Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys

Book Cover Change Alert! Don't buy this book if you ALREADY bought the version with the pink banners on the top and the bottom. That said...Annie Graceland's a baker with a pinch of psychic ability. She's a midwestern girl who's surviving a divorce while navigating the mean clean streets of L.A. When stressed, Annie's psychic gift/curse kicks into high gear. She's empathic; feels other people's lusts, urges and desires in her own body. Usually it's simple -- someone's craving chocolate, or lusting after the wrong guy. But since Annie discovered she can see and talk with ghosts, her life became a little more complicated. 

Annie's re-entering the dating world and her friends push her to "sex-up" her wardrobe. At Snotsky's Department Store sale, Annie meets and squares off against the world's most obnoxious clerk: Edith Flowers. When Edith's murdered and doesn't pass to the After-Life, Annie agrees to investigate her demise. With Edith's help, Annie infiltrates the crew of Snotsky's suspects. Was the killer the new manager, the archrival in cocktail attire, the bra fitter? Will Annie solve Edith's murder so she can go to the light? Will she find anything new to wear that she can afford? Can Annie resolve her latest debacle before hottie Detective Rafe Campillio finds it odd she keeps showing up at murder scenes?

Bonus: First chapter excerpt from Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys (Next novel in the series.)

ABNA Novel Competition QUARTERFINALIST - 2013!

Publishers Weekly Review:

At the relentless urging of her mother, Annie Graceland, a 30-something soon-to-be-divorced baker living in Los Angeles, heads to her hometown of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, to help judge the first annual Hot Guys competition in this blithe and funny contemporary cozy mystery.... There's a large cast of characters... which includes a smarmy former boyfriend, and a fussy old teacher, but it's Annie who shines in some laugh-out-loud moments, making this novel a pleasant... romp.

NEW BOOK COVER ALERT! Don't buy this book if you already bought the edition with the red and blue striped cover.  That said...

Annie Graceland's a baker with a pinch of psychic ability. She's empathic—can feel other people's lusts and desires in her own body. No biggie if she experiences someone else's cravings for dark chocolate or a foot massage. But Annie's recently acquired a spookier skill—she can see and talk to ghosts. Much to her dismay, they can also talk to her—nagging her incessantly to solve their murders. 

In the third installment of this popular, hilarious mystery series, Annie's happily dating hunky Detective Raphael Campillio in Los Angeles, when her mom signs her up to be a judge at Wisconsin's first annual Hot Guys Contest. Who cares if it's 4th of July weekend with scorching temperatures? It's a free trip home to Wisconsin. She can visit family and friends on someone else's dime. What could possibly go wrong? 

When hometown Hot Guy, Mr. Oconomowoc, is killed and doesn't pass to the Afterlife, he begs Annie to investigate his murder. Now she's not only a pageant judge, but also meddling with suspects that include her former high school rival, an old boyfriend, Hot Guy contestants, a supermodel and a mysterious illegal betting ring. It doesn't help that Detective Jamie Ryan, a boy from Annie's past, is all grown up, sexy as sin, and determined to make her fall for him. 

Annie’s about to discover that going back home could be sweet as frosting or a cake wreck. The temperature's rising at the Hot Guys Contest...

Includes REAL Recipes!!!

As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and a pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all! Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is the first in the Rose Strickland humorous mystery series. Bonus: Includes book club discussion questions.

“Austin’s debut kicks off her planned series by introducing a quirky, feisty heroine and a great supporting cast of characters and putting them through quite a number of interesting twists.” -- Kirkus Reviews

"This traditional mystery captured my attention from the opening pages to the exhilarating finale...this was an enjoyable read in this debut series and I look forward to more adventures with Rose and the gang for years to come." -- Dru Ann Love, The Cozy Chicks Blog

“I predict this will be a long and successful series...I strongly recommend picking a copy up to read this summer. I know I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Five stars out of Five.” -- Lynn Farris, National Mystery Review Examiner at Examiner.com

“What a blast! DINERS, DIVES & DEAD ENDS is a fast-paced mystery loaded with wonderful wit and humor that had me laughing and loving every page. Terri Austin will hook you right away and keep you riveted until The End. I want more!” -- Ann Charles, Award-Winning Author of the Bestselling Deadwood Mystery Series

Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names. She carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade handbag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz high-tails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer.

She's fit to be tied when her police-chief brother shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. Then her long-dead best friend pops in and things really get complicated. When more folks start turning up dead in this small seaside town, Liz must use more than just her wits and charm to keep her family safe, chase down clues from the hereafter, and catch a psychopath before he catches her.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all! Lowcountry Boil is the first book in the Liz Talbot Southern mystery series. Bonus: Includes book club discussion questions.

“Plenty of secrets, long-simmering feuds, and greedy ventures make for a captivating read...Boyer’s chick lit PI debut charmingly showcases South Carolina island culture.” -- Library Journal

"Imaginative, empathetic, genuine, and fun, Lowcountry Boil is a lowcountry delight.” -- Carolyn Hart, Author of What the Cat Saw (October 2013)

“I love this book. And you will too. Witty, droll, clever—and just a tad quirky! This light-hearted and authentically Southern mystery is full of heart, insight, and a deep understanding of human nature. Susan M. Boyer is a fresh new voice in crime fiction!” -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha & Macavity Winning Author of The Other Woman

“Lowcountry Boil avoids caricatured Southerners and pulls the reader in like the draw of a riptide with a keeps-you-guessing mystery full of romance, family intrigue, and the smell of salt marsh on the Charleston coast. A welcome visit home with people you want to know and, in some cases, are glad you aren't related to. A fun summer read!” -- Cathy Pickens, Author of the Southern Fried Mysteries and Charleston Mysteries

“What do you get when you cross a Southern mystery, a ghost of a warning, a love triangle and a savvy protagonist who will stop at nothing? Easy, you get a page turning read—Lowcountry Boil.” -- Donnell Ann Bell, Bestselling Author of The Past Came Hunting

“Lowcountry Boil bubbles with all the ingredients of a great Southern mystery: A feisty firecracker of a main character, a magnolia-scented atmosphere, and pages full of simmering suspense and intrigue.” -- Karin Gillespie, Bestselling Author of The Sweet Potato Queens' First Big-Ass Novel (with Jill Conner Browne) and the Bottom Dollar Girls series

Murder, Lies and Chocolate by Sally Berneathy.

Book 2 of the Death by Chocolate Series.

Rodney Bradford comes into Lindsay's restaurant, offers to buy her small house for double its value, eats her brownies, and drops dead on the sidewalk in front. Then someone breaks into her house and tries to dig up her basement. Next her almost-ex-husband offers to sign the divorce papers, but only if she'll give him her small, old house and take his big, new house instead.

Suddenly everybody wants Lindsay's house. Is there oil under the basement, plans to bring the railroad through, pirate treasure buried in the basement?  A second break-in occurs and causes her cat, King Henry, to launch into full attack mode, taking a few chunks out of the intruder. 

Lindsay enlists the aid of her enigmatic neighbor, Fred, to help solve the mystery while trying to keep her police detective boyfriend, Trent, from getting in their way with his insistence on all those silly cop rules.

On the positive side, sales skyrocket for the special dessert Lindsay calls Murdered Man's Brownies. Prisoners, murderers, crazy relatives and strippers are all part of the chaos in this second book of the Death by Chocolate series.

BONUS! Chocolate recipes at the end of the book. Poison optional.

Former US Army JAG specialist, Faith Hunter, returns to her West Virginia home to work in her grandmothers’ scrapbooking store determined to lead an unassuming life after her adventure abroad turned disaster. But her quiet life unravels when her friend is charged with murder, and Faith inadvertently supplied the evidence.

So Faith decides to cut through the scrap and piece together what really happened. With a sexy prosecutor, a determined homicide detective, a handful of sticky suspects and a crop contest gone bad, Faith quickly realizes if she’s not careful, she’ll be the next one cropped.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all! Cropped to Death is the first in the Faith Hunter Scrap This humorous mystery series. Bonus: Includes book club discussion questions.