A Real Basket Case is "Year's Best Mystery"!

I'm thrilled that book reviewer Lori B. Caswell has selected A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, as the Best Mystery that she read in 2011! Since she is an avid reader and reviewer of cozy mysteries, this is an especially exciting honor.

See the whole list of her year's best picks on her "Escape with Dollycas Into A Good Book" blog.

A Real Basket Case was re-released in trade paperback and ebook in 2011, and is also available in hardcover and large-print editions, so you can pick your favorite format. And I hope that anyone who hasn't read it yet does indeed pick it up and read it! A Real Basket Case was a finalist for the Best First Novel Agatha Award when it came out in hardcover, and it has been well-reviewed by Amazon and Goodreads readers as well as by professional reviewers.

Photos from a Book Tour - Part Two

Today I'll be sharing some more photos from my eight-day book tour with fellow mystery author Ann Parker. After leaving the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort Monday morning, we made our way to my home in Breckenridge, where we signed stock at Weber's Books & Drawings.

Tuesday, we drove to Ann's brother's home in Boulder, where we would stay the next three nights. That's when snafu number two happened. I left two hangers in my house that had my booksigning outfits on them, and all I had with me were a couple of nice tops and jeans and exercise pants. Ann's sister-in-law pointed me to a nearby thrift shop, where I found a cheap pair of black pants and a blouse to put together a couple of signing outfits. Then I arranged a rendezvous Thursday with my son, who would be returning to Denver from a couple of days of skiing in Breckenridge, to pick up the rest of my tour clothes from him.

Tuesday evening, we signed at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins. Fellow mystery authors Patricia Stoltey, Charlotte Hinger, and Cricket McRae were some of the folks who came out to support us, and they appear with Ann and me in the two photos below.



On Wednesday, we stopped at Who Else! Books in the Broadway Book Mall to sign stock and had a late lunch with Lauri Ver Schure, owner of Murder By the Book, and signed more stock for her. That evening we gave a presentation at the Highlands Ranch library and signed books provided by the Tattered Cover bookstore. Below is a photo of us with librarian Lisa Casper, who organized the event.

Thursday, I picked up my clothes from my son, and that evening we joined mystery author Michelle Black for a panel discussion and signing at the Oriental & Navajo Rug Gallery in Longmont, Colorado, organized by Cynthia Nye of High Crimes Mystery Bookshop. Below is a photo of Ann and me with Cynthia in front of one of the beautiful rugs.

Friday morning we drove to Leadville, Colorado for our last day of events. We presented a workshop at the Lake County Library in the afternoon and signed books at the Book Mine bookstore in the early evening. Below is a photo of us with two members of the Friends of the Library group who organized that event and provided goodies. We finished up the evening at my Breckenridge home again, and Ann caught a shuttle to the airport Saturday morning. It was a busy, whirlwind tour, but we enjoyed it all. Ann was a perfect tour buddy, and I'd do it all again with her!

Photos from a Book Tour - Part One

Last Saturday I concluded an eight-day book tour with fellow mystery author Ann Parker, whose historical mining era mysteries are set in Leadville and Manitou Springs, Colorado. Ann was promoting the fourth book in the series, Mercury's Rise, which was released in November, and I was promoting the November re-release of A Real Basket Case, though I think I signed just as many copies of Deadly Currents.

After flying in to Denver, Ann met me at the Denver Press Club Thursday evening, where we both attended a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She rode back with me in the Colorado Springs carpool, and we used my Colorado Springs home as a base of operations for the next three nights. Our first event Friday evening was a wine, cheese, and chocolate signing at Black Cat Books in Manitou Springs, the setting for Mercury's Rise. The photo below was taken by Doris McCraw at the event.

Saturday we breakfasted with researchers who helped Ann with her book, then we attended an authors tea at the Pikes Peak Library for Mara Purl and Margaret Coel. Our own next event was a shift at the Pikes Peak Writers Fundraiser Booksigning at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers location in north Colorado Springs late Saturday afternoon. The first photo below shows us with Mark Stevens, who signed before us, and the second photo, taken by Doris McCraw again, shows Ann and I toward the end of our two hour shift, still laughing and having a great time. After our signing, we went to a launch party for my friend Donnell Bell's debut novel. A full day!



Sunday marked the first of two snafus that could have been disastrous. Ann and I loaded up my Prius with our luggage and books, and when I turned the ignition key, nothing happened. I looked up and saw one dome light burning dimly, so we had somehow left it on overnight and drained the car battery. AAA couldn't get there for at least 45 minutes, which would have put us in Salida, Colorado, our next stop, too late. So, we moved all of the stuff to my husband's SUV and used that vehicle instead for the rest of the trip. That made our gas cost higher, but we had the luxury of heated seats, too.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of our "Constructing a Mystery" workshop at The Book Haven in Salida, probably because we were too busy having a good time and signing books. That night we gave ourselves the treat of a stay at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort. We soaked in one of the hot springs pools until clouds moved in and snow started to fall. Then we had to come up with a quick exit strategy that got us out of the pool, dried off, into our snow boots and coats, across the bridge, down the stairs and around the corner into the bath house as fast as possible before we caught a chill. Being a "pantser," Ann said she did more planning for that run than she does when she starts a novel!

Tomorrow, I'll post more photos from the trip.

Ta Da! Release Date!

Today is the official release date for the trade paperback and ebook re-release of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, though some retailers have been selling copies already. I hope you'll join me in celebrating the release with a libation of your choosing and by hollering hurrah! :)

Even better, you could buy a copy of your own or to give to someone on your holiday gift list.

A Real Basket Case was a finalist for the 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award. Here's what some reviewers and fellow mystery authors had to say about it:

“This will appeal to Desperate Housewives fans and those who like cozies with a bit of spice.”
-- Barbara Bibel, Booklist Review, February 1, 2007

“Drugs and jealousy add up to a Rocky Mountain murder. A tense, exciting debut.”
-- Kirkus Review, January 1, 2007

“A crackling good novel with the kind of twists and turns that make roller coaster rides so scary and so much fun!”
-- Margaret Coel, author of Wind River reservation series

“A gutsy sleuth, a fast-paced plot, and intriguing characters that keep you guessing. A Real Basket Case is a real winner! Don't miss it.”
-- Maggie Sefton, bestselling author of the Knitting Mystery series

You can find out more about the book, read excerpts and more reviews, and find "buy-me" links, at my website.

Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers Blog

Today I am a guest at the Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers blog, with an article titled, ""Recipe for a Mystery Lover's Gift Basket." This is part of my on-line promotion for the trade paperback and ebook re-release of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, which was a finalist for the Best First Novel Agatha Award in 2007. I hope you'll visit the blog, read the article for gift basket ideas, and leave me a comment there. I'll respond to comments throughout the day.

A Box, an Interview, a Panel, and a Giveaway

What do all of these things have in common? They are signs that the promotion for the upcoming November re-release by Midnight Ink of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, is ramping up.

The box was delivered the day before yesterday and contained my author copies of the trade paperback version (the ebook version will be released in November, too). I also put in an order for a few more copies, so I'll have enough on hand for my November appearances in case the host bookstores didn't order enough copies.

The interview can be read on Andrea Gonzales's blog. Though it focuses on Deadly Currents, the first book in my RM Outdoor Adventure mystery series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, it is a harbinger of interviews and guest blog posts to come in early November. Stay tuned here for dates, times, links and details.

The panel will occur this Saturday, October 15th. I will be appearing on a Mystery/Suspense Authors Panel that also includes David Boop and Warren Hammond for the Denver Writers Meetup from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the Englewood Public Library, 1000 Englewood Parkway, Englewood, CO 80110. If you're in the area, please come to this free event!

And the giveaway is a Goodreads giveaway of a free copy of A Real Basket Case that starts tomorrow, October 15th and runs through November 5th. If you're a Goodreads member, go HERE to enter the giveaway.

A Bargain!

I want to alert my blog readers to bargain prices for those who pre-order the trade paperback re-release of the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, A Real Basket Case. Its release date will be November 8th, and its list price will be $14.96. However, both Barnes & Noble and Amazon have it priced at just over $10 for pre-orders. I have no control over these sale prices, and I don't know how long they'll last. So, if you want one, I suggest you order now!

Promoting a Re-Release

On Inkspot today, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, I talk about my plans (including a book giveaway contest!) to promote the trade paperback and ebook re-release of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, which was released in hardcover in 2007. I ask Inkspot readers for suggestions of other ways I can promote a re-release. I'm looking for activities that are fairly inexpensive and that won't take a lot of time away from my writing schedule for Cataract Canyon, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventure series. I'd love to see some out-of-the-box suggestions there, so please stop by and leave a comment for me!

Final Proof of A REAL BASKET CASE

Last week I finished reviewing the final proof for the paperback/ebook re-release of the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, A Real Basket Case. This new release is being published by Midnight Ink and will be out in November.

You'd think that with two editions already published, the hardcover and large-print, that no changes would need to be made. How wrong you'd be! Here's where I marked changes.

First, the author blurbs. It's been almost five years since I originally requested them. The hardcover edition was released in spring, 2007, and I obtained the blurbs in late 2006. Those authors have gone on to publish more books and some have attained or re-attained New York Time bestseller status. So, I changed the blurb attributions to reflect their recent accomplishments.

Second, there's the copyright or "verso" page--you know, the one with all the small print gobbledygook. I had to correct the reference to the press that produced the hardcover version and check that the proper book designer, cover artist, etc. were listed.

Third, the dedication page. Previous editions didn't have one, and Midnight Ink gave me the option to include one. I decided to take them up on their offer and wrote a dedication. To whom, you might ask? It's a secret! ;-)

Fourth, the acknowledgements page. I rewrote most of this, primarily to list and thank those hard-working folks who toiled on this new edition. I also shortened and summarized my thanks to those who helped with the hardcover edition, because, well, they're thanked profusely there.

Fifth, the text itself. My new copy editor at Midnight Ink found a few things that she thought should be changed, and I agreed with the changes. Then I found a few more on my read through the whole book (which, by the way, was a pleasurable exercise, since I hadn't lived through Claire Hanover's first adventure in five years). Lastly, I found a formatting error that had been introduced in the new version. Yes, these were all small changes, but ones that I think will improve the product.

So, my feedback to the editor has been sent, and that was my last chance to make changes. Let the printing begin! And I'm on to my next writing task ...

A Brand New Cover

Here it is, and it's soooo cute! This is the new cover art for the trade paperback/ebook version of A Real Basket Case that Midnight Ink will release this November. I think the artist did a great job with the gift basket theme for the series--gift tag, bow, basket. Plus, the artist tied in the Colorado Springs setting (see the mountains out the window?), and the location where Claire Hanover, my gift basket designer, meets the future victim--a neighborhood gym. And it definitely has a craft cozy mystery subgenre feel to it.

So what do you think of it? Would this cover call out to you if you saw it on a bookstore shelf?

A nice review of A Real Basket Case

Hart Johnson writes the blog, Confessions of a Watery Tart, a digressionary journey of a writer. In this Wednesday's Murder Mysteries post, she reviews my book, A Real Basket Case, as well as a book written by a fellow Colorado mystery author and friend, Patricia Stoltey, titled The Prairie Grass Murders. Hart says she always calls it like she sees it, but she seemed to really enjoy reading both titles.

I agree with Hart when she said about The Prairie Grass Murders, "I loved this story, primarily for the characters—they were smart." I thoroughly enjoyed Patricia's book, too. About my A Real Basket Case, Hart said, "It was sassy, periodically naughty, but only in a PG way, and a very fun read." Wow!

Please go to Hart's blog to read the whole review of both books and to check out what else Hart has to say.

Gelati's Scoop

I recently made a new friend on Goodreads, the social network for keeping track of your reading and exchanging book recommendations with other avid readers. Giovanni Gelati, my new friend, enjoys character-driven works of fiction and blogs about the books he enjoys at Gelati's Scoop. I suggested that he try reading one of my books. He did and enjoyed it, asked me a few questions, and voila, a blog post was born. Please read what he has to say about A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series HERE. While you're there, check out the rest of his blog. Many thanks to Giovanni for his wonderful review!

Two Signings in Denver Coming Up

I am looking forward to two fun appearances coming up in Denver, Colorado next week. First, on Sunday, December 6th, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM, I will participate in a group signing with fellow mystery authors Mike Befeler, Linda Berry, and Patricia Stoltey at Who Else Books? in the Broadway Book Mall at 200 S. Broadway. We call ourselves the "Mystery Through the Ages" panel, with mysteries featuring sleuths of all different ages.

Second, on Friday, December 11th, I will participate with a host of other authors in a fundraiser for the Colorado Humanities and Colorado Center for the Book at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Entertainment and Fashion Pavilion at 500 16 Street. I will be signing with science fiction author Laura Reeve from 11:00 AM to noon. For more information about this event and to download a voucher that assures a percentage of your purchases goes to the fundraiser, go to the Colorado Humanities website.

I hope to see some of my Colorado-based friends, family, and fans, and fellow mystery writers and readers at these events. I'm sure you all have a mystery lover on your gift list, and what better gift could there be for such a person than a signed first-edition hardcover mystery from yours truly? ;-)