Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Olivia Blacke | Welcome to Cedar River, Texas!
Author Guest / March 26, 2024

Cedar River, Texas is a boring little town on the outskirts of Austin where nothing ever happens. Well, there was that big bank robbery back in the fifties, but that was before my time. It’s just far enough away from civilization to be surrounded by bucolic ranches and, of course, the Garza’s dairy farm (they have the best ice cream in the county) but is close enough that any day now it might be gobbled up by the “Big City,” as folks from around here call the Texas capital. My name is Juniper Jessup, but most everyone calls me Juni. I’m admittedly biased toward Cedar River because I grew up here, along with my two older sisters, Tansy and Maggie. I moved away after college but recently returned to open Sip & Spin Records, a vinyl records shop/coffee café with my sisters. Now that I’m back home, I remember why I adore this place so much. There’s nothing better than spending the day browsing the quaint Cedar Spines Bookstore or taking a two-step class at Boot Scootin’ Dance Studio. United Steaks of America is a great place to get a fancy dinner with a special someone, and if there’s room…

Olivia Black | Author-Reader Match: A FATAL GROOVE
Author Guest / July 26, 2023

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Olivia Blacke!   Writes: Light-hearted cozy mysteries set just outside of Austin, Texas where the only thing hotter than the cowboy-hat-wearing Detective Beau Russell is the weather. Luckily, you can dip into Sip & Spin Records, the local vinyl records shop/coffee café, where Juni Jessup and her sisters always have the perfect music selection and delicious caffeinated beverage to help you beat the heat, that is unless they’re off solving a murder at the annual Cedar River Bluebonnet Festival.   About: Must love unicorns! I’m a little nerdy, a lot awkward, and just the right amount of weird. Luckily, I finally found a way to put my Criminology degree to use by writing mysteries. And please, don’t judge me by my search engine history or any notes you might find lying around about how to get away with murder. They’re for research. I promise.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Appreciates a wide variety of music and isn’t afraid of…

Kym Roberts | Cozy Corner Interview: A FATAL GROOVE by Olivia Blacke
Cozy Corner / July 24, 2023

We Need More Olivia Blacke Books!  Cozy mystery author Olivia Blacke sits down and discusses writing, books, music, fairs, sisters, coffee, tea, hockey, and cows at the Cozy Corner.  I love coming across a podcast featuring an author I haven’t read. I love it even more when that author is funny, interesting and a genuinely nice person. That’s what I discovered one afternoon, and when I read her book, I loved today’s author even more. But the true test came when I reached out to Olivia Blacke and found out she is the exactly the kind of author you want to meet at a book signing. She’s down to earth, relatable, and thoroughly entertaining. Just read on and find out!   Kym: Hi Olivia! Congrats on July 25th release of your second Record Shop Mystery, A FATAL GROOVE. Can you tell our readers a bit about your three sisters, Juni, Tansy and Maggie who run this fantastic record shop with a coffee shop in its midst called Sip &Spin Records which is located in the outskirts of Austin, Texas. What makes these three work so great together and do you have siblings you’ve worked with before?  Olivia: Juni, the main…

Olivia Blacke | Music, Macchiatos, and Mystery
Author Guest / January 2, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? VINYL RESTING PLACE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Vinyl Resting Place blends murder, music, and macchiatos in a delightful cozy mystery. When Juni Jessup returns to her small Texas hometown, she and her sisters put all their beans in one basket to open Sip & Spin Records, the ideal place to enjoy musically-themed coffees like Espresso Yourself while listening to great music and town gossip, until – record scratch! – a body deader than disco falls out of the supply closet during the grand opening. Family is everything to the Jessup sisters, so when their off-beat uncle is arrested, they’ll do anything to help, including putting Sip & Spin Records up for collateral. Unable to face the music, Uncle Calvin takes off, leaving the future of the shop in peril. Can Juni and her sisters catch the real killer before the trail – and the coffee – goes cold?   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Like Juni, some of my fondest memories involved my grandparent’s family-owned shop in a small Texas town. When I was thinking about a series that revolved…

Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup: KILLER CONTENT by Oliva Blacke
Author Guest / February 10, 2021

Looking for a Galentine’s Day treat? Author Olivia Blacke has a vegan-friendly cake ball recipe that is sure to delight. KILLER CONTENT’s amateur sleuth, Odessa, works at a bookstore/cafe and has a great group of co-workers and friends to share this with during after-hours fun.  Of course, we’ll be back tomorrow with the next featured author during the week-long Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup—hope to see you again!  KILLER CONTENT’s (Feb 2, 2021, Berkley) Odessa Dean isn’t much of a cook. When she decides to leave her hometown of Piney Island, Louisiana for a summer in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, she’s overwhelmed by the unique and ever-evolving flavors of New York City. From food trucks to pop-up eateries to the eclectic menu at Untapped Books & Cafe where she works, there is always something new for her to taste. As much as she loves sampling unique dishes, she doesn’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen. Not that it would stop her from trying to make something fun and tasty for her friends when they decide to throw a Valentine’s Day party after hours at the cafe! While cake balls and cake pops might be blase in Brooklyn…