Happy Memorial Day. Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. We tend to think of it as the beginning of summer; the festivities and barbaques. I like to just say in memory of those fallen just pause a moment and give thanks to those who've given all to allow us those fun times.  Now, on to today's new release spotlight.

Here we are near the end of May. I can't believe this weekend is Memorial Day. Way back in the olden days when I was born, May 30th was Memorial Day. That's my birthday. Little D. thought the parades were for her. A lot of parades have passed since then. But everyday is a gift and its own adventure. One of those adventures of mine was living on a dairy farm in Minnesota. Today's guest is from the Land of 10,000 Lakes also known as the North Star State and even the Gopher State. Please help me welcome a new to The Fire author.

Joie, welcome to the fire. I have the coffee pot on but I'm going to grab us some waters. While I do, will you introduce yourself? Tell us who you are other than your bio?
I am an observer of life. 
When a person first meets me, I may be quiet. It’s not that I’m an introvert exactly because to be honest I love meeting new people and I love to talk. The truth is I learned the art of observation as a child. I enjoyed listening to my mother and her sisters talk about their lives growing up in Minneapolis during the decades long before I was born. I learned about the 30s, 40s and 50s and it fed my creativity and influenced my writing.
Even now, during my times of quiet observation, I continue to learn and experience life through other peoples’ perceptions, reactions, and actions.

You sound like me. I'm a fly on the wall until I get the feel of the room. I also have learned to ask questions and then sit back and listen to the answer. What do you do for fun besides writing ? For instance, what do you read or hobbies you have?I am a lifelong reader. I simply love to lose myself in a story and always have. Without my love for reading, I would not be a writer. 
​I also am a novice ukelele player and by this means, I’ve been learning how to play for the last 4 years. My husband did restring my ukelele for me last year, so I think I should get the hang of it one day soon—maybe. Which leads me to say, aside from books, one of my biggest interests is music. I have an eclectic taste but my favorite to listen to by far is indie rock—80s and current.

Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
When asked this question, The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser instantly springs to my mind. While it’s my favorite, I can also honestly say this story has had the biggest influence on me as a writer.
My older sister introduced me to it when I was sixteen in 1984. From page one, I hooked. I was excited that the story evolved from a writer’s imagination. Marlys Millhiser’s words awed as they transported me to the 1900s Boulder, Colorado and back again to 1978 with the help of a cursed mirror. Through the words, I lived vicariously through the two main characters. I loved it and knew this was the kind of story I needed to write—someday. 

I had to look it up and now I've added it to my TBR. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My intent is to do both. I write each book to stand on its own but there are definite connections. For instance, one scene in my WIP—a 1960s ghost story—takes place in the beach side town where my mermaids live. (See below where I talk about having finished books awaiting their next draft.)

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Oh wow. When it’s put that way, I have to go count--
Okay. So, I currently have eight books that are in various stages of completion with four finished awaiting their next draft edits. 

Research is one of my favorite tasks when writing a book. I can get lost in it. What kind of research do you do?
My research happens in tandem with my writing. Since many of my stories are historical and set between 1900–1970, I spend much of my time listening to the music, watching documentaries or motion pictures along with reading voraciously. I take an immersive approach in order to feel as if I’m there throughout the entire writing process. 

What did you edit out of your upcoming release, The Passenger?
Initially, it was the first seven chapters from the earliest draft. While I cut those chapters, I didn’t abandon the parts of the story they told. No, I then challenged myself to take those elements and weave them into the chapters that remained. My goal was to show the friendship between my ghost whisperer, Elizabeth Reilly, and the spirit she sets out to help.
In my later final draft, I decided to cut an opening scene where Elizabeth says goodbye to her late husband, Patrick, a WWII soldier who died in battle. Here again, I just leave Patrick’s goodbye by the wayside. Instead, I weaved this element into the Chapter One. Here’s an excerpt to show how I incorporated this deleted scene:

When her husband was on his way to her to say goodbye, she’d sweated through the cries of soldiers falling into the mud around her and the deafening noise of battle.
Don’t go there, Elizabeth. You couldn’t help him.
She’d known the only help she could provide was to help him pass on in peace.
Elizabeth had expected Patrick’s ghost to visit her. For weeks, she braved the early spring chill to await his arrival. Bundled in layers, she waited on the beach for him. Their special place. When he finally came, he met her there. Patrick sat next to her on the blanket he’d given her as a birthday present when they were younger. The one with the purple daffodils. When she thought of his final goodbye, she thought of the daffodils she’d stared down at while he talked—as if the color of the flowers were the most important detail of the day. 
Yet the broken dead man who sat beside her was. 
Patrick’s once handsome face wore sadness like a caul. He’d wished she would remember him as the whole and healthy man who she clung to and kissed before he shipped off to war. When she pictured the delicate purple flowers imprinted on the fabric, she overlooked the bloodied gash in his side where he’d taken the bullet.

If I time traveled I think I'd optimistically go into the future. What about you?  Where would you go and when? Why?
I would go to the 1940s and travel from Boston to California. 
Why? Because I have spent so much time there in my imagination with Elizabeth, Gio, Paolo and Adriana. In my mind’s eye, I’ve spent countless hours picturing the clothing, hearing the music and the way people interact with one another. I would revel at the chance to see how my imagination matched up with the real thing.

Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
I would definitely rather have unlimited international tickets. They wouldn’t even have to be first class. They would just need to fly me to all the destinations I dream of going to.
The first place I would jet off to would be Madeira, Portugal!

If someone came up to you and said, “Hey, do that thing you do!” what thing would pop into your head first?
It wouldn’t be a thing that I actually do. 
No, for me it would be a moment in time and a movie--That Thing You Do and watching it after a dinner of gluten free pizza and coffee ice cream on Thanksgiving in 2022 before my taste and sense of smell diminished due to Covid-19.

Joie, thank you so much for spending time Around the Fire. You must be so excited for August to get here. Congratulations on your book. Will you leave us some information about it?

Hi, everyone and Happy Monday. Since my last check in, Pete and I spent some time in Corinth NY. We assisted in readying Cedar Brook Christian Girls camp for the upcoming season. I made meals for the crew which varied from 20 to 40 mouths to feed. I love to cook but this ole gal isn't used to 12hr days. Phew. Then DH and I stayed in the area and celebrated our 30th anniversary by touring around. I did pick up some new cheeses to try.  Now back in the Garden State, we are waiting for the next trip with our Grands to Knobels, an action/water park in Pennsylvania to celebrate their birthdays. I hope you enjoy today's guest and information about her new cozy mystery. Welcome, Joyce.  

WILD IRISH YENTA
by
Joyce Sanderly 

May 1, 2024
Cozy Mystery
PG-13

About the story.

Set against a backdrop of a suburban Maryland synagogue, Wild Irish Yenta dishes on interfaith marriage, misbehaving clergy, Biblical myth, and the beauty of religious traditions. When the body of custodian Roberto Gomez is found in Temple Israel’s parking lot, Patricia Weiss, nee Reilly, exchanges her suburban-mom sneakers for gumshoes to investigate the hit-and-run. An ardent new convert to Judaism, Patricia is grappling with her outsider status at the upscale Reform congregation. For Roberto, the stakes had been much higher. He was struggling to be adopted by a new country and learn a new language. Inspired by her detective dad, Patricia is compelled to find out who-dun-it and why. 
This novel takes a wry look at marriage, insular suburban cliques, and the politics of religious institutions. While poking fun at cultural stereotypes, the novel interweaves biblical stories with questions of contemporary concern. Can a nice Catholic girl find happiness with a Jewish cardiologist even if she converts? Can Patricia’s yenta patrol detect a connection between a custodian’s death and other troubling happenings at the Temple?

Get your copy today.
Available at Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Irish-Yenta-Joyce-Sanderly-ebook/dp/B0CVXW6H8K           
Barnes & Noble   https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-irish-yenta-joyce-anderly/1144882468
Bookshop:  https://bookshop.org/book/9781509250936
  
Joyce's Inspiration for the Story.
My novel began with a focus on the conflicts surrounding an interfaith marriage. My own experience with the difficulty of finding clergy to officiate at my interfaith marriage was the impetus. I am a big fan of mysteries, especially novels by authors like Laura Lippman and  Megan Abbott who explore the multi-faceted relationships among family members and delve into the psychological impetus behind their characters’ crimes. My hope was to follow (at least a little bit) in the footsteps of these authors in crafting a story that explored the interlocking dynamics that exist within an interfaith marriage, a family, a friendship, and the politics of religious institutions. As the plot of Wild Irish Yenta began to form, I researched customs, doctrine and biblical interpretations of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, as well as relevant   securities laws and criminal procedures. 
The reader might ask:  What exactly is a yenta? As with most Yiddish words, there is no precise English equivalent. One of the book’s characters (Brenda) defines yenta as a wise and knowledgeable female who distributes essential information to parties who have a need to know, kind of like an analog version of social media. A less complimentary definition of the term yenta might be “busybody.” In any event Brenda and the book’s protagonist Patricia make a great detecting team with good intentions at heart as they try to unravel the novel’s mysteries.

Happy Monday! I'm writing this post from the Rustic Barn Campground in Corinth NY. It's a small quiet campground in the Adirondacks in Upstate. Pete and I worked the weekend at Cedarbrook Christian Girls Camp nearby getting them ready for the season. While DH worked outside lifting and toting, hammering and chopping, I was the camp cook for all the volunteers, forty of them. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phew, it was tiring but also rewarding. Enough about moi, lets get to today's recent release. 

Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage (A Flippin' Good Mystery Book 1)
by
Lori Pollard-Johnson 
Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries
 Cozy Animal Mystery
Amateur Sleuths
May 8, 2024

Thirty-four, newly divorced and parenting two little girls, Jan Weatherly is determined to make it on her own doing what she knows best: do-it-yourself home flipping. With her BFF Pam Bacchus by her side, she purchases their first fixer-upper—a cute Craftsman cottage with quick profit potential in rainy Rainier, Washington. With the first swing of her claw hammer, however, Jan pries back faux cedar paneling and reveals a nude, snow-haired corpse floating in a makeshift aquarium. If that didn’t fully sour their dreams in a plume of formaldehyde-tinged air, Sergeant Daniels arrives and bans the women from the crime scene. Will they continue sleuthing, despite Daniels’s warnings, or simply wait for their dreams of financial independence to fall apart?

From the author.
As a writer with a 1000-words-a-day habit, I’m often asked how I get started. What they mean, of course, is how do I settle down and focus in for some meaningful keyboard pounding? The answer is simple: thick socks.
Thick socks?
Yes, thick socks. 
Think of it this way (read to the cadence of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”:
If you give a writer thick socks,
She won’t feel the crumbs under her feet.
If she doesn’t feel the crumbs under her feet,
She won’t stop to sweep the floor.
If she doesn’t stop to sweep the floor, 
She won’t empty the dustpan into the garbage.
If she doesn’t empty the dustpan into the garbage, 
She won’t remember to take out the trash.
If she doesn’t remember to take out the trash,
She won’t see there’s a mouse in the garage eating cookies.
If she doesn’t see the mouse in the garage eating cookies,
She can walk straight to her desk and begin writing. 

Humor aside, you get my drift. Prioritize yourself and your writing, and you’ll suddenly discover everything else truly can wait. 
Get your copy.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW9C7W7P/thewildrosepr-20
https://wildrosepress.com/product/corpse-in-the-craftsman-cottage/​
​

About the author.
Lori Pollard-Johnson is a retired educator and current wife, mama and grandma. She writes from her homes in Washington and Arizona, and has been published in fiction, nonfiction and poetry, in publications as diverse as Vegetarian Journal, Seattle, Black Belt, Bridal Connections and The Binnacle, in addition to five novels. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her grandbabies, braiding rugs, perfecting her shavasana, swimming, hiking, practicing her releves, renovating fixer-uppers, reading, or watching javelinas dance through her backyard.

​We won't talk about how many years ago I went splunking several times. In Hunterdon County, there were wild caves. One had a tunnel called The Corkscrew. You had to twist going up. Usually with one person in front to pull the other behind to push, at least if you were the middle people. Being underground doesn't bother me. One of my favorite places these days is Sterling Mine. Here are two pictures of it.  If you live anywhere near this place is worth the trip. It's a museum and educational center. Here's the link https://www.sterlinghillminingmuseum.org/
They do tours year-round on the weekends. 
So what does this have to do with me? Well, keep reading.
Coming soon will be the THIRD Agent Sam Carter Mystery. 

Recently we were in Virginia and went from underground at the Grand Canyons in Grottoes, VA. Oh. My. I could have spent way more than the hour and a half tour. Some things I wanted to just stare at and take in the images. Then the next day to the top of the world, at least in Virginia as we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway in Shenendoah National Park. Again, stunning. 

Next up is Saratoga Springs. Pete and I are celebrating our 30th Anniversary at camp. I can't think of a better way to do it or anyone to do it with.

​Venetian Bind
by
​Lawrence E. Rothstein
Mystery
Release May 15,2024
​PG-13 some violence

How does a brilliant detective with his intrepid assistant solve a crime in Venice and save his reputation when he hates the victim and empathizes with the killer?

About
​In Venetian Bind, Detective Marko Korb and his associate Kelan Su, a Chinese-American woman, must hunt down a murderer and prevent a devastating terrorist attack in the romantic city of Venice.
Korb, a fat, egotistical, brilliant detective, and Su, a former Chicago police officer,  attorney, and martial arts expert, arrive in Venice to investigate the murder of Stefan Pakulić, a former Serbian paramilitary leader and accused war criminal. The daughter of a Bosnian expat who had rescued Korb from Pakulić’s clutches during the Bosnian war is a suspect in the killing. Korb is torn between finding the murderer and his sympathy for the killer – the Venetian bind.
The investigation leads to Pakulić’s connection with Italian neo-fascists planning a terrorist action in Venice. It takes Korb’s genius and the intrepid sleuthing of Su to find the murderer, forestall the terrorist action, and protect the daughter of Korb’s rescuer.
 
Grab your copy today.
www.amazon.com/Venetian-Bind-Lawrence-Rothstein-ebook/dp/B0CX5T3CP5
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/venetian-bind-lawrence-rothstein/1144981330
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209521954-venetian-bind

Inspiration and writing process
As an academic, I had written many published scholarly pieces including a book and book chapters. I love to read mysteries, particularly those with recurring characters. I have been working on mystery fiction since 2012. I started writing mystery/legal scenarios as hypothetical cases for law courses I taught. I get my ideas from the news, particularly legal news, and other detective stories. With regard to Venetian Bind, my visits to Venice enthralled me with its atmosphere.
When I write, my recurring characters come first and then the case plots that those characters would find interesting and for which my detectives would be sought after by clients. I always have some ideas of where the case is going and what procedures would be followed from my legal experience, but my detectives seem to inspire scenes and activities that show off their particular virtues and personalities as the investigations proceed.

Some of Korb’s favorite dishes clockwise from left: sausage with lentils in balsamic sauce, tuna salami and aioli, torta rustica.

About the author.
​Lawrence E. Rothstein is a retired lawyer and university professor who has publications in constitutional law, privacy law and labor law. He was born and raised in Chicago and now resides with his wife and family in beautiful southern Rhode Island.  He has lived and traveled widely in Europe.  An avid reader of detective fiction, Rothstein has always wanted to write detective novels.  
For more information.
www.rothsteinsmysteries.com
Facebook: Rothsteinsmysteries

Wahoo! It's May 1st. My month is full of happenings. First off this coming weekend, May 3-4, I'll be at one of my favorite author/reader events. A Day of Wine, Romance, and more
The largest book signing event of its kind in New Jersey! Two days of book-lover goodness! Over 60 local authors representing a wide range of genres will be on hand for this unique event. Grab a glass of Brook Hollow's excellent wine and take a stroll. Meet the actual authors and peruse their books. Whether you're looking for your next book boyfriend, a heart-racing thriller, or something for your child or grandchild, you'll find it here!
Fiction & Non-Fiction titles.
Bring a picnic and spend the day with the authors.
Learn more at: www.adayofwineromanceandmore.com
I don't want to take time from today's guest with all my things but you can find out everything by following me on Social Media or sign up for my newsletter. 
No my guest today is no stranger to the fire. Gayle is here to talk about passion and not only the kissy kind. Read on to find out.

Blending Life Passions With Romance Writing
Gayle M. Irwin

Dogs. Cats. Horses. Sheep, both wild and domestic. Elk. Swans. Northern Lights. National Parks. Puppy Mills. Stray Animals. Adopted Animals. All of these and more, more nature, more animals, are incorporated into my sweet, contemporary romance books in a series I call Yellowstone Country. Why? Because I’m passionate about rescue animals, nature, and America’s national parks.
I lived near Yellowstone National Park for nearly 12 years. Travels through America’s first-designated national park brought not only beautiful and unique scenery, but also observations of numerous wildlife species, including bison, elk, wolves, eagles, swans, bears, and many others. This special place plays a special role in my stories, from driving and hiking adventures to wildlife and bird observations.
The seven-book series brings humans and animals together and showcases special bonds between loved ones, lovers, friends, and four-footed creatures. Subtle pet rescue and adoption notes are woven into the stories’ tapestry. For example, an education about puppy mills, the disturbing endless breeding of dogs, is knitted into the first novel, Rescue Road. My own dog, Jeremiah, is a puppy mill survivor, and he is the mascot for many of the books through the dog-character of “Jax.” Finding owners of lost dogs is a component of two Christmas books, Paws-ing for Love and In the Shadow of Mount Moran, and providing new, loving homes for rescued animals is knitted into several of the seven books, including Finding Love at Compassion Ranch and the series’ prequel, Rhiann’s Rescue.
The first week of May is celebrated as Be Kind to Animals Week. In honor of this special week and April’s recognition of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, I’ve put all seven stories, from the prequel (Rhiann’s Rescue) to Book #7 (In the Shadow of Mount Moran) into an e-book box set. The collection is on sale through (U.S.) Mother’s Day for $7.99 (a $2.00 discount). The set is available on several online e-book platforms, including Amazon, AppleBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords. Here is the link: https://books2read.com/u/bPLVX7

Several of the love stories in this series bring people together around a firepit or campfire – great places for conversation and romance!
My passion for rescue animals, nature, and national parks stems from childhood, when my parents and I lived on a small farm in Iowa. We camped, we hiked, we visited parks and forests, and we welcomed pets, wildlife, and livestock on our small acreage. I grew up appreciating conservation and companion animals. Now, nearly 60 years later, I continue to swim in the pond of delight for creation and creatures, and I knit those aspects into my sweet romance books. 
What are you passionate about? As an author, do you blend your interests into your stories? As a reader, what do you enjoy most about romance books?​

The Pet Rescue Romance Series - Yellowstone Country Book Bundle
Weaving Human and Animal Hearts Together:
Sweet and clean love stories with heart, for both people and pets!

Rhiann Kelly dreams of starting and operating a pet rescue sanctuary. A freelance writer and volunteer rescue transporter, the story of the 35-year-old woman begins with care-giving for her grandmother, writing stories for magazines, and serving as a transporter for various rescues. Her journey continues after the passing of her beloved Grams as she starts living her dream after buying a Montana ranch for back taxes and the challenges she faces, personally and professionally. The next book in the series, a holiday-themed work, explores the relationship between Rhiann and her love, Levi, and with her community of Colter, Montana. Rhiann and Levi's story continues in "My Montana Love" as the two face yet additional crises, which may end their relationship. Rhiann's sister, Erin, has her own story as she volunteers at a Wyoming animal sanctuary and meets up with a man she knew in high school. In that book, readers meet Erin's daughter, Brittany, and her story is shared in the next book, "Paws-itively Love," as one romantic relationship ends and a new one begins to bloom, only to have it cut short -- or does it? The final book in series relates the story of one of Rhiann's rescue friends, Rachel, after her divorce takes her on a holiday to a beautiful Wyoming valley at Christmas and she and the resort's tour guide find a lost husky; this story brings all the series' characters together at New Years, celebrating and planning new dreams and goals.
A collection of seven novels and novellas set in Montana and Wyoming, featuring recipes, a free story, and pet rescue resources.
Universal Link to Yellowstone Country E-book Box Set, on sale through Sunday, May 12, 2024:
​https://books2read.com/u/bPLVX7