Kris Neri’s Latest “Revenge on Route 66″ is a Fun Read

Revenge on Route 66

By Kris Neri

Copyright: March 2013

Publisher: Cherokee McGhee

Historic Route 66: With its signs for “New Dead Things,” the Biker Bunny Bin, and the Kontiki Pizza and Chinese Restaurant that serves only waffles – it’s kitchy, crazy, and fun. How appropriate that it would hold a place of importance to unconventional Tracy Eaton and her dad, aging Hollywood hunk, Alec Grainger.

Their Route 66 adventures always included a stay in Tecos, New Mexico, but their regular stop at Lucy Crier’s Lunch Pail Cafe is now a thing of the past, since Lucy plugged her ex-beau and went to the big house for murder. That’s why it’s perplexing when Lucy, safely ensconced in her cell, is simultaneously seen dodging traffic along Route 66. Naturally, Alec uses that mystery to lure Tracy and her sweetie Drew back to America’s Main Street.

But the road takes a darker turn when Woody Crier, Lucy’s smarmy son, turns up dead, and an even stranger bend when the FBI goes gunning for Tracy, calling her one of America’s Most Wanted.

She has no choice but to go on the lam, but this time, the Mother Road provides no escape. As the danger escalates, Tracy knows if she can’t cut through the web of secrets and lies shrouding her favorite haunts and the pasts of those dearest to her, everything she cherishes could vanish in a Route 66 minute.

This story is being told in both the past (through flashbacks by Tracy and others) and the present.  Drew’s movie star father cons her into joining him on a trip down memory lane on the Mother Road, Route 66.  This road is famous in both song (Get Your Kicks on Rte. 66) and television history (Route 66).

Tracy, her husband Drew, her father, and “Uncle” Philly are doing their best to solve murders, and find answers to a decade old murder.  The situations can be silly, masterful, or downright crazy.  But they all do what they can to survive.  In the end everyone’s secrets will come to light (hopefully) and Tracy and Drew will be able to enjoy some time together without worrying about being chased by cops, robbers, and thieves.

I’ve enjoyed all the Tracy Eaton books I can get my hands on.  This latest one had me glued to my chair for hours at a time (potty breaks are definitely needed) and I was sorry when the book ended.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher who only asked for a fair review.

Special Guest Post – Kari Lee Townsend author of Trouble in the Tarot

I’m taking another day off and turning the blog over to a friend and neighbor (we live in the same state) Award Winning Author Kari Lee Townsend.

TROUBLE IN THE TAROT (book 3 of the Fortune Teller Mysteries – March 5, 2013)

For psychic Sunshine Meadows, sometimes fortunes can be deceiving…

Lately Sunny has been experiencing a period of big opportunity: her business in Divinity, New York, is thriving, and Detective Mitch Stone has finally agreed to take Sunny on a date. But thanks to her clairvoyant abilities, Sunny knows better than anyone that life deals out bad cards along with the good.

When Sunny agrees to read tarot cards at the annual summer Solstice Carnival, she meets her Granny Gert’s “arch nemesis” Fiona Atwater, and is overcome by a vision of Fiona in a violent argument. Sunny knows trouble is brewing when Granny and Fiona start having squabbles all over town. But the fighting comes to a head when a local baker gets run over by a big white Cadillac—and Granny and Fiona are found at the crime scene.

Sunny knows she should step aside and let Mitch handle the investigating, but she’s not about to ignore her visions and leave her granny’s life in fate’s hands…

 

Granny Gert’s Top 10 Cookies for Everything!

 

• 10 ~ Romance ~ Hershey Kiss Cookies are so romantic
• 9 ~ Broken Heart ~ Double Chocolate Chip for when the romance doesn’t work out
• 8 ~ Loss ~ Raison Oatmeal Cookies for the old-fashioned comfort of home
• 7 ~ Anxiety ~ Molasses Spice Cookies ooze relaxation and warm your heart
• 6 ~ Illness ~ Peanut Butter Cookies give you energy and protein to fix you right up
• 5 ~ Anger ~ Oreo Cookies are great for attacking the cream filling and releasing anger
• 4 ~ Jealousy ~ Pistachio Cookies are such a pretty green to turn your mood around
• 3 ~ Celebration ~ Frosted Sugar Cookies are a shiny, sparkly party in your mouth
• 2 ~ Guilt & Innocence ~ Half Moon Cookies tell both sides of the story
• 1 ~ Perfect Cookie for Any Occasion ~ Special K Bars!

 

I grew up on Special K Bars and proceeded to make them for my family and pass on the tradition. They were the first cookies I ever made. So easy, yet they look like they took a lot of time. I usually don’t share my cookie recipes, but since you all are just so darn nice, I decided to share the deliciousness J Enjoy!

 

Special K Bars

 

1 cup light Karol syrup

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cups peanut butter

6 cups Special K Cereal

1 bag Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

 

Melt chocolate chips (double boiler style) on the stove. While chips are melting, bring 1 cup Karol syrup and 1 cup sugar just to a boil and then remove from heat. Stir in 1 ½ cups of peanut butter until melted. Stir in 6 cups Special K Cereal until mixed well. Press mixture into 9×13 inch pan. Pour melted chocolate chips over the top and refrigerate until hardened. Cut into bars and enjoy!

 

Kari Lee Townsend lives in central New York with her understanding husband, her three busy boys, and her oh-so-dramatic daughter She is the National Bestselling Author, Agatha & RT Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee for her Fortune Teller Mystery series. Kari also writes romance under the name Kari Lee Harmon. Small towns, mystical elements, quirky characters and a few chuckles along the way are what her books are all about. To find out more about Kari and all of her books, check out her websites at: www.karileetownsend.com & www.karileeharmon.com

 

Upcoming New Book Releases 2011 – 2013

Newest additions are noted with an ( * )

July 2011

First Frost – A Mythos Academy e-story – Jennifer Estep

Eye Spy – Victoria Laurie

Foul Play at the PTA – PTA Mystery #2 – Laura Alden

Touch of Frost – Mythos Academy #1 – Jennifer Estep

Undead and Undermined – MaryJanice Davidson

Skirting the Grave – Vintage Magic #4 – Annette Blair

Dragon’s Oath – P.C. Cast

Spellbound – Otherworld #12 – Kelley Armstrong

Bloodwork – Hallows Graphic Novel #1 – Kim Harrison

Dead Iron – Age of Steam – Devon Monk

Let’s Play Dead – Museum #2 – Sheila Connolly

Burning Down the Spouse – Dakota Cassidy

Vision Impossible – Psychic Eye #9 – Victoria Laurie

Night Veil – Yasmine Galenorn

Deadly Reunion – June Shaw

Let’s Play Dead – Sheila Connolly

Eye of the Tempest – Nicole Peeler

Aphrodite’s Kiss – Julie Kenner

Heartless – Gail Carriger

Chocolate Covered Crime – Cynthia Hickey

Bloodlust – Nightshade #1 – Michelle Rowen

The Silent Girl – Tess Gerritsen

Death of a Trophy Wife – Laura Levine

The Square Root of Murder – Ada Madison

Books Can be Deceiving – Jenn McKinlay

Guardian Wolf – An Alpha Force Novel – Linda O. Johnston *

Pie A La Murder – Melinda Wells

The Darling Dahlia’s and the Naked Ladies – Susan Wittig Albert

Wined and Dined – Cricket McRae

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – Jill Churchill

The Real Macaw – Meg Lanslow #13 – Donna Andrews

Ghost Story – Dresden Files – Jim Butcher

August 2011

Home Improvement – Undead Edition – Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs

Murder by Mocha – Coffee House #10 – Cleo Coyle

Shady Lady – Corine Solomon # – Ann Aguirre

Blood Sacrifice – Maria Lima

Tempest in the Tea Leaves – Fortune Teller Mystery #1 – Kari Lee Townsend

Where Demons Fear to Tread – Stephanie Chong

The Vampire Next Door – Ashlyn Chase

Crossroads – Anna Strong Chronicles #7 – Jeanne C. Stein

A Sheetcake Named Desire – Jacklyn Brady

Die Buying – Mall Cop #1 – Laura DiSilverio

A Killer Column – Mystery by the Numbers #2 – Casey Mays

Till Death Do Us Bark – Dog Walker #5 – Judi McCoy

All the Pretty Hearses – Mary Daheim

Tragic Toppings – Donut Shop #5 – Jessica Beck

Sookie Stackhouse Companion – Charlaine Harris

Deadly Reunion – June Shaw

Bitter Harvest – Orchard Mystery #5 – Sheila Connolly

Pleating for Mercy – Melissa Bourbon

Hellbent – Cherie Priest

Darkness Rising – Dark Angels #2 – Kerri Arthur

Flash and Bones – Temperance Brennan Mystery – Kathy Reichs *

Cowboys & Aliens – A novelization of movie – Joan D. Vinge *

Devil’s Business – Black London – Caitlin Kittredge

Basilisk – Rob Thurman

Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

All The Pretty Horses – B&B Mystery – Mary Daheim

September 2011

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion – Charlaine Harris

Baited Blood – Sue Ann Jaffarian

Must Love Lycans – Michelle Bardsley

Bloodstone – Nancy Holzner

Skating Around the Line – Rebecca Robbins #2 – Joelle Charbonneau

Sleight of Paw – Magical Cats #2 – Sofie Kelly

Mind Over Murder – Raven’s Nest Bookstore #1 – Allison Kingsley

Spider’s Revenge – Jennifer Estep

Goddess of Troy – P.C. Cast

Naughty in Nice – Lady Georgie – Rhys Bowen

So I Married a Demon Slayer – Angie Fox

Aftermath – Sirantha Jax #5 – Ann Aguirre

The Diva Haunts the House – Krista Davis

Button Holed – Button Box #1 – Kylie Logan

The Heirloom Murders – Chloe Ellefson #2 – Kathleen Ernst

October 2011

The Last of the Demon Slayers – Angie Fox

Flipped Out – DIY #5 – Jennie Bentley

Must Love Vampires – Heidi Betts

Mind Over Monsters – F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigations #1 – Jennifer Harlow

Liver Let Die – Clueless Cook #1 – Liz Lipperman

The Chocolate Castle Clue – Chocoholic #11 – Joanna Carl

Death by the Dozen – Cupcake Bakery #3 – Jenn McKinlay

Murder of a Creped Suzette – Scumble River #14 – Denise Swanson

The Wolf at the Door – MaryJanice Davidson

The Bite Before Christmas – Jeannine Frost

The More the Terrier – Pet Rescue #2 – Linda O. Johnston

The Hollows Insider – Kim Harrison

The Real Werewives of Vampire County – Angie Fox

One Foot in the Gravy – Nashville Katz Mystery – Delia Rosen

Darkness Unbound – Keri Arthur

Bloodstone – Deadtown #3 – Nancy Holzner

Destined -  House of Night – PC Cast

Much Ado About Vampires – Dark Ones – Katie MacAlister

Son of Neptune – Rick Riordan

How to Party with a Killer Vampire – Penny Warner

Skeleton Letters – Scrapbooking #9 – Laura Childs

Half Blood – J.L. Armentrout

November 2011

Kiss of Frost – Mythos Academy #2 – Jennifer Estep

Drink Deep – Chicagoland Vampires #5 – Chloe Neill

Magic on the Line – Devon Monk

Destined – House of Night – P.C. Cast & Kristin

Death on a Platter – Mystery Shopper Novel – Elaine Viets

Alpine Winter – Emma Lord Mystery – Mary Daheim *

Fighting to Survive – Rhiannon Frater

Physical Education – Maggie Barbieri

Darker Still – Leanna Renee Hieber

Courting Darkness – OW #10 – Yasmine Galenorn

Explosive Eighteen – Janet Evanovich *

Flesh and Blood – Kristen Painter

Virtual Virgin – Carole Nelson Douglas

December 2011

Shattered Dreams – Ellie James

Dead Bolt – Haunted Home Renovations #2 – Juliet Blackwell

Ghoul Interrupted – M.J. #6 – Victoria Laurie

Blood Wolf – Wereling #2 – Steve Feasey

Sheades of Gray -  Sheades Assassin Novel – Amanda Bonilla

Crops and Robbers – Farmer’s Market #3 – Paige Shelton *

The Real Werewives of Vampire Valley – Angie Fox et al:

LightBringer – K.D. McEntire

Bad Blood – Kristen Painter

January 2012

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller – Alice Kimberly

A Taste for Murder – Lucy Burdette (AKA Roberta Isleib)

It Takes a Witch – Wishcraft #1 – Heather Blake (AKA Heather Webber)

Silver – Tongued Devil – Sabina Kane #4 – Jaye Wells

Sins of the Demon – Diana Rowland

Shear Murder – Bad Hair Day #10 – Nancy Cohen

If Fried Chicken Could Fly – Gram’s Cooking School #1 – Paige Shelton *

A Demon Does it Better – Linda Wisdom

Charm Fall – Dark Elite #3 – Chloe Neill

Raven Cursed – Jane Yellowrock novel – Faith Hunter

 

February 2012

The Walled Flower – Victoria Sq. #2 – Lorraine Bartlett

All That Bleeds – New series – Kimberly Frost

Old Haunts – E.J. Copperman

The Wood Queen – Karen Mahoney

Phantom Conspiracy – Book 3 ghost series – P.J. Alderman

Almost Everything – Tate Halloway

Gem of a Ghost – Granny Apples #3 – SueAnn Jaffarian

The Nightmare Garden – Caitlin Kittredge

Infamous – Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

March 2012

Timeless – Gail Carriger

Sacrificial Magic – Downside Ghosts #4 – Stacia Kane

 

April 2012

Magic Without Mercy – Devon Monk

The Cat, the Wife, and the Weapon – Leann Sweeney

 

May 2012

The Christie Curse – Victoria Abbott (MJM & Daughter)

Timeless – Gail Carriger

Final Sail – Dead End Job Mystery – Elaine Viets *

A Deadly Grind – Vintage Kitchen Mystery #1 – Victoria Hamilton

 

June 2012

Corpse in the Crystal Ball – Kari Lee Townsend

July 2012

Beef Stolen – Off – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #2 – Liz Lipperman

Sometime in 2012

Dead Dutch – Maddy Hunter

The Hanged Man – On Her Majesty’s Psychic Service #1 – P.N. Elrod

The Charmed Pie Shoppe –  Pie Shoppe #1 – Ellery Adams

Old Haunts – Haunted Guesthouse #3 – E.J. Copperman

You Light Up My Death – Camilla MacPhee #6 – Mary Jane Maffini

Losing Clementine – Sue Anne Jaffarian

The Wurst is Yet to Come – B&B Mystery – Mary Daheim

 

March 2013

Trouble in the Tarot – Kari Lee Townsend

 

April 2013

Murder for the Halibut – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #3 – Liz Lipperman *

AUTHORS – if you have any additions or corrections of my list, please feel free to leave me a comment.

Hiss of Death truly a dead read.

Hiss of Death

By Rita Mae Brown and Sneeky Pie

Copyright April 2011

Publisher Bantam

 

 

Beloved authors Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-conspirator, Sneaky Pie Brown, sow the seeds of an all-new mystery featuring Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and that incorrigible corgi Tee Tucker. This time around, the onset of spring ushers in more than hay fever as the animal friends must come to the aid of an ailing Harry to sniff out the season’s first blossom of murder.

Ah, spring! The redbuds open, the robins return, and the days lengthen. People’s spirits lift—as do those of their animal companions. As a wave of tilling and planting sweeps over Crozet, Virginia, Harry is especially excited: This year is her first harvesting grapes to sell. But then a health crisis sends her reeling into the forbidding world of hospitals and doctors, treatments and procedures.

Surviving this journey will be tough, but Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker will do their best to steer Harry in the right direction—as will her ever-helpful husband, Fair. Others will have worse luck: An especially promising nurse’s lifeless body is discovered without a mark on her. Then another hospital employee, who had seemed in perfect health, is also found dead. It’s clear there’s a mystery afoot—and that’s one thing Harry and her menagerie can’t keep their noses out of.

 

Let me preface my coming remarks by saying. I truly love Rita Mae’s writing.  I’ve been reading her books for over 30 years, starting with a 2nd paperback printing of Ruby Fruits.

This new Harry book just isn’t up to her usual standards. It started slow, jumped into a murder that Harry gets drawn into, and spends the next 40 or so pages discussing cancer (an important subject of course but) to the exclusion of what I thought should be the story.  Then she gets into politics, which we all know from the papers is that Virginia is not a happy state for Gays and Lesbians to live in.

She just seems to be losing the sparkle that made the Mrs. Murphy series so much fun to read and try to figure out before the pets did.

I will say though that her new series, which takes place on a ranch out west has all the things that made me love Mrs. Murphy.  I hope she can find it in herself to pull it back together and bring the Mrs. Murphy books up to the standards that her fans have always expected and enjoyed.

 

This book unfortunately was a definite DNF

Upcoming New Book Releases 2011 – 2013

July 2011

Eye Spy – Victoria Laurie

Ducks in a Row – Casserole Mystery #1 – Liz Lipperman

Touch of Frost – Mythos Academy #1 – Jennifer Estep

Foul Play at the PTA – PTA Mystery #2 – Laura Alden **

Undead and Undermined – MaryJanice Davidson

Skirting the Grave – Vintage Magic #4 – Annette Blair

Dragon’s Oath – P.C. Cast *

Spellbound – Otherworld #12 – Kelley Armstrong

Bloodwork – Hallows Graphic Novel #1 – Kim Harrison

Dead Iron – Age of Steam – Devon Monk

Let’s Play Dead – Museum #2 – Sheila Connolly

Burning Down the Spouse – Dakota Cassidy

Vision Impossible – Psychic Eye #9 – Victoria Laurie

Night Veil – Yasmine Galenorn *

Deadly Reunion – June Shaw

Let’s Play Dead – Sheila Connolly

Eye of the Tempest – Nicole Peeler *

Aphrodite’s Kiss – Julie Kenner

Heartless – Gail Carriger

Chocolate Covered Crime – Cynthia Hickey *

Bloodlust – Nightshade #1 – Michelle Rowen

The Silent Girl – Tess Gerritsen *

Death of a Trophy Wife – Laura Levine *

The Square Root of Murder – Ada Madison *

Books Can be Deceiving – Jenn McKinlay *

Pie A La Murder – Melinda Wells *

The Darling Dahlia’s and the Naked Ladies – Susan Wittig Albert *

Wined and Dined – Cricket McRae *

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – Jill Churchill *

The Real Macaw – Meg Lanslow #13 – Donna Andrews *

Ghost Story – Dresden Files – Jim Butcher *

August 2011

Home Improvement – Undead Edition – Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs

Murder by Mocha – Coffee House #10 – Cleo Coyle

Shady Lady – Corine Solomon # – Ann Aguirre

Blood Sacrifice – Maria Lima

Tempest in the Tea Leaves – Fortune Teller Mystery #1 – Kari Lee Townsend

Where Demons Fear to Tread – Stephanie Chong *

The Vampire Next Door – Ashlyn Chase

Crossroads – Anna Strong Chronicles #7 – Jeanne C. Stein

A Sheetcake Named Desire – Jacklyn Brady *

Die Buying – Mall Cop #1 – Laura DiSilverio *

A Killer Column – Mystery by the Numbers #2 – Casey Mays *

Till Death Do Us Bark – Dog Walker #5 – Judi McCoy *

All the Pretty Hearses – Mary Daheim *

Tragic Toppings – Donut Shop #5 – Jessica Beck *

Sookie Stackhouse Companion – Charlaine Harris *

Deadly Reunion – June Shaw *

Bitter Harvest – Sheila Connolly

Pleating for Mercy – Melissa Bourbon *

Hellbent – Cherie Priest

Darkness Rising – Dark Angels #2 – Kerri Arthur

Devil’s Business – Black London – Caitlin Kittredge

Basilisk – Rob Thurman

Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

September 2011

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion – Charlaine Harris

Baited Blood – Sue Ann Jaffarian

Must Love Lycans – Michelle Bardsley

Bloodstone – Nancy Holzner

Skating Around the Line – Rebecca Robbins #2 – Joelle Charbonneau

Sleight of Paw – Magical Cats #2 – Sofie Kelly *

Mind Over Murder – Raven’s Nest Bookstore #1 – Allison Kingsley *

Spider’s Revenge – Jennifer Estep

Goddess of Troy – P.C. Cast

Naughty in Nice – Lady Georgie – Rhys Bowen

So I Married a Demon Slayer – Angie Fox

Aftermath – Sirantha Jax #5 – Ann Aguirre

The Diva Haunts the House – Krista Davis *

Button Holed – Button Box #1 – Kylie Logan *

The Heirloom Murders – Chloe Ellefson #2 – Kathleen Ernst *

October 2011

The Last of the Demon Slayers – Angie Fox

Flipped Out – DIY #5 – Jennie Bentley

Must Love Vampires – Heidi Betts

Mind Over Monsters – F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigations #1 – Jennifer Harlow *

Liver Let Die – Clueless Cook #1 – Liz Lipperman

The Chocolate Castle Clue – Chocoholic #11 – Joanna Carl *

Death by the Dozen – Cupcake Bakery #3 – Jenn McKinlay *

Murder of a Creped Suzette – Scumble River #14 – Denise Swanson

The Wolf at the Door – MaryJanice Davidson

The Bite Before Christmas – Jeannine Frost

The More the Terrier – Pet Rescue #2 – Linda O. Johnston *

The Hollows Insider – Kim Harrison

The Real Werewives of Vampire County – Angie Fox

One Foot in the Gravy – Nashville Katz Mystery – Delia Rosen

Darkness Unbound – Keri Arthur

Bloodstone – Deadtown #3 – Nancy Holzner

Destined -  House of Night – PC Cast

Much Ado About Vampires – Dark Ones – Katie MacAlister

Son of Neptune – Rick Riordan

How to Party with a Killer Vampire – Penny Warner *

Skeleton Letters – Scrapbooking #9 – Laura Childs *

November 2011

Touch of Frost – Mythos Academy #2 – Jennifer Estep

Drink Deep – Chicagoland Vampires #5 – Chloe Neill

Magic on the Line – Devon Monk

Destined – House of Night – P.C. Cast & Kristin *

Fighting to Survive – Rhiannon Frater

Darker Still – Leanna Renee Hieber

Courting Darkness – Yasmine Galenorn

Flesh and Blood – Kristen Painter *

Virtual Virgin – Carole Nelson Douglas *

December 2011

 Shattered Dreams – Ellie James

Dead Bolt – Haunted Home Renovations #2 – Juliet Blackwell

Ghoul Interrupted – M.J. #6 – Victoria Laurie

Blood Wolf – Wereling #2 – Steve Feasey

Sheades of Gray -  Sheades Assassin Novel – Amanda Bonilla

The Real Werewives of Vampire Valley – Angie Fox et al:

LightBringer – K.D. McEntire

Bad Blood – Kristen Painter *

January 2012

Beef Stolen – Off – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #2 – Liz Lipperman

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller – Alice Kimberly

A Taste for Murder – Lucy Burdette (AKA Roberta Isleib)

It Takes a Witch – Wishcraft #1 – Heather Blake (AKA Heather Webber)

Silver – Tongued Devil – Sabina Kane #4 – Jaye Wells

Sins of the Demon – Diana Rowland

Shear Murder – Bad Hair Day #10 – Nancy Cohen *

A Demon Does it Better – Linda Wisdom

Charm Fall – Dark Elite #3 – Chloe Neill

Raven Cursed – Jane Yellowrock novel – Faith Hunter

February 2012

The Walled Flower – Victoria Sq. #2 – Lorraine Bartlett

All That Bleeds – New series – Kimberly Frost

Old Haunts – E.J. Copperman

The Wood Queen – Karen Mahoney

Phantom Conspiracy – Book 3 ghost series – P.J. Alderman

Almost Everything – Tate Halloway

The Nightmare Garden – Caitlin Kittredge *

Infamous – Sherrilyn Kenyon *

March 2012

Timeless – Gail Carriger

Sacrificial Magic – Downside Ghosts #4 – Stacia Kane *

April 2012

Magic Without Mercy – Devon Monk *

The Cat, the Wife, and the Weapon – Leann Sweeney *

May 2012

Corpse in the Crystal Ball – Kari Lee Townsend

The Christie Curse – Victoria Abbott (MJM & Daughter)

Timeless – Gail Carriger

July 2012

Chicken Fried Corpse – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #3 – Liz Lipperman

Sometime in 2012

Dead Dutch – Maddy Hunter

The Hanged Man – On Her Majesty’s Psychic Service #1 – P.N. Elrod

The Charmed Pie Shoppe –  Pie Shoppe #1 – Ellery Adams

Old Haunts – Haunted Guesthouse #3 – E.J. Copperman

You Light Up My Death – Camilla MacPhee #6 – Mary Jane Maffini

Losing Clementine – Sue Anne Jaffarian

March 2013

Trouble in the Tarot – Kari Lee Townsend

AUTHORS – if you have any additions or corrections of my list, please feel free to leave me a comment.

Revolution Press Release

 June 8th, 2011

Fallen Legion, thefourth book in the Timeless series by Laura Kreitzer, is set to release this winter. Published by Revolution Publishing Inc.

Laura Kreitzer’s website: http://laurakreitzer. com

SUMMARY The full force of the Empyrean Guard leaves Gabriella trembling where she stands. Even with the Fallen at her back, she lacks the proper training and knowledge to win the inevitable Angelic war. In the Timeless Oblivion, Gabriella seeks the advice of the one person who’s never failed her and comes back with more than she bargained for. Now Gabriella must do the unthinkable: break the most important law the Celestial Gods decreed thousands of years ago to protect the Angels. Now that she’s crossed the line, will she

Got this from sister in law…. extremely funny!

Copy of a leaked memo from El Al to JetBlue employees

Subject: Unique aspects of a flight to Israel

Dear JetBlue employees:

Welcome to the El Al family – or as we say in Hebrew, Bruchim haba’im!

We’re so excited about our new partnership. We here at Israel’s national air carrier are eager to make this transition as smooth as possible and thought it would be helpful to sensitize you to some of the cultural differences you may encounter with your new customer base.

Security lines: Passengers are instructed to arrive at the airport six hours before a flight. This may seem excessive, but Israel ‘s crack security service demands it on the theory that no terrorist would be dedicated enough to spend six hours in a crowd of Jews. Kidding! The six-hour time period allows our security team to ask essential questions of our passengers, including “Do you have family in Israel ? Where do they live? What is the purpose of your visit?” It also allows time for the person behind you in line to ask the very same questions, in even greater detail. What you might call “intrusive rudeness” is merely what our people call “Jewish geography.”

Luggage: We allow each passenger to stow luggage weighing up to 6,000 pounds. Again, this may seem generous by American standards, but it is in response to our passengers’ need to bring books for their cousins in B’nei Brak, appliances for their neighbors’ in-laws in French Hill, and industrial-size boxes of M & M’s for Israeli soldiers.

Boarding: We board our flights for maximum efficiency, in the following order: Families with young children, families with six or more young children, families with eight or more young children, individuals with physical limitations, individuals with aches and pains that may be something but they won’t know until they see a specialist, individuals who cut in line.

Carry-on luggage: You may not think a double stroller, six Borsalino hat boxes, and a Samsung flat-screen television are able to fit in an overhead bin, but please don’t underestimate our passengers. During this portion of the flight it might be a good idea forflight attendants to retreat to the galley and have a beer. Or two.

Safety instructions: Hebrew is written from right to left. Similarly, in order to accommodate our passengers’ unique sensibility, our instructions are delivered backward. When we say, “Please do NOT stow items under the seat in front of you,” our passengers think, “I’ll damn well stow my items anywhere I want to,” before stowing them under the seat. When we say, “Please move freely about the cabin,” our passengers respond, “If they think I am budging from this seat, they have another think coming.” It works like a charm.

In-flight behavior: At some point during the lengthy overseas flight, bearded men will crowd the aisle, wrapped in leather straps and white shawls. Do not be alarmed! They will not ask you to join them!

Food service: As a Jewish airline, we serve clientele with unique dietary needs. Our choices include kosher, glatt kosher, kosher dairy, kosher meat, kosher pareve, glatt kosher dairy, gluten-free kosher meat, lactose-free kosher with nuts, lactose-free kosher without nuts, low-salt kosher pareve, high-salt gluten-free kosher meat, and “just bring me a box of cereal and some milk.” Remain calm and do not reach for the emergency chute.

Landing: Passengers will often burst into applause when the plane touches down in Israel . This is because  a) they are deeply moved by the thought of arriving in the Land of their Ancestors; b) they are still surprised, even after 60 years, that a Jew can safely pilot an airplane.

We hope you find these tips useful as you welcome El Al passengers aboard JetBlue.

What I’m looking forward to reading

This is a list of books that I’m looking forward to reading, and it continues to grow as the authors and publishers release the titles and release dates.  I hope it helps everyone plan their book buying budgets for the coming year or so.

If you spot an error in either the release date, or duplication, feel free to leave a comment so I can fix it.

 

June 2011

Sentenced to Death – Booktown #5 – Lorna Barrett

Twice as Dead – Odelia Grey – Sue Ann Jaffarian

Classified as Murder – Dean (Miranda) James

Finger Lickin’ Dead – Memphis BBQ #2 – Riley Adams

Grace Interrupted – Manor House Mystery #2 – Julie Hyzy

A Parfait Murder – Wendy Lyn Watson

Kitty’s Big Trouble – Carrie Vaughn

Smokin’ Seventeen – Janet Evanovich

Tale of Two Demon Slayers – Angie Fox

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells – Mystic Café #1 – Rose Pressey

Ink Flamingos – Book 4 Tattoo Shop Mysteries – Karen E. Olson

Bones of a Feather – Delaney Sisters – Carolyn Haines

Shadowwalker – Book 3 Stormwalker series – Allyson James

Pleating for Mercy – Melissa Bourbon

Hexed (Anthology) – Double Hexed (novella) Bk 4 Stormwalker – Allyson James

Blood Work- graphic novel – Kim Harrison

Hexes and Hemlines – Juliet Blackwell

Zombie’s Sold Separately – Cheyenne McCray

 July 2011

Eye Spy – Victoria Laurie

Ducks in a Row – Casserole Mystery #1 – Liz Lipperman

Touch of Frost – Mythos Academy #1 – Jennifer Estep

Undead and Undermined – MaryJanice Davidson

Skirting the Grave – Vintage Magic #4 – Annette Blair

Spellbound – Otherworld #12 – Kelley Armstrong

Bloodwork – Hallows Graphic Novel #1 – Kim Harrison

Dead Iron – Age of Steam – Devon Monk

Let’s Play Dead – Museum #2 – Sheila Connolly

Burning Down the Spouse – Dakota Cassidy

Vision Impossible – Psychic Eye #9 – Victoria Laurie

Deadly Reunion – June Shaw *

Let’s Play Dead – Sheila Connolly

Aphrodite’s Kiss – Julie Kenner

Blameless – Gail Carriger

Heartless – Gail Carriger

Bloodlust – Nightshade #1 – Michelle Rowen

August 2011

Cat in the Stacks #2 – Miranda James

Home Improvement – Undead Edition – Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs

Murder by Mocha – Coffee House #10 – Cleo Coyle

Shady Lady – Corine Solomon # – Ann Aguirre

Blood Sacrifice – Maria Lima

Tempest in the Tea Leaves – Fortune Teller Mystery #1 – Kari Lee Townsend

The Vampire Next Door – Ashlyn Chase

Crossroads – Anna Strong Chronicles #7 – Jeanne C. Stein

Bitter Harvest – Sheila Connolly

Hellbent – Cherie Priest

Darkness Rising – Dark Angels #2 – Kerri Arthur

Devil’s Business – Black London – Caitlin Kittredge

Basilisk – Rob Thurman

Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

September 2011

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion – Charlaine Harris

Baited Blood – Sue Ann Jaffarian

Must Love Lycans – Michelle Bardsley

Bloodstone – Nancy Holzner

Skating Around the Line – Rebecca Robbins #2 – Joelle Charbonneau

The Spider’s Revenge – Jennifer Estep

Goddess of Troy – P.C. Cast

Naughty in Nice – Lady Georgie – Rhys Bowen

So I Married a Demon Slayer – Angie Fox

Aftermath – Sirantha Jax #5 – Ann Aguirre

October 2011

The Last of the Demon Slayers – Angie Fox

Flipped Out – Jennie Bentley

Must Love Vampires – Heidi Betts

Liver or Die – Clueless Cook #1 – Liz Lipperman

The Wolf at the Door – MaryJanice Davidson

The Bite Before Christmas – Jeannine Frost

The Hollows Insider – Kim Harrison

The Real Werewives of Vampire County – Angie Fox

One Foot in the Gravy – Nashville Katz Mystery – Delia Rosen

Darkness Unbound – Keri Arthur

Bloodstone – Deadtown #3 – Nancy Holzner

Destined -  House of Night – PC Cast

Much Ado About Vampires – Dark Ones – Katie MacAlister

Son of Neptune – Rick Riordan

November 2011

Touch of Frost – Mythos Academy #2 – Jennifer Estep

Drink Deep – Chicagoland Vampires #5 – Chloe Neill

Magic on the Line – Devon Monk

Fighting to Survive – Rhiannon Frater *

Darker Still – Leanna Renee Hieber

Courting Darkness – Yasmine Galenorn

December 2011

Shattered Dreams – Ellie James

Dead Bolt – Haunted Home Renovations #2 – Juliet Blackwell

Ghoul Interrupted – M.J. #6 – Victoria Laurie

Blood Wolf – Wereling #2 – Steve Feasey *

Sheades of Gray -  Sheades Assassin Novel – Amanda Bonilla *

The Real Werewives of Vampire Valley – Angie Fox et al: *

LightBringer – K.D. McEntire *

January 2012

Beef Stolen – Off – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #2 – Liz Lipperman

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller – Alice Kimberly

A Taste for Murder – Lucy Burdette (AKA Roberta Isleib)

It Takes a Witch – Wishcraft #1 – Heather Blake (AKA Heather Webber)

Silver – Tongued Devil – Sabina Kane #4 – Jaye Wells

Sins of the Demon – Diana Rowland

A Demon Does it Better – Linda Wisdom

Charm Fall – Dark Elite #3 – Chloe Neill *

Raven Cursed – Jane Yellowrock novel – Faith Hunter

Shear Murder – Bad Hair Day #10 – Nancy Cohen *

February 2012

The Walled Flower – Victoria Sq. #2 – Lorraine Bartlett

All That Bleeds – New series – Kimberly Frost

The Wood Queen – Karen Mahoney

Old Haunts – E.J. Copperman *

Phantom Conspiracy – Book 3 ghost series – P.J. Alderman

Almost Everything – Tate Halloway *

 May 2012

Corpse in the Crystal Ball – Kari Lee Townsend

The Christie Curse – Victoria Abbott (MJM & Daughter)

Timeless – Gail Carriger

July 2012

Chicken Fried Corpse – A Casserole Lover’s Mystery #3 – Liz Lipperman

August 2012

Tempest in the Tea Leaves – 1^st book in the Fortune Teller Mystery series – Kari Lee Townsend

 

Sometime in 2012

Dead Dutch – Maddy Hunter

The Hanged Man – On Her Majesty’s Psychic Service #1 – P.N. Elrod

The Christie Caper – Mystery Book Collector #1 – Victoria Abbott (MJ Maffini & daughter)

The Charmed Pie Shoppe –  Pie Shoppe #1 – Ellery Adams

Old Haunts – Haunted Guesthouse #3 – E.J. Copperman

You Light Up My Death – Camilla MacPhee #6 – Mary Jane Maffini

Losing Clementine – Sue Anne Jaffaraian

February 2013

Trouble in the Tarot – Kari Lee Townsend

FB Has Changed the Rules, Read this notice

Facebook apparently has rules for pages that nobody knows about/pays attention to. But Facebook is serious, and they’ve updated the rules today.

These rules I’m referring to are about promotions/contests run on Facebook. They aren’t directed solely at authors, of course, but since many authors routinely post contests on Facebook through their author pages, I thought I should bring attention to this issue. Turns out that if you don’t follow the rules, Facebook can and will delete your page at any time and without warning.

First, feel free to read the Facebook rules straight from the company itself. It’s in pretty plain English.

However, for those of who would rather read my summary, please pay attention.

According to Facebook’s Promotion Guidelines (which includes contests, although they define them differently than how we commonly use the term), we:

1) May NOT hold a contest on our Facebook pages unless it is administered through a third party app and is placed on a unique page tab or canvas page.

2) Must disclose that participants are giving information to us and not to Facebook; must acknowledge to participants that the contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or associated with Facebook; and must have participants somehow acknowledge that they release Facebook from any liability.

3) May NOT use any part of Facebook’s features or functionality to enter participants in the contest. This means participants cannot be required to like a status/picture, comment on a status/picture, enter their own status/picture, or even like the page as a condition to be entered into the contest.

***You should read this last one again. If I’m reading this correctly, it means that we can no longer hold “Like my page and I’ll give away a Kindle when I reach 5,000 fans” contests.***

(Note: If you read the rules on the Facebook link, #3 and #4 are in clear contrast as #4 says you CAN do this. However, as #3 is the update to what I read just last week, I’m certain that it holds the most weight and Facebook will probably clear this up soon.)

4) May NOT use any Facebook features or functionality (such as asking people to “Like” something) in order to receive votes for a promotion. (I have to admit I’m not really sure I’ve ever seen anything like this; if someone can clue me in, please do.)

5) May NOT use Facebook to notify winners of any contest whether held on Facebook through the third party app or on a separate website (such as our author websites). This notification includes posting on our own walls, posting on winners’ walls, chats, and direct messages.

6) May NOT use Facebook in the name of a promotion (such as “Check out the Ashley March Facebook Contest”), nor any trademarks, copyrights, intellectual properties. We may NOT use Facebook in the rules and materials of any contest except as stated above in #2 as required. (Note: Because all of these rules are meant to govern us if we “communicate or administer a promotion” on Facebook, I believe this guideline specifically applies to what we post or link to on Facebook about a contest; see below for a run-around.)

In my opinion, what does this all mean for us? I don’t blame Facebook for protecting itself, but it definitely limits us to the point where we can ONLY communicate on the site. Of course, the point of having social media is to interact with readers, but I know a ton of readers who enjoy Facebook contests and a lot of authors (including myself) who have ran “Like Me” contests in the past in order to increase the number of readers on their page.

In essence, the only things we CAN do are:

1) Use Facebook to mention and provide links to contests we are holding elsewhere (unless it’s a Facebook contest; see below).

2) Continue to run “Like Me” contests on our author websites. However, we can only use Facebook to monitor the number of people who become a fan. We can’t use Facebook to advertise the contest because of #6 above and we can’t use Facebook to notify winners. Publicity for “Like Me” contests will have to come through Twitter (yay, Twitter, my new best friend!), newsletters, our own websites, etc.

3) Announce that you’ll run a contest AFTER you get a certain number of “Likes.” Then run the contest on a separate tab through the third party app or on your own website.

All of this is a big blow to author promotion, and I know some people are going to continue running contests as they see fit anyway. For me, however, I’m going to be following the rules simply because I don’t want to find out one day that my page has been deleted. If you know of any authors who are running contests on Facebook or are otherwise violating these rules, please let them know!

Author Rosemary Harris will be IN THE HOUSE May 19.

If you live anywhere in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens. Come out to meet

and greet NY Times Author Rosemary Harris.

When: Thursday Evening May 19, 2011

Where: Brooklyn Public Library (Ft. Hamilton Branch)

Address: 9424 Fourth Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11209

Time: From 6:30 PM until 7:30 PM

Ms. Harris will be there to meet her fans, talk about her books, answer questions, and if asked nicely she will probably sign a book or two if you have them with you.

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE !!!