BLOG TOUR | Caught Bread Handed

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #4
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery
Published: June 28, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Vintage Books

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count… 

Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary…especially when murder is thrown into the mix. 

When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading—with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent—for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start…and risk getting burned?

REVIEW | A Front Page Affair

Series: Kitty Weeks Mystery #1
Author: Radha Vatsal
Genre: adult, historical fiction, mystery
Published: May 1, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

New York City, 1959

The Lusitania has just sunk, and headlines about a shooting at J.P. Morgan's mansion and the Great War are splashed across the front page of every newspaper. Capability "Kitty" Weeks would love nothing more than to report on the news of the day, but she's stuck writing about fashion and society gossip over on the Ladies' Page - until a man is murdered as a high society picnic on her beat. 

Determined to prove herself as a journalist, Kitty finds herself plunged into the midst of a wartime conspiracy that threatens to derail the United States's attempt to remain neutral and to disrupt the privileged life she has always known. 

RADHA VATSAL's A Front Page Affair is the first book in a highly anticipated series featuring rising journalism star Kitty Weeks.

BLOG TOUR | A Front Page Affair

Hello,
Today I'm excited to introduce to you a A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal. It's a historical mystery told with a great deal of historical facts. Vatsal's words really brought me back in time as I understand and learn certain things about the time period as well as what the beginning of WWI has done to the people of United States.

The Blacksheep Project is so pleased to have Radha Vatsal share to us how she did her research for A Front Page Affair, the first book in the Kitty Weeks Mystery.

[REVIEW] Brooklyn on Fire

Series: A Mary Handley Mystery #2
Author: Lawrence H. Levy 
Genre: adult, historical fiction, mystery, romance, suspense
Published: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Broadway Books
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Brooklyn's most witty and daring detective risks everything to solve a dangerous triple-murder case 

After closing a case with the Brooklyn Police Department, Mary Handley is determined to become an official detective in her own right. And when Emily Worsham shows up at her new office— convinced her uncle John Worsham was murdered and desperate for answers—Mary's second assignment begins.   

As she investigates the curious circumstances surrounding John's death, Mary soon finds herself entangled in a high-stakes family scandal, a series of interconnected murders, political corruption, untrustworthy sources, and an unexpected romance with a central member of New York's elite.  

Featuring historic figures like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and the Vanderbilt family, Brooklyn on Fire takes Mary on a wild journey from New York City to North Carolina to uncover not only the truth of one man's death, but to unravel the mystery in three murders – with links tied perilously close to her own personal world.

[COVER REVEAL] Caught Bread Handed

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #4

Author: Ellie Alexander

Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery,

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication: June 28, 2016

Purchase: Amazon | Vintage Books

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bakeshop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count…

Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary… especially when murder is thrown into the mix.

When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading—with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent—for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start… and risk getting burned?

[WEEKLY MUSING] 6 Tips on Finding Out Mystery Suspects

...because Queen of Mystery

Hello,

If you've been following my blog for a few months now, you'd probably know that I'm a mystery and crime fiction reader (at least I hope you noticed that). My addiction with crime fiction and mystery thrillers, in general, started when I came across Robert Galbraith's The Cuckoo's Calling. It was a crazy attempt since crime fiction was so out of  my comfort zone then.

Anyway, after reading a decent amount of YA mysteries, mystery-thrillers, crime fictions, and cozy mysteries, I came up with this crazy list.

[REVIEW] On Thin Icing + Interview

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #3
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: December 29, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Powells

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

"An intriguing new series." -Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue." -Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

[RELEASE EVENT] On Thin Icing

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #3
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: December 29, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Powells

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

"An intriguing new series." -Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue." -Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

[REVIEW] Bread of the Dead

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: Santa Fe Cafe Mystery #1
Author: Ann Myers
Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: September 29, 2015
Publisher: William Morrow
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

The Day of the Dead is approaching in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and cook Rita Lafitte is busy decorating sugar skulls, taste-testing pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and refashioning her post-divorce life. She loves her job at Tres Amigas Cafe and feels like she’s found a good home for herself and her teenage daughter…until her kindly landlord is found dead next door, seemingly from suicide.Although Rita discovers evidence of murder, the police aren’t convinced, especially one of the lead detectives who’s also Rita’s ex-husband. To uncover the truth behind her friend’s death, Rita teams up with her octogenarian boss Flori, the town’s most celebrated snoop. Soon, their investigation encompasses other crimes, including break-ins and the murder of their number-one suspect. Rita won’t feel safe until the killer is caught. But when she unearths a long-buried secret, will she become the next victim?

[COVER REVEAL] Silenced in the Surf

Series: Pacific Northwest Mystery #3

Author: Kate E. Dyer-Seeley

Genre: mystery, cozy mystery,

Publisher: Kensington

Expected Publication: March 29, 2016

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Covering a windsurfing competition should have been a breeze for reporter Meg Reed, but with a killer in the curl, she's headed for rough waters…

Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge is the windsurfing capital of the world, and Meg is stoked to cover the King of the Hook event for Portland's Northwest Extreme magazine. Before the competition gets under way, Meg has a chance to try some windsurfing on her own. But when the current sweeps her downriver, she spots a body snagged on the rocks. The dead man is Justin Cruise, aka Cruise Control, a celebrity windsurfer and not exactly a nice guy. It's soon clear his death was no accident, and Cruise had no shortage of enemies. As Meg dives right in to discover who wiped out the windsurfer, she'll need to keep her balance--or she too may get blown away.

Praise For Scene Of The Climb

"A splendid overview of the greater Portland and Columbia River Gorge region, perfect for travel buffs. Her protagonist shows promise with her determined attitude and moxie." --Library Journal

"A fun, terrific adventure." --Suspense Magazine

[COVER REVEAL] On Thin Icing

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #3

Author: Ellie Alexander

Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery,

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication: December 29, 2015

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Powells

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

"An intriguing new series."-Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue."-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

[REVIEW] A Batter of Life and Death

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #2
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: June 30, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Welcome to Torte–a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for… 

It’s autumn in Ashland, Oregon–’tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte’s famous peach cobbler. It’s also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family’s beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel’s reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally. 

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered–death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

[REVIEW] You Can't Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: the Study Club Mysteries #1
Author: Juliette Harper
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: May 17, 2015
Publisher: Skye House Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

Wanda Jean Milton discovers her husband, local exterminator Hilton Milton, dead on her new shag carpet with an Old Hickory carving knife sticking out of his chest. Beside herself over how she’ll remove the stain, and grief-stricken over Hilton’s demise, Wanda Jean finds herself the prime suspect in the case. But she is also a member of “the” local Study Club, a bastion of independent Texas feminism 1960s style. Club President Clara Wyler has no intention of allowing a member to be a murder suspect during her administration. Aided by her younger sister and County Clerk, Mae Ella Gormley; Sugar Watson, the proprietress of Sugar’s Style and Spray; and Wilma Schneider, Army MASH veteran and local RN, the Club women set out to clear Wanda Jean’s name — never guessing the local dirt they’ll uncover in the process.

[REVIEW] Delayed Death

full tour schedule can be found at CBB Book Promotions

Series: Temptation in Florence #1
Author: Beate Boeker
Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery, romance
Published: October 23, 2013 (first published December 1, 2012) 
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

Delayed Death is Book #1 in the Temptation in Florence Series, a cozy murder mystery romance series with a strong dose of humor and romance. 

The title of the series comes from the lingerie store that the protagonist, Carlina, owns and runs, Temptation, on one of Florence, Italy's, premier shopping streets. The Temptation in Florence Series follows the life, adventures and loves of Italian-American Carlina, and of her extended eccentric Italian family, many of whom live in apartments in the same building in central Florence. 

The family's eccentric members and their whims and wishes are a never-ending source of amusement for Carlina. While often treated like the family's Cinderella, Carlina is also a sexy, saucy, funny thirty-two-year-old woman.

When a crisis occurs, right at the beginning of Delayed Death, and Carlina gives in to her domineering cousin's wishes, Carlina sets herself on a collision course with police Commissario Stefano Garini.

[COVER REVEAL] A Batter of Life and Death

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #2

Author: Ellie Alexander

Genre: adult, mystery, cozy mystery,

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication: June 30, 2015

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Welcome to Torte--a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for…

It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon--'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered--death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

[REVIEW] Meet Your Baker

full tour schedule can be found here

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #1
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, cozy mystery
Published: December 30, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Book Depository | Kobo

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it’s criminal… 

After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte’s customers turns up dead, there’s much ado about murder… 

"Sure to satisfy both dedicated foodies and ardent mystery lovers alike." –Jessie Crockett, author of Drizzled with Death 

The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival’s newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her…but still. The silver lining? Jules’s high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can’t help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all… 

"Alexander weaves a tasty tale of deceit, family ties, delicious pastries, and murder.” ―Edith Maxwell, author of A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die

[RELEASE DAY EVENT] Meet Your Baker

Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #1
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: adult, mystery
Published: December 30, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Book Depository | Kobo

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it’s criminal… 

After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte’s customers turns up dead, there’s much ado about murder… 

The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival’s newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her…but still. The silver lining? Jules’s high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can’t help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all…

*             *             *

  Welcome to Ashland, Oregon, home of the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the setting for Ellie Alexander’s debut mystery MEET YOUR BAKER.

MEET YOUR BAKER is a culinary mystery centered in the fictional bakeshop, Torte, with a mother/daughter pastry duo. It includes original handcrafted recipes. Meet Ashland!