Ms America and the Offing on Oahu - Beauty Queen Mysteries No. 1

“Superfab fun mystery” … “A giggle a minute” … “Happy might be the next Stephanie Plum!”

So say readers of the debut mystery in the Ms America series, MS AMERICA AND THE OFFING ON OAHU. Now beauty queen and budding sleuth Happy Pennington returns, this time to gaudy, garish Las Vegas …

When Happy pulls bridesmaid duty for pageant-wear purveyor Sally Anne Gibbons, the last thing she expects to find at the altar is a corpse. But at these over-the-top nuptials that’s what she gets: a dead best man and a groom who just might be the killer.

Sometimes it seems everybody in Sin City has a secret, from the cocktail waitress trying to land a reality-show gig to the silver-haired cougar with a penchant for blackjack dealers. Maybe hunky pageant emcee Mario Suave is hiding something, too: like the hots for everybody’s favorite beauty queen ...

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Author Diana Dempsey never competed in beauty pageants but she did the next best thing: she worked in TV news. After a dozen years as an Emmy-winning anchor and reporter, Diana hung up her mic to become an author of fast, fun romantic fiction.

Her novels have been called “almost impossible to put down” (Romance Reviews Today), “skillfully plotted and filled with realistic detail” (Library Journal), and “spicy, sexy, and sultry” (Booklist). Her first novel was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book by Romance Writers of America; another was a Top Pick of Romantic Times; a third was a selection of the Doubleday Book Club.

“This is one of those books that you don’t want to put down …” Romantic Times

Winemaker Gabby DeLuca is back in gorgeous Napa Valley, nursing a broken heart and doing her best to create wonderful vintages she can be proud of. Then hotshot financier Will Henley appears on the scene, prowling for an acquisition. Will could be big trouble—for Gabby’s heart as well as her winery. Or his ingenious proposition just might prove to be the best deal of both their lives ...

Diana Dempsey’s novels have been called “almost impossible to put down” (Romance Reviews Today), “skillfully plotted and filled with realistic detail” (Library Journal), and “spicy, sexy, and sultry” (Booklist). Her first novel was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book by the Romance Writers of America; another was a Top Pick of Romantic Times; and a third was a selection of the Doubleday Book Club.

Known for page-turning romantic novels that keep you reading late into the night, Diana Dempsey delivers a suspenseful tale about a man and a woman who must shed the past to embrace the future …

Annette Rowell’s latest novel is leapfrogging up the bestseller lists, and with every surge in sales she’s becoming more of a household name. The literary success she’s struggled so hard for would be a dream come true were it not for the killer preying on bestselling authors.

Reid Gardner hosts a syndicated crime show dedicated to capturing the most dangerous fugitives. The former LAPD cop knows only too well how violence can shatter lives. No victim arouses his ardor more than the pretty brunette author who’s become the target of a psychopath. Yet falling in love with her could cost him not only the reputation he’s spent years building, but the one killer who forever eludes him …

Diana Dempsey’s novels have been called “almost impossible to put down” (Romance Reviews Today), “skillfully plotted and filled with realistic detail” (Library Journal), and “spicy, sexy, and sultry” (Booklist). Her first novel was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book by the Romance Writers of America; another was a Top Pick of Romantic Times; and a third was a selection of the Doubleday Book Club.

The summer's off to a sweltering start, and one of her best clients has just up and moved--leaving a big chunk of free time in Charlotte's normally hectic schedule. But the empty spot on Charlotte's client list is soon filled by gardening enthusiast Mimi Adams. Mimi's planning to host the next meeting of the tony Horticultural Heritage Society--and she wants Charlotte to be there.

Charlotte's not sure what to expect. Some gardening chat, sure; lots of good gossip, definitely--but these ladies have their claws out. There's talk of extra-marital affairs (did Mimi really sleep with her friend Rita's husband?) and a bitter argument over the club's presidential election (Mimi won--but was it rigged?) A few days later, Mimi's dead. The doctor says she was poisoned. But who planted it, and where? Was it in the bitter brownies Mimi munched at the meeting? Or in the red wine she sipped later? From Mimi's resentful "friends" and neighbors to her scheming husband, Charlotte has a whole plot full of suspects to weed through. . .so she'd better start digging. . .

Praise for the Tea Series: I got a copy of the last book first, and just had to get the rest of the series. As the title implies, these were fun reads and had just enough intrique and mystery to keep you reading, long after you should have turned off the light and gone to sleep. Loved the main character...perky, sassy, and quirky enough to be believable as the girl next door. – Nonna

The characters in the Tea Series are people you'd like to know and part of a family that welcomes you with open arms. More than 150,000 copies of the books in this series have been sold. You will find that each book in the series is a fast and fun read. Each installment is a hybrid of the traditional novel and the serial novel (each book is a full-length novel and leads directly into the next book - the series is best when read in order.)

The First Four – The Tea Series is a bundled set of the first four books of the Tea Series.

Hot Tea -- Cara O'Flynn finds herself in an unusual position. She's quit her job and can afford to take a few weeks to find a new one, plus, her roommate has run off and left her with an empty room to fill. If she can just accomplish those two tasks before her mother finds out she has no income and no one to help pay the bills, she will be in good shape.

The problem - Cara didn't plan for three careers in as many days nor did she anticipate the new guys that dropped in her lap. And then there's her sister Teagan, always helpful and funny, she can be a bit annoying at times.

When you are Irish, all things (good and bad) come in threes. It's inevitable. Cara should have remembered not to forget that part.

Cara and Teagan bring laughter, intelligence and family tradition to every experience then encounter.

Sweet Tea - Cara and Teagan are dealing with wishes come true. The good news is that each of them has found the man of their dreams, unfortunately this is not news easily broken to their traditional mother. Further complicating their lives, they find themselves in the middle of a serial murder investigation; worse still, Cara may have come to the attention of the murderer.

With their lives spinning slightly out of control, some of it good, some of it not, Cara and Teagan depend on each other, humor, their family and their not so common sense, to keep them going.

Iced Tea - Cara and Teagan are dealing with wishes gone awry. The serial murderer, if there is one, is still out there. The new guys are supportive, as is the family, but Cara and Teagan don't want the people they love most in danger. Knowing there is a serial murderer in your sphere of influence is disorienting. What you do has consequences, but that doesn't mean you see them in advance.

The crazy cop is around more than ever. There is a wedding to be planned and although Cara has always been the organizer of the family, she's not even kept in the loop.

Life has been spinning out of control for some time and now it's up to Cara and Teagan to put it to rights.

Green Tea - Cara and Teagan are more determined than ever, but determination without focus doesn't get you very far.

There's a wedding just days away. A time to celebrate and enjoy family and tradition, but Cara keeps her distance as situations outside of her control threaten her in ways she is just beginning to recognize. Things are changing quickly and Cara needs to come to terms with the fact that one of the people she loves most may not be around much longer.

Cara and Teagan finally get to the bottom of one mystery, only to find another much closer to home.

The First Four – The Tea Series is approximately 276,000 words and is now professionally edited and formatted.

“Wow! In TO CATCH THE MOON, Ms. Dempsey’s talent shines with vibrant characters in a fluid narrative rich in detail. Events move quickly with ever increasing tension to a satisfying conclusion … “ The Romance Readers Connection

Star prosecutor Alicia Maldonado needs a high-profile case to rev up her career, and gets it when a candidate for California governor is murdered. Charismatic TV reporter Milo Pappas shows up to cover the nation’s top story – only to find himself even more intrigued by the beautiful assistant D.A. than by the courtroom drama.

Ethics demand that Alicia and Milo keep their relationship strictly professional. But that’s easier said than done when passion ignites …

REVIEWS: “As a reader, it is always a treat to find a ‘new to me’ author to add to my ‘must buy’ list and Ms. Dempsey is definitely among the top of that list!” Melissa Freeman, The Romance Readers Connection

“Diana Dempsey creates realistic and memorable characters, complete with flaws, that you can really root for; then she puts them into trouble so terrible you can’t figure out how they’ll ever triumph … This is an author to watch.” Books for a Buck

“I look forward to reading more from this talented author. TO CATCH THE MOON is a suspense novel of the highest order and is a must buy.” Diana Risso, Romance Reviews Today

This full-length novel was originally published by Penguin’s New American Library, and was a Top Pick of Romantic Times.

Legal secretary Carol Frank is great at her job, even if she must cope daily with the extreme quirks of her obsessive-compulsive boss, Bill Nestor. Attorney Bill produces wills and other estate documents for his clients, many of whom are elderly widows who, for some mysterious reason, later commit suicide. Or do they? Carol takes notice of the high mortality rate of Bill's clients when a criminally attractive detective comes to the office asking questions. Though at first her interest in the case is purely an interest in the detective, she begins to suspect that there is something more going on with Bill's client list than customer service.

Revealing a conspiracy while navigating the waters of office politics isn't covered in the company policy handbook, and Carol must find answers to some hard questions. Is it acceptable to work for a killer, as long as he's polite? Do kinky sex games with a detective signify underlying psychoses, or just that she's easy? Does a secretary have to get pre-approved paid-time-off in order to run for her life? When one is attacked at the office, does destruction of clothing count as a tax write-off? These and many other murder, romance and filing dilemmas will be tackled in My Boss is a Serial Killer.