Who commits a murder in a crowd of a hundred people relaxing in a park, and how did the Agatha Christie Book Club miss the entire thing from only a few feet away? In the trendy Sydney suburb of Balmain, Kat Mumford, social media interior design star, has been murdered during the inaugural Cinema Under the Stars. Her distraught husband, Eliot, is clearly the prime suspect, but at the time of Kat’s strangulation, he is nowhere near her. In fact, no one was sitting near Kat, and the crowd seems to have been so absorbed by the movie, Agatha Christie’s Evil Under Sun, that no one saw a thing out of the ordinary.
When Alicia Finlay and her book club realize the murder occurred right under their noses, there is no way they can just let the police handle it. When Alicia’s boyfriend, Detective Inspector Liam Jackson, actually calls her for information, she and her club decide to do a little investigating of their own. Despite being told to butt out, Alicia, Lynette, Claire, Missy, and Perry go undercover to find the killer, but the twists, in this case, will lead them down a strange path to find a crafty killer. The club must sift through the suspects: a smarmy barman, a detestable reverend, a pregnant domestic abuse victim, a mystery mustached man, a dead junky, and a hipster hubby. With few clues but many dead ends, the club will meet their most challenging mystery yet!
This third book in The Agatha Christie Book Club series is one crazy ride. Anyone who loves a good whodunnit will adore this novel. C.A. Larmer makes it easy for readers to learn who’s who in the Agatha Christie Book Club. There’s Claire, the vintage clothing shop owner; Missy, the pink-haired librarian; Perry, museum PR organizer; Lynette, self-trained food blogger; Alicia, online journalist; and even the reluctant Anders, the doctor who pronounces Kat dead on the scene. They all create a fantastic cast of characters who genuinely engage the readers from the first page. Like Christie’s beloved Miss Marple, the book club members are amateur sleuths who rely on a stealthy approach to crime-solving and often go undercover. DI Indira Singh, the no-nonsense, by-the-book detective in charge of the case, is not amused – on more than one occasion. The ease with which the author introduces this kooky crew of curious minds will make it simple to jump in headfirst and enjoy this fast-paced roller coaster complete with plenty of red herrings and dead ends, eventually leading to a killer who manages a daring, deadly crime in the middle of hundreds of witnesses.
An unexpected plus in the plot is the romance between Alicia and Liam. Having just broken up with another club member Anders (creating tension among the book club), Alicia’s fledgling relationship with hunky Liam experiences some bumps when she interferes with his case. Still, the respect he has in her abilities–and that of the club–adds depth to what appears to be solely a mystery novel on the surface. Liam seeks out Alicia’s help, valuing her abilities, and not attempting to control her. Being the less attractive of the Finlay sisters, Alicia is often “eclipsed” by the beautiful blonde Lynette, but she never feels anything less with Liam. He makes it “crystal clear which sister he prefer[s] in his orbit.” Liam even takes Alicia “on the beat” to track down would-be suspects and leads, partly because he needs her and partly because he knows she will love it. This symbiotic-style relationship is sweet in a mature way that romance readers will appreciate. In short, Larmer will delight her followers with this third installment of the series, and have new fans ordering up the first two books in no time! Highly recommended.
Evil Under the Stars won First Place in the CIBA 2018 Mayhem & Mystery Awards.
A lighthearted, modern reimagining of the classic dime detective novel, The Magic Cape Caper is an assemblage of fun pop culture references in a contemporary setting.
A former police detective, and a newly licensed private eye, Nick Christmas is hired by Mrs. James, the wife of scientist and inventor of an invisibility device, Dr. Bert James. She refuses to believe the conclusions of the police who believe Dr. Bert is dead after an apparent kidnapping. With no other cases and a dwindling case-flow, Nick and his young “Girl Friday” receptionist Miranda “Randi” Degrotti accept the challenge to get to the bottom of what is going on.
A former English teacher, Author Steve Dimeo keeps a very lighthearted and upbeat tone throughout the novel which makes for a rather easy read. But, he also makes use of a sophisticated vocabulary that will have most of us crack open a few dictionaries.
The natural chemistry between Nick and Randi is one of the more entertaining qualities of The Magic Cape Caper. It will likely be a defining presence in future installments of the series. As individual characters, they struggle to branch away from being classic characterizations. Nick is the wise-cracking detective and middle-aged male who can’t help but fixate on the female body; while his beguiling Girl Friday, Randi, “the blonde bombshell” surprises Nick with her ability to be a tough and intelligent woman.
For those seeking a fun and lighthearted private-eye stories (Moonlighting and Castle fans take notice), The Magic Cape Caper delivers.
Pop-culture references from past generations permeate the work. When Nick makes these, it is a positive and endearing character trait. However, perhaps the author should reconsider having the younger characters render the same references when they are clearly out of context unless they are immersed in it as a sub-culture, which could happen if the backstory was woven in. In the thinly veiled crime/romantic comedy PI series, Castle, this was done with aplomb with the episode on Steampunk Culture (Punked).
In almost every chapter, the literary form of the male gaze is prevalent. Frequently, Nick has to take note of what Randi is wearing and how attractive it makes her look. It is even canon within the novel that Nick hired her because of her looks and how he could use them to his advantage in investigations, while her education and other skills were a surprising bonus.
The Magic Cape Caper has a lot of heart, and the series has the potential to develop characters that become a favorite for devotees of smart but goofy and fun “detective” series that have a touch of romance in the air.
An upcoming divorcee has no idea that her life is about to change when she gets involved in a murder investigation in Molly Flewharty’s, Short Line to Death.
Madeline Williams moves from New York to the small town of Cross Keys, Pennsylvania. She hopes the change will do her good since she’s in the throes of a divorce. Madeline decides to take the bus over driving on the long commute to her Manhattan job. Traveling is lonely since she is the new kid on the block among a group of regulars. That changes when Tom Firemark, the handsome owner of The Opossum, sits next to her during their daily trips.
Madeline and Tom’s growing friendship shifts when they become eyewitnesses to a mysterious murder on the bus, which is the second murder that has occurred in the town over the last few months. Since Police Chief Billy West is over his head trying to solve the first crime, Tom, who has PI experience, takes it upon himself to do his investigations on this newest incident. Because Madeline was an innocent bystander at the scene of the crime, he invokes Madeline to join him in sleuthing.
Teaming together proves to be better than Madeline imagines as the two become more comfortable with each other amid processing a flurry of possible suspects. But as the puzzle pieces begin to fall in place, Madeline finds herself way over her head. Whether or not she can complete the investigation unscathed remains to be seen.
First-time author, Molly Flewharty, spins a host of red herrings in Short Line to Death. She pulls from her own experience commuting from Manhattan to Pennsylvania to create the small-town setting and accompanying atmosphere replete with a well-rounded mix of elusive characters. Top on that chart is Roberta Carlson (whose ultimate demise is shocking yet a welcome to those who were tired of her surly disposition) is at the center of Tom and Madeline’s investigation. Now with the most obnoxious person out of the way, sniffing out the murderous culprit may be tougher than the team anticipates.
Chapters filled with detailed descriptions of various Cross Keys establishments and homes alternate between the police chief’s frustrating search behind the death of the town’s miscreant, Bart Grickly; Tom and Madeline’s investigation; and Madeline’s struggles with her broken marriage and new-found feelings towards Tom.
Flewharty delivers a tension-filled mystery banquet of suspects ranging from ordinary people with personal problems to those we’re sure “did the deed.”
Short Line to Death will have mystery fans lined up to see what’s next from Flewharty. Highly recommended.
The M & M Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery & Mayhem fiction genre. The Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, not-so-cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 M&M Book Awards LONG LIST to the M&M Shortlist and have now advanced to the M&M Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
Congratulations to the 2019 Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards for Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries Semi-Finalists
Susan Z. Ritz – A Dream to Die For
Michelle Cox – A Veil Removed
Lucy Carol – Hit That, Madison Cruz – Mystery 4
Mollie Hunt – Cat Cafe
MJ O’Neill – The Corpse Wore Stilettos
JL Oakley – Hilo Bay Mystery Collection
Kate Vale – Fateful Days
Henry G. Brinton – City of Peace
Kaylin McFarren – High Flying
Janet K. Shawgo – Legacy of Lies
Kari Bovee – Peccadillo at the Palace
Kari Bovee – Girl with a Gun – An Annie Oakley Mystery
M. J. Simms-Maddox – Mystery in Harare
Carolyn Haley – Killer Heart
Wally Duff – bada-BOOM!
Arlene McFarlane – Murder, Curlers & Cruises
Jean Rover – Ready or Not
Mary Seifert – Titanic Cocktail
M. K. Graff – Death at the Dakota: A Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery
Toni Kief – Mildred In Disguise With Diamonds
Anna Castle – Moriarty Brings Down the House
Vee Kumari – Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery
Lori Roberts Herbst –An Instant Out of Time
Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor – Blackwell
Anna Castle – Moriarty Brings Down the House
D. J. Adamson – Let Her Go
Linda Hughes – Secrets of the Island
Jane Willan – The Hour of Death
Gerard Shirar – When the Rules Don’t Apply
Susan Lynn Solomon – Writing is Murder
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The M&M Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with the previously announced Semi-Finalists will be recognized at theApril 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
In this first installment from the new Kassy O’Roarke Pet Detective Series, award-winning author Kelly Oliver delivers a fun and engaging kid-friendly literary experience. Here is a story intended for middle-graders, Cub Reporter proves a quality blend of adventure and mystery involving a smart, inquisitive 12-year old with aspirations of becoming a spy.
As a reporter for her school paper, Kassy’s hoping to nab a front-page scoop and win the honorable Thompson Award for Journalism. Unfortunately, help from her pesky, but the well-intentioned younger brother, sets in motion a roller coaster of calamities she never expected. From animal-nappings and a mixed-bag of clues to car chases and rescues from entrapment, ultimately the constant reinforcement from family, friends, and a menagerie of furry companions bring positive lessons to the forefront of this likable tale.
Kassy O’Roarke and her brother Percy, aka “Crispy,” live with their veterinarian mom in the Lemontree Heights Community. Mom runs an animal clinic, along with a petting zoo. The father has moved out and is living 10 minutes away in Nashville with his new family. Since his parents’ separation, Percy has developed a penchant for talking to the animals. The wacky ensemble includes a variety of rescued creatures, including a circus camel named Spitoon, Chewbacca the lab chimp, an anteater dubbed Athena, and Percy’s ever-present sidekick, a flatulent ferret named Freddie who likes to steal keys.
When the 3-month old cougar cub, Apollo, goes missing, Kassy’s determined to find him before he’s captured by the local animal control officer, Pinkerton Killjoy. Mean-spirited “Pinky” seems determined to shut down the family’s petting zoo.
Oliver creates a quirky and endearing character in young Kassy and tells the story from her perspective. With her tendency to overthink everything, the studious bespectacled loner gravitates to books, reads the dictionary to expand her vocabulary, and astutely realizes her strengths when she comments, “No one can take away the stuff in my head. My brain is my secret weapon.” The pre-teen detective wannabe also tends to keep a well-stocked pocketed “spy vest” on hand, complete with various accouterments of the trade.
Within a modern-day framework, Kassy is a sensitive and vulnerable individual who worries about her mom, longs for her dad’s love and approval, and is always willing to take risks (even at the chance of being grounded for a year) to garner the greater good. Kassy is surrounded by a vibrant and colorful cast of characters, including future stepsiblings, classmates, and neighborhood locals that help fuse the story with themes of friendship, loyalty, and honor.
The frantic search for Apollo keeps the action moving at a steady, well-conceived pace. Smart questions and a trail of riddles will draw readers into the investigative mode, while details that hinder Kassy’s probe, (from wild thunderstorms, gushing rivers, and blocked exits, to nosy receptionists, a cacophony of barking dogs, and conflict with Killjoy) all lead to twists and turns and a heightened rush of adrenaline.
While pawprints form a corner framework on chapter title pages, a scattering of black & white illustrations provides a quick artistic reference for happenings throughout the narrative. The drawings are essential, and easily capture the intended humor, whether in the antics of undie-clad animals at a birthday party, or the central heroine dowsing a mustachioed villain with glue. Oliver continues to render this strong sense of middle-grade humor with the lively and conversational dialogue where unlikeable characters are labeled as “deviled eggs,” and expletives of frustration are shouted in G-rated profanities of the “Shrimp and grits!” variety.
Amidst popular classics like Emil and the Detectives and the resurgence of the Nancy Drew mysteries, Oliver has hit the mark with this bright and entertaining series opener. Though geared toward a younger audience, readers of all ages can look forward to more investigative capers on the horizon featuring the creative escapades of Kassy and company. Highly recommended!
The M & M Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery & Mayhem fiction genre. The M & M Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, not-so-cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)
Congratulations to the M&M 2019 Shortlisters!
Lesley A. Diehl –Scream Muddy Murder
Susan Z. Ritz –A Dream to Die For
Michelle Cox –A Veil Removed
Chief John J. Mandeville –Sherlockito vs. The Trio From Hell
Alan Chaput –Savannah Secrets
Lucy Carol –Hit That, Madison Cruz – Mystery 4
B. L. Smith –Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
Mollie Hunt –Cat Cafe
MJ O’Neill –The Corpse Wore Stilettos
JL Oakley –Hilo Bay Mystery Collection
Kate Vale –Fateful Days
Cindy Sample –Dying for a Diamond
Henry G. Brinton –City of Peace
Kaylin McFarren –High Flying
Virginia V. Kidd –Artifacts of Murder
Janet K. Shawgo –Legacy of Lies
Kari Bovee –Peccadillo at the Palace
Kari Bovee –Girl with a Gun – An Annie Oakley Mystery
M. J. Simms-Maddox –Mystery in Harare
Carolyn Haley –Killer Heart
Wally Duff –bada-BOOM!
Arlene McFarlane –Murder, Curlers & Cruises
Kirk Millson –Serpents of Old
Mary Seifert –Titanic Cocktail
JG Murphy –Flipping Rich Bastard
M. K. Graff –Death at the Dakota: A Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery
Toni Kief –Mildred In Disguise With Diamonds
Vee Kumari –DHARMA, A Rekha Rao Mystery
Lori Roberts Herbst –An Instant Out of Time
Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor –BLACKWELL
D. J. Adamson –Let Her Go
Jean Rover –Ready or Not
Linda Hughes – Secrets of the Island
Jane Willan –The Hour of Death
Dr. Sandra Tanner –Sacks of Murder
Gerard Shirar –When the Rules Don’t Apply
Susan Lynn Solomon –Writing is Murder
Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2019 M&M Book Awards for Mystery & Mayhem?
These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists of the 2019 M&M Book Awards novel competition for Mystery & Mayhem Novels!
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging for the Semi-Finalists positions.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 M&M Book Awards LONG LIST and have advanced to the M&M Shortlist! These entries are now in competition for 2019 M&M Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and will be recognized at the CAC20 banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
The M&M Grand Prize Winner and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with the previously announced Semi-Finalists will be recogized at theApril 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
Anyone who has fantasized about what it would be like to be a time traveler or have had a strong desire to put on a thinking cap then solve a puzzling murder might well find both of these wishes fulfilled vicariously through Keith Tittle’s début novel, Drawn Back.
Set in Portland, Oregon, this tale of greed, corruption, ruthless murder and love that spans many decades shifts back and forth between 1929 as the stock market crash approaches and the much-less calamitous year of 1991.
A dreadful murder takes place at the beginning of the novel to kick off the action in 1929; a preamble of what’s to come. Fast-forward to 1991 as Professor Patrick O’Connell is just beginning his tenure at Portland State’s history department, with a wage that’s not quite a living wage and a desire to find a place to live while he grades papers and contemplates his failed marriage. The answer comes sooner than expected when he meets the beautiful and charming Rachel Wirth, whose wily grandmother, Julia, insists that he move into her family home gratis instead of paying rent.
In his 10-Question Author Interview, Tittle admits that his approach to storytelling is strongly influenced by his love of movies from the 1930s and ‘40s – and a very good influence indeed. Tittle weaves a solid who-dun-it character-driven story, a multifaceted mystery incorporating elements of romance and time-travel. Despite the need for one more editorial pass, Drawn Back invites the readers to “…explore its characters’ motivations and morality in the darkest of circumstances.” A Matter of Justice, the author’s second title won the CIBA 2016 Clue Awards for Mystery and Suspense novels.
Unable to truly comprehend his newfound luck with these two remarkable women, O’Connell wanders about the otherwise empty house (both women live elsewhere) and literally steps back into the same dwelling 62 years earlier and becomes the sole witness of a well-planned murder. Then, by intervening with a critical piece of “placed” evidence, the wheels are set in motion for an incredible journey through time where any wrong move by the “guest” could have disastrous ramifications in the future yet to come.
Tittle delivers a most believable narrative that finds its focus around corporate greed, villains who are willing to do whatever it takes to “win,” and two women who are waiting for their hero to uncover the truth.
The question becomes, can our hero right the wrongs of the past without destroying the future? Readers will delight in the answers.
California Son, the second installment in the Liam Sol Mystery series by Timothy Burgess, presents another action-packed mystery for protagonist Liam Sol to solve. Honorably discharged after his tour of duty in Vietnam, Liam returns to his primarily Hispanic neighborhood of Baja La Bolsa, a coastal town near LA, California, where trouble finds him.
In his role as a journalist, Liam takes interest in the daily pleas of a Hispanic mother to find her son’s murderer, pleas that the mostly white La Bolsa Police seem to ignore. After an article he writes in hopes of renewing interest in the case appears in La Bolsa Tribune, the mother is found dead in her apartment. No stranger to death or violence, Liam soon finds himself on the personal side of a hunt for the killer of not only the son but also the mother.
Burgess’s skillful writing takes us to the seamy underbelly of LA and oil-developer-politics to a world that relies on lies, corruption, and a complete lack of morals to gain the dizzying wealth that most of us only dream of. We root for Liam all the way, hoping he can rise above the corruption of his father’s world and achieve a life without the dark secrets that shadow every aspect of his existence.
Set against a backdrop colored by 1970’s music and surfer culture, our hero suffers from the guilt of possibly having caused the mother’s death. He begins to unravel the connection between the mother-son murders and, at the same time, crosses the line of an investigative journalist to that of private detective in his nail-biting pursuit of justice.
Burgess develops a protagonist whose work as a journalist and his flashbacks to Vietnam show us a man who is fragile in some ways and strong in others – and conflicted most of the time. We are drawn into Liam’s quest to solve the murders, but as curiosity killed the cat, Liam’s curiosity comes close to killing the core values that he holds so dear, the values that hold him above the corruption that ultimately destroyed his father.
Perfectly paced, this action-packed story leads us through the tropes of survival guilt, child abuse, sexual abuse, and some serious race and gender issues that during this time were discarded as irrelevant and today are seen for what they are, a crime. In spite of the need for one more professional edit, the story is solid, built with strong characters and an action-packed plot that will likely keep readers on the edge of their seats to the last satisfying page.
Burgess won Grand Prize in the CIBA 2018 Clue Awards for California Son
The M & M Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery & Mayhem fiction genre. The M & M Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem”, amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 M&M Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for 2019 M&M Shortlist. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC20 banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2019 M&M Book Awards novel competition for Mystery & Mayhem Novels!
Good luck to all as your works move on the next rounds of judging.
Lesley A. Diehl – Scream Muddy Murder
Susan Z. Ritz – A Dream to Die For
B. K. Stubblefield – Beneath The Surface
Michelle Cox – A Veil Removed
Chief John J. Mandeville – Sherlockito vs. The Trio From Hell
Chief John J. Mandeville – Sherlockito and the LIE Mystery
Alan Chaput – Savannah Secrets
Lucy Carol – Hit That, Madison Cruz – Mystery 4
Mary Hatakka/Mary Ragwag – Tips for Teachers
B. L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
Mollie Hunt – Cat Cafe
MJ O’Neill – The Corpse Wore Stilettos
JL Oakley – Hilo Bay Mystery Collection
Kate Vale – Fateful Days
Cindy Sample – Dying for a Diamond
Henry G. Brinton – City of Peace
Kaylin McFarren – High Flying
Virginia V. Kidd – Artifacts of Murder
Janet K. Shawgo – Legacy of Lies
Kari Bovee – Peccadillo at the Palace
Kari Bovee – Girl with a Gun – An Annie Oakley Mystery
M. J. Simms-Maddox – Mystery in Harare
Carolyn Haley – Killer Heart
Wally Duff – bada-BOOM!
Sallie Barr Palmer – A Dinner to Die For
Arlene McFarlane – Murder, Curlers & Cruises
Kirk Millson – Serpents of Old
Mary Seifert – Titanic Cocktail
JG Murphy – Flipping Rich Bastard
M. K. Graff – Death at the Dakota: A Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery
Sofie Couch – Flippin’ the Bird
Lo Monaco – Poison butterfly
Toni Kief – Mildred In Disguise With Diamonds
Vee Kumari – DHARMA, A Rekha Rao Mystery
Lori Roberts Herbst – An Instant Out of Time
Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor – BLACKWELL
Stephen Kaminski – An Au Pair to Remember
Mollie Hunt – Cat Call
Mary Ann Cherry – Death at Crooked Creek
D. J. Adamson – Let Her Go
Jean Rover – Ready or Not
Robert Chudnow – Brews and Stilettos
Linda Hughes – Secrets of the Island
Jane Willan – The Hour of Death
Holly Spofford – A Letter for Hoot
Dr. Sandra Tanner – Sacks of Murder
Gerard Shirar – When the Rules Don’t Apply
Susan Lynn Solomon – Writing is Murder
Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2019 M&M Book Awards for Mystery & Mayhem?
Which author will take home the 2019 M&M Grand Prize Ribbon?
Which one will have the chance at the $1,000 Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize?
All Semi-Finalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at theApril 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 M&M Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is April 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.
Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards Grand Prize winner Michelle Cox graciously shares her writing life and knowledge with us along with some hot marketing tips and tools! Read on!
“When I finally decided to try writing, the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.” – Michelle Cox
Michelle Cox, award-winning author, at work in her writing lair
Chanticleer: Thanks for coming by, Michelle. Tell us what genre best describes your work? And, what led you to write in this genre?
Cox: Well, that’s a great question! I usually at least place as a semi-finalist in three different categories at the Chanticleer awards, for example, so that should be a pretty good indication.
My series is set during the 1930s in Chicago, so that qualifies it to be historical fiction, but it’s also mystery and romance. I guess “romantic-suspense” would be the best way to describe the series, but without the bare-chested guys on the cover.
They always say to write what you would want to read, and this is it! I set the series set in my favorite era; added a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance; flavored it with the haves- and the have-nots of the era, as well as a touch of the English aristocracy; and then stocked it with lots of characters and subplots weaving in and out . . . sheer heaven!
Chanticleer: And that’s why we love you and your books! What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Cox: I no longer have any! I used to have hobbies before writing took over my life. If I do have a few minutes here and there, I still love to garden and bake, but my real love, however, is board games. I’m a fanatic and have become a sort of a collector now.
Playing games with Michelle Cox! Did the butler do it?
Chanti: That sounds like a lot of fun! So, how do you approach your writing day?
Cox: As soon as my kids get on the bus at 6:50 am, I make my second cup of coffee and sit down at my desk. I’m not allowed to do any social media, though I do always do a quick email check to see, you know, if I won the Pulitzer or something (it’s always no), and then I start working on whatever manuscript I’m currently on. My brain is its crispest early in the morning, so I have to use that time for the work that takes the most concentration. There’s something to be said about productivity when you know you only have a limited time to write. There’s no room for writer’s block or procrastination. When you know you only have so much time, you have a way of just sitting down and doing it.
When I reach whatever my writing goal is for that day, I spend the next five to seven hours (until the kids come home) doing marketing and PR—anything from writing the blog or the newsletter or articles or interviews, taping podcasts, setting up events, answering email, attending to social media, etc. It’s really a full-time job, though, sadly, the actual writing, the part I love, is the part I get to spend the least on.
Chanti: Marketing pays off, right? Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Cox: My series is known for the plethora of rich characters scattered throughout and the big saga-like plots. I was definitely influenced in this by my early favorites: Louisa May Alcott, Catherine Cookson, and Charles Dickens. My other two favorites would be Anthony Trollope and Jane Austin for their subtlety in character and their overall ability to use language so beautifully.
Chanti: I cannot argue with your choices. These are delicious authors – and novels!
I know you gave us a snapshot of your work-day earlier, but could you give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Cox: Wow! That’s a great question, but so hard to answer. All marketing is pretty elusive, isn’t it? It’s a constant process of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s also important to remember that what works for one person, might not work for everyone. It’s not an exact science. If it were, we’d all be rich!
But, in general, here are some good marketing tips that I have found to work:
Try to figure out where your readers are. Most of my readers, for example, are on Facebook, so that’s where I spend most of my social media time.
Think of yourself as a brand and try to match your posts accordingly. I post things about myself or the book or writing, but mostly old recipes, period drama news, or old stories from the past (which constitute my blog). Also, I’m very careful never to post anything religious or political. This is a business, and the more you see yourself that way and follow basic business protocols, the more successful you’ll be.
Try to build your newsletter list by offering a freebie (such as free story, writing tips, a webinar, a prequel). Personally, I do it by running contests with really big prize packages. I make sure to state that the contest winner will be picked only from my newsletter subscribers. I pay a designer to create a beautiful graphic of the prizes, post it on FB, and then boost the post. Not only does this get me a lot of new subscribers (sometimes up to 1,000!), but it exposes the series to new readers as well!
Build your network. Join online author groups (I am part of a fabulous private FB group organized by my publisher, She Writes Press. We all share ideas, marketing tips, and offer support and advice, especially to the newer authors just coming on board. It’s a collective wealth of information.) or real-world groups in your area. Don’t be jealous of the success of others, but help each other as much as possible. As my publisher, Brooke Warner has said, “There’s room for everyone at the table.”
Show up at other authors events, write reviews, help promote whenever possible. Go to conferences to meet not just readers, but other authors who can potentially help you. Remember that you are a business, and you need to do work within your community to begin standing out.
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
Also in this category would be to try to get a Bookbub deal, which, as we all know is really tough. Again, for Book 2 of the series, we submitted four times, trying to get a deal with the book being priced at .99 cents. I finally decided to offer it for free, and we cleverly put a buy link to book 3 at the end of Book 2. Bookbub then offered me a deal, and I had over 55,000 downloads in one day! Hopefully, a lot of those people will go on to buy Book 3 at full price.
Lastly, if the first book of your series is free, either permanently or occasionally, you can join Book Funnel, in which you “bundle” your book with others of a similar genre with each author promoting the bundle to their social network, which exposes your series to a whole new crop of readers. Readers are able to download your free book in exchange for their email address. So not only are you getting readers hooked on your series (hopefully!), but you’re building your subscriber/newsletter list.
Chanti: You could teach a Master Class on this at CAC20! Let’s chat about this later.
Chanti: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Cox: Book 5 of the series is currently in production and scheduled to be released in Spring 2020. I said I was going to take a break from the series after that, but I admit, I’ve already started sketching out Book 6 – I can’t help it!
But what’s really exciting is a new stand-alone novel, The Love You Take, that I wrote, also based partially on a true story and set in Chicago in the 1930s. It’s a really fabulous book if I do say so, about a “backward” girl who has to go and live at a home for “bad girls” after she unwittingly becomes pregnant. I’m currently querying agents for it.
Chanti: Sounds intriguing. Please keep us updated. Who’s the perfect reader for your book?
Cox: Though some men enjoy my books, the primary audience is women. Anyone who loves Downton Abbey;Upstairs, Downstairs;Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the old black and white films, like The Thin Man . . . basically any period drama or old movie . . . will love my series. I can’t tell you how many people have written to me to tell me that the series is so visual, that reading it was like watching a movie. It’s delightful escapism; people tell me all the time they feel like they’ve been transported back in time after reading them.
Chanti: I know that’s why we read your books #delightful! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Cox: Tell a friend! Research shows that the number one thing that influences people to buy books is word-of-mouth. If you like a book, recommend it to friends or your book club. The second best thing is to write a review! People seem wary of doing this, telling me that they’re nervous about what to write.
“Nonsense!” I say.
A review can be one sentence: “This was a great book; I enjoyed it!”
There. Done.
You don’t have to go into a lengthy reworking of the synopsis (why do people do this?) or delve into symbolism or themes or whatever. Just give your one-sentence opinion!
Chanti: I’ve been telling my non-writing friends this for years… Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Cox: Not really! I have a lot of story ideas in my head, and thus I usually have the opposite problem. This is where outlining can really help. If you have a pretty weighty outline sketched out, then when you sit down to write each day, you pretty much already know what you’re supposed to write that day. Likewise, I enjoy taking an evening walk (or I try to, anyway!), during which I think about tomorrow’s chapter and what needs to go into it. Sometimes I even voice record if I have a really good idea or some strands of dialog. There’s something about walking—moving the legs back and forth, back and forth—that seems to stimulate something in the brain. They say that Dickens used to walk the streets of London for hours in the wee hours of the night. Now I know why!
Chanti: Time to reflect and let your mind wander. Movement really does help with this. What excites you most about writing?
Cox: Creating something out of nothing. I’ve always been a really creative person. Looking back, I see now that I’ve always been striving to create, and for a long time it took on many different forms. As a kid, I was always trying to illustrate Louisa May Alcott’s books or write little fan fiction stories based on Jo March. As I got older, it took the form of gardening and decorating the house, and then baking and then creating elaborate kids’ birthday party invitations! When I finally decided to try writing (long story), the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.
Chanti: We hope you do, too, Michelle. What a fabulous interview! Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Speaking of sharing, if you like what you’ve read, please “like, comment, and share!” Sharing is caring, baby!
The CIBA Grand Prize Winners
Michelle Cox is a multi-award-winning author who recently spent some time with us at CAC19. This year was particularly special because Michelle won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize for Mystery & Mayhem Awards!
and took 1st Place in the Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction – both awards are in honor of her book, A Promise Given. We will probably never stop celebrating this – it’s just too much fun!
To find out what Michelle’s up to next, Find and Follow her here:
Who commits a murder in a crowd of a hundred people relaxing in a park, and how did the Agatha Christie Book Club miss the entire thing from only a few feet away? In the trendy Sydney suburb of Balmain, Kat Mumford, social media interior design star, has been murdered during the inaugural Cinema Under the Stars. Her distraught husband, Eliot, is clearly the prime suspect, but at the time of Kat’s strangulation, he is nowhere near her. In fact, no one was sitting near Kat, and the crowd seems to have been so absorbed by the movie, Agatha Christie’s Evil Under Sun, that no one saw a thing out of the ordinary. 
In this first installment from the new Kassy O’Roarke Pet Detective Series, award-winning author Kelly Oliver delivers a fun and engaging kid-friendly literary experience. Here is a story intended for middle-graders, Cub Reporter proves a quality blend of adventure and mystery involving a smart, inquisitive 12-year old with aspirations of becoming a spy.
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
