Sharee Stover is back with a new romantic suspense, and if you enjoy romantic suspense, you don’t want to miss Deadly Badlands Pursuit.
It’s the second book in the Dakota K-9 Unit series.
A K-9 team has a witness to defend…and a murderer to track.
When Deputy US Marshal Gracie Fitzpatrick checks on a government witness, she unexpectedly walks into an ambush at Cameron Holmes’s ranch. She and her K-9 partner, Bane, fight off the assailant—but to protect Cameron, they must escape into South Dakota’s treacherous Badlands. Tracking dangerous enemies is what Gracie does, and Cameron’s life in witness protection has left targets on his back. With a killer waiting in the shadows, Gracie and Cameron must work fast to uncover the truth about who wants him dead…if they want to stay alive.
If you enjoy romantic suspense, be sure to check out Rhonda Starnes upcoming release, Smoky Mountain Escape.
Two killers on the loose and threats around every corner…
Sheriff Heath Dalton accidentally stumbles upon two gunmen trying to hide a body in the Smoky Mountains and barely escapes with his life. And when traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge finds herself stranded in the stormy wilderness with Heath, she now has a target on her back. They must work together to navigate the treacherous terrain and evade the criminals who are tracking their every move. Can they outrun their merciless hunters before they both lose their lives?
The story focuses on Mobile Cat Groomer, Molly Stewart. It starts with Molly visiting Lottie and Florence who are octegenerians and cat owners. The two ladies live in houses next door to each other and their Sphynx cats are sisters from the same litter. After Molly bathes the cats, they, and Molly’s own two cats who accompany her to pet visits, take off running for a spot between the two ladies’ houses. The cats come across a dead body lying in the tall grass. It’s a local woman, Carlotta Sykes, a nail technician. And she’s been stabbed in the neck with a nail file.
The local sheriff believes Florence and Lottie must be guilty. But Molly wants to prove they are innocent. She involves her boyfriend, friends, the postman, and people who live in the community.
You won’t want to miss the latest book by Ruth J. Hartman.
The third book in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series will release on April 29, 2025. I’m so excited and I want to share a little about this story.
Emma Justice is friends with the local librarian and brings her extra flowers once a week. On a hot July morning, when people are gathered outside the closed library past opening time, Emma calls the police. The librarian’s body is found in the building and beside the body is a pink and white bleeding heart plant.
Tess Carranza was a lovely person dedicated to children and patrons of the library in Lutz, Texas. Tess recently confided to Emma about her fear someone was using the library to gather information to commit crimes. Emma didn’t get the entire story from Tess before her death, but now she’s determined to stop the crime and catch Tess’s killer.
And, for the cover reveal. I am so thankful to Shawn Reilly Simmons and Level Best Books for this beautiful book cover! Thank you!
Stay tuned for more exciting details in the days ahead.
I don’t think anyone will argue that we’re living in challenging times. I don’t believe we should ignore what’s happening in the world, but we shouldn’t obsess over it.
One reason I enjoy writing cozy mysteries is because despite a tragedy, there’s a community of people who care for each other. This is true for the characters in the stories as well as cozy readers. I also like solving puzzles and it’s fun to read and write mysteries.
This is one of my favorite verses, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
What’s your favorite way to deal with stress? What’s your favorite escape?
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I’m looking forward to hearing how you handle the stress of the world.
I have a deadline coming up next week. It’s for the third book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series, Killer Secrets.
One thing I have struggled with in the past is timelines. So, I check and double-check to make sure the timing is right.
I have an editor at Level Best Books who goes through my story for developmental edits and redline edits. Still, when I turn it in, I want it to be as polished as possible.
Getting a book cover is one of the fun things. I’ve been blessed with great book covers, and it’s always exciting to see what the publisher has created.
After a cover is chosen, you get Advanced Readers Copies. Then, you get your author copies near the release date.
Do you have questions about the writing process? Feel free to ask in the comments or via social media.
In January, a local weatherman mentioned white pelicans had arrived in our area. Today, we just experienced the joy of spotting two white pelicans at our beach. People stopped and watched, and it was fun!
In the winter white pelicans visit Florida, but they can also be found in southern California and along the Gulf Coast states. In the summer adult white pelicans breed in colonies on lakes in western Canada and the northwest U.S.
The white pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish. I actually witnessed one of the pelicans dip his head into the water, lift it up, and swallow a fish. Brown pelicans were diving into the water to get their food, but the white pelican swam and ate.
The white pelicans are huge. I looked it up and they have a nine-foot wingspan! As we left the beach, we ran into a couple debating if it really was a white pelican. The man said they are not supposed to be in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in February. We told him he wasn’t wrong, but somehow, there they were.
It’s interesting how something as simple as white pelicans showing up unexpectedly can bring strangers together.
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope you find something amazing to connect you to new people.
I’m excited to share a little about Axe Me No Questions by Paula Charles. I asked Paula to tell us a little about her latest book. (Release date 1/28/25–preorder available now.)
Axe Me No Questions is the second book in the Hometown Hardware Mystery series. Dawna Carpenter was originally based on my grandmother who owned and operated the hardware store in the small town where I grew up. Friends and family have told me they hear and see me in Dawna, so I guess we’re more alike than I knew!
The town of Pine Bluff is fictionalized, but when I thought about what Dawna might be getting mixed up in during the fall, I thought of the Timber Festival my hometown used to host when I was young, and decided it was the perfect event to showcase the area and get Dawna tangled up in another murder mystery.
During the Timber Festival in Pine Bluff, the main even is a lumberjack and jill contest. While I’ve attended these type of events, I’ve only ever been an onlooker, never scrambled up a pole or attempted to roll logs in the water with my fast feet. Though I’m no award-winning axe thrower, I can wield an axe with the best of them to chop firewood!
Here’s the back cover info for Axe Me No Questions.
Heads are on the chopping block as hardware store owner Dawna Carpenter finds herself on the cutting edge of a murder investigation.
In the quaint mountain town of Pine Bluff, Oregon, fall has arrived and it’s time for the annual Timber Festival, complete with Lumberjack and Lumberjill contests, and booths serving spicy chili and creamy pumpkin pies. Dawna and her daughter April have plans to watch the logging contest together. She’s looking forward to soaking in all her favorite things about the season, which includes having a conversation with her deceased husband, who she is certain is still hanging around the house.
But when Dawna falls over the body of one of the lumberjacks, with his own throwing axe imbedded in his chest, her focus turns to murder. With the town in turmoil, Dawna takes Chief Dallas’s request to keep her ears open as a full license to snoop. Who had an axe to grind with the charismatic lumberjack? Dawna had better stay sharp, or she might be the next one to get the axe.
Thanks, Paula.
Friends, I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about the second book in the Hometown Hardware Mystery series.
Dawna’s back with friends and family in Axe Me No Questions. It’s a delightful follow-up to Hammers and Homicides in A Hometown Hardware Mystery series.
I was able to read and ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of Axe Me No Questions, and I was riveted. I love the characters, the small-town vibe, and trying to solve the mystery with the twists and turns Paula Charles throws at the reader.
When a dead body is found, Dawna is back to sleuthing. What an adventure it is.
Jackie Layton 