Tag Archive for: Pampered Pets Mysteries

Brain Storming – When It Rains It Pours…Hopefully

/in /by

By Sparkle Abbey

Welcome back to part three of So You Want to Write a Book!

If you’ve decided there’s a book in you, thanks for joining us on this wild journey! Over the last couple of months, we’ve asked you to dig deep, think about what you really want to write about, and assigned homework.

First, we asked you to define the type of book you want to write. Last month we asked you to read extensively in your genre. How did you do? Do you feel well-read?

We also asked you to keep a notebook and jot down all your ideas. If you don’t have the notebook handy, go ahead and grab it. We’ll wait.

You’re back? Great! Let’s get started.

Step three is where we want you to take every idea and thought you have for your book and put those in your notebook.

 

This would be a fun scene, a snippet of dialogue, a unique character, an odd trait or habit that you find interesting, etc. We’re not suggesting you outline, at least not yet. We are suggesting you fill that notebook with ideas. Remember, at this stage, there is no such thing as a bad idea.

If you need help, get together with some friends over coffee or wine and brainstorm. If you still need help getting started, here are some questions you can ask yourself.

For a fiction book:

  • Setting – Where will your story take place?
    • Time period – past, present, future
    • City, small town, urban, suburban
  • What season is it?
  • Who are your characters?
    • Main characters, secondary, protagonist, antagonist, villain, hero, heroin
    • What do they look like?
    • Where do they live?
    • What are their beliefs?
    • What’s important to them?
  • Whose point of view is the story told?
    • First-person, third-person, omniscient
    • Which character should the story be told from?
  • What is your main story idea?
  • What’s the subplot idea?
  • What problem will your main character face?
  • How will that problem intensify?
  • How will they overcome their problem?

Is that a lot to think about? It is! Maybe you can answer all of these or maybe just part of them. That’s okay. Right now, we just want you to jot down everything you can think of.

If you’re writing a non-fiction book here are some prompts for you:

  • What do you want to achieve with your book?
  • Who is this book for?
    • Hobbyist
    • History buffs
    • Self-help seekers
    • A general audience
    • A very niche group
  • Do your research
    • Online or the library
    • Interview people
  • How will you say it?
    • Is it a narrative – you’re telling a story
      • Autobiography
      • Memoir
      • Biography
    • Expository – you’re showing the story by explaining your topic
      • Self-help
      • How-to
      • Cookbook

Are the ideas flowing? Is there a story starting to unfold? We encourage you to write everything down, even if it sounds like a crazy idea. You’ll be surprised what you’ll use later as you’re hammering out your story and need that perfect twist.

We’ll check back in with you next month with the next step. Until then, if you have questions, feel free to ask us.

 

Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.)

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website

So You Want to Write a Book

/in , /by

By Sparkle Abbey

Part 2: Old School Research

Welcome back to So You Want to Write a Book!


There’s a book in everyone, right? If you’ve decided that there’s a book in you and you’re ready to embark on that journey, we’re excited for you!

Last month we talked about where to start when writing a
book for the first time. We asked you a lot of questions, such as:

  • Are you passionate about a particular
    storyline?
  • What type of book are you interested in writing?
  • What idea is constantly on your mind?

You may remember there was also an assignment. We hope you
took our suggestion to write down ALL your ideas. If so, pull out that notebook
where you jotted down them down, and let’s talk about what you wrote. (If you
didn’t take that step, there’s still time. Just take that step today.)

By now you should have decided what you’re passionate about
and what type of book you’re going to write. You should know if you’re writing
fiction or non-fiction. A thriller or a memoir. Romance or a self-help book.  

Okay, are you ready for step two? Step two is what we call Old
School Research. And we’re the first to admit, that not everyone agrees on this.
We believe to write well in any genre or subject, you need to be well-read in
that area. What is currently being written? What type of plot resonates with you?
What characters speak to you? How do the best-selling stories unfold? What can
you LEARN from books you love as well as books you put down after a few pages?



Back when we first started writing we read over 100 books in
our genre. While we aren’t telling you to read 100 books before you start
writing, we are telling you to read extensively in the genre or subject in
which you’re going to write. There are some who disagree with this approach for
various reasons. They may worry about copying another author’s work. Probably
not. After 100 books, one thing you’ll notice is there’s really no new plot. And
how you write your story is all about what you uniquely bring to the table.
However, by reading deeply in your selected subject, you’ll have a better
understanding of how to make your book stand out from the crowd. You’ll also
begin to understand the importance of reader expectations. (More on that down
the road!)

Well, what do you think? Are you onboard to read, read,
read for the next few weeks while you’re thinking about your book? As you read,
keep your notebook handy. Take notes on what you learn, how you’ll be
different, what works, and what doesn’t.

If you’d like, share in the comments what you’ve decided to
write and what you’ve learned from reading extensively in your subject, and how
you’ll use that to write a book that stands out from the crowd. And as always,
if you have questions, feel free to ask us.

Next month we’ll talk about knowing where you’re headed.
Sound intriguing? 


Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website


So You Want to Write a Book

/in /by

By Sparkle Abbey

Part 1: Where to Start

All of the wonderful authors in this group have written books. Some have written many books, but we all started somewhere. 

Is there a book in you? If you believe there is, you’re not alone. 

There’s a statistic floating around the internet from a USA Today survey that took place almost twenty years ago that says 81% of Americans feel they have a book in them. We can only assume that percentage is closer to 90% now with many people taking stock of their life goals. Maybe more than 90%.

The first question is: Just because you want to write a book, should you? And the answer is: Maybe.

Writing definitely stretches your creativity and enhances your life. It also can impact the lives of other people. Which is a great reason to write that book!

However, here’s the reality — while anyone can write a book, not everyone will. Why is that? Mostly it’s because writing is hard. And writing, well, is even harder. In the words of Dorothy Parker, “I hate writing, but I love having written.” 

But though it is hard to write well, the truth is that writing is like a muscle. The more you exercise, the stronger you become. The more you write, the more you learn and the stronger your writing becomes. For many, setting aside the time to do that work is the hardest part.

For all of you who have said you’d like to write a book, but don’t really know where to start, we want to help you get moving. No more just thinking about it, we want to help you take action. In the next few months, we’re going to talk about the steps you need to take to write a book. So, let’s get started! 

You’re ready to put in the work.  Where do you begin?

Well, first you need to have something to say. Are you passionate about a story idea that you’d love to read, but no one has written? Do you have a message or belief you’d like to share with others? What idea is constantly on your mind? What is your story worth telling?


Here’s your homework. Pull out a notebook and jot down ideas. Right now, all ideas are good ideas. Don’t overthink it. While you’re recording your thoughts also think about what type of

book you’re going to write. Fiction, non-fiction, self-help, memoir, cookbook. 

If you’d like, please feel free to share in the comments what you might want to write a book about. And if you have questions, feel free to ask. 

Next month we’ll talk about what happens once you’ve settled on your idea!

Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website

A Story is Feelings

/in /by

by Sparkle Abbey

One of the many advantages of a
writing team is that you always have someone to talk books with. While we tend
to read the same types of books, we don’t always read the same authors, so our
chats are a great way to discover the-book-you-didn’t-know-you-needed-to-read.

Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova
from Pexels

During one of our hours-long book
conversations, the topic of award-winning books came up. There was one book that
we had both recently read, that we agreed was really well written, had a great
plot, good twist, interesting characters, but left us. . . .unfulfilled. After
a deep dive into what we loved about it, we realized that neither of us had become
one hundred percent invested in any of the main characters. Anita likes to call
that “imprinting.” By that, she means the character whose emotional story
is being told is firmly impressed into her mind in a way that she strongly
connects with them.

Don’t misunderstand, that bestseller,
award-winning book we were discussing it’s NOT a bad book. We’re still talking
about it. We’re just talking about the plot twists and the great writing. But
for us, it wasn’t a book that either of us devoured, willing to stay up all
night to finish knowing we’d be blurry-eyed, and sleep-deprived the next day.
So why not?

The conversation turned to an
excellent craft book (who doesn’t love a great book on writing?)


by our dear friend,
Cheryl St. John, called Writing
With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict: Techniques for Crafting an Expressive and
Compelling Novel.  If you’re a
writer and have not read this book, read it. It will change the way you write. One
of the many amazing takeaways from Cheryl’s book is found on the first page of
the introduction. Cheryl writes, “Probably the most important concept I’ve
taken away from any book on writing is from Dwight V. Swain’s Techniques of the
Selling Writer: A story is feelings.”

So much power in four words. A.
Story. Is. Feelings.

Emotions come from the inner
conflict, the fight within the characters themselves. When done well, those
feeling are strategically woven throughout the story in a way that the reader can
“imprint” on the character. As the reader we must know what happens next because
we’re emotionally invested in the characters—good, bad, or fatally flawed—and
the story those characters are telling.

That’s what we were missing. We didn’t
know which character to imprint on, so we didn’t connect to any of the characters
on a deeper level. A great lesson for us to apply to our writing. Also, it
reminded us that it’s probably time to reread Writing With Emotion, Tension,
and Conflict.

If you’ve recently read a book that
kept you up all night, tell us about it in the comments. We want to know!

Sparkle Abbey is
actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the
national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as
well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder.
(But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and
can be found on Facebook, and Twitter their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want
to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Eat, Drink and Be Murdered

/in /by

by Sparkle Abbey

What is it with food and mysteries?

In some mysteries, food is front and center like Sparkle’s, uhm, Mary Lee’s, Game of Scones or Risky Biscuits. But even if the theme isn’t food-related like in our Pampered Pet mysteries, food and drink play an important part because of what food, and interactions involving food, tell us about people.

You’ll often find our main characters, Caro and Mel, at their favorite coffee shop, the Koffee Klatch, chatting with Detective Malone, Betty Foxx, or even sometimes a suspect. And what someone chooses to eat or drink, and how they enjoy their food tells us a lot about the character. 


Is it a fancy coffee and a tasty treat? No-fuss black coffee? Do they stop and savor their selection? Or grab something to go? 
 
Do you notice what people are eating in the books you read? What do their food choices reveal about the characters?

In honor of Valentine’s Day we wanted to share a fun, pink drink we discovered while perusing the Food Network’s website for some inspiring recipes our character might want to try. The Queen of the Rodeo was inspired by the fabulous Dolly Parton!

Queen of the Rodeo – From Food Network

Shake 2 ounces vodka, 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur, 3/4 ounce each lime juice and grapefruit juice, and 1/2 ounce pomegranate syrup in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass, garnish with a lime wheel, and dust with edible pink glitter.

*If you’d like a non-alcoholic version, leave out the vodka and substitute cherry syrup.


Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 


They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

How to Meet Those Yearly Goals Everyone is Talking About

/in /by

by Sparkle Abbey

We love the fresh start of a new year! With 2020 in the rear-view mirror, a fresh start has never felt more important than it does right now. We are strong believers that our present path doesn’t have to determine our final destination but can represent where we started. And we’re starting with a clear vision of what we want out of 2021.

For those of you who have followed us, you know we LOVE to set goals. Not just writing goals, but spiritual, health, personal, financial, and career goals, too. We’ve talked about the importance of setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) in the past, so this time we’d like to share some tips that help us keep on track with achieving our goals. Because honestly, setting the goal is the easy part. Following through is a challenge.

 1.       Write Them Down

We do mean, write. There’s something to be said
about handwriting your goals that helps you visualize what you want to accomplish.
And if you’re like us, without writing them down, you’re bound to forget by the
end of the month. When you see those goals in writing it helps you focus. There’s
a fascinating article about the
psychology of writing down goals that explain the relationship between writing
down goals and achieving them better than we can. Take a quick minute and check
it out.

2.      
Tell Someone

It’s all about accountability. Share your goals with
someone. We all need a cheerleader in our corner to motivate us to keep going
when we’re tired or discouraged.

3.      
Do Something Every Day

You’ve heard the saying before, “How do you eat an
elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s similar to meeting your goal. You meet goals
by taking one step at a time. For a financial goal, that can be as simple as
putting $1 a day into an envelope, or instead of buying that latte, Venmo that money
to your savings account. If it’s a fitness goal, schedule a twenty-minute
meeting with yourself to take a walk. You get the idea.

4.      
Accept That You Will Have A Setback

Hey, life happens. All you have to do is remember 2020.
Enough said. When you have a setback, readjust and don’t feel guilty about it. The time you spend feeling guilty is time you could have spent towards reaching
your goal.

5.      
Check-in

Remember when we said to tell someone? This is where you check-in
with that person or persons and hold yourself accountable. What did you do to
get yourself closer to your goal? What worked? What didn’t? Maybe they can
offer some advice if what you’re doing isn’t working the way you had
envisioned.

6.      
Celebrate Your Successes

When you reach that goal, make sure you take the time to
celebrate. Rewards, big or small, will help you stick to your goals. Pro tip:
don’t let the reward set you back from meeting other goals. If you’re trying to
improve your fitness and diet, don’t celebrate your new promotion or
outstanding book sales on a couple of margaritas. Maybe have a vodka with club
soda and a squeeze of lime. Just sayin’.

We hope these tips work for you. Now go forth and conquer 2021. We believe in you!


Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

We Hear Voices

/in /by

 by Mary Lee Ashford

I recently came across this article that addressed a study of an interesting phenomena. The study looked at the idea that Most Authors Can Hear Their Characters Speaking to Them.

It was noted that Alice Walker while writing The Color Purple was often visited by her characters. Sometimes choosing their own actions. And other well-know authors such as Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian) said they felt sometimes held hostage by their characters. 

This particular study, done by researchers at Durham University, surveyed authors attending the Edinburgh International Book Festival in two different years. The intent was to look at just how common the phenomena is for writers. What do you think the results were?  I’d be very interested in hearing from some of the other Stiletto Gang authors as well as other writers as to whether you hear your characters.

As for me, although I’ve long argued that the author directs the story, I confess I do sometimes hear from my characters. Often when I’m attempting to send them in a direction that fits me but doesn’t fit them. Caro in the Pampered Pets series, and Sugar in the Sugar & Spice books are both far braver than me. They are much more likely to insert themselves into other people’s business. Their backgrounds are not mine. And truthfully, I’m much more of an armchair detective. I don’t see myself chasing down a murderer. But that’s the fantasy, right? The characters we write about (or read about) are not us. Sometimes they have to remind me. 

Back to the study – the researchers found that two-thirds of the authors they surveyed hear their characters voices. And 61% feel their characters at times act differently that what the author has planned for them.  Interesting. 

So what’s going on? Are we delusional? Having hallucinations? Too much caffeine? The study’s lead, John Foxwell, a postdoctoral research fellow at Durham, says that what the authors who were surveyed describe is less hallucination and more like “inner speech.” Inner speech is what most of us experience when we think verbally and some of us are more aware of it than others. 

In conclusion, though this was a small sampling, Writers Inner Voices and it’s companion study, Readers Inner Voices, did come to some interesting conclusions and there are some additional studies being done around inner speech as well as imagination and the senses. So stay tuned! 

So what do you think? Writers, do you hear your characters? Do they sometimes act independently? And readers, do you hear the characters as your read them? I’d love hear your thoughts! 

Mary Lee Ashford is a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Kensington, she also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a member of SinC, MWA, and Novelists, Inc. She loves encouraging other writers and connecting with readers. More info here: www.maryleeashford.com

The latest book in the Sugar & Spice series is QUICHE OF DEATH which is currently a special deal at Kobo for $2.99. 

Checking In with Yourself

/in /by

By Sparkle Abbey

For us, it’s week seven of practicing social distancing and working
from home. Or as we like to call it, doing our part. Basically, like everyone
else, we’ve been hunkered down in the same living space for over fifty days. (Why
do fifty days seem longer than seven weeks?) Sheltering in place or staying
at home, depending on your community, has us all feeling some sort of emotion—anxiety,
fear, worry, boredom, solidarity, gratitude or blessed. With this mixed bag of
emotions emerges the need to support each other, and it only takes a quick scroll
through social media to see or hear the reassuring phrase, “We’ll get through this
together.”
While it’s true we’re in this together,
each one of us is dealing with the pandemic crisis differently. Some of us are
staying busy baking, learning a new language, or tackling those long-forgotten DIY
lists. Others are just trying to make it through each day, putting one foot in
front of the other. Even for us glass-half-full folks, it can be difficult to
stay positive while the world is self-isolating.
We need to do more than just
survive, we need to thrive. With that thought, it’s more important than ever to
practice self-care. We wanted to share five questions to ask yourself daily.
  1. Who am I connecting
    with today?     – We may call it social distancing, but it’s really physical
    distancing    . Humans are social
    beings. Pick one or two people to check in with each day.
  2. What
    expectations of “normal” am I letting go of today?     – This is the time to
    figure out what’s really important. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic.
    You don’t have to check off each item on your daily to-do list.
  3. How am I getting
    outside today?     – Getting outside can improve your mood and reduced
    anxiety. Take a walk. Do some yoga in your backyard. Sit in the sun.
  4. How am I moving
    my body today?     – Keep moving! An active lifestyle during quarantine is an
    important part of keeping both your body and your mind healthy.
  5. What am I
    grateful for today? –     Take two minutes and jot down what you’re grateful for
    or what has brought you joy that day. The practice of being thankful can help
    you relax and improve your mental health.

Sheltering in place is our normal for now. The idea is to ask these questions to check in with ourselves, but not
to stress about the answers. What you need might be different. If so what questions would you add to the list?



By the way – In honor of National Pet Week THE GIRL WITH THE DACHSHUND TATTOO is only $0.99 through
the 15th at your favorite eBook retailer!


Decluttering – The Time Has Come

/in /by

by Sparke Abbey


This past year we’ve learned a thing or two about decluttering and downsizing. In this era of minimalism, we don’t need as much “stuff” as we might have once believed. And just as we didn’t want to inherit a menagerie of ceramic owls or metal butterflies from our mothers, our children weren’t interested in our amazing book collections, stylish size-seven shoes, or cabbage soup tureen. 



Three garage sales, and more trips than you can count on one hand to local donation centers, we not only decluttered our own homes, we downsized Abbey’s parents’. The process took time, was hard work, yet highly rewarding. And in a crazy way, reminded us of editing or “decluttering” our stories.



Like the rest of America, you’ve certainly heard about Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up method.” 

  1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
  2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
  3. Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
  4. Tidy by category, not location.
  5. Follow the right order.
  6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

Six easy steps, right? Heck, the first two don’t even require physical action. But here’s the reality—the process is never that simple. While the KonMari lifestyle doesn’t “spark joy” for everyone, there are some principals that can be applied to storytelling. So we thought we’d put our spin on Marie’s six steps and create the Sparkle Abbey writing decluttering method.


  1. Commit yourself to unclutter your story. You have to be ruthless. Don’t be afraid to put your writing under a microscope and edit. 
  2. Keep in mind the story you wanted to tell. This will serve as your compass as you unclutter your story. Everything must enhance the story or bring it “joy.” If not, it has to go.
  3. Declutter by category.
    1. Plot – Does your story structure make sense? Are there plot holes? Do your scenes unfold in a way that escalates conflict? Are all the plotlines resolved at the end of the story? 
    2. Subplots – Do your subplots enhance the plot and relate to the overall story goal? Are there too many subplots?
    3. Characters  – Do your characters serve a purpose? Do they have goals, motivation? Do they bring conflict? Are there too many characters? Are the characters unique?
    4. Clarity and Concise – How’s the pacing? Are you showing or telling the story? Is there too much or too little description? Is there too much or too little dialogue? 
  4.  Does your story spark joy? – You’ve carefully decluttered your masterpiece. Does it still bring you joy? It should. Remember step number two. Be careful that you don’t edit the life out of your story.

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start to tidy up your story. Whether you’re tidying up your home or your writing, the process requires you to make a judgment on what is important and what’s just “stuff” taking up space.


Have you jumped on the “tidying up” wagon? We’d love to hear any tips you have for organizing your home or your story! 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods aka Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites.Their most recent book is The Dogfather, the tenth book in the Pampered Pets series.
Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Must See Mystery TV

/in /by

by Sparkle Abbey


Since we read and write mysteries, it was probably also a given that we’d like mystery shows. And there are a lot of great ones to choose from right now. 


Since the arrival of Netflix, Acorn TV, BritBox, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, there are more and more opportunities to stumble over shows that are not only great mysteries but are unique and different. 


Why are we so drawn to them? First off, most of these shows are heavily character-driven. The characters are quirky, eccentric and still likable. They are flawed, non-cookie-cutter characters who find themselves in extreme situations. Some serious, some with a mix of humor. Yet they feel so realistic you find yourself rooting for them to get their act together and succeed. 


Plus these shows have great plots! Twists and turns and puzzles to figure out. We love it when we get it figured out before the end of the show; and we love it even more when we don’t. 


Here are a few of the shows we’re watching:
My Life is Murder
Midsomer Murders
Death in Paradise
Father Brown
Agatha Christie’s Inspector Poirot
Murdoch Mysteries Movies
Shakespeare and Hathaway
Vera  
Queens of Mystery
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Miss Fisher’s Mysteries
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries


What do you think? Did we list your favorite? Or did we miss your must-see? We’re always open to ideas.


Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods aka Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites.
Their most recent book is The Dogfather, the tenth book in the Pampered Pets series.
Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.