I love Spring! The air is finally warmer, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the swing in the garden is calling my name to come on out, bring a book, and sit a while! I know that “cozy mysteries” invoke the mental image of curling up by the fire on a winter day, being cozy with a good book and a cup of cocoa. But you can grab a lively story and plop into a swing or front porch chair with a glass of raspberry lemonade and enjoy the same “cozy” feeling during the spring and summer! April finds us with a wide variety of mysteries to choose from by some new authors, and some favorite authors. So take a few minutes this beautiful spring to savor the finer things in life – a cool drink, a comfy chair, and a delightful mystery – what could be better? Three top authors in the mystery genre have new books out this month. One of my favorite authors, Susan Wittig Albert continues her tales of herbalist/amateur sleuth China Bayles with her new book, HOLLY BLUES. It’s a battle of the current wife vs. the ex-wife when China’s husband, Mike…

One day, I got this funky, crazy idea. The timing was right, so I decided to give this romance writing thing a shot. The analytical side of me took over and I spent three months researching the industry. Terms like ‘unique voice’, ‘interesting story premise’, and ‘strong characterization’ kept popping up. Did I know what any of this meant? Uuh…didn’t have a clue. Well of course the first question that popped in my head was what would be the premise of my story. That’s when I sat down and thought back over my experience as a community public health educator for the past twenty-five years. Every day, I interact with individuals who struggle with chronic diseases and wage war to find quality treatment within a fractured healthcare system. Despite their failures and the socio-economic deterrents woven around their lives, many have fought to overcome issues we couldn’t wrap two thoughts around. Why? Someone came along and dared to love them during the most hideous time in their lives. Interesting story premise, huh? Hmmm…let’s see. What if I took a real-life issue from my experience as a health educator and put a romantic spin to it? I used domestic violence as…

April 2010On Sale: March 30, 2010336 pages ISBN: 0385342241EAN: 9780385342247Trade Size$15.00 Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com Second Time Aroundby Beth Kendrick From the author of “The Pre-Nup” comes this novel that focuses on four college friends who learn that the grass may not always be greener on the other side of the fence. Every summer, four college friends hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something “practical.” Then an unexpected windfall arrives—one million dollars, to be exact—with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a novelist, an event planner, a pastry chef, and a bed-and-breakfast owner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past start to resurface. For anyone who has ever wondered “What if?,” this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances. Excerpt Chapter One “The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.” –…