CASTILLO IN GUMBO; GRABENSTEIN IS SCRAMBLED; CARTER GETS SUCKER PUNCHED
June 1st, 2009There’s no GUMBO JUSTICE for DA Ryan Murphy. With four brothers on the police force and an overprotective police captain for a daddy, the New Orleans lawyer has enough on her hands. She certainly doesn’t need a psychotic killer helping her climb the ladder. This is Holli Castillo’s debut novel.
Good egg that he is, Chris Grabenstein made buttons that read: “Has Your Mind Been Scrambled?” What a way to promote the 5th John Ceepak Mystery, MIND SCRAMBLER. Ceepack can’t get away from murder, not even on vacation in Atlantic City. When a magician’s nanny turns up dead, there’s more to the killing than meets the eye. Grabenstein always lines up a wild ride on the Midway for readers.
Sammi Carter has just come out with Candy Shop Mystery #5, SUCKER PUNCH. Stop by Abby Shaw’s store, Divinity, in Paradise, Colorado. You’re in for a mystery treat!
And, speaking of sweets, Deb Baker is on a quest to find honey-based recipes for her beekeeping series. Got a sweet tip for her? Send to
For just desserts, try THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE, the second in the Domestic Diva Mysteries by Krista Davis. Sophie’s sister is ready to get married until the groom’s ex-wife is found hanging from a tree. Could her sister be marrying a killer? Speak now or forever hold your peace!
The second installment of the Scrap-n-Craft Mysterie is icing on the cake when Joanna Campbell Slan kills off a character with frosting. The party’s over at Kiki Lowenstein’s shop, Time in a Bottle, unless she can determine which of the scrapbookers is out to CUT, CROP & DIE.
Simon Wood announces that he WILL MARRY FOR FOOD, SEX & LAUNDRY. Look for the title under his alias, Simon Oaks.
Hungry for the above books? Well, I think that’s enough “food for thought.” Let’s see what else is happening in the mystery community.
How far does author Lou Allin go for a cover shot? She hiked into rattlesnake country of the Red-Rock Desert of Utah, 10 hours from help, to get the beautiful cover for MAN CORN MURDERS. Reporter Terry Hart and her aunt go exploring the Escalante-Grand Staircase Monument. The discover of a dead girl in a remote cave brings up the question: is the body related to the theory of cannibalism of the ancient Pueblos? See the bookcover at Amazon–and buy a copy while you’re there!
Social worker Clare Conover wonders if her instincts failed when she returned a boy to his mother’s custody and he dies. LITTLE LAMB LOST from author and social worker Margaret Fenton takes Clare to the upper echelons of Birmingham, Alabama, in search of a murderer.
Can we talk? Over at Author Meeting Place, Anastasia Cassella-Young is offering audio interviews for the site and the author’s files for only $5. http://www.authormeetingplace.com/
St. Martin’s Press wants Jeri Westerson to get more Medieval! They just offered her a two-book deal. Look for A CONSPIRACY OF PARCHMENT and TROUBLED BONES in the future. Jeri is also up for a Macavity for VEIL OF LIES awarded at Bouchercon. Double kudos!
It seems Camille Minachino and Beth Groundwater made a “small scene” at Mayhem in the Midlands this year. In exchange for a set of Beth’s Claire Hanover series, Camille created a scene from the elements of the novels. I love a good miniature and a good mystery! You can view the piece at http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com
I want to give a shout-out to the Blood Stained Bookshelf. A list of forthcoming print mysteries are up at http://www.mirlacca.com/bookshelf.html Be the first on your block to track your favorite authors and see when their latest will be out.
And, on the home front, I was just interviewed at http://damesofdialogue.tripost.com/id18.html as well as Spicy Romances: http://authorspotlights.wordpress.com/ Jenny Gilliam was open to hosting a mystery author. I had a few hot scenes in WHERE ANGELS FEAR, so I put an excerpt where my heroine and her gal-pal go to try on some leather outfits for an “adult” party. These ladies always get their man! Jenny wanted me to put the word out to other interested author that she’s looking for interviewees. Contact her at Tell her Sunny sent you!