Author Chat Hanging Out With Author Diane Kelly

 Good morning.  Today Author Diane Kelly is visiting with us as part of her Feature for On The Road ...

Let's meet Diane 

Hello Diane. Thanks for visiting with us today!

Thank you for having me. I always enjoy chatting! 

Well let's get into some fun questions.

What is your favorite snack while writing? 

Wasabi peas. The kick definitely keeps me feeling awake!

Do you have a pet office assistant? 

Several. I move around the house while I work, spending 2-3 hours in one spot before going on to another. When I'm writing from bed or the chaise lounge in my home office, my calico Shakira is always by my side and my orange-and-ginger cat Fritz does his best to get in my way by lying on me or my computer. When I'm working in the living room or on the back deck, my dogs hang out at my feet. 

You've just written The End. How do you celebrate?  

Pre-virus, I'd go out for a nice meal. Now, I usually treat myself to a day or two off from working and binge-watch movies or TV shows (and catch up on neglected housework).

What do you do when you're not writing? Hobbies?

I enjoy walking my dogs and get lots of story ideas while puttering along with them. Our area has great places to hike, so we often go out on the trails. I also love to ski and ice skate, though I'm not that great at either one. I'm definitely not a daredevil! I'm lucky that there's a skating rink in our town so I don't have to drive far to get to a rink. I enjoy gardening, too, but I don't have much luck at it. We live in North Carolina where the tall trees block the sun for most of the day, so we don't have a nice sunny spot for a successful vegetable garden. My hydrangeas and lantana have done very well, though! 

About The Busting Out series . . . How many books in the series? Locale?  

This is a loosely connected series based on the fact that each book has a similar concept - a buxom motorcycle cop. Each book features a different female officer, in a different location. The first book, Busted, is set in a fictional small town in north Texas. The second, Another Big Bust, is set in the Raleigh-Durham area, where I live now. The third, Busting Out, is set in Mobile, Alabama.  

How did you choose the Locales? 

I chose north Texas for the first book because the area was my home at the time I wrote it and felt familiar to me. I found the small towns along the country roads to be charming. I set the second book in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, where I live now. The tall trees are absolutely gorgeous, and the roads outside the city are scenic places to take a drive. I don't ride a motorcycle, but I can imagine how fun it would be to take one along the county roads. I set the third book in Mobile, Alabama because I thought it would be fun to set a story in a seaside city. I lived in Montgomery for a year when I was young, and my family was very happy there. Alabama has a slower pace than many other places, and feels very homey. It truly is a "sweet home."

Aren't the books about different characters? Will they ever meet?  

Yes, each book features a different female motorcycle cop. Busted stars Marnie Muckleroy, who is recently divorced and moved back to her small hometown in Texas after going through a traumatic on-duty event in Dallas. Another Big Bust features Shae Sharpe, who has some unresolved family issues to deal with.

 The heroine in Busting Out is Chastity "Cha-Cha" Rinaldi, who comes from a law enforcement family. I'd never thought of having them meet, but it's a fun idea! I know they'd like each other and have a lot to share. They could even go for a ride on their motorcycles together. 

Do you have a favorite character from the series?  

Oooh, that's a hard one. I guess if I had to pick one, it would be Marnie Muckleroy. Her book is the longest, so I got to know her better. She was the first character I wrote who had a dark past to deal with, and it made the writing interesting to dig a little deeper emotionally. 

I chose to feature this series after I read Bending The Paws. I loved the Ft. Worth

location. How many books in the series? Will there be more?  

There are 9 books in the Paw Enforcement series, as well as two digital-only novellas. I'm hoping to write one more to tie up some loose ends, but I'll have to figure out when I'd have time to write it, which will be tricky. I'm doing three books a year for my traditional publishers, and that keeps me on a tight schedule. 

About Fort Worth. Favorite place to shop?

 Favorite place to eat. I'll share mine. Mexican Inn and I love El Rancho Grande.  

My favorite places to shop were the garden stores. We had a good one in our suburb that had a resident cat who would hang around. You never knew where he might show up while you were checking out the plants. My favorite place for Mexican food would be Chuy's or Joe T. Garcia's, which is mentioned in my Paw Enforcement series when my cop and her boyfriend-to-be go on their first date there after meeting at the site of an explosion. I also liked several of the Japanese restaurants where they cook right at your table and put on a show.

Last one. Can you give us a sneak peek of what you're working on?  

I'm wrapping up the first draft of book #1 in my new Mountain Lodge Mysteries series. It's called Getaway with Murder, and has an absolutely adorable cover. There's a cat, of course, a fluffy white diva named Baroness Blizzard or Yeti for short. It's been so much fun developing these new characters! Misty Murphy has just turned 50 and gotten divorced, and is starting on Act Two of her life by buying a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There's lots of fun new beginnings for her as she sets out on her own. 

Thanks Diane for visiting. I know we will get together again!

Thanks, Sherry! Greatest questions!

There's more today over at My Reading Journeys.  Click Here

for Diane' social media links. 

Menu Monday and a Recipe

 Welcome

Today I am super excited to share a new recipe! 

Author Diane Kelly is offering an alternative to canned Nacho Cheese Sauce. 

Diane Kelly’s “Casho” – Cashew Queso Dip

In Busting Out, Officer Cha-Cha Rinaldi shares a basket of cheesy nachos from a high school concession stand with Newton Isaac, a physics teacher. He jokes about the questionable and difficult-to-pronounce chemical ingredients in the gallon-sized can of cheese goo used to make the nachos. Here’s a yummy “cheese” dip recipe that is high in protein, non-dairy, and absolutely delicious! Plus, all the ingredients are easy to pronounce. Yay!

Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water

1 cup raw cashews

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon of your favorite salsa or one dash of hot sauce

salt

Directions:

Pour the boiling water over the cashews in a bowl and let them soak for five minutes. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Remove and add salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips or cut fresh veggies. This dip can also be used to make “cheese” enchiladas. Yum! Enjoy!

And here are my Menu plans for the week 

Monday 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps I will be using Swiss Chard from the garden in place if Lettuce  

Tuesday Chili Rellono's, Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 

Wednesday Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots 

Thursday 

Mussels, Shrimp over Angel Hair for the Cowboy and plain ' ole Spaghetti for me 

Friday 

Guacamole Chalupa's, leftover Beans and Rice and Diane's Queso Dip

I hope you'll join me this week as I feature Diane Kelly and her Busted series.

Today at My Reading Journeys you can meet the main characters.

Good Morning

 

Meet Julinne LaMere Main Character/Sleuth Resort to Murder Mysteries feat. Arrowed by Avery Daniels Great Escapes Tour with Giveaway

 

Character Guest Post

Julienne LaMere, heroine of Resort to Murder mysteries

Hello there, this is my first guest post.  Thank you so much for having me on your blog!  I must say I’m surprised to be given such freedom.  What if a character went wild in their post, dissed the writer, told all the little town secrets that would spoil a future story?  Don’t worry, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.  

I guess you would like to know more about me?  To really understand me, I should start with the event that shaped my life the most.  My mother died when I was only thirteen.  Well, two months before I turned thirteen.  She had breast cancer and had the mastectomy surgery and then it was a year of treatments and medications.  She wasn’t the same mom I had grown up with, and yet she was.  It was a battle everyday for her to even get up some days.  One in every eight women is diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  I get my mammogram every year because of my mother and walk in the Susan G Komen Race in honor of my mom.  At home, I always have an extra place setting at the dinner table in honor of my mother.  Something my father started.

My father grieved and dealt with depression for months.  When he came out of it, he poured himself into me.  He was probably trying to make up for my loss or keep his sanity.  He made sure I was involved in school activities and helped me with homework.  My Aunt Regina stepped in to provide the womanly influence and I love her dearly for that.  As I got older and started dating, dad became nearly obsessed with seeing me married to a man who could financially secure my future.  I wanted a career in resort management so I could see the world.  Not long ago, I got dad to confess that he wants grandkids now and since I’m an only child he has high expectations.  I think I’m too much like my dad, we are both headstrong.

I’m not into having children.  I never played with baby dolls or felt those stirrings, even a teensy bit.  I had to put my foot down with both my father and my former boyfriend.  Speaking of Brandon, he is the best friend of my cousin Loring since high school.  He treated my career dreams like a childish fantasy and expected me to stay in town and have his babies.  Four children and a wife to share the load were his idea of heaven, but my idea of hell on earth.  We broke up the night he proposed and laid out his plan for my future.  

That’s when Mason, my new neighbor at the time, swooped in for his chance with me.  I’ll be honest, I nicknamed Mason Bond Jr. because he was a casa nova.  If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m not into dating a lot and I shied away from Mason.  But he made his intentions clear when he claimed he wasn’t a playboy anymore but was ready for a quality relationship. 

So I have worked hard at the five-star Colorado Springs Resort.  I started as a Customer Relations Agent at the reception desk and worked my way up to a management training program.  It is my dream to work managing resorts around the world so I can travel and experience the cultures and history of the world.  Mason understands and respects that.  He says he can take photographs anywhere in the world and pursue that dream while I pursue mine.  My dad is still trying to adjust.

That is pretty much the story of Julienne LaMere in a nutshell.  Nothing special, just a girl with a dream and a boyfriend I still pinch myself over.  Oh, and occasionally a murder happens at the resort and I help reveal who dunnit!  

About the book

It all began when a dying man with an arrow in his chest grabs her ankle.

During a heatwave at a Santa Fe resort, Julienne has the resort owner pressuring her to solve the murder. The victim is a high profile businessman who made enemies rather than friends, leaving Julienne with a roster of suspects. She was supposed to be training the staff and spending quality time with Mason rather than investigating a murder. The heat turns up when an old girlfriend of Mason’s checks in and is determined to get back together.

Buy the book

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To read review, guest posts and interviews click Here

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Good Morning Happy Friday

 

Good Morning.  I hope you are having a Happy Day. 

Over in my FB Group I asked everyone to share Happy Photos.

Here's mine . . . 

This face just makes me smile.

Have A Happy Day! 

Good Morning

 

  Have A Great Day

Where's There's Smoke There's Arson by D.E. Haggert– CHARACTER GUEST POST

 

About the book  

Bernadette didn’t smoke. The fire couldn’t have been an accident!

 

Oh boy, the gray-haired knitters are at it again. Of course, they are. It’s been way too long since they ‘solved’ a mystery. But the investigator determined the fire at the craft store was caused by an unattended lit cigarette. Arson isn’t even a remote possibility. Except the owner Bernadette didn’t smoke and now she’s dead.

 

When Bernadette’s granddaughter asks me to look into the matter, the knitters practically cheer. They are on the case!

 

But is there even a case? Or are we seeing murder and arson where there’s merely smoke?

Character Guess post 

Character Guest Post

Five Things You Didn’t Know about Izzy Archer-Blackburn

My writer person asked me to tell you five things you don’t know about me. She actually said ten, but I’m pretending she said five. I mean, seriously, there’s a reason people don’t know everything about me. Am I not allowed my secrets? Anyway, here we go.

Number one: None of the gray-haired detectives is actually my grandma. Yes, I call them the gray-haired grandmas, but my grandma is not amongst them. 

Number two: The woman who I called Grandma – Anna – wasn’t my grandmother either. She was my former husband’s grandmother. He ignored her, but I adored her and claimed her for my own. 

Number three: I did actually have a biological grandma, but I didn’t have much contact with her before she passed. My parents left Oklahoma to retire to Florida, and we kind of lost touch. Sporadic phone calls turned into once-a-year phone calls and then no phone calls. Now that I have a child of my own, I don’t understand how you can lose touch with a child. Hmm… maybe I should call my mom.

Number four: I met my husband at a speed dating event. I know – embarrassing – but it wasn’t my idea. My best friend, Jack, tricked me into going. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. 

Number five: It’s all the knitters’ fault that I’m addicted to pie. They’re the ones who fed me pies like they were going out of business when I was pregnant with Colt. And, boy, can those women bake. Yum. 

And there you have it – five things you didn’t know about Izzy Archer-Blackburn.  

And others are saying 

I love how each lady’s personality shines through. They seem that they should be totally incompatible as friends, and yet the years of bonding come through. I have to admit Martha and her constant stalker-like matchmaking is my favorite.

~I Read What You Write! for Where There’s Smoke, There’s Arson

This cozy offers plenty of love and laughter. I have decided that Noel is my new fave. Not only does he read as simply dreamy, but he has a wicked sense of humor and the old (not old) ladies can’t get anything past him.

~I Read What You Write! for Hold the Coffee

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, humorous cozy mystery, you’ll enjoy Where There’s Smoke, There’s Arson. When I read the synopsis of this, I figured that it would be quirky and entertaining, and I wasn’t wrong!

~Christy’s Cozy Corners for Where There’s Smoke, There’s Arson

I liked this one a lot since I felt like I knew the characters a little more. Though these can all be read on their own, it’s more fun reading them in order. You develop an affinity for the characters throughout the books in any series!

~Christy’s Cozy Corners for Hold the Coffee

These are super fast read for busy days. But they are packed with Mystery and great characters that you will fall in love with.

~My Reading Journeys for Where There’s Smoke There’s Arson

A Cute story with a happy ending.

~Literary Gold for About Where There’s Smoke, There’s Arson

This book will have you laughing out loud at the banter that goes on between the knitting detectives. They are a lovable group, and you’ll find yourself quick to forgive them of their sins, er uh, rather their busy-bodiness in solving this case.

~Literary Gold for Hold the Coffee 

Read an excerpt 

Where There’s Smoke There’s Arson

Betty walks into the room carrying a pie. “Have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.” 

“We do?” 

This is news to me. It’s barely been a day since they were at my house for their knitting club. What could possibly have happened in the past twenty-four hours to necessitate an ‘emergency’ meeting? 

The doorbell rings. “That’ll be Jack.” Betty wipes her hands on her apron and goes to open the door. Jack is invited, too? My curiosity is officially piqued. 

“Ladies! Your man candy has arrived,” Jack announces with a bow as he enters the dining room. Damien walks in behind him rolling his eyes. 

Betty claps her hands. “Settle down, children. We have important business.” 

Rosemary raises her hand like we’re in a classroom. “Dee and Tommy haven’t arrived yet.” 

“I didn’t invite them,” Betty explains.  

Rosemary raises her eyebrows. “Why not? Tommy is a fire investigator. He’s an expert in this area.” 

My eyes widen at the word ‘investigator’. Don’t tell me the ladies are up to their old tricks. 

“What’s going on?” I ask although I’m somewhat afraid of the answer. 

“We caught one,” Betty announces.  

“Caught one what?” 

“A case, of course.”

Uh oh.

Buy the book   

Amazon

Visit the tour 

To read reviews, more guest post and Interviews click Here.    

Giveaway 

Visit the tour to enter

see l meguest post

Good Morning

 Have A Blessed Day

Homemaker In Texas

 Good Morning and Welcome to the blog. 

  I am happy to be back with my weekly Saturday post! 

I'll be joining Sandra on Monday for her party.  

Here are the prompts provided by Sandra.  

The weather ...

Spring time in Texas.  There's nothing better.

We have mid 70's most of the day.  

On the breakfast plate... When we were newly married many, many years ago we loved to have Brunch on Sunday. Sometimes we went out a little diner.  They had the best Breakfasts.

On the To Do list... Always lots To Do.

This week I will re-arrange our shelves under the t.v.  the new internet equipment is much smaller.  

More room for books!

Decorate the mantle. I am not doing Spring yet. I have another plan. Stay tuned! 

We get our S.S. on Wednesday so I will do monthly grocery shopping 

And I will get some plants for the flower  pots in the front yard 

Plant seeds in the greenhouse

Mow the front yard.

Work in the veggie garden 

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday I will keep my grand baby. 

Our daughter is starting back to work. 

My Ta Da' moment... I managed to get the Cowboy's Medicare Part D added.  He didn't originally get it because he thought we couldn't afford it.  It has taken me months to get him to understand.  Finally the case worker at the hospital explained it to him.

Time for 'Me' ...Lunch Friday with my daughter and grandson. 

 I also want to go to the library.

On my reading pile...

I am reading now...

I love a good Cowboy romance.

On the menu...

Monday 

Guacamole Burgers and Fries

Tuesday 

Beef Stroganoff, Noodles and Green Beans

Wednesday

Chili Rellono's, Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 

Thursday 

Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Spinach

Friday 

Seafood Boil, Potatoes and Corn On the Cob

A recipe to try 

In the Studio...I am working on a Green theme Junk Journal Page for a SWAP 

Here's a few photos of the Pink Page I did for the February SWAP 

Scripture/Devo

Thanks for sharing your day with me! 

Linking with Sandra and the regular parties.  

Foodie Friday

 Good Morning everyone.  I am glad to be back!  

We got a new internet provider Charter Spectrum.  Set up was a breeze.  They were so helpful.  We went yesterday to get the equipment instead of waiting for mailing and I am glad we did!  The salesman explained everything and told us about a better phone plan.  We signed up the Cowboy and he got a new phone for free!  

So it really is . . 

Here's the food I served on the Rustic Dinner Plate this week.

I have really been tired this week and in pain because I hurt my knee during the blizzard.  My photos aren't great but  the food was yummy . . .

I totally have no idea what was on my menu plan!  I needed to cook from the pantry and freezer.  

Spaghetti is always easy.

My D.I.L. was telling me about Million Dollar Spaghetti. 

Have you tried it?

This is what he asked for.  Yes that is Bologna.  Ick.

With Eggs.  Double Ick.

Chicken Tenders, Spinach and Corn Fritters. 

This meal was so good.  I have started making my Chicken Tenders a little different and it is so much easier.  I was dredging in flour then milk and egg.  then flour. Lately I have been starting with Milk and dredging only once in the Flour.  We like them and a little faster.

 

For breakfast the next day the Cowboy wanted 1 Pancake.  I reheated the Fritters he didn't eat the Fritter.  

I guess I need to listen to him!

I made a Bean Soup with  canned Pinto Beans and White Kidney Beans.  It was really good!

This meal tasted much better than it looks.  We had some Pork Cutlets in the freezer.  I got a veggie tray and had lots of Veggies so Lo Mein sounded good.  I didn't thicken the sauce but it was really good and super simple.

Oh so yummy.  Mushroom Burgers!

I was surprised how good the Steak turned out!  I cooked in a grill pan for mere minutes. 

The Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy was great too.  

I was tired and barely managed to get in the plate.  Nothing green! 

I missed pictures of Thursdays meal.  Or dinner time was interrupted because the tech.  Had to come out to fix the internet.  But they came on the same day! 

So our Friday is so Happy!

I hope yours is too!

Good Morning

 

Good Morning

 

How is your day going?  

I hope you are seeing some pretty pops of Spring where you are.

I am still navigating getting used to no internet.

But we have looked into new options and are getting close to deciding what is best and affordable for us.

 I hope to be back to regular posts soon.  

Have a great day.

Good Morning

 Have A Blessed Day

Good Morning

 

Have A Great Day!

Hello Hot Spot #2

 

Hi.  I hope you all are having a great day!

My Hot Spot this morning is our local library.  It's a busy morning here.

The road is busy even at 9:30 a.m. there is still a good amount of traffic.

I am hearing the sounds of equipment because they are building a new big fancy Senior 

I planned to take a picture of the current building that has lovely gardens but the parking lot was full when I got here.

Here's the post I started yesterday . . . 

I didn't get to go On The Road around town today as planned because I needed to come help my daughter. 

This is photo I had planned for Wordless Wednesday.  What a sweet and precious memory.  He is 12 now and has a new baby brother.

It won't be long before I need to put the plastic ware in the lower cabinets again!

I have a photo just like this of thier mama.  I need to dig through my old photos and find it! 

A sweet video of baby brother. 

I am glad you've stopped by to share my morning.

I hope I will be back to my regular features next week.

I am having fun visiting Hit Spots for a change.

See you tomorrow!