Samantha Sweet

Series · 18

books · 2010-2022

By Connie Shelton, Ritter Ames, LynDee Walker, and more

Books in series

The Woodcarver's Secret

2015

It's 12th century Ireland. For John Carver, a simple Celtic wood worker, life is a struggle to feed his family. Then one summer day, as he walks past a near-dead alder tree, lightning strikes. With the shattered tree lying all around him, Carver pulls himself up and decides to make the best of it—he takes the usable pieces to his workshop. From the shards of that dead tree John creates three boxes. Then the unexplained happens—shortly after handling one of them, John’s touch brings his young son back from the brink of death. When the second box demonstrates an opposite tendency, toward the dark side, Carver is terrified that witch-hunters will learn of the boxes and their mystical powers. Eager to rid himself of the artifacts and desperate for money, he sells the three boxes. As they are taken by three very different buyers—a common Englishman, a worldly merchant and a bishop—John feels a foreboding about the future. As the centuries pass, the boxes travel the world, eventually drawing the attention of two rival organizations, each with very different motives and methods for gaining what they want. Reminiscent of The Red Violin in scope, this historical novel follows the three boxes to the 21st century and confrontation between the two factions. The Woodcarver’s Secret is the prequel and companion novel to Connie Shelton’s best-selling Samantha Sweet paranormal mystery series. The Midwest Book Review says: “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”

Sweet Masterpiece

2010

An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here. Samantha Sweet breaks into houses for a living—all perfectly legal as a caretaker for the USDA. But her real dream is to open her own pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets. Life is a little crazy for Sam right now. At one of her break-in properties a dying woman insists that she take a small wooden box. Sam doesn't realize that the old woman was known locally as a bruja, a witch, until she begins to feel some strange effects from the box, herself. Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders—who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam. While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.

Sweet's Sweets

2011

Sam is working hard to get her new pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets, open for business. Just when she's really got her hands full with that, she's assigned a new property to take care of as part of her contract with the USDA. The place is a hoarder's delight and Sam is feeling more than a little bit overwhelmed as she begins cleaning with a vengeance. When a blood-soaked garment turns up among some things Sam has dropped off at the thrift shop, Sam recommends that they call the Sheriff's office. Deputy Beau Cardwell is a bit under pressure himself, as the Sheriff is so busy running for reelection that the office is understaffed. Together, Sam and Beau sift through the evidence and discover that the bloody coat leads to a far more complicated situation than a simple case of murder. Once again Sam calls upon the powers of the magical wooden box that came into her possession a few months earlier to help unwind the tangled threads of the case.

Sweet Holidays

2011

Praise for USA Today bestseller Connie Shelton's previous "Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes." — Midwest Book Review In this third book in the Samantha Sweet cozy mystery series, it's Christmas and a quirky Romanian chocolatier shows up at Sweet's Sweets, offering to create a special line of hand-dipped chocolates for Samantha's customers. He says he will work for no pay, just to prove himself. But when she learns that he has connections to the wooden box which seems to give Sam her mystical powers, she discovers that certain evil people may do just about anything to take it away from her. With the same combination of mystery, romance and that touch of the paranormal for which the series has become known, Sweet Holidays carries the reader into the special and magical world of northern New Mexico at the holiday season. Readers are raving about these lighthearted, relaxing, well-written books—Samantha may not be young, beautiful or have the perfect body, but she is intelligent, independent, and hard working, the kind of person you feel you already know. "Connie Shelton has another winner." — The Book Report "Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life." — Albuquerque Journal \ \ \* USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton is the author of three ongoing mystery series. In the Samantha Sweet cozy mystery books, Connie draws upon her own love of baking (and eating) pastries to bring a sweet element to the business of solving crimes for her new female sleuth. Her original series features female accountant and part-time sleuth, Charlie Parker and her loyal sidekick dog, in a series that is now eighteen books strong. And her Heist Ladies series features a group of women friends who steal stuff … from the bad guys! Connie and her husband live in northern New Mexico with their two dogs. Visit her website at connieshelton.com

Sweet Hearts

2012

Things are crazy at the bakery, as Sam tries to replicate the magical chocolates that the quirky Romanian chocolatier introduced at Christmas-time. Meanwhile, there are lots of weddings, in addition to her own, and other pastry shop demands during this romantic holiday week. While Sam tries to keep up with it all, another mystery comes her way. Marla Fresques needs to find her missing son. The woman is dying and wants her son home to raise the daughter he left behind. When Sam learns that the authorities dropped the case years ago, she feels she must help. Can she find the missing man? Or will she resort to using her uncanny healing powers to cure Marla's illness? Through all this, Sam's life becomes further complicated by the fact that an ex-girlfriend of Beau's shows up in town, determined to win him back.

Bitter Sweet

2012

It’s the height of the wedding season at Sweet’s Sweets and Sam has all she can do to stay ahead of the rush of bakery orders. Plus, her side job—breaking into houses—isn’t allowing much summer time off either. Not to mention that her mother is pressuring Sam and Beau to set a wedding date. When Sam encounters two older women who then die suddenly, it appears that there may be a serial killer on the loose. Sam and Beau are shocked to consider that Beau’s own mother may have been an earlier victim of someone who operates by preying on the women’s trusting natures. As they begin to investigate, a number of suspects emerge and it looks like someone is desperate to keep Sam quiet.

Sweets Galore

2013

Samantha Sweet and Beau Cardwell are getting ready for their September wedding, with the whole Sweet clan about to show up for the celebration. Dealing with her mother may turn out to be the least of Sam’s problems when an unwelcome visitor walks into her pastry shop—Sam’s old heart-throb, the charmer, Jake Calendar. Jake wants money for a Hollywood get-rich-quick scheme and he wants Sam to finance the deal. Can Sam convince him that the answer is ‘no’ or will he sabotage the plans for her wedding?

Sweets, Begorra

2014

Samantha Sweet learns that an Irish great-uncle left her an inheritance, so she and Beau change their honeymoon plans and go to the Emerald Isle. Will the gift be something lavish and wonderful, or is there no pot of gold waiting for Sam? Meanwhile, before Sam fully has the answers to her questions, a new mystery presents itself when a local charter boat is found adrift near the rocky Irish coast, its occupants missing. The family of the captain wants answers and when it looks like a group of Americans might be implicated, the Galway homicide detective in charge of the case enlists Beau’s help. With all the extra excitement, the honeymooners begin to wonder if they will ever find some romantic time alone.

Sweet Payback

2014

Praise for USA Today bestseller, Connie Shelton: "Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes."—The Midwest Book Review New, in the Amazon #1 bestselling Samantha Sweet mystery series—Sweet Payback! Revenge is often a cold dish, but in the tiny northern New Mexico town of Sembramos emotions are running decidedly hot. When Lee Rodarte and Jessie Starkey, convicted of murdering a local girl, are released from prison after serving only a few years, their convictions overturned, the town’s old pain rises to the surface and tempers flare. Samantha Sweet has her hands full with Easter at her pastry shop, Sweet’s Sweets, while her husband, Taos County Sheriff Beau Cardwell, is charged with keeping order among the two hundred residents of Sembramos. Topping it off, as part of her sideline job, Sam is assigned another house to break into and must drive to the huge abandoned mansion daily, right through the small war zone where payback seems to be on everyone’s mind. Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous mysteries: “Shelton, a major success for Intrigue, can only expand her fan base with this solid effort.” —Publisher’s Weekly “Shelton continues to combine suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships.” —Booklist “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton writes two bestselling mystery series and has had several award-winning short stories and essays. She formerly taught both fiction and non-fiction writing courses, and was a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul. She and her husband and two dogs live in New Mexico. Visit her website at connieshelton.com

Sweet Somethings

2014

“Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review Two things are weighing on Samantha Sweet’s mind this summer—organizing the Sweet Somethings chocolate festival and tracking down information on the mystical carved wooden box that came into her life nearly two years ago, changing her forever. At last, she believes she has located the person who can give the answers. The festival is behind schedule, committee members are at each others’ throats, competitors are after the big prize money and hungry crowds will soon be gathering at the gates. A slew of conflicting personalities are going at each other, and Sam is holding her breath, certain that this will not turn out well. When someone does indeed turn up dead, the trick is to find out who among the many parties committed the dirty deed. Meanwhile, Sheriff Beau has his own set of problems trying to keep order at an encampment of free-spirited hippies who have moved into the area, so Sam is mostly on her own to keep the festival on track and find a killer. And the magic box? What Sam learns is that its powers are greater than she ever imagined, its history much more convoluted.

#10

Sweets Forgotten

2015

When a woman walks into Samantha Sweet’s pastry shop, claiming to have amnesia, it’s a puzzle that seems to have nothing to do with Sam’s new commission for a fantastic one-of-a-kind order of chocolates, although "Jane Doe" seems to know a lot about that. Sam calls Sheriff Beau to solve the mystery of who this stranger is and where she belongs. But Beau’s attention is occupied by other nearly his entire force is out sick with some kind of flu bug, and now a murder far from Taos requires his full attention. Nothing is fitting together, until suddenly it does. “Jane’s” forgotten memories become vitally important as Beau and Sam work to piece the puzzle together in this latest installment in Shelton’s internationally bestselling series. “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review “I’m addicted to this series!” —Mollie D. Williams, 5 star review on Amazon “Great series. Holds your interest and leaves you wanting more.” —Paula Kroencke, 5 stars, Amazon USA Today bestseller Connie Shelton is the author of two Amazon #1 bestselling mystery series featuring Charlie Parker and Samantha Sweet. She's known for a light touch when it comes to sex and violence in her stories, but is much more lavish with food and chocolate. She and her husband and two dogs live in northern New Mexico.

#10.5

Spellbound Sweets

2017

Samantha Sweet Halloween Novella It’s Halloween, one of the busiest seasons of the year for Samantha Sweet and the crew at her pastry shop, Sweet’s Sweets. After baking a zillion pumpkin cookies, ghostly cupcakes, and an all-black cake for a young witch’s wedding, the gang is looking forward to a gala costume party at the neighborhood bookshop. But when one of the guests is murdered and a rare book vanishes—practically in front of their eyes—the evening takes a whole different turn and Sam finds herself in the midst of another mystery. BONUS: Includes 10 recipes from the author’s personal collection. Praise for Spellbound Sweets, from the anthology Midnight Mysteries: “This was my first time reading Connie Shelton, but it will not be the last. I love her writing style and love her main character, Samantha Sweet, whose series I will be buying. I tend toward more "heavy" mysteries, but this example of the cozy genre makes me want more. This was a real whodunit in the classic sense, with actors, a bakery, an antique book store, and witches to enliven the story.”— Riverlizzie, 5 stars on Amazon “Connie Shelton’s Spellbound Sweets novella is delightful. Just reading about Samantha Sweet and friends at her pastry shop will leave you drooling in anticipation of delicious treats. Join the Halloween party at a bookstore where someone dies and a rare book is now missing. This makes me crave another book in this series.” –Joanne K, 5 stars, Amazon “Connie Shelton created a book full of mystery, perfect from the first page! Don't you think there's always some mystery in the bookshops?” – Maria, 5 stars, Amazon "Spellbound Sweets"- Delectable yet witchy storyline that never wavered from the bakery aroma for too long! A longer read but worth the extra time for sure. The teamwork between Samantha and Beau was a main draw as well as attention to detail, down to the last frosted cookie.” – Janine Thiemann, 5 stars, Amazon “Spellbound Sweets by Connie Shelton was fun – although I think I gained weight reading about Samantha Sweet and the “crew” at her pastry shop. It is one of a few Samantha Sweet Magical Cozy Mysteries I’ve read and I’ll find previous stories to catch up.” – GDS, 5 stars, Amazon

#11

Spooky Sweet

2016

Now that Samantha Sweet has a contract to provide her special handmade chocolates for the wealthy jet-set clients of Book It Travel, Sweet’s Sweets bakery is taking on a whole new dimension. Only problem, Sam isn’t ready. It’s almost Halloween, her pastry shop is bursting at the seams and she needs extra employees but there is no place to put them. Right before the witching day, she comes upon a large Victorian house she can adapt for the business, and it seems her problem is solved. But is it? The mysterious, spooky noises at night are way more than the normal creaks and groans of an old building. Something else is going on and Sam suspects it may be related to her husband’s newest case, investigating where an abandoned duffle bag crammed full of cash came from. Beau is dealing with a greedy reward-seeker, a robbery with no leads, and a waif who appears and vanishes. Sam’s mystery has her watching for ghosts and working almost around the clock. Is she relying on magic?—well, occasionally. “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”—The Midwest Book Review “Just reading about Samantha Sweet and friends at her pastry shop will leave you drooling in anticipation of delicious treats.” Joanne K, 5-star review on Amazon (Spellbound Sweets in Midnight Mysteries) “The teamwork between Samantha and Beau was a main draw as well as attention to detail, down to the last frosted cookie.” – Janine Thiemann, 5 stars, Amazon (Spellbound Sweets in Midnight Mysteries)

#12

Sticky Sweet

2018

A Sweet’s Sweets Bakery Mystery It’s here—USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton’s newest Samantha Sweet cozy mystery. With nearly 2 million books sold and downloaded in more than 60 countries, find out what the fuss is all about! Breaking into another house, creating chocolates worth $200 a box, and helping her sheriff husband solve a traffic accident-turned-murder … Samantha Sweet has her hands more than a little full as the new year begins. “Love Connie Shelton’s work. She usually has me at the first word.”—5 stars, Terry Brown It's the beginning of a new year at Sweet's Sweets pastry shop and chocolate factory, and Samantha Sweet finds herself busy as ever, especially when her top client comes in with a new idea. His travel firm is selling a new Travel the World itinerary for the jet-set, and Sam is to come up with special chocolates to make the spectacular trip even more memorable for his wealthy clientele. At $200 a box, she can't exactly say no. Things get a little sticky when a friend calls with a problem, which involves Sam going back to her old job (temporarily, at least) of breaking into houses. How she manages to juggle it all ... well, it just might involve a little magic. Meanwhile, Beau answers the call to a traffic fatality that turns way more complex when he realizes he has a murder to solve. The couple's paths cross less frequently than they would like, but as luck would have it, Sam ends up providing some of the critical clues in Beau's case and the answers come as a surprise to both of them. “I get started reading and find myself not wanting to stop”—5 stars, Amazon review “I love this series. This is one that is hard to put down when you start to read it.”—5 stars, Goodreads “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”—The Midwest Book Review

#13

Sweet Magic

2019

It’s here—USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton’s newest Samantha Sweet cozy mystery. With nearly 2 million books sold and downloaded in more than 60 countries, find out what the fuss is all about! Samantha Sweet’s life is a little crazy right now, beginning with her daughter’s wedding, which coincides with Sam’s receiving a huge new contract for her chocolate factory. The day after the wedding someone takes a shot at Sam and she discovers the bad guys are back. OSM’s henchman, Marcus Fitch, who showed up in Taos once before, is more determined than ever to get his hands on the carved box that gives Sam her unusual powers. But as the sheriff’s department investigates the shooting, it seems Fitch has an airtight alibi. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter is honeymooning in England where she and her new husband discover some interesting clues that connect to home. As Kelly learns of her mother’s secrets, she is pulled into the world of the magical artifacts in ways no one could have foreseen. And Sam discovers that her own world is about to change—forever. ~ ~ ~ Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous mysteries: “Ms. Shelton continues to perfect her craft with every book.” —5 stars, Kindle reader “LOVE, LOVE these books!” —5 stars, online review “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review

#15

The Ghost of Christmas Sweet

2021

USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton introduces her newest Samantha Sweet cozy mystery. With nearly 2 million books sold and downloaded in more than 110 countries, find out what the fuss is all about! Samantha Sweet is back at Sweet’s Sweets, turning out her amazing cakes and pastries for the busy holiday season, when Emily Plankhurst, the new young librarian in town, stops in. Emily tells Sam a strange story involving a hidden niche in the library revealed to her in a vision, supposedly, by her dead grandmother. Would anyone believe this farfetched story? Possibly not anyone but Sam, who has had more than a few unexplained occurrences in her own life. It turns out the hidden space contains a rare painting, The Ghost of Christmas, which was believed to have been destroyed in a fire twenty-five years ago at the luxury home of a hedge fund billionaire. A young man died in the fire and the insurance company paid the claim for the valuable painting. But now that the painting has turned up, how can Emily prove that her own grandfather wasn’t the one behind the arson? It's a sticky situation when she approaches Sam with the case. If she turns the painting over to the authorities they will almost certainly believe that her grandfather was involved in the theft of the piece and most likely complicit in insurance fraud as well. Would the police actually take him out of the Alzheimer care facility where he now resides and throw him in jail? Emily’s only chance of saving her grandfather’s life, and the reputation of the family-founded library, is to investigate the old crime and find out who really stole The Ghost of Christmas . And Samantha is the only person she can trust to help her, one of the few who remembers when the fire started and the insurance claim was paid. It’s a Christmas mystery with a lot of twists and turns! Readers are raving about these lighthearted, relaxing, well-written books—Samantha may not be young, beautiful or have the perfect body, but she is intelligent, independent, and hard working, the kind of person you feel you already know. Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous “The best yet!! Not only was Sweet Magic fantastic, it left me dying to see where life is headed for Samantha and her family! Heart-gripping, fast-paced, and amazing.” – J.J. 5-stars, online review “LOVE, LOVE these books!” —5 stars, online review “Fantastic! Impossible to put down!” – 5 stars, Amazon reader “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” — Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” — The Midwest Book Review

#16

Tricky Sweet

2022

It’s Spring Break and a trio of California college kids head out, not to the beach but to the mountains of New Mexico, where they plan on a week of snowboarding, beer, and fun. But the instructions to reach their vacation rental are less than precise and it’s late and snowy when they arrive at Taos Ski Valley. They’re surprised to find an older couple in the cabin they believed to be theirs but hey, Casey Hardwick, the ringleader of the group, is not known for reading directions or getting all the facts. Maybe the place is actually a B&B. They troop inside and are shown to a bedroom. Days later, Casey’s sister is calling the only friend she knows in Taos—Kelly Sweet—hoping to get word to her brother that their mother’s condition has worsened and she doesn’t have long to live. No one has heard from Casey, and she urgently needs to reach him. Samantha and Kelly are together when the call comes, and the mystery only deepens once they talk to Sheriff Evan Richards. Yes, the family reported the missing boys and he investigated. He found no evidence that they’d ever arrived. His theory is that the boys changed their plans at the last minute and are living it up somewhere else. But Sam has a bad feeling about it. Without the help of law enforcement, will she and Kelly figure out how the boys disappeared? And can they find the boys and get Casey home before it’s too late to see his mother again? Their only clues seem to come from the mysterious book of runes. Readers are raving about these lighthearted, relaxing, well-written books—Samantha may not be young, beautiful or have the perfect body, but she is intelligent, independent, and hard working, the kind of person you feel you already know. ~ ~ ~ Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous “The best yet!! Not only was Sweet Magic fantastic, it left me dying to see where life is headed for Samantha and her family! Heart-gripping, fast-paced, and amazing.” – J.J. 5-stars, online review “LOVE, LOVE these books!” —5 stars, online review “Fantastic! Impossible to put down!” – 5 stars, Amazon reader “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” — Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” — The Midwest Book Review

#16.75

Midnight Mysteries

2016

Nine Cozy Tales by Nine Bestselling Authors Ritter Ames – “Organized for Masked Motives” (Organized Mysteries series) Kate McKenzie never dreamed when she started her business, Stacked in Your Favor, she’d spend nearly as much time crime solving as organizing. But with Halloween approaching and too many items on the to-do list, she and Meg Berman find themselves in another puzzling dilemma—where every answer leads to another question. Morgana Best – “No Time to Witch” (The Kitchen Witch mystery series) In a historical mystery prequel to the novel MISS SPELLED, Thelma Spelled must discover the mystery around a murder that entangles her and her husband. The paranormal tale reveals more about the magic of the house and early 20th century Australia. Karen Cantwell – “It Takes a Ghost” (tie-in to the Sophie Rhodes mystery series) New detective Brenna Sage can’t solve a series of robberies—until she gains a partner in the guise of Marmaduke Dodsworth. While Marmaduke is better versed in decorum and refinement than forensics and interrogation, he has one decidedly clear advantage: He can walk through walls. Carolyn Haines – “Clacking Bones” (Sarah Booth Delaney series) When Jitty’s husband, Coker, goes missing from the Great Beyond, Sarah Booth Delaney, Tinkie, and all the animals sign on to find out why the spirit is AWOL. Sarah Booth has to dig deep into the past to find the answer to this puzzling mystery. Eleanor Cawood Jones – “Salad Days, Halloween Nights” (author of A Baker’s Dozen) A vegetable-loving chef has cooked his way into trouble when a Halloween treat leads to murder. If he wants a happy future, he must first make sure the police don’t have him down as the main ingredient in a recipe for a prison sentence. Larissa Reinhart – “The Vigilante Vignette” (Cherry Tucker Mystery series) When Cherry pays a mercy call on a neighbor, she’s roped into a quid pro quo deal—if she recovers a stolen family heirloom both somewhat embarrassing and due to be discovered missing very shortly, the neighbor will use family clout to help her with zoning issues. But if she fails, the expression “someone’s got her goat” takes on a whole new meaning. And when she discovers a thievery ring, illegal auctions, and green-eyed emotions after spotting Luke where he’s not expected—it’s another hilarious day in Halo, Georgia. Connie Shelton – “Spellbound Sweets” (Samantha Sweets Magical Cozy Mysteries) It’s Halloween, one of the busiest times of the year for Samantha Sweet and the crew at her pastry shop, Sweet’s Sweets. The gang looks forward to a gala costume party at the neighborhood bookstore, but the evening takes a different turn when a guest is murdered, a rare book vanishes, and Sam finds herself in the midst of another mystery. Maria Grazia Swan – “Weeping Moon” (Lella York Mysteries series) Lella York has a way of getting herself into trouble, even when she’s doing volunteer work. Who's the mysterious storyteller, and what's going on at the senior living center? Will Lella find out before it’s too late? LynDee Walker – “Frightening Features” (Nichelle Clarke Mystery series) Not a patient recovery patient, while Nichelle Clarke waits for an injury to heal all she really wants is a story to write and research—hard news to get her mind occupied. Instead, her boss gives her a fluff piece. Not her idea of fun. But with Nichelle snooping around, it’s not surprising her soft story takes a decidedly hard turn.

Authors

Connie Shelton

Author · 43 books

My love of books started with weekly trips to the library as a child and from the moment I learned to read I can't remember a time that I didn't have at least one book going. For the past 25 years, that list has grown to include what I'm reading and what I'm writing at any given time. I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico. In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach. Series: * Charlie Parker Mystery

Ritter Ames

Author · 14 books

Ritter Ames is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Organized Mysteries series and the Bodies of Art Mysteries series. When she's not writing or brainstorming new mysteries Ritter is usually trying to get her favorite yellow Lab to stay out of the pond, or keep her grouchy black cat from trying to give the dog away on Freecycle. Ritter would love to live on a boat and write from far flung locations around the globe, but the dog would constantly have to be fished from the water, and her husband and cat would just complain endlessly about the dog's smell, so staying on land seems to be the only good option to keep her sanity and not get sidetracked from writing. Ritter tries to blog regularly at http://ritterames.com/ and subscribe there to get the latest news about upcoming releases, and inside scoops on her characters and series. She uses her Pinterest boards at http://www.pinterest.com/ritterames/ to capture great places and ideas she wants to use in both series. Go to her website to subscribe to her newsletter and get the first alert about new books in her series.

LynDee Walker

Author · 19 books

LynDee Walker is the Amazon Charts bestselling author of two crime fiction series featuring strong heroines and "twisty, absorbing" mysteries. Her first Nichelle Clarke crime thriller, FRONT PAGE FATALITY, was nominated for the Agatha Award for best first novel, and her second Faith McClellan novel, LEAVE NO STONE, was named a 2020 Thriller Award finalist. Reviews have praised her work as "well-crafted, compelling, and fast-paced," and "an edge-of-your-seat ride" with "a spider web of twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end." Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings to high level police corruption, and worked closely with the various law enforcement agencies that she reported on. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the U.S. Aside from books, LynDee loves her family, her readers, travel, and coffee. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she's not juggling laundry and children's sports schedules. You can find her online at www.lyndeewalker.com, and connect with her on Facebook at lyndeewalkerbooks or Twitter @LynDeeWalker.

Maria Grazia Swan

Author · 16 books

Maria Grazia Swan was born in Italy, but this rolling stone has definitely gathered no moss. She lived in Belgium, France, Germany, in beautiful Orange County, California where she raised her family, and is currently at home in Phoenix, Arizona—but stay tuned for weekly updates of Where in the World is Maria Grazia Swan? As a young girl, her vivid imagination predestined her to be a writer. She won her first literary award at the age of fourteen while living in Belgium. As a young woman Maria returned to Italy to design for—ooh-la-la—haute couture. Once in the U.S. and after years of concentrating on family, she tackled real estate. These days her time is devoted to her deepest passions: writing and helping people find happiness. Maria loves travel, opera, good books, hiking, and intelligent movies (if she can find one, that is). When asked about her idea of a perfect evening, she favors stimulating conversation, spicy Italian food and perfectly chilled Prosecco—but then, who doesn’t? Maria has written short stories for anthologies, articles for high profile magazines and numerous blogs tackling love and life. She engaged her editorial and non-fiction skills for Mating Dance Rituals for Singles Who Weren't born yesterday. Her romantic suspense novels Love Thy Sister,Bosom Bodies and Italian Summer are available at Amazon.com. Her new series, published by Gemma Halliday is also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the first book is title Gemini Moon Website: http://www.mariagraziaswan.com Contact Maria: mariagswan@gmail.com -or- touch base with her on Facebook.

Morgana Best

Author · 63 books

USA Today best-selling author Morgana Best survived a childhood of deadly spiders and venomous snakes in the Australian outback. Morgana Best writes cozy mysteries and enjoys thinking of delightful new ways to murder her victims.

Larissa Reinhart

Author · 18 books

A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa loves to tell funny, sweet stories about sassy Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places, like in her award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and/or Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. You might have seen Larissa and her family with their little dog, Biscuit, on HGTV's House Hunters International "Living for the Weekend in Nagoya" episode. They’re back in Georgia where Biscuit has a bigger yard but now has to live with thunderstorms. Check out LarissaReinhart.com to learn more and get a free story while you're visiting. Her books have been chosen as book club picks by Woman's World Magazine and Hot Mystery Reviews. They've also been finalists for Georgia Author of the Year, the Silver Falchion, the Daphne du Maurier Award, The Emily Award, and Dixie Kane Memorial. Her work also appeared in the 2017 Silver Falchion Reader’s Choice winner, Eight Mystery Writers You Should Be Reading Now. Cherry Tucker Mysteries (in order): A CHRISTMAS QUICK SKETCH (prequel) PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW HIJACK IN ABSTRACT DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE A COMPOSITION IN MURDER A VIEW TO A CHILL A MOTHERLODE OF TROUBLE Maizie Albright Star Detective series in order: 15 MINUTES 16 MILLIMETERS NC-17 A VIEW TO A CHILL 17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR TREE 18 CALIBER 18 1/2 DISGUISES 19 CRIMINALS (coming soon!) 20 CARATS Finley Goodhart Crime Capers in order: PIG’N A POKE (prequel short story for Larissa's subscribers) THE CUPID CAPER

Carolyn Haines

Author · 55 books

Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.

Karen's novel, Take the Monkeys and Run was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (under the original title of Monkeys in My Trees)and has gone on to be a Kindle bestseller on Amazon. She has written three more books in the Barbara Marr Murder Mystery Series: Citizen Insane, Silenced by the Yams, and Saturday Night Cleaver. When she's not writing, Karen loves gardening and spending time with her family. She is currently working on the release of Keep Me Ghosted, the first book in the new Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance Series, as well as beginning the draft of Kiss Me, Tate, part of the upcoming Barbara Marr spin-off, Love in Rustic Woods Series. Karen loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line at karen.cantwell@yahoo.com. You can also stay in touch by liking her Facebook Page, Karen Cantwell Author Karen's website: Karen's Website Karen's books and short stories: Take the Monkeys and Run (Barbara Marr Murder Mystery #1) Citizen Insane (Barbara Marr MM #2) Silenced by the Yams (Barbara Marr MM #3) Saturday Night Cleaver (Barbara Marr MM #4) The Chronicles of Marr-nia, Short Stories Starring Barbara Marr It's a Dunder-Bull Wife, A Barbara Marr Holiday Tale A Spirited Season, Holiday Tales with a Paranormal Flair Books to be released in 2013: Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance #1) Kiss Me, Tate (Love in Rustic Woods #1) Piper Nash and the Power Police (YA Fantasy) Dead Man Stalking (Barbara Marr MM #5)