Around the Fire New Release Spotlight with Marla A. White

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