volume 2, is a YA fantasy, action/adventure that brings to the stage dragons, faeries, skaags, and magic. Rice continues the saga of Allison Lee. Set in the Pacific Northwest with environmental and social undertones, Rice picks up thus story after the battles in which she finds out what she is and that her perfect mother is the reason why. They are both skaags—monsters.
Allison’s new life requires a protection crew and has attracted the media who now know she’s a skaag, a shapeshifter capable of morphing into an alligator, eel abomination. Hence, Allison’s new nickname, monster girl. Her fan base has made her something of an idol but the haters, and yes there are many, have turned her into something to fear. What Allison wants to avoid at all costs is a “one-way trip to a lock-up on a military base.”
Her biggest problem is how to return to “normal.” She’d really like to go to school, hang out with her best friend Dalia, and she’d like her teen life back please. Fat chance any of that will happen with her protection detail trying to save her from “the crazies” who want her dead. Rice makes sure she knows in the first couple chapters, though, that she can’t trust her own bodyguard who lets in an assassin, Timmy the little kid next door who takes seemingly innocent selfies with her to post on Monsterspotting.com destroying her anonymity, and then there’s Haji. He’s the boy she locked lips with, the boy she hoped she could trust.
Allison and her friends slip through the surveillance, on their way to a protest march about the environment, but when Haji badgers Allison to agree to an interview with a podcaster keen to host a monster on his show, she gets angry. No. Pissed is more like it, and when the “sleeper” within her threatens to wake, she begins to fear herself and what she is capable of, i.e., murder, mayhem, and general chaos on a grand and epic scale.
Then Haji disappears, and Allison has a very bad feeling. Haji’s increased interest in magic has led him to some of the sketchiest places in Seattle because in this world it is well known that heroin enhances the capabilities of magicians, and Haji would do anything to impress Allison with his magical skills to win her back. Allison and Dalia enlist a creature they can trust, Mauve, a dragon hidden in human form, to join their team and rescue Haji, but what they encounter proves to be too much even for Mauve.
Dan Rice develops a strong female protagonist in Allison, and her sense of loyalty to her friends gets her in and out of trouble. She would never hurt her friends by transforming into a skaag, and her decision never to kill again is becoming harder to resist, but will she have to in order to save humanity? She grapples with these internal struggles as she tries to save Haji from the evil scientists who have found a way to enhance human abilities and form a magical army to fight the monsters. How are they doing this, you ask? By using the blood of faeries.
Rice’s masterful plot twists and action scenes will keep you reading as you root for Allison and her friends in what seems at times a lost battle for the lives of her friends. Magic, dragons, skaags, and technology straight out of the best science fiction has to offer are the fuel that launch this novel in page turning overdrive.
Dan Rice’s novel is a force of magical creatures against evil, but it’s up to Allison to figure out what is real, what is illusion, and how can she manage and control the powers within her own body. This paranormal, fantasy, adventure takes on the environment, the establishment, and any form of authority to show a strong female hero at work to make the world a better place.
Until the next time.
Dan Rice’s The Blood of Faeries: The Allison Lee Chronicles Volume 2 is a five-star page turner that will captivate your imagination.
Mirror, mirror, on the lake. Reveal the path the queen will take.
Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte–a healer with the verdant magic of the forest–must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies.
In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths.
As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms.
Enchanted. Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail?
Avis: I’m so excited to welcome Jennifer Ivy Walker my blog today! Can I call you Ivy? Thanks! I’m so excited for you upcoming release! I had the privilege of reading The Lady of the Mirrored Lake, and I have to say, you keep the story alive and exciting! So please tell us a little bit about your second novel by answering our first question.
This is book 2 in the Wild Rose and the Sea Raven series. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Ivy: The Lady of the Mirrored Lake, my new release, is book 2 of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy. Although each book does have its own conclusion (not a cliffhanger), the stories are sequential because it is a trilogy, like “The Lord of the Rings”.
Avis: Readers are going to love this series! I can’t wait for book 3! Here’s our next question:
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Ivy: This trilogy is based on the medieval legend of Tristan et Yseult (Tristan and Isolde), but I also incorporated a lot of Arthurian myth, which I researched in French. I read several books in French containing dark tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande—birthplace of Merlin, Lancelot, and the Lady of the Lake Viviane—which I wove into my trilogy as well. For example, I researched the legend of the Gallizenae priestesses, which inspired my shapeshifting Mélusines– mermaid sea dragon warriors. I also researched the French legends regarding Avalon and decided to make the real archipelago of les Sept-Îles—a group of islands off the northwestern coast of France in the English Channel–the realm of my Avalonian Elves.
Avis: This sounds like fun, not research! But I love to research too! Your research really paid off for your second novel because it is filled with all of those wonderful mythical creatures! I love it. Our next questions is:
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Ivy: A mermaid! I have lived by the sea my entire life—from my childhood spent growing up along the southern coast of Maine to the beaches of Florida where I walk for miles each evening, all year long. The ocean is my soul, and I have always had a deep, spiritual connection to it and all its creatures.
Avis: I envy you your long walks along the beach! I can see how a mermaid would appeal to you. Your love of nature and the natural world are also reflected in your novels. It was wonderful to learn more about you as a writer and what influences your characters and books! We’ll see you for book 4 soon, I hope! Please scroll to the bottom of the blog for my review of Ivy’s new release!
The Lady of the Mirrored Lake, by Jennifer Ivy Walker continues the saga of Tristan and Issylte, and their famous love affair. Walker weaves the French language through her story like a master and embellishes her retelling with the same flourish that we found in her first novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven.
We pick up our lovers on their way to Lancelot’s chateau La Joyeuse Garde. While there, Issylte, renamed the Lady Opale to maintain her disguise from her evil stepmother. We are introduced the next family of characters who will inspire and unwittingly become instruments of evil for Voldurk and The Black Widow Queen, Morag, Issylte’s wicked stepmother, as they try to capture and kill Issylte.
Issylte’s power grows as she is indoctrinated as a member of the Tribe of Dana and the Lady of the Mirrored Lake. She travers the dangerous landscape of magical portals that takes her from one location to another and allows her to fight alongside Tristan to save the one’s she loves as well as herself.
Once the pair are joined through a tribal ceremony of the Dana tribe, their love is consummated every separation they must endure to save their friends or fight off their enemies is painful and a trial they can hardly endure. Every reunion is a celebration of sexual joy. Steam rolls off the pages between Tristan and Issylte, and the sparks are much hotter than the first installment of Walker’s series.
Walker takes this famous story and makes it her own. This book carries on the magical tale of two lovers who must fight against all odds to be together. She leaves us drooling for more as she sets the scene in this novel for the final installment to be released sometime in spring 2023. I highly recommend this wonderful read and give it five stars!
Twin sisters on a perilous journey to remove an ancient curse . . .
Clara and Angelica Grace have never met ghosts. They’ve never sailed on a tall ship, ridden wild unicorns, or fought with magical weapons. Instead, the teenage twins have a wretched existence, ignored by their troubled parents in a rundown home and tormented by the town’s snobs.
Everything turns topsy-turvy all of a sudden when discovery of an ancestor’s hidden journal with an odd key to an unknown door leads them into an entirely different realm.The girls go on a thrilling oceanic voyage to search for mysterious whales, train with a seasoned warrior, and are befriended by a wise Master. But all is not a bouquet of lovely lilies…they are hunted by a cunning warlock and must rid themselves of The Warlock’s Curse.
Bio:
Fascinated by the works of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, C.B. Oresky began writing her own fantasy novel, The Warlock’s Curse, after dreaming of being whisked off to an alien realm. Besides her debut novel, she has seen four of her short stories published in a small, national literary press: Conceit Magazine. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through the woods, dancing flamenco, or planting flowers in her garden. She currently lives in a small town in Connecticut with her bodybuilder husband, their exceptionally naughty Scottish terrier and Siamese cat, ten chickens, Mr. Tiggy the hedgehog, and a yard filled with majestic flowers.
Avis: Hi Caryn! I’m so glad you have joined us for today’s blog post! I love middle grade stories that feature strong female characters, and your book does just that, with twins Angelica and Clara! What a great read! But let’s get to the interview because I know readers want to get to know more about you. Let’s begin with our first question:
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Caryn: I most certainly believe in writer’s block. There are just those times (hopefully short) when one finds oneself stuck and unable to write anything new.
Avis: I agree. For me it’s usually when something happens in my life that throws me off center. The next question is:
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Caryn: Writing energizes me. I love to have ideas and words just flow through me. For additional inspiration I often write in my favorite bookstore, slurping down a frozen drink after settling down in a comfy armchair.
Avis: I love the image of sitting in a bookstore writing! For me it would be a hot cup of black coffee. 😊 Here’s our last questions:
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Caryn: I never considered writing under a pseudonym. Instead, I used the initials of my first and middle name, followed by my last name…as did my favorite authors: J.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. I like to think big!
Avis: Always good to think big! I like it! It’s been such a pleasure to get to know more about you! I know people will love your new novel, The Warlock’s Curse. For more information check out Caryn Oresky’s social media links below, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for my five-star review!
C.B. Oresky’s The Warlock’s Curse takes twins Angelica and Clara Grace to a land far away beyond our one mooned planet to a place where drogans roam the skies and Foulmouth, the One True Master, rules, or does he?
Angelica and Clara may look alike, but their personalities and temperaments are opposites. Outgoing and brave, Angelica talks the timid Clara into the adventure of their lives to escape the doldrums of their existence at Seacrest, a rundown mansion on the New England coast town of Coldport. Rumored to be haunted, the dilapidated mansion creaks and moans as if alive. It’s rotting porch and leaky roof cause shame for the girls and stress for the parents, who can’t afford to live any place besides this house built over a century ago by their distant grandfather Claudius Grace, a sea-captain believed lost at sea.
Picked on by the Fabulous Five, an all-girl gang of bullies, the sisters long for better times and the family riches that were lost by their relatives. If they could only help their parents, maybe the fighting would stop, and they could live normal lives with nice clothes and an occasional vacation away from the dreadful Seacrest.
Oresky builds a world of ghosts and magic, or gems and swords that possess power beyond imagination, and portals that transport the girls to a world of reconciliation and great danger. They meet Urtleby, the famous warrior general who turns the tides of war; Foulmouth, the warlock who has cast the spell that ruined Angelica and Grace’s family fortunes; Aomar, an enlightened being that aids them; and they meet their distant ancestor, Claudius Grace, who wants nothing more than to defeat the evil warlock and return his family to the status it once knew.
Angelica and Clara may be opposites in temperament and bravery, but they work together to overcome evil in this daring adventure that will take readers to fantastical realms, where dreams are worth fighting for and reaching for the stars is not impossible.
C.B. Oresky’s The Warlock’s Curse provides hours of reading escape for children and adults alike. This book earns five-stars for creativity and magical adventure.
Blurb: Jessica Stratton’s long-cherished dream of opening her own Folk Art gallery in an idyllic Cape Cod setting finally comes true. However, her start-up is anything but smooth sailing.
Her ten-year marriage hits the rocks and when the hunk next door – a brooding ecologist on a mission to save the planet – proves too irresistible to ignore, she’s got to relearn the rules of the dating game while figuring out how to run a successful boutique.
Unfortunately, someone’s far too interested in an 19th century example of advertising art in her collection and will go to any means – legal or illegal – to acquire it.
Maybe the planet isn’t the only thing that needs saving…
Bio: Corinne LaBalme lives in France and loves everything about it… except eating snails. Her articles about European fashion, food and fun destinations have appeared in The New York Times Travel section, Diversion, La Belle France and France Revisited. Her favorite place to write? Any Parisian café with a good croissant connection…
The setting for Summer People is founded on childhood memories of vacations on Cape Cod and based on my mother’s (very real) house in Brewster.
However, the romantic hero of Summer People — Rick Martell — is the kind of guy who exists only in our sweetest & beachiest dreams…. sigh!
Avis: Welcome to another interview Corinne! I’m so happy to see you again and hear more about your latest wonderful book Summer People! Let’s begin with this question:
Did you find Summer People easier or more difficult to write than French Ghost and why?
Corinne—Both Summer People and French Ghost sprang to life organically. What’s been much harder to write is the second book in the Paris Ghost-Writer Series. Too much backstory from Book One? Too little? Hopefully, thanks to a great editor, that question has been resolved and French Toast should be in print by the end of 2022. But then… there’s Book Three…
Avis: Yay! Book Three? I’m so excited to read more in the Paris Ghost Writer Series! But we want to learn more about Summer People. Our next questions is:
What was the hardest scene for you to write in Summer People?
Corinne: The picnic scene on the Truro beach was definitely the hardest to write. The reader already knows that Rick and Jessica are attracted to each other… so why can’t THEY figure it out? Yes, yes… they’ve both been burned before. Too bad there’s no soothing aloe lotion for bruised souls.
Avis: That picnic scene was a great scene, but you handled the tension and attraction so well! What about this question:
I loved the idea of dualling antique stores between Max and Jessica. Did you have a reason for setting this up as a major element in the story, and what was that reason?
Corinne: Oddly enough, this romance didn’t take its first-draft shape around a pair of lovers-to-be. The genesis for Summer People is a hunk of fantasy real estate and the people came second. Therefore, Wilder House is just as big a part of the book as Rick and Jessica. (Frankly, I’ve always thought that the brooding presence of Thornfield Hall and Manderly push Jane Eyre and Rebecca into similarly tricksy ménage à trois territory.) Those houses, alas, burned right down to the ground. Jessica, thank goodness, has installed 21stcentury fire alarms.
Avis: I love it when the setting becomes as much a character as the characters! That cute Victorian house is well described, and I wish I could have visited it! Thank you so much for participating in another interview and giving more insight into your latest publication, Summer People!
If readers want more information on Corinne LaBalme and her books, see the links below, and please check out the review that follows the links! Until next time. read on!
Review: Summer People, Corinne LaBalme’s latest novella, introduces Jessica Stratton who finds her fairy tale marriage to a New York socialite Maxwell Stratton is nothing but a sham, just as she is opening her summer project. Wilder House Antiques in Cape Cod has been a dream for years, a place to showcase her Americana antique collection in a house she prefers to her New York City townhouse.
LaBalme takes us from New York City and the hustle and bustle of Stratton Gallery Antiques to the beachside town of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Jessica loves everything about Cape Cod, the beautiful Victorian house she bought and renovated, the beach, the small laid-back community, but for her new neighbour, Cape Cod is perfect.
Rick Martell is attractive, but also overbearing. Her realtor friend, Nancy, talks him into helping Jessica, and he regrets meeting Jessica from their first meeting, when she beats him with a fireplace iron because she thinks he’s broken into her house and crashing on her floor. Then when he tries to help her move the heavy and cumbersome Hiawatha statue into her house, he is so offended, since he has indigenous ancestry and storms out.
Jessica is grateful for Rick’s help but unsure how to mend the bridges she keeps burning with him. LaBalme creates a perfect storm for Jessica when Eddie Winthrop returns after years in Europe. He steps into Jessica’s role as Max’s right hand person at the Stratton ‘Gallery and allows Jessica to embark on her dream of creating her own antique store in Cape Cod, but the blessing turns on our hero and becomes a curse in more ways than one.
LaBalme sets up a suspenseful story of one woman’s journey to independence and selfhood. Jessica learns she is the tough, smart woman her friends think she is, and that she can make her dreams come true. The mystery comes in a grand finale that will surprise and delight readers. This is a quick summer read, but it is a book for all seasons! It is sure to satisfy romance readers everywhere and is definitely deserves five-stars.
Can she help a lost soul, jumpstart her love life, and dispatch her nagging mother’s spirit?
Marni Legend is about to publish her thirteenth novel. Gus Zuckerman has been hanging around since his death in nineteen-ninety-five. With her deadline looming and her recently deceased mother refusing to move on, can Marni dispatch both spirits and still have time for romance?
Armed with sarcasm and a warped sense of humor, her innate ability to stumble into awkward situations lands Marni in the midst of a car theft ring. As her circle of friends becomes populated with felons and possible murderers, the lines blur around whom she can trust.
Juggling a hot new beau with one hand and rekindling an old flame with the other, she may need to put on the brakes with one. Should she pick the probable criminal who may know Gus’s fate or play it safe with the sweetheart from her past? She’ll need more than her special abilities and quick wit to navigate the twists and turns of this paranormal mystery.
BIO: Terry Segan resides in Nevada. The beach is her happy place, but any opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by her imagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be found throughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries
Avis: Welcome back Terry! I’m so glad you agreed to join us again and talk about your second novel, Spirit in Tow! Your paranormal premise is intriguing in this one and so creative! Marnie is such a strong female protagonist and a sassy, risktaker! Let’s start this interview, shall we? Here’s the first question:
Did you find your second book easier or more difficult to write than your first?
Terry: I found the second book easier because I’d learned so much from both the writing process and the publishing process of my first book. Since I grew up on Long Island (pronounced Lon Giland by natives), I found it easy to channel my inner sarcastic klutz when fleshing out Marni’s character. My first book, Precious Treasure, had a more serious tone, while Spirit in Tow leans more toward humor and light-hearted banter with a little bit of danger thrown in.
Avis: I noticed the lighter tone, and that’s what I found so appealing! The banter between Marnie and Gus is hilarious at times! I’m so happy to hear this is book one of a series, which leads me the next question:
How do you see the storyline progressing in this series?
Terry: Marni will continue to be a klutz and find herself in sticky situations—it’s part of her charm. While I love the town of Northport where she has settled, not all the stories will take place there. You see, Marni loves to travel, and some of her adventures will take her to other cities and states. Besides, I’m sure the residents of Northport would welcome a breather once in a while. There will also be recurring characters but not in every book. This way, the reader never knows who will pop up—dead or alive.
Avis: Hmm. A protagonist who loves to travel? Sounds like an author I know! LOL! It sounds like you scope out settings for your stories as you travel, combining two passions! Brilliant! Which leads us to our next question:
What was your hardest character to develop?
Terry: I’d have to say her blast from the past, Kendall Kramer. He needed to be a sweet memory while also being a viable candidate to rekindle Marni’s love life. I prefer writing quirky characters (my head is filled with them—don’t venture there alone), but Kendall needed to be more mild-mannered. When I write, I’m a pantser and don’t use an outline. So I struggled with composing his personality and whether he’d end up changing in a phone booth and wearing a cape whenever Marni got into trouble. I believe he turned out okay for the role he plays.
Avis: Kendall turned out perfect! He was a surprise character to me, and I enjoyed the role he played in the story! Well done! I really enjoyed this novel, and I really look forward to the next adventures of Marni Legend! Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy release day schedule to give us a look into your writing world! It’s been fun, and until next time! I’d also like to thank all the readers checking in. For a review of Spriti in Tow, and make sure to get your copy! Terry’s social media links, website, and buy links can be found below!
Terry Segan’s second novel, Spirit in Tow, Book One in the Marni Legend series, takes us beyond the grave with strong willed and clever Marni Legend. Segan creates a world where ghosts who have unfinished business visit those who have special abilities to see and hear the dead, and author Marni Legend is one such person. Marni inherited this family trait from her mother, and her grandmother taught her everything she knows about helping the troubled spirits who find her for help.
Segan wastes no time in introducing Marni to the dearly departed Gus, a local tow-truck driver turned miscreant who died in 1995. However, Gus’s problems are a stark departure from the usual finding of lost deposit box keys or locating where the savings bonds were hidden. Marni embarks on a journey into a darker realm, to solve Gus’s murder and soon finds herself embroiled in the world of crime and deception.
Segan’s introduction of Marni’s family happens at the funeral of her mother. An event made all the more dramatic by a sister-dynamic that is explosive at best. To make matters worse the family is notified that their mother’s remains might not be buried with their father’s. Next thing Marni knows, her mom has returned with definite opinions on how to handle the situation.
Segan’s masterful handling of all these unruly characters unfolds a story of intrigue, suspense, and deadly consequences for Marni as she sleuths her way into a ring of car-jackers who will not stand for nosey writers asking too many questions or showing up in places where she doesn’t belong.
This gripping story will have you reading into the night to find out “who dunnit,” and Segan keeps the suspense going, teasing us with juicy tidbits of information until the final satisfying page.
I look forward to the next adventures of Marni Legend. She’s one sassy character who won’t rest until she’s found all the answers helped her latest spirit cross over. This book is a five star read.
Mirror, mirror, on the lake. Reveal the path the queen will take.
In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom.
Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks.
Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?
Bio: Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.
As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, “Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête”–an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast,” enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.
Her debut novel, “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”–the first of a trilogy– is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of “Tristan et Yseult”, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.
Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.
Avis: Welcome Jennifer, or can I call you Ivy? I’m so happy to meet you and to read your fabulous book! You really have a flair for history and legends, and you know them well enough to blend them seamlessly in your novel, to that leads me to the first question:
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Ivy: For my trilogy–I researched everything from medieval Dubh Linn and Viking naval battles to healing crystals, herbal medicine, and dark fairy tales (in French) from the Forest of Brocéliande.
Avis: That sounds more like fun than research! As an English major and teacher, we share a similar background that led to our writing lives. It always seemed to me that research can only take you so far, so my next question involves hands-on research:
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
Ivy: I have traveled to castles in the Loire Valley, troglodyte caves in Aquitaine, and medieval châteaux-forts, all of which I included in my trilogy.
Avis: How wonderful! Sounds like visiting a fairy tale. I have to say that those pilgrimages play a wonderful part in your storyline and have helped you describe your world in the most wonderfully detailed way. I loved it, but that leads me to my next question:
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Ivy: It definitely energizes me. It’s like my creativity starts flowing and I feel charged and revved up. I burn it off with power walks on the beach every evening.
Avis: Walks on the beach? That sounds wonderful! Creating worlds and writing can be its own kind of escape for some people, and you sound like that type, a true artist! In my own writing, I’ve had critique partners suggest I use a pseudonym when I write outside my preferred genre, so that leads me to my next question:
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Ivy: I did consider writing under a pseudonym but decided to use my real name. I might use a pseudonym in the future if I wrote a different genre other than Medieval French Fantasy.
Avis: It’s interesting to consider a pseudonym. I didn’t use one for my next book which is romance, a far cry from my YA novels! Your real name is lovely, and I bet you love seeing it on the lovely cover of your debut novel!
Thank you so much, Ivy, for answering a few questions for us! It’s been wonderful to get to know more about you as a writer and what goes into you process. I hope you’ll come back for a repeat performance when the second book in your trilogy comes out soon! In the meantime, I’m sure readers will enjoy learning more about Ivy at her social media sites, buy links, and website. All the links can be found below.
Thanks also to our readers! You are the ones who keep us writing! For further information about Jennifer Ivy Walker’s book, scroll to the bottom of the page for my review of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven!A five-star read, all the way!
In Jennifer Ivy Walker’s debut novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven, we meet Issylte, from the story of Tristan and Isolde, a story that has withstood the tests of time. Retold by authors over the millennia, each telling explores the rich and captivating relationship between these two young lovers, and it remains a story for the ages.
Contemporary readers will delight in Walker’s novel as she revisits Tristan and Isolde and their fight against evil forces that strive to kill them or keep them apart. Walker brings the story alive once again in a way that is unique, surprising, and satisfying.
We meet Issylte, the Emerald Princess, as she prepares for her father’s wedding to Princess Morag of Scotland. Her father, King Griogair, smitten by his bride, sets Issylte aside as he spends more time with Morag, but Issylte still has her nurse, Gigi, and her horse, Luna. Issylte comes to life under Walker’s masterful storytelling.
Next, we go to Cornwall where we meet Tristan, heir to the throne of his uncle, King Mark of Tintagel Castle. Tristan becomes one of ten champions for Cornwall and travels to Camelot where he is knighted by King Arthur, whom he will serve.
Walker paints these well-known characters and places with rich descriptions and all the embellishments that draw readers in and lets them see the places and the people and keeps them reading. She does the difficult work of creating the villain, Morag, as the evil queen begins her plot to separate Gigi from Issylte and kill her husband, King Griogair. Then she goes after Issylte. The fairy witch, Maiwenn, rescues Issylte and hides her deep in the forest. She teaches Issylte the healing arts, and Issylte finds that she too has magic, healing powers, and that she is a fairy.
Back in Camelot, Tristan defeats Lancelot in a tournament of champions, and they become fast friends. Lancelot insists Tristan accompany him to Avalon for the summer where Tristan becomes a member of the Tribe of Dana, but upon his return to Camelot, he faces his own brand of treachery and deceit.
Walker’s retelling of this beautiful story is woven masterfully between Issylte’s point of view and Tristan’s. We see them growing and overcoming obstacles, gaining successes, and growing into adulthood. When they finally meet, Tristan has been wounded with a poisoned sword, and Issylte saves him. The pacing is quick, and Walker keeps us on the edge of our seats as Issylte and Tristan learn their fates are entwined and their destinies are as one.
Jennifer Ivy Walker has made the Tristan and Isolde story her own. Her world building skills are masterful, and Avalon, though hidden in the mists, is brought to life as a place both fragile and powerful. Walker moves with ease from Ireland to Cornwall, to Camelot, and to Avalon. She peoples her story with characters like the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, guardian of Avalon, the Elfin warrior Ronan, and the fairy witch Maiwenn. Her rich storytelling and blending of genres will delight readers and fans of paranormal, historical, romance alike. This tale is dark yet filled with hope and is the first in a series of three novels. Readers will be delighted to know that Book 2, The Lady of the Mirrored Lake is coming soon.
The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven earns a full five-stars as a riveting and satisfying read.
Kat Out of the Bag, Katherine Watson purse designer and amateur sleuth likes to gift purses year ’round. Some wonderful things can be gifted inside a woman’s handbag too. Sometimes what’s inside a purse can lead to a very cozy mystery indeed.
Bio: The result of Wendy Kendall’s passion for purses, mystery and romance is the intriguing In Purse-Suit Mysteries. Kat Out of the Bag introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth. As Kat moves from designer bags to body bags, she’s uncovering clues to a murder. The prequel, Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash delves into a chilling cold case. The romantic suspense, Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For creates a tangle of mystery and love and raises suspicions about Desiree’s romantic new sweetheart, Leo. A summer read that will keep you on the edge of your beach towel, Cherry Shakes In The Park blends danger, divas, and frothy delights. Wendy enjoys investigating the Pacific Northwest life, and she leaves a trail of her own clues as a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, project manager, and syndicated columnist. Just wait until you see what Katherine Watson and her friends in Bayside face in their next adventure.
Avis: I’d like to welcome Wendy Kendall, my critique partner and friend, to “Your Next Favorite Author!” I’m so happy to finally have you as a guest, Wendy, and readers are going to be so excited to see that you have four titles they can read and a fifth releasing this holiday season! I’m know they are going to fall in love with your books, your characters, and you! So, let’s begin, shall we? Here’s question number one:
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
Wendy: I’ve gone on a couple of wonderful research pilgrimages. I confess to a passion for purses. Give them a chance, they’re truly fascinating. Not only a fashion statement, what people carry gives clues to their personalities, actions, and even motives. That includes men carrying messenger bags or other accessories. How fun to have an amateur sleuth, Katherine Watson who is a purse designer. Her attention to detail and her creative spirit are traits enabling investigation.
My research for my books is always fun, but especially memorable was my trip to Little Rock, Arkansas where I visited the Esse Purse Museum that shows women’s history through their diverse display of each decade’s purses carried. It’s a fantastic collection and includes so many lessons about women’s lives during those decades. It’s one of only 3 purse museums in the world, not including the Purse-onality Museum Katherine Watson runs in Bayside, Washington.
During my visit to Esse Purse Museum, I not only studied the displays, I also interviewed the incredible, fun staff. I also met and interviewed the talented, energetic, visionary Anita Davis. In the front of my book Kat Out of the Bag you’ll see the Esse endorsement “. . . purses have a story to tell and for Kendall’s mystery, these stories unveil more than just purse-sonal history; they’re the clues to catch a killer.”
My second passion has to do with the K-9 officers. Katherine Watson’s investigation at times has her head to head matching wits with local Bayside cop Jason Holmes, and his K-9 partner Hobbs. Although they disagree often, Katherine and Jason discover an undeniable attraction. They have to put their feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer’s next knock off. Faithful Hobbs is also suspicious of Katherine’s adopted cat, Purrada.
I also research local policing for my mysteries. I recently graduated from the Community Police Academy. I met great people, learned lots, and kept many notes for reference. When I was writing Kat Out of the Bag I went on a police ride along with K-9 partners. Very exciting! So, Hobbs in my book came from that experience. Here’s a picture of the inspiration for Hobbs while I was on my ride along.
Avis: I just love how you weave your passions into your books. This explains so much about Hobbs, and about Kat and her passion for purses! I’m sure so many readers will be able to relate to both these characters and will fall in-love with Hobbs! He steals the show sometimes! Let’s move on to question number two:
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Wendy: What I’ve heard from readers is that they not only love my characters in Kat Out of the Bag, especially Katherine and Moonjava, they love the community of Bayside and they’re interested in the characters who live there. I’m enjoying writing mysteries for Katherine, and for the citizens of Bayside. It’s the town of Bayside that ties my characters together. Katherine and Jason, with Hobbs, both appear in Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For with Desiree and Leo.
I’m so proud that Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For was a Finalist for Best Suspense at Killer Nashville in August, an amazing mystery writers and readers annual conference. And, if you’ve read and enjoyed my book, it’s also in the running for Readers’ Choice Award.
Romantic Suspense is a great combination, and this book practically wrote itself. Desiree is a first-grade teacher at Bayside Elementary, dedicated to her students. She’s a very warmhearted character and I enjoyed writing about someone in that profession. She’s at the beginning of a sweet, new romance with Leo who works on the school’s maintenance staff. Desiree’s suddenly being tormented by a secret stalker though, and the situation is dire. There are several suspects, including Leo. At the end, there is a shocking confrontation. Enjoy the cookies too, because the yummy, original Snow Kiss Cookies recipe is included.
The character Arturo Girardo is in both my summer beach reads, the Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash, and also Cherry Shakes in the Park. You just never know who’s going to pop up again in my books! Right now I’m writing the sequel to Kat Out of the Bag. It’s such an exciting case with returning and also intriguing new characters.
Avis: Bravo! I was hoping you’d mention a few characters from your other books! More great characters to fall in-love with! And congratulations on Snow Cookies to Die For! You are a seasoned author with several published books under your belt now, so I’d like to ask you this:
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Wendy: I’ve learned so much from my editor at The Wild Rose Press. Through working with me on edits, I’ve absorbed improvements and my first drafts have grown cleaner.
I’ve also developed a curiosity to expand my writing skills in more genres. Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For plunged me into Romantic Suspense, and it was an adventure in writing, for me.
I followed that with the Romantic Mystery Cherry Shakes in the Park. I was inspired by my love of the works by the Bard, William Shakespeare. This newest book is a great summer read which is a contemporary new twist on A Midsummer Night’s Dream including all the humor, romance, and adding an enticing mystery.
Here’s how Bryson’s story begins –
Standing at the bottom of the wooden stairs to Girardo’s ice cream shop, Bryson wished he could shake off his broken heart as easily as he shook the beach sand from his feet. He’d missed Marta from the moment she got on that bus and left him. A rogue wave of sadness hit hard, splashing visions of their walks along the bay in his face.
There on the beach, Marta’s friends waved to him. Naomi stood in the sunshine, up to her knees in water. Next to her, Tara took pictures on her cell phone. The space between them where Marta should be standing reflected the hole in his heart. Bryson waved back. Nice girls, but neither were Marta.
He clenched his fists. Here he was, mid-twenties with plans for this decade of his life. Settling down with his girl, Olympic tryouts and qualifying, sprinting to a medal, product endorsements, and a happy new career. It all crashed and burned a month ago. His broken spirit affected everything, even track times. What do you do when your dreams hit a dead end?
As the story goes on, Bryson is faced with mysteries of the heart when Marta returns with the Not Royal Shakes Company to perform in the park at Bayside. Sparks fly as Bryson is torn between rekindling flames with Marta or a new spark with her co-star Senona. They’re racing to follow clues around Bayside, along with the Shakes Company cast of humorous characters, and of course a dog, to try and win the scavenger hunt prize.
In the meantime, Bryson faces the mysterious kidnapping of his beloved coach’s brother, and wants to help, but the clock is ticking to find and save him. Who knew that a comical midnight dalliance at Loon Point would merge clues to both mysteries and reveal the true danger Bryson faces?
I’ve followed these writings with a brave plunge into a full romance novel, Heart of Christmas Cookies and Dreams. You can watch for this book release this holiday season, and the recipe for the delicious, original cookies is included. George is a chef, and Liz is a corporate leader. What is it that can bring these two wandering souls together? Whatever it is, ribbons of love run through it.
I enjoy exploring some other genres. My roots are in mystery though. Right now, I’m finishing the sequel to Kat Out of the Bag, another cozy mystery. Just wait until you see what mystery Katherine faces this time.
Avis: Wow, Wendy! Books five and six are looming on the horizon! Such good news for all your fans! It’s so exciting to see you blending genres and having so much fun with it! I have loved seeing you go from “cozy” to “romance” to “romantic mystery.” You really capture that element of surprise in all your novels! Here’s my final question today:
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Wendy: The entrance fee to attend my first Writers’ Conference. It was for the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association. This event opened my eyes to the fantastic world of writing and gave me the hope that I could do it too.
I learned so much and met people with great advice and enthusiasm that rubbed off. I found a way to move forward. I even got to pitch story ideas to agents and editors. It was a very motivating time and has led me to where I am now with my writing. I sincerely believe that I could not have created all I have without the decision to attend that very first Writing Conference. I have found members of the writing community incredibly generous in giving back to new and aspiring writers, and it all started there.
Avis: Thank you so much, Wendy, for being my guest today! I’ve known you for years, and I learned new things about you, your writing, and your books! If readers haven’t already, you can find Wendy Kendall’s books wherever books are sold, and on all the social media platforms and her website! You can find links below to connect with Wendy and her wonderful books, and after the links, you will find my review of Kat Out of the Bag! A five-star book, for sure!
Kat Out of the Bag, by Wendy Kendall is book one in An in Purse-suit Mystery series. Her protagonist Katherine Watson will keep you turning pages as she sleuths her way through this charming and mysterious who-done-it.
Katherine Watson, a celebrated purse designer of international fame, has returned to her hometown of Bayside, Washington, nestled on the shores of picturesque Puget Sound where she opens a Purse Museum. At the gala opening, we find Kat kicked to the curb, her dress in tatters, her hair flattened by rain, and her best friend dead.
Thus begins the story of Katherine Watson, purse designer, and amateur sleuth who works tirelessly with her family and close friends to solve the murder of her friend and mayor of Bayside, Brenda Dirling, much to the chagrin of the local law enforcement.
Wendy’s characters leap off the page, like Moonjava, or MJ, Kat’s mother. Hippie and yoga aficionado, her daily meditations delight with their wacky but “right on the money” focus.
Today’s mantra is—to be great, feel great, act great. I’m meditating on
that.
There’s also K-9 officer Jason and his German shepherd, Hobbs, who take an interest in the case and Katherine.
Wendy’s knowledge of designer bags also shines through. She filters the history of purses throughout in her active setting of the museum displays, and also through her characters as they use the story of some bags as clues to Brenda’s murder. The purses and her friends help her catch the villain in the end, as her assistant Amber goes in search of clues.
[Amber] gently lifted the Whiting and Davis flapper bag and held it out for Francine to see. Francine’s hands went to her cheeks and her mouth popped open.
Through chance and mishap, we follow Kat as she finds suspects in the most unlikely places. Wendy ratchets up the suspense by leading us down the flower-lined alleys of Bayside and the hearthside chats in living rooms keeping us guessing to the very end.
The cast of characters masterfully drives the plot as they help Katherine Watson on her dangerous search for the killer, and in a surprising twist, Katherine shifts from pursuer to prey in the exciting conclusion.
I highly recommend Kat Out of the Bag for readers and cozy fans everywhere. Here’s another author to add to your must-read list—Wendy Kendall. Keep your eyes peeled for her other books and her new releases from The Wild Rose Press.
A young screenwriter meets her soulmate, only to discover he is from the future and must return in order to save her life.
Bio: Janie Emaus believes when the world is falling apart, we’re just one laugh away from putting it together again. She is the author of the blended holiday picture books, Latkes for Santa Claus, and the forthcoming Matzo Balls & Easter Eggs. As well as the novel, The Time Traveling Matchmaker. Her essays, stories and articles have been published in numerous magazines, anthologies, and websites. In 2016 she won an honorary mention in the Erma Bombeck Writing competition. To learn more about Janie visit her at www.janieemaus.com.
Janie Emaus
Avis: Hi Janie! I’m so glad you join us for today’s blog post! I love stories that blend genres and The Time Traveling Matchmaker does just that with romance, time-travel, and mystery! What a great read! But enough of that. Readers want to know more about you, so let’s begin with our first question:
If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Janie: I’ve always wanted to be a singer/songwriter. But there was one large drawback to pursuing this career – I can’t carry a tune. To myself, I think I sound wonderful, but not to anyone within earshot, over the age of two. I can write lyrics, though, and I do make up silly songs to entertain my grandkids, nieces, and nephews. And two of the characters in my women’s fiction novel are performers and songwriters.
Avis: LOL! A songwriter who can’t carry a tune, I can relate! I love music, but ditto on carrying a tune! I bet all the kids in your family love hearing your songs, though! But back to the writing questions:
How do you select the names?
Janie: I often start with family members, as a place holder. And then when I get a feel for the character, they usually let me know what name suits them best. I try not use similar sounding names or ones that start with the same letter.
Avis: I like your process for choosing names. Let the character tell you! There is so much in a name, and your characters were speaking loud and clear! Here’s a questions that focuses on you as a reader!
What is the first book that made you cry?
Janie: I can’t remember the exact first book, but I know that Sophie’s Choice by William Styron was the first one that made me literally sob for what seemed like hours.
Avis: William Styron wrote magic into Sofie’s Choice! That’s for sure! He’s one of my personal literary hero’s! Here’s another writerly question:
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Janie: Energize, for sure. I’m excited to see where the story is going to take me. I don’t plot out the novel, scene by scene. I get to know my characters, what they want, what stands in the way and then I say – go for it! And let them tell me the story.
When writing essays and articles, it’s the greatest feeling in the world, when I get that last line to bring the piece full circle.
Avis: You are a multi-faceted writer, for sure! It’s been a pleasure getting to know more about you and your writing process and some of your reading faves! And for my review of her fabulous novel, scroll to the bottom!
For more information on Janie Emaus and her work, check out her social media links below!
Blurb: In The Time Traveling Matchmaker, love takes on a new meaning when soulmates are brought together through time and space.
Like every goal-oriented twenty-something, Jessica Singleton, an aspiring filmmaker, is obsessed with finding her future as quickly as possible. What she doesn’t know is that the future is obsessed with finding her, too. Renn Porter, an agent with Time Traveling Matchmaker’s Inc, blasts back in time – and into her life- in order to transport Jessica to the soulmate who has paid for this service…in the future. But things turn dangerous when it’s revealed that Renn has been sent after his own soulmate.
Caught between two times, Jessica and Renn must struggle to stay alive. Falling in love is the biggest risk either of them has ever taken – because, as they are destined to learn, the very existence of Time Traveling Matchmakers, Inc. rests in Jessica’s hands.
Review:
Janie Emaus’s The Time Traveling Matchmaker is a paranormal/fantasy romance that builds up to steamy romance by the end of this (her debut) novel. Emaus warps the space-time continuum to bring us a nail-biting story that builds scene after nail biting scene!
Emaus’s protagonist, Jessica Dylan Singleton, is a young woman still reeling from a bad relationship and breakup a year later, who just wants to move on already. She wanders through life with her eyes half-closed until she meets a mysterious man in a tan trench coat. When she witnesses that man’s disappearance into thin air, she has a new mission. Find out how he does that!
Jess, a screenplay writer, is on hiatus from her writing program, but her advisor is pressing her for a chapter, so she doesn’t lose her place in the program. No pressure there. But Jess finds inspiration in the most unlikely place, her father’s love story with her mom. Soulmates who met in the 1980s, her mom and dad had a special kind of love, but her mom was killed when Jess was only six years old. Her dad never recovered or remarried, but he also disappeared from Jess’s life.
Soulmates is a theme Emaus weaves throughout her fantastic book. Her grandparents and her aunt and uncle are also soulmates, and that’s what Jess wants too. She thought she had it with David, but that relationship did not fulfil her. It left her scared and abandoned, and she realizes how lucky her parents were to find such an elusive love.
Janie Emaus creates a world where love and magic are masterfully intertwined into the setting, the characters, and the plot. Jessica’s search for love and the dangers that come with that search will satisfy fantasy/time-travel/romance fans and any reader looking for an thrilling weekend read or fun escape. I highly recommend The Time Traveling Matchmaker, a five-star read, for sure!
Avis M. Adams 