Sunday, November 10, 2019

Please welcome guest Kate Carlisle with #book #giveaway



Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of two ongoing series: the Bibliophile Mysteries featuring San Francisco bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright, whose rare book restoration skills uncover old secrets, treachery and murder; and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries (as seen on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries), featuring Shannon Hammer, a home contractor who discovers not only skeletons in her neighbors' closets, but murder victims, too.
Kate’s Latest Fixer-Upper Mystery is Shot Through the Hearth, is out now.

Kate is offering a giveaway below.
 
One of the things I love best about traditional mysteries is the homeyness of them. When you pick up a book from a beloved ongoing series, it feels like you’re visiting friends or family. You learn which characters have moved, who’s dating, and who’s up to the same old antics. (Incorrigible!) They’re often set in a small town or a close-knit community, to add to this homecoming feeling. Murder notwithstanding, they’re comfort reads.
No wonder they’ve become known as cozy mysteries.
Each Fixer-Upper Mystery novel has these homey elements—small town setting, familiar characters—and also a larger, self-contained plot that makes the story enjoyable on its own, even for readers who are new to the series. (Then, of course, they can go back and binge-read the earlier books.) 

In Shot Through the Hearth, contractor Shannon Hammer has been hired by local tech billionaire Rafe Nash to restore his Victorian farmhouse. Rafe has invited environmental scientists from all over the world to Lighthouse Cove for a conference with a lofty goal—to save the planet.

In this snippet from the book, Rafe tells Shannon about his plans.
He sat forward in his chair, getting into the subject. “We’ve got an eco-fisheries expert whose passion is tide pools. And another, my friend Julian Reedy, is a world-renowned plant expert who is determined to prove that plants can communicate with humans.” He grinned. “Oh, and wait ’til you see the Stephanie vine. She’s this huge, fast-growing plant that moves and grows in reaction to human pheromones. She’s extraordinary.”
“Wait,” Carla said. “Stephanie is . . . a plant?”
“Yeah. You’ll see. It’s very cool. And another buddy, Arnold Larsson, is a pioneer in the field of smart mice studies.”
Mice? I shivered. One of my deepest, darkest secrets was that I was deathly afraid of mice. But I wasn’t about to mention it here and now.
“And Shannon, I would love to display some of the tiny houses you’ve been building. They’re perfect for people who’re looking to step away from the grid and leave a smaller carbon footprint.”

Unfortunately for Rafe, things won’t go exactly as planned, and soon he’ll be more interested in saving himself than in saving the planet.
In honor of the cozy mystery genre and the upcoming holidays, I’d love to share my recipe for Cauliflower Au Gratin. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving side dish recipe—or an any old night side dish recipe, for that matter—and it’s much lower in carbs than, say, scalloped potatoes.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

1 head of cauliflower, cut roughly into 1-inch chunks
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of Italian seasoning
8 oz shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
A sprinkling of nutmeg (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine soup, Italian seasoning, ¾ cup cheese, garlic, onion and parsley. Mix well. Stir in cauliflower to coat.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Add cauliflower mixture. Top with remaining cheese and, if desired, a sprinkling of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated. Bake for 30 minutes. Cauliflower will be al dente, so if you prefer it softer, you might want to cook a little longer.
Just look at how cheesy and delicious this is! Yum!
 


I hope you’ll have as much fun reading Shot Through the Hearth as I had writing it. You can read chapter one for free at https://katecarlisle.com/shot-through-the-hearth.php. Please let me know what you think! You can reach me via my website or at www.facebook.com/katecarlislebooks 

ABOUT SHOT THROUGH THE HEARTH: 

Contractor Shannon Hammer is measuring murder motives in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Wrench in the Works and Eaves of Destruction... 

Shannon's good friend and retired tech billionaire, Raphael Nash, is loving his new retired life but he can't stay unoccupied for too long. He's started the Marigold Foundation that helps fund small companies and individuals who do humanitarian work around the world. It's an exciting time in Lighthouse Cove as Raphael hosts the first ever global conference inviting big thinkers from every area of industry to give presentations on eco-living.
Raphael's old business partner arrives in town with a grudge and a plan to steal him away from his important new passion project. Shannon knows her friend has no intention of giving up Marigold and is proud of Raphael for sticking to his guns. But when his former associate winds up dead, all signs point to Raphael.

It's up to Shannon to hammer out the details of the murder before her friend gets pinned for the crime...


GIVEAWAY

Kate is offering a giveaway A HIGH-END FINISH 
plus a Fixer Upper measuring tape to one commenter.   
Leave your email in case you win so she can contact you.  
What are the "homey" elements you love in a cozy mystery? 


86 comments:

  1. The characters who are characters. 😉 positive DOT ideas DOT 4you AT gmail DOT com

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    1. I know exactly what you mean, Nancy, and I agree! I love characters with strong personalities and interesting quirks that make them real.

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  2. I like it when the main character actually works at their job - love this series - trwilliams 69 (at) msn (dot) com

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    1. Oh, good point, Taylor. You do find a book from time to time where the main character's occupation seems more like backstory than truth. Most of us have to actually work for a living! :)

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  3. I like for there to be dwellings that are right for the characters. Not quirky to be quirky, but that add to the characters' roles. I am most drawn to snug homes.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot) com

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    1. I always loved Kinsey Milhone's snug and cozy little apartment in Sue Grafton's series.

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  4. A place that works with the characters and add to their roles. Jcook22@yahoo.com

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    1. The setting is sooooo important in cozy mysteries! I hope you'll love Lighthouse Cove.

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  5. First, I love Kate Carlisle books and cozy mysteries. I like when the characters are involved with their line of work and the setting is centered around their work location.

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  6. I love your books and this recipe looks yummy! I like cozy homes. If they have pets and a library, that's a bonus! rwilson@ws4r.com

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    1. So you want a "wish you were there" setting in the character's home? So do I! That's a good thing for cozy authors to keep in mind as we write.

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  7. It's just as you've described. A cozy feels homey, especially when there is a good cast of supporting characters and interesting setting. It's like catching up with family each time, except you don't have to deal with murder with your real family. Great series that has adapted so well to TV, too. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. LOL Yes, it's kind of amazing when you think about it. All that murder, and yet they're feel-good books.

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  8. I like that there is nothing graphic. Just a nice puzzle to solve and characters you like to get to know. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. "Puzzle" is a great way to describe it. The murders in our mysteries aren't about the blood our violence; they're about the whodunit.

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  9. Good morning, everyone! Looking forward to spending the day with you today. <3 Always cozy in Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.

    Thank you to Daryl Wood Gerber for the invitation and for your gracious hospitality.

    BTW, everyone, I'm running a BIG giveaway on my website right now! Go to www.KateCarlisle.com and click on "The Secret Room." After signing in with your email address, you'll see the contest entry form. I'll be choosing 20 winners in a couple days.

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    1. Thank you, Kate, for joining us. Always lovely to have you. Enjoying watching your soaring success. :) ~ Daryl

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    2. Thanks for joining us at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, Kate. I'm always looking for a new cauliflower recipe. I enjoy reading your newsletter and exploring the clever secret room on your website.

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  10. Thanks for the cauliflower recipe. I love Victorian homes with big porches and secret rooms!

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    1. Secret rooms are so fun!! The exact opposite of today's open floor plans. LOL Let's have a show on HGTV with secret hideaways and hidden passages!

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  11. Homey elements: the characters themselves, they are portrayed as ordinary people with special talents. The way the characters interact with their friends and relatives and have parties together. They are concerned with each other and have each others' backs. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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    1. I agree, Dianne. A real sense of community is key.

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  12. I like it when the main character is actually involved with their line of work. I like snug homes with a kitchen dining area combo where our lead can brainstorm with quirky pals in the midst of talking shop while throwing in bits about solving the case. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Cauliflower is a fave here. But my family has drawn the line with cauliflower pizza crust. The Italian seasoning will help make it a hit with my daughter. deepotter at centurylink dot net

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    1. Cauliflower pizza crust is one of those things where I wonder who came up with the idea in the first place? It's such a leap! I have had some that I have loved, but I haven't had much success with them in my own kitchen. (But then, I'm really not a great cook.)

      I hope you'll love the Cauliflower au Gratin!

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  13. I think I will try this cauliflower recipe, sounds real good. I love your books, I do need to catch up on this series. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Thank you so much for saying you love my books. :) To help you catch up, you can see all of my books in order of publication on the BOOKS page at KateCarlisle.com. There are free excerpts from each book, too.

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  14. I love characters that I can connect with and feel like I am part of the story. The small town setting is comforting. Cozy mysteries have become my favorite. bernice-kennedy(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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    1. That's a theme that's repeating a lot here today. That sense of community is so important. A small town is a great way to create that sense of community.

      My Bibliophile Mysteries are set in San Francisco, but I like to think I've created that same sense of community in other ways. Brooklyn comes from a large family, who are very close. And she lives in a condo building and has close relationships with her neighbors.

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  15. Characters that you can connect with in a small town, make for a homey read. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. I like characters who have known each other a long time and can always depend on each other.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. That's an interesting point, Rita. I guess that goes back to the sense of community. If the characters just met, then it would take a while for them to trust each other and establish that shared history.

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  17. I especially love the settings of cozy mysteries. They're often another character in the story.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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    1. That's true, and when authors nail the feeling of a place, it makes me want to visit. I have planned vacations specifically because of a book I've read.

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  18. I love the small town with all the characters that make you feel like you are in the story or visiting the town. Saamm7(at)msn(dot).com

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    1. I love recurring secondary characters, too, especially the ones who are a little mysterious, and whom we get to know better and better as the series progresses.

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  19. Small towns w/quirky characters....ctymice(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. We've definitely found our tribe here today! Nearly everyone's answers are variations on a theme. :) Small town, quirky characters. Two of my favorite things about cozy mysteries, too.

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  20. I love the small towns and all of the amazing characters. kellyrod630(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. The "homey" quality with familiar characters really helps. Even in the grittier books.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. I'm not sure "homey" is what I would look for in a grittier book, but certainly a strong sense of setting.

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  22. I am copying that recipe! I enjoy following the characters in their development over the course of a series. It is so interesting to find out why they are the way they are and what friendships and happenings change them.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. Enjoy the cauliflower au gratin, Pat! If you try out the recipe, I'd love to hear what you think. You can email me via my website, www.KateCarlisle.com.

      Yes!!! I love when authors reveal little bits about the characters as a series progresses, so that the reader's understanding of the character changes. It's one of my favorite things about ongoing series.

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  23. A small town is charming, warm and wonderful. The characters are real people. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. "Real" is a good word for it. We want quirky, but in a way that seems reasonable. Lots of quirky people in real life, of course! :)

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  24. I like a place that makes you want to go there. The characters are real people, with real lives and jobs (even though they get caught up in crimes a little more often than normal). I like the little touches that shows them going about everyday life, like deciding what to make for dinner or their pet doing something goofy.
    kozo8989 (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  25. I like those moments, too, Alicia. It really helps round out the characters and make them feel like friends.

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  26. Thanks for the recipe, I will be trying this for Thanksgiving! tWarner419@aol.com

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    1. Great! I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.

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  27. Characters with depth and whose lives involve the community. Excellent recipe. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  28. I love that the characters are just like you and me - have jobs, families, homes etc. Love the recipe. karengreen1121@gmail.com

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    1. Cozy characters are regular people in extraordinary circumstances. :)

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  29. My fave is the friendships that are developed between the characters! Dm _ Richards (at) yahoo (dot) com

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    1. Yes! There is something so homey about knowing a great group of friends has your back.

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  30. I like friendships between the characters and everyday life like walking the dog or cooking supper. Cozy comfortable houses or apartments.

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  31. I like the characters that represent life as it is. A little quirky capers always livens things up. Delightful recipe. bfahrndt@camillaga.net

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  32. I love the fact that many of the characters have close friends that they have known for many years, and they can count on them for support. Also, the recipes in many books are comforting and to-die-for. aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  33. It is fun to stay in touch with the characters. Auntiecarol(at)charter (dot) net

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    1. I agree, Carol. I want to see the characters' lives progress--but not too much. Small changes, just like in real life.

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  34. I love that cozies have interesting characters, friends and family and a great storyline that keeps you guessing until the end.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Oh yes! The mystery has to keep you guessing. Even when you guess correctly, you don't KNOW until you know. :)

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  35. I like the small town settings and the close friendship of the characters. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  36. Thank you for the recipe. I like small town settings and the pets and those sleuths that own a shop or small business and family
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  37. I love the fact that the characters know each other and have a past relationship. There is not a lot of violence in the mysteries as well as animals in the stories. I love in Kate's books how she describes the beautiful homes in so much detail that I can see the homes in my mind and appreciate the beauty. My email is dpruss@prodigy.net. Thank you for the opportunity.

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  38. The recipe sounds great and so does the book. I love cozies because they’re relaxing—clean, not gory, fun settings. Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  39. Thank you for your comment, Kara. :)

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  40. I like getting to know the characters and feeling I’m a part of their lives. Especially a a series. Thanks so much for the chance to win your new book! Looking forward to reading it!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi, Faith! Good luck in the giveaway. :) To be clear, I'm not giving away the newest book (SHOT THROUGH THE HEARTH). The giveaway is a signed copy of A HIGH-END FINISH, the first Fixer-Upper Mystery.

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  41. Being from a small town, I love the feeling of community and family among the characters in a cozy. You get to know them and they become part of your book family where you care what happens to them, share their adventures and feel their emotions just as you would with a close friend of loved one.

    We love cauliflower, but have never had it this way. Can't wait to try your recipe for Cauliflower Au Gratin;

    Thank you for the awesome opportunity to win a copy of "A HIGH-END FINISH"!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  42. I like for there to be strong characters who are believable and real.
    cecilialyoung at gmail dot com

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  43. I love small towns and sleuths that own bookstores and bakeries. Thanks for the chance. Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  44. I love feeling like I'm visiting friends when I read a new book in a beloved series.

    Thank you for the recipe. We love cauliflower and this sounds delicious.

    Brookeb811@gmail.com

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  45. I like books, like yours, where the characters have work friends that we get to know better in each installment! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)net

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  46. The thing that makes series homey is getting to know the characters book by book until they feel like friends. And the small town vibe where they know each other and have community traditions, especially around holiday time.

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    1. Yes! I've written one Christmas mystery so far (Deck the Hallways), and had SO much fun coming up with town traditions for Lighthouse Cove. :) I'd love to write another.

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  47. I love the towns, the characters and the feeling I should live there...
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  48. The setting, characters and relationship between family, friends and animals are important. BUT more important to me is the routine of the characters. We all live by routine and seeing commonalities is fun and creates a deeper bond which keeps me immersed in the story. Also, I've found helpful tips and new activities in routines differing from my own. Sounds silly, but the characters really do become family and friends and I take advice and criticize them the same way. Lol. This Sounds like an awesome addition to the series, I can't wait to read more! konecny7(at)gmail(dot)com

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  49. Thanks to all for chiming in. The winner of Kate's giveaway by random selection is Taylor R. Williams. Taylor, Kate will be in touch. Hugs to all. ~ Daryl

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  50. I love ongoing, stable relationships in cozy mysteries. friends/family relying on each other. The recipe sounds very yummy!
    nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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