Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Murder on the Steel Pier - A Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova

MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER

by Rosie Genova

April 1, 2025 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova

THE TESS MANCINI TIME TRAVEL MYSTERY SERIES

 

Greetings from the Nifty Fifties…

The morning after a blowout birthday celebration in Atlantic City, crime reporter and party girl Tess Mancini wakes up in an unfamiliar place—1955. Bread is eighteen cents a loaf, Ike occupies the White House, and the Boardwalk is crawling with vintage cars and vintage wise guys. A bewildered Tess is sure of only two things: One, she’s not crazy, and two, the clothes are fabulous. Somehow, she’s living the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa, who disappeared decades before Tess’s birth.

In her 1950s existence, Tess is a reporter at the local newspaper, living at a boarding house owned by her Zia Antonetta, an Italian immigrant with a big secret. It turns out Theresa has a kid brother, teenaged troublemaker Val Mancini—aka Tess’s paternal grandfather. Though determined to return to her own time, Tess’s curiosity takes over. What happened to the first Theresa Mancini? And is Tess’s trip through time connected to her aunt’s fate?

But when young Val is accused of murdering a boarding house guest, a Nazi in hiding, Tess ends up with two investigations on her hands—and now stuck in time until she can prove Val’s innocence. As she searches for answers, she finds allies in a dishy police detective and a suspiciously charming fellow reporter. The clock is ticking for Tess to find a way home, but first, she has to keep her grandfather off Death Row.

Because before Tess can get back to the future … she needs to make sure she has one.

Praise for Murder on the Steel Pier:

"Murder on the Steel Pier is impossible to put down, offering an irresistible blend of mystery, history, and time travel. I felt like I was in 1950s Atlantic City along with heroine Tess. Unlike her, I didn’t want to leave! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for Tess’s next adventure."
~ Ellen Byron, Agatha Award-Winning Author

"Awesome book! This stylish, creatively written and highly entertaining mystery will keep you turning pages long past bedtime."
~ Terrie Farley Moran, award-winning author of the Murder, She Wrote series

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery
Published by: Two Roses Books
Publication Date: March 31, 2025
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 979-8-9911241-1-9
Series: The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | AppleBooks | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

From Chapter 1

Someone was smoking a cigarette. I sniffed, and spikes of pain started at my chin and shot through the top of my head. Oh God, make it stop, and I promise I’ll never touch another drop of tequila. Being another year older was bad enough—did I have to be punished for it, too? My nose twitched as the smoke teased my nostrils and caressed my olfactory nerves. I’d quit a month ago, but the longing for a cig came roaring back.

With my eyes still closed, and my head nailed to the pillow, I had one coherent thought: This is supposed to be a smoke-free hotel. As far as I knew, it was also bird-free, but the chirps and twitters assailing my ears were clearly coming from feathered creatures. Then again, it’s Atlantic City. Maybe the birds were part of the hotel show. Ever so slowly, I slid my hands from under the covers and cupped them over my ears.

“Please, birdies,” I whispered. “Stop singing.” Geez, they sounded close enough to be in my room. I exhaled, yoga style. C’mon, Tess, time to open your eyes. You can do it. Actually, I couldn’t, as my lashes were glued together. (Had I slept in my make-up? Not a good sign.) Still covering my ears against the piercing bird song, I fluttered my left eyelid and squinted.

Big, fuchsia-colored roses seemed to scream at me from the wall. And sun—blinding, eyeball-searing sun—streamed in through an uncovered window. And not a hotel window bolted shut and draped to keep out that awful light, but a wooden one with glass panes. And across the top, a ruffly white curtain.

Okay, not my hotel. So where was I? My empty stomach grew queasy; I wouldn’t have gone home with a stranger. Though I did remember a cute blond guy playing the slots next to me, but it was all so … blurry. I eased open the other eye. Across the room was a vanity table draped in more white ruffles. Somehow, I doubted the blond guy lived here.

This place was obviously some kind of historic inn or something, but that still didn’t explain how I’d gotten here. I looked down at the sheets, also decorated with roses. Only these were little yellow ones. Somebody sure liked her florals.

“So weird,” I muttered. Hands shaking, eyes half closed, I felt around for my phone, but my fingers landed on a string of beads. I let go of the necklace and blinked hard, trying to ignore the little flashes of pain behind my eyes. Next to me was an old-fashioned nightstand; on it was a lamp with a frilly pink shade, an analog alarm clock ticking loudly, and the “necklace,” which had a cross hanging from it. A face stared at me from a black-and-white photo. I shifted closer, peering at a guy with slicked-back hair, thick brows, and dark-lashed eyes. Across the bottom of the picture was a name, signed in blue ink. I frowned at the image. Who the heck was Tyrone Power? Was he someone’s boyfriend? Or part of the décor?

Hangover and rubber legs be damned, I had to get moving and find my phone. But before I could get a big toe out from under the covers, a knock sounded at the door. I sat up in the strange bed, holding my throbbing head as though it were a soft-boiled egg.

“Tess? Are you awake yet?” The voice on the other side of the door had a slight Irish brogue. “Can I come in, then?”

“Yes,” I croaked. Whoever she was, she knew my name. Despite the sunlight, the room was chilly, and I huddled under the cotton blankets as the woman bustled in holding a small tray. I sniffed coffee and toast, and when she set it down on the nightstand, my stomach gurgled audibly.

“Now,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron, “we served breakfast some time ago, and when you didn’t come down, I knew you’d be oversleepin’ again. Your auntie will have my hide and your own if you don’t get down to that kitchen.” She crossed her ample arms and sent me a stern look. “You know we don’t serve anyone in their rooms, guests or otherwise, but Carolina insisted I bring you your coffee. Said you’re no good without it.”

I looked up at a broad-shouldered woman in a green housedress. Over that was an apron in a loud, orange-and-green pattern of forks and spoons. Her thick white hair, twisted into a bun, was bright against her weathered skin. Her small dark eyes gave the impression of two raisins set in a gingerbread face. I’d never seen her before in my life.

“Sorry, Mrs. Flaherty.” How did I know that? It surely must have been her name because she didn’t correct me. I sat up quickly, my mouth hanging open in shock, and the blankets slipped to my waist.

Mrs. Flaherty took a step closer to the bed and narrowed her eyes at me. “Just what are you wearing, missy?” What was I wearing? I glanced down at the cursive “T” stitched on the pocket of my favorite monogrammed PJs. Expensive ones. And why did she care? I opened my mouth to answer, but Mrs. F got there ahead of me. “They’re silk,” she hissed. “And black, for the Lord’s sake.”

“Uh huh,” I said slowly, wondering if she commented on the nightwear of all her guests. Still, I pulled the blankets up to my chin.

“Best not let your auntie see them. Don’t know how in the world you afford such things,” she grumbled. “Eat up quick now, and bring down that tray when you’re through.”

“Okay,” I whispered, staring at the door she closed behind her…

***

Excerpt from Murder on the Steel Pier by Rosie Genova. Copyright 2025 by Rosie Genova. Reproduced with permission from Rosie Genova. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Rosie Genova

Proud Jersey girl Rosie Genova is a multi-genre author. Her work includes a Jersey shore cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries, and The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, set in 1955 Atlantic City. She is also the author of standalone suspense and a couple of rom-coms that presently live in her computer files (but are longing to be released into the wild). A former teacher and journalist, Rosie’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur magazine and The New York Times. The mother of three sons, Rosie still lives in her favorite state with her husband, too many dusty antiques, and a charming mutt named Lucy.

Catch Up With Rosie Genova:

www.RosieGenova.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @RosieGenova
Facebook - @RosieGenova

 

 

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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Two Weddings and a Murder - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a recent release in a series in which I am woefully behind. Two Weddings and a Murder by Alyssa Maxwell is the ninth book in the Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery series.

Blurb: 

June 1922: The blessed day has finally arrived. Phoebe Renshaw and Owen Seabright are to be wed, and lady’s maid Eva Huntford could not be more delighted for her lady’s happiness. But she is disturbed by one notable absence from the ceremony—her beau, Police Constable Miles Brannock. When Miles finally does appear, breathlessly running into the reception at Foxwood Hall, he brings grim news: he’s found Chief Inspector Isaac Perkins murdered, shot in his home in his favorite parlor chair with his own gun.

A policeman naturally makes enemies, especially those of questionable character. In charge of finding his former boss’s killer, Miles reviews the details of the crime scene. The murder weapon has been wiped clean and left on the table next to the remnants of the chief inspector’s breakfast: sausage pasty and coffee reeking of a bit of whiskey. No sign of forced entry. A seemingly peaceful scene—other than the bullet hole in the victim.

Before Miles can make much progress in his investigation, a Scotland Yard detective arrives in Little Barlow to take over the case—and promptly focuses his suspicions on the constable himself, who he reasons had motive and opportunity. Coming to their maid’s defense, Phoebe and Owen postpone their honeymoon to join Eva in clearing her beau’s good name and unmasking the identity of the true killer . . .

Friday, March 28, 2025

Shake-speared in the Park - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review


SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK by Joy Ann Ribar
The Second Bay Browning Mystery 
 
The Spring Semester may have ended, but school isn't over for Professor Bay Browning. To fulfill volunteer requirements for Flourish College, Bay is assistant director of the school's summer production, a Shakespeare inspired play she co-wrote. With a short production time the set is being constructed as the actors rehearse. A scream pierced the night. Talon Hunt has fallen from the unfinished balcony after a mock sword fight. Was this a tragic accident or something more? There's more drama around the actors than in the play itself! Bay will have to keep her eyes and ears open as she discovers more about the elite of Angel Bird Bluff than she'd care to know.
 
Things are different for the wealthy and the second Bay Browning Mystery enters that world of legacy students and privileged adults who can seemingly make problems disappear by throwing money and power around. It's a story of how wealth can shape families, how scapegoats can be found, and underdogs championed. It also shows how some people are able to grow while others stagnate. and still others regress.
 
There's a lot to love in SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK, a confounding mystery, intriguing characters, interesting dynamics, and more. As a former theatre major I loved the concept of a college's summer theatrical production, especially one that weaves the works of Shakespeare into a new play. I also loved how Posey, Cass's new boss decided on a Shakespearean theme for her party along with a game I'd love to play. And what a party it was. I enjoyed the interactions between Bay and Detective Downing as her production was plagued, not only by death, but by less serious mishaps as well. I appreciate the way she works with him to solve the crimes as well as how her sister brings her skills to the table.

SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK is an exquisitely wrought mystery combining the worlds of the elite and academia with a theatrical background. This is fast becoming a favorite series and I can't wait to dig into the next one!

****************************************************************************

Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar Banner

SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK

by Joy Ann Ribar

March 17th - April 11, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar

A BAY BROWNING MYSTERY

 

When Bay Browning helps direct the Flourish College summer theater production, “Shakespeare’s Couch,” she doesn’t plan for murder at the first practice.

Someone wants revenge against the elite cast members, as more terror unfolds on stage and backstage with each rehearsal. What should be a lighthearted parody on The Bard and his characters is cursed from the start, even without someone shouting “Macbeth” in the theater. Detective Downing takes charge of the crime, but Bay and her puzzle-solving cohort, Jen Yoo, follow their own script behind the scenes. Cassandra, Bay’s extraordinary sister, makes her own dramatic entrance on the case. After all, Cass is now the personal assistant to one of the elites living the high life on the bluff above Prairie Ridge. How many tragic scenes will be scripted before the villain faces the final curtain?

Praise for Shake-speared in the Park:

"A clever cozy that reads like an elusive buried treasure, that, once uncovered, shines with a burnished gold. Shakespearean scholars can revel throughout, as a college summer play, Shakespeare’s Couch, features a myriad of familiar characters, representing their plays. A costume party with more Shakespearean identities milling about provides sheer fun and frolic. The best part, however, is the thorough depiction of humanity, characteristic of Ribar’s writing. Even secondary characters come alive with strengths and foibles that delight and endear."
~ Saralyn Richard, author of the Detective Parrott mystery series, Bad Blood Sisters, and Mrs. Oliver’s Twist

"Ribar serves up wicked, clever fun in 'Shake-speared in the Park,' the second installment in her Bay Browning mystery series. A young man with much promise falls from a stage-prop balcony. He's dead when he lands, but that's not what killed him. Was his brother, the wayward son, involved? His best friend? Or one of the wealthy equestrian crowd? Then, another death, this time in a greenhouse. It's like 'Knives Out' meets Agatha Christie. Suspects abound. Two sisters—one a killer magnet, the other an ex-con—are determined to find out. The escalating tempo keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the end!"
~ Laurie Buchanan, author of the Sean McPherson crime thriller novels

"In this fast-paced mystery and nod to Shakespeare, the murderous shenanigans would please the Bard himself! Professor Bay Browning’s play rehearsals go awry with deadly weapons, poisons, and just about anything else a playwright might use to scare or 'off' someone in dramatic fashion. As in 'Romeo & Juliet,' differences of class and money between families put a small Wisconsin college and Bay in the crosshairs. Replete with a twisty costume party, this novel opens the curtain on an entertaining theater production with actors poised to take their final bow, pun intended. Ribar balances scenes effectively between amateur detectives Bay and her sister Cass, the latter a plant aficionado and former prison inmate. To borrow from the Bard, 'To read or not to read?' The answer is easy: This is fun."
~ Christine DeSmet, author, Fudge Shop Mystery Series and Mischief in Moonstone Series

Book Details:

Genre: Blended Mystery: Traditional Mystery with Paranormal Twists
Published by: Wine Glass Press
Publication Date: February 2025
Number of Pages: 359
ISBN: 9781959078272 (ISBN10: 1959078275)
Series: Bay Browning Mysteries: Book Two
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Carillon Tower Park was buzzing with activity when Bay arrived for rehearsal. Desmond Carver, the director, was only steps ahead of her, so she dashed to catch up. Bay smiled at his signature bobbing walk on those extra-long legs that might belong to a pro basketball player instead of a theater professor.

“Desmond, hey. Looks like the students are psyched about the show.” Bay nodded toward the outdoor theater area where a portable tech booth had been set up. People inside were testing spotlights and sound effects.

The stage was midway through set construction showing false stone walls and two framed second story balconies. Someone was sweeping the stage free of pine needles, while a couple of others were taping the floor where furniture would go. Bay waved at Jen Yoo, her art professor friend, who was painting a flat with some students.

“It’s a positive sign when they show up early. Believe me, once we’re in the trenches, some will find reasons not to show up at all.” Desmond set a stack of scripts on one of the seats near the middle of the theater. “Actors,” he said using air quotes around the word.

Bay’s optimism didn’t dwindle. She was pleased with the turnout for auditions, considering it was a summer production, meaning many students were gone or working. The fact she and Desmond had backups for the main roles revealed enthusiasm for the show.

Desmond handed her a theater badge and key for the rooms beyond the stage. “By the way, in case I forget later, thanks so much for volunteering to help with the play. It can be a thankless job.”

Bay grinned but wondered why Desmond was being so pessimistic. He wasn’t close to retirement, maybe ten years older than Bay, and she’d pegged him as carefree and upbeat. Then again, in the two years she’d been a Flourish professor, she’d had a handful of short conversations with him.

At seven p.m. on the dot, the clock tower bell rang out the hour and Desmond spoke through a megaphone he’d brought to rehearsal. “Let’s get going. We start on time. We end on time. That’s my number one rule.”

To Bay’s surprise, every student hushed without delay. She’d heard Desmond was respected, and he knew these students from past plays. Many were seniors doing a final postgraduation show before entering the real world.

“For the first few rehearsals, we’re going to need to work around the set builders and the tech crew setting up lights and testing sounds. This isn’t a typical show. Summer theater is a shortened schedule, so we’re putting an entire production together in short order.” Desmond handed printed schedules to Bay, who passed them out to the actors and crew.

It wasn’t quite June, thankfully, because performances were marked for the last week of that month, just past the celebration of Midsummer on June twenty-fourth.

“You’ll notice on the schedule that all lines must be memorized by June tenth. That’s two weeks, my friends. Let’s make it happen.” Desmond used his teacher voice. Even Bay snapped to attention.

“Places everyone. We’ll start with the prologue and go straight through from act one as far as we can until eight-thirty. The script notes some introductory music, but we won’t add that for a couple of weeks. Proceed, Kitt.”

Bay and Desmond watched from the back third of the theater, taking notes as lines were delivered, stopping when necessary to help with enunciation or cadence. At the end of the second act, Desmond announced a seven-minute break, then headed to the tech booth to talk about lighting.

Bay noticed he seemed nervous about the tech crew being run by an intern. His normal production partner, Leo, another theater professor, was spending summer break in New York City at a Broadway intensive master class. Leo recommended a theater grad student from Madison to take his place.

As lights flashed on and off in different positions, Bay watched the techies at the booth. Desmond pointed at the script as intern Evan made notes, then flashed the light Desmond asked for. Bay noticed Evan’s body posture: alert, attentive, like a golden retriever eager to please. In contrast, Desmond alternated running a hand through the twists on top of his head, placing his hands on his hips, then rubbing the back of his neck before repeating the moves again.

“That looks intense.” Jen Yoo was sitting by Bay, a clean paint brush in one hand.

“Hey, Jen. Yes, I’ve never seen this side of Desmond. How about you?”

Jen shrugged. “I haven’t worked on a summer production in some time. The younger Desmond was laid-back. But some of us lose our patience as we age. Thankfully, I don’t have that problem.” She snickered.

Bay turned her full attention to Jen. “Why are you working on this production, anyway?”

“Two reasons. One: It fulfills my volunteer hours for the whole year. Two: It’s a show you wrote. I’m proud of you and want to see how it turns out.” Jen leaned her head over to meet Bay’s.

With break wrapping up, chatter from the stage echoed around the quiet outdoors. When a commotion ensued, Bay chalked it up to high energy from a new show, the honeymoon period. But then a loud thud sounded, someone began shrieking, and a cacophony of shouts and running feet ensued.

Bay, Jen, and Desmond ran to the stage, with the tech crew close behind. The adults vaulted onto the stage where the lead actor, Talon Hunt, lay crumpled in a twisted heap.

“Everybody back up,” Desmond shouted.

“He fell off the balcony,” one of the students called out.

“I didn’t mean to. We were goofing around, practicing a duel.” Jackson Lange knelt over Talon, his chest heaving, his face distraught.

Desmond, Jen, and Bay knelt beside Talon too, and Jackson stood up and looked away. Desmond checked Talon’s pulse, shook his head, listened for a heartbeat, and shook his head again. Bay called 911.

“Let’s straighten him a bit so I can do CPR.” Desmond motioned for Jen and Bay to get on either side of his legs and they gingerly turned him.

Desmond was still administering chest compressions and breaths when the emergency team arrived to take over. Thirty minutes later, the EMTs pronounced Talon dead.

***

Excerpt from Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar. Copyright 2025 by Joy Ann Ribar. Reproduced with permission from Joy Ann Ribar. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Joy Ann Ribar

Joy Ann Ribar is an RV author, writing on the road wherever her husband and their Winnebago View wanders. Joy’s cocktail of careers includes news reporter, paralegal, English educator, and aquaponics greenhouse technician, all of which prove useful in penning mysteries. Her cozy Deep Lakes Mysteries, feature baker/vintner Frankie Champagne, who moonlights as an investigative reporter. Joy’s Bay Browning Mysteries blend edgy, traditional, and paranormal elements twisted around classical literary themes. Joy loves to bake, read, research wines, and explore nature. Her writing has received awards and recognition from WWA, PenCraft Book Awards, Book Fest, Reader’s Favorite, and Chanticleer Cozy and Not-So-Cozy awards.

Catch Up With Joy Ann Ribar:

JoyRibar.com
Joy's Substack
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @ribarjoy
Instagram - @authorjoyribar
Facebook - @JoyRibarAuthor

 

 

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Thursday, March 27, 2025

Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder

 Review


MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER
By Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early
The Sixtieth Murder, She Wrote Mystery

Jessica Fletcher should have been enjoying a tropical cruise, but a slip on the ice has her not only stuck in snowy Maine, but confined to a wheelchair with the use of only one arm. Adamant about recovering at home, she grudgingly accepts the help of a live in aide. Fortunately, Alice is a personable young woman, unlike the man renting the house across the way who spends the days constructing X-rated snow sculptures. As Jessica recovers she learns of several mysteries occurring around Cabot Cove: the death of a food truck man and his missing wife and the "Bologna Kid" to name a few, and can't help but use her binoculars to check out things from her living room window. Has J. B. Fletcher turned into L. B. Jefferies?

MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER is a delightfully different mystery. For a good portion of the book readers aren't entirely sure what the mystery is. Sure, we know about the murdered man and the assumption that his wife killed him after an argument and fled which happened before the book started. We also know about a man stealing food and clothing. All this and everything that happens in the first portion of the book doesn't seem that pressing, but it's is laying the groundwork for the murder that happens right under Jessica's nose. 

Spending time in Cabot Cove is like coming home. Reading the sixtieth Murder, She Wrote Mystery is like being wrapped in a cozy blanket with a nice cup of cocoa in hand. While it was fun hanging out with Jessica, Seth, and Mort nothing crucial appeared to be happening. It seemed that disparate events were occurring around town and I thought was too much time spent on a seemingly irrelevant subplot, however, by the end of the story everything joined together, proving things were indeed relevant and making a seamless whole. 

MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOWY WITH A CHANCE OF MURDER brings the warmth of good friends and a great mystery to a wintry Maine in a great addition to this long running series.

************************************************************************** 

 Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder by Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early

About Snowy with a Chance of Murder

Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder
Cozy Mystery 60th in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (March 18, 2025)
Hardcover: ‎ 304 pages
In a nod to Rear Window, this newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series finds Jessica Fletcher coping with an injury that leaves her homebound—and a murder just outside her window! Jessica Fletcher has taken a nasty spill on the ice, leaving her in a wheelchair for several weeks. She tries to work on her latest manuscript but finds herself distracted by a new neighbor moving in across the street. There’s good reason for her to be distracted, because soon after unpacking his sparse belongings, Mr. Rymer is out in the front yard, building somewhat risqué (read: naked) snow sculptures. While Cabot Cove debates whether the sculptures are a protected form of art or a public display of lewdness, someone starts destroying them at night. Rymer doesn’t seem upset. He just makes new ones. No need to get the police involved over a little snow, he says. Especially when there’s plenty more of it and a blizzard in the forecast. The morning after the storm, Jessica looks out the window to see a new sculpture across the street—and the body of Mr. Rymer half-buried in the snow. Can Jessica catch a cold-blooded killer from her chair by the window?

About the Authors

Barbara Early earned an engineering degree, but after four years of doing nothing but math, developed a sudden allergy to the subject and decided to choose another occupation.

Before she settled on murdering fictional people, she was a secretary, a schoolteacher, a pastor’s wife, and an amateur puppeteer. She lives in Western New York State (Go Bills!), where she enjoys cooking, crafts, classic movies and campy seventies television, board games, and spending time with her granddaughters.

Before teaming up with Jessica Fletcher, she previously wrote the Vintage Toyshop Mystery series and the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries (as Beverly Allen).

Author Links

Website https://www.barbaraearly.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBarbaraEarly

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Bookshop.org - Penguin Random House

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar. This book is the second in the Bay Browning Mystery series and was released last month.

The Spring Semester may have ended, but school isn't over for Professor Bay Browning. To fulfill volunteer requirements for Flourish College Bay is assistant director of the school's summer production, A Shakespeare inspired play she co-wrote. With a short production time the set is being constructed as the actors rehearse. A scream pierced the night. Talon Hunt has fallen from the unfinished balcony after a mock sword fight. Was this a tragic accident or something more? There's more drama around the actors than in the play itself! Bay will have to keep her eyes and ears open as she discovers more about the elite of Angel Bird Bluff than she's care to know.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Shake-speared in the Park - An Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Joy Ann Ribnar to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Joy Ann writes the Bay Browning Mystery series. SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK is the second book in the series and was released last month. Be sure to return Friday, when I'll post my review!

Kathy: In SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK Bay Browning helps direct the Flourish College summer theater production of Shakespeare's Couch. As a theatre major I'm curious, have you ever been involved in mounting a production?

JAR: I’ve been an assistant director in high school productions, but most of my time has been on stage from high school through community theater musicals and comedies. I understand the process of producing and directing a show because in community theater, everyone’s involved from painting sets, to creating costumes, to doing make-up and finding props. I love theater. My favorite shows I performed in are White Christmas, The Music Man, and Drinking Habits, where I played a wine-making nun trying to save the convent.

Kathy: Shakespeare was integral to my training and I still love the bard. Are you a fan?

JAR: Huge fan! I’ve never acted in a Shakespeare play, but I’ve performed monologues. As a high school and college educator, I’ve taught many of The Bard’s plays. We always take parts and read aloud the plays together in class, and that is the key to helping students understand and love The Bard, too. My favorite plays: Othello and Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Kathy: The Bay Browning Mystery series has a paranormal bent. Why choose to add something otherworldly?

JAR: Bay needed a good partner to contrast and complement her; Cassandra. I named Cass after the Greek maiden Cassandra, who has the gift of prophecy, but nobody believes her predictions. I decided my Cassandra would be a modern version from Greek mythology. Her gift is part of her character arc. As a child and teen, her gift makes her an outcast. Then, Cass uses her gift to perfect her grifting skills. Now she’s out of prison and trying to use her gifts for good.

Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

JAR: My older sister read the Trixie Belden series, so I grabbed them as she moved on to the next one. My local library had shelves of Nancy Drew mysteries, too, so there was always something new to check out. I loved the adventures, the puzzles to solve, and the brave young women taking risks. I graduated to Agatha Christie, Phyllis Whitney, and Taylor Caldwell. Reading women authors writing about smart, confident female characters, made me feel confident, too. When I decided to write something, mysteries were a natural fit.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JAR: I wrote a few flash fiction shorts of various genres, and essays as well. I used to be a newspaper reporter, so I feel comfortable writing non-fiction, too.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

JAR: The Bay Browning mysteries are literature-themed and edgy with a paranormal twist. Bay, a college professor, and Cassandra, an ex-con with the gift of extra-sensory perception meld their talents and contrasting personalities to solve crimes in a small Wisconsin city.

The Deep Lakes Mystery series offer a light-hearted look at murder, recipes included. Frankie Champagne, together with best friend Carmen, own Bubble & Bake, a bakery/ wine lounge in a Wisconsin tourist town where murder is an occasional visitor. Frankie somehow lands in the middle of crime scenes and dives right in to investigate, proving she can go toe-to-toe with the pros.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

JAR: All of them in one way or another because they all serve a purpose, but that’s a coward’s answer. I love Cassandra because she’s gritty and imperfect. Like all of us, she’s a genuine work in progress, and readers can see her evolution and her struggle to overcome a troubled past, learn from it, and redefine herself. She’s relatable and heartwarming.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

JAR: I wanted my second series to be something quite different from my first cozy bakery/winery series. I had recently retired from teaching and missed having rich discussions about literature, poetry, classics, and Shakespeare with my students. That’s when it dawned on me to bring literature into a new series with an English professor as one of the main characters (Bay Browning). I think it’s interesting to have a reluctant sleuth as a lead character in a mystery series. Bay would prefer reading books or sitting in her office preparing lessons, but she’s dragged into a complicated murder investigation as a consultant because of her literary skills. The notion of creating literature-themed mysteries sounded worthwhile and fun.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

JAR: My husband and sisters nudged me after I wrote my first mystery. I sent it to a publisher, was rejected, then sent it on to a smaller publisher where I found someone who would hold my hand through the process. Together, we published the first four books I wrote, and then I went on to publish independently.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

JAR: J.R.R. Tolkein, Maya Angelou, Julia Child, and Jane Austen. No party would be complete without Jane.

Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

JAR: THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier, a novel about a female glassmaker during the Renaissance in Murano, an island near Venice.


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us? 

JAR:  I love hiking, sight seeing anywhere in the world, history, and baking. I enjoy experimenting with different spices and combining flavors to create recipes for my first series.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.  

JAR: Fresh fruit (berries, apples, grapefruit), hard boiled eggs, brie cheese, and butter.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series? 

JAR: I’m working on the next Bay Browning mystery: POETRY SLAMMED, featuring a newly-discovered Emily Dickinson poem and a missing English professor from Bay’s department.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?  

JAR: 1) Talking to readers at in-person events or online author takeovers. 2) Creating a world and playing in it!

**********************************************************************

Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar Banner

SHAKE-SPEARED IN THE PARK

by Joy Ann Ribar

March 17th - April 11, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar

A BAY BROWNING MYSTERY

 

When Bay Browning helps direct the Flourish College summer theater production, “Shakespeare’s Couch,” she doesn’t plan for murder at the first practice.

Someone wants revenge against the elite cast members, as more terror unfolds on stage and backstage with each rehearsal. What should be a lighthearted parody on The Bard and his characters is cursed from the start, even without someone shouting “Macbeth” in the theater. Detective Downing takes charge of the crime, but Bay and her puzzle-solving cohort, Jen Yoo, follow their own script behind the scenes. Cassandra, Bay’s extraordinary sister, makes her own dramatic entrance on the case. After all, Cass is now the personal assistant to one of the elites living the high life on the bluff above Prairie Ridge. How many tragic scenes will be scripted before the villain faces the final curtain?

Praise for Shake-speared in the Park:

"A clever cozy that reads like an elusive buried treasure, that, once uncovered, shines with a burnished gold. Shakespearean scholars can revel throughout, as a college summer play, Shakespeare’s Couch, features a myriad of familiar characters, representing their plays. A costume party with more Shakespearean identities milling about provides sheer fun and frolic. The best part, however, is the thorough depiction of humanity, characteristic of Ribar’s writing. Even secondary characters come alive with strengths and foibles that delight and endear."
~ Saralyn Richard, author of the Detective Parrott mystery series, Bad Blood Sisters, and Mrs. Oliver’s Twist

"Ribar serves up wicked, clever fun in 'Shake-speared in the Park,' the second installment in her Bay Browning mystery series. A young man with much promise falls from a stage-prop balcony. He's dead when he lands, but that's not what killed him. Was his brother, the wayward son, involved? His best friend? Or one of the wealthy equestrian crowd? Then, another death, this time in a greenhouse. It's like 'Knives Out' meets Agatha Christie. Suspects abound. Two sisters—one a killer magnet, the other an ex-con—are determined to find out. The escalating tempo keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the end!"
~ Laurie Buchanan, author of the Sean McPherson crime thriller novels

"In this fast-paced mystery and nod to Shakespeare, the murderous shenanigans would please the Bard himself! Professor Bay Browning’s play rehearsals go awry with deadly weapons, poisons, and just about anything else a playwright might use to scare or 'off' someone in dramatic fashion. As in 'Romeo & Juliet,' differences of class and money between families put a small Wisconsin college and Bay in the crosshairs. Replete with a twisty costume party, this novel opens the curtain on an entertaining theater production with actors poised to take their final bow, pun intended. Ribar balances scenes effectively between amateur detectives Bay and her sister Cass, the latter a plant aficionado and former prison inmate. To borrow from the Bard, 'To read or not to read?' The answer is easy: This is fun."
~ Christine DeSmet, author, Fudge Shop Mystery Series and Mischief in Moonstone Series

Book Details:

Genre: Blended Mystery: Traditional Mystery with Paranormal Twists
Published by: Wine Glass Press
Publication Date: February 2025
Number of Pages: 359
ISBN: 9781959078272 (ISBN10: 1959078275)
Series: Bay Browning Mysteries: Book Two
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Carillon Tower Park was buzzing with activity when Bay arrived for rehearsal. Desmond Carver, the director, was only steps ahead of her, so she dashed to catch up. Bay smiled at his signature bobbing walk on those extra-long legs that might belong to a pro basketball player instead of a theater professor.

“Desmond, hey. Looks like the students are psyched about the show.” Bay nodded toward the outdoor theater area where a portable tech booth had been set up. People inside were testing spotlights and sound effects.

The stage was midway through set construction showing false stone walls and two framed second story balconies. Someone was sweeping the stage free of pine needles, while a couple of others were taping the floor where furniture would go. Bay waved at Jen Yoo, her art professor friend, who was painting a flat with some students.

“It’s a positive sign when they show up early. Believe me, once we’re in the trenches, some will find reasons not to show up at all.” Desmond set a stack of scripts on one of the seats near the middle of the theater. “Actors,” he said using air quotes around the word.

Bay’s optimism didn’t dwindle. She was pleased with the turnout for auditions, considering it was a summer production, meaning many students were gone or working. The fact she and Desmond had backups for the main roles revealed enthusiasm for the show.

Desmond handed her a theater badge and key for the rooms beyond the stage. “By the way, in case I forget later, thanks so much for volunteering to help with the play. It can be a thankless job.”

Bay grinned but wondered why Desmond was being so pessimistic. He wasn’t close to retirement, maybe ten years older than Bay, and she’d pegged him as carefree and upbeat. Then again, in the two years she’d been a Flourish professor, she’d had a handful of short conversations with him.

At seven p.m. on the dot, the clock tower bell rang out the hour and Desmond spoke through a megaphone he’d brought to rehearsal. “Let’s get going. We start on time. We end on time. That’s my number one rule.”

To Bay’s surprise, every student hushed without delay. She’d heard Desmond was respected, and he knew these students from past plays. Many were seniors doing a final postgraduation show before entering the real world.

“For the first few rehearsals, we’re going to need to work around the set builders and the tech crew setting up lights and testing sounds. This isn’t a typical show. Summer theater is a shortened schedule, so we’re putting an entire production together in short order.” Desmond handed printed schedules to Bay, who passed them out to the actors and crew.

It wasn’t quite June, thankfully, because performances were marked for the last week of that month, just past the celebration of Midsummer on June twenty-fourth.

“You’ll notice on the schedule that all lines must be memorized by June tenth. That’s two weeks, my friends. Let’s make it happen.” Desmond used his teacher voice. Even Bay snapped to attention.

“Places everyone. We’ll start with the prologue and go straight through from act one as far as we can until eight-thirty. The script notes some introductory music, but we won’t add that for a couple of weeks. Proceed, Kitt.”

Bay and Desmond watched from the back third of the theater, taking notes as lines were delivered, stopping when necessary to help with enunciation or cadence. At the end of the second act, Desmond announced a seven-minute break, then headed to the tech booth to talk about lighting.

Bay noticed he seemed nervous about the tech crew being run by an intern. His normal production partner, Leo, another theater professor, was spending summer break in New York City at a Broadway intensive master class. Leo recommended a theater grad student from Madison to take his place.

As lights flashed on and off in different positions, Bay watched the techies at the booth. Desmond pointed at the script as intern Evan made notes, then flashed the light Desmond asked for. Bay noticed Evan’s body posture: alert, attentive, like a golden retriever eager to please. In contrast, Desmond alternated running a hand through the twists on top of his head, placing his hands on his hips, then rubbing the back of his neck before repeating the moves again.

“That looks intense.” Jen Yoo was sitting by Bay, a clean paint brush in one hand.

“Hey, Jen. Yes, I’ve never seen this side of Desmond. How about you?”

Jen shrugged. “I haven’t worked on a summer production in some time. The younger Desmond was laid-back. But some of us lose our patience as we age. Thankfully, I don’t have that problem.” She snickered.

Bay turned her full attention to Jen. “Why are you working on this production, anyway?”

“Two reasons. One: It fulfills my volunteer hours for the whole year. Two: It’s a show you wrote. I’m proud of you and want to see how it turns out.” Jen leaned her head over to meet Bay’s.

With break wrapping up, chatter from the stage echoed around the quiet outdoors. When a commotion ensued, Bay chalked it up to high energy from a new show, the honeymoon period. But then a loud thud sounded, someone began shrieking, and a cacophony of shouts and running feet ensued.

Bay, Jen, and Desmond ran to the stage, with the tech crew close behind. The adults vaulted onto the stage where the lead actor, Talon Hunt, lay crumpled in a twisted heap.

“Everybody back up,” Desmond shouted.

“He fell off the balcony,” one of the students called out.

“I didn’t mean to. We were goofing around, practicing a duel.” Jackson Lange knelt over Talon, his chest heaving, his face distraught.

Desmond, Jen, and Bay knelt beside Talon too, and Jackson stood up and looked away. Desmond checked Talon’s pulse, shook his head, listened for a heartbeat, and shook his head again. Bay called 911.

“Let’s straighten him a bit so I can do CPR.” Desmond motioned for Jen and Bay to get on either side of his legs and they gingerly turned him.

Desmond was still administering chest compressions and breaths when the emergency team arrived to take over. Thirty minutes later, the EMTs pronounced Talon dead.

***

Excerpt from Shake-speared in the Park by Joy Ann Ribar. Copyright 2025 by Joy Ann Ribar. Reproduced with permission from Joy Ann Ribar. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Joy Ann Ribar

Joy Ann Ribar is an RV author, writing on the road wherever her husband and their Winnebago View wanders. Joy’s cocktail of careers includes news reporter, paralegal, English educator, and aquaponics greenhouse technician, all of which prove useful in penning mysteries. Her cozy Deep Lakes Mysteries, feature baker/vintner Frankie Champagne, who moonlights as an investigative reporter. Joy’s Bay Browning Mysteries blend edgy, traditional, and paranormal elements twisted around classical literary themes. Joy loves to bake, read, research wines, and explore nature. Her writing has received awards and recognition from WWA, PenCraft Book Awards, Book Fest, Reader’s Favorite, and Chanticleer Cozy and Not-So-Cozy awards.

Catch Up With Joy Ann Ribar:

JoyRibar.com
Joy's Substack
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @ribarjoy
Instagram - @authorjoyribar
Facebook - @JoyRibarAuthor

 

 

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Sunday, March 23, 2025

Murder Movie Club - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Rishard to Cozy Up With Kathy. You can find Rishard on the pages of MURDER MOVIE CLUB: MURDER ON A MONDAY by Marcy Blesy. This is the first book in the Monthly Murder Movie Club Mystery series which was released last month.


Hello. My name is Rishard. I’m a 60-year-old man who hopes to have a heck of a lot more life to live. I’ve lived most of that life in Northwoods, Michigan, a beautiful town along the shores of Lake Michigan. One might say I’ve been unlucky in love. Four marriages sounds like a bit, but I’m not giving up hope of finding that perfect mate to spend the rest of my life with. In fact, there’s even someone in the Monthly Murder Movie Club that’s caught my eye, but it’s such a beautiful friendship that Yoly and I have, I don’t know if we should mess it up. Plus, she has no idea I find her special, and she still spends a lot of time talking to Larry, her first husband. He lives on her kitchen table in his urn. It’s tough to compete against that. 

I like to stand out. Some say my style is odd, especially Roberta, but her use of nice words is few and far between. Maybe when I’m 75, I’ll be more loose-lipped, too. I hope not, though. I wear a lot of Hawaiian shirts. The brighter, the better. I have a nice assortment of Crocs to pair with my outfits. It’s not the wisest choice of attire during the brutal winters, but I like to think that I add some cheer to those with the winter blues.

I’ve recently found my people in a very odd club that meets at the Northwoods Movie Theater. We are the Monthly Murder Movie Club, though sometimes we meet more than once a month now. We have a shared interest in murder movies. The only rule is that none of us has seen the movie before. Halfway through the movie, Junior or Pamela stop the projector, well, not Junior anymore after his untimely passing in the theater’s lobby. Anyway, while the movie is paused, we gather to discuss our best whodunit theories. We write everything down. Yoly, our unofficial leader, holds on to our theories until the end of the movie. The person closest to figuring out the mystery gets to keep a cool plastic trophy for the month, unless there’s a tie. Then we have to work out the trophy’s custody. I’ve won the trophy a time or two. The last time I won, I tied with Vicki. She wanted to keep her trophy at her beauty salon. She likes to boast, but she means well, so I had to turn it over to her there. She touched up my hair for free.

There’s a new member of our group. April is a single mom who just had her first baby in her 40s. She’s struggling, but she’s smart. I know she will figure things out. Plus, Giana is everyone’s adopted grandchild. I think she is a very lucky baby if you ask me.

All and all, we get along great and have so much fun trying to outwit each other. There are a lot of amazing murder mystery movies out there. What a fun genre! Recently, our movie-watching has taken a pause as some unfortunate real murders crossed the path of our movie club. But have no fear. We’ll solve those mysteries, too.

Life in this new decade is proving to be amazing!

****************************************************************************

 Murder Movie Club: Murder on a Monday (Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery) by Marcy Blesy

About Murder Movie Club

Murder Movie Club: Murder on a Monday (Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Michigan
Independently Published (February 21, 2025)
Print length: ‎ 119 pages

Murder: best served with popcorn. That’s the mantra for the members of the Monthly Murder Movie Club at The Northwoods Movie Theater. Every month, this eclectic group of northern Michigan residents gather to watch a murder mystery movie on the big screen. After stopping the projector in the middle of the movie, the members gather to discuss the crime and suspects, each making a whodunit pick before resuming the movie. The hair dresser with the scissors? The jilted lover with poison? But nothing is normal on this Monday morning when the club members find the ticket-taking popcorn maker John E. Cash in the lobby of the theater, deader than any actor in their beloved movies. Using their unique talents and eccentricities, the Monthly Murder Movie Club members work collectively to solve the crime before the Northwoods Police force does. Members strive to protect the reputation of their beloved theater--and to protect their Monday meetings--because what each member is discovering is that there is so much more to their Monday club than a good old-fashioned murder mystery. Found family, new friends, and murder investigations!

About Marcy Blesy

Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books including the popular cozy mystery series: The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series, a hilarious misadventure in amateur sleuthing. Her adult romance mystery series includes The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach, set in Michigan. The Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, featuring a sleuthing kindergarten teacher in Michigan was recently released. Children’s books include the best-selling Be the Vet series along with the following early chapter book series: Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat.

Marcy enjoys searching for treasures along the shores of Lake Michigan. She's still waiting for the day when she finds a piece of red beach glass.

Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it.

Author Links: 

Website www.marcyblesy.com  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550966870826  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marcy_blesy/  

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223057736-murder-movie-club?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9rEZT9BRRK&rank=1  

Purchase Link - Amazon