Release Day – Dash Away All

Today is the release day for Dash Away All, the third book in the Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series. I was excited to combine Christmas in July and Christmas movies in this story.

Here’s a little bit about Dash Away All…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Merry Winters is excited for her dream-come-true moment: being an on-site crafter for a Christmas movie. The tidings of joy are short-lived as she finds herself becoming a referee, dealing with a raging Ebenezer, participating in a bucket brigade, and finding evidence in a “murder.”

Is someone trying to stop the production or is it tied to a secret someone has on Luna Carmichael, the star of the movie and the queen of Christmas?

When Marie, Luna’s assistant, stumbles away from a car accident and dies, Merry believes the accident wasn’t quite so accidental. Was Luna or Marie the target? Merry finds more questions than answers, but one thing is certain: Everyone has an ulterior motive for being part of the production—including Marie.

After another murder, Merry wonders if the deaths are tied to a baby born long ago and abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

To celebrate the release of the third book in the series, the ebook version of the first book in the series, Not A Creature Was Stirring, is on sale for $0.99.  Better Watch Out (book 2) and Dash Away All (book 3) are $4.99.

Amazon Link

Nook Link 

 

And if you’d like to hear more about Dash Away All and me, please head on over for a listen to The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon.

Cover Reveal: Dash Away All

Here it is…the cover for Dash Away All, the third book in the Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series, and my ninth book with Henery Press.

In Dash Away All, Merry Winters is taking a break from her hometown of Season’s Greetings–and all her problems there–and heading to Indiana to become the on-site crafter for a Christmas movie. The tidings of joy are short-lived as she finds herself becoming a referee, dealing with a raging Ebenezer, participating in a bucket brigade, and finding evidence in a “murder.” Is someone trying to stop the production or is it tied to a secret someone has on Luna Carmichael, the queen of Christmas?

When Marie, Luna’s assistant, stumbles away from a car accident and dies, Merry believes the accident wasn’t quite so accidental. Was Luna or Marie the target? Merry finds more questions than answer and one thing is certain: everyone has an ulterior motive for being part of the production—including Marie. After another murder, Merry wonders if the deaths are tied to a baby born long ago and then abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

I had a love-hate relationship with writing Dash Away All. I loved the story: the plot, taking Merry out of hometown and away from her family and friends, Christmas movie setting, some of the scenes (which caused some of my problems). It was a new challenge to write Merry without using the other characters I had grown to love in Not A Creature Was Stirring and Better Watch Out. I found I missed them a lot and Merry’s reasoning for getting involved just wasn’t strong enough without her having a personal tie as her love for her friends and family is her strongest driving force. In the fourth draft, I brought in a personal connection for her: Marie is Paul McCormick’s cousin.

And then there were the scenes I loved. Capital L.O.V.E.D. That made it really hard to get the right flow for the book as I wanted to use these chapters so badly I was forcing them into the story…which is probably why writing scenes as they come to me isn’t the method of writing for me. My love of a scene even had me starting the book at the wrong point. I wanted this scene so much but it made no sense at the beginning. If that scene took place there was no reason for the production to continue so it couldn’t be the reason for Merry’s investigation, so back to the typewriter. I rewrote the first quarter of the book four times before I finally found the right start for the book. And, I evidently had to concede that one scene I adored had no place in the book anymore. It was so hard to pull it out.

There was also another part of the story I struggled with and even when I turned in the book I still wasn’t quite happy with the ending but it was time for me to stop fighting with the manuscript (I had my deadline extended while I wrestled with it). The main problem was I have a few will-not-ever-do/write rules in my head. There are just some things I like steering clear of but these self-imposed rules placed restrictions on the story and didn’t allow it to flow naturally. By forcing the direction too much, it took out the emotion in the book. Everything was just happening because I wanted/needed it. (I’m keeping this part vague as I don’t want to give away a big part of the story.)

Fortunately, I have a wonderful editor who is patient and understanding of my angst and helped me get over the hurdle I created for myself and encouraged me to see that there was nothing wrong with “breaking” one of my rules. I’m now very happy and excited with this story, and I love it. It’s more authentic to itself–and all because in the end I said screw it and broke a rule.

 

 

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Rory Anderson from Ghosts of Painting Past

Let’s give a big Self-Rescue Princess welcome to Rory Anderson. She’s joining us at the start of this holiday season to share a little bit about herself.

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life?

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love attending the events around Vista Beach where I live like the pier lighting ceremony and school concert. This year my BFF, Liz Dexter, and I had a booth at the local craft fair so we worked on painting ornaments to sell at it for months beforehand. I also helped my parents out with the annual sand-snowman contest. But Christmas didn’t turn out to be as fun as I expected. When developers tore down the house across the street from mine, they found a decades old skeleton. A skeleton! It didn’t take long for the police to identify it as someone my father knew in high school. When he was implicated in the crime, I just had to prove that he was innocent.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

Concern for my dad. I know he’d never kill anyone, but everything seemed to point to him as the culprit. I just had to get involved and prove he was innocent before it completely ruined his career and his life.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have anything to do with murder and now I’ve been involved in five investigations!

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

That would be my boyfriend, Martin Green. He’s a detective in the Vista Beach police department. He’s not thrilled when I investigate on my own. He’s afraid I’ll get hurt. No, detective work isn’t my normal career. I’m a freelance computer programmer. I write apps, put together websites, that sort of thing.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

My willingness to drop everything and help out friends and family. I’m persistent and a good problem solver. I’m also a bit analytical, which I think helps in investigations. But, sometimes I’m too concerned about what others think of me.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

A strong, confident woman tries to solve her own problems. At the same time, she knows she can’t always do everything by herself so she knows when it’s time to ask for help.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Don’t let anyone discourage you from pursuing your dreams. Persistence pays off.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Life can take surprising turns but, no matter what happens, I know I’ll get through it with the help of my family and friends.

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

The Gloria Gaynor song, “I Will Survive.” I’ve been involved in quite a few murder investigations now and have even been suspected myself. I’ve survived it all.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I’ve said before that I hope I never see another dead body in my life. But I keep on being drawn into investigations. I have the uneasy feeling that it’s going to happen to me again, and soon.

SRP Heroine Interview: Merry Wynter from Muffin But Trouble

Welcome to the Self-Rescue Princess, we’re starting the holiday season by chatting with  Merry Wynter.

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life?

Life is a little hectic. I own a real life American Castle in Western New York state; it was built by my lumber baron great-many-times grandfather and passed down through the generations, but because my dad died when I was just five or so, I never knew about that side of the family. I didn’t know anything about it until I inherited Wynter Castle from my great uncle Melvyn Wynter. I intended to sell it and return to NYC where I had always lived. I fell in love with the nearby town of Autumn Vale, though, and made friends, and ended up staying and fixing it up with my New York friends, Pish and Shilo.

The problem was, how to pay for living there. I tried a few schemes over the years, including my muffin baking and selling business, but it became clear it was going to take something big to make a go of it. Soooo…

Pish Lincoln, my dear friend, and I have partnered to create a performing arts center for a symphony orchestra and opera company. Kind of like Tanglewood is for the BSO.

But there is so much else going on! I keep finding trouble. I don’t mean to, but… it happens. Lately I was accosted in a neighboring town by a rude street preacher guy who kept calling me a Jezebel! He’s part of this fringe group who own a compound near town. It’s run by one of those doom and damnation cultish groups.

I’ve since discovered that a couple of good friends may have been lured in by the group and its leader. Between that and the missing girls my husband, former sheriff Virgil Grace, and his former deputy have been investigating, I’m worried, so I’m going to do something about it.

I just hope nothing goes wrong when my friends and I storm the compound!

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

I’ve been fighting the negative attitude some townies have of me and my New York friends… there have been a few unfortunate incidences over the last three years. Most in Autumn Vale like us, some have become truly great friends, and others are ambivalent, but there are a few who feel like we are out to change Autumn Vale, and they aren’t sure they want that. I try to do everything I can to help people and change minds. I want them to see me and the people I’m bringing into their lives as a good thing, for them and the community.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

That’s a funny question! LOL. I’m no Wonder Woman. I’m just a former plus size model, turned fashion stylist, turned muffin baker, turned property developer, turned reluctant crime fighter.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

Least pleased? Whoever is guilty, I suppose. My husband, even though I first met him in his capacity as sheriff of Autumn Vale, has been very good about not interfering when I’m on a hunt. He’s helpful, in fact, and now that he’s a private investigator, he can even help with resources.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

I like that description! But for a long time I don’t think I was strong or confident. I met and married a fashion photographer when I was in my twenties, but after two blissful years of marriage he died in a tragic car accident. It took me a long time to move on… in fact it wasn’t until I came to Autumn Vale to have a look at my inheritance and met Virgil that I started to see a life beyond widowhood. My hero is Lizzie Proctor, now eighteen, who is the very essence of a strong confident woman. When I met her (when I first arrived in Autumn Vale) she was fifteen and troubled, and she is still in conflict with her mom much of the time, but she found her calling – photography – and is fierce in following it, and defending her friends in any situation. I respect her more than I can say.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. And if you decide to do something, do it with your whole passion. Don’t expect success in what you want to do to just come to you because you want it. You’ve got to earn it. You may or may not succeed, but the beauty and honor is in striving for your goals.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

To not be afraid to butt in… truly! One of my friends that is in trouble, Gordy Shute, is an example. We could all see he was drifting away from us but we didn’t want to interfere in his life, and now he has ended up in that cult compound. I think I’ve learned… sometimes you need to butt in!

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. LOL.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I have a feeling trouble will find me again… if things get too quiet or go too smoothly, my friend Pish can be counted on to get us into some fix! It’s always because he’s trying to help somebody. (Merry will indeed run into trouble again in Double or Muffin – coming in 2020. Pish agrees to host an opera competition reality show that has lost its venue, and… trouble ensues!)

If you’d like to read Merry’s adventure in Muffin But Trouble, you can find it here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Website: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com

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

 

 

 

 

Release Day: Not A Creature Was Stirring

It’s here! Release day! Not A Creature Was Stirring is the first book in my new series featuring Merry Winters, a crafterpreneur who specializes in all things Christmas.

Empty nester Merry Winters loves three things: Christmas, crafting and her family. To regain purpose and joy, Merry hits the road to a Christmas vendor event with her furry sidekick Ebenezer in her new mobile crafting sleigh, aka an RV.

But it soon turns into the nightmare before Christmas when Merry unwraps her Scrooge of an ex-husband’s body in one of the RV’s compartments. Add to that his missing winning lottery ticket believed to be stashed somewhere in the RV, leading the homicide detective and Merry’s stepdaughter to believe Merry is the one whodunit.

With visions of prison dancing in her head, will Merry be able to solve this Christmas calamity before she’s locked away?

I’ll be on a blog tour from January 21-Feb 3 2019. Here’s where you can find me:

January 21 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

January 22 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

January 22 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 24 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 25 –  Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

January 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

January 28 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 29 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

January 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 31 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – MJB Reviews – REVIEW

February 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

February 3 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST

Stop by my tour spots to learn more about me, Merry, and also to enter into a giveaway.

SRP Heroine Interview: Carrie Singleton from Read and Gone

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

Recently, my life has been just about perfect. I love being the Clover Ridge Library’s head of programs and events. I have a great boyfriend and wonderful friends. And then my father, whom I haven’t seen in years and happens to be a thief, shows up at my cottage wanting me to help him get his half of a heist of gems from his crooked partner. As if I would ever do anything like that!

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

When my father’s partner-in-crime is found murdered, my father becomes suspect number one. Now crooked as his is, my father is no murderer and I feel obliged to clear his name. I must find those gems before my father or any of the several people searching for them finds them.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

Yes, actually, since I helped solve a cold case and a recent murder in my community a few months ago.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I’d say Lieutenant John Mathers, the police chief of Clover Ridge Police Department, would rather I didn’t get involved in his cases. John is a good friend of my Uncle Bosco and he worries about my safety.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

Some of us have grown up in a dysfunctional family as I did, but that’s no reason to let it interfere with having a wonderful, worthwhile rest of your life. Try not to be bitter; allow yourself to have loving, caring relationships. Unless it would be toxic to let a family member back into your life, be willing to give this person another chance if he/she has changed.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

I realized how much I love my father. Growing up, I was very hurt because he was never around, even when he wasn’t in jail. Spending time with him as an adult, I saw that he loves me and shows it as best he can. Much as I’d like it, I cannot expect him to behave like a typical father.

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

You Can’t Choose the Members of Your Family

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I intend to continue sleuthing when the need arises. To be perfectly honest, I LOVE sleuthing. It’s challenging and exciting!

 

 

 

 

SRP Heroine Guest: Nora Alexander from Murder of a Good Man

Hi there.  My name is Nora Alexander coming to you from Piney Woods Texas. I came here to deliver a letter and am staying at the lovely Piney Woods Bed and Breakfast.  Piney Woods is in East Texas near the Louisiana border. When oil went bust in Texas, this town had to find a new way to survive. There is still evidence of a more thriving economy, like that run-down hotel on Main Street. Someone could really do something with that place.

What’s that you say? What’s wrong with the post office?

Not a thing, but there are some things you just have to do yourself. My mother just passed away and now I have this letter. Even though she was too sick to tell me, I think getting this letter delivered had to be one of her final wishes.  The recipient of the letter is Mr. Adam Brockwell. In our entire time together, I never heard her mention this man’s name.  Did she owe him money? Is he a relative? An old boyfriend? Whoever he was, he was important enough to be on her mind in her final days.

I haven’t delivered the letter yet, but here’s the thing. When I drove into to town today, there was a billboard that said Adam Brockwell for Piney Woods Pioneer. I’m guessing this is some sort of local honor that they bestow on a helpful citizen. He sounds like he must be a good man. Once more, I’m leaning toward the old boyfriend theory. What do you think?

Okay. My writer is bugging me to tell you to be sure to enter the giveaway for this book. You can enter below for your chance at an ecopy of Murder of a Good Man or a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Piper Prescott from Ginger Snapped

It’s a new year, and The Self-Rescue Princess has even more fabulous heroines for you to meet. Our first for 2018 is Piper Prescott. Welcome, Piper.

Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

Over the past year, my relationship with the often infuriating Chief of Police, Wyatt McBride, has mellowed into a friendship of sorts.  I’m still distracted by the darn dimple of his that makes an appearance now and again when he smiles a certain way, but I’m always secretly pleased when he pops into Spice It Up!.  Goes to show my female hormones haven’t stopped functioning yet.  Being the owner of a little spice shop here in Brandywine Creek, Georgia, keeps me on my toes.  My daughter Lindsey is a high school senior now, and she keeps me pretty busy, too, with college admission forms and things like senior prom.  In a weak moment, I even volunteered to be on the prom committee.  As though my life wasn’t full enough already, a local Realtor showed up dead recently in McBride’s fishing hole and now the whole town is regarding him as a person of interest.  How’s that for turning the tables on my favorite lawman?

What made you take on such a risky endeavor?

I don’t know what was riskier, opening my own business following a divorce or trying to solve a murder.  I only know when folks started suspecting Wyatt I couldn’t simply sit idle.  I may have had my run-ins with the man but I knew deep-down  he wasn’t a killer.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No way!  Brandywine Creek is no bigger than a flyspeck on a map and is post card pretty.  Sure every city has crime, but here it consists of mostly petty stuff.  Murder happens elsewhere, not in Brandywine Creek. I’m a shop owner not some fancy detective.  I’m naturally curious, like to ask a lot of questions (even the unpopular ones) and Spice It Up! has become a place where women like to gather—and gossip.  Few things I love better than fitting together the pieces of a good puzzle.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing?

Just about everyone I know casts aspersions on my avocation, but if I had to pick three people here goes:  Chief of Police, Wyatt McBride tops my list.  McBride’s given me more lectures than I can count on the pitfalls of playing amateur sleuth.  They all boils down to him telling me that I should mind my own business and leave the crime solving to the pros. He’s been especially testy since getting shot during a showdown I had with a former hitman. Next on my list would be my ex-husband, C.J. Prescott.  He thinks I’ve completely lost my marbles and doesn’t mince words.  Coming in third would be my daughter, Lindsey Nicole.  After some of my escapades, she had the nerve to tell me that I’m the troublemaker in the family and in need of a curfew.  Imagine!

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Stubbornness can be both a curse and a blessing.  I persist in finding answers to vexing questions when another might take a step back and let things go.  It’s also lead me into some pretty dicey situations.  I tend to act impulsively on occasion and become a risk taker, often to my detriment.

 

Review: The Discombobulated Decipherers by Julie Seedorf

Thank you for stopping by The Self-Rescue Princess today. Today, I’m doing a holiday review of the Discombobulated Decipherers. The reviews I write are a little different as I like to focus on the heroines, or as the case is during the holiday season, I comment about the holiday spirit in the story.

The Discombobulated Decipherers is a fun, quirky story with plenty of holiday charm. The main element of the story is the mystery, who killed Ernest the elf, but it always maintains its lighthearted feel, perfect for readers who prefer to read less angst during this time of the year. The reader can follow along with the characters as they try to uncover the puzzle of who killed Ernest and also if an item they keep stumbling upon has anything to do with the murder, or with the history of the town. (I don’t want to inadvertently give a spoiler so am not mentioning the item.) The holiday season is important to the story so it really lends to the atmosphere of the book. The mystery and the holiday aspect of the story blended together perfectly, and I don’t think either would’ve worked without the other which is something I really enjoyed about the book.

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Cat Enright from The Mane Equation

Welcome to the Self-Rescue Princess, Cat. I know the holiday season is extremely busy for many people so I’m so happy you made time to chat with my readers.

1. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

My dad, whom, I’ve spoken to about three times in the past ten years, was sure someone was trying to kill him. My life as a horse trainer in Tennessee had become confusing, due to some unexpected personal relationships, so I jumped at the chance to “run away” and visit Dad at Canterbury Park, a horseracing track in Shakopee, Minnesota. Turns out my dad was right, but it took the help of my Tennessee friends and the (possibly) psychic mare, Sally Blue, to figure it out.

2. What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

Well, he’s my dad. Biological, at least. After my mom died when I was nine, Dad pretty much abandoned me to “the drink,” as he calls it. My feelings about him are complicated, and even though I absolutely want to stay mad at him for the rest of my life, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.

3. Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

Not ever! But my ex-movie star neighbor was killed and I stumbled across her body. Then there was a murder at a horse show, and after that my best friend, country music star Melody Cross, was killed. What was I supposed to do? Just sit back and watch the police make a mess of things? No offense to my friend Deputy Martin Giles. He’s one of the good guys.

4. Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I train show horses full time. Or, at least, that’s what I am supposed to be doing. Definitely, my barn manager, Jon Gardner, is not pleased when I start to snoop. I understand his concern, as the horses need me and all my undone chores fall to him. Jon also has feelings for me that I am not sure I reciprocate, but he is a dear friend.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Well, I have this teensy problem with anger management. My Irish nature allows situations to build and then everything explodes out of me. I’m working on it, though. I’ve also been known to break and enter (make that snoop) uninvited through my neighbors’ homes. But it is all with the best of intentions––and with their best interests in mind. On the good side, I am very loyal and have a strong sense of right and wrong. And, horses and dogs like me.

6. Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

My grandmother raised me to be self-sufficient. As she used to say, “Never underestimate a Southern woman. She’ll rip your heart out, show it to you, and then bake it in a pie.” I guess two out of three isn’t bad. I never got the hang of cooking. But, my grandmother’s sentiments ring true all the same. It’s important to me to know that I can depend on myself in any situation. And yes, I’ve had to be rescued a time or two, but I’ve done more than my share of rescuing in return.

7. What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Be who you are, and be proud of you. Then make informed decisions that will increase your pride in yourself, not decrease it. And, when the scumbags come crawling into your life, swat them away. You deserve better.

8. What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Not to sit too close to my potential step-mother’s dog. A second lesson was not to assume anything. At all. Facts are what count.

9. Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat? 

I never intend to get involved, but it seems that people I know are always dying. Jon strongly prefers that I do no more sleuthing, but if a wrong has been done to a friend I feel compelled to help bring the perpetrator to justice. After all, that’s what friends do.