If you like your mysteries cozy with a side of sassy romance and a dash of family squabbles, you’ll enjoy spending time with Wendy Delaney’s Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles featuring truth wizard, Charmaine.
The story takes place in the small town of Port Merritt in the Pacific Northwest where Charmaine Digby is a newly appointed Probationary Special Assistant to the Chimacam County Prosecutor/Coroner. While the job title may be a bit unwieldy, Char throws herself into the role with gusto.
Her zeal doesn’t sit well for friend-with-benefits Steve Sixkiller, the town’s one-and-only detective. On the one hand, his closed-mouth approach frustrates Charmaine but on the other, sex with him is great since they occasionally share a bed and make ice cream a part of their escapades. This is not a steamy romance novel – it’s a cozy mystery.
Fortunately for Charmaine, the entire town has its ear to the ground and the nosy neighbors and colorful characters have plenty to say and are willing to share. When news hits the streets that Russell Ferrantino, a local lothario, has been found dead, tongues wag. Especially when his death may – or may not – have involved foul play.
Along with her own investigation of the supposed murder, Char soon has her hands full dealing with the surprise arrival of her (literal) drama queen mama, “Hurricane Marietta,” AKA Mary Jo Digby. Seems Marietta has attracted the attention of Charmaine’s former biology teacher. Now Char finds herself sleeping on the ‘Crippler’ at her Grams while fearing her mother may jump into yet another misguided marriage.
Clues keep piling up and the pool of suspects, expanding. Russell Ferrantino’s brothers, Andy and Nathan don’t seem overly distraught at his passing. There are plenty of Russell’s lovers, past and present, to mourn but did any of them have a bone to pick with the deceased? With Char’s persistent poking into every nook and cranny, feathers are sure to be ruffled and the clues will shake loose, too. What kind of ‘work’ was Russell doing over at Joyce Lackey’s place? And one wonders how Pete Lackey felt about having the town’s troublemaker spending so much time at his place.
Wendy Delaney’s style is fresh and frisky, leading her readers down a path to a rollicking good time. Delaney’s folksy (the series is called Working Stiffs mysteries) storytelling in Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles goes down like a mug of hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps and a daub of whipped cream on top or your favorite summer imbibement! Enjoy!
by TC Booth
We are excited and honored to have announced the 2016 grand prize award winners at the third annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Saturday, April. 1st, 2017 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
The Ugly by Alexander Boldizar was awarded the Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize for the Best Book in the 2016 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions. Congratulations to author Alexander Boldizar. 
The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2016 was awarded to: 
The Journey Grand Prize Ribbon for Narrative Non-fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The M&M Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery & Mayhem Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Ribbon for Middle Grade Readers 2016 was awarded to:
The Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Ribbon for YA Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Chaucer Grand Prize Ribbon for Historical Fiction Pre-1750s 2016 was awarded to:
The Goethe Grand Prize Ribbon for Historical Fiction Post 1750s 2016 was awarded to:
The Laramie Grand Prize Ribbon for Western, Pioneer, Civil War Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Chatelaine Grand Prize Ribbon for Women’s Fiction and Romantic Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The CLUE Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Little Peeps Grand Prize Ribbon for Early Readers 2016 was awarded to:
The Ozma Grand Prize Ribbon for Fantasy Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Paranormal Grand Prize Ribbon for Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
The Somerset Grand Prize Ribbon for Literary, Contemporary, & Mainstream Fiction 2016 was awarded to:
omerset Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Contemporary and Literary Fiction. The SOMERSET Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.
The Paranormal Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.
Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored to announce the First Place Category Winners for the OZMA Awards 2016, the fantasy fiction. The OZMA Awards is genre division of the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Award Writing Competitions.
Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored to announce the First Place Category Winners for the Little Peeps Awards 2016, for Early Readers. Little Peeps Early Readers Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Award Writing Competitions.
The CLUE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense/Thriller Fiction. The CLUE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.
The CHATELAINE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The CHATELAINE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.
