Snow Way Out {+ Giveaway}

New cozy murder mysteries are always fun to find and author Christine Husom has created an exciting and entertaining series with the release of SNOW WAY OUT, the first installment in her Snow Globe Shop Mystery series.

Christine is joining us today to talk about her series. To celebrate the release (thanks to Christine and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group), I have a print copy of SNOW WAY OUT to give away. Please see the end of the post for more details.

First, here’s a brief description of SNOW WAY OUT:

Curio shop manager Camryn Brooks thought she’d seen every kind of snow globe—until she saw one depicting a crime scene…
        Ever since she was a child, Cami has loved the sparkling beauty of snow globes, and now, she sells them. In fact, they’re so popular, Cami and her friend—coffee shop owner Alice “Pinky” Nelson—are hosting a snow globe making class.
        After the flurry of activity has ended and everyone has gone off with their own handmade snow globes, Cami spots a new globe left behind on a shelf, featuring an odd tableau—a man sleeping on a park bench.
        On her way home, she drifts through the town park and is shaken to come upon the scene from the globe—a man sitting on a bench. But he isn’t sleeping—he has a knife in his back. When the police arrive, it’s clear they consider Cami a little flaky and possibly a suspect. After her friends also come under suspicion, Cami starts plowing through clues to find the cold-blooded backstabber—before someone else gets iced…
 
Please join me in welcoming Christine to Thoughts. Welcome, Christine.

We’re in the season of winter and I live in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes. Christmas 2014 is now part of our memory banks, but I know there are people of all ages who were given a snow globe as a gift and are this very minute picking them up, giving them a shaking, and watching the snow settle over a wide variety of scenes. 

From little on, I have been drawn to the seeming magic of snow globes. I loved giving them as gifts for my children because they always appreciated them. Even now, when I see one on display in a store, I can’t resist flipping it over then back again to see how the scene looks in a snow fall. 

When the opportunity arose to write a series set in a shop that specializes in snow globes, it was a natural fit. The catch is that Camryn Brooks, the one running Curio Finds, never planned to do anything like that in her lifetime. She had a successful career as a senator’s legislative affairs director in Washington D.C., and thought she’d be working there forever.
 
But a scandal changed her career path and she returned to her hometown of Brooks Landing in a hurry. For how long, she had no clue. But it appears to be the best place for the time being. Her parents need help running Curio Finds, and an added bonus is Cami has a large family and many friends who love and support her, no matter what the media had to say about her. 

The cast of characters who are part of a small community in Minnesota often get pulled from their day to day activities to deal with events that are anything but ordinary. Alice “Pinky” Nelson, Erin Vickerman, and Mark Weston are Cami’s childhood friends who stayed in Brooks Landing and are glad Cami came back. Pinky runs Brew Ha-Ha, a coffee shop adjoining Curio Finds. 

When Snow Way Out opens, Jerrell Powers, a man that had wreaked havoc in Brooks Landing a few years before has returned to town. And Erin was one of his victims. Cami and Pinky are getting ready for a snow globe making class that evening, and they’re also wondering what Erin will do if she runs into her nemesis. What they have no way of knowing is the role Jerrell Powers will play in the evening’s events or how the night will end after the class is over.

This is a snippet from the back cover, “After the flurry of activity has ended and everyone has gone off with their handmade snow globes, Cami spots on a shelf a new globe left behind, featuring an odd tableau—a man sleeping on a park bench. On her way home, she drifts through the town park and is shaken to come upon the scene from the globe—a man sitting on a bench. But he isn’t sleeping—he has a knife in his back.”

I’d love to have you join me on this Snow Globe Shop Mystery series adventure, I hope you make the people of Brooks Landing and their relationships, and all the things they get involved with, a part of your reading pleasure.

Christine, thanks for joining us today and sharing this look at Cami and Curio Finds. Snow globes are so hard to resist. I also have to turn them over every time I get near them.

For those who aren’t familiar with Christine, here’s a bit of background on her.

Christine Husom lives in Minnesota with her family. She enjoys solving mysteries in her stories as well as in real life. She often ponders whether it’s the crisp, cold winters that clear the cobwebs from her mind so that she can create tales to excite and entertain. 

Christine is the author of several books. She has signed a 3 book deal contract with Penguin Random House to write a cozy mystery series. The first book, SNOW WAY OUT, released this month.

For more on Christine and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Now for my thoughts on this fascinating story.

This new series involving snow globes is entertaining and suspenseful. The story is filled with intriguing and well-developed characters. The protagonist is strong and independent with flaws readers can relate to. The small town setting enhances the story and draws you in quickly.

The author has blended suspense with a collectible that most can’t resist. The story even includes snow globe making tips and projects.

SNOW WAY OUT is a fast pace mystery that will capture your attention and keep you guessing until the end. The twists and turns, blended with romance and laughter, makes for a great start to a fascinating new series.

Snow Way Out by Christine Husom, A Snow Globe Mystery Book #1, Berkley, @2015, ISBN: 978-0425270806, Paperback, 304 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of SNOW WAY OUT. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Saturday, Jan. 17. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Christine Husom’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Christine’s tour. Are you a fan of snow globes? If so, do you have a favorite one?

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