Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Witch Hunt (A Full Moon Mystery) + Giveaway


I’m delighted today to be participating in author Cate Conte’s Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for her new release, WITCH HUNT, the first installment in her Full Moon Mystery series.

As part of this delightful tour, we get a chance to meet with Violet Mooney, the owner of The Full Moon crystal shop in picturesque North Harbor.

Witch Hunt (A Full Moon Mystery)
By Cate Conte
* Cozy Mystery
* 1st in Series
* Publisher: Kensington (June 30, 2020)
* Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
* ISBN-10: 1496717600
* ISBN-13: 978-1496717603
* Digital ASIN: B083TQX2CT

Murder isn’t always crystal-clear . . . especially when the prime suspect discovers she’s a witch.

Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother’s recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet’s "voodoo shop," the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1.

But the shock of two policemen showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother Fiona and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self—and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. Good thing. She’s gonna need it . . .


Please join me now in giving a warm welcome to Violet. Welcome, Violet.

How do you respond to people who call the Full Moon a “voodoo” shop?

Violet:
Funny you should ask! Carla Fernandez, the city councilwoman who winds up murdered, called my crystal shop a voodoo shop. I try to educate people on healing crystals - working with them is certainly not voodoo. Crystals have been used throughout history as healers. Many people believe that since they come from the earth, their properties are enhanced. And for those who don’t necessarily believe in the healing part, they’re pretty to look at so I make sure I remind people of that!

How did you come up with the name "Monty" for your cat?

Violet:
When I was a kid, I visited an animal shelter and fell in love with a fat orange cat named Monty. I couldn’t adopt him, and I was devastated when he did find a home and left the shelter. I always promised myself that when I was an adult, I’d have my own Monty…and so I adopted an orange cat from the shelter.

Had you ever wished for a sister (or a brother) before you knew you had a surprise sibling?

Violet:
When I was younger, definitely! But then I got older and was perfectly fine with being an only child…so I have no idea how this is going to work out! Especially since I can already imagine the sibling rivalry that will surface between me and Zoe.

What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?

Violet: 
I love spending time in my crystal shop with all my stones. Just being in their presence and soaking up their healing properties is calming and grounds me. And I am always drawn to just the right stones for what I need in that moment.

Do you have a comfort food you enjoy when stressed out?

Violet:
I love chocolate - truffles especially. Unfortunately, my newly resurfaced mother has informed me that chocolate diminishes my magickal powers, so she has removed every last one from my apartment. And whenever I try to replace my stash, she somehow knows, and they vanish from my kitchen.

Violet, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this insight into your shop and town.

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

Author Cate Conte
Cate Conte is the alter ego of Liz Mugavero. Liz is the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mystery series from Kensington Books, the first of which was an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. Cate is the author of the new Full Moon Mysteries for Kensington and writes the Cat Cafe Mystery series for Minotaur Books.

As you can imagine, her canine and feline rescues demand the best organic food and treats around. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Sisters in Crime New England, Mystery Writers of America, and the Cat Writers’ Association.

She currently lives in Connecticut.

For more on Cate and her writing, connect with her on the following sites:

WITCH HUNT is available to purchase at the following sites:
B&N

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Have you ever visited a crystal shop? If so, what did you like about it? If not, would you like to and why?

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You can follow Cate and Violet on their tour by visiting the following sites:

June 29 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
June 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 29 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 30 - Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 30 - Thoughts in Progress – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 30 - The Book Decoder – REVIEW
July 1 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW
July 2 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
July 2 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 2 – Angel's Guilty Pleasures – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
July 3 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
July 3 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 4 – OFF
July 5 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
July 5 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
July 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 6 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW
July 6 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
July 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
July 7 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
July 7 – RUFF DRAFTS – SPOTLIGHT

Monday, June 29, 2020

Cast Iron Stake Through The Heart (+ Giveaway)

I'm delighted today to be participating in the Great Escapes Book Tour for CAST IRON STAKE THROUGH THE HEART by Jodi Rath and Rebecca Grubb.

As part of the tour, we have Tabitha Turner visiting to tell us a little about living in Leavensport and two of the village residents, Jolie Tucker and Ava Martinez.

(The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)  
by Jodi Rath and Rebecca Grubb
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series 
Publisher: MYS ED LLC; 
1 edition (May 29, 2020) ~200 Pages  
ASIN: B081DD5CFB 
 

On again, off again, ON AGAIN–Jolie Tucker and Mick Meiser are giving their relationship another try. Things seem to be working out for them so far, and love is on the menu all over Leavensport! An unexpected pregnancy with a surprising partner, a therapist pairs off with the chief of police, and the mayor of Leavensport falls for Jolie’s Aunt Fern!

Although Leavensport is serving up affairs of the heart, there are a lot of mysterious activities lurking in the air. The townspeople awake to find freshly dug empty holes throughout the fields that were recently up for sale under suspicious circumstances. Jolie and Ava believe they are taking a break from solving murders when they start teaching an online cooking course–until they witness one of their students take a stake through the heart!

Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

Now let's see what Tabitha has to say. Welcome, Tabitha.

When I first opened my therapy practice in Leavensport, Chief Tobias asked if he could hire me as a consultant on crime cases that had been occurring Leavensport, Ohio recently. I can always use a little extra cash, so I agreed. I am a licensed forensic therapist and have FBI training, so it was a perfect fit. It doesn’t hurt that Chief Tobias, or Teddy, as I like to call him, is a good-looking guy.

I remember walking around the village when I first got here, taking it all in. Leavensport is lovely. There is a rich medley of cultures here, plus a flourishing art scene and plenty of good eateries and shops. If you need a sugar kick, stop by No Cones About It and Chocolate Capers. They are side-by-side with a cute little red-and-white-striped awning over the entrances. The ice cream is delicious, and Betsy, who owns Chocolate Capers is very talented with chocolate. If you are looking for a nice dinner out, check out Cast Iron Creations. Jolie and Ava own it, so Jolie writes the menu: tasty, creative cast-iron-cooked food. Their chef, Carlos also creates some amazing Mexican dishes.

The people in this village make it what it is. Some I have met in town and some come to me for therapy sessions. One in particular (I can’t tell you her name, doctor-patient confidentiality, you know) is making a lot of progress overcoming some things in her past. I am so proud of her.

Many villagers are eccentric and a bit peculiar, but they all care about one another deeply, which is why the recent wave of crime in Leavensport is so confusing and troublesome.

Not long after I moved here, terrible things began happening: murder, kidnapping, break-ins, destruction of property. It doesn’t seem to fit. Some people in town are worried about urban sprawl from the big city nearby, Tri-City. I hope I can be of some help. I don’t mind having to meet with Teddy on a regular basis.

Two villagers, Jolie Tucker and Ava Martinez, have become amateur sleuths and helped crack a few of the cases. I heard Ava is actually taking some PI training. I just hope they stay safe.

I haven’t been here long, but I already feel like Leavensport is home. I hope the crime wave is over so everyone can relax!

Tabitha, thanks for dropping by today and sharing this look at Leavensport. It sounds like an interesting place.

About Jodi Rath

Author Jodi Rath
Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series.

Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing.

She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her nine cats.  

For more on Jodi and her writing, connect with her on the following sites:

Author Links: Webpage: https://www.jodirath.com/  
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jodirath  
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjodirath  
Twitter @jodirath  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18363719.Jodi_Rath
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodi-rath  
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jodirath/
  • Monthly Newsletter Link: http://eepurl.com/dIfXdb Get Short Story “Sweet Retreat” for free by subscribing to my monthly newsletter. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive free flash fiction, A Mystery a Month, serial scenes from series, and deleted scenes).

About Rebecca Grubb

Author Rebecca Grubb
Rebecca Grubb utilizes her experience in the high school English classroom and her decades as a bookworm to coach writers and edit fiction and creative non-fiction.

She enjoys reading and writing books, particularly mysteries and science fiction.

She lives in a small town in Ohio with her husband and the three mischievous children.  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I hope this has enticed you to check out this fun series. Don't you just love the name of this book?

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS  
June 22 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW  
June 22 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST  
June 23 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW  
June 23 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT  
June 24 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 24 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE  
June 25 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT  
June 26 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW  
June 26 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT  
June 27 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT  
June 27 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST  
June 27 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW  
June 28 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT  
June 28 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW  
June 29 – Thoughts in Progress – CHARACTER GUEST POST  
June 30 - Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT  
June 30 - Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW  
July 1 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST  
July 1 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
 July 2 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
 July 2 – Christy's Cozy Corners – GUEST POST  
July 3 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – GUEST POST

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