Book Sale Limited Time Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder

 

While I work on book 5 in The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery series...yet to be named...you can take advantage of a special! And I'll let you in on a clue for book 5. Nic is on her own in this one. Can she find the murderer without Em by her side? How will Guthrie feel about that? Can ex-husband #2, a relative of Wyatt Earp, be of any help?

AVAILABLE AUGUST 13 TO AUGUST 20, 2026

It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder.

 

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park of their small town. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic is baking and has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement heats, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees.

 

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent?

 

In this cozy culinary mystery, these amateur sleuth sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If the Chocolate Martini Sisters can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first.

 

The third book in this amateur sleuths, cozy mystery series will have you chuckling and on the edge of your seat as the sisters solve the murder.

Let's Take a Look at the Skimpy Bikini with Susie Black

MUSE MONDAY

It's always fun to have to have Susie Black on Discover... This Muse Monday post is fun and informative. Who would think the bikini had a history? Read on and enjoy! 

As a ladies’ swimwear sales executive, I considered the bikini the one article of clothing closest to my heart.  Now that I am a humorous cozy mystery author, I write what I know. So, all the stories in my award-winning Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series take place in the ladies’ swimwear industry. So, naturally, my post is about the history of the bikini:

History of the Bikini:

The iconic bikini is such a summer staple that the style has its own day of recognition.  On July 5^th, we celebrate National Bikini Day. To see how integral a part of fashion the bikini is, it’s important to know how the style came to be. Here is a look at the interesting and surprisingly long history of this classic swimsuit style: 

Evidence of bikini-style women's clothing dates to as early as 5600 BC, and the history of the bikini can be traced back to that era. Illustrations of women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events in the Roman era have been found in several locations, the most famous of which is at Villa Romana del Casale.

Although two-piece bathing suits were being used by women as early as the 1930s, the bikini is commonly dated to July 5, 1946, when, partly due to material rationing after World War II, French engineer Louis Reard introduced the modern bikini, modeled by Micheline Bernardini. Reard named his design for the Bikini Atoll, where the first post-war tests of the atomic bomb were taking place. 

French women welcomed the design, but the Catholic Church, some media, and a majority of the public initially thought the skimpy design risqué or even scandalous. Contestants in the first Miss World beauty pageant wore bikinis in 1951, but the style was later banned from the competition. Actress Brigitte Bardot drew attention when she was photographed wearing a bikini on the beach during the Cannes Film Festival in 1953. Other actresses, including Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner, also received press attention when the stars wore bikinis. During the early 1960s, the design appeared on the covers of Playboy and Sports Illustrated, giving them additional legitimacy. Ursula Andress made a huge impact when she emerged from the surf wearing what is now an iconic bikini in the James Bond movie Dr. No (1962). The deerskin bikini Raquel Welch wore in the film One Million Years B.C (1966) turned her into an international sex symbol and was described as a definitive look of the 1960s.

The bikini gradually gained wide acceptance in Western society. According to French fashion historian Olivier Saillard, the bikini is perhaps the most popular type of women’s beachwear around the globe because of "the power of women, and not the power of fashion". As he explains, "The emancipation of swimwear has always been linked to the emancipation of women."^[1] By the early 2000s, bikinis had become a US$811 million annual business, and boosted spin-off services like bikini waxing and tanning salons. CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA 

Death by Coconut is the 7^th book in my award-winning Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series.

Blurb: Obnoxious Florida Mystique Swimwear sales rep Simon Posnick was universally despised by competitors, customers, and employees alike. So, the question wasn’t who wanted the lying, cheating, scoundrel dead. The question was, who didn’t? The Laurie’s Fashions' swimsuit buyer and Mermaid Swimwear President, Holly Schlivnik’s career mentor, Mariel Levine, is wrongly arrested for murdering Posnick by jamming the jagged edge of a coconut shell into the base of his skull. The wisecracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to flesh out the real killer. But the trail is wrought with more dangerous animals of the human type than the alligators and black pythons in the Everglades. Everything turns out differently than the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a killer hellbent on revenge.

Tagline: Lucy Ricardo morphs into Miss Marple

Excerpt: I reached into the well and pulled the lug wrench out. I ran back to the blue car and smashed the lug wrench into the driver’s side back window. It took three swings before the glass shattered. I used the lug wrench to smack the remaining glass shards out of the frame. I gingerly reached in and unlocked the door. I opened the door and hopped into the back seat, climbed over, and onto the passenger’s front seat. I opened my messenger bag and pulled out my cell phone. I clicked on the flashlight and leaned over to get closer to the body. Blood was splattered all over the car. I gagged as I recognized Avril Wilts’ blood-drenched tiger print jumpsuit on the torso draped across the steering wheel.

Alert the media. For the first time in my life, I didn’t burst out laughing upon discovering a corpse. Or the tiger print jumpsuit rendered me speechless. Flip a coin.

I opened the front passenger door and stretched across the seat on my belly to position my head under the body to check if she was breathing. I was careful not to touch or move the body. I didn’t need an MD next to my name to make a diagnosis. Avril Wilts was as dead as it gets. A half-dollar-sized round hole in the lower part of the front of her neck was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot from the .38 Special Lady Smith pistol clamped tightly in Avril Wilts’ right hand. A copy of yesterday’s East Coast Apparel News with the headline

Bikini Buyer Beats Bust

Coconut Killer at Large

was next to a blood-splattered, typed suicide note under Avril’s right hand. I twisted my torso into a pretzel and read the note: “I killed Simon Posnick. I can’t live with the guilt. God forgive me.”

****

Twenty minutes later, sirens shrieked a pulsing series of ear-splitting wails, and bubble lights blazed as Mo Lehrman, two sets of uniforms in two patrol cars, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s wagon carrying Jazzy and her team, a crime scene team, and an EMT crew bringing up the rear, all converged on the back parking lot of the convention center. Mo parked his car and joined our trio. He pointed to the body slumped over the car’s steering wheel. “Do you recognize the victim?”

            I nodded. “Avril Wilts.” I grinned. “It turned out she had a good excuse for not being available to answer our questions.”

A Bit About the Author:

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector and ardent sailor. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

Looking for more? Contact Susie at:

E-mail: mysteries.authorsusieblack@gmail.com

Social Media Links:

Blue Sky: @hollysusiewrites.bsky.social

Facebook: Susie Black, author of The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series | Facebook

Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries

Instagram: Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1/

Substack: Substack Home -Susie Black

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@author_susie_black_

X: Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) / X

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/susieblackwritescozies

Susie Black Books - BookBub

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21437641.Susie_BlackDeath by Coconut buy links:

 

Death by Coconut buy links:

https://books2read.com/Death-by-Coconut

https://books2read.com/u/3LPx00

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Coconut-Holly-Swimsuit-Mystery/dp/B0GX9FZDNP

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-coconut-susie-black/1149893841?

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Death+by+Coconut

The Life in My Head

Living a real life while living an imaginary life…

There have been books, plays, and movies about doing just that—The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Hello, My Name is Doris to name two.

Writers have a secret life. We live it in our heads before ever setting it to paper. I’m often inspired by real-life and turn the circumstances into fiction. Luckily, my life won’t be blasted across the silver screen so you can see how nutty I am.

The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books are a prime example of real life to fiction. My sister and I toast our birthdays twice a year with a chocolate martini in the historic Peacock Room in Prescott, Arizona. The people we have met while enjoying the atmosphere have lives we'll never know, but we can imagine. Huck is our favorite bartender. In all the years we've been doing this, we've only missed having him make our drink of choice once. Our alter egos, Em and Nic (The Chocolate Martini Sisters), also toast their birthdays twice a year, only their celebrations always include a murder mystery to solve. 

Twice a year, Emma and Nicole spend a relaxing weekend at the storied Dulce Inn in Wyatt, Arizona celebrating their birthdays. Toasting each other with a chocolate martini is their habit. But of late, knocking heads with surly Chief Homicide Detective Guthrie while solving murder mysteries in his town has given the sisters a reputation. Follow The Chocolate Martini Sisters for murder, mayhem, and fun.

Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder, Book 1

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder. 

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning. 

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.

Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder? Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder on AMAZON

 

Reading, Writing, and Murder, Book 2 

At the writers’ conference, murder tops the program. 

Aspiring mystery author Emma Banefield and travel writer Nicole Earp are excited to attend a writers’ conference during their latest sisters’ getaway. Nic’s birthday should be all about relaxation, writing, and a chocolate martini to toast another trip around the sun, but the climate at the gathering rumbles like a sudden desert thunderstorm. 

When sparks fly between the keynote speaker and her timid assistant over a handsome mystery author, the subtitle on this anticipated tranquil weekend spells drama. If a heated love triangle, bruised egos, and betrayal aren’t enough to upset the atmosphere, the conference banquet erupts into a drunken brawl and sends the place spinning. After a body is discovered, Nic and Em do what they do best—snoop—and become embroiled in a mystery that jumps off the pages of a true-crime bestseller. 

With more than enough suspects and little time, the amateur sleuths have their hands full finding the killer. But can the competitive Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime before the prickly chief detective does, or will a murderer outwit them all? Reading, Writing, and Murder on AMAZON

 

Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder, Book 3 

It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder. 

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park of their small town. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic is baking and has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement heats, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees. 

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent? 

In this cozy culinary mystery, these amateur sleuth sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If the Chocolate Martini Sisters can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first. Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder on AMAZON

Birds, Puppies, and Murder, Book 4

Lost puppies, endangered birds…

The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the small town community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire. 

When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. In this small town mystery, the stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will these amateur sleuth sisters expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them? Birds, Puppies, and Murder on AMAZON

Reading and Reviews (Gallant and Henderson)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

On Thin Ice (Edge of Survival Book 1) by Jannine Gallant 

After a shattering loss, Fiona put the pieces of her life back together, but can she escape the psychopath hellbent on revenge? 

One horrifying night, Fiona Ward lost her parents and her home in a blazing inferno and barely escaped with her life. Devastated, she testifies against the animal who murdered her family, but his incarceration comes with a steep price—sworn retribution. Standing between her and certain death is the U.S. deputy marshal who relocates her to Alaska, where she’ll face an unknown future with a grandfather who’s a complete stranger. 

Years later, Fiona Jones has found her purpose as an Alaskan bush pilot in the tiny wilderness town she calls home. But her peaceful world is upended when her parents’ killer escapes from prison, seeking vengeance. Now a deputy marshal like his father, Caleb Moss will risk his life to apprehend the fugitive and protect the woman whose courage he’s never forgotten. Together, they must outwit her devious nemesis—and the hidden menace neither anticipated. But for Fiona, her greatest challenge may be surviving the threat to her heart… 

My Review

I’m so glad Jannine Gallant has started a new series. I don’t know if the entire series will be set in Alaska, but I’m pleased this one is. I love a setting that is so real, it’s a character of the book. We are treated to a breathtaking opening for young Fiona. When it all starts to unravel years later, the action is nonstop and romance seeps in. This is an entertaining read for sure. 

https://www.amazon.com/Thin-Ice-Edge-Survival-Book-ebook/dp/B0FRT273RC/

The Body in the Belfry: An Izzy Munro Cozy Mystery (Izzy Munro Mysteries Book 3) 

by Alison Henderson 

When insurance investigator-turned-photographer Izzy Munro finds a vintage brooch tucked behind the sofa cushions in the cottage she inherited from her great-aunt in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, she never suspects the little pin will precipitate a cascade of events that culminate in the discovery of the body of a prominent local jeweler, hanging from the bell tower of the historic Carmel Mission.

Suspects abound, from the victim’s widow and stepdaughter, to a trio of shady jewelers known informally as the Cartel. The police are stumped, so Izzy’s boyfriend, an investigator with the DA’s office, enlists her aid as a volunteer consultant. With the help of trusty friends and three cheerful garden gnomes, Izzy uncovers secrets no one could have imagined. But when confronted by the killer, she must rely on quick thinking and her indomitable Burmese cat, Bogart, to survive.

 My Review

Ms. Henderson plunks us down in Carmel-by-the-Sea and aren’t we glad. Izzy is loving the town, although not so much murder. But she’s up for following the clues with a great cast of characters. You’ll be entertained with this whodunit. 

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Belfry-Munro-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FPDLS6XR/ 

Goddess Fish Review Tour Birds, Puppies, and Murder

The Review Tour has kicked off with two stellar reviews. Check out the reviews everyday and enter for a chance at a gift card. It's a win-win! This tour is thanks to Goddess Fish.

October 1: Gina Rae Mitchell
October 1: The Avid Reader
October 8: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
October 15: Country Mamas With Kids
October 22: travel the ages
October 22: nanasbookreviews

Lost puppies, endangered birds… The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire.

 When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. The stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will they expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them?

AMAZON BUY LINK

Blog Tour, Giveaway, New Release

Joyce and I are excited to start the blog tour for Birds, Puppies, and Murder, the 4th book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books.  We have some great tour stops with fun interviews, articles, and reviews. Stop in on each one and be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card. If you go in other than the listed date, you might have to scroll down to see our post. Hope to see you there! 

September 22 – Jody's Bookish Haven 

September 22 – Books1987 

September 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy 

September 23 – Salty Inspirations 

September 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea 

September 25 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog   

September 25 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews 

September 26 – MJB Reviewers 

September 27 – Socrates Book Reviews 

September 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A GoodBook   

September 28 – FUONLYKNEW 

September 29 – Sarandipity's 

September 29 – Maureen's Musings 

September 30 – Boys' Mom Reads! 

October 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners 

October 2 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews 

October 3 – Infinite House of Books 

October 4 – StoreyBook Reviews 

October 4 – Bigreadersite 

October 5 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read 

AND in celebration of our new release, you can snag a $.99 deal on the first book in the series, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder! One week only so don't delary. This sale is good for Amazon US and Amazon UK.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN96RS4G

Chocolate Martinis and Murder

Lost puppies, endangered birds… The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl.

Only ten days until the release of the fourth book in The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books. Birds, Puppies, and Murder is our most complicated plot yet in the series. We're so excited to get it out worldwide September 23. The sisters are up to their usual antics and all while getting their new businesses off the ground. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire. 

When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. The stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will they expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them?

If you preorder now, the eBook is only $2.99! 

Click Here: AMAZON

EXCERPT:

“We don’t even know if they’ve ruled it a homicide yet.”

“Do you hold sway with Detective Hakata like you do Rodney?” Lydia’s mischievous smile matched her teasing tone. “Friend to friend?”

Nic gazed on the colorful paintings of peacocks and Indian dancers on the far wall while seeming to consider how much influence she had over either man. “Yes and no. Ken was a wealth of information on our first venture into sleuthing. He became more tight-lipped on the following two cases. Because of Dawg.”

Her aunt blinked several times, not understanding. “A dog was involved?”

Nic joined Emma in laughter. “Guthrie’s nickname around the station is Bulldog. He’s a ferocious detective, although I’m doubtful he knows he has a nickname. Not the sort of thing he’d appreciate. Em and I shortened it to D-A-W-G. Dawg.”

Lydia clapped her hands. “Love it!” She chuckled. “So, he’s the dog, but he’s got his sidekick on a short leash.”

“Ha. Good one, Auntie.” Emma dabbed her lips with a napkin. “Guthrie didn’t like our interference on the first case. We were instrumental in leading him to the killer and, most likely, poked his ego.”

You can find all of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ9T7ZBX

Book Catalogs to Complete Your Summer

Stock up your readers up for the rest of the year...or at least long enough for those cooler autumn days to descend. These catalogs have some great offerings to get you through the last dregs of summer.

Kids are starting back to school. Get your new readers into some great chapter books! 

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Romantic Suspense in this August Catalog that is also Kindle Unlimited.

 

 
Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

How about a Romantic Escape in this Catalog of Books...oh, yeah, find your next Book Boyfriend

                                                Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Cozy and Sweet...the Perfect Combination for Some Great Reads!

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Books, Books, and More Books

Stock your readers up for the rest of the year. These catalogs have some great offerings...

A New Catalog of Amateur Sleuths
and Cozy Mysteries
You'll Not Want To Miss Opening in July

 

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

 

 

Kindle Unlimited Romantic Suspense for You
in This July Catalog of Books

 
Click the photo to be taken to the catalog



Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense free books in this July Catalog of Books



Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Books, Books, More Books

I have long been a catalog shopper. I find it relaxing and easy to flip through pages, then retrace my virtual steps to compare my findings. I love book stores, but on line catalogs grouped by genre are really fun too. I have three great offerings here, and my books are in all of them. I hope you find some new books and new authors to keep you entertained.

A New Catalog of Amateur Sleuths
and Cozy Mysteries
You'll Not Want To Miss Opening in May

 

Click the photo to be taken to the catalog 

 

Historical Romance Reads for You
in This May Catalog of Books

 
Click the photo to be taken to the catalog



Small Town Romance Reads to Keep You Entertained inThis May Catalog of Books



Click the photo to be taken to the catalog

Perils of Creating a Teen Amateur Sleuth by Susie Black

MUSE MONDAY

Susie Black is a welcomed guest here on Discover... Her muse has guided her to write a cozy about a young sleuth. She's here to tell us all about it on Muse Monday.

I am the author of six published humorous cozy mysteries. While my adult female protagonist in The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series is younger than me, the age difference between us did not present any verisimilitude issues when I created her personality, lifestyle, or career. One key element that made it easy is that she was based on me.

But writing a series with a teen amateur sleuth who again was based on me—this time as a high school newspaper investigative reporter presented several challenges that had to be overcome to make the tale realistic.

Fourth down…you’re dead.

How much danger could I/should I put my young sleuth into?

Would she tell her parents what she was doing or lie to them? The protagonist insisted on not revealing to her parents what she was involved in. I had to enlist the help of her Nana who figured out what Hannah was doing to convince Hannah to fess up to her parents.

Who would take a teenage amateur sleuth seriously? If she interrogated an adult suspect would they even give her the time of day, much less answer her questions? How would she know what questions to ask? Even her school friends asked these same questions.

If she had suspects in mind, how would she go about investigating them? How would she know what to do? How would she gain access to conduct her investigations?

If she did somehow discover proof that a suspect was the killer, would the homicide detective take her information seriously or blow her off?

While the series is based on my experience as a high school newspaper investigative reporter, I thankfully had never made such a gruesome discovery as Hannah White did. How should she react? Terrified? Shocked? Faint? I took a risk and had her react exactly as her wise-cracking, irreverent personality would dictate. And the result was one of the funniest one-line zingers of the story:

Dean gulped. “Who are you calling?”

“Donofrio’s Pizzeria. Dead bodies give me the munchies.”

 

So, how did I overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges?

1.     I created two adult characters who interacted with the teenage sleuth:

Bart White: Hannah White’s uncle and the defense attorney for the teenage murder suspect. He enlisted her to get the information he would be hard-pressed to obtain on his own.

H.S. Whiperski: A Private Investigator Bart hired to work with Hannah. H. S. tailored the questions to ask and the steps the teenage sleuth could realistically and safely take.

 

2.     I incorporated Hannah’s investigative reporter skills into how she approached suspects and the methods she employed to question them. Hannah questioned several teacher suspects under the guise of interviewing them for a story she was writing for the school newspaper.

3.     I created a group of Hannah’s friends called the Young Yentas who served as a sounding board for Hannah to bounce ideas off of and as assistant sleuths.

4.     I added a teenage sidekick for Hannah who gave her access to a key site at the high school to search for proof that a teacher had committed the murder.

5.     I created a school janitor who served as a trusted source of information, to bounce ideas off of, and who helped Hannah save a teacher’s life.

6.      I devised a “rope-a-dope” mechanism Hannah employed to interview suspects without them realizing what she was doing.

 

The Case of the Croaked Coach, the debut title of The Hannah White Mystery Series was simultaneously the easiest and most difficult manuscript to write.

Blurb:

There wasn’t an honest bone in Buzz Bixby’s body. The Encino High School’s head football coach was an equal-opportunity scoundrel. Bixby cheated and lied his way to the top and screwed anyone and everyone in his wake. So, the question wasn’t who wanted the coach dead. The question was, who didn’t? Student reporter Hannah White’s interview with the coach is a nonstarter when she discovers varsity football hero Dean Snyder standing over Bixby’s battered corpse holding a bloody trophy. Despite how guilty Dean looks, Hannah is convinced he’s innocent. When Snyder is arrested for Bixby’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to flesh out the real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a slinky, and nothing turns out how Hannah thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.

Excerpt:

I peppered Dean with questions. “Call 911? Try to help him. Check his pulse. Perform CPR? Anything?”

Dean hung his head. “No.”

 “What the heck is the matter with you?”

He bunched his shoulders.

“ If you’d at least called 911 he had a chance of being saved.”

He pointed the trophy at the corpse. “Is he dead?”

Dean bent over the coach’s crumpled body. “I’ve never seen a dead body before. How do you tell?”

The back of the guy’s head is smashed in like roadkill. How much more proof do you need?

I rolled my eyes. “Well, since he hasn’t so much as twitched, it’s a safe bet the next game Bixby coaches is gonna be played in the stadium located at the Great Beyond.”

Buy Links: The Case of the Croaked Coach: https://t.co/X2W29k2Why  

A Bit About the Author:

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, multi-award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. She has published seven books and # eight is slated for release in May 2025. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and is the mother of one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

Looking for more? Contact Susie at:

Website: www.authorsusieblack.com

E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com 

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