CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS

26 October 2024

Deadlines and Valentines: A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery by Heather Weidner Book Tour! With Recipe!!

Deadlines and Valentines: A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery

Cozy Mystery

4th in Series

Setting

Virginia

Publisher ‏

‎ Level Best Books (October 15, 2024)

Print length ‏

‎ 264 pages

Digital ASIN ‏

‎ B0DGQX2XWH

Fern Valley, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is ground zero for all things romance. The town has pulled out all the stops for the first Valentine’s Day “Love is in the Air” Book Festival with events like Death by Chocolate, author speed-dating, a character masquerade, and a male cover model fashion show.
Everything is candy and roses until the sparks start to fly. Jules Keene and her team at the glamping resort spend their time trying to tamp down fiery tempers because opposites may not always attract.
When a popular author with a heart of gold is found murdered in the barn at the resort, Jules has to find the culprit before more than just hearts are broken.

About Heather Weidner

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, and the Pearly Girls Mysteries.

Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

Gooey S’mores Bites

Ingredients:

9 full-sized (rectangular) graham crackers

¼ cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

1 ¾ cups of sugar

3 tablespoons of sugar

4 ounces of semisweet chocolate

4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate

1 cup of heavy cream

8 large eggs (egg whites only)

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools:

Candy thermometer

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a square baking pan with foil. Mix the crackers, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar thoroughly. Pat the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan. Bake this for fifteen minutes. Then cool the mixture on a wire rack.

Break up the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave. Heat for 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Make sure that you stir after each heating.

Whip the heavy cream. Chill in the refrigerator.

Mix the egg whites, 1 ¾ cups of sugar, the cream of tartar, and the salt. Simmer a pan of water on the stove. Put the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk the mixture until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the bowl from the water and whisk the mixture until it has stiff peaks. It may take about 4-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for an additional minute.

Set aside half of the meringue. Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the remaining egg white mixture. Spread this mixture on top of the cooled crust. Then ice the dessert with the remaining meringue.

Preheat your oven for broil. Broil the dessert for about 30-60 seconds. Make sure that it doesn’t burn. Chill the entire dessert for about 2 hours.

Slice the s’mores into smaller squares and serve.

Author Links

Website and Blog

http://www.heatherweidner.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner

Amazon Authors

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003

Threads

https://www.threads.net/@heather_mystery_writer

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@heather_weidner_author

Twitter/X

https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1

Purchase Link

Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 22 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 25 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

October 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – RECIPE

October 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 29 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 30 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 31 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

November 1 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

November 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

November 3 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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25 October 2024

Retribution by Wendy Million Release Blitz! @indie_pen_pr #authorwendymillion #wendymillion

As an undercover FBI agent, Kimi is no stranger to life-threatening situations. When her newest assignment leads to the Donaghey brothers, one of Boston's biggest crime families, Kimi is confident she can handle the pressure.

But as she becomes embroiled in the lives of Finn and Lorcan, she realizes she might not be able to separate her job as Kim from the heart of Kimi quite so easily this time.

On the cusp of a mob war, Kimi must decide who to believe and who to save. Sometimes doing the right thing means doing something very wrong.

Add to Goodreads Here!

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Excerpt

He chuckles and again his gaze roves over my face as though he’s trying to piece me together. My hot-pink dress is garnering little attention from him. Should I be pleased or offended?

“You got any mates? I’m looking for someone like you.”

Carys tightens her grip on me and sips her whiskey. “She’s taken. Keep your mitts off her.”

He raises his glass, eyeing me over the top. “People who can be bought aren’t for me, Carys. You know that.”

She scoffs. “Not true, Lorcan. I do know you. I’ve played this all wrong. I should have told you she was thinking about leaving my organization.”

“I am terribly unhappy.” My gaze connects with Lorcan’s, and I offer a mischievous smile.

An answering smile spreads across his face. “That so? Now, Carys, you need to treat your everything woman a touch better before someone swoops in and sweeps her away.”

“As long as you aren’t the someone, Lorcan.” She glances at me. “I appreciate the effort, but I’m afraid once he’s on the hunt, he can’t be deterred.”

“You make me sound terrible.” Amusement pours out of him.

“I used to like you,” Carys says. “Finn, on the other hand…”

“… is an acquired taste.” Lorcan’s grin fades. “One I’ve gone off recently.”

She glances at me and then back to Lorcan. I’ve seen that look on her face before. She’s trying to figure out the best approach.

“Sorry to hear that,” I murmur, surprised by the sudden chill in the air.

His lips quirk up. “You wouldn’t be sorry if you knew him.” He empties his whiskey. “It’s been a pleasure, ladies. Thank you for the drink. You know me well, Carys.” With a nod to his men, Lorcan drifts into the crowd, leaving me and Carys to finish our drinks on our own.

“Shit.” She sighs and taps her glass with a fingernail. “I should have left Finn out of it.”

“Can’t ask him if he wants a deal without letting him know there’s a deal to be done.”

“Their organization buys arms, just not from me.” Carys purses her lips. “It should be me. It’d be a good time to slip in there. Maybe we can still salvage it later.”

“Are you doing that or…”

“If you get a chance to ask, fine by me. Plant a seed, see if it grows.”

Lorcan breezes through the crowd with his two burly security guards trailing behind him. He’s a small fish in an arms world. Carys does much bigger, more ethically comprised deals than this. She hasn’t let me near those yet. If I get out of here tonight with what I want, I’ll never see them. I’m going to need to work fast to recapture his attention. His late arrival means there are two hours until this event finishes, and he’s cut our conversation short.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“You’re not one to be charmed,” Carys draws out the words, and I think she must be watching Lorcan like me.

I smirk and raise my eyebrows. “Is there a but?”

A smile plays on her lips. “No, I suppose there isn’t.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” I say. “If I can get him to consider a deal, I will. And, if not, it’s been a pleasant evening. We haven’t been to an event like this in a while.” I knock back the rest of my whiskey and wiggle my glass at her. “Another?”

“No, I have people I want to connect with. Tonight is bigger than I expected.”

“I’ll be at the bar.”

Carys and I move in opposite directions as she heads off to make or solidify her contacts. I sidle up to the bar and place my empty glass to the side. This end of the bar is for standing, but farther down, there are a number of stools with people perched on them, chatting away to each other. The ballroom is vast and airy, though the perfume and cologne circulating are enough to cause an asthma attack. Above the bar, pendulum lights are set low to match the rest of the mood lighting. Most of the charitable events I’ve attended with Carys have been dimly lit. It must seem too intrusive to ask for money with the brightness turned to full.

I’m waiting for the bartender, wondering how I can slip myself into conversation with Lorcan when a shoulder brushes mine.

“Be a shame for someone as talented as you to be unhappy with your employer,” a deep voice says in my ear. His lilting accent is a sound I could get used to. It calls me back to the hours my father spent devouring anything Irish.

He’s so close, Lorcan’s hazel eyes are piercing in their intensity. The musky scent of his cologne floods my senses, and I’m glad for my training. Cool. Unaffected. “How do you know I’m talented?”

“Carys isn’t one for bigging people up who don’t deserve it.” He turns away to signal the bartender with a finger. “Two whiskeys.”

In this business, men are everywhere. But there’s something in the curve of his shoulders, the slant of his jaw under the goatee, which makes him familiar. Part of his appeal has nothing to do with appearance and everything to do with the way he carries himself. Confidence seeps out of him, oozing over everything he touches.

The bartender passes the two glasses to us, and I pick mine up with my fingertips, swishing it around, letting the ice clink against the sides.

His back is against the bar railing, and his elbows are on the wood, so he can stare out across the wide expanse of the room. When he shifts toward me, his gaze connects with mine over the rim of his glass. “When are you heading home?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. Carys offered to show me some sites around Boston.”

One side of his mouth twitches as though he’s holding in his amusement. “Sounds grand.”

“Does it?” I avoid looking at him directly, keeping my back to the room.

“Not quite as grand as coming round to mine for a meeting.”

“What would we be meeting about?” I peer into my glass, hope rising in me.

“See if one of us can make the other an offer they can’t refuse.”

“I get offers all the time. I refuse them all.” Our little game of cat and mouse amuses me, but I keep my features smooth.

“You never had one from me.”

Somehow, I’ve managed to finish another drink. “I guess we’ll see what you’ve got then. I’m a tough nut to crack.”

He places his finished drink onto the bar. “I’m counting on it. Tell Carys to call me.”

When I turn around, he and his men are gone.

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Wendy Million is an award-winning author whose contemporary romances about strong women and troubled men have captivated her loyal readers. She is the author of the contemporary second-chance romances, When Stars Fall and Miss Matched. Writing as W. Million, she is the author of the Bellerive Royals series.

When not writing, Wendy enjoys spending time in or around the water. She lives in Ontario, Canada with two beautiful daughters, two cute pooches, and one handsome husband (who is grateful she doesn’t need two of those).

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Caught on Camera: A Camera Club Mystery by Kara Lacey Blog Tour and Recipe!

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About Caught on Camera

Caught on Camera: A Camera Club Mystery

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Setting - Vermont

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (September 24, 2024)

Print length ‏ : ‎ 307 pages

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DGNDGPV4

Blue skies and wildflowers signal the start of summer in southern Vermont, and the Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Camera Club lenses are zoomed in on…murder.

It's been more than a year since the sudden death of her husband, and photographer Bobbie Brooks wants nothing more than to escape her grief. Fleeing her life in the city, she seeks a fresh start in the serenity of the Green Mountains. But Bobbie’s new beginning comes to a halt when she finds a member of her camera club dead beneath the village’s idyllic covered bridge. Tragic accident or something sinister? With a keen photographer’s eye, Bobbie suspects murder.

As if transitioning to small-town life wasn’t challenging enough, Bobbie’s missing scarf is found at the murder scene, making her the primary focus. Scorned by local gossips, she enlists the help of her camera club and shifts her lens from photographer to amateur sleuth. Using photos found on the victim’s camera, they waste no time setting out to catch the killer—and discover no shortage of suspects. Secrets, lies, and blackmail…Danger abounds as they close in on the killer.
Her camera holds the answers… But can she develop the clues in time to stop the killer?

Should you drive the back roads of Vermont in March, you’re sure to see smoke and steam rising above rustic wooden shacks. That’s the sign it’s maple time in Vermont. Be sure to roll your windows down. The crisp winter air is redolent with the smoky sweet scent of maple.

Like me, my main character, Bobbie Brooks, is a reluctant baker. But this pie recipe is one we can both manage—subtly sweet, creamy, a little bit gooey, and oh so easy to make. This pie is featured in the second book of the Camera Club Mysteries (to be published in September 2025), when Bobbie’s sister Alicia enters it into the Harvest Festival pie baking contest.

(Excerpt paraphrased from Masked Intentions, Book 2 of the Camera Club Mysteries)

“Good luck with the contest,” I said. “Your pie looks delicious.”

“Pfft,” Alicia said. “Pie baking isn’t really my thing. I only entered the contest to uphold the Crowley Farm tradition. You should stick around. It’s amusing to watch the old bitties duke it out. Competition is brutal.”

“I wish I could. But if you ever feel like baking another one, you know where to bring it.”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Or you could just make it yourself. This one is so easy; I’ll feel guilty if it wins a prize.”

Just in time for the holidays - Vermont Maple Pie

Ingredients:

1 - 9 inch unbaked pie shell (I used a pre-made crust. Feel free to make your own.)
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream
1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups pure Vermont maple syrup (DO NOT even think of using maple flavored corn syrup!!)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (It sounds strange, but don’t skip it. The pie won’t taste like pepper. I promise…)
1/3 Cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a heavy saucepan, whisk cream and flour together until smooth.

Add maple syrup, butter, and pepper.

Whisk over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Do not allow mixture to boil.

Pour filling into prepared pie shell.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and bake for 20 - 30 minutes (until bubbling). The pie will not be “set.”

Cool on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly cooled.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Recipe adapted from VermontMaple.org

About Kara Lacey

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Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mysteries. Along with her husband, she lives in a tiny village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, skiing, and getting cozy with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you can find her rambling through the forest with her husband and spirited Labrador retriever, camera in hand.

Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-New England, and Mystery Writers of America. She is also a co-Member at Large for Vermont SinC NE writers.

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