I’m pleased to welcome author Ellen Parker for today’s Book in the Spotlight. Her novel, Stitching a Dream, is a sweet, historical romance set in 1851 and features a seamstress making her way in a new world.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Stitching a Dream
Author: Ellen Parker
Genre: Historical romance/sweet
BLURB:
Prepare for consequences when you love your neighbor.
In 1851, Polly Black arrives in Elm Ridge, Illinois with little more than her sewing skills, her young son, and the persona of a widow. To preserve her reputation, she needs to tread lightly when a recent widower, a powerful man who knows she never married, courts her. A new shop opens across the way, and the owner’s friendly face is a welcome sight for both Polly and her son.
Born and raised in a Pennsylvania Deutsch community, Kurt Tafel moves to Illinois for adventure and an opportunity to run his own cobbler shop. He’s not an immigrant, but is he American enough to act on his feelings for the intelligent and pretty seamstress?
AUTHOR BIO:
Raised in a household filled with books, it was natural that Ellen Parker grew into an avid reader. Writing is her second career and she enjoys spinning of story which appeals to multiple generations. She encourages her readers to share her work with mother or daughter – or both.
I’m pleased to welcome author Alana Lorens for today’s Book in the Spotlight. Her latest novel, Cruel Charade, is filled with suspense and sure to keep readers turning the pages.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Cruel Charade
Author: Alana Lorens
Genre: Suspense, Women’s Fiction
BLURB:
Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children.
On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.
As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?
AUTHOR BIO:
Alana Lorens (aka Barbara Mountjoy) has been a published writer for over 45 years, including seven years as a reporter/editor at the South Dade News Leader in Homestead, Florida, after working as a server, a pizza maker, and a floral designer. She writes non-fiction, romance, adventure, and suspense novels. She is the author of the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series, which draws on her years as a family law attorney in the state of Pennsylvania. One of the causes close to her heart came from those years as well–the fight against domestic violence. She volunteered for many years at women’s shelters and provided free legal services to women and children in need. Alana resides in North Carolina, and she loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. She lives with her daughter, who is the youngest of her seven children, and she is ruled by three crotchety old cats, and six kittens of various ages.
Author Jane Greenhill is joining us today for an interview. Her latest novel, The Leprechaun’s Curse, combines fantasy, romance, and a mischievous leprechaun.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: The Leprechaun’s Curse
Author: Jane Greenhill
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
BLURB:
Elmville, a mischievous leprechaun, is desperate to retrieve his long-lost gold coin. Without it, his delicate balance between good and evil within him becomes skewed. But the elusive coin has fallen into the hands of the Tobin family, and Elmville will stop at nothing to get it back. Through the centuries, he’s relentlessly haunted the Tobin descendants, leaving a wake of destruction and death in his path.
Meanwhile, Kitty and her mother, Annie, arrive in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, modern-day tourists with their own emotional baggage. Neither has a clue about the curse, nor do they believe in leprechauns.
After centuries of searching, Elmville’s desperation has reached a fever pitch as he grows even closer to his ultimate goal. Dun Laoghaire is filled with Tobins.
Will Kitty and Annie and their newfound Tobin friends survive Elmville’s wrath, or will his nefarious ways threaten to claim yet another victim?
INTERVIEW:
Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your novel.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
My dad’s family emigrated from Ireland, and I’ve always been intrigued by leprechauns.
Where do you get your ideas?
Funny, could be from a newspaper article, or just the way my brain works with a what if question?
Do ideas for plot or characters appear first? I’m a pantzer, so I have a brief idea as to where I want to go, but the characters lead the way.
Have you ever travelled when researching information for a book?
No, but my husband and I travelled to Ireland to see the places I researched in the book.
When did you begin writing?
When I was young, I used to sit in front of the old Underwood typewriter and write stories about hiding clues in oak trees.
How many hours do you dedicate each day towards writing?
I write from 10-11 am and that’s it for the day.
What does literary success mean to you?
When I wrote I was a Teenage ALIEN, I worked in a high school and the English department studied my book. I sat in on the class and they read it out loud a chapter. I teared up!!
AUTHOR BIO:
I’ve come from a family of avid readers. My mom would get ten books weekly out of the library and it wasn’t long before I followed suit.
Passing on a career in journalism to work at a police service, (who wants to report the news when you can have first hand knowledge). I guess all those Nancy Drew mysteries put a bee in my bonnet.
Fast forward 15 years, when I saw an article in our local paper about a romance writing workshop. I attended the workshop, went home and wrote 75,000 words over a long weekend. Put together a synopsis and sent it off to a publisher. The next week I heard back that she wanted to read more. Well this is easy, I thought.
That’s when I realized how little I knew about writing. So I took numerous courses, and after countless rewrites, I got the email.
The Wild Rose Press wanted to publish my little story. I got the bug.
I’m thrilled to welcome back author Susie Black. Death by Jelly Beans is Book 5 in the popular Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. Read on for my review of this page-turning, laugh-a-minute story. I’m also pleased to feature an excerpt and a link to a swimwear fit guide provided by the author.
MY REVIEW:
Susie Black has done it again with Death by Jelly Beans, Book 5 in the Holly Swimsuit mystery series. This book is a perfect example of why she is a multi-award winning author. Her cozy mystery delivers a laugh-a-minute whodunit featuring fashion executive sleuth, Holly Schlivnick, tasked with solving the murder of a department store Easter Bunny. Holly knows that the accused, although unliked by many, is innocent.
Readers will particularly enjoy stepping into Holly’s frequent get-togethers with the Yentas as they dole out advice and a heaping dose of humor. Our amateur sleuth has her work cut out for her while juggling two suitors, a pair of ghosts adding their two cents of romantic advice, and a rollercoaster ride riddled with threats and danger at every twist and turn. I was still guessing at the true culprit right up until the end and look forward to reading more books in this series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Death by Jelly Beans
Author: Susie Black
Genre: Cozy Mystery
BLURB:
Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.
EXCERPT:
I dragged my eyes over to the throne. The Easter Bunny sat slumped over with his chin resting on his chest and his body listing to the right. Good grief. A double-whammy. Not only did he dip into the jellybeans again after being warned not to, he fell asleep on the job in a booze-infused slumber.
Why should I give a flying fig about the jerk who bowled me over without an apology, let alone helping me up? Yet a stab of unexpected pity pierced my heart. I checked the time. Still a few minutes before my command performance. Maybe rouse the poor guy and give him a chance to concoct another story Sue Ellen might buy unless the security cameras sealed his fate.
I laid my messenger bag on the library table next to the throne and gently shook the rabbit’s left shoulder. Nothing doing. I shook him again. This time a bit harder. I put my lips next to his ears and implored him. “Pedro, wake up.” Zilch. Geesh, how much booze did the guy chug? Or maybe booze isn’t the culprit. Perhaps the guy had a late night before or he is just one helluva sound sleeper? Oddly, he wasn’t snoring, but I attributed it to his neck bent down and his head dangling over his body.
I shook him again and got nothing for my trouble. His chest wasn’t rising and falling. Good gravy. Was the guy breathing? I passed my hand over the costume’s mouth opening, but one so small I couldn’t tell. I clasped a paw to check for a pulse, but the heavy gauge costume fabric was too thick to detect one.
I checked my watch. No more time to crap around trying to help this idiot or I’d be late for my meeting. Despite my efforts to rouse him, the guy hadn’t so much as twitched. Annoyance coupled with dread tied my stomach in knots. I panned the department. No one was around except the rabbit and me.
The Goddess short-changed me in the height department but compensated by blessing me with a deep voice and a strong set of pipes. I put my lips next to his ear and shouted loud enough to wake the dead. “PEDRO, WAKE UP!”
I grabbed the rabbit by the shoulder and shook him with all my might. The guy didn’t move an inch. I grasped his arm tightly and yanked it hard trying to right him. Good grief. The bunny was stiff as a board. I might as well try bending a steel beam.
I let go of his shoulderand the rabbit slid off the throne. He crashed headfirst into the library table. Along with my messenger bag, the jellybean jar bounced off the edge of the table and fell onto the cement floor. My messenger bag survived the ordeal, but the jellybean jar broke into a zillion pieces. Jellybeans scattered all over the place. The bunny bounced twice and flopped unceremoniously face-down into a pile of jellybeans.
The concept of shouting loud enough to wake the dead? Trust me, it’s a pile of hot hooey. I didn’t need an MD after my name to make this diagnosis. Pedro Conejo was as dead as the proverbial doornail. When the first responders arrive, they’re gonna close the swimwear department for who knows how long. This ought to put a nice crimp into the Easter promotion. And who gets to break the good news to Sue Ellen? None other than yours truly.
She’s not gonna be a happy camper.
Naturally, I burst out laughing.
FAVORITE REVIEW:
Holly Schlivnik and her coterie of quirky Yentas do it again. This time, they find a sweeter murder, with jelly beans, a giant rabbit, and even more mayhem in ladies’ swimwear. Death by Jelly Beans is Holly’s latest cozy adventure and a welcome addition to the series. Author Susie Black continues the hijinks with laughs, giggles, and a great mystery.
Black’s writing style is immersive, making you feel like you’re right there with Holly and her wise-cracking friends. Despite the numerous characters, each one is so well-constructed that you can’t help but feel a connection to them. I would gladly tackle a murder mystery with any of them.
I’ll say again, this is a fantastic series, and I hope there are more books to come. I’m looking forward to hearing more about Holly Schlivnik.
Mark Edward Jones, award-winning thriller author
AUTHOR BIO:
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.
Please join me in welcoming author Jennifer Vido. This gorgeous book cover immediately captured my interest. Serenity by the Sea is a sweet romance featuring a celebrity designer hoping to reinvent herself.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Serenity by the Sea
Author: Jennifer Vido
Genre: Sweet Romance
BLURB:
Will a celebrity designer and her stubborn project manager sabotage their renovation or fall madly in love?
Celebrity designer Hailey Maybank escapes to Gull Island to reinvent herself after a high-profile divorce, lending her expertise on a renovation project. Working with the boss’s son comes with complications, but will she risk her reputation for a chance at love?
Will Purdey is vying to become a partner in the family business by showcasing his design skills on the firm’s latest project. Partnering with a famous designer with a tarnished reputation can ruin his plans, but will his growing attraction for the colorful artist allow him to get the job done?
AUTHOR BIO:
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, “Serendipity by the Sea,” secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido’s talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
Jill Piscitello 