About Ashley Weaver ASHLEY WEAVER is the Technical Services Coordinator for the Allen Parish Libraries in Louisiana. Weaver has worked in libraries since she was 14; she was a page and then a clerk before obtaining her MLIS from Louisiana State University. She lives in Oakdale, Louisiana. Amory Ames WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM Your newest mystery – AN ACT OF VILLAINY – involves actors and the theater world. Was that especially fun to write about? It was incredibly fun! I have always been fascinated by the theater world. There’s something so magical about being transported to another place through the actions of the people onstage. I liked the idea of inserting Amory and Milo into the sphere of bright lights and entertainment and then incorporating a sinister element. A theater is, after all, an excellent backdrop for a dramatic murder mystery! I love the level of detail you put into each “Amory Ames” story, like with the perfume trivia in your most recent book THE ESSENCE OF MALICE. How much research is involved with each book you write? Some books, like THE ESSENCE OF MALICE, require more research than others. I didn’t know much about the various…

So you are the infamous Gray Rogers — former Navy SEAL, current “Mountain Mercenary”. What can you tell us about this group you belong to and how is it different from when you were in the military? We don’t exactly advertise our services. For the most part the Mountain Mercenaries are kept on the “down low” but we are allowed to talk about our group on an as needed basis. We all have regular “day” jobs for anyone who decides to dig into our background. The men on our team are all retired Special Forces soldiers from all branches of the military. In many ways, being a part of the Mountain Mercenaries is better than being in the military because of the lack of bureaucracy, our handler, Rex, deals with all that, we are left alone to get the job done. And we always get the job done. Your last assignment was suppose to be an information seeking assignment to gather intel on a kidnapping ring. But it turned a bit different. Give us a rundown of your mission. Right. Black and I were to intercept a boat in the Pacific and get information about a well-known human trafficker. Imagine…

I’ve been drinking tea all my life. My mom served me tea with lemon in winter after I played in the snow. She added orange juice when I caught a cold. As I grew older, my dad might add a shot of whisky for a sore throat! My tea drinking days followed me through life as green tea and anti-oxidant information became more available. However, as I visited tea rooms over the years and began writing my Daisy’s Tea Garden cozy mystery series, I researched and tasted many more types of tea. Using tea bags for hot tea and brewing iced tea had been convenient. But exploring loose teas opened up another whole world of tea drinking. Loose teas are easy to brew and can provide a variety of flavors that are unique. For me tea is no longer about dipping a teabag into water heated in a microwave. It’s a calming process that involves aroma as well as taste, sharing and experimentation with mixing and combining to develop my own favorite taste sets. I have to admit I was mostly a tea bag connoisseur before the past few years. I would use tea pots to keep water warm for…

By Rebecca Adler Try not to judge…but I’m having an affair with my air conditioner. In spite of my desire to cling like a limpet to this hardworking, life-giving, and mechanical knight in shining armor, I still crave the outdoors: the sound of birdsong, the touch of a gentle breeze, the sight of squirrels and rabbits frolicking in the cool of the morning. Every day before the temperatures in Texas soar to a brain-frying 107 degrees, I step outside and greet the day. If you enjoy spending the cool of the morning or early evening outside, why not take along your favorite cozy to nibble along with your coffee, tea, or margarita? From the garden to the orchard, this week’s new cozy mystery boxset is sure to satisfy and refresh. DANGER COVE FARMERS’ MARKET MYSTERIES BOXED SET by Elizabeth Ashby, Gin Jones Danger Cove Mysteries From USA Today bestselling authors Gin Jones & Elizabeth Ashby comes a set of the first three full-length Danger Cove Farmers’ Market Mysteries featuring clever and witty amateur sleuth Maria Dolores, including: A DEATH IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Maria Dolores, new manager of the Lighthouse Farmers’ Market, has her work cut out for her when…

I have something to confess. I. Love. Mysteries. Not only do I write them, but I read them. Um, a lot of them. Not only do I nibble at their pages, but I consume them nightly on television. Why? There’s just something about the familiar characters, the sleuth and his sidekick or the detective sergeant and her trusty partner, that draws me in. I laugh at their silly jokes, bite my nails when they blunder into danger, and breathe a sigh of relief when they make it back safely to their apartment, cottage, or vicarage. The piece de la resistance is solving the mystery before my favorite detectives figure it out. Like chocolate cake, it melts in my mouth and makes my heart sing. What about you? Do you require your mysteries to be all sewn up by the end of the hour, chapter, season, or even—gulp–the end of the series? Regardless of your palate, this week’s cozy mystery new releases will help to satiate your love of solving mysteries, fighting crime, and sending those criminals where they belong, behind bars. BEACHES IN PARADISE by Kathi Daley Tj Jensen Mystery #9 Tj Jensen’s life is thrown into turmoil when a…

I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed the festive Fourth with a bit of fun, relaxation, and a good book. Now that the fireworks are behind us, I’m afraid only the lazy dog days of summer lie ahead. Ever wonder where the familiar phrase Dog Days of Summer originated? Blame it on the ancient Romans. They called the most humid, hottest days of summer “diēs caniculārēs” or dog days. The name came about because they associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius, known as the Dog Star. Why? It was the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major—which translates as large dog. You know what I find myself wondering? When will these dog days of summer come to an end…doggone it! The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the forty days that coincide with the sunrise of the Dog Star, July 3 through August 11. How do we enjoy our summer and survive the heat? Whether it be swinging in a shady hammock, nestling into a comfy recliner, or sprawling on a beach towel, keep your body hydrated with a cold drink and your mind refreshed with a cozy mystery….

Our reviewer Miranda Owen had a chance to chat with L.P. Maxa. Listen in as we find out some of the behind the scenes scoop on the three series. In HEART STOPPING Baze and Pen are star-crossed lovers given another chance to make things right. Is this a favorite trope for you? Was it hard deciding how much of their past to reveal in the form of “flashbacks”? Who are some of your favorite fictional couples – ones you’ve written as well as others from either books or films? Second chance romance is actually not one of my favorites. I don’t typically read a lot of novels with that topic, for some reason I tend to veer away from those. I think with Baze, his history kind of unfolded for me somewhere a long the way. I certainly didn’t plan a star-crossed lovers HEA for him from day one. My publisher will attest to the fact that I’m more of a fly by the seat of my pants type of writer. It wasn’t until Linc’s book that I finally decided to bring in Pen the way I did. As far as how much of their past to reveal or not,…

You have been a full time writer for several years. What’s the best and worst parts of your job? The best part is when my characters talk to me and give me direction or little bits of their past to work into the story. The worst part is when they stop talking to me. I have a plaque in my office that says, “I know the voices aren’t real but they have the best ideas.” Disclaimer here: When I’m writing their stories, they are very real to me. Do you have any habits or rituals that get you in the right mindset to write? Just to sit down in my office chair and get started. I can write in a hotel or in another place in the house, but I like my own chair in my own office much better. If you had to choose one career highlight what would it be? What are some of your goals for the future? There are several career highlights…winning awards, getting new contracts, receiving notes from fans telling me how much they love my books or better yet, from a fan whose life has been changed for the better by something I wrote….

Guest writer: Rebecca Adler First, a big howdy to y’all from Texas. Second, a big thanks to the lovely Kym Roberts for this opportunity to share all the exciting new cozy releases hitting the shelves of your local and virtual bookstores during the month of July. As a heat wave blazes its way across the country this week, I encourage you to declare your independence from the humdrum of work and responsibilities. Stake out those well-deserved hours, minutes, or even moments, of relaxation and repose by engaging your problem-solving skills in one of the most enjoyable ways possible—by reading a delightful cozy mystery. Whether you choose a title from a beloved author, discover a new favorite series, or both, this week’s new releases will make you glad you asserted your right to relax and solve a wonderful whodunit. THE CORPSE AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE by Carola Dunn Daisy Dalrymple Mystery #23 A casual outing to the Crystal Palace in London takes a mysterious and murderous turn in The Corpse at the Crystal Palace, the latest mystery in Carola Dunn’s beloved Daisy Dalrymple series. April 1928: Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher is visited in London by her young cousins. On the list of…

I love a Brit hero and Rod in TEMPTING BEAT is especially charming. How does he rate compared to other heroes you’ve written? Which are your favorite heroes you’ve written & those written by other authors? Rod was a blast to write. He’s always been so laid back and sweet that I wanted him to find the perfect HEA. It was also interesting to find what demons were hidden behind his cheerful demeanor. Favorite heroes I’ve written: Vincent in ONE BITE PER NIGHT, Razvan in IRONIC SACRIFICE, Radu in UNLEASHNG DESIRE and Klement in WITH VENGEANCE. Favorites by other authors: Rhevenge in JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Zarek in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter novels, and Preacher in Beverly Jenkins’s NIGHT HAWK. What made you decide to write a story with an older heroine/younger hero? I did it by reader request. Since I’ve always dated older men, the idea never occurred to me and when some readers asked me to, I thought I DEFINITELY should give older heroines some representation. And when one suggested I should have a nurse heroine, I was all, “Hell yes! I know so many amazing nurses.” Also, writing this book gave me a chance to…