LET'S GET COZY ON HALLOWEEN: HOW TO PARTY WITH A KILLER VAMPIRE - PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

 HOW TO PARTY WITH

A KILLER VAMPIRE

A Party Planning Mystery 

BY PENNY WARNER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The fourth book in a sparkling party planning mystery series featuring Presley Parker, a party planner in San Francisco and sleuth Supreme. 

Mixing fun and fundraising seems like the perfect job for Presley Parker, which is why she started her event-planning business to raise money for charities. But when a film soiree goes awry, it could mean THE END for her business...
 

Presley Parker's event planning business is really rolling. Her newest gig is a film wrap party for big-time producer Lucas Cruz. He's celebrating his latest release—a vampire parody—by throwing a lavish party in a graveyard. It's a pretty gloomy venue for Presley, but she's hoping to make it so much fun that party goers won't even notice there are more dead than living guests...
 

And the number of dead grows when an entertainment reporter crashes the party, trying to dig up dirt on an actor, and literally digs his own grave. Presley's reputation is seriously on the line if she doesn't unearth the killer soon. But with a growing list of shady characters and crew members, someone has to match the role of murderer, or it's going to be Presley who won't make the cut...

PRAISE FOR OTHER PARTY PLANNING MYSTERIES:

"Penny Warner blends humor and mayhem to create a unique mystery full of fun. Her cast of offbeat characters and solid plot make this romp through the streets of San Francisco a party you don't want to miss."
    ~ Denise Swanson, Murder of a Royal Pain.

“Penny Warner's scintillating HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY introduces an appealing heroine whose event skills include utilizing party favors in self defense in a fun, fast-paced new series guaranteed to please.”
    ~ Carolyn Hart, award-winning author of Dare to Die.

“Penny Warner dishes up a rare treat, sparkling with wicked and witty San Francisco characters, plus some real tips on hosting a killer party.”
    ~ Rhys Bowen, award-winning author of the Royal Spyness mysteries.

“There's a cozy little party going on between these covers. Don't miss Penny Warner's new series.”
    ~ Elaine Viets, author of "Killer Cuts," a Dead-End Job mystery.

“Fast, fun, and fizzy as a champagne cocktail! The winning and witty Presley Parker can plan a perfect party--but after her A-list event becomes an invitation to murder, her next plan must be to save her own life.”
    ~ Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha-winning author of PRIME TIME

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I've been writing since I read my first Nancy Drew in 6th grade. Since then I've had over 50 books published, fiction and non-fiction, for adults and children. I've been lucky -- my books have won national awards, garnered excellent reviews, and have been printed in 14 countries, including Russia, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, India, Israel, Poland, Japan, and China. My best-sellers include Healthy Snacks for Kids, Kids’ Party Games and Activities, Best Party Book, Games People Play, Kids’ Holiday Fun, Learn to Sign the Fun Way, Baby Play and Learn, Kids Pick-A-Party, and Kids’ Party Cookbook.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a Master's degree in Special Education, and I've been teaching child development at the local college for over 20 years. I also teach writing tips at conferences across the country, including Pikes Peak, Whidbey Island, San Francisco, Jack London, and dozens of others. I belong to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, SCBWI, Women Writing the West, and California Writers Club.

And I've appeared on television featuring ideas from my books, including the national Dr. Spock PBS series, “Parent Sense,” the “Later Today” show, “HGTV,” “Channel 7 News,” “People Are Talking,” “Mornings on 2,” and dozens of others. In my spare time, I write a weekly newspaper column on family life (avaliable at ContraCostaTimes.com), and I contribute to popular websites including NancyDrewForever.com, BalloonTime.com, OrientalTradingCompany.com, ToysRUs.com, BirthdaysRUs.com, Evenflo.com, DrSpock.com, Fisher-Price.com, ParentalWisdom.com, iParty.com, and Party411.com. My husband Tom and I write interactive mysteries as fundraisers for libraries across the country.

I live in Danville, California, have two grown children, and four adorable grandchildren.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAITLYN AND THE GOOD 

FOLKS AT BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS PERFECT HALLOWEEN 

MYSTERY, HOW TO PARTY WITH A

KILLER VAMPIRE,TO GIVE AWAY

 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT HOW TO PARTY WITH A KILLER VAMPIRE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT PENNY WARNER'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 18

 GOOD LUCK!

WANT TO PARTY WITH A VAMPIRE?
YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

IRON ELVES TRILOGY HITS THE ROAD: DID YOU ENTER THE GIVEAWAY?

We do not fear the flame, though it burns us,
We do not fear the fire, though it consumes us,
And we do not fear its light,
Though it reveals the darkness of our souls,
For therein lies our power.
—Blood Oath of the Iron Elves

A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE: First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and cannon…bow and arrow…magic, diplomacy, and oaths — each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war.

THE LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS: As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves’ perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry elf witch, the Shadow Monarch, takes on greater urgency.

ASHES OF A BLACK FROST: In this third novel of musket and magic in Chris Evans’s Iron Elves saga, Konowa’s ultimate journey is fraught with escalating danger. A vast, black forest finds a new source of dark power, spawning creatures even more monstrous than the blood trees from which they evolve. The maniacally unstable former emissary 

of the Shadow Monarch hungers for revenge, leading an army of ravenous beasts bent on utterly destroying the Iron Elves.

 

ABOUT AUTHOR CHRIS EVANS:  

CHRIS EVANS was born in Toronto, Canada and now lives in New York City. Chris is the author of two other books in the Iron Elves series, A Darkness Forged in Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows.  He is a historian as well as an editor of military history and current affairs, including the highly successful Stackpole Military History series.

Chris Evans of The Iron Elves Trilogy, recently blogged about his tour to meet fans and share his new book, ASHES OF A BLACK FROST. You can find this posted on his blog just a few days ago: 2011 Ashes of a Black Frost Book Tour (with parents, RV, and patience, lots of patience) about to kick off...

"Here’s your chance to not only get your books signed by me, but by my folks, too OK, just kidding (but if you ask them, I’m sure they’ll oblige).  Starting the end of next week, the Evans caravan will be rumbling across North America and coming to a town near you…if you happen to live in one of the towns I’m going to. So where will I be? This is still a work in progress and will likely change somewhat, but it’s a fairly good snapshot at the moment. Hopefully I’ll be able to add a few cities. As things firm up I will confirm where I’ll be.  The signings won’t be long drawn out affairs, but more of me popping into a store for half an hour, signing all the books and chatting with folks.  For the very latest in where and when I’ll be somewhere you can check for regular updates on my twitter account @CEvansAuthor  I’ll be tweeting the whole trip. With my parents. In an RV for a week. Should. Be. Fun. Argh"

SCHEDULE/STOPS:

Nov 1

Flint, MI  *  Lansing, MI  * BattleCreek, MI

Nov 2

Kalamazoo, MI  * Ft. Wayne, IN  *  Indianapolis, IN  * Louisville, KY

Nov 3

Elizabethtown, KY  *  Bowling Green, KY  *   Nashville, TN

Nov 4

Chatanooga, TN  *   Atlanta, GA

Nov 5

Macon, GA  * Savannah, GA

You can find more about Chris and this fabulous IRON ELVES TRILOGY and more by visiting his websites here: www.ironelves.com and www.chrisevansauthor.com
Also, Chris will be tweeting and posting on FB while on the road so check it out!
Facebook: Chris-Evans-Iron-Elves
Twitter: @CEvansAuthor 

 

REMINDER! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY FOR THESE GREAT BOOKS!

MY NEWS ABOUT THE IRON ELVES TRILOGY GIVEAWAY:

For the past three weeks, I introduced you who aren't already fans, to the exciting IRON ELVES Trilogy by Chris Evans. I have a giveaway for one copy of each of the books leading up to the newest and last in the trilogy, ASHES OF A BLACK FROST, just released. I have links to each of the book posts below so you can enter before this giveaway ends tonight at 6 PM!...and get to know more about the author and the trilogy. I am also going to give away the entire trilogy to one lucky reader who has entered all three giveaways. This will be in addition to the people who win one of each of the books separately. Good luck and watch for the IRON ELVES Trilogy here on BOOKIN' WITH BINGO!

The first post for A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE can be found HERE.

The second post for THE LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS can be found HERE.

The third post for ASHES OF A BLACK FROST can be found HERE.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MELISSA AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT SIMON & SCHUSTER, I HAVE ONE COPY

 OF EACH OF THESE BOOKS IN THE

IRON RON ELVES TRILOGY TO GIVE AWAY;
I ALSO AM ABLE TO GIVE ONE LUCKY WINNER
THE WHOLE TRILOGY-ALL 3 BOOKS-BUT YOU
HAVE TO HAVE ENTERED ALL 3 GIVEAWAYS 
TO QUALIFY FOR THE BIG PRIZE!

 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOUT THE IRON ELVES TRILOGY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THESE BOOKS, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT NUMBER YOUR ENTRY IS IN EACH OF THE THREE BOOK POSTS SO I CAN FIND YOU EASIER IF YOU ARE THE BIG WINNER OF THE WHOLE TRILOGY. IT ALSO GETS YOU AN EXTRA ENTRY THIS WAY...AND THANK YOU!

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, OCTOBER 31

 GOOD LUCK!

BRUNCH WITH BINGO: A "YUMMY" GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

"BRUNCH WITH BINGO DAY"
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS SUNDAY'S
   BINGO BRUNCH BOOK CHOICE IS....

YUMMY

BY CAROLINE BREWESTER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Whipping up heavenly desserts has never been quicker or easier, and this collection comes with the approval of the domestic goddess!

Whether you wish to indulge in a quick treat at the end of a busy day or put the finishing touch to a dinner party with minimal fuss, Yummy has what you're looking for. From fruit feasts and melt-in-the-mouth classics to luxurious temptations, you'll find the 175 recipes in this book simply irresistible. Caroline Brewester, food writer and Masterchef finalist, has produced a stunning collection of recipes. 

The book is divided into 6 chapters, for recipes that take just 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes each – making it easy to find the perfect dessert to suit your schedule. In just 5 minutes, for example, you can whip up Amaretto Affogato, or in 10 minutes you can make Sweet & Sour Strawberries with White Chocolate Cream. Or if you have 25 minutes, why not wow everyone with Black-Bottomed Lime Cheesecakes? Enjoy the sweet smells, and the tantalising tastes and textures – and dive into delicious, imaginative desserts.

"The title truly says it all!" Nigella Lawson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Caroline Brewester is a food writer and stylist and the author of DBP's Recipe Scrapbook. She has worked with such notable culinary stars as Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Annabel Karmel.  She has contributed to numerous magazines and publications, including Good Food, Olive, Radio Times and Square Meal, and has appeared on UKTV's Great Food Live.

Caroline Brewester was put through the hoops in BBC2's Masterchef Goes Large and fought her way to the finals and second place. However, her performance, food knowledge and skills, mixed with her determination to become the best, really impressed the judges, and she ended up working with both of the Masterchef judges on various food projects.

Caroline has always been passionate about food but has worked as a stockbroker in the City of London for several years in the past. Having been a fervent home cook and dinner party giver, she eventually realised that this was not the path for her and gave up the high-flying career to try her hand as a Masterchef contestant and forge a future in food.

At the same time, she enrolled in Leith's School of Food & Wine, as well as a food writing course, and is working on behind-the-scenes projects with foodies like John Torode and writing articles for food magazines.

SAMPLE RECIPES FROM YUMMY:

 

Raspberry Sponge Drops

Made with a sponge cake mixture but dropped free-form onto baking sheets, these can be stacked to make lovely towers layered with cream and berries.

Serves 8-10
55g butter, softened
4 tbsp caster sugar
55g self-raising flour
1 egg
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
250ml double cream
1 tsp icing sugar, plus extra to serve
175g raspberries

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, egg, vanilla extract and salt in a bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, for 2-3 minutes, until just combined.

• Drop 12 tablespoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheets, spacing well apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Carefully slide the parchment and sponge drops on to wire racks and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, put the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and whip, using an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Put 1 sponge drop on each of four plates and divide half the whipped cream over them. Nestle half of the raspberries into the cream and then layer again. Top with the remaining sponge drops and serve dusted with icing sugar.

*************************

 

Tipsy Ten-Minute Tiramisù

This egg-free version of tiramisù is made much more decadent with the addition of creamy Irish whiskey liqueur.

Serves 6
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 tbsp Marsala wine
50g dark chocolate chips
225g mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp Irish whiskey, such as Baileys
2 tbsp icing sugar
250ml double cream
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
8 sponge finger biscuits, each broken into 3 pieces
1 tsp cocoa powder, to serve

• Put the coffee and 100ml water in a shallow bowl and mix until dissolved, then stir in the Marsala wine and set aside. Put the chocolate chips in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

 
• Put the mascarpone, Irish cream and icing sugar in a large bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, for 1 minute until combined. Put the cream and vanilla extract in another bowl and whip until soft peaks form (no need to clean the beaters first), then fold it into the mascarpone mixture.

 
• Dip half of the biscuit pieces in the coffee mixture and arrange them in the base of four glasses or bowls. Spoon half of the chocolate, then half of the mascarpone mixture, over the biscuits. Dip the remaining biscuit pieces in the coffee and layer again with the remaining chocolate and mascarpone. Serve dusted with the cocoa powder.

 

 GIVEAWAY

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS YUMMY

COOKBOOK TO GIVE AWAY

TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO WIN YUMMY FROM WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOVE,  AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A "YUMMY" TREAT YOU ARE GIVING OUT FOR HALLOWEEN TOMORROW: STORE BOUGHT OR HOMEMADE? 

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH IN ORDER TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 18

GOOD LUCK!
 

CITY OF WHISPERS: A GUEST REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

CITY OF WHISPERS

BY MARCIA MULLER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Private eye Sharon McCone receives an e-mail asking for help from her emotionally disturbed half brother Darcy Blackhawk. She replies . . . but gets no response. As Sharon digs deeper, she discovers that Darcy sent his message from an Internet café in San Francisco, a city he's never been to before. Sensing that her brother is in terrible danger, Sharon begins a search for him throughout the city.

The investigation leads her to the body of a woman at the Palace of Fine Arts, where a witness had told her that Darcy was headed. Then, as she digs deeper, Sharon uncovers a connection to the unsolved murder of a young heiress to a multimillion-dollar banking fortune. Now Sharon must race to solve both murders and ensure her brother's safety, despite the imminent danger that lurks within her own family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marcia Muller, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, is the author of more than twenty novels and many short mystery stories. She has also established a brilliant reputation as an anthologist and critic of mystery fiction. In 1993 she was awarded the Private Eye Writers of America Life Achievement Award, and Wolf in the Shadows was nominated for the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Crime Novel and won the Anthony Boucher Award. She lives with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini, in northern California.

Marcia writes and tells us....

"My first novel (written at age 12) saw a first printing of 5 copies on my Junior Steno typewriter. My relatives are hold them for purposes of blackmail."

"My creative writing instructor at the University of Michigan told me I'd never become a writer."

"My first Sharon McCone novel, Edwin of the Iron Shoes, killed the mystery list at David McKay Company."

"In order to keep up with McCone, I've learned to fly. Imagine a person who's afraid of heights soaring in something that resembles a matchbox with wings at 6500 feet!"

"In researching for books, I've: almost been arrested by an INS agent for straying too close to the US-Mexico border; suffered an overnight trip in what I swear must've been a broom closet on Amtrak; nearly frozen in northern Minnesota (-50 degrees); nearly melted in the California desert (+112 degrees); tried, and almost succeeded, to shoot myself in the foot with a .357 Magnum."

"My greatest fear is that Sharon McCone will show up on my doorstep with her .357 and get even for all the dreadful experiences I've put her through!"

TWENTY YEARS, TWENTY BOOKS...
THE ACCLAIM CONTINUES FOR MARCIA MULLER AND HER SHARON McCONE NOVELS!

Marcia Muller has been called the Mother of the Modern Female Sleuth. Over two decades ago she introduced Sharon McCone, a female detective who was street-smart, emotionally complex, and a brilliant shamus. Muller broke new ground. Other writers soon followed....But Muller has stayed the front-runner with a heroine who continues to evolve, plots that surprise, and writing that dazzles. As the San Diego Union observed, "The years have been good to both the creator and her creation: though widely imitated, they have not been surpassed." Now the first recipient of the Ridley Award and the 1999 recipient of the first Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement in Suspense Award, Muller has written twenty Sharon McCone mysteries. Both author and detective are just entering their prime...

Please visit her Web site at www.marciamuller.com.

MY GUEST REVIEW:

Thanks to Steve Capell for his review of CITY OF WHISPERS. Steve is a family man who loves to read and spend time with his lovely wife where they live in the Kansas City area. Steve has his own blog, TRUE MEDIA SOLUTIONS, where you can visit and see the skill that this expert reviewer, and all-around nice guy, posts his work. Steve makes the stories come to life and gives such an honest review that I can always count on what he says to know if I will like a book or not. Thank you, as always, Steve....now everyone, enjoy Steve Capell's review of CITY OF WHISPERS!

San Francisco Private Investigator Sharon McCone receives a cryptic E-mail from her troubled half-brother Darcy Blackhawk asking for help. The problem that exists is what kind of help does Darcy need and more importantly where is Darcy.  While searching for Darcy, Sharon finds a dead body at a location her brother has been spotted, but there is no sign of Darcy. Sharon finds clues that lead to more deaths and Sharon now thinks that Darcy is on the run from a killer and that may be the reason for his hiding. She is more determined now than ever to get to the bottom of this mystery.

My thoughts...

I wish City of Whispers would read as one fluid piece of well written fiction that kept me on the edge of my seat but sadly the grim reality is that this novel did not deliver the experience I had hoped for. I found the writing style to be rushed in many areas and sentence structure to be short and choppy. I was reading from an advance reading copy and some of this may change in the final publication; however, I can only give you, the prospective reader, my honest assessment of the material that was sent to me. I found several sentence structures that were missing a verb and noun combination. The novel started out with a decent character development of Sharon McCone; however, as more and more characters were introduced the character development was rushed and descriptively lacking in detail. Overall I would say that this book was okay, as the plot did develop into a satisfactory ending.
--Steve Capell

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO BRIANNE AND MY KIND

FRIENDS AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF CITY OF WHISPERS  TO GIVE

AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER OF MY BLOG

 
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER: 

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT CITY OF WHISPERS  THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR MARCIA MULLER BY CHECKING OUT HER WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU HAVE ENTERED MORE THAN ONE GIVEAWAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 18

GOOD LUCK!

DING DONG THE DIVA'S DEAD: A COZY MYSTERY REVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDED
DING DONG THE 

DIVA'S DEAD

A Debbie de Lille Murder Mystery

BY CAT MELODIA

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:

AN OPERA CAREER CAN BE MURDER: Deborah de Lille is an opera singer—in the least grand sense. Debbie doesn’t foresee a future beyond Handel Messiahs and low-budget tours ... until her agent finagles her a minor role with a small-town company. Offenbach’s spooky opera, Tales of Hoffmann, features three leading ladies. The cast is well-acquainted, and familiarity has bred contempt. Debbie is the outsider, and someone is hell-bent on driving her out with smoke bombs, ghostly visitations, and booby-traps. If she stays the course, will opening night mean “curtains” for Debbie?

PRAISE FOR DING DONG THE DIVA'S DEAD:

"I loved this novel! It introduced me to a world I knew nothing of, and gave me a new perspective on murder mysteries. I really enjoyed the humor and the rollicking parody of the very genre she is working in."
—Peter G. Beidler, Author of A Reader's Companion to Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

“It’s Bloody Backstage At The Opera. Wonderful fun, and just as snotty as any theatrical company can be.”
—Donna Barr, “The Desert Peach” 

"A good ol' bodice ripping sexual fever dream and an easy-reading page burner. Self-deprecatingly funny, sophisticated, and observant."
—Tim Askew, CEO/Founder, Corporate Rain, International, and former operatic tenor 

“An entertaining romp through some of the unglamorous parts of being a professional musician, with intrigue to boot.”
—Sara Jobin, Opera Conductor 

“Cat Melodia knows the score … the opera score, that is. Her witty debut as a mystery writer sparkles, with backstabbing divas, clever repartee, backstage antics, budding romances, and enough background color to leave her readers—as well as dyed-in-the-wool opera fans—shouting ‘Encore!’ ”
—Nanette McGuinness, Lyric Soprano

“After the first couple of sentences I was giggling uncontrollably, deciding to start it from the beginning, as it should be read. Granted, being fluent in more than one language certainly helped me to catch some of the well-placed barbs, but even without that I would have found the book to be an absolute delight …. Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead is a well-paced and utterly charming mystery. Its cast of characters, although large enough to be difficult to keep track of, was extraordinarily charming, even when it came to the villains. The dialogue, the story line, the twists and turns, author’s obvious insider knowledge of all opera related things and her wicked sense of humor kept me turning the pages until I finished reading the story late the same day. My favorite part? It would have to be some of the names. Kopfschlager, Perlmutter, Mannschliesser and Poubelle? Chapeau, Madame Melodia, and “Brava!”for sure.I would recommend Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead to any lover of unpredictable mysteries with a hefty dose of intelligent humor. If this person happens to be an opera lover, even better – but I certainly do not believe love of opera would limit the enjoyment of this clever whodunit.”

–Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views

READ AN EXCERPT FROM DING DONG THE DIVA'S DEAD:
Visit Scribd. to read an excerpt from Cat Melodia's new book, DING DONG THE DIVA'S DEAD by going HERE.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cat Melodia, a Seattle-based mezzo soprano and voice teacher, has a Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in German Literature from Princeton and a Master’s in Music. About her book, she says:

“I don’t think the general public realizes how unglamorous the lives of opera singers can be—at least those of the 99.9 percent who don’t hit the big time,” Melodia says. “The world of operatic also-rans is a goldmine of humor, peopled as it is with larger-than-life characters whose insecurity, desperation and envy make them unusually good murder suspects. Most of what happens in my book is unlikely in the extreme, but there is more truth to it than you might suppose.”

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

As someone who has only started reading "cozy mysteries" of late, I think it is fair for me to review, or share my thoughts about, the first mystery that Cat Melodia has written. In DING DONG THE DIVA'S DEAD, I found myself in a world I know a little about, but you know what they say about a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! So although I don’t know opera well, I do know how to appreciate a well written, enjoyable mystery.

Deborah de Lille is working small town musicals/operas at local schools and such, when her agent calls to rescue her. An opera company has lost a cast member in a car accident/suicide (?) and needs a quick replacement. Thus Deborah gets the small role in “Tales of Hoffman”, a somewhat menacing opera by Offenbach. The rest of this cast of zany characters know each other well and Deborah finds it hard to fit in. The prankster cast doesn’t make it easy on her either. What starts out with seemingly innocent gags, like a smoke bomb, escalates and Deborah begins to feel that there really is danger ahead for her. When another cast mate who has a small role leaves the show, Debbie takes over that part as well. The subsequent danger she faces is what creates the real mystery in this story. It is almost as if someone is jealous of her which she can’t understand in that she is playing two minor, unimpressive in her mind, roles.

Word of caution, the well-developed characters keep the story moving but there are a lot of them. With their names as well as the parts they play in the operas, it is easy to be confused. Cat has kindly included a “Playbill” like cast of characters from “Tales of Hoffman” that does help in some cases to keep players straight. The other references to opera were mostly foreign to me but using context clues and imagery, I was able to get around truly understanding all of that part as the story itself moved along quite well anyway for me. 

In DING DONG THE DIVA’S DEAD, readers will definitely find mystery, on the lighter side with spot-on humor and a great deal of irony as well. Being a mezzo-soprano herself, Cat Melodia did what she said in her interview with me; she wrote about what she knows best - Opera! Her experience lends a truthful air to the story as far as background, setting, and, I’ll bet, even characters are concerned. The characters, in fact, are definitely remarkable. And the main character, Deborah de Lille, (Debbie), is well defined and fleshed out by Melodia giving readers someone in the story they care about. When the story slows in parts, as it did for me, at least, the drive to find out Deborah’s fate keeps the reader going. Just when I thought “enough description already!” the action takes off and one is motivated to read on to find out what happens. I did feel personally that there was more than I cared for in the way of sexuality amongst characters. I don’t mind some but chalked it up to perhaps the ways of the opera world I know so little about but still felt like it was a bit too much at least for me. Other than that, the story was different from any I remember reading and it did draw me in. I think Melodia has a good character in Deborah de Lille and with some polish, could produce a very successful series around this character as she fine tunes her operatic writing talents.

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