Month: June 2025

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen

Book Description

When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.

Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.

After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen, the second book in the series, is more of a mystery than a spy thriller, which just shows how diverse Gerritsen can be in her writing.

The story has fifteen-year-old Zoe Conover disappearing after visiting her newly found friend. Callie Young. The suspect is Luther, Callie’s grandfather. He is the neighbor of Maggie Bird, a retired CIA spy. The Conovers are a wealthy family who used to come to Purity, Maine for the summer. Some are thinking that Zoe has run away, while others want a quick arrest of Luther, but Susan, Zoe’s mom is pushing for the authorities to find her daughter.

Enter the Martini Club, a group of ex-CIA friends that get together for a cocktail-sipping book club. But they feel that although retired, they have much more still left to offer. Thus, they get involved in the investigation, much to the chagrin of acting police chief Jo Thibodeau. Over the course of the story, she realizes that although the Martini Club can be a pain, their contributions cannot be overlooked. After Acting Chief Thibodeau has the pond drained, skeleton remains are found. Now Thibodeau has two mysteries to solve.

There are many bonuses in this book. The budding relationship between Maggie and her ex-CIA friend, Declan Rose, the humorous banter between Jo and the Martini Club, and at the end of the book a short story written by Gerritsen and Lee Child that brings together Maggie and Jack Reacher.

This story has many twists and turns, suspenseful, and is fast paced. As with previous books this is a character driven story that readers root for or despise.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Tess Gerritsen: This is the second book in the series. I talked to the daughter of a CIA person who died. She told me her dad was here working on a project for the CIA. I began researching what she said and found the CIA did have a small branch in midcoastal Maine. I also wanted to explore the conflicts between those that lived here and those that came for the summer.

EC: How would you describe Ethan, the novelist?

TG: A lot of things that Ethan had happen I have also had happen, including trouble writing the second book and how a novel can take over a writer’s life. Ethan is someone obsessed with getting the next novel written. He is very focused, kind, a family man, and he has clashes between wanting to be involved in his family life with the drive to write the next book.

EC: Ethan had writer’s block, did you ever have it?

TG: For me I sometimes have trouble figuring out how do I get my characters in the situation I want them to be in. I start off with a sense of what emotions will they go through in the story, the darkest moments of their lives. Sometimes it isn’t always clear how to get them into a fix or how to get them out of it.

EC: How would you describe the Conover family?

TG: The Conover family is horrible. Elizabeth Conover, family matriarch mother, is a tiger lady. She defends and protects her family which I consider good qualities. Her son, Colin, is arrogant, a golden boy, a spoiled older son, and successful.

EC: What about Jo versus Maggie and the Martini Club?

TG: They are all basically good people. Jo is a local gal who never has been outside Maine. She has a limited perspective. Jo is slowly figuring out that she can use the Martini Club’s help. It bothers her that they are always one step ahead. There is a little bit of competition, but she also has an appreciation for their skills. Maggie does not want her to feel inadequate. Maggie generally likes and respects her. Both are determined, stubborn, and bright, but with a different skill set.

EC: The relationship between Maggie and Declan?

TG: Because she has been haunted by the death of her husband it has been hard for her to get in a relationship again. It is about time so they will have one.

EC: What was the role of Reuben in the story?

TG: Reuben represents for me local Mainers. He sees the summer rich people as having preconceptions of what people in Maine are like. He is an interesting man and has been victimized by his circumstances.

EC: How would you describe the town of Purity?

TG: Purity is an idyllic peaceful town where people still trust each other. It is the town I live in representing small town America, a smaller fictionalized version of my hometown. It is beautiful, remote, harsh winters, with a respect for privacy.

EC: Is Mkultra real?

TG: Mkultra is real. The CIA between the 1950s and the 1970s used experiments in mind control using drugs. There was a tiny branch in Maine. It caused psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, and memory loss because they used LSD. This book theme is a distraction.

EC: There was a short story with Maggie and Reacher?

TG: This was done for fun. Lee Child and I share an editor in the UK. She thought it would be fun if they met. There is a Reacher book where he goes to Maine. We put that together. He wrote a chapter and then I wrote a chapter.

EC: The next book?

TG: The next book will explore one of the Martini Club members, Ingrid, and her marriage to Lloyd. It is titled The Shadow Friends. An old lover spy partner of Ingrid comes back into her life, and asks for her help, which threatens her marriage. Somebody will die during a national security conference in Purity. The person was poisoned. It will be published in August of next year.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Side Project by Laurel Osterkamp

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp on this Book Amplifier Tour.

Below you will find an author Q&A, introduction and synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Author Q&A

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book?

There wasn’t a huge amount of research involved, but I did need to read up on the type of brain tumors teenagers are most likely to get. I’d already spent a lot of time in Bemidji, but I convinced my family that I should take a road trip up to Bemidji on my own, just for the night, so I could walk around taking pictures and imagining my characters’ lives there.

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?

The last scene between Rylee and her mother, Summer, was difficult to write because finally, they were being honest with each other and dealing with their grief. It was a challenge to find the right level of emotion and to give each of them their own unique voice.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?

That’s so hard, because I often forget the compliments I receive, unlike the criticism, which is always tattooed on my brain. But last night I received this message from a huge BookTok influencer, after she finished reading The Side Project: “I just finished! Man, I’m crying happy tears. This was so different… and it was SO good.” I can’t overstate how happy that compliment made me!

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?

Sometimes, if there’s a lot of laundry or grocery shopping to do, I skip writing on Sundays. Otherwise, I write every day, in the afternoon and/or early evening.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?

My favorite writing quirk is when my cat, Toffee, snuggles up next to me while I sit on the couch with my laptop. When I get stuck, I’ll pet her and ask for her advice. She always has great ideas!

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?

I’ve always felt that northern settings where they wear a lot of flannel are romantic. When I began writing The Side Project, I’d just finished an MFA program in Creative Writing. I liked the idea of exploring how writers can be sort of snobby toward each other when it comes to writing genre fiction, especially romance. And there’s definitely a stigma when it comes to self-publishing. The Side Project is not self-published, but Rylee is a secret self-published romance author and afraid to let the people in her life know this. So The Side Project is a combination of several topics and settings that are close to my heart.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

Winona Ryder (at 23) as Rylee

Andrew Garfield (at 27) as Carson

Jessica Chastain (at 27) as Dana

James Van Der Beek (at 27) as Jack

Which author(s) most inspired you?

This answer is specific to romance writing, but Emily Henry and Carley Fortune inspired me in a huge way. After reading their novels, I was ready to transition from writing women’s fiction to

contemporary romance. I love how they use the expected romance tropes that readers love, but they also write layered stories with complex characters and lyrical prose.

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Introduction and Synopsis

Some stories are never really over. Laurel Osterkamp’s The Side Project explores what happens when unfinished business from the past collides with the emotional messiness of the present—through the lens of two former lovers forced to collaborate creatively.

Ten years after their breakup, Rylee and Carson are thrown back into each other’s orbit—not by chance, but by enrollment in the same graduate fiction workshop. Rylee is still rooted in their hometown, juggling caretaking duties and trying to hold onto the memory of her late father, a novelist who left behind an incomplete manuscript. Carson, now a single dad, is determined to keep things tidy and focused. But when their class assignment turns into a writing partnership—and then a secret “side project”—long-buried feelings begin to surface. Their story becomes as tangled as the fiction they’re writing, and soon they’re forced to ask: is it possible to rewrite a past that never got its ending?

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4dUmpJJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218561154-the-side-project

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp is a contemporary romance/rom-com that brings realistic characters to the page with all their imperfections and puts them through an emotional upheaval of twists, secrets, and lies interspersed with heartwarming moments of friendship and familial love. This new-to-me author kept me turning the pages.

Rylee dreams of writing a literary novel that her late father would have loved, but her secret is that she loves and writes Regency romances in secret. She was prepared to move to California, but her younger brother is diagnosed with cancer, and she stays to help her mother and brother in her small hometown of Bemidji, MN.

Carson’s plans to attend Harvard and become a doctor came to an end when his girlfriend told him she was pregnant. He has stayed in Bemidji and married, discovered he loves his son and being a father, but he dreams of more.

Rylee is surprised when she attends her first MFA course and Carson is in the classroom. They become writing partners even with Rylee and Carson’s unresolved high school past and start a no-strings fling side project. As their chemistry heats up, so do the complications. Secrets, lies, and hard truths will all come out and difficult decisions must be made.

Rylee and Carson have both lived through life-altering loss and disappointments and when they come together there are still so many secrets and lies between them which become exposed throughout the story and as each one drops, it causes emotional upheaval. I felt the characters in this story were fully developed and the story flowed well and was entertaining as a character driven romance. There are a few sex scenes, but they were not gratuitous, but believable to the story. This novel stretches a few romance genre rules but brings relatable characters to life and still delivers a romance lovers ending.

I recommend this mash-up for a heartwarming weekend read and am looking forward to checking other works by this author.

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Excerpt

I steel myself and step out of my car, determined to keep things businesslike today. The sight of Carson outside raking leaves, ruggedly adorable with Ferris running circles around his feet, does nothing to break my resolve. I tell myself: You’re here to work. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Hey, Rylee.” He grins, pushing up his sleeves. “You’re right in time to hold the leaf bag.”

I don’t have time to respond before a happy splash of black fur races past us, yipping and barking. I laugh, and Carson shakes his head, smiling as well.

“Ferris loves chasing leaves,” Carson says.

Ferris circles us. Running in the autumn wind, his mouth is full of fluttering colors and twigs.

I contemplate Carson’s leaf bag. “The hardest part is always getting in the first few handfuls of leaves. Did you know they have these cardboard insert thingies that keep the bag open?”

Carson holds his rake with one hand. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. My dad was excited when he discovered them at the hardware store. It used to be our thing, my dad and I, bagging leaves together.”

“Oh.” Carson’s mouth goes slack, and his eyes pool with sympathy. It’s like he backed over a bunny rabbit by accident. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up old memories.”

I wave off the awkwardness as if I’m shooing away bugs. “No worries. It won’t break me to hold the bag open, and I’ll even push down the leaves as you put them in.” My words come out in a rush. “Where should I put my computer?”

“I’ll put it inside. Do you also want me to take your purse?”

“Sure, thanks.” I hand him both.

He takes them through his front door as a gust of wind threatens to upend Carson’s carefully constructed leaf pile. I snatch up the rake, ready for battle. “You won’t escape me, bitches!” I yell at the flying leaves.

I look over to see Carson on his front stoop, watching my wild efforts like I’m a vaudeville spectacle he can’t quite believe. Embarrassed, I kick at the ground. “I didn’t want all your hard work ruined.”

His expression is serious. “Have you tried positive reinforcement? I’ve found that fallen leaves don’t respond well to punitive measures.”

“Right,” I reply, “because they have nothing to lose. Their fate is inside a garbage bag or being trapped by an uncaring tire. Snow will cover the lucky ones until after the thaw.” I run the rake through the grass at my feet. “Then they’ll get scooped up—along with all the dog poop and candy wrappers the trick-or-treaters leave behind.”

Using his index finger to rub his chin, Carson considers this. “Trick-or-treaters leave behind dog poop?”

“Some of the angry ones do.”

He laughs—and darn if he isn’t cute when he smiles—before saying, “Guess I’d better buy good candy this year.”

“No black licorice or breath mints.” I let out a low groan. “But the worst are those peanut butter-flavored taffies wrapped in orange or black wrappers.”

“Those are the worst. I never ate them.”

“Me neither.”

I hold open the bag, and Carson bends down, scoops up the leaves, and stands very close as he shoves them inside. I’m painfully aware of how his Levis-clad butt looks oh-so-good when he bends over. After the bag is full, he glances up at his tree and down at his yard, thanking me for my help. Then he sort of stands there, gazing at me, and I can’t help but ask. “What?”

“Nothing. Sorry. You’d lose all respect for me if I told you,” he mumbles.

“Now you have to tell me.”

He brushes a leaf from his sleeve. “No, really,” he stammers, “it’s ridiculous.”

I nudge his ankle with my sneaker’s rubber toe. “Try me.”

Rolling his eyes skyward, he asks, “Did you ever read The Majestic Seven? That fantasy about the seven heroes who must save their kingdom?”

“No,” I reply. “But I’ve heard of it. Why?”

Carson’s cheeks turn the slightest bit pink. “I was thinking how you’re like Lady Seraphina.”

My hands fly to either side of my face. “It’s because of my pointy ears, right?”

“What? No.” He blinks in confusion. “Why would you make that connection?”

“Because I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation, and the only female character is an elf. The tips of her ears are like razors.”

“No!” Carson swallows a laugh. “God, no, that’s not what I meant.”

I look him up and down. “Well, what did you mean?”

His voice sounds like a worn vinyl record, smooth in the center but scratched at the edges. “You’re the type of girl who could save the world.”

“You mean ‘woman’ and not ‘girl,’ right?”

“Of course. Sorry.” He releases a self-conscious chuckle. “You’re the kind of woman who could save the world. One hundred percent.”

“Thank you.” Then, feeling that magnetic pull, I drop my gaze to the ground.

He hits his forehead. “God. I’m such an idiot. I promised I’d be professional today, and I’ve already blown it, haven’t I?”

I search for a response. Thankfully, Ferris runs up to me, and I busy myself with petting him. “It’s fine. But I don’t understand. Why would I lose all respect for you?”

“Because you’ll realize I like fantasy novels.”

Kneeling down, I let Ferris nuzzle my shoulder. “Please. As if I didn’t already know? Remember how in high school, you’d check out The Prince of Saturn and slide it into your backpack before anyone could see?”

Carson raises an eyebrow. “Except for you.”

I notice a renegade leaf on my shoulder and brush it off. “That’s right. Because I was also always in the media center after lunch, most likely checking out some gothic romance, which is way more looked down upon than science fiction or fantasy.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t on the hockey team.” He smirks. “If the other players knew about my reading habits, they’d have kicked my ass.”

“So, you tried to pretend you weren’t smart? How’d that work out for you, college boy?”

He opens his mouth to respond but laughs instead. “Hey, you mentioned gothic romance, and that reminds me. I dug your story. A contemporary Charlotte Brontë! It was so original. I don’t have very many revision notes for you, because the story flowed. And I’m worried that if you rework it a lot, you’ll lose that.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I liked your story too, and not just because you liked mine.” Shifting my weight, I say, “Should we go inside and get to work?”

He nods. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Follow me.”

At this moment, I’d be happy to follow him anywhere.

***

Author Bio

Laurel Osterkamp is a Minneapolis-based author whose work explores the emotional complexities of love, loss, and personal reinvention. With novels like Beautiful Little Furies (an Amazon #1 bestseller) and Favorite Daughters, she’s become known for creating characters who are flawed, thoughtful, and deeply human. Osterkamp writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that blends wit with wisdom, heart with humor. Outside of writing, she teaches adult ESL and middle school enrichment, re-watches iconic ’90s television, and contends with a household full of opinionated pets.

Social Media Links

Website: https://laurellit.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurelosterkamp

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurelosterkamp.bsky.social

Instagram: @laurel_osterkamp

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-side-project-by-laurel-osterkamp

Feature Post and Book Review: Blonde Dust by Tatiana de Rosnay

Book Description

Pauline, a young chambermaid who works at the legendary Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada, is asked to step in for a colleague and clean Suite 614. Although she was told the rooms were empty, a dazed, sleepy woman appears before her. This is Mrs. Miller, aka Marilyn Monroe, whose stay in Reno coincides with the breakdown of her marriage to Arthur Miller and the filming of what was to be her last film, The Misfits.
 
Set in the American West in 1960 where the mustang horses run wild, an unexpected friendship unfolds between the most famous movie star in the world and a young cleaning woman whose life will be changed forever through the course of a few weeks. A testament to the enduring power of female friendship and a reimagining of a side of Marilyn Monroe that has never been seen before.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222139778-blonde-dust?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=N2kOECCNN7&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5

BLONDE DUST by Tatiana De Rosnay is a spellbinding mash-up of historical fiction and women’s fiction that features a first-generation young French woman’s life as well as how in the heat of Reno, Nevada in 1960, a mega movie star’s unlikely friendship changed the course of her life. This standalone story will pull you in and take you on an emotional and nostalgic journey.

This story features three timelines while telling Pauline’s life story. You have the description of how Pauline came to America, fell in love with the wild mustangs, and became a single mother and maid with no prospects at The Mapes Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. You also have a timeline which shows the development of Pauline and Marilyn Monroe’s friendship as she cleans Marilyn’s Suite 614 while she is filming on location for The Misfits, her last full-length movie. And the final timeline has Pauline looking back on her life and friendship with Marilyn as she attends the January 30, 2000, demolition of The Mapes.

The descriptions of both downtown Reno in 1960 and the landscapes outside of town on the film set and the mustang rescue ranch made me feel as though I was right there. As the timelines interweave, I was never lost or confused because each part of the story always left me wanting more. The research is obvious and blended throughout the story without interrupting the story.

There are so many aspects of this story to love; the unlikely friendship, the trajectory of a life changed, both emotionally and physically, the wild mustangs of the West, and a researched look into three short months in Marilyn Monroe’s tumultuous personal life. There are also dark moments of alcoholism and drug abuse, sexual coercion, and animal cruelty interspersed throughout.

I recommend curling up in a comfy chair and letting this mash-up of historical fiction and women’s fiction take you away.

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About the Author

Tatiana de Rosnay was born on September 28th, 1961 in the suburbs of Paris. She is of English, French and Russian descent.

Tatiana was raised in Paris and then in Boston, when her father taught at MIT in the 70’s. She moved to England in the early 80’s and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English literature at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich. Returning to Paris in 1984, Tatiana became press attaché for Christie’s and then Paris Editor for Vanity Fair magazine till 1993.

Sarah’s Key was published in 40 countries in 2007 and has sold over eleven million copies worldwide. Kristin Scott-Thomas stars in the movie adaptation by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (2010).

Her novels are published in many countries and five of her books have become movies. Tatiana lives in France with her family.

Social Media Links

Website: (In French) https://www.tatianaderosnay.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tatianaderosnay

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tatianaderosnay.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatianaderosnay/?api=1%2F

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/blonde-dust-by-tatiana-de-rosnay

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Her Burning Lies by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Book Description

As a blazing wildfire rages through Kearny County, homes are destroyed and the town is in turmoil. Amongst the debris, the body of a young woman lies totally still, her eyes looking to the sky, a silver sword pinning her to the ground.

When fire wardens search the scorched remains of an abandoned farmhouse, underneath the rubble, they make a shocking discovery—a young woman, stabbed and left to die in the middle of the fire zone. Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are called in to investigate.

Leo takes in the woman’s petite features, his voice shaking as he turns to Delaney. He knows the victim—they had met on an online dating site. How did she end up in the middle of the wildfires, and who would want to kill an innocent young woman?

As a second body is discovered at a remote ranch, also stabbed with a silver sword, Delaney is sure the victims are linked—both young mothers, both looking for love. Could Kearny County have a serial killer preying on single women?

Delaney’s heart pounds when she learns that her close friend, Clara Eckhardt, is missing, last seen driving towards the fires. She ignores the evacuation orders and races towards the inferno. But when shots are fired, she knows the murderer has her in their sight. Will she turn back and save herself or chase the killer further into the fire to save her friend’s life?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Her Burning Lies by Pamela Fagan Hutchins has it all: a suspenseful plot, great banter, and wonderful characters.

Sheriff Deputy Delaney now has two adopted daughters. Sheriff Leo has his sister and nephew living with him. Not only do they need to deal with matters associated with their newly expanded families, but there is a wildfire nearby that they are actively fighting. Then there are dead women appearing in the fire area with swords pinning them to the ground.

After fire wardens search the scorched remains of an abandoned farmhouse, underneath the rubble, they make a shocking discovery, a young woman stabbed and left to die in the middle of the fire zone. A second body is discovered at a remote ranch, also stabbed with a silver sword. Delaney is sure the victims are linked, since both are young mothers and are leaving law enforcement wondering if Kearny County has a serial killer preying on single women. Things ratchet up after a Sherriff Department employee and friend disappears and seems to somehow be connected to the crimes.

Besides the riveting plot there is the romantic angle. The main characters’ personal relationships change and grow over the series. Their personal relationship is a rollercoaster ride that appears to be concluding.

Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they turn the pages.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Pamela Fagan Hutchins: Her Burning Lies (Delaney Pace #5) came to me because of a Renaissance Fair flyer I saw up in Sheridan Wyoming. I have not been to one. I have friends that love them, and one of my sons loves them. But it was mostly seeing the Renaissance in the modern west on that flyer, very out of place. While that became “Middle Ages” once I began researching for the storyline, the idea of an old sword, out of place in Wyoming was planted. Then I moved to France for a year where I was surrounded by Medieval history at the time I began writing, and the idea really took off. I was intrigued by how Delaney would react to it.

EC: Did you ever drive the Big Rig Tractor Trailor?

PFH: I have not! The driving skills come from my dear friend, former trucker extraordinaire, Daisy Delaney.

EC: Role of the fire?

PFH: I include a seasonally appropriate phenomena in each of my Delaney Pace books. This book was set in August, which is fire season. I do this because it is a reality of living and working as a law enforcement officer in Wyoming. The terrain is rugged and vast, and the extreme weather conditions add a lot of unique difficulty and danger.

EC: Relationship between Delaney and Leo?

PFG: Delaney comes from a background of very painful personal loss, and she wants to avoid being hurt again, intentionally or accidentally. One of the walls she put up was partly out of caring for Leo: putting his future over hers. But it was a wall, nonetheless. They had banter and camaraderie, were partners figuratively and literally, they avoided the relationship aspect, and it was hard for her to trust.

EC: Role of Joe Tarver?

PFH: Deputy Joe Tarver is a wonderful foil for Leo and obstacle for Delaney as well. And haven’t we all worked with someone who literally or figuratively shoots us in the back?

EC: Do you always have an abuse angle in your stories-in this one there was sex trafficking and pregnant women?

PFH: No, but in most of my Delaney stories she is championing women who are marginalized or abused in some way, like she was, and like so many women are, in her community and elsewhere. Not only did she face it herself, but one of her adoptive daughters comes from a history of abuse.

EC: Is Kat acting like a typical teenager: Bratty, self-centered, uncaring, freezing her stepmom out

PFH: Adoptive mom. As a stepmom, I can tell you there is a big difference. And, as a mom and stepmom to three adult daughters, I will only say I am writing that age from personal experience mothering them!!!

EC: Do you self-publish books-if so why and can you tell a little about them: Title, due date to come out, plot?

PFH: I both traditionally and independently publish. The Delaney Pace books are from one of Hachette UK’s imprints, Bookouture. I am actively writing two other series that are independently published under the company owned by my husband and me, SkipJack Publishing, which also publishes a handful of other authors.

The two active series are set in Wyoming as well: Jenn Herrington (contemporary romantic legal thrillers) and Patrick Flint (1970s adventurous family drama mysteries). We hope to release the next Jenn Herrington book by the end of 2025 and a Patrick Flint book in 2026. Currently, there are 2 Jenn Herrington books and 8 Patrick Flint.

I have also written a super series of romantic mysteries, with sub series for 6 different interrelated characters: Katie Connell set in the Caribbean, Emily Bernal set in Texas and New Mexico, Michele Lopez Hanson set in Texas, Maggie Killian set in Texas and Wyoming, and Ava Butler set in the Caribbean.

Altogether, I have written 32 novels, of which only 6 are Delaney Pace (1 upcoming in October 2025). So, while I can’t give you the plot of each of the books, I can direct you to either my website (https://pamelafaganhutchins.com) or my Amazon page (http://amazon.com/author/pamelafaganhutchins.com) for information on each of the series and the books within them!

EC: Next book: Title, due date to come out, plot?

PFH: I am not allowed to release the title of Delaney Pace #6 yet, but I can tell you that it comes out in October 2025, and it is the favorite book of the series for everyone involved: my editor, me, my husband (who is my story idea partner), and my story fact checker, police chief Travis Koltiska. Here’s a very short synopsis: Detective Delaney Pace starts the new year with a dead body that falls from a ski lift and lands at her feet, just after she hears the muffled shot from woods below. Panic reigns on the ski slope as she and Sheriff Leo Palmer race after the killer, a pursuit that leads them across jurisdictions and ends with Leo hostage and Delaney faced with a horrible choice. Follow the law she’s sworn to uphold or save Leo’s life.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Book Review: Not They Who Soar by Amanda Flower

Book Review

Summer 1904. Katharine and her best friend from Oberlin College, Margaret Goodwin Meacham, are thrilled to attend the St. Louis Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, for the centennial celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Not only is it a grand, international event, it’s also the first time the young women have seen each other in quite a while, and they are giddy with excitement—despite warnings from Katharine’s old family friend, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, to be careful of the fair’s less seemly side.

Undaunted, the girls have a lovely time—until the exposition turns from a girls’ trip to a misadventure when Katharine stumbles upon a woman in distress. It’s obvious that she has been attacked. Katharine does her best to save her, but tragically, before help can arrive, the woman dies. Yet just before her last breath, she utters the words aeronautics competition. . . . Katharine’s brothers Wilbur and Orville were asked to enter the competition with their successful 1903 flyer but declined. Katharine wonders how this young woman could be connected to such a prestigious event.

Now, unable to get the woman’s face out of her mind, Katharine convinces Margaret to join her investigation—and it’s soon clear that the race to be declared the first in flight might just be the deadliest competition of them all.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218155554-not-they-who-soar?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PnPTkqviH0&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOT THEY WHO SOAR (Katherine Wright Mystery Book #2) by Amanda Flower is the cozy historical amateur mystery I have been waiting for and is the second book in this smart series. Katharine Wright, the youngest sibling of the legendary Wright Brothers, is back and once again places herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This book is easily read as a standalone mystery, but the first book, To Slip the Bonds of Earth, is also an excellent read.

It is the summer of 1904, and Katharine has taken the train to meet her best friend from college, Margaret, to attend the St. Louis Exposition. While her brothers turned down the opportunity to share their flying machine at this event, she is still interested in seeing the aeronautics competition which has a hundred-thousand-dollar first prize. As they check out the hangers for the flying machines, Katharine stumbles upon a woman who has been fatally stabbed.

Even as Katharine and Margaret take in the many sights of the World Fair, Katharine cannot stop wondering who the young woman was who was killed and why. Katharine discovers the young woman was a mechanic interested in flight and everything seems ties back to the aeronautics competition. Can Katharine sort through all the evidence and suspects before she becomes a victim also?

I am very excited to see this series is going to continue. Katharine is an intelligent, inquisitive protagonist who while she may seem over-shadowed by her brothers’ notoriety, she is not intimidated by it and is a woman ahead of her time. This story took her out of Dayton and was full of interesting facts, both good and disturbing, regarding the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis which also hosted the Olympics at the same time. Ms. Flower’s descriptive writing of attractions at the fair demonstrated her extensive research for this story. Katharine’s intricately plotted mystery investigation is full of red herring, surprises, and multiple suspects which kept me guessing and turning the pages all the way to the end.

I highly recommend this cozy historical amateur mystery featuring Katharine Wright and am looking forward to many more in this series!

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About the Author

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.amandaflower.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramandaflower

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/not-they-who-soar-a-katharine-wright-mystery-book-2-by-amanda-flower

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford

Book Description

An unsolved mystery…

Seeking the truth could be fatal.

Reopening the investigation of her mother’s disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford features a police chief dealing with an Amish cold case where Amish girls have disappeared. Readers will try to solve the case along with the characters as they second guess the clues.

The plot opens when Diana Fisher decides to return to her childhood town in Rachel’s Crossing Kentucky, to become police chief. She is following in her father William’s footsteps who once was police chief there. Fifteen years ago, Diana’s mother disappeared, and William decided they needed a fresh start, so he moved them to Louisville.

Even though her dad is dead set against it, Diana decides to move there and accept the police chief job. She is determined to try to find out why her mother left them. But once there, she finds trouble is waiting for her. Shortly after arriving she hears a young Amish girl screaming and when trying to rescue her she gets hit over the head and her dog Kit also gets injured. They are rescued by Micah Nissley, once Amish and now living in the English world. He has been coming back to his family’s old home whenever he could to do repairs in thoughts of using it as vacation home. He was shunned by his family, friends and community who blamed him for the disappearance of his fiancé, Tessa, the girl he loved.

He is now working as a detective for the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations. He offers to help but before Diana will accept it, she investigates why he was considered a person of interest. After he comes clean and tells her she accepts his help and realizes that he also wants to solve the case to overcome the stigma of being falsely accused of killing the missing Amish girls. The investigation leads them to a serial killer who is elusive and extremely intelligent, since he has been killing women for many years without being caught.

If readers enjoy the Linda Castillo series with Police Chief Kate Burkholder they will enjoy this story. It is an intense read that is intriguing, captivating, powerful and full of suspense with a twist of an ending that is shocking.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Mary Alford: I have been fascinated by the simple life of the Amish. I thought about what would happen in this quiet setting if there was still danger lurking and secrets hidden. I took an old cold case and have a new police chief who must face her own dark past.

EC: Were you influenced by Kate Burkholder from the Linda Castillo series?

MA: I had not thought of it. Maybe in a way. Diana does have a quest and wants to find out what happened to her mother, which is why she took the job as police chief. She wants to do some research as to why her mom disappeared. This police department needs rebuilding after the corruption within it.

EC: How would you describe Diana?

MA: She is strong, resilient, and faces danger head on. She is always on the front line and refuses to let fear stop her. I think she is also guarded and cautious.

EC: How would you describe the hero, Micah?

MA: He has ties to the cold case since his fiancé, Tessa, disappeared and he was the last to see her alive. He is former Amish and is bitter because he was a person of interest a long time ago during the Amish girl’s disappearance. He also feels guilty. When he saw Tessa with this other guy, he left her and felt guilty for making the choice to leave.

EC: What role does Kit the canine dog play?

MA: Diana considers her a friend, protector, and loyal. She is trained in search and rescue plus police work. She stands between Diana and danger. She loves to play with her favorite stuffed animal.

EC: What about the relationship?

MA: It was hampered by suspicion, and she is not trusting. He did have ties to the past case of the disappearance of Amish women. He wants it to have resolution and to come to light about what happened to Tessa. He is stuck with the past hanging over him.

EC: What about the corrupt cops?

MA: They stole, bribed, blackmailed, and harassed. People do not trust the police department.

EC: Why Kentucky?

MA: There are a few Amish communities in Kentucky. I like having a remote mountain setting that creates its own danger and suspense.

EC: Next books?

MA: In July a book will be published, Framed in Amish Country. It is about a DA who is being framed for murdering her best friend. An Amish man helps her find evidence to prove her innocence. In October Shattered Amish Identity comes out. The heroine has a buggy accident where she does not remember her past. Someone is trying to kill her, and a CIA Agent comes to help her.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.