I hope you’re all having a great summer. I’ve been busy, including a trip to Gatlinburg to celebrate the birthday of my sister-in-law. It takes a special event to get this beach girl into the mountains.
The beauty of the Smoky Mountains was breathtaking.
We hiked, we got rained on, we played mini-golf, we got rained on, we ate out, we got rained on–do you sense a theme? We got rained on A LOT! But we had a great week! If you have the opportunity to get to the mountains, I strongly urge it.
Happy birthday, Carol!
Is it too early to think about Christmas? No. That’s why I’m participating in Cozies, Conversations, and More Facebook Group’s Christmas in July. The event is July 26, and I’ll be one of the hosts at 4:00 PM EST. I hope you can join us for the fun and prizes.
In October, I’ll be an author at the OBX Book Festival Books at the Banks! The beach is lovely in the fall. Books plus the beach? It sounds like a win-win. I’d love to see you there!
I hope you have fun plans for the holiday, and I hope you find time to read a good book.
We’re celebrating my sister-in-law’s birthday this week by hiking, playing games, and laughing a lot.
Happy birthday, Carol!
In book news, I’d like to introduce you to Annie McEwen’s book, Dead, White, and Blue.
It’s the 4th of July in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and no one is more excited than Emmy Cooper. She’s happy to be back in her hometown, settling once again into small-town living and helping her family run Cooper’s Cove, their lake cottage resort. Emmy and her teen crush, police officer Dean Erickson, are enjoying getting reacquainted, while she and bestie Whitney are closer than ever.Â
Lake Covington and its quaint namesake town are bustling with visitors celebrating during the annual three-day Independence Day Freedom Fest. Everything is Yankee Doodle Dandy until a local man with a reputation for trouble starts fireworks of his own. And the explosions just keep on coming when Emmy stumbles over a dead body at the celebrations!Â
The dead man is Jordan James, and as Emmy soon finds out, there’s no shortage of people who might want him dead. From a jealous jerk to a conniving cousin and even a former friend from his past, suspects are more plentiful than ants at a July picnic! Despite promises to stay out of the investigation, Emmy finds herself smack in the middle of it. Can she and Whitney figure out the truth and find liberty and justice for all?
Another cozy mystery that you’re probably familiar with, Bleeding Heart Librarian, begins on the 4th of July.
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.
I don’t know about you, but the first thing I pack when preparing to travel is books. Sometimes I’ve bought a book and saved it for the trip. And I always want to include a visit to at least one bookstore when I travel.
I enjoy exploring the world. I enjoy mountains, big cities, and other beaches.
Do you have your books picked out for summer travel? Or do you travel by reading books in different and unique settings?
Here are a few packing tips in case you do get to travel.
Sunscreen (Yes, I’m fair complected and need to pack it for any destination.)
Wear comfortable shoes, not necessarily new shoes.
Lots of people recommend packing cubes. What do you think?
A waterproof phone case is great for beach or hiking trips, especially if you’re going to see waterfalls.
Plan your outfits so you can mix and match. That way, you won’t pack as many items and you can buy more souvenirs (possibly books) to bring home.
I’d love to hear about your summer plans. I hope you have a great time wherever you are.
Who’s Emma Justice? She’s the main character in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series. She’s the amateur sleuth in Weeding Out Lies, Clover Covered Corpse, and Bleeding Heart Librarian (Soon to be released.).
I’d love for you to visit Dru’s Book Musings and get to know Emma better by spending the day with her.
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.
Jackie Layton 