Book Game of Scones in front of cathedral

Sisterhood of the Traveling Book – Game of Scones

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Book Game of Scones in front of cathedralI’m excited to join the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book tour and though Game of Scones has done some extensive traveling, the most recent trip was a little closer to home.  Last week, I attended a three-day CozyCon in St. Paul, Minnesota. This wasn’t a reader event but rather an author intensive and so most of the time was spent indoors. However, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and after hours there was a little time to explore.

I’ve been to the Twin Cities umpteen times but had never actually spent time in downtown St. Paul. It’s the capital of Minnesota and sits at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. The Mississippi isn’t as wide there as it is where it runs along the side of Iowa but it offers some high bluffs and great views.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul sits on Cathedral Hill and overlooks downtown. The cornerstone was laid in 1907 and the first mass was held in 1915. It’s the third largest Catholic cathedral and the sixth largest church in the United States. The only National Shrine dedicated to the Apostle Paul in North America, a stone relic from the tomb of Saint Paul was given to the cathedral in 2009.

We stayed at the beautiful and historic Saint Paul Hotel which was both beautiful and charming. And with its downtown location, there were so many fun restaurants within walking distance as well as a park nearby with whimsical sculptures of Charles Schultz characters.

Schroeder and Lucy sculpture

Charles Schultz was born in Minneapolis but grew up in St. Paul. I’ve included Schroeder and Lucy here but there were also statues of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Marcie and Woodstock, and Peppermint Patty.

The conference itself was amazing and as it focused on cozy mysteries there were lots of great discussions among the attending authors. So I have returned home with a ton of knowledge and an extensive list of books to add to my to-be-read pile. Though “pile’ may be underselling it a bit…

While St. Paul itself was amazing, my favorite part of the get-together was the people. And thankfully there were lots of breaks with opportunities to get to know each other and share our individual author journeys. It was good to get home and get back to finishing up the next book in the Sugar and Spice series, but it also felt like we could have kept going another three days.

Veggie SnackOne of my favorite snacks for one of our breaks was this little vegetable bouquet. It was in a small glass (probably a juice glass) with veggie dip in the bottom and a baby carrot, a pepper strip, and a broccoli floret. Isn’t it cute?

And I’m definitely stealing that idea for the next party I host. Who knows, maybe it will even end up in a book. Speaking of which…

I’m excited to share book five in the Sugar and Spice series with you, but in the meantime Game of Scones is currently free in all ebook formats so if you haven’t read it please check it out and then it can add to its travels.  And if you’ve already read it, please share the special offer with a friend! Here’s the link: GAME OF SCONES

 

photo of Mary Lee Ashford

Mary Lee Ashford is the author of Game of Scones, Risky Biscuits, Quiche of Death, and Night of the Living Bread from Oliver Heber Books. She is also half of the Sparkle Abbey writing team. Mary Lee is a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a public library champion. Prior to publishing she won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime -Iowa, a member of MWA, and Novelists, Inc. She lives in Iowa with her family and her feline coworker, Zoey.

She loves to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

Or if you want to be sure you know about events, specials, and that next book, sign up for her newsletter.

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

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Traveling to… Vegas Baby!

In a time where AI can make a lot of things appear to be real, I’ve come to value the real life photo that may or may not have the best lighting and might just have some goober tourist in the background. So recently, when a friend of mine traveled to Vegas and took my book with her, I was thrilled to get pics of my book traveling up and down the Vegas strip.

Traveling Homeward

Heart’s Curse (under my new paranormal romance pen name Sirena Corbeau) takes place in Vegas at the Lucky Heart Hotel & Casino.  Newly acquired by the Montanari Corporation, and given to Lucas Kane to run, the Lucky Heart has one teeny, tiny, not that big of a deal problem… It’s cursed.  Which means that this is a story about love, and romance, and also ghosts, blood pouring from the faucets, and—whoopsies—that darn curse that’s turning everyone into psychotic zombies which might not be that big of a problem if the hotel didn’t employ mobsters, vampires, and shifters.  I thought it was the perfect vacation book and was happy to know she was taking it with her.

However, as I’m sure anyone who has tried to take attractive book pictures for Instagram has discovered, it’s not easy to get books to look exciting, not reflect anything weird in the cover, and also get an interesting background.  My own efforts resulted in me discovering a newfound respect for product photographers. How is my shadow ALWAYS in the way?  How is the book this shiny? Why does my hand look so weird!?  So the fact that she took the time to not only take, but send me pics, absolutely made my day. The palm trees and blue, blue, blue Vegas sky make it absolute perfection. And also, can we take a moment to appreciate my friends’ perfectly contrasting nails?  I love knowing that my book traveled to the land of its birth and hope to see many such snapshots in the future.

What about you?  Would you take a picture of your beach read and send it to the author?  (Or tag them on social media?)

Heart’s Curse

Charlotte “Charlie” Auvray has always been told she’s nothing special—just the magicless daughter of a powerful witch family. But when a disastrous spring break lands her in Las Vegas, she stumbles into the path of Lucas Kane, a dangerously magnetic casino boss with secrets of his own. Lucas is juggling mob ties, a cursed hotel, and powers he can never reveal. What he doesn’t need is a heartbroken college girl counting cards at his tables… or kissing him in front of her cheating ex. But when blood rains from the showers and guests descend into madness, Charlie proves she sees what no one else can—the curse that haunts the Lucky Heart’s Casino. To break it, she’ll have to embrace her hidden magic and trust Lucas with her heart. Because in Vegas, the stakes aren’t just money—they’re life, love, and destiny.

BUY NOW: https://amzn.to/49fdeli

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Bethany Maines drinks from an arsenic mugBethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She participates in many activities, including swearing, karate, art, and yelling at the news. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.  She has also writes under the pen name Sirena Corbeau for spicier paranormal romance novels. Learn more at: bethanymaines.com or sirenacorbeau.com 

See more books from the Stiletto Gang: BOOKS

 

 

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

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Cozy Mystery One Taste Too Many on an ipad at a coffee shopToday’s travels bring us to…  Debra Goldstein!

Debra Goldstein is one of the Stiletto Gang’s steering committee and a dedicated writer with a slew of cozies under her belt. This month, book one of her Sarah Blair Mysteries visited a Tacoma, Washington coffee shop for some cozy reading and tea.  To check out this delightful recipe-filled mystery check out One Taste Too Many.

A Cozy Delight

One Taste Too Many

For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty-eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

Includes quick and easy recipes!

BUY NOW: https://amzn.to/3N5fGU0

 

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

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 by donalee Moulton

It is October 31st. All Hallows’ Eve hovers on the horizon, and my friend Lynn and I have decided to ignore the portent, the heavy mist, and the grey clouds as we make our way down a dirt road to the gravesite of a little girl who died more than one hundred and thirty-five years ago. Catherine McIntosh.

headstone at Catherine McIntosh's gravesite

headstone at Catherine McIntosh’s gravesite

 

Catherine plays a central role in Cardinal. The book is my first foray into the paranormal, and this trip my first visit to the last place Catherine called home. The gravesite is as depicted by those who have blogged, posted, and written about this little girl. It appears to be in the middle of nowhere, on land that was once a family farm. Getting here is not easy. Getting out is just as challenging.

It is worth the drive. Catherine’s gravestone seems unravaged by time. It sits near the road surrounded by flowers, cards, dolls, and other gifts all a tribute to a young girl who never lived to celebrate her ninth birthday. Some kind soul has draped lights above the headstone. I wonder what it would look like at night. I wonder if I have the nerve.

We bring gifts, a small angelic ceramic candle holder from Lynn and miniature bouquet of artificial flowers from me. We make our way to the headstone wondering if, like many others, we will feel Catherine’s presence. We do not. And we should know better.cardinal at Catherine McIntosh's gravesite

I place the small vase at the foot of the headstone, and I introduce myself. I tell Catherine I have written about her. She is an important part of my book. I hope she will be happy to know that. As I start to lift my head from the treasure trove of gifts, a red bird looks back at me. A cardinal. Plastic, but nonetheless a cardinal. So, Catherine knew we were coming.

I’m not moving. “Lynnie, there’s a cardinal in the tree.” Lynn turns to look in my direction. Her head sweeps over the small, forested area. “No,” she says. “They are all over the place.”

Someone has festooned branches with red birds, not all cardinals, but all red and all close enough to the title of this book. We thank Catherine, and we leave.

Off the dirt road and back on pavement, we breathe. We realize we have time for a coffee and a walk around a nearby town on our way to a weekend yoga retreat. We park, grab a hot drink, and make our way to the first gift shop. I open the door. A table chock-a-block with lovely toys, trinkets, and treasures holds centre stage. In the middle of this table, a large cardinal. I turn and walk out.

It’s time to leave brilliant red birds behind us. We land at the resort, put on our swimsuits, and make our way to the pool. There is a large locker room. Some of the lockers have names on them. I turn the corner and stop before the first locker. One with a name on it. The name is Catherine MacIntosh.

There are forces at work that surround Cardinal. I don’t know what they are, but I am grateful for them.

Get a copy of Cardinal here.

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

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Photo credits: Depositphotos and Pixabay

By Lois Winston

Welcome back to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book. Books take readers on journeys. With the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book, we authors take our books on journeys, either actual or virtual.

When I came up with the idea for Sisterhood of the Traveling Book, my inaugural post featured a photo from the Underground New York Public Library series where the photographer captured readers and the books they were reading on the subway. Imagine my shock and delight when I received an email with a copy of the photo! And no, I didn’t know the photographer nor the reader she photographed on the subway platform, and I’d never heard of the series.

We’ve since decided to revive Sisterhood of the Traveling Book, but my recent book, Embroidered Lies and Alibis, takes place entirely in New Jersey, and I’m now living in Tennessee. I have no plans to return to the NY Metro area until I visit friends this coming spring. Thus, I needed a virtual solution for Sisterhood of the Traveling Book.

Embroidered Lies and Alibis opens with the aftermath of events that took place in Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the previous book in the series. If you haven’t read Seams Like the Perfect Crime, don’t worry. Although personally, I believe readers always have a richer experience reading a series in order, all the book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries can be read out of order without the reader feeling lost.

Early into Embroidered Lies and Alibis, Anastasia arrives home from work and is confronted by the following sight:

“After arriving home, I first stood on the sidewalk for a moment and stared across the street. A professionally crafted sign stood against a backdrop of a battered yellow bulldozer situated at the center of a weed-strewn pile of earth.”

As you can see, I’ve illustrated what Anastasia saw, virtually adding Embroidered Lies and Alibis to the scene for Sisterhood of the Traveling Book.

Embroidered Lies and Alibis was released on February 10th and is available as an ebook, paperback, and hardcover. The audiobook will be available shortly.

Have you ever been to a place featured in a book you’ve read? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook of any of the available Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries or Empty Nest Mysteries.

 

Embroidered Lies and Alibis

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 15

A Stitch in Time Could Save a Life…

When Anastasia’s mother Flora is offered a free spa vacation from Jeremy Dugan, a man connected to her distant past, Anastasia and husband Zack suspect ulterior motives. After all, too-good-to-be-true often spells trouble. Their suspicions are confirmed when the FBI swoops in to apprehend Dugan. However, Dugan isn’t who he claimed to be, and his arrest raises more questions than answers.

The Feds link Dugan to a string of cons targeting elderly single women across the country, but his seemingly airtight alibi leaves investigators stumped. Then, shortly after his release on bail, he’s kidnapped. A certain segment of New Jersey’s population is known for delivering deadly messages, and the FBI believes Dugan received one of them.

Meanwhile, bodies begin showing up in the newly created public garden across the street from Anastasia and Zack’s home. With two baffling crimes, no clear suspects, scant evidence, and every possible motive unraveling, both the FBI and local law enforcement are once again picking Anastasia’s brain. This time, though, her involvement is far from reluctant. Will she stitch together enough clues before she or someone she loves becomes the killer’s next victim?

Craft project included.

Buy Links

Amazon    Nook   Kobo   Apple Books

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

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Greetings! I’m excited to join the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book and share where my books have been spotted.

In choosing one particular book, it occurred to me that all of my books have traveled. Many across the U.S. some internationally. In fact, I’m rather jealous. They are far better traveled than…well, me!

So, for purposes of my first Traveling Book post, I decided to talk about New Mexico, the state where I currently live, and the places my books have appeared within the Land of Enchantment.

Taos: One such place was Taos, New Mexico. A Santa Fe bookstore owner invited me to talk about Until Dead: A Cold Case Suspense with a Taos book club. Not only did this wonderful group buy my lunch; they were well prepared with their questions and perceptions about the book and the series.

Taos Book Club members

About Taos: I’d been to Taos as a young girl. Later, my family and I hiked, held family reunions and attended a balloon festival in the northeastern part of the state. There is so much outdoor activity to do in this area.

Taos Pueblo (Moreen Drake Photographer)

Taos is a historian’s dream. Located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, the city has a history that dates back to the 16th Century when Spanish Conquistadors flooded the area in search of gold. Later, in the 1800s, Kit Carson settled here. He is perhaps the most renowned, but only one of the legends that make this area famous.

San Francisco de Asis Church, Rancho de Taos, NM (Moreen Drake Photographer)

The Taos Pueblo has a strong Native American population and is something to behold. Rich in tribal tradition, you will find Southwestern art and jewelry, witness tribal dances and enjoy authentic Southwestern cuisine (my personal favorite Indian fry bread!)

Nevertheless, if you visit Taos, pack your patience in your suitcase. It is an incredibly popular tourist destination. Its population isn’t quite 7,000, and I visited off season. Downtown has limited ingress and egress and is comprised of restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts, parks and museums. Trust me, though, the food, scenery, history, skiing, and additional things to do while you’re there will make it worth the effort.

Farmington: Another place my books have taken me is to my hometown of Farmington, New Mexico. When Black Pearl: A Cold Case Suspense was published, I was interviewed on a local radio station. Sometime afterward, I participated in a joint author signing at the Farmington Public Library.

The new library is an impressive architectural feat of glass and steel and is well organized and managed. However, I was sad not to enter the library I remembered from my childhood. The old building, long torn down, had a museum attached. Inside, I could view mannequins behind roped-off sections operating antique sewing machines, opening ice boxes, or read about the farming community for which the city is named. The honest truth is though, back in those days, I went to the museum mostly to see the two-headed calf!

About Farmington: Farmington is located in the Four Corners area, because the tip of New Mexico borders Arizona, Colorado and Utah. If you’re interested in Native American studies and artifacts, you will find the Aztec Ruins National Monument and Salmon Ruins close by.

Southwest of Farmington, you’ll encounter Shiprock, New Mexico, which in Navajo is Tse.Bit’a’i, for “rock with wings.”

Shiprock at Sunrise (Jim Rhodes, Photographer)

To the east of Farmington is Navajo Lake State Park, while if you travel fifty miles northwest, you’ll reach Durango, Colorado. Farmington’s climate has four seasons and outdoor enthusiasts love this area. So, whether you ski on a mountain or in the water, you can plan accordingly.

Las Cruces: I only had to drive fifteen minutes to the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library for this event. With help from the Friends of the Library, here I am pictured with my good friend, Author Bailey Herrington who interviewed me about my cold case suspense Black Pearl.

About Las Cruces: In addition to having an outstanding library, I have enjoyed living in Las Cruces. The city comes with a small-town ambiance. Further, I love the culture. It’s home to New Mexico State University, which offers cultural and educational programs as well as sporting events. Surrounded by Mesilla Valley, the Organ Mountains, White Sands National Park, we live thirty minutes from El Paso. I grant it’s hot during the summer, but the climate is generally mild in the remaining months. I’m outdoors more than I’ve ever been in my life. Everywhere I turn, I see bicyclists and runners. I walk, and my husband and I are active in the pickleball community. As for him, he’s in his element, hiking, hunting and running.

I know this blog sounds like a Travelogue. However, isn’t that what it is–to talk about the places my books have traveled? I’m still trying to alert people that New Mexico is in the United States. Ideally, this blog has mentioned some great New Mexico cities you may want to consider visiting in the future. And, of course, I hope you’ll check out my books!

Donnell Ann Bell is an award-winning author who began her nonfiction career in newspapers. After she turned to fiction, her romantic suspense novels became Amazon bestsellers, including The Past Came Hunting, Deadly Recall, Betrayed, and Buried Agendas. In 2019, Donnell released her first mainstream suspense, Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense, which was a 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist. In 2022, book two of the series was released. Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense won Best Thriller in 2023 at the Imaginarium Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, she’s working on book three of the series. Readers can follow Donnell on her blog or sign up for her newsletter at www.donnellannbell.net.

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