A Note from Cleo {+ Awesome Giveaway}

(*Note: The winner of this awesome giveaway is Laura Pond. Congratulations to Laura and thanks to everyone who commented.)

It is with great delight that I welcome award-winning author Cleo Coyle here today to talk about her latest Coffeehouse Mystery, ONCE UPON A GRIND, the 14th installment in her fascinating series.

To celebrate the release, Cleo is offering an awesome giveaway – an autographed copy of ONCE UPON A GRIND and a durable canvas Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag! Please see the end of the post for more details.

First here’s a brief description of this amazing story:

When coffeehouse manager turned amateur sleuth Clare Cosi roasts “magic” beans for a Fairy Tale Fall event, she brews up a vision that leads to a sleeping beauty in Central Park; a big, bad wolf of Wall Street; and an East Side enclave with storybook secrets…
        Fairy tale fever has descended on New York City. Broadway fans are flocking to Red Riding Hood: The Musical; museums are exhibiting art inspired by the Brothers Grimm; and Clare Cosi and her merry band of baristas give their coffee truck a “Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for a Central Park festival. Clare’s coffee hunter ex-husband contributes a bag of African beans with alleged magical properties. His octogenarian mother entertains customers with readings of the grinds, but Clare remains skeptical—until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.
        The police dismiss “sleeping beauty” as the victim of a drug overdose. Then Clare uncovers evidence that points to a list of suspects—from a New York Giant to quite a few wicked witches—and a cold case murder that reaches back to the Cold War. Now Clare is really in the woods with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads from a secret Prince Charming Club right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn’t solve this mystery, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.
 
Now join me in giving a warm welcome to Cleo and she shares a note with us. Welcome, Cleo.

For over a decade, our wonderful readers have been meeting us at the Village Blend, where coffee and crime are always brewing. This latest entry in our Coffeehouse series is more than a murder mystery. It’s also a novel about the magic and power of story. That’s why we chose the most basic and beloved stories of our culture—fairy tales—to serve as our motif. 

Like any good fairy tale, Once Upon a Grind takes you through secret doors; plays with your sense of reality; introduces you to an array of colorful characters; and while the ending may be happy, not everyone survives.

Intertwined with the murder mystery is a very personal story for our amateur sleuth. Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi doesn’t want to admit it, but her life has become a grind. “If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” This is the epigraph that opens Once Upon a Grind, and it applies directly to Clare.
 
She wants to leave her story and start another, but she’s afraid of disappointing the people she loves. Is Clare able to change her story by the end of the book? No spoiler here. But if you’re a fan of our series, you won’t want to miss this entry.

On the other hand, if you’ve never read our Coffeehouse Mysteries before, no worries. Once Upon a Grind can be read as a stand-alone novel. And if you enjoy it, you’ll have 13 more books you can read, as well. 

To download a free checklist of all 14 Coffeehouse Mystery titles, click here. 

To read the Prologue and First Chapter of ONCE UPON A GRIND, click here. 

To sample some of the book’s wicked good RECIPES, click here.



Thank you to Mason Canyon and her excellent Thoughts in Progress blog for hosting us today. 

May your holidays be bright and your New Year be caffeinated!
~ Alice and Marc, who write as Cleo Coyle

Leave a comment and you will be entered to win an autographed copy of ONCE UPON A GRIND and this durable canvas Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag!


Cleo, thanks so much for visiting with us today and sharing this look at Clare and her current adventure. The setting and subject matter of this story quickly pulls you in.

For those not familiar with Cleo (aka Alice and Marc), here’s a bit of background.

Cleo Coyle is the pen name for Alice Alfonsi, who writes with her husband, Marc Cerasini. This popular married writing team was born and raised in Pittsburgh, met in New York City, and married in Las Vegas. 

Together they've authored a number of bestselling books. As Cleo Coyle, they write The Coffeehouse Mysteries. As Alice Kimberly, they write The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

For more on this writing duo, visit their website and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Now for my thoughts on the book:

Fairy tales are a popular commodity right now and author Cleo Coyle knows how to blend the magical stories with murder, suspense, and coffee for a tantalizing outcome.

A weekend storybook festival in New York’s Central Park is the perfect setting for this cozy murder mystery. With visions of Prince Charming, various princesses, Jack and the Beanstalk (with magic coffee beans), and many other fairy tale characters, readers are quickly pulled into a fascinating world of greed, deception, and murder.

As the story speeds along, the twists and turns will keep you wondering who the real villain is. The characters are captivating, likable and realistic. The mix of fairy tales with magical coffee beans makes for a mesmerizing story.

You don’t have to be a coffee fan to enjoy this suspenseful mystery, but the tasty recipes included might tempt you to try a cup of Snow White Chocolate Mocha or ‘The Great Pumpkin’ Spice Latte. You can also try your hand at coffee tasseography (the art of reading coffee grinds).

The well-developed characters, the mystical setting and the suspense will have you quickly turning the pages of ONCE UPON A GRIND. A spellbinding mystery you won’t be able to put down.

Once Upon A Grind by Cleo Coyle, Coffeehouse Mystery Series Book #14, Berkley, @2014, ISBN: 978-0425270851, Hardcover, 416 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author. 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 autographed copy of ONCE UPON A GRIND and a Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end at midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Just leave a comment (be sure to include your email address, if it’s not in your profile) and you will be entered to win. If you wish not to enter the giveaway but want to comment, just say not entering in your comment.

Thanks for stopping by today. Christmas is almost here and ONCE UPON A GRIND would make a wonderful gift for the mystery lover on your list. I’ve said it before and have to say it again, without Cleo’s encouragement in 2009 this blog won’t exist. Thanks Cleo for that and for the continued installments in one of my most favorite series.

*SIDE NOTE: I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I may not be back online until Friday. I hope everyone has a wonderful time with their family and friends. Be safe and take care, my friends.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Brewing Up Murder {+ Giveaway}

The love of coffee lead me to a marvelous cozy murder mystery series which lead me to an amazing author who lead me to blogging. So I’m delighted today to welcome award-winning author Cleo Coyle here to talk about BILLIONAIRE BLEND, the 13th installment in her Coffeehouse Mystery series that was recently released in paperback.

Cleo will be joining us to talk about ‘Brewing Up Murder.’ In addition, thanks to Cleo and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a copy of BILLIONAIRE BLEND to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Cleo as she brews up murder. Welcome, Cleo.

“Pluck” is a word I usually associate with chickens. On the other hand, Booklist was kind enough to describe my amateur sleuth as having pluck, a valid observation because Clare Cosi may be many things, but she is no chicken.

A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is like many of the women I grew up admiring in my big Italian-American family. Smart and determined with a sturdy backbone, Clare also has a generous spirit and enough ingenuity to cook mouth-watering feasts (and raise a daughter) on a shoestring budget.

By day, Clare manages a charming landmark coffeehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. By night, she is a relentless snoop, who displays quite a bit of pluck in BILLIONAIRE BLEND, the latest entry in my Coffeehouse Mystery series.

When a car bomb goes off outside Clare’s charming shop, she comes to the aid of an anonymous customer, an intense young man who turns out to be billionaire tech whiz Eric Thorner. Eric is so grateful to Clare for saving his life that he hires her to create the most expensive coffee blend on the planet. But as Clare is pulled deeper into Eric's world of cutting-edge luxuries and cutthroat rivalries, she begins to wonder: Is this brilliant CEO marked for termination? Or is he the one making a killing? 

To solve this case, Clare will have to bribe an NYPD bomb squad lieutenant; conjure up a menu for a “billionaire's potluck”; fix her daughter's love life; stop a Slayer while working with one; and stay alive while doing it. 

By the end of BILLIONAIRE BLEND, you'll have taken a trip with Clare to an exclusive millionaire’s club, flown with her to a bohemian Paris neighborhood, visited some of the most intriguing coffee growing regions of the world—and uncovered the dark motives behind several murders.
 
Because this is a “culinary” mystery, you will also have over 20 fantastic recipes to try in your own kitchen, including a list of Clare’s secret off-the-menu coffeehouse drinks, as well as tasty foods enjoyed by the characters in the book, namely: 
 
Clare's Billionaire Bars
Baileys Irish Cream and Caramel Nut Fudge
Perfect Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Chocolate-Bottom Banana Bars
French Apple Cake Squares
Italian Beignets
Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes
Make your own Kahlua
Skillet Lasagna
"Coffee Hunter" Ugandan Stew
Crunchy Almond Biscotti (easy food processor method)
Quesa Fundido (Mexican Hot Cheese Dip) and more...

One last note for new readers: Although BILLIONAIRE BLEND is the 13th book in my Coffeehouse Mystery series—now celebrating ten years in print—you can read it as a stand-alone novel. If you enjoy the characters, you can read more about them in the previous books. 

To download a free title checklist of all 13 Coffeehouse Mysteries, in order, including brief story summaries, click here. 

And please feel free to friend me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle or sign up for my newsletter by writing an email that says “sign me up” and sending it to CoffeehouseMystery(at)gmail(dot)com.

May you read with joy!
~ Cleo

Cleo, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this look at brewing up murder. From the adventures Clare has been on, I’d say she is far from being chicken. Just a note to also say I was so sorry to hear of Turtle passing away. She was a beautiful cat.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Cleo, here’s a little background that may surprise you.

CLEO COYLE is really the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Their latest mystery, BILLIONAIRE BLEND, earned a starred review from Kirkus, a “Top Pick” honor from RT Book Reviews, and this month Berkley released the book in mass market paperback. 

When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Marvel, and MGM. 

They live and work in New York City, where they not only write the bestselling Coffeehouse Mysteries, but also the popular Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. To learn more, and sign up for Cleo’s newsletter, visit her website: www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

Here’s a Coffeehouse Mystery series book trailer for your viewing pleasure.
 


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of BILLIONAIRE BLEND. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Monday, Sept. 7.

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 Cleo Coyle’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 during Cleo’s visit. In case you’re wondering about the opening line – Alice is the one who encouraged me to start this blog back in 2009. Do you like hanging out in coffeehouses? Clare creates all sorts of wonderful coffee blends. What’s your favorite coffee blend or do you prefer just plain coffee (with maybe cream and/or sugar)?

*This post contains affiliate links. a Rafflecopter giveaway