Saturday, May 17, 2014

LET'S GET COZY! THE PICKLED PIPER: A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE PICKLED PIPER
FIRST in A Pickled and Preserved Mysteries
BY MARY ELLEN HUGHES

ABOUT THE BOOK:
After her dreams of romance are crushed, Piper Lamb decides to pursue her dream of opening her own shop of pickles and preserves, called Piper’s Picklings, in the idyllic small town of Cloverdale. But she isn’t in town long before she encounters a barrelful of trouble...

The Cloverdale fair offers Piper a sweet opportunity to promote her business. With her new assistant, Amy, she sets up a booth centered around an eye-catching display of the ever-popular dills in an old-fashioned barrel of brine.

But things soon turn sour when fairgoers witness a fight between Amy’s boyfriend, Nate, and town council blowhard—and bagpipe player—Alan Rosemont. When Rosemont is found floating in Piper’s barrel, Nate becomes the prime murder suspect. With Amy’s boyfriend in a pretty pickle, there’s no time to dillydally. But as Piper searches for the real killer, she needs to be careful to preserve her own life...or she may end up a pickled Piper herself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I’ve always loved to write, working on my school newspapers (in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) as well as writing stories for my own enjoyment. But it took a while for me to believe I could turn it into a profession. Along the way I got a degree in Medical Technology at Alverno College, worked in Clinical Chemistry at the National Institutes of Health, married and settled in Maryland to raise two children. But writing continued to tug at me, and one day I sent a 12-line humorous verse (with little hope) to The Saturday Evening Post. To my surprise, they bought it! Seeing my work in print with my name next to it in a national magazine was a huge boost and encouraged me to start sending out short stories. Before too long, some of them were actually published, too!

The next step was to write a full length novel, but I still had much to learn. Joining writers groups like the Maryland Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, helped immensely, along with participating in critique groups. After a few false starts and much re-writing, my first novel, Resort to Murder, was accepted and published by Avalon. Avalon then published my second novel, A Taste of Death, which featured the same protagonist, a young teacher whose vacations tended to become dangerous.

Having two published books to my name caught the interest of an agent, who encouraged me to create the Craft Corner mystery series. Wreath of Deception, String of Lies, and Paper-Thin Alibi were soon published by Berkley Prime Crime. Berkley is also publishing my next series, the Pickled and Preserved mysteries, which begins with The Pickled Piper.

All of this happened, of course, over several years. A 12-line verse is a long way from a 70,000 word novel but it was my first big step towards earning the title of “mystery author.” My journey continues, with ups and downs and the occasional side step, but with plenty of enjoyment and wonderful companions along the way. I’m looking forward with great eagerness to what still lies ahead.

SOME OTHER BOOKS BY MARY ELLEN HUGHES:

                  

                    

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS
AT BERKLEY PRIME CRIME AND PENGUIN BOOKS,
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THE PICKLED PIPER,
TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER
 
--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 READ ABOVE ABOUT BOOK THE PICKLED PIPER 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 MARY ELLEN HUGHES'S WEBSITE HERE 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MAY 30
  GOOD LUCK!

110 comments:

Unknown said...

Just looking st the bagpipes, makes me want to read it :)
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Entered COOKBOOK CONSPIRACY
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entered: A DOLLHOUSE TO DIE FOR
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entered: DEATH OF A MAD HATTER
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tweet https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/467638358295212034
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Follow NB as Lisa Brown
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GFC: smurfette
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holdenj said...

Here we are, on one of our first sunny Saturdays--my brain is already turning to green beans, and if I'll have enough to make dilly beans this year! Love the pup on the cover, too! Thanks!
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Karen B said...

Pickled and Preserved mysteries - sounds delicious!
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Karen B said...

Email follower.
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Still signed up but not getting any emails!

Karen B said...

Entered DEATH OF A MAD HATTER.
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Carol N Wong said...

The author is very clever to make a cozy around a pickle shop. I also love the cover and when there is a good cozy cover the writing inside always turns out to great.

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Carol N Wong said...

I enjoyed looking at the different books that she has written on her website.

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I follow with an e-mail subscription.
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Carol N Wong said...

I entered for "A Dollhouse to Die For".

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Carol N Wong said...

I entered for "A Dollhouse to Die For".

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I entered for " Death of A Mad Hatter".

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debbie said...

I love the idea of a shop for pickles and perserves. I would love to read it.
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debbie said...

I am a email subscriber.
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I am a gfc follower
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Linda Kish said...

I might want to kill a blowhard bagpiper too but not stuff him in a pickle brine barrel (not fond of bagpipes). But, I wonder who did it, and why.

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Linda Kish said...

She worked at the National Institute of Health ( dream of mine).

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Linda Kish said...

I am an email subscriber

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I am a GFC follower

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I am a bloglovin' follower

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+5 May facebook

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Entered A DOLLHOUSE TO DIE FOR

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Tina said...

New series....I love the subject matter and want to read something by this new (to me) author

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+5 May Facebook -1

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entered CHestnut Street

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entered Cookbook Conspiracy

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follow via feedly

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cyn209 said...

LOVE this cover!!

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kiki w said...

I also enter COOKBOOK CONSPIRACY .

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I follow through facebook.

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kiki w said...

Looks like a great cozy mystery.

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+5Facebook for May

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holdenj said...

Entered Murder Gone A Rye.
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Sue Farrell said...

Are there pickle recipes? I hope so, I love all sorts of pickles.
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I am an email subscriber.
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May facebook +5 bonus - #1
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Unknown said...

Looking at the cover makes me want to read it. I like the idea of the pickle and preserve shop having a both at the small town fair.
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Unknown said...

I read that she wrote for her high school newspaper in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin and lived there until 40 years old. She also attended a local college.
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I entered A cookbook Conspiracy.
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Patricia said...

I loved the story of how the author of The Pickled Piper, Mary Ellen Hughes, came to be a professional writer. And how perfect is that title?

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