A Step Back in Time {+ Giveaway+}

It’s a delight to welcome author Amanda Lee to Thoughts in Progress today to celebrate the release of WICKED STITCH, the eighth installment in her Embroidery Mystery series.

Here’s a brief synopsis of WICKED STITCH:

When murder strikes the small town of Tallulah Falls, embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer isn’t afraid of getting down to the knitty-gritty to clear her name.... 

        For most small-business owners in Tallulah Falls, the upcoming Renaissance Faire is a wonderful way to promote their specialty shops. For Marcy’s nemesis, Nellie, and her sister, Clara, it’s an opportunity to finally put Marcy and her shop, the Seven-Year Stitch, out of business. Apparently the sisters like to make grudges a family affair and have set up competing booths right next to Marcy’s at the Ren Faire.
        When Clara is discovered dead in her own booth—strangled by the scarf she had almost finished knitting—Marcy becomes the prime suspect. Now she has to do whatever it takes to keep her reputation from unraveling—and get to the bottom of a most deadly yarn....

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Amanda who is here to talk about ‘A Step Back in Time’ and has a giveaway to share with us. Welcome, Amanda.

Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire or a living history museum? I’ve been to both, and I find them fascinating. At the Renaissance Faire I attended with my family many years ago, my son was knighted Sir Scooby of Doo (because he was wearing a Scooby Doo shirt) by the queen. In lieu of a sword, she used a plunger. Minstrels played unusual instruments—one even played crystal water glasses. I talked plays with William Shakespeare, watched a chess match in which the playing pieces were human, and wandered through booth after booth of wares. The costumes were beautiful, fun, or both. 

The living history museum we visited was a working farm set in 1791. We learned about eighteenth century cooking tools and techniques in the log cabin’s kitchen. A costumed tour guide spoke of President Washington and asked what we thought of that upstart Andrew Jackson. I said I believed he’d become President one day, and the woman scoffed. We attended demonstrations of weaving, learned about the dye, medicinal, and culinary plants grown in the garden, and saw the Cotswold sheep.

In WICKED STITCH (an RT Top Pick!), embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is thrilled to be taking part in a two-week Renaissance Faire. Tallulah Falls residents will be able to reside in the time of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The RenFaire’s attractions are centered around the play, even down to Hecate and the three witches who are on hand to divine the future for faire-goers. 

Clara, a petty woman who has opened a competing shop next door to Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch, has been assigned the booth next to Marcy’s. When Marcy comes to set up her booth, she peeps into Clara’s spot and realizes that something isn’t right. Clara is lying on her side in an overturned rocking chair. She has been strangled to death with the scarf she’d been knitting. Now Marcy has to get to the bottom of this most deadly yarn.

GIVEAWAY:

Readers please comment below on your experiences in “stepping back in time” for a chance to win a signed copy of WICKED STITCH. 
International readers will have the chance to win an eBook copy of WICKED STITCH gifted from their retailer of choice.

Amanda, thanks for joining us today and sharing your experience stepping back in time. I’ve attended Renaissance Faires in both Georgia and Texas and enjoyed them very much.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Amanda, here’s a bit of background on her.

Amanda Lee (also writing as Gayle Trent) writes the Embroidery Mystery series which features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. 

Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.

Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of the genre will take kindly to Marcy, her Irish wolfhound, Angus O’Ruff, and Tallulah Falls. This is a fast, pleasant read with prose full of pop culture references and, of course, sharp needlework puns.”

For more on Amanda and her writing, visit her website.

Now for my thoughts on this entertaining mystery……

Author Amanda Lee combines humor, suspense, murder, friendship, and a touch of romance for a well-blended story in her latest release, WICKED STITCH.

The small town setting adds charm and a touch of realism to the story. With vivid descriptions, Lee places the reader in the middle of the fun and excitement. The story flows smoothly at a good pace.

The characters are well-developed and likable. The bond among the friends is realistic and adds depth to the story. The pet tie-in is a wonderful touch readers can relate to.

While the story features an embroidery shop, readers don’t have to have a fondness for the hobby to enjoy the story. In addition, WICKED STITCH can be read as a standalone even though it is the eighth installment in the series. Lee gives just enough background new readers won’t be in the dark and returning fans won’t be bored with too much repeated information.

This delightful story will pull you in quickly and hold you spellbound for an entertaining read.

Wicked Stitch by Amanda Lee, Embroidery Mystery Book #8, Obsidian, @2015, ISBN: 978-0451467409, Paperback, 336 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.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Amanda’s visit. Be sure to comment about your experiences in “stepping back in time” for a chance to win a signed copy of WICKED STITCH.


*This post contains affiliate links.

Author Amanda Lee: Stop You’re KILIM Me? {+ Giveaway}

 
I’m delighted to welcome author Amanda Lee here today as she makes a stop on her virtual blog tour for her latest release, THREAD END, the seventh installment in her Embroidery Mystery.

You don’t have to be an embroidery expert (or even like to embroider) to enjoy this charming series. As part of Amanda’s tour, she’s stopping by to talk about KILIM. In addition, thanks to Amanda and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a print copy of this cozy murder mystery to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for details.

Here’s a brief summary of THREAD END:

Embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is about to have the rug pulled out from under her....
      Marcy can’t wait to see the new exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles, including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most unusual fashion.
      The victim appears to be a visiting art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug? Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer. 

Now please join me in welcoming Amanda as she talks about ‘Stop! You’re KILIM Me!’

One of the most challenging, and yet most fun, things to research when I’m working on a new embroidery mystery is the various types of embroidery. I look for something that relates to the story at hand but also something that hasn’t been mentioned in one of the books yet. Naturally, Marcy does her fair share of needlepoint and cross-stitch, but often her customers come in looking for something new…or old, as the case may be. 

In the case of THREAD END, there was an antique textile exhibit coming to Tallulah Falls. I began researching antique textiles and found all different kinds—tapestries, kimonos and other garments, quilts, and kilims. I learned about the different patterns incorporated in kilim rugs and the regional differences in various kilims. 

I learned how antique textiles are cared for and displayed. Large ones are sometimes mounted on stretchers like oil paintings. However, this can stain the fabric and stitches, so it’s best to frame and mount them on fabric-covered acid-free boards with a window mount to keep the fabric away from the glass. My research suggested that antique textiles should often be taken off display, wrapped in acid-free materials (never in colored tissue or newspaper), and stored in a dark dry place.

For THREAD END, I also had to research essential oils. Whenever another character, even a minor one, has a business, hobby, or even conversation about something, the author has to know something about the subject. As a result, I now have three small bottles of essential oils.

I also learned about Cezanne. Did you know he hardly ever signed or dated his paintings? Or that he had four specific periods of work—a dark period, an impressionist period, a mature period, and a final period? I was kind of sorry he didn’t have a delightful period, a sunny period, a carefree period, or anything in the least bit happy and cheerful period. 

I’m happy to report (though probably not as happy as my husband) that my research did not inspire me to buy any fine art or antique textiles. Nor have I taken up weaving to make my own kilim…yet.

I needed to figure out what other types of exhibits might be housed in the Tallulah Falls Museum, and I had a lot of fun researching that! The story I tell about A. C. Gilbert of Salem, Oregon and his toy “atomic energy lab” is entirely true! I’d have loved to have known Mr. Gilbert. I think that guy must’ve been a blast to hang out with.

I also run across some wonderful people while I’m researching. For THREAD END, I got to “meet” Pam and Nancy of The Prairie Schooler, Inc. I’d run across some of their projects online and thought Marcy would love to sell them in the Seven-Year Stitch. I wrote them, and they happily agreed to let Marcy include their products in her shop.

Research can be a blast! Just don’t get so caught up in it you neglect to write your book!  

Amanda, thanks for joining us and giving this insight look at your research. It does sound like it was lots of fun and informative.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle Trent is using for the new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. The series is set on the Oregon Coast and features Marcy Singer, a spunky, thirty-something, entrepreneur who is handy with a needle. 

Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back. 

Gayle also writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. 

Amanda/Gayle lives in Virginia with her family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff.

For more on Amanda/Gayle and her writing, visit her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of THREAD END. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and due to the holiday will end Sunday, July 6. 

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 Amanda Lee’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 Amanda’s tour. Had you heard about kilim rugs before? Have you ever tried your hand at embroidering?

*This post contains affiliate links. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrate World Book Night With A Mystery

  

Today (Monday, April 23) is the day we celebrate World Book Night and you can’t help but love their slogan: “Spreading the Love of Reading, Person to Person.” 

With that in mind, I’d like to ‘spread the love of reading’ by telling you about 3 new releases from Berkley Prime Crime and Obsidian. Reading a cozy murder mystery is a great way to celebrate this special day that is all about books.

THE LONG STITCH GOOD NIGHT by Amanda Lee

An Embroidery Mystery #4
Obsidian, 336 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780451236463
Paperback, $7.99 

This is a series that I have enjoyed from the very first book and the latest release, THE LONG STITCH GOOD NIGHT, just draws me right back in.

Marcy Singer’s specialty embroidery shop is among the establishments of Tallulah Falls, OR, gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day. During a St. Patrick’s Day/fraternity reunion party at Todd Calloway’s pub the Brew Crew a shot is heard and police find Todd and his friend Blake standing with a smoking gun and the body of their former fraternity brother.

Although she’s taken an interest in Irish embroidery, Marcy can’t help but abandon her needlecraft when the handsome brewer finds himself accused of murder. Both Todd and his friend Blake’s fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and neither is talking about what happened. Marcy is determined to stitch together some luck from more than a few four-leaf clovers and prove that the culprit was someone else. 

Author Amanda Lee has created a protagonist and a group of supporting characters that are realistic and likable. The story flows easy and at a quick pace. With a few twists and turns along the way, the story holds you captive until the end.

While this is the 4th installment in the series, it is a stand alone read. Other books in the Embroidery Mystery series include: THE QUICK AND THE THREAD (August 2010), STITCH ME DEADLY (February 2011), and THREAD RECKONING (September 2011).

Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle Trent using for the Embroidery Mystery series. For more on the author, visit her website at http://www.gayletrent.com

REAP WHAT YOU SEW by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

A Southern Sewing Circle Mystery #6
Berkley (Prime Crime), 288 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780425247068
Paperback, $7.99 

Who knew sewing could be so much fun and so deadly? Author Elizabeth Lynn Casey knew as she returns readers to the cozy setting featuring the Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle.

Sweet Briar is chosen for the setting of a new movie, and everyone has dreams of stardom as they hope to be cast as an extra—and lucky Tori Sinclair lands the gig. But fame has its price, as the town learns when the film’s leading actress, Anita Belise, is found murdered. 

When suspicion falls on a member of the sewing circle, Tori must catch the killer to keep the tight-knit group from coming apart at the seams. 

REAP WHAT YOU SEW is a fun read filled with southern charm and intriguing characters. The suspense will keep you guessing until the killer is revealed. An added bonus is a number of helpful sewing tips and a Rag Quilt sewing pattern included at the end.

This is the 6th installment in the series, but is a stand alone read. Other books in the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery series include: SEW DEADLY (August 2009), DEATH THREADS (May 2010), PINNED FOR MURDER (October 2010), DEADLY NOTIONS (April 2011), and DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS (November 2011).

Author Elizabeth Lynn Casey’s website is http://elizabethlynncasey.com

LET THEM EAT STAKE by Sarah Zettel

A Vampire Chef Mystery #2
Obsidian, 320 Pages
ISBN-13: 9780451236456
Paperback, $7.99 

If you think preparing meals for your crowd is hard, just put yourself in Charlotte Caine’s shoes - she’s the “vampire chef” to New York’s burgeoning undead community.

It’s a dream for a “Vampire Chef”-cater the high-profile wedding of a 200-year-old vampire and a wealthy witch. So why did celebrity chef Oscar Simmons walk away from the money and the publicity? 

Charlotte agrees to take his place, even though she knows this paranormal wedding, thrown by power-hungry vampires and witches, could make (or break) her career, her restaurant, and her life. But when Simmons turns up dead, the groom’s family starts vanishing, and the police start asking pointed questions, Charlotte fears she may have picked the wrong wedding to stake her reputation on.

Author Sarah Zettel will have you believing catering to vampires and witches is a normal event, while tickling your funny bone with laugh-out loud moments. The story flows smoothly and will keep you in suspense. 

This is the 2nd installment in this series. The first book in the Vampire Chef Mystery series is A TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE (July 2011).

Author Sarah Zettel’s website is http://www.sarahzettel.com

FTC Full Disclosure - These books were sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review them. However, receiving these complimentary copies did not influence my reviews.

 

Do you have any special plans for celebrating World Book Night? Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy the day and spread the love of reading.

The Quick And The Thread by Amanda Lee

When I first saw the cover of this book several months ago, I was immediately drawn to it. After I read a brief synopsis, I was hooked.

THE QUICK AND THE THREAD by Amanda Lee is a perfect cozy murder mystery.

Marcy Singer has moved from San Francisco to Tallulah Falls and opened The Seven-Year Stitch, an embroidery shop. Her best friend, Sadie, and her husband, Blake, own the coffee shop next door, MacKenzies’ Mochas.

The morning after Marcy holds an open house, she finds the former shop tenant dead in her stockroom. Tim Enright has used a tapestry needle to scratch a cryptic message - four square fifth w - on the stockroom wall. Now Marcy wishes she had taken the time to talk to Enright at the open house even though he appeared to be drunk. Enright had operated a hardware store in the building before losing his business.

The case is investigated by Tallulah Falls Police Department Chief Detective Ted Nash. A spark of attraction between Nash and Marcy is ignited. It’s fun to watch as the two begin to banter back and forth over the course of the investigation. Throw Todd Calloway into the mix and it really heats up. Calloway owns the bar, The Brew Crew, across the street from Marcy’s shop.

Shortly after finding Enright’s body, Marcy learns her landlord, Bill Trelawney, is murdered. Marcy believes the two deaths are connected given the way Trelawney reacted when he learned of Enright’s cryptic message.

Marcy begins to investigation on her own and learns that Four Square was a development company that was really a real estate scheme landing its partners in prison. The more she checks, the more twists and turns she encounters. As she gets closer to finding the killer, the more she begins to question just how well she really know anyone in town.

Author Amanda Lee depicts a quaint small town with all its charm and intrigue. The bits of movie and TV nostalgia sprinkled throughout the book gives it an added touch of humor. The various townspeople Marcy befriends are (killer aside) friendly, interesting characters you will come to enjoy and want to know more about. One of the most lovable characters is Angus, Marcy’s 100-pound Irish wolfhound.

This is an easy, delightful read with memorable characters. There are no embroidery tips or patterns at the end. However, you do get a sneak preview at the next embroidery mystery, STITCH ME DEADLY, coming February 2011. Can’t wait to read more.

Amanda Lee (also known as author Gayle Trent) can be found blogging at www.gayletrent.com/blog/ and her website is www.GayleTrent.com

The Quick And The Thread by Amanda Lee, An Embroidery Mystery, Obsidian, @2010, ISBN: 978-0-451-23096-6, Paperback, 336 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - 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.