Another start to the week. I had a wonderful time at the Passaic County Book Festival in Clifton NJ. There were so many authors, readers, and folks just enjoying the beautiful sunshine. I met authors who have been on my blog and friends for New Jersey Romance Writers. Sitting on a paranormal panel was the highpoint. We had so much fun answering questions.  As always the team putting together this huge event did a bang up job. Now onto today's guest and her new cozy mystery. 

Framed for Murder
by 
Marla A. White

A cozy animal mystery.

Old enemies become allies to unravel a deadly mystery. 
Mel O'Rourke used to be a cop before a life-changing injury forced her to turn in her badge. Now she leads a relatively peaceful life running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. That is, until her old frenemy, the charismatic cat burglar Poppy Phillips, shows up, claiming she's been framed for murder. While she’s no saint, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone and sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.
The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

Heat level – PG.   There’s only 1 fairly chaste kiss but some salty language sprinkled in.

Get your copy today
Amazon - https://bit.ly/43Uwj96
Barnes and Noble – https://bit.ly/3TKdPDu
Apple Books - https://books.apple.com/us/book/framed-for-murder/id6483932566
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211106987-framed-for-murder
AllAuthor - https://allauthor.com/book/87348/framed-for-murder-a-pine-cove-mystery/
Books2Read - books2read.com/u/4Djgor  
Book Bub-https://www.bookbub.com/books/framed-for-murder-by-marla-a-white
Inspiration for the story
I love murder.  Mysteries were always my favorite things to watch and read as a kid. Well, first horse stories. After I went through that section of the library, I moved on to mysteries. The ability to murder people who annoyed me without going to jail? Perfect.  
The location for the book was inspired by the very real and quirky town of Idyllwild. Although to be honest, what I thought was a babbling brook running behind my little cabin turned out to be a large koi pond 😀Who knew?
Mel’s story of what to do in her “second act” of life when her dream of being a cop was no longer available began in “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder”. Her doubts of who she is if she can’t be the one thing she always wanted to be were inspired by my own journey hitting a fork in the road. Like most people, it took getting through it to realize how much better life can be on the other side of that mountain you think is in your way. I just had to hang on and enjoy the ride on my way to achieving a lifelong goal of being a published writer. 
Her foil in this book, cat burglar Poppy Phillips, was inspired by a weird event that happened when staying at a moderately tall hotel on the California coast. In the middle of the night, a random person parkoured across our balcony and onto the next one. Or was it a dream? Either way, in my head Poppy said “Yes, please!” and so the opening was inspired. 
My main goal in writing the stories I do is to entertain the readers enough that they forget about whatever troubles they might be facing. To laugh a little, to see a little bit of themselves in the characters, and hopefully be inspired even when life throws them curves.

About the Author
Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry.  She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the next book, she’s hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails (to, you know, drown her sorrows over the Kings).   
  Fun facts
Something readers might find interesting about this book:
The quirky Babbling Brook Bed-and-Breakfast is loosely inspired by the Silver Pines Lodge in Idyllwild. Highly recommend staying there if you’re even in that neck of the woods. 

A fact about me that readers might find interesting:
I share Mel’s nearly debilitating fear of heights. Well, not to the same extent, I can climb a set of stairs, but looking down more than a few flights? No way 😀
There’s a scene where Mel does a singing bowl session. I’ve done that and honestly, it’s pretty cool!
I accomplished the dream of becoming a published writer in my late fifties after helping other writers craft their stories for thirty years.

Follow the author.
https://twitter.com/TheScriptFixer
 
https://www.instagram.com/marlawriteswords/
 
https://www.facebook.com/MarlaAWhiteAuthor
 
https://www.tiktok.com/@marlaw825
 
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21467766.Marla_A_White
 
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marla-a-white
 
https://amzn.to/3MHIzkB
 
https://substack.com/@marlawhite?utm_source=edit-profile-page

Hi everyone. Ususally I'm the one asking the questions but today I thought I'd share with you the questions and my answers while sitting on a Paranormal/Fantasy panel at the Passaic Book Festival this past weekend. I'd love to know how you would answer the questions or what you think of my answers in the comments. 

Moderator "Paranormal” is a pretty broad topic and can apply to anything from high fantasy worlds with complex magical rules and ancient histories, to contemporary settings that include ghosts, cryptid monsters, vampires, witches, or even just a touch of the supernatural, like unexplained interventions from unseen powers. Can you tell us a bit about the paranormal elements in your writing and what inspired you to write in this genre?
Books and authors who made a lasting impression on me are CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Books that take me away to a magical place or time and real-world worries are my form of therapy. I love the theme of good overcoming evil. I adore epic battles and magic wands. And ghost stories. Who remembers The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by Josephine Leslie, an Irish writer who wrote under the name R. A. Dick.
Moderator I understand that your Lake Unami Stories involve guardian angels and other serendipitous elements. Are there recurring themes or messages you aim to convey through your paranormal fiction? How do you use paranormal elements to explore deeper human emotions and societal issues?
DV I’ve always thought of the rainbow as a promise. I also believe heavenly intervention is active. I’m a Christian, though I don’t write Christian novels. But the themes of love, family, and hope run through all my books. I don’t think love dies after a person leaves this world. I believe it lives on in us, and we pass that on to others. While my books seem light-hearted, they do deal with loss, grieving, divorce, and single parenting. In an upcoming novel, A Christmas Storm, my main character, Lacey, deals with being a military wife with an overseas husband. She struggles with accepting help and believes she has to do everything on her own.
To the second part of your question I’m going to talk about my Shield-Mates series. The shifter characters carry a shield representing who they are. The nature of their inner beast can be volatile, so Shield-Mates exchange shields and open pathways to their mates, who can also help them control the animal nature in them. Felice is an emotionally damaged panther shifter who, due to circumstances, marries a human. Ayer does not have a shield. The balance of power is off. They both have to learn about trust and control without a crutch and despite circumstances. How they both overcome the pain of past losses and realize with the love of family and friends, there is a better way than by going it alone. As far as societal views, both humans and shifters have prejudices, and by learning instead of fighting, they can change the world and work together.
Moderator How do you see the paranormal fiction genre evolving in the next few years?
DV I have no idea. It’s constantly evolving, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Moderator What trends or changes would you like to see in the genre?
DV There are so many sub-genres. Readers can find books that matter to them, their life, experience, and worldview. So I guess it would be live and let live and not slam others because of their choice of reading. I have a dear friend who writes monster romance. Is it my cup of tea? Nope. But I cheer her on. She has a big following of folks who like that.
Moderator Can you tell us about your creative process? How you come up with ideas, what inspires you, how you like to do the actual writing portion, your schedule as an author, etc.
DV I’m all over the place these days. Ideas come from all over, and I keep notes on whatever interests me. I also do a lot of research. If possible, I travel to locations. Somedays, I write a sentence or two. Other days pages. I used to be very regimented, but these days, I’m more flexible. Retirement will do that to some people. 

In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key
by
M. S. Spencer
A birder meets a handsome, secretive man and finds herself entangled with global investors, Chinese operatives, radical environmentalists, all searching for a mysterious briefcase.

Released May 27, 2024
#Mystery #Suspense #Cozymystery

About the Story
Someone is killing people with a crossbow, but what connects the murders is a mystery, and only a birder and the aide to a dead Senator can find the answers.

Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man.
His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying? What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than being targeted by a crossbow?
 
5 stars from N. N. Light: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/in-the-crosshairs-the-body-on-leffis-key-br
 
Grab your copy today!
Amazon  Barnes&Noble  ITunes  Kobo  Google
Books2Read  WildRosePress    AmazonCA   AmazonUK

The Story ​Behind The Story
When I started writing In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key, I had just come across an obscure news item about Chinese buying up US farmland. It intrigued—and concerned—me. I decided to insert it as a plot element in a novel—and what to my wonderment should happen but it’s now a full-blown global issue! So you heard it here first.

Thanks for popping in to Around the Fire. Before we get to today's Spotlight I'd like to invite you to a huge event this Saturday June 8th. If you live in the tri-state area check out 
www.facebook.com/events/810571914368507
The Passaic County Book Festival is taking place at Weasel 'Book' Park in Clifton, NJ.  Join us for a day filled with literary delights, including book signings, author meet-and-greets, panel discussions, and insightful author interviews. Best part? Admission is absolutely FREE! 
Now to today's guest and her new release.

The Last Broken Girl
by
Cynthia RiceJune 3, 2024
Kidnapping Thrillers

www.amazon.com/Last-Broken-Girl-Cynthia-Rice/dp/1509255397
Erin Moore, kidnapped as a teenager and held for months, learns her abductor is up for parole. The police always believed her captor acted alone, and that the female accomplice Erin described years ago was the fabrication of a traumatized mind.
Twenty years later, Erin leads a rigidly structured life with her husband and two young daughters and has a successful psychology practice in the same small midwestern town. When her abductor is paroled early and goes missing, leaving behind a large pool of blood, Erin and her husband become suspects. Erin receives threatening notes she is certain came from the accomplice, but she is unable to convince the police the menace is real.
As Erin watches her life unravel, including her marriage, career and possibly her sanity, she knows the only way out is to bring the accomplice to justice, even if it’s twenty years late.

"Rice has written a masterful debut thriller with a fantastic hero in Erin, who leaps off the page with her bravery and relatability . . . For those who enjoy thrillers about strong women who face impossible odds, this is a terrific read. An exhilarating page-turner showcases this debut author's talent for suspense."
— Kirkus Review

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