Murder Under the Magnolias-01

The first full week in April means a blooming business for Grace Ward, whose floral designs will be part of several parties with the major golf tournament in town. After the murder of a young woman with a mysterious tattoo, Grace finds herself in the middle of an investigation and wonders if these parties she’s helping with are actually fronts for something more sinister.          

Excerpt: 

It was spring in Augusta. I’m thoroughly convinced there’s a place in Heaven that looks just like my hometown does as it comes into the full glory of spring. Of course, Heaven wouldn’t have the yellow haze of pollen that leaves many to sneeze, wheeze, and become otherwise uncomfortable. With its multicolored azaleas, sweet-scented purple wisteria, and lovely pink and white dogwoods, Augusta is enchanted and ethereal. It truly lives up to its nickname of The Garden City. I think the azaleas have always been my favorite especially the fuchsia colored ones. And with a week to go before one of the premiere events in pro golf took place in my city, the azaleas were almost in full bloom. Everything had awakened from its winter slumber seemingly overnight, and the trees, grass, and shrubs seemed to know they had to be the exact same color as those beautiful fairways off Augusta’s Washington Road.  

cropped-230-2.jpgAbout the Author
Charmain Zimmerman Brackett, a veteran journalist, has written several books including the young adult book, The Key of Elyon, the 2014 Yerby Award for Fiction winner at the Augusta Literary Festival and an illustrated children’s book, Little Pearl’s Circus World, the 2015 winner of the Georgia Writers Association’s Georgia Author of the Year Award. Little Pearl’s Circus World is based on the true story of her great-grandmother, Pearl Clark LaComa, who began performing in her father’s circus at the age of 4. Because of her newspaper background, she likes writing in different genre. 

Links:
Website: www.charmainzbrackett.com   
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thekeyofelyon   
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CZBrackett   
Buy the Book: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Magnolias-Graces-Augusta-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01DOCWIDM      

Fall Into Reading Banner
Happy fall! It may not feel like fall here in Taiwan, but I guess technically it is. In some parts of the world people are already starting to prepare for winter (and of course in other parts, they’re welcoming spring), but in Taiwan we’re looking forward to cooler weather in the hopefully not-too-distant future.

So, who’s ready to celebrate the change of seasons with a good book? If you live where it gets cold at night at this time of year, maybe you’re looking for the perfect book to curl up in front of the fireplace with. Personally, I’m looking forward to being able to read out in my hammock again without sweating! In either case, I have just the thing for you!
I’ve collaborated with a number of other authors in putting together a “Fall Into Reading” sale. The first page on the website has all the books on sale categorized by genre, so you can easily find the type of thing you like to read. Here are the genres we are featuring:

children’s books
middle grade
young adult
mystery/suspense/legal thrillers
clean romance
paranormal/fantasy/science fiction
inspirational
historical

Some books on that page are FREE and others are discounted. All four of my novels are represented there – three are significantly discounted and one is free, so if you don’t have copies of all of them yet, now’s your opportunity!

If you want to find other clean books that aren’t necessarily on sale, check out the second page. All the same genres are represented there, plus one more: humor! (Some of these books are permanently FREE.)

I hope you find some books that are just right for you. And feel free to tell your friends!

If you’re looking for a bargain beach read in the romantic suspense department, the Kindle edition of Don’t You Forget About Me by Erin McCole Cupp will be on sale for 99 cents through May 1st!


Don’t You Forget About Me 

Mary Catherine Whelihan made it out of Walkerville alive once before.  Can she pull it off this time?  Bullies, sexual harassment, finding a corpse in the local creek… Cate’s childhood in 1980s Walkerville was murder!  So what could possibly tempt her to return?  A cryptic email from Eugene Marcasian, MD, her grade school crush might do the trick.  Can Cate and Gene find the cause of the mysterious illness afflicting nearly all of the girls in their graduating class, including Cate herself?  Or will corporate bullies continue to take down anyone who gets in their way?  More importantly, can Cate stay alive long enough to get one more slice of tomato pie? 
The quick teaser-trailer for Don’t You Forget About Me is here.
The “full-length director’s cut” trailer for Don’t You Forget About Me is here.
Excerpt:

“Doesn’t signing in at the Technology Annex check-in desk blow the whole cloak-and-dagger bit?”
Gene furrowed his brow for a moment. “I’m not looking for cloak-and-dagger. I just want to buy enough time to get some answers and put a stop to whatever is making people sick. But Mary Catherine—I don’t know what kind of wasp nest we might be kicking at here.”
“Nice image.” My stomach knotted.
Gene gently but firmly grasped me by my upper arms. “I’m not kidding. If what our coffee shop friend said is true…”
I picked up where he trailed off, “Then Walkerville wasps carry some pretty wicked stingers.”
Gene nodded. “I’m willing to give it all to find the truth. I’m not sure I want you to.”
He was right. This wasn’t picking up rocks in Quaker Creek and looking for water pennies. This was digging up what two potentially deadly forces—Big Pharma and The Mob—wanted kept buried.
I forced myself to look directly into his eyes. “Search softly,” I said, “and poke with a big stick.”


Praise for Don’t You Forget About Me:

“This book has all the elements that make a book addictive: a compelling story told well with characters who are unforgettable. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll stay up all night reading.”
Sarah Reinhard, author, SnoringScholar.com and A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy

<!–[if supportFields]> SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>“This captivating murder mystery made me laugh, cry, and crave Italian food; ‘80s pop tunes are still stuck in my head. If you like mysteries that offer a good mix of suspense and science, don’t miss this book.”
Barb Szyszkiewicz, franciscanmom.com

“Don’t You Forget About Me…is a rollicking fun and exciting cozy murder mystery.  The author’s strong and clever command of the written language makes this book an entertaining page-turner. I recommend this highly-enjoyable, cozy, clean, lively mystery to all readers!”
Therese Heckenkamp, award-winning author, Frozen Footprints

“A quirky, fun, mystery-romance that will tickle your funny bone while making your hair stand on end.”
AnnMarie Creedon, best-selling author, Angela’s Song

“It’s easy to identify and sympathize with protagonist Cate Whelihan as she returns to her hometown and faces not only the classmates who bullied her in school but also her junior high sweetheart and fellow nerd, Gene.  Readers will be chuckling one moment…and biting nails the next as she faces threats, corrupt police, and the business end of a gun.”
Daria Sockey, author, The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours


Author Bio:

Erin McCole Cupp is a wife, mom, and lay Dominican who lives with her family of vertebrates in the middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania. Her writing has appeared in Canticle Magazine, Parents, The Catholic Standard and Times, and The Philadelphia City Paper, and she is a regular contributor to CatholicMom.com. Her other professional experiences include acting, costuming, youth ministry, international scholar advising, and waiting tables.  Her influences include Neal Stephenson, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Jane Austen.  Her weaknesses include iceberg lettuce, frozen drinks, and anything labeled “Visitor Center.”  Erin is the author of Jane_E, Friendless Orphan:  A Memoir (Broken Wheel Media, 2006), Don’t You Forget About Me (Full Quiver Publishing, 2013), and Working Mother (Full Quiver Publishing, 2013), all available on Amazon.  You can find more about Erin at erinmccolecupp.com.