Showing posts with label Hudson Valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hudson Valley. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Wednesday Seducing the Photographer #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #romance #Hudson Valley #Photographer #magazine editor

 

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here:  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  for some great excerpts. Mine is from Seducing the Photographer. She wants a forever man and he wants freedom

BLURB:

 Meg is sure she’s made a mistake when she agrees to pick up and Injured Steve, the magazine group’s photographer from the airport. The first moment she saw him, the Blakefield Curse took effect. She fell in love and she was a forever woman. He wasn’t. Spending time with him over the weekend only cements her feelings. She has rules of life and she breaks everyone of them even the new ones she added that weekend.


Steve has been intrigued by Meg and he enjoys her blushes. He’s found ways to raise them but something more is happening here. When she leaves abruptly, he wants to track her down but his broken leg makes pursuit difficult. Now he must find a way to win her over and that takes some time and clever moves.





EXCERPT:

The attendant whistled. “That your boss?”

“His sister.”  Steve’s hands clenched. Pain shot along his left arm.

“Man, she is one hot babe. Shame you’re helpless.”

Steve grinned as several X-rated thoughts arose. “Hardly helpless but I’m not touching her.” He wanted to do more than touch. Meg Blakefield was trouble. She was one woman who could make him forget he liked his freedom.

“You dead or is she taken?”

“Neither. It’s complicated.” That was the truth. She was a forever woman and he was a today man. There was a new place to photograph and a new woman to explore.

Have camera. Willing to travel. His way of life.

Steve shifted his camera. Much as he denied the attraction, Meg was able to make him stand at attention in less than a second. She also brought out the rudeness of a teenager with his first crush.

“Steve,” she said.

He loved the prim precision of her voice. “Meg, you’re looking good,” he drawled. Slowly his gaze moved from her short blonde curls, over her breast and drifted lower before returning to her face. As usual she blushed. “Get a bit too much sun?”

According to her sister, Meg had elaborate rules of life, a large dose of curiosity and a penchant for leaping before looking. Could he push her into a more intimate situation?

His gaze lingered on her mouth. He wanted to taste her full lips and taste her. He wanted to inhale the fragrance of her passion.

Wouldn’t happen. She would jump to the wrong conclusion the way she had when she had shouted her suspicions about the stolen exclusive. When her voice took on a cool tone his interest had peaked but his anger about the accusation had won.

Sure Simone had been his lover and boss for a short time. Once he’d stopped working for her their affair had ended. He didn’t give secrets away. The truth appeared and Meg had apologized. He’d told her the next time she jumped she’d better aim her delectable body into his bed. Scarlet had been the skin tone of the day, plus the glacial glare in her blue eyes. Did she remember what he couldn’t forget and fantasize about?

The attendant dropped a duffle on the floor. Steve slipped him a tip. With the man’s assistance Steve transferred to the wheelchair Meg held. She fitted the duffle straps around the handles and pushed him outside. As they crossed the street and down a ramp her grunts and groans made him grin.

“A bit out of condition are you? I can show you some stamina building exercises.”

“Not needed. You’re riding in a relic from the days when my brothers were involved in sports. Casts generally weigh a ton.”

“Hardly. It’s fiberglass.”

“Who’s taking care of you when you arrive at your apartment? You’re an invalid.”

“Care to see how much of one I am.” He imagined her rosy cheeks. “Are you driving back to the city tonight?”

“No. I left a message for Allie. I’ll bunk on the couch at their apartment.”

“Brave woman. I hear they can’t leave each other alone. You’ll need blinders and ear plugs. They’re in lust.”

“They’re in love. They’re engaged.”

“When did that happen?”

“Last week. They’ve set a date for December. See, love is the verdict.”

“Guess so.” He turned his head so he could see her. “Why did Mark send you?”

“First, I live closest to the airport. Second, I was the only family member without plans for this evening. Guess I was his last choice.”

Steve sucked in a breath. Was his buddy and editor of Good Travelin’ playing matchmaker? Just because Mark had caught him watching Meg every chance he had meant nothing more than a man admiring a pretty woman. Not that being cozy with her for a week or two wouldn’t be great, just not forever. No way.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Thursday's Opening Scene from Murder and Sweet Tea #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Cozy mystery #Hudson Valley #Robespierre

 

 

I waved to Maria and Sarah and started along the sidewalk. The July sun shone in a cloudless sky. For a moment, I halted and studied the “Painted Lady” across the street. Several vans filled the driveway and men carrying sheetrock and wood strode to the house.

The Victorian had been mine for many years and until I’d converted both floors to apartments, the house had been a single family residence. The new owners, Jenna and Richard, had begun a second conversion to return the house to its original purpose. A smile curved my lips. This pair had married in June and had begun making the house into a home.

I turned the corner onto my street. Sun glinted on the dark waters of the Hudson River and revealed the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

My thoughts drifted to my husband. Our first anniversary would occur next month and I had visited with two of my friends to plan a barbeque. My kind of party. Lars would have made reservations at the Cedar Inn where our second reception had been held. I had missed the affair and so had Lars. An out of state friend had needed my help and I speeded to her side. Lars and I had our differences but love and friendship allowed us to compromise. Our marriage is based on a long friendship, first as two couples and then as two who had lost their mates.

Robespierre ambled up the street toward me. When he reached my side, the Maine Coon cat butted my leg with his head. Was this a welcome home or a bid for more food? At twenty pounds, he was large. His black, brown and white long hair made him seem larger.

As we passed the vacant “Dutch Colonial” next door to my new abode, I noticed a For Sale sign on the front lawn. The news brought curiosity. Who would buy? The elderly couple who owned the house had moved to a senior complex last year.

Moments later I reached home, a sprawling ranch house situated at the river’s edge well above the shore. The cat dashed to the kitchen. Lars sat at the table cradling a steaming mug of coffee. I sprinkled a few bits of dry food into Robespierre’s dish and filled a glass with spearmint iced tea. I joined my husband.

Lars glanced away from the newspaper. “Don’t leaving Megan with us for the day. He’s heading to the city.”

“He’ll swelter.”

“Possibly but he has an appointment with some publisher for a freelance bit designing book covers.”

“Sounds interesting. We’ll have fun entertaining the child. You know, she’s my fourth grandchild.”

He groaned. “You only have one. Megan is your step-grandchild the same as ----- is mine.”

“By blood, you’re right. Robby adopted me and so did Jenna after her grandmother was murdered.” I met his gaze. “The house next door is for sale. The sign went up this morning.”

Lars shook his head. “Are you worried about the Dunns?”

I glared. “Why would I worry? I know where they are. I’m hoping we acquire good neighbors.”

“And no bodies for you to find.”

I tapped his hand. “Bodies find me. I don’t seek them.”

“Is that a promise?”

The twinkle in his blue eyes dissolved my anger. “I’ll leave the next one for you.”

“Thanks a lot. You’re the one who collects corpses like a berry picker fills their basket.”

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/


Sunday, April 18, 2021

Sunday's Book - Murder and Sweet Tea #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Cozy mystery, Robespierre #Hudson Valley

 


6
Lars is her new husband. He loves Katherine but doesn’t understand why she’s always trying to protect her near and dear. Even though she saved his life while visiting him in Santa Fe, he often questions her involvement in other people’ lives.

Into their lives arrives a new neighbor, Sabrina Gates. Sabrina bought the house next door. She has had a phenomenal success as a new author but moes from her past and present threaten her peace and ability to write. There is the blogger who posts snide and not so nice posts about other authors. Sabrina’s former agent wants a share of the huge amount of money Sabrina has received for a trilogy. And there is her ex-husband, a needy greedy coward who wants money.

Above all there is Robespierre who makes his presence known.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Murder and Poisoned Tea #MFRWHooks #BWL Author #Mystery #Katherine Miller #Robespierre #Hudson Valley

 


Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  for some great excerpts Mine is book two of the Murder and Tea series

BLURB:

The moment she hears his mastery of the organ, Katherine covets him as St. Stephen’s new Minister of Music. Handsome, charming and vastly talented, the women of the congregation adore him. Even Katherine is swayed by his manners and ability, But Roger not only brought beautiful music, he brings poisoned notes to the choir. Katherine seeks to find the secret of why he has changed churches yearly. She prays the discovery will be in time to prevent a tragedy.

Review
The Mrs. Miller Mysteries series is a sheer delight. Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher would love Katherine Miller. I know I do. ~~ Writer Gail Roughton

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2017
Verified Purchase

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2017




Excerpt:

After they left, I returned to the church. A prayer filled my thoughts. I needed to be calm

 when I faced Roger. If he wasn’t at the church, I’d go to his apartment. The coals

 of anger had been fanned. I wouldn’t rest until he was on his way to jail.

When I opened the side door, the gray cat bolted through the opening and dashed

 into the bushes. Once my heart stopped pounding, I frowned. How had the stray gotten 

into the church?

I headed up to the choir room. Several pieces of music lay on the piano. Roger wasn’t

 in the music library or the room where the choir robes were kept. Since he would

 never leave the lights on and the door open, I knew he was somewhere in the

 building. The sanctuary? But I hadn’t heard the organ.

Downstairs, I strode down the hall and opened the door. The lights were on

 in the choir loft. Deep shadows filled the rest of the room. I turned to leave 

and remembered Marcie’s jacket. What had she said about the attack? He’d 

taken her downstairs to one of the pews. Her jacket had to be here somewhere.

As I moved down the aisle, I looked for the bright pink coat. Where was Roger?

 I stopped short and held in a gasp. I saw the jacket and Roger’s body half-sprawled

 on one of the pews.

Swallowing my scream, I knelt and touched his arm. “Roger.” My voice sounded 

tentative. Then I saw his head and the blood. I looked up at the balcony. Had

 he fallen or had he been pushed?

There was nothing I could do for him. I turned and ran from the sanctuary and 

through the garden to the parish house.

Mary looked up. “He’s not here.”

I’m sure she meant Edward. “I need to call the police.”

“An accident with your car?”

Since I’d already dialed the local station, a number I’ve memorized, I didn’t

 answer. No sense repeating my news. “Pete Duggan, please. Tell him it’s Katherine Miller.”

A few minutes later, I heard his voice. “Officer Duggan.”

“Pete, I need you.”

“Another body, Mrs. M?”

“How did you guess?”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not one iota. At St. Stephen’s. In the sanctuary.”

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Murder and Mint Tea #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #Cozy mystery #Maine coon cat #Murder #Mint Tea



The authors at #MFRWHooks here   http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  have some great excerpts for you to read. Mine is from the first book of the series and is available at $1.49 permanently

BLURB:

 Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.


When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal.

Editorial Review
Murder and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel. Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to the villainess themselves. ~ Writer Gail Roughton
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
Yes, the book unfolds slowly, exactly as you can imagine such events happening. A glamorous young divorced woman and her children, boy and girl, move into a friendly, safe, pleasant neighborhood and rent the downstairs of a lovely old house. Pretty quickly, the landlady, a retired nurse with deep roots in her community, learns that her renters, foisted off on her by a trusted friend of her son, are trouble. Not the daughter, who both brother and mother treat as a live-in slave, but the boy, who is malicious and aggressive. Bit by bit, Mrs. Miller realizes that she has not one but two sociopaths living downstairs, because the mother proves to be a toxic personality. Plenty of creepy crawlies as you read, and piece by piece the true crime aspects of this "it could happen here" story unfolds. What I liked best about the book were the well-observed and true to life characters as well as the unsettling description of the unraveling of what has been a nearly idyllic neighborhood. I also loved the fact that Mrs. Miller is a mature woman and that her wisdom and her insights do have impact upon setting the world to rights again.

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
Mrs. Katherine Miller spends her days enjoying her friends and family and she's anxious for a new tenant in her downstairs apartment. Her son, Andrew, has found a woman with two children who will sign a year's lease.
The woman, Rachel, turns out to be loud, obnoxious, neglectful of her children, and seductive to any man in her vicinity.
Katherine worries about the woman's abused daughter and takes Susie under her wing.
This is more a slice of life story than a mystery. The murder happens nearly at the end of the novel, and the perpetrator surprised me.
I enjoyed the different characters in the neighborhood and Katherine is kind and good-hearted. She should have been more assertive with nasty Rachel. The woman threatened her several times, and Katherine should have reported her to the authorities for that and the obvious child abuse, which might have gotten Rachel evicted.
Of course, that would have ruined the ending. A good read for a rainy day.


EXCERPT:

     As usual I woke around sin, showered and dressed for my walk.  The ache in my leg told me rain was on the way.  Robespierre met me in the kitchen and butted my leg until I cleaned his bowl and fed him.  At six thirty, fortified with a cup of mint tea, I lifted my cane, glanced at the cloud-darkened sky and left the apartment.

     On the porch I stared at the sky.  Would I complete the walk before it rained?  I glanced at the roses at the end of the porch.  A scrap of white fluttered.  Curiosity sent me across the porch.

     I reached for the ragged scrap of cloth and gasped.  When I looked over the railing acid rose in my throat.  I swallowed several times.  Rachel’s body sprawled among the bushes.  Her arms and legs curved awkwardly.  I hurried down the steps and around the porch.  Even if I hadn’t been a nurse I would have recognized death.

     On the ground several feet from her body I saw the knife.  The blood on the blade seemed duller than the splotch of red on the bodice of her white dress.  I bent to study the knife.  The distinctive ivory bands on the black handle identified it as one of the knives Bob and Sarah had given as gifts last Christmas.

     A rush of thoughts arose and threatened to engulf me.  I heard voices crying for Rachel’s death.

     “Someday you’ll end up dead and there’ll be too many suspects for an arrest.”

     “I wait for her.  I have the knife.”

     “You’ll be sorry, sorry, sorry.”

     “I hate her.  I wish she was dead.”

     “How about the Orient Express method?”

     What should I do?  The voices of my friends and loved ones brought my protective instincts to play.  The possibility someone I knew had ended Rachel’s life was strong.  Once again I saw Tim slice the air with the knife.  The day the Rodgers had moved in I had placed one of the knives on the tray of food.  Neither had been returned.  With a sudden thought I knew even Susie could have wielded the knife.

     I pulled a tissue from my pocket and wrapped it around the knife.  After grasping the tissue I turned my back on Rachel, crossed the lawn and walked to the river.

     I sat on the bench and stared at the tissue wrapped knife.  Rachel was dead.  Even in death she retained the power to destroy.  Without the knife could the police prove a case against anyone?  I walked down the steps to the shore.  With a wide swing I hurled the knife and watched the white tissue and its burden vanish.

     After washing my hands I waved them dry.  A misting rain began.  She’s dead.  Maybe there will be peace.  I turned and began the walk home.


Sunday, April 4, 2021

Sunday's Book Murder and Bitter Tea #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #cozy mystery #Hudson Valley #Nursing home

 


Katherine’s newest tenant is estranged from her family and is the granddaughter of one of Katherine’s friends. When her friend falls and fractures her hip, the elderly woman is taken to Hudson House nursing home, an exclusive house.

Katherine’s friend becomes concerned about several recent and unexpected deaths. When she dies Katherine’s curiosity and suspicions send her undercover as a nurse. Soon she’s deeply involved.

Can she learn who is behind the scheme to end the lives of wealthy patients without becoming a victim?

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

 

 

 

 

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Sunday's Book Murder and Poisoned Tea #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #cizt mystery #Maine Coon Cat #Hudson Valley

 


The moment she hears his mastery of the organ, Katherine covets him as St. Stephen’s new Minister of Music. Handsome, charming and vastly talented, the women of the congregation adore him. Even Katherine is swayed by his manners and ability, But Roger not only brought beautiful music, he brings poisoned notes to the choir. Katherine seeks to find the secret of why he has changed churches yearly. She prays the discovery will be in time to prevent a tragedy.

Review
The Mrs. Miller Mysteries series is a sheer delight. Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher would love Katherine Miller. I know I do. ~~ Writer Gail Roughton

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2017
Verified Purchase

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2017
Verified Purchase