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 – Auckland skyline at sunset

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Auckland skyline at sunset
This was our view at dinner as we sailed out of Auckland. Normally, I wouldn’t shoot through glass, but the view was too good to pass up.

Ordinarily, shooting photos through glass just isn’t my thing. But, when you’re in the dining room of a cruise ship and the food’s about to arrive, that is definitely not the time to leave your wife at the table to try for a better Auckland skyline photo. As a result, there are some orange streaks reflected by the glass. The great thing was that I still got to enjoy dinner, didn’t get myself in the dog house, and got this Auckland skyline photo. What could better?

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

Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell

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Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell

From the publisher of Artistic License to Kill

Artist Amanda Trent, accompanied by her beloved golden retriever Laddie and her persnickety calico cat Mona Lisa, is determined to start a new life after her husband divorces her to marry a younger woman, but it isn’t easy.

After a disastrous interview at the prestigious Roadrunner Gallery in Lonesome Valley, Arizona, far away from her previous home in Kansas City, Amanda’s afraid that she’ll fail at her new career. But her prospects begin to improve when she’s accepted as the newest member of the cooperative gallery.

Then, on her very first day, she discovers Janice, the stern director, has been murdered right in the art gallery, and the Roadrunner’s members, including Amanda herself, become suspects. Which gallery member murdered the unpopular director? Or was the killer an outsider with an ax to grind?

My review

This craft-centric mystery focuses more on the world of crafts than the mystery. If that’s your thing, this is a good fit. Amanda is a likable protagonist. She’s just getting settled in a new place—both personally and professionally. As a result, there’s plenty going on. The story moves quickly, partially because of the writing style and partially because it’s short. At just over 200 pages, Artistic License to Kill is a fast read with little to slow it down.

The dialogue is realistic and descriptions are concise, which made it easy to stay involved in the story. While Amanda was never overly pushy about her sleuthing, she did turn up clues that ultimately led to the killer. I found it a bit difficult to suspend disbelief when Amanda had to escape the killer’s trap, but this fun read moved quickly and kept me entertained until the end.

FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.

Learn more about Paula Darnell at pauladarnellauthor.com.. Do you like author interviews? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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Crime Scene Connection by Deena Alexander

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Crime Scene Connection by Deena Alexander

Deena Alexander grew up on the south shore of eastern Long Island. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. Crime Scene Connection is her debut novel in the romantic suspense genre.

Faith and forgiveness

“My family and my faith are the two most important things in my life,” Deena said. “I write books about Christian characters who must depend on their faith to see them through the most trying of situations, while they struggle to find courage and strength within themselves. Family is also important to my characters, and they often put themselves in danger to save those they love.”

Though Deena feels it’s not always easy to forgive those who’ve hurt us, it’s often easier than forgiving ourselves. “In Crime Scene Connection, Addison Keller is on the run. She doesn’t know who to rely on for help; a stranger who pretty much despises her for sins she didn’t commit, a sister who’s been estranged for years after interfering in Addison’s marriage, or herself. While forgiving herself may prove to be too difficult, Addison knows she’s got to find a way or the guilt may just cause her to make a deadly mistake.”

A change in plans

Deena Alexander - Crime Scene Connection

“My husband works for the railroad, and I was thinking of writing a book about a terrorist attack on a railroad. I figured he’d be the perfect source of any information I needed. Unfortunately, the idea of someone using information I provided to actually attack a railroad kept me from writing the story. So, I started thinking, what would happen if a killer recreated the scenes from a novel, then challenged the author to try to find him before he could kill her?”

Deena said she loved the idea for Crime Scene Connection, but had a hard time getting it just right. “Often when writing a book, I just sit down and write the story from beginning to end, then give it a good round of edits before sending it off to my agent or publisher. I rewrote Crime Scene Connection at least nine times before being offered a contract from Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense. The record before that was a book I’d rewritten three times before it was picked up for publication.”

A cozy in the works?

“I think the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done for research was in preparation for a cozy mystery I haven’t written yet, based on a small antique village. I visited a place on Long Island with my kids called Barntique Village. At the time, my kids were twenty-eight, twenty, and eight, so it was difficult to find things all of them enjoyed, but we had a great time that day. My daughter and her husband loved looking at old antique bottles among other things, my younger two loved all the retro video game things, and I found a beautiful desk and several old typewriters—that sure brought back memories. Overall, it was a very enjoyable, fun day, and I’m looking forward to writing that story.”

Learn more about Deena Alexander at deenaalexander.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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Friday Fotos – Spitfire display at Auckland War Memorial

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Spitfire airplane inside Auckland War Memorial
The War Memorial in Auckland was a must see for us on our trip, but we never expected to see entire airplanes inside the building. This Spitfire was lowered through the roof and into a special room on the top floor of the memorial.

We expected the Auckland War Memorial to be an amazing place, and it fully lived up to those expectations. The most sobering time spent viewing the Spitfire display at the memorial was at the Roll of Honour, on which the names of New Zealand’s fallen soldiers are engraved. At one point, I simply sat and listened to the silence in the giant hall.

That mood changed to one of awe, however, when we entered the exhibit containing a Spitfire display. I found myself comparing the Spitfire, and its counterpart, the Japanese Zero, to today’s jets with their high-tech gadgetry. While there’s no comparison in terms of flying or fighting capabilities, the bravery of the men who flew those airplanes is equal in every way to that of today’s pilots. Which is why the Roll of Honour, with its thousands of names, lives on as a reminder of our past and the tragedy of war.

Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal. Learn more about the Auckland War Memorial at aucklandmuseum.com.

Review of Saint Vandal’s Day by D.E. Haggerty

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Saint Vandal's Day by D.E. Haggerty

From the publisher of Saint Vandal’s Day

St. Valentine’s Day is THE perfect day for a wedding. Unless a vandal is trying to ruin your life that is.

Callie is finally getting her dream wedding. On St. Valentine’s Day no less. Only a vandal is determined to destroy her bakery before the wedding can occur. Anna, self-proclaimed best cupcake baker this side of the Mississippi, is not letting anything happen to the cupcake bakery. No way. Barista extraordinaire Kristie jumps at the chance to help as well. Together the three women launch a mission to find the jerk who thinks it’s okay to attack the bakery.

Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes find the vandal and save the cupcake bakery before Callie’s dream wedding is ruined?

Cupcakes not included, although recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes are.

My review

Saint Vandal’s Day is a short, entertaining read. Told in first-person, present tense, this novella moves quickly without an overabundance of backstory thrown in. It’s unusual in the mystery genre in that there is no murder. The actual mystery is all about finding whoever is vandalizing Callie’s Cakes.

While the lack of a murder isn’t a deal breaker for me, I didn’t feel the problem to be solved was that compelling—probably because I haven’t read the previous books in the series and never found myself invested in the characters. The characters are certainly entertaining enough, but this is a story in which the plot takes center stage, not the characters.

Overall, I liked the pacing and the storyline and, for anyone who wants a short, purely-for-fun read, this is a winner.

FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.

Want more book news? Click here to visit my author interview page.

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Behind the story of Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy

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Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy

Meg Macy is an award-winning mystery author with a passion for cozy mysteries, gardening, and crafts. She’s written the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries for Kensington and is one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland for the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins mysteries. Two of her books, Wouldn’t It Be Deadly and Get Me to the Grave On Time, were Agatha Award finalists for Best Historical. Wedding Bear Blues is the fourth Teddy Bear Mystery.

Teddy bears and family first

Meg said she’d known about the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory in Southeastern Michigan for years, and even turned down a chance to tour the factory because she was busy with other things at the time.

“I figured it would always be there. Unfortunately, by the time I came up with a ‘teddy bear’ theme for a cozy mystery series, I was too late – the factory had closed up and the business moved to Missouri. Rats! But I did find some photos of the factor and the bears, so I decided to make my own version of a teddy bear shop and factory, plus the family that runs it.”

One of the themes Meg stresses in her books is ‘family first.’ Family, as well as her close friends, are important to Meg. “My protagonist, Sasha Silverman, believes in family first with her heart. After a terrible first marriage, she returned home to her family and appreciates their support throughout along with close friends in the small town of Silver Hollow. Although I’ve never lived in a small town, I’ve visited several. I know it’s true that ‘everyone knows everybody’ — and that gossip is ripe. I also stress that teddy bears are ‘childhood innocence’ at its best. My books include the terrible ways in which adults use these toys for drug smuggling and worse crimes, but justice always comes for them in the end.”

On the personal side

Meg Macy - Wedding Bear Blues

Meg describes herself as a voracious mystery and historical fiction reader. Her reading interests also influence her writing, which include contemporary cozies, westerns, and romance. “Everything I write has either a hint of mystery or a full-blown mystery involved. I’m also an artist – watercolors, pen/ink, and acrylic. I haven’t had much time to devote lately, but after this past year, I may try to pick up my brushes once more.”

The past year has been a challenging time for Meg’s writing. “It’s hard to drum up the creativity to write. To do anything, in fact, with all the bad news every day. I’m sure we all remember experiencing the same problem after 9–11. When New York City shut down, my brief ‘career’ writing puzzles, games, etc. for children’s magazines dried up completely. I had to refocus my creativity, which wasn’t easy. Sometimes these life-shaking events are just another door opening. I may be stepping through another next year. Time will tell.”

Inspiration in the stacks—real or virtual

“I absolutely love research. I remember going to the university library stacks in college and browsing through old books — there’s nothing like that smell of musty pages, and wondering who last looked up information inside that book, if ever. With the internet, we can now find things from so many other libraries and sources. The world opened up at our fingertips! While considering a sequel to my first published novel, Double Crossing, I happened to come across a printed menu on a website for a lavish dinner that took place in Sacramento in late 1869 for railroad magnates and politicians. That was the perfect starting point for Double or Nothing. Those gems an author stumbles over don’t come often, but they can be inspirational.”

Learn more about Meg Macy and Wedding Bear Blues on her website at megmacy.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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