What Are You Reading on Valentine's Day?

by Patricia Bradley

Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd tell you about a couple of romance stories I've read recently. One is Janet Ferguson's Star Rising. It's a sweet romance perfect with lots of conflict, especially since the hero is convinced the heroine is trying to scam his mother. But can you blame him? Star is a recovering alcoholic and druggie. Here's the back cover copy:

Star Youngblood has always been a fighter–a necessity after her mother married a monster of a man. Now, she’s finally on the path to the stable life she’s always wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly’s neglectful son.

After being betrayed on the mission field and devastated by the tragic death of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn’t expect her health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a stray—a woman he’s not at all sure can be trusted—his protective instincts kick into high gear. Paul’s handled a lot of turbulence, but he’s never gone up against a force like Star.

You can purchase Star Rising at Amazon for $4.99!

Another book I've read lately is Secrets, Lies and Crawfish Pies. Isn't that a great title for a book! This one's a cozy mystery and it has the promise of a romance that I think will take place over the course of several books. Here's the back cover copy:

While this story is set in East Texas, it could be set anywhere in the South, especially my home state of Mississippi. Dr. Romaine Wilder returns kicking and screaming to her hometown of Roble, Texas. She thinks this is a temporary move, but her Aunt Zanne has other ideas. And what Aunt Zanne wants, Aunt Zanne gets.

When a body is found in the family funeral home, Romaine feels she has to get involved in solving the crime when Zanne becomes a prime suspect. I like that Romaine’s occupation isn’t your usual one for a cozy. I’m looking forward to more stories from Abby L. Vandiver!

You can get this book on Amazon for $2.99

So that's it for Valentine's Day for me. I'm making my honey Chicken Alfredo with sun-dried tomatoes and bow-tie noodles from scratch. I've never made it before and if it turns out well, I'll post the recipe on my next blog post. If it doesn't...

 What will you do for Valentine's Day? Leave me a comment about the books or your plans and I'll enter you in a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card!

INTERVIEW WITH ABBY L. VANDIVER

Today Suspense Sisters welcomes cozy mystery author, Abby L. Vandiver, who has a brand new book. Leave Abby a comment at end of interview for a chance to win a copy of Secrets, Lies, and Crawfish Pies. Isn't that an intriguing title! First, the interview:

If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say? “Here, let me help you.”

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies? I have no interesting hobbies! When I’m not writing, I’m usually watching murder mysteries or romantic comedy movies on Hallmark. But one thing that takes up a lot of my free time is googling. I googled everything! People who know me always say, “Go ahead and google it, I know you want to.” Um, maybe it’s more an addition than a hobby . . . 

What was your favorite book as a teen or child? The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser. I think it started my fascination with time travel. That book has stayed with me through the years even though I only read it once . . . I think I might have to go back and read it again!

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not? I think everything I write has a mystery element to it. My first book was sort of sci-fi-ish, but still the story was infused with puzzling unsettlement until the end.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? Compliment: I write good dialogue. Criticism: It’s hard to say. I don’t take criticism in a bad way, I use it as a learning experience, so it has all been useful and help me grow as a writer. I think though, if I had to choose something, I would say that it may be writing in my own voice—interjecting my culture, experience, colloquiums—and being denigrated for it.

Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why? Rom-com! I want so much to write a romantic comedy, I think I could write a good story. The only problem is I blush just writing flirty scenes. I don’t know how I’d write the kissing parts!

If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be? I fell into my career as a writer, it wasn’t a planned path and I really don’t have anything I’d do differently because, I was lucky, things just fell into place.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors? Get an editor! 

Here's a little about Secrets, Lies & Crawfish Pies: Romaine Wilder, big-city medical examiner with a small-town past, has been downsized and evicted. With few other options, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Roble in East Texas, leaving behind the man she’s dating and the life she’s worked hard to build. Suzanne Babet Derbinay, Romaine’s Auntie Zanne and proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home, has long since traded her French Creole upbringing for Big Texas attitude. She’s a member in a number of ladies’ auxiliaries and clubs, including being in charge of the Tri-County Annual Crawfish Boil and Music Festival. Hanging on to the magic of her Louisiana roots, she’s cooked up a love potion or two—if she could only get Romaine to drink it. But her plans are derailed when the Ball Funeral Home, bursting at the seams with dead bodies, has a squatter stiff.

Dead Guy is a problem. Auntie Zanne can’t abide by a murderer using her funeral home as the dumping grounds for their crimes, and Romaine doesn’t want her newly elected cousin, Sheriff Pogue Folsom, to fail on his first murder case. Together, Romaine and Auntie Zanne set off to solve it.
With a dash of humor, a dollop of Southern charm, and a peek at current social issues in the mix, it’s a fun romp around East Texas to solve a murder mystery of the cozy kind.

Here's a little about Abby: WALL STREET JOURNAL AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Abby L. Vandiver has always enjoyed writing, combining that with her gift for telling stories and love of mystery she became an author. A hybrid, she has written as an indie as well as a traditionally published author. Abby has penned more than twenty-five books and short stories. Additionally, Penguin Berkley will publish the first book in her new cozy mystery series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery, beginning spring 2020. Abby has a bachelors in Economics, a master’s in Public Administration and a Juris Doctor. A former lawyer and visiting college professor of Economics, she resides in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and facilitating self-publishing classes at her local library.

Please leave Abby L. Vandiver a comment for a chance to win a print copy of Secrets, Lies, and Crawfish Pies. You MUST leave your email address. Sorry, US only. 

Find her here: Website: www.abbyvandiver.com

Buy it here: Amazon: bit.ly/myamzpg