Category: Cozy mystery

Cozy mystery

It’s a giveaway

Jackie Layton

This week I’m participating a blog tour and a giveaway. Thanks to JustRead for hosting the tour.

Here’s the landing page with the stops. Be sure to enter the giveaway. https://justreadtours.com/2025/05/19/welcome-to-the-bleeding-heart-librarian-blog-tour-giveaway

May 19
Reading Is My SuperPower
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama

May 20
Beauty in the Binding
Life on Chickadee Lane
A Modern Day Fairy Tale

May 21
Only By Grace Reviews
Danielle’s Writing Spot
Christy’s Cozy Corners

May 22
Happily Managing a Household of Boys
Carla’s Book Crush
Britt Reads Fiction

May 23
Worthy2Read
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions
Hallie Reads

Have fun and good luck!

Joyfully,

Jackie

Cozy mystery

More Ways to Read

Jackie Layton

I’m excited to share that Bleeding Heart Librarian is available more places, and the paperback is now available.

Here are some of your options:

https://amzn.to/43oidOC  is Bleeding Heart Librarian Kindle ebook

https://amzn.to/44uXTfD  Paperback BHL

https://bit.ly/3Z3AEWz B&N eBook

https://bit.ly/4iYE4kj  B&N paperback

https://bit.ly/43oHk3M  Kobo USA

https://bit.ly/437hZtW  Kobo Canada

Also, if you are on Facebook, I’ll be doing an author takeover tonight at 7:00 EST. We’ll have fun and there’ll be prizes.

And beginning May 19, there’ll be a blog tour for Bleeding Heart Librarian. I’ll share more next time.

Cozy mystery

A Day in the Life of Emma Justice

Jackie Layton

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.

Here’s the link: https://drusbookmusing.com/emma-justice/

Thanks! See you there!

Cozy mystery

Bleeding Heart Librarian

Jackie Layton

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.

Cozy mystery

The Writing Process

Jackie Layton

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.

Cozy mystery

I Love My Readers

Jackie Layton

Because I love my readers, I’m participating in We Love Our Readers Giveaway.

The giveaway runs February 10-16.

I’ve included a copy of The Con, Book Two of An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series.

Professional organizer Kate Sloan is hired by Ben Houser to organize his office at Seaside Hideaway Resort on Fox Island. Ben tells everybody he’s planning to revamp the resort. Ben throws money around and convinces people to invest with him. The first problem is, Ben’s a con man. The second problem is, Kate finds his dead body.

The killer believes Kate has incriminating evidence, and she must solve the mystery before she’s next on the hitman’s list.

If you want to enter the giveaway, here’s the link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5492/?

If you win, you’ll get twenty-five ebooks and a $50.00 Amazon gift card.

Good luck, if you enter.

If you haven’t read The Con yet, and don’t want to wait, here are some links to order it.

Amazon ebook: https://amzn.to/3AzR6nO

Amazon paperback: https://amzn.to/4fYAhmR

Kobo: https://binged.it/3Z1bB73

Kobo Canada: https://binged.it/3XhE8Ee

B&N ebook: https://bit.ly/3MiI41g

B&N paperback: https://bit.ly/3Mjsfr2

Bookshop.org https://bit.ly/3ZnGqTh

I do love my readers. Thanks for your support!

Cozy mystery

Axe Me No Questions

Jackie Layton

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.

The eBook will be released on January 28, and here’s a link to preorder it. https://www.amazon.com/Axe-Me-Questions-Paula-Charles-ebook/dp/B0DF6Q2PF8?ref_=ast_author_mpb

In case you’re wondering, I’ll give this 5 stars on Goodreads.

Cozy mystery

Why Read Cozy Mysteries?

Jackie Layton

I recently talked to a group and not everyone was familiar with cozy mysteries.

I explained some of the fun aspects of cozies.

Small communities make good settings for cozy mysteries. They can be real or fictional. I created Heyward Beach for A Low Country Dog Walker series, Lutz, Texas for a Texas Flower Farmer series, and Fox Island for An Organized Crime series. In these tight-knit communities, my amateur sleuths feel comfortable asking people questions about the crime.

Most cozy mysteries include pets. I have dogs in all my books because I love dogs. (I’m allergic to cats, but they make appearances.)

Earlier this year, I was on a panel and our theme was Romcozies. Romantic cozy mysteries. The books have a romantic thread, but it’s only a thread. The main goal of the cozy mystery is to solve the murder.

There’s one more thing I want to include. Cozy mysteries are clean. There’s no blood and gore, no sex, and no foul language. One reader told me these some of the reasons she reads cozy mysteries.

I’d love the know why you enjoy cozy mysteries.

Cozy mystery

Heather Weidner’s Done it Again

Jackie Layton

Deadlines and Valentines: A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery is the fourth book in Heather’s series, and it’s out now.

Heather is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She’s also a fabulous author, and you don’t want to miss reading this book.

Fern Valley, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is ground zero for all things romance. The town has pulled out all the stops for the first Valentine’s Day “Love is in the Air” Book Festival with events like Death by Chocolate, author speed-dating, a character masquerade, and a male cover model fashion show.

Everything is candy and roses until the sparks start to fly. Jules Keene and her team at the glamping resort spend their time trying to tamp down fiery tempers because opposites may not always attract.

When a popular author with a heart of gold is found murdered in the barn at the resort, Jules has to find the culprit before more than just hearts are broken.

Here’s a link: https://amzn.to/4d8KnPf

Happy reading!