Excerpt Wednesday feat. Puppies and Puzzles by Sharon Michaels

 

Reaď the Excerpt . . . 

Maya’s heart skipped a beat as she realized someone left what sounded like puppies on her doorstep. With a mix of confusion and concern, Maya quickly pulled back the blanket to reveal the adorable sight of three puppies cuddled closely together, their dark eyes gazing up at her.

Why would anyone leave three puppies on her doorstep?  

As she looked closer, she noticed a small brown paper bag at the bottom of the basket. Curious, Maya reached inside the bag and pulled out puzzle pieces. As she examined the pieces, she recognized the intricate designs as pictures from two cold cases she’d worked on years before. Her pulse quickened. Someone was sending her a message. 

About the book  

If you like a cozy mystery that has…

A fun, clean whodunit with twists and turns.

Three generations of one family sleuthing together.

Dog detectives sniffing out clues and bad guys.

A small town with hidden secrets.

A close-knit community coming together to solve crime.

… then this is the short read book for you.

Retired police detective Maya Thompson is enjoying her quiet retirement when her peaceful life is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of a basket of adorable puppies on her doorstep. Along with the puppies, Maya finds a set of puzzle pieces that seem to hold clues to two cold cases that have haunted her for years.

As Maya digs deeper into the mysterious puzzle pieces, she is drawn back into the world of investigation and soon finds herself on the trail of long-buried secrets and hidden truths. With the help of her furry companions, and an unexpected ally, Maya must unravel the clues before time runs out. 

Buy the book 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

The series . . . 

All available at link above

Meet The Character feat. Maya Thompson Canine Cozy Mysteries by Sharon Michaels

 

Maya Thompson, a dedicated 40-year police detective, was born and raised in a small town where she learned the value of hard work and perseverance from her parents. Her passion for justice and serving her community led her to join the police force at a young age.

Throughout her career, Maya earned a reputation for being fearless and resourceful, always going the extra mile to solve even the most challenging cases. Her sharp investigative skills and unwavering commitment to upholding the law made her a respected figure in the department.

Ten years ago, tragedy struck when Maya’s beloved husband passed away unexpectedly. After four decades on the force, Maya decided to retire, leaving behind a legacy of integrity and excellence in law enforcement.

She may be retired but she hasn’t left crime solving behind. Maya, her son Ethan, and granddaughter Lily along with their three canine detective helpers, jump in when needed to make sure their small town of Sunridge Junction stays safe. 

Your Kindle and Kindle Unlimited copies 

are waiting for you here:From Bestselling author Sharon Michaels on Amazon

Amazon bestselling author Sharon Michaels loves writing cozy mysteries filled with suspense, fun characters, smart animals, and maybe a bit of paranormal. Her short reads are sweet, clean, and fun.

You can find fun books to read on this page:

https://sharonmichaelsauthor.com/cozy-fiction

The series ...

Turning The Pages feat. Graven Images by Lori Roberts Herbst

 

The first line or two . . . 

A soft breeze wafted
through the aspen trees, sending dangling golden leaves into a frenzied dance

beneath the glinting sunlight. 

The scent of pine drifted on the wind. I turned my face upward and smiled at the warmth of the autumn

sun as it broke throught the low hanging fog. 

And on page 56 . . . 

A bit from chapter 10

. . . My father sank into the chair, looking forlorn. 

. . . He ran a hand through his hair.  "It's a long story Sundance...

The last page . . . 

Just teasing.  You'll have to read the book. 

About the book . . .

A photo assignment at the cemetery leads Callie Cassidy to a corpse—this one above ground. Now, her search for the killer unearths some long-buried secrets…

Callie’s mother Maggie, a notorious hobby jumper, has embarked on a new pursuit—grave rubbing. When she recruits her daughter to photograph her first endeavor at the local cemetery, Callie brings golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl along for the outing. It’s a breathtaking autumn morning in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. Golden aspen leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and the air is filled with the scent of pine. What could go wrong on a day like this?

Then, a ghostly woman emerges from the trees, bleeding from a head wound and claiming to have no memory of how she arrived, or even who she is. Maggie quickly identifies her as a woman who disappeared from the village forty years ago—without a trace.

If that’s not enough intrigue, Woody disobeys her and sprints deeper into the cemetery. When Callie catches up to him, he is sitting sentinel at the tombstone of a recently deceased villager. And behind the stone, a man lies on the ground—with a pickaxe jutting from his neck.

Callie recognizes him as the low-level mobster who has been dating her best friend Tonya’s mother—and they’d been having problems. Did Tonya’s mother kill the man? Could it have been the mysterious woman? Or maybe someone with ties to his crime family?

Callie can’t resist investigating—and this time, Detective Raul Sanchez welcomes her assistance. Because if they can’t solve the crime soon, the town may be facing grave consequences…

The series . . .  

Curl up with a cozy mystery series that leaves you feeling good!

Nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, Rock Creek Village is an idyllic hamlet with hardly any crime to speak of—unless you count murder...

You'll love following photographer Callie Cassidy, her golden retriever and tabby cat, and her quirky friends and family members as they solve mysteries in their mountainside town. Grab all five and start reading today!

Graven Images is available on 

Amazon.  Click Here

Linking at blog parties and FB 

Cozy New Releases

  

Updated . . . .I missed this one that releases on Thursday 

*Small Town 

*Cozy Mystery 

*Dog Detectives

*Amateur Sleuths

*Twists and Turns

Releases tomorrow - May 23rd!!! - Available for pre-order

Kindle - read free with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon U.S. Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVVGBX3B

Amazon Universal Link: https://mybook.to/CanineCozySeries

Double Blast 

by Gretchen Archer 

(Humorous Mystery)

Davis Way Cole returns to her hometown of Pine Apple, Alabama, to fill in for her police chief father during the bustling Memorial Day Celebration. It’ll be fun. Relaxing. And a no-brainer. After years of leading an elite security team at a billion-dollar casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Davis has no doubt whatsoever she can run little ole Pine Apple in her sleep. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Murder in the Air 

edited by Karen Cantwell and Cathy Wiley (Cozy, Short Story Anthology)

Soar to thrilling new heights of mystery with Murder in the Air, the fourth installment of the Destination Murders anthologies. This exhilarating collection features eight cozy mystery short stories where danger soars and suspense floats on every breeze. 

Available on Amazon 

Click 

Shanghai Murder

 by Jessie Chandler 

Shay O’Hanlon and her team of friendly misfits travel from Minnesota to Portland to attend the annual Big on Beans Convention—in search of a new joe for Shay’s café. The crew is poised to spend the weekend flying high on Voodoo Doughnuts and a surplus of caffeine. But bad java, stolen ammunition, and an overheard conversation throw all the fun right out of the Oregon Convention Center’s window. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here 

Swiped Here

 by L. M. Chilton 

(Mystery Romance)

Gwen Turner has made a bloody mess of her life. She recently broke up with the best man she’s ever known for reasons even she can’t admit to herself and quit a lucrative job to open her own coffee shop. To top it all off, her best friend is getting married and leaving her behind in singlehood. 

Available on Amazon 

Click 

A Cyclist’s Guide To Crime & Croissants 

by Ann Claire 

Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling—and to prove she made the right move.  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here  

The Diva Goes Overboard 

by Krista Davis 

In Old Town Alexandria’s unlikeliest match, Natasha Smith’s free-spirited mother, Wanda, is engaged to notoriously pompous antiques dealer, Orson Chatsworth—leaving Natasha to plan the entire wedding, beginning with an elaborate engagement party. For the extravagant affair, Natasha splurges on trendy food boards created by rising social media star, Stella St. James. The sumptuous boards go way beyond basic cheese and crackers, as Stella dazzles guests with picture-worthy butter boards, dessert boards, and even doughnut boards. Just as Natasha planned, the food is to die for—until someone actually does. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Limited Edition Murder 

by Lauren Elliott 

Although enjoying her extended stay working at Second Chance Books and Bindery in West Yorkshire, Addie still feels adrift—far from home, her friends, and her own beloved bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios. The engagement party of her dear friend, Tony, at Milton Manor promises to be a joyful distraction. But there’s an ill wind blowing at the estate: When Tony presents his fiancé with a special copy of Wuthering Heights as an engagement gift, the lord of the manor insists the book was stolen from his library . . . 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here 

A Pose Before Dying 

by Alex Erickson 

Ashley Branson has a lot to prove with her new cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. It’s a place for humans to find inner wellness—and adopt adorable cats from the local shelter. It’s also a chance for Ash to run her own life, out from under her overbearing mother and a stifling relationship. So far, so successful. Until she discovers one of her new clients, a much-disliked college professor, dead in her studio, locked in child’s pose. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Death Behind Every Door 

by Heather Graham (Traditional Mystery) 

When FBI special agent Luke Kendrick discovers chilling evidence of dozens of victims at a crime scene in London, he recognizes the calling card of the notorious H. H. Holmes Society. Named for the eighteenth-century monster regarded as America’s first serial killer, the society is comprised of a twisted web of killers, working to carry out heinous murders in Holmes’s memory. And now the group’s been linked to a Scottish castle turned B and B—where guests check in but never check out. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Lights, Camera, Bones

 by Carolyn Haines 

Delaney Detective Agency gets a taste of the spotlight when they are called to a case on a movie set in Greenville, MS, right on the Mississippi River. Marlon Brandon, heir to a wealthy and influential political family, has brought a film crew to town to film a drama about the 1927 flood that submerged a great deal of Greenville. Marlon wants the world to know the story of the flood—and the heroic role the Brandon ancestors played in rescuing dozens of local residents from drowning. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here 

Murder at the Spelling Bee 

by Lee Hollis

Twelve-year-old Rocco Fanelli is a spelling bee champ in the making. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the local middle-school bee and go on to the regionals, the state, and ultimately the nationals. Which is why someone is trying to intimidate him to drop out with a threatening note in his locker. Rocco’s concerned parents hire Maya and Sandra to uncover the culprit and ensure their son’s safety  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

The Last to Pie 

by Misha Popp 

Daisy Ellery is back to doing what she does best: making pies and killing guys. And it’s about to get more dangerous than ever. Daisy knows the statistic–domestic violence perpetrated by cops is rampant. It was only a matter of time before she was called in to help. But when this request arrives in her inbox, it isn’t accompanied by the required referral and that makes Daisy nervous. Is this really a woman trapped in a violent relationship, or is it a shady cop trying to uncover Daisy’s murdery side hustle? 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Sentenced To Murder 

by Sue Minix 

Just as Jen sits down to start writing her next murder mystery novel, she stumbles across a chilling real-life case: a man who claims he’s been wrongly convicted for murder. Time is running out for Jaylon as he needs a kidney transplant to save his life, something he’ll never receive while he’s in prison for murder.  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Main Character Monday A Visit with Callie Cassidy

 Meet Callie the Main Character in the series by Author Lorie Roberts Herbst

. . . 

Back in the 1930s, Thomas Wolfe wrote You Can’t Go Home Again. I admit I’ve never read the book, but I can tell you from experience that the title is a lie.

I went home again, and it was the best thing I ever did.

My name is Callie Cassidy—or Callahan Maureen Cassidy, as my mother used to refer to me when I’d done something to frustrate her. (I say that as if it were past tense, but in the interest of truth, I still hear my full name on her lips occasionally.) I was born in Rock Creek Village, Colorado, a small, sweet mountainside town nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. My childhood—if unremarkable—was a happy one, complete with parents who loved (and still love) me, a tribe of friends, and a beautiful landscape in which to practice the craft of photography.

But I was one of those teenagers who couldn’t wait to fly far from the nest. The small-town vibe bored me, and I dreamed of the day I’d escape to the big city, where my fantasies told me excitement abounded. So when I graduated from high school, I set off for college in Austin, Texas. It was everything I hoped it would be, and I vowed never again to live in anywhere with a population of less than a million souls. For the next twenty-plus years, I kept that promise while I chased my whirlwind career as an investigative photojournalist, reaching a pinnacle when I snagged my dream job at The Washington Sentinel. Rock Creek Village became a distant blur in my rearview mirror.

I thought busy and successful meant happy—at least for a time. Who needed friends? When I got lonely, I adopted a loving golden retriever and named him Woody, after Bob Woodward, one of my journalistic heroes.

Then, about a year ago, a lapse in my judgment led to devastating mistake at the newspaper, and I knew I could never make it right. So I did what thousands have done before me and many more will in the future: I proved Thomas Wolfe wrong. Dog in tow, I ran back to Mommy and Daddy, who tucked us into a cozy cabin at the Knotty Pine, a resort they own and operate. They fed me comfort food, soothed me, and babied me—until they wearied of my wallowing and decided my pity-party needed to end. Without my permission, my mother signed me up for a photo gig at the village’s winter ball. Though that didn’t exactly work out as expected, it was just what I needed to rejoin the land of the living.

As so often happens, my parents knew best. What I believed to be the worst thing that could have happened to me turned out to be the best. Moving back to Rock Creek Village has been such a positive journey that I often wonder why I ever left. After a wobbly start, I’m on my feet again, stronger and happier than I can ever remember. My new career—owner of Sundance Studio photography gallery—fills me with a peace and joy I never attained as a journalist. My friendship with Tonya has blossomed again, and I’ve even rekindled a high school romance with Sam Petrie, owner of the Snow Plow Chow. The relationship has its trials, but I think we just might make it—whatever that means. Woody and I even adopted a brother for him last year—an orange tabby cat I named Carl, after Bob Woodward’s partner, Carl Bernstein. Every day, I’m more convinced Carl possesses an innate wisdom, along with investigative skills that may surpass those of his namesake.

Mostly, my life is ideal. Sure, sometimes I long for the adrenaline rush of my former life. But when I yearn for those old investigative days…well, fate seems to intervene with murder in our little village, and I find my skills in demand yet again. 

. . . 

Visis the Authors website . . . 

Click Here

New Releases

This week sharing a collection of Cozy's and a few others . . . 

Graven Images 

by Lori Roberts Herbst (Cozy) 

A photo assignment at the cemetery leads Callie Cassidy to a corpse—this one above ground. Now, her search for the killer unearths some long-buried secrets…

Callie’s mother Maggie, a notorious hobby jumper, has embarked on a new pursuit—grave rubbing. When she recruits her daughter to photograph her first endeavor at the local cemetery, Callie brings golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl along for the outing. It’s a breathtaking autumn morning in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. Golden aspen leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and the air is filled with the scent of pine. What could go wrong on a day like this?

Then, a ghostly woman emerges from the trees, bleeding from a head wound and claiming to have no memory of how she arrived, or even who she is. Maggie quickly identifies her as a woman who disappeared from the village forty years ago—without a trace.

If that’s not enough intrigue, Woody disobeys her and sprints deeper into the cemetery. When Callie catches up to him, he is sitting sentinel at the tombstone of a recently deceased villager. And behind the stone, a man lies on the ground—with a pickaxe jutting from his neck.

Callie recognizes him as the low-level mobster who has been dating her best friend Tonya’s mother—and they’d been having problems. Did Tonya’s mother kill the man? Could it have been the mysterious woman? Or maybe someone with ties to his crime family?

Callie can’t resist investigating—and this time, Detective Raul Sanchez welcomes her assistance. Because if they can’t solve the crime soon, the town may be facing grave consequences…

Available on Amazon 

Click  Here

Cornered at the Corral 

by Jamie L. Adams (Cozy Mystery)

Lily Cranston is basking in the fruits of her labor and enjoying the idyllic life of Grady, California. As the hard-working manager of the Calico Rock Mine and Ghost Town attraction, she’s found success, and she’s even rekindled a romance with her high school crush. However, when a scuffle disrupts the tranquility of the annual town festival, little does she realize that another tragedy looms. 

Available on 

Amazon Here

Think Twice 

by Harlan Coben (Private Investigator Mystery)

Three years ago, sports agent Myron Bolitar gave a eulogy at the funeral of his client, renowned basketball coach Greg Downing. Myron and Greg had history: initially as deeply personal rivals, and later as unexpected business associates. Myron made peace and moved on – until now, when two federal agents walked into his office, demanding to know where Greg Downing is.  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

She Left 

by Stacie Grey 

(Psychological Thriller)

On the night that changed everything, Amy Brewer walked out of a house party, trudging angrily away from the friends who made her feel like she didn’t belong. Within the next hour, all five of those friends would be dead. The Memorial Day Massacre, as it came to be called, rocked their small California community and Amy—the girl who had walked away just in time—couldn’t escape the media circus…or the guilt. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Purrfectly Framed 

by Ruth J. Hartman (Cozy Mystery)

When mobile cat groomer Molly Stewart asks her friend Evan to photograph her new feline clients, they both get more than they bargained for when the body of Evan’s old art teacher is found bludgeoned to death in his photography studio darkroom. After one of Evan’s photos catches suspicious activity in the background, Molly is ready to call the authorities with the newest piece of information. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Knot Dead Again 

by Betty Hechtman (Cozy Mystery)

When the perennially cloudy skies of Cadbury unleash a torrential downpour, yarn retreat host Casey Feldstein watches in dismay as the streets surrounding Vista Del Mar become flooded and she and her retreat guests are trapped there. But the storm is the least of their worries when a man is found dead in his room, and the guests begin to speculate that he may have been murdered. With the police unable to reach them, Casey is forced to fill their soggy shoes and investigate. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Very Bad Company

 by Emma Rosenblum

 (Domestic Thriller)
Every year, executives at the trendy tech startup Aurora gather the company’s top employees for an exclusive retreat in Miami, and this year Caitlin Levy—Aurora’s newest hire—is joining the team as head of events. The benefits are outstanding: a seven-figure salary, stock shares, a discretionary bonus, limitless vacation days—what could possibly go wrong? 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Eleven Huskies 

by Philipp Schott 

(Traditional Mystery)

Peter Bannerman, veterinarian and amateur detective, deserves a summer vacation. Peter and his family head to a remote fishing lodge in northern Manitoba for a canoeing trip with his champion sniffer dog, Pippin. But a series of incidents color their plans. The lodge’s sled team of huskies has been poisoned and, at the same time, a floatplane crashes into the lake, killing the pilot and both passengers. While Peter works to save the huskies, it is discovered that the plane crash wasn’t an accident. It was murder.

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

 

Thorn City 

by Pamela Statz (Suspense)

It’s the night of the Rose City Ripe for Disruption gala—a gathering of Portland’s elite. Dressed to kill in sparkling minidresses, best friends Lisa and Jamie attend as “paid to party” girls. They plan an evening of fake flirtations, karaoke playlists, and of course, grazing the catering. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Locked in Pursuit 

by Ashley Weaver

 (Historical Mystery 1940s)

Safecracker Ellie McDonnell hasn’t seen Major Ramsey—her handsome but aloof handler in the British government—since their tumultuous mission together three months before, but when she hears about a suspicious robbery in London she feels compelled to contact him. Together they discover that a rash of burglaries leads back to a hotbed of spies in the neutral city Lisbon, Portugal, and an unknown object brought to London by a mysterious courier.  

Available on Amazon 

Click 

The Last Time She Saw Him

 by Kate White 

(Domestic Thriller)

As Kiki Reed heads out to a party at a friend’s house in the Connecticut countryside, she’s more than a little nervous. Her ex-fiancé Jamie, a great guy who just wasn’t “the one,” will be attending, and she hasn’t seen him since she broke his heart a few months earlier. But when they come face to face, their exchange is brief and pleasant, which is a huge relief. 

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Cold Rock Island 

by Kay Jennings (Traditional Mystery)

Police Chief Matt Horning and State Department Special Agent Fern Byrne return in a thrilling tale of international intrigue that begins with a heartbreaking death on a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean, and ends up on powerful desks in Washington, D.C.  

Available on Amazon 

Click Here

Turning The Pages . . . A Sneak Peek

The First Line . . . 

My good friend Brett Tirabasi sat across the wood table from me at BBQ Hut . . . 

The rest of the paragraph . . . 

Our little town of Lutz, Texas didn't have a wide variety of eating estaishments, but the ones we had were excellant.  Barbecue was one if my weaknesses, and it wss the thing that prevented me from becoming a  vegetarian. 

And on page 56 . . . 

I stepped back, unsure if he was reasing me, or if he was serious. 

The last page . . . 

Sorry just kidding.  No spoilers here! 

About the book . . . 

Emma Justice never imagines working at the farmers market on a normal Saturday morning will lead to her second murder investigation. When two friends becomes suspects in the latest small-town murder, she’ll help prove they are innocent by tracking down the real killer.

Houston Turner, the successful owner of Texas BBQ Hut, is a hard man and has made many enemies in his life. Revenge, greed, and hatred are some of the motives Emma must sift through to catch the killer. Seeds of suspicion from family, friends, and employees leaves Emma digging for real clues instead of stumbling through the rocky soil of deceit and lies.

Clover Covered Corpse is availble for preorder on Amazon.  Click Here

Linking at blog parties and FB 

First Line Friday 

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Book Beginnings 

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