Terry Ambrose

Writing is like a good barbecue sauce, if it ain't bold, it ain't worth doing.

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Friday Fotos – under the shade of the kiwi vine

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Under the cover of kiwis
This is, quite literally, one of the coolest places to be. The valley where this kiwi farm is located was very warm, but the shade of the kiwis was very pleasant.

One of the coolest places we visited during our 2019 trip to New Zealand was a kiwi farm. It was a hot day in the valley where this farm is located, but under the shade of the kiwis, it was cool and pleasant. We weren’t allowed to pick the fruit, but we did get an education about kiwi fruit and how this golden kiwi is one of the best.

By the way, the kiwi is actually a Chinese gooseberry vine. Even though we didn’t get to pick right off the trees, we did go to a local store where there were all kinds of products to tempt the palate, including ice cream!

Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal.

Click here to learn more about the story of New Zealanders and how they came to be called ‘kiwis’.

Book review of Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush

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Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush

From the publisher

Barista Lana Lewis’s sleuthing may land her in a latte trouble as Tara Lush launches her new Coffee Shop mysteries.

When Lana Lewis’ best – and most difficult – employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café’s chances of winning the contest are creamed. In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of Devil’s Beach, Lana’s normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. Of course, Fabrizio “Fab” Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship. But when he’s found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana’s café, she becomes the prime suspect.

Even the island’s handsome police chief isn’t quite certain of her innocence. But Lana isn’t the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio. Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach.

With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana’s prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer. After all, she is a former award-winning reporter. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship – or will she come to a bitter end?

My review of Grounds for Murder

There are certainly no shortage of coffee-themed cozy mysteries and sleuthing baristas on the market these days. With that said, I enjoyed the coffee shop atmosphere and, of course, Devil’s Beach, Florida. After all, Florida is…well, Florida.

There are plenty of quirky crazies in Grounds for Murder. Those characters alone are sure to keep readers entertained. I was surprised by the sexcapades of the murder victim, which were never actually on the page, but did create a bit of a racy atmosphere in what would otherwise be a traditional cozy. The dialogue and plotting kept the story moving. There were red herrings that made figuring out the killer a bit of a challenge, but if you’re paying attention, you might have the straight shot on this one.

Overall, an enjoyable mystery that’s bound to please coffee lovers or those who need a little Sunshine State vacation without the hassle of traveling.

Learn more about Grounds for Murder and Tara Lush at taralush.com. While you’re here, why not check out my last book review, Review of Death in Tranquility by Sharon Linnea?

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Behind the story of Where There’s a Will by Judy Penz Sheluk

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Where There's a Will by Judy Penz Sheluk

Judy Penz Sheluk is a former journalist and magazine editor and the author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Where There’s a Will is the third Glass Dolphin Mystery.

Three books from the start

Judy said that while Where There’s a Will is a cozy mystery, there are no cats, crafts, or cookie recipes. At just 48,000 words, Judy describes the book as a fun, but fast-paced, story in which readers will learn more about ‘Bully’ (pre-emptive real estate offers), wills, holograph wills, and estate law.

“From the time I wrote the first book in the series, The Hanged Man’s Noose, I knew it would be a three-book series,” Judy said. “I also knew how it would end…at least from my main characters’ perspective. I’m usually a complete pantser, but in this case, I actually wrote the last 3 chapters first, though I did do a bit of editing by the time I got back there. I also knew I wanted to do something along the lines of an ‘Antiques Roadshow’ style appraisal day, with Arabella Carpenter hosting it, and I wanted her business partner, Emily Garland, house hunting. The way all of it converged was fun to write.”

Judy added that while this is the third book in the series, she believes readers can read it as a standalone, also. “Of course, as the author, I’m always hoping folks read the entire series, because I’ve done a fair bit of character progression,” Judy said.

Judy Penz Sheluk

A research tip

“I do a lot of research,” Judy said. “In this case, I interviewed two realtors: my nephew, Brian Sametz, and a friend, Carole McGill Plant. Both gave me plenty of material to work with. I also interviewed Daniel Fiorini, who is an estate lawyer. Dan said something that changed the course of the story: The dead can’t reach out from the grave. I loved that…even though it didn’t fit with what I’d originally had in mind for the plot.”

Judy also said that because she was a journalist for many years, she learned the importance of good research. “I love talking to experts in their respective fields. You can Google and Wiki search all day long, but 15 minutes with an expert will give you ten times the information, and tidbits and trivia you’d never find on your own – and it will be accurate. “

Learn more about Judy Penz Sheluk at judypenzsheluk.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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5 tips to avoid a package delivery scam

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scam tip avoid package deliver scams

Shopping online has become the way to go during the 2020 holiday season for most of us. For instance, we get packages delivered by mail, UPS, FedEx, and Amazon delivery. We’ve also heard how the delivery services are all pushed to their limits. With that in mind, I wanted to provide this post with 5 tips to avoid a package delivery scam.

Package delivery scams begin with an email or text

An email or text arrives in your inbox. Your first question may be, how do I know if the message is legitimate? Here are a few clues. First, watch for messages that have been personalized with your first name. Second, be on the lookout for messages that include one of these options. Third, you’re most vulnerable (and should be extra cautious) when you’re expecting a package from a particular shipper and the message says it’s from that same shipper.

  • An unexpected message with a link to check the delivery status of a package. (With UPS and FedEx you can request to receive status updates, so those wouldn’t apply.)
  • A warning that the package can’t be delivered until you update your delivery preferences or your personal information.
  • The package was ‘lost’ and recently ‘found.’ You can claim the package by clicking the included link.

Tips to avoid package delivery scams

Thanks to the explosion of online retail sales, package delivery scams have become much easier to implement. Personally, I know I’m more susceptible to this type of message when there’s a package on the way. One of the first times I saw this scam in action was when I actually was expecting a package and the message arrived a couple of days before my scheduled delivery. With that in mind, here are the first four tips to avoid a package delivery scam:

  • Don’t click that link! You know this, right? (As I mentioned above, this doesn’t apply if you’ve requested status updates from your shipper.)
  • Delete the message to avoid clicking the link by accident
  • If you know how, block the sender.
  • Spam text messages can be reported by forwarding the message to SPAM (7726) and then reporting it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Tip #5: What to do if you click the link by accident

Depending upon the spammer’s intention, one of two things might happen. First, it’s possible they might download malware to your computer. To avoid this, keep your antivirus and malware software up-to-date.

The link may point to a fake website where you’ll be asked for personal information, logins, or banking information. Providing any of that information will take you down a rabbit hole and into a realm where you definitely don’t want to be, so close the website, delete the message, and be glad you didn’t go further.

Click here to check out more of my scam tips.

Friday Fotos – looking inland from Queen Charlotte Sound

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Looking inland from Picton Harbor and Queen Charlotte Sound
It looks like this little town has almost as many boats as houses.

Last week I shared Friday Fotos – Picton Harbor calling, so here’s one looking the other direction. Picton is located at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. One thing I didn’t know was that this little town has one fifth of New Zealand’s coastline. It’s also close to Marlborough’s wine region.

While there, we were itching to do something that would let us walk. After all, we’d been on the MS Noordam for a while by this time, so we took a walking tour that followed a path parallel to the marina. Our guide was excellent and we learned more than our brains could retain about the local plants and wildlife. Our guide was actually from Great Britain, but was friends with the owners of the tour company and flew in to work seasonally. (Definitely not a bad gig if you can get it!)

Learn more about beautiful Picton and the Queen Charlotte Sound at visitpicton.co.nz.

More photos from Picton, New Zealand

Best vacation ever – a guest post for Abide with Me

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Best Vacation Ever is a guest post for the Abide with Me book tour
Abide with Me book cover

For our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband Don and I traveled to Wales. Our best vacation ever took place only a couple of years ago, but it feels a long time ago, since it was back in the day when one could travel and move about freely. We planned the trip partly because I had written the first book of the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn series (which is set in Wales) without ever having been to Wales. Progress on the second book was moving along and I realized, I needed to visit. As you can imagine, I was a little nervous. What if the Wales that I imagined as I wrote the books, was drastically different from the real Wales?

Well, a few differences jumped out as we began to explore. For one thing, a lot more sheep inhabit Wales than I ever realized. There are four sheep for every one person in Wales. Consequently, sheep began to populate my storyline. In fact, the sisters at Gwenafwy start a small flock of Mountain Sheep and a new character enters, Ben Holden, the caretaker of the sheep. 

Author Jane Willan - Best Vacation Ever

Another difference—and this might sound strange—but Wales is grander than I imagined with its vast green hillsides and stretches of rolling land. The landscape is no less than stunning. I occasionally have my characters, especially Sister Agatha, stopping to breathe in the beauty of the countryside. And as she should. The natural world of Wales is overwhelming in its magnificence. The climate is also windier and cooler than I had imagined. I bought a fleece the second day that I was there.

But lots of the Wales I imagined was the same as the Wales that I visited.

The people were incredibly friendly and down-to-earth.  Sister Agatha and her love of the Welsh people is well deserved. I met so many kind and generous people, it made me want to move there.

The churches and castles were exactly as I pictured them. In fact, they were even more of what I imagined. If that is possible. I stood in the pulpit of St. Asaph’s Cathedral—a pulpit where a major character in the story stands—The Bishop Suzanne Bainton. The pulpit and the cathedral itself were spectacular. The many castles, fortresses, and stone churches are now being incorporated into Sister Agatha’s world. 

Wales. A fabulous setting for a mystery novel. An even better place to visit.

Best vacation ever is a guest post by author Jane Willan for the launch of her cozy mystery Abide with Me. Learn more at www.janewillan.com. See more book news, including Author Interviews, here.

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