In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

Summertime sucks the creativity out of me. I guess I should qualify that statement by adding Arizona summertime. The heat makes it hard for me to think. With the advent of the monsoons spiking the humidity, I'm darn near comatose.

But...the book must go on. Luckily, I have a co-author partner in the midwest who keeps me barreling ahead. When Joyce sends me a chapter, I can't ignore my duty. Truth is, the writing keeps me sane. I can block out the misery of summer when I am fully ensconsed in the lovely, cooler town of Wyatt, Arizona. Not to say I'm not having to scrape up my Muse from a melted puddle on the floor from time to time.

This fourth book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books will be Puppies, Yoga, and Murder. We've got puppy snatchers, yoga classes, and of course murder for sisters Em and Nic to handle. Here's a peek. These are the first few sentences of the latest mystery adventure:

Nic glanced at the time in the corner of her computer screen. “Where on earth did this day go?” Springing from her desk chair, she hit send on the travel article she’d written. Then froze. Should she have proofed it one more time? “Gah, don’t be neurotic.”

That doesn't give you much hint into the mayhem and murder to come. Okay, one more peek:

Emma shirked back from the bushes and halted her quizzical aunt’s advance with a raised hand. “Stop.” A shiver raced up her spine. A dead body. Ugh.

That's all the hints I can give. Besides, I'm up for writing chapter five, and I need to get back to it before Joyce catches me.

Although we live nearly 2,000 miles apart, we’re good friends and avid writing partners. We met when we both lived in Minnesota. This writing partnership now spans the Midwest to the West.

The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Series was born in an historical bar in a real-life western town in Arizona. With nothing but a title and a vague storyline, I wanted to venture into the cozy mystery world. I approached Joyce with my idea. That’s all it took. She was off and running. She is my synopsis hero. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoy writing them with my partner in murder and mayhem.

In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

I'm excited to announce the third book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries, Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder, is up for preorder. The eBook will release on April 30...but you can preorder now for it to magically appear on your reader April 30.

ORDER YOU COPY BY CLICKING HERE

If you're a print book lover, you'll be able to order your copy on April 23rd.

Joyce and I feel Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder is going to delight you! 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.

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. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, 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? 

The Chocolate Martini 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 they 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.

Would you like to read the first chapter? You can on my website: https://brendawhiteside.com/cornbred%2Crib%26murd-chp-one

In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

Although I'm a mystery/romantic suspense author, I decided to try my hand at writing for children. This was the result of a conversation with my then eight-year-old granddaughter. 

One morning, on the way into town to get donuts, Sadi expounded to me about how special her new puppy was, a blue nose Pit Bull, although he might be a blue Staffy. She also related her knowledge of the bad rap these dogs receive and why. An idea popped, and she was soon bouncing on her seat while eating her chocolate iced donut. We could write a book about Max and all his wonderful characteristics. As the months marched on, the idea took shape, expanding and twisting with imaginative tales. 

The Sadi and Max Chapter Books are directed at children ages six to ten. Sadi wanted to offer books that kids might be able to read on their own, but if not, a parent could read to them and help them learn to read. She also wanted to make it clear that the bully breed dogs can be loving family dogs. It's all in the treatment of them. She wanted kids to have fun with the stories. I think we accomplished what she set out for me.

We published the first book, sadi and max Have the Best Christmas in the Entire World, last year in time for the holidays. AMAZON BUY LINK

I've just published the second of her stories. I have no idea how many there will be—that depends on Sadi. When this project started, she was an eight-year-old. Now, at eleven, she’s growing up, evolving, and although her passionate love for dogs will never change, the amount of time she’ll spend with Nana weaving stories might.

sadi and max to the Rescue is available right now in print. The eBook version will release on March 19th. AMAZON BUY LINK

Yay for spring break! Sadi has a whole week to play with Max, the puppy she got for Christmas. But something is bothering her playful dog. When they bump heads, and Sadi hears a voice, could it be Max, and will anyone believe her? 

Max is happy to be part of the family. He loves his humans and the two old dogs that are now his sisters. But he left another sister at the rescue home of Talia Wagger. He knows his sister Rosie is still there and lonely. He has to find a way to get her adopted. If only his little human Sadi could understand him… 

A neighbor who needs help and a puppy who needs to be adopted are all part of the adventure in this latest Sadi and Max book. Now that they can understand each other, Max has mischievous plans, but he’s also a puppy with a big heart—he enlists his little human on a mission to rescue.  

Sadi Belle is a dog-loving young lady who attends grade school in Arizona. Practiced in the art of caring for and playing with her puppy and dogs, she loves to weave tales involving them. Her vivid imagination and big heart are evident in the stories she creates for Brenda to write. 

Brenda Sue writes in Arizona where she shares a home with her fishing husband and rescue dog, Amigo. She enjoys traveling and spinning tales with her granddaughter. She is an award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery under the name Brenda Whiteside. 

 FIND BOTH BOOKS HERE

In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

I don't know if all authors enjoy putting a face to their characters, I mean a face outside of what's in their heads. I don't like using people on my covers. Giving readers a preconceived idea of what a character looks like takes away some of the joy of reading, in my opinion. If I do my job, paint the picture, create my characters so they conjure visions in the readers' heads, how much more fun. And more than likely, from one reader to the next, they could possibly "see" the characters differently.

But as an aid for writing, and for fun, I search out famous or well known individuals to put a face to my character. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the characters Joyce and I visualize for our Chocolate Martini Sisters cozy mysteries. 

First off the sisters. Joyce writes in the POV of Emma (Em) Banefield. My sister is Nicole (Nic) Earp. We each chose the likeness of our POV sister. Joyce chose Carrie Coon:

Em is actually mid-forties so age Carrie just a little in your imagination.

I chose Laura Linney (also mid-forties) for the likeness of Nic: 
Book 3, Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder will release in April, not March as first planned. We have some real characters in this story. Bettina Mayweather is a bit of a wacko:

Her male counterpart is Bradley 

Brannigan, known as Bear. He owns Bear Ribs, a less than enticing barbecue

 ribs dive: 

And we can't forget the self-proclaimed ladies' man Leo Ragazzi. But alas, Leo meets a fate no one would envy:

There are plenty of other outstanding characters in all of the Chocolate Martini Sisters adventures. You can find them all here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ9T7ZBX