New Release: Ellen Jacobson's Funny Cozy Mystery, Poisoned by the Pier

Hello and welcome to a fun blog post! Zany author Ellen Jacobson is here to tell us how her adventure on a sailboat led to writing The Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery series.

Thanks so much, Ellen, for visiting today. Now tell us about the setting of your series and the latest book #3, Poisoned by the Pier.

The Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery Series by Ellen Jacobson

Thanks, Janet.

"How Did I End Up in Florida?" by Ellen Jacobson

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder, “How in the world did I end up in Florida?” Then I have a cup of coffee, the neurons in my brain start firing, and I remember how it all happened—a few years ago my husband and I bought a sailboat right here in the Sunshine State and moved aboard.

Life on a Sailboat
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay 

Although we've spent time cruising in the Bahamas on our boat, somehow life, work, and boat projects have gotten in the way and we've ended up spending far more time living at a marina in southern Florida than we originally planned. But you know what they say—when life gives you lemons, make a gin and tonic. Or, in my case, start writing a cozy mystery series set in Florida.


While the setting of my books is fictitious—a small town I've named Coconut Cove on the Gulf Coast—some of the places we've traveled to in Florida shape how I picture it in my head. Places like Cedar Key and Anna Maria Key full of cute shops, inviting restaurants, colorful buildings, tropical foliage, and amazing waterfront scenery. Sometimes, Coconut Cove seems so real that I wonder why I can't find it on the map.


It's been a lot of fun to see how my environment influences my writing. When I look back at my first two books, my main character, Mollie McGhie, always seems to be complaining about sweating to death in this insane heat. Funny, that sounds a lot like someone else I know. {Ahem, that would be me.}

Mollie also worries about the alligators swimming in the water at her marina. Me too. I had fun writing a scene where she was worried that the planks on the dock would break, she'd fall in the water and become gator bait. And, of course, there are the deadly coconuts. I tend to skirt around the palm trees at our marina—you never know when a coconut might fall down and hit you on the head. Mollie has the same issue at her marina.

The third book in the series.

It's not all scary stuff like gators and killer coconuts that end up in my books. I've also featured plenty of positive things about Florida too, such as dolphins swimming in the bay and efforts people are taking to protect sea turtles.

There's so much to inspire my writing living in Florida, that I've started to jot down notes for books I have planned later in the series. I'm pretty sure a hurricane is going to threaten Coconut Cove at some point. And I'm already thinking through a scene set in the mangroves—sounds like a perfect place for a dead body to turn up, doesn't it?

***
Poisoned by the Pier Now Available!

When Mollie's husband signs the two of them up for an extreme diet, she's not amused. When someone ends up poisoned by a cake, things get even worse.

The famous, or infamous, Mrs. Moto, the cat.

While she tries to identify the killer, Coconut Cove’s annual boating festival is in full swing. In between getting ready for her first sailing race and cheating on her diet, Mollie and her cat, Mrs. Moto, uncover clues, interview suspects, and do their best to avoid rutabagas.


Can Mollie nab the killer before someone else is poisoned?


If you like quirky characters, adorable cats, and plenty of chocolate, you'll love this cozy mystery. Pick up a copy of Poisoned by the Pier and laugh out loud from the first page to the last.

Poisoned by the Pier, the third book in the Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery series, is now available in ebook, paperback, and large print.
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play

If you're new to the series, you might want to start with Book #1-Murder at the Marina. Now is the perfect opportunity as the ebook is on sale for 99c/99p for a limited time. Click the links below to download your copy now.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play

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About the Author

Ellen Jacobson lives on a sailboat with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon. When she isn't working on boat projects or seeking out deserted islands, she writes cozy mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy stories.

Connect with Ellen on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Blog

You can also sign up for her newsletter for updates about new releases, current projects, sales and promotions, and other fun stuff.

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Janet's Review of Poisoned by the Pier--When you read a book from the Molly McGhie Cozy Mystery Series, prepare to just sit back and relax and let Ms. Jacobson's wit and silly side take over. Truly escape reality with these zany characters and situations. The solution to the mystery will keep you guessing until the end. I recommend this light read for cozy mystery readers.

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July1-31 2019 Smashwords is having a 75% off SALE! Check it out at Smashwords.com.

Click here to download these mysteries for $1.50 each only through July 31.

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Two New Releases Just in Time for the New Year from Ellen Jacobson and Joselyn Vaughn, Reviews

Focused on Story Blog

J.Q. Rose

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog.

Exciting week this week because I'm spotlighting two new releases for a brand new year! My two talented author friends, Ellen Jacobson and Joselyn Vaughn, offer their fun, entertaining books for you to enjoy in 2019. Take a peek.

Bodies in the Boatyard by Ellen Jacobson

A Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery #2

Back of the Book: Bodies in the Boatyard

Selling your house and moving onto a rundown sailboat—not a dream come true. Finding dead bodies in the boatyard—a total nightmare.

Mollie McGhie loves her beachfront cottage. When her husband announces that he wants to sell the house, downsize, and move onto their dilapidated sailboat, she’s not impressed.

When the boat starts leaking, she secretly hopes it will sink. Instead, they haul her out of the water and into the boatyard. Fixing the boat up is bad enough, but when Mollie finds someone has been killed nearby, things get even worse.

Mollie takes matters into her own hands and investigates the mysterious death in the boatyard, along with her adorable feline companion, Mrs. Moto. While she searches for clues, she meets more of the quirky characters who live in the small Floridian town of Coconut Cove, learns about sea turtles, overcomes her fear of public speaking, and, of course, eats way too many sugary treats.

Can Mollie catch the killer before someone else ends up dead?

REVIEW: 

This second book in the Mollie McGhee series does not disappoint. Jacobson’s humor shines throughout the story in the funny personalities and relationships of the characters. The location and boating knowledge is authentic since she actually lives on a boat in real life. The ending remained a mystery until the last few pages for me. If you want to escape from the winter winds or catch the sun on the beach, dive into this warm, entertaining cozy mystery that takes place in sunny Florida. I received an ARC for the book and am voluntarily submitting a book review.

BUY LINKS

Available in ebook, paperback and large print at:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4SVVWY

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bodies-in-the-boatyard-ellen-jacobson/1129813160

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bodies-in-the-boatyard

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ellen_Jacobson_Bodies_in_the_Boatyard?id=zW93DwAAQBAJ

Apple Books - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1441172769

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For the Love of Bigfoots and Butterflies 

by Joselyn Vaughn

Pre-order for release on Wednesday, January 9 

Back of the Book: For the Love of Bigfoots and Butterflies:

Fighting for an endangered butterfly is what makes Jane Meeth tick and Tall Oaks Development is her biggest adversary. Little does she know that the CEO of the company, Marshall Linden, is none other than the handsome hiker she meets while running on the trail.

After Marshall discovers evidence of Bigfoot, he wants to establish a sanctuary to protect the creature, but he must keep it secret from the protesters of his Tall Oaks projects. He didn’t count on falling in love with Jane making his plans nearly impossible.

When an environmental disaster threatens both of their dreams, they must throw away their prejudices to make the world safe for Bigfoots and butterflies. 

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KNLDD9T

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Review: (kind of)

This is another warm, witty romance from Joselyn Vaughn. She engages the reader with her humor and keeps them with characters whom readers fall in love with. The title really caught my eye. Who isn't curious about Sasquatch??

I'm lucky to be in the same writers' crit group with Joselyn, so I was privileged to read the book in its "raw" state with a chapter every week. How much fun it was to brainstorm about the events in the book and question the proper procedures about legal and real estate deals and more. Always asking why the character did this or that or how an action was possible, etc. Not just for Joselyn, mind you. We each get a turn to share our own writing and ask for feedback. 

I'm afraid Joselyn will be forever the receiver of everything Sasquatch after the book comes out on Wednesday, January 9. She already has plenty of jokes and cartoons and items of Sasquatch images just from our group. (Much like I was laden with flamingoes from my book whose setting is Florida.) 

I have the book pre-ordered and am looking forward to reading the complete book! 

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Thanks for stopping in today. I hope you take the time to click over to your favorite bookseller and sample and/or download these entertaining books to start your new year of reading.

AND this year, please take time to leave reviews for books you like to read at your bookseller and goodreads. A few sentences are all you need. The reviews really do help readers decide if a book is something they would like to read and it is helpful to the authors to help get noticed among the sea of books available these days.

When is a Good Time for a Ghost to Interrupt Your Life? Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks: Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog. Today we're joining the Book Hooks Blog Hop sponsored by the Marketing For Romance Writers Group. Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from their book. I'm sharing from my romantic suspense novel, Deadly Undertaking.

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

Cozy mystery

A handsome detective, a shadow man, 

and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

Back of the book:

Lauren Staab knew there would be dead bodies when she returned home. After all, her family is in the funeral business, Staab and Blood Funeral Home. Still, finding an extra body on the floor of the garage between the hearse and the flower car shocked her. Lauren’s plan to return to her hometown to help care for her mother and keep the books for the funeral home suddenly turns upside down in a struggle to prove she and her family are not guilty of murdering the man. But will the real killer return for her, her dad, her brother? Her mother’s secrets, a killer, a handsome policeman, and a shadow man muddle up her intention to have a simple life.

Welcome home, Lauren!

Excerpt: Chapter Four

In this excerpt, the reader is introduced to Henry, the shadow man, a ghost character who interrupts Lauren's life--always at the wrong time. But really, when is a good time for a ghost to interrupt your life?

Gathering her wits about her, Lauren decided she needed to know if the dead man truly was Tony. If so, she and Piper had to find Stephanie.

She returned to her desk, uncovered Detective Richards’ business card from under the files on her desk, and called.

“Richards.” he answered as if he had no time for interruptions.

Lauren was taken aback for a minute, expecting a secretary or switchboard person to answer and connect her to the detective.

“Hello, Detective Richards. This is Lauren Staab, at the Staab and Blood Funeral Home where the murder occurred this morning.” She stalled for enough time to get her thoughts together.

“Yes, I’m quite aware the murder was at the funeral home, Ms. Staab. How can I help you?”

What an arrogant man. “I’m calling to confirm the identity of the person who was killed. I’ve heard several reports.”

“We’re not revealing the name of the deceased.”

“Well can you tell me if his name is Tony?”

“Sorry. I cannot.” His voice softened. “I’m not at liberty at this time to tell you. I completely understand your concern. Do you know Anthony—er. Tony?”

“Yes, I do. He’s my friend’s fiancé.”

“I know the rumor mill is probably producing more names than this, but we have to be sure of the victim’s identity before we release it. Do you understand the situation?” Lauren detected a note of sincerity in his voice. Did the man have feelings after all?

“Oh, yes I understand. But since he was in our garage, will someone call me to let me know?” She couldn’t help using the snarky tone.

“Yes. I’ll be sure to call you as soon as we have a definitive identification. You have a good evening.” The phone clicked to silence.

“And you have a good night too!” She slammed the headset into the cradle, yanked the desk drawer open, and retrieved her bag. She didn’t like being dismissed like that.

She reached into her bag to find her pack of cigarettes, pulled it out, threw it back in, and pulled the beat up pack out again. So much for trying once more to quit smoking.

When she looked up, she glimpsed a smoky shadow hovering by the door. The pungent smell of spicy carnations wafted through the room, bringing on the three little sneezes.  She worked in a funeral home. She shouldn’t be allergic to flowers. Maybe she was allergic to him.

Lauren faced the silhouette of a man dressed in a long trench coat and fedora hat. He stood, arms akimbo, evidently looking straight at her.

She had expected the shadow man to show up sometime after the terrifying events of the morning. He lurked around the rooms in the funeral home appearing whenever he wished. Because no one else ever mentioned the apparition, Lauren assumed she was the only one he communicated with. At times she questioned if Henry was real or just her overtired brain playing tricks on her.

His timing for wanting to talk was usually bad. This murder was definitely a bad time. “Henry, I can’t talk now. I’m leaving to meet Piper.” She shoved the drawer closed with her foot.

“All right,” he said in his breathy voice. “I guess you’re doing okay if you can go off to meet your friend.” Then he was gone, slipping through a fold into another dimension.

***

Buy Links: Deadly Undertaking is available at your favorite digital bookseller.

Universal Link  for Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, etc.

Available in paperback and eBook at Amazon

AmazonUS  

AmazonCA 

Amazon UK 

Thanks for stopping in today!

Please click on a blog below to visit more authors and discover their stories written for you.

What IS a Cozy Mystery?, FREE eBook on Writing

Click here to listen to the recording of today's blog post, What IS a Cozy Mystery.

Welcome, Spring!
"Spring has sprung, the grass is riz.
I wonder where the flowers iz."
My mother used to say this silly poem every spring! 

Hello and welcome to the JQ Rose blog. Thank you for stopping in today.

Dangerous Sanctuary by J.Q. Rose

What IS a Cozy Mystery? by J.Q. Rose

When my romantic suspense novel, Dangerous Sanctuary, was first released, I received this review from Susan B. "It was a delightful cozy, with some romance, some religion, and lots of mystery. This novel has an interesting cast of characters, humorous situations, and was filled with surprises."

As I read the review, I wondered how many readers had heard of a cozy mystery. How many writers? For sure, when I began writing Dangerous Sanctuary, formerly published as Coda to Murder, I wasn't thinking "cozy mystery." I just wanted to write what I like to read. 

I like stories with 
▶ a mystery and some humor, 
▶ a strong female protagonist, 
▶ not a lot of blood and gore, 
▶ and some sweet romance. 

I had to research police procedures for my novel, Dangerous Sanctuary.

I didn't choose a main character who was in law enforcement mainly because I have no experience with police methods.  Because there was a crime committed in my story, I had to research a few procedures. Thank goodness my neighbor was a policeman and a valuable resource.

Until I received Susan's review I never even considered I had written a cozy mystery! I definitely began looking into the elements needed to fit the qualifications for a cozy mystery. Author Kassandra Lamb has lots of mysteries to choose from at amazon. She listed the following points on her Cozy Thrills Facebook page.

Criteria for a Cozy Mystery by Kassandra Lamb

1. Amateur sleuth (although may have significant other who is a P.I. or police officer)
2. Something (setting, main character's vocation, etc.) is different and interesting (think Cabot Cove/Murder She Wrote).
3. Crimes happen, usually murder, but minimal on-screen violence and no gory descriptions
4. Sex is off-screen
5. The community where the story is set is often an integral part of the story.

Click here to read the article, What Makes a Cozy Just That at The Cozy Mystery List website.

You're welcome to add another cozy element to the list by leaving a comment below.

If you enjoy reading cozies, please check out books from my author friends, Susan Bernhardt and Marsha R. West.

✻✻✻✻

Romance and Mystery Authors On Writing
Compiled by J.Q. Rose

If you are a romance or mystery writer, find helpful tips on writing, publishing and marketing from fifteen experienced talented authors, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. 

Request a FREE e-copy at jqrose02 at gmail dot com.

New Release: Anna Simpson's White Light

       

The excitement is building toward the release date of my author friend's new cozy mystery. Find out all about Anna Simpson's White Light! 

Congratulations, Anna!!

White Light by Anna Simpson

Publisher: Three Worlds Press

Genre: Cozy

Release Date: December 22/2015

     

About The Book:

Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind, she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys a box of chocolates and hops in the car.

What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every member of his family as potential killers.

Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and this innocent man. What good is freedom if it's haunted with guilt?

Author Links:Facebook | Twitter | Blog

About the Author:

Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she's lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn't able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.

She is easy to find though, if you know the magic word -- emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you'll see what I mean. :-)