20 Questions with Authors : Cameron Trost

Amazon says it accurately so I won't try to say it otherwise "Cameron Trost is a writer of strange, mysterious, and creepy tales about people just like you. He is the author of "Hoffman's Creeper and Other Disturbing Tales" and "The Tunnel Runner", and is the creator of Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable." 

Let's see how strange he really is.......

1.  What is your favorite color ?  My favourite colour is green, because I love forests and gardens, but when it comes to clothes, I'm more into black.

2.  Sunset or sunrise ?  That's a tricky one and probably depends where I am. I'll say sunrise because it's accompanied by fresh air, dew, and morning birdsong.

3.  Coffee, tea or soda ?  Strong white coffee

4.  What is your favorite movie ?  I never know how to answer this question, but I love Hitchcock and a lot of films that follow his tradition. Vertigo is still seriously impressive even today.

5.  What are your favorite toppings on pizza ?  Mushrooms, onion, and blue cheese are delicious.  

6.  Cake or pie ? What is your favorite ?  As in apple pie? Can I choose apricot crumble with hot custard? Well, that's my choice. Or a good tiramisu with extra brandy!

7.  Favorite author (besides yourself) ?  So hard to pick one but I love Roald Dahl's short stories. "The children's author?" you ask. Well, his short stories are definitely NOT for children.

8.  Horror movie or chick flick ??  Horror movie, but intelligent and psychological.

9.  Cat or dog person ? Do you have any ? If so, what and names please....  I have two boys. That's enough of a menagerie. But I'll probably surrender and we'll get a pet one day. I guess a cat's easier. I prefer my animals living in nature around me. My flowers bring all the birds to the yard. 

10.  Ideal vacation ?   Castles, history, walking tracks, quaint villages, good food, and a local apéritif.

11.  Camping or 5 star hotel ?  You need a bit of both, but I've done a lot more camping than expensive hotels. Buy my books so I can try the high life for a change!

12.  Favorite season and why ?  I'm from Brisbane, Australia. The two or so weeks of spring before the onslaught of subtropical summer is lovely there. Google "jacaranda".   I live in Brittany now and like all the seasons for different reasons. I quite like winter, in fact, but wish we had more snow.

13.  Name ONE thing you are afraid of ....  David Bowie said it: Americans. No, but I'm sure most of them are wonderful folks. Ah, what's a less controversial answer... capitalism? 

14.  Name ONE thing you cannot live without....  Time for a fun answer... yeah, whisky.

15.  What was your favorite subject in school ?  History

16.  What was your least favorite subject in school ?  Mathematics

17.  What movie have you seem more than once ?  Quite a few... The Great Escape is definitely one.

18.  What is your guilty pleasure ?  (Can't be an answer already given...)   Writing. Parents will understand! Reading too.

19.  Who is your celebrity crush ?  I don't have one. There are wonderful, beautiful, witty women all around me. Ok, I'll play along... ummm, that girl in Smallville... Kristin Kreuk... wow!

20.  Tell us something we don't know that you would like people to know about you ......   I don't like cricket. Believe me, that's an outrage for an Aussie!

To learn more about Cameron Trost, go to : https://trostlibrary.blogspot.com/

Cozy Up To Death (The Cozy Up Series Book 1) by Colin Conway

A man in hiding.

A gang of outlaws searching for retribution.

This is no time for cupcakes.

Today is Brody Steele’s first day as the new owner of The Red Herring, Pleasant Valley, Maine’s only mystery bookstore. The cute shop has a loyal customer base as well as an ornery cat.

Unfortunately, Brody doesn’t know the first thing about running a legitimate business, he doesn’t want to be in the small town, and he hates cats. On top of all that, he hasn’t read a book since high school.

When a cute woman walks into the store, he thinks his bad luck is about to change. But as she starts asking about the previous owner’s whereabouts, his safe new existence begins to unravel.

For Brody Steele is a man with a secret he must protect at all costs. The U.S. Government has invested a lot to keep it hidden, and his enemies will stop at nothing to expose him.

Does happiness or death await Brody in this charming seaside community?

If you like stories with a solid male lead, wonderfully odd characters, and a troublesome cat, then this book is for you.   (Summary via Goodreads)


Cozy Up to Death by Colin Conway is the perfect book to get lost in.  The story will capture the readers attention immediately and they will be powerless in putting it down.

In Cozy Up to Death readers are hanging around with main character Beau Smith who use to be the bookkeeper for a motorcycle gang but he turned on them to save himself from going to prison.  In exchange for turning on his gang, he has been placed in the witness protection program and moved to Pleasant Valley, Maine where he is now Brody Steele and he is the owner of a mystery book store called The Red Herring.  Being the owner of the bookstore he also "inherited" a cat....

While Brody is trying to get use to his new boring life, he meets a local woman that he falls for instantly.  He also finds out that the previous owner of the bookstore left unexpectedly and a lot of the townspeople want to know why.  After Brody learns more about Alice, the previous owner, he also begins to wonder about her sudden departure and him taking her place.

As Brody gets to know his new town and the people living there, he uncovers some secrets.....some secrets people are willing to kill over......  Can he save himself, the woman he is smitten with and his new town ??

Readers will enjoy getting to know Brody and Pleasant Valley.  There is so much to love about this first book in the Cozy Up series that readers are sure to want to pick up future books.  Conway's ability to draw readers in and hold their attention is off the charts amazing !!  I didn't want the story to end but I wanted to know how it ended......not the worse dilemma to be in.


Review by Missi M.

20 Questions with Authors : Kate Fellowes

As stated on Amazon "Kate Fellowes is the author of six mysteries, most recently A Menacing Brew. Her short stories and essays have appeared in several anthologies, as well as Victoria, Woman's World, Brides, Romantic Homes and other periodicals."

Let's see how she answered the personal questions.....

1.  What is your favorite color ?  Purple

2.  Sunset or sunrise ?  Sunset

3.  Coffee, tea or soda ?  Coffee in the a.m., tea in the p.m.,  soda only with pizza

4.  What is your favorite movie ?  North by Northwest. I love how an innocent man gets entangled in crime, merely by raising his hand to call the waiter.

5.  What are your favorite toppings on pizza ?  Black olives and mushrooms

6.  Cake or pie ? What is your favorite ?  Cake:  chocolate, with lots of frosting, or lemon with coconut, or...

7.  Favorite author (besides yourself) ?  Barbara Michaels,who  also writes as Elizabeth Peters

8.  Horror movie or chick flick ??   Chick Flick

9.  Cat or dog person ? Do you have any ? If so, what and names please....  Both!  Currently, we have:

     Chrissy and Spike, (dogs) and Mellow and Miss Ruthie (cats)

10.  Ideal vacation ?  We went to London on our honeymoon long ago and I would love to go back.

11.  Camping or 5 star hotel ?  Hotel, please!

12.  Favorite season and why ?  Autumn, when the air is crisp and I can walk for miles.  The colors are so rich and bright.

13.  Name ONE thing you are afraid of ...  Falling at the roller rink!.

14.  Name ONE thing you cannot live without....  Sweets!

15.  What was your favorite subject in school ?  English

16.  What was your least favorite subject in school ?  Algebra

17.  What movie have you seen more than once ?   To Catch a Thief

18.  What is your guilty pleasure ?  (Can't be an answer already given...)   I spend too much money on lingerie.

19.  Who is your celebrity crush ?  Matthew McConaughey

20.  Tell us something we don't know that you would like people to know about you ....  I flunked home ec...

To find out more about her and her books, go to :  https://katefellowes.wordpress.com/

20 Questions with Authors : Kelly Brakenhoff

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of the Cassandra Sato Mystery series which has 2 books (so far) in it.  They are Death by Dissertation and Dead Week.  She is also the author of the children's book Never Mind ! 

Let's get to know her personally.....

1.  What is your favorite color ?  Kelly Green!

2.  Sunset or sunrise ?  Sunset. (Not a morning person!)

3.  Coffee, tea or soda ?  Irish Breakfast Tea

4.  What is your favorite movie ?  The Harry Potter Series

5.  What are your favorite toppings on pizza ?  Supreme!

6.  Cake or pie ? What is your favorite ?  Chocolate Cake

7.  Favorite author (besides yourself) ?   Impossible to choose only one! Janet Evanovich

8.  Horror movie or chick flick ??  Chick flick

9.  Cat or dog person ? Do you have any ? If so, what and names please....  DOGS rule (and drool) We have a German Wirehair Pointer named Duke and an ancient Cockapoo named Sadie.

10.  Ideal vacation ?  European River Cruise

11.  Camping or 5 star hotel ?  Both can be an adventure.

12.  Favorite season and why ?  Fall. Husker Football, leaves change color.

13.  Name ONE thing you are afraid of ....  SNAKES

14.  Name ONE thing you cannot live without....  Chocolate

15.  What was your favorite subject in school ?  English!

16.  What was your least favorite subject in school ?  Biology

17.  What movie have you seen more than once ?  It’s a Wonderful Life

18.  What is your guilty pleasure ?  (Can't be an answer already given...)  Sleeping in late on a Saturday morning.

19.  Who is your celebrity crush ?  George Clooney

20.  Tell us something we don't know that you would like people to know about you ......A lot of parents and teachers have gotten a crash course in home schooling and remote learning this spring. I made a video on YouTube of me reading my children’s book and my deaf friend signing it in ASL. I want to spread the “Never mind is not allowed” message and help deaf children feel more included at home or with friends. Here’s the link to the video: https://youtu.be/Qnl9qq99dZc 

To learn more about her and her books, go to :  http://kellybrakenhoff.com/

20 Questions with Authors : Elizabeth Penney

Elizabeth Penney has written over 20 novels and short stories and her lastest series is one to watch.  It is the Apron Shop Series.  It has 2 books (so far).  They are :

Hems & Homicide
Thread and Dead

Let's get to know her personally......

1.  What is your favorite color ?  Periwinkle blue

2.  Sunset or sunrise ?  Sunset, I'm hardly ever awake at sunrise

3.  Coffee, tea or soda ?  Coffee all the way! Fuels my day

4.  What is your favorite movie ?  I don't have one

5.  What are your favorite toppings on pizza ?  Mushrooms! A must-have, also like feta cheese, peppers, sausage, artichokes, and eggplant

6.  Cake or pie ? What is your favorite ?  Maine blueberry pie or pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream

7.  Favorite author (besides yourself) ?  I don't have one, I admire a lot of authors

8.  Horror movie or chick flick ??  Chick flick, can't stand horror movies

9.  Cat or dog person ? Do you have any ? If so, what and names please....  Cat person, no pet right now. Recently lost our darling ragdoll Noah

10.  Ideal vacation ?    Italy--historic sites, lots of food, art museums, shopping, and the beach

11.  Camping or 5 star hotel ?  Although I love going out in the woods, camping doesn't appeal any more. So 5 star.

12.  Favorite season and why ?  Summer. Warm weather, sunshine, gardens, fresh vegetables.

13.  Name ONE thing you are afraid of ....  Heights

14.  Name ONE thing you cannot live without....  My faith

15.  What was your favorite subject in school ?  Reading, used to read ahead in the book

16.  What was your least favorite subject in school ?  Math

17.  What movie have you seem more than once ?  Sound of Music

18.  What is your guilty pleasure ?  (Can't be an answer already given...)  Brownie sundaes

19.  Who is your celebrity crush ?  Don't have one!

20.  Tell us something we don't know that you would like people to know about you ......  I spent my first childhood years in England and France. My father was stationed there and my mother is from England.

For more on Elizabeth Penney, go to :  https://www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com/

20 Questions with Authors : Aimee Shaye

This exerpt is taken from Aimee's author page on her website :

“I am many things but normal is not one of them,” says Aimee Shaye when asked to describe herself. She is a novelist whose genres include Fantasy and all its subgenres. When asked what drives her, Aimee says, “The world around me. The people I know. The love I have gained. The pain I have endured.” Though young, Aimee has experienced many things that she believes no one (man or woman) should ever have to endure, and as a result of that, she has turned her pain into liquid words that fill the pages of her books, novels, novelettes, and short stories.

Aimee's books are :

The Broken Daughter (The Cursed Kingdom Series Book One)

Silenced

The Prophecy (A Chronicles of the Seven Sons Prequel)

If You're Listening...

Have Mercy

Let's get to know her personally.....

1.  What is your favorite color?   My favorite color is black. 

2.  Sunset or sunrise?   Sunset. I love the way the colors blend into the ocean.

3.  Coffee, tea or soda?  This was hard! I love them all! But since I have to choose: coffee! 

4.  What is your favorite movie?  I watch both Hollywood films and Bollywood films. My favorite Hollywood film is Titanic! I have seen it a thousand times! My favorite Bollywood film is Kuch Kuch Hota Hai! If you haven't seen it, it's on Netflix and there are subtitles.

5.  What are your favorite toppings on pizza?  This is not going to be a crowd favorite but I love pineapple on my pizza, pepperoni, and mushrooms! I'm also not opposed to the barbecue chicken pizza, but it's hard to eat and my chicken always falls off! 

6.  Cake or pie? What is your favorite?  Pie!! Like Dean Winchester of Supernatural always says: "Love me some pie!"

7.  Favorite author (besides yourself)?  Haha! I love Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nicholas Sparks!

8.  Horror movie or chick flick ??  Chick flick for sure. I had a bad experience after a horror movie when I was a kid, so now I steer clear of them. 

9.  Cat or dog person? Do you have any? If so, what and names please....  Both! I have a dog whose name is Rusty. He's a cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix) and he's a lap dog. My brother has 2 cats (he had 4 but sadly three passed away this year). Their names are Oreo and Dash (he's the newest addition). 

10.  Ideal vacation?    Anywhere with my husband. I don't care where we go as long as it's a vacation! 

11.  Camping or 5 star hotel?  This is tough because I'd do both especially since my husband is an Eagle Scout. Oh man! Can I pick a 5 star hotel with two nights of camping at some point during our outing? 

12.  Favorite season and why?  Summer! I love warm weather and I get summers off, so there's a lot more I can do during the summer. I'm an outdoor person. 

13.  Name ONE thing you are afraid of ....  Heights. I have an impenetrable fear of heights that stopped me from climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, one of my life-long dreams. I made it to the second floor, saw the tops of the mountains and the deadly drop below me and I completely freaked and cried for about twenty-minutes!

14.  Name ONE thing you cannot live without....  My husband. He's my best friend, as cliche as it is. We do everything together short of going to work together (if we could, we probably would). I don't know what I'd do without him. 

15.  What was your favorite subject in school?  English and Social Studies! It's a tie because I love to write and I love to learn about the world around me. 

16.  What was your least favorite subject in school?  Math. I don't think in numbers, I think in images! So unless there's images (like graphing) I take a pass, haha!

17.  What movie have you seen more than once?  Titanic. I have seen it at least 100 times. 

18.  What is your guilty pleasure?  (Can't be an answer already given...)  Twilight! I know, I know. I'm 26 years old, it's insane that I'm obsessed but I totally pre-ordered Midnight Sun the minute the announcement was made! #NotSorry

19.  Who is your celebrity crush?  JENSEN ACKLES! I have loved Jensen Ackles since Dawson's Creek when I watched re-runs. I love him on Supernatural. I love him as part of his band. The man is amazing from being a playful father to being an amazing actor! 

20.  Tell us something we don't know that you would like people to know about you ......  I don't know if many people know this but my heritage is a mosh pit. On my father's side I am Guyanese and Indian. His dad and his parents were natives of Guyana but his mother's parents were native of Indian and immigrated to Guyana where my grandma was born then married my grandpa. On my mother's side I am mixed with Italian, Polish, Irish, and German. My mother's mom is 100% Italian from Naples. My mother's father, on the other hand, is mixed Polish, Irish, and German. His father (my great granddad) was 100% Polish; his mother (my great grandma) was mixed Irish and German (her mother was 100% Irish and her father was 100% German). Whenever we had to do family trees and heritage projects, I was always made fun of for my heritage so I'd always say "I'm Guyanese" to shut people up. Now I embrace it and explain it all the way through! I'm proud of my mixed culture and because of it my family is mixed religion. I have family members who are Catholic, Presbyterian, Hindu, and Muslim. It's pretty cool! 

For more on Aimee and her books, go to :  https://www.aimeeshayeauthor.com/

Cream Caramel and Murder (Holly Holmes #1) by K.E. O'Connor

Sweet treats, revenge, and murder.

‘I truly loved the characters in this book, they were so vivid and fun!’ Amazon review. 

Holly Holmes loves her new job working in the kitchen at Audley Castle, home to the eccentric and wealthy Audley family. 

With her faithful corgi cross, Meatball, by her side, she enjoys a quiet life full of baking, researching old recipes, and trying any fun fitness fad – weighted hula hoop, anyone? 

When the bumbling, and cute, Lord Rupert Audley requests some of her scrumptious desserts for his school reunion, she happily gets baking. 

Everything is going great until Meatball discovers a hand sticking out of the ground, Princess Alice faints, and Holly gets stuck in the spotlight for murder! 

If Holly can’t clear her name, she’ll lose her amazing new life in the beautiful Audley St. Mary, Meatball will go back to the animal shelter, and her freedom will be history. 

*** 

Welcome to a new cozy culinary mystery series, full of desserts, murder, and puzzles for you to solve. Meet baker, Holly Holmes, Lady Philippa who has an uncanny ability to predict murder, the ditzy Princess Alice, and a cast of quirky, fun characters who will entertain you throughout this book. 

Enjoy mystery, friendship, puzzles, and lots of tasty treats as you indulge in this delicious read. 

Written in American English (by a British author – so excuse the occasional British phrase!) 

This is a clean, cozy culinary mystery with only a small amount of peril and danger. The killer always gets their just desserts!   (Summary via Goodreads)


Cream Caramel and Murder by K.E. O'Connor is a fun, fast read !!  It was so fun I couldn't stop reading !!!
This is the first book in the Holly Holmes series and I hope that future books in this series are as captivating as this one was !!

Holly Holmes is the main character and readers will want to be her !!  She works in a castle and lives on the grounds !!  Her best friend is a real live princess !!  Holly works in the kitchen in the castle creating mouth watering desserts for the Royal family as well as the cafe on the grounds for the busloads of people that come to tour the castle and the gardens around it.

In Cream Caramel and Murder Lord Rupert is hosting a get-together for his old school buddies, they do this yearly and this is the year they come to stay at the castle.  On the first night after meeting them all, Holly gets an instant disliking feeling for one of them, Kendal, after he makes some unwanted advances on her.  Unfortunately the next morning when Holly and Princess Alice are taking Holly's dog, Meatball, for a walk around the grounds, Meatball leads them right to a hand sticking out of the ground !!!  Sadly it turns out to be Kendal and he was murdered !!!

While Holly tries to find out who killed him and why, Cameron who is head of security for the castle seems to have his eye on Holly and not in a good way.  Holly just met the deceased the night before, she has no reason to want to see him dead but she needs to prove that so that she can continue to live her fairy tale life.

Readers will fall in love with Cream Caramel and Murder by the time they finish the first chapter.  There are so many reasons to love this story..... the main character, her dog, her job, where she lives, who she hangs out with, her quaint little town, even the murder and the story behind it will have readers turning pages quickly.

I highly recommend getting lost in this first book in the series.... I am on to the next book, Chocolate Swirls and Murder and CANNOT wait !!!!


Review by Missi M.