Romantic Mystery

It Had to Be You by Delynn Royer

New York City, 1924

Determined to pursue her dream of becoming a crime reporter, heiress Trixie Frank believes she’s off to a running start when she lands a job at the most successful tabloid in Manhattan. Unfortunately, her high hopes fade fast when she’s assigned to the rewrite desk.

Sean Costigan is a demoted homicide detective on the commissioner’s blacklist. The last thing he needs complicating his life is a perky debutante with delusions of becoming the next great American journalist. Too bad she happens to hold one of the keys to solving his latest case, the Central Park murder of a notorious gangster. The other key? Sean’s childhood sweetheart, the victim’s widow, who has gone missing.

Sean soon has more trouble with dames than any good man deserves. But that’s the least of his worries. When he suspects deadly corruption within his own department, it’s not just his and Trixie’s careers that depend on finding the killer. It’s their lives.

Targeted Age Group:: Adult

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
My love of mystery, romance and classic cinema. I’ve been a fan of old movies since I was a teenager, and one of my favorite romantic mystery films is The Thin Man. The dialogue is top-notch and the romantic chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles is playful and fun.

Add to that, I love Manhattan as a setting, and I’ve always been fascinated by the 1920s—the bootleggers, the flappers, the speakeasies, the post-war abandon. It was a combination of all these elements that inspired me to try my hand at creating a sleuthing couple of my own.

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Forgotten by Evelyn Knight

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Bianca Snow just lost her baby and her boyfriend, but she can’t seem to get an old flame out of her head. Will she find him again or will her memories of true passion and love be forgotten?Bianca Snow’s recent miscarriage triggers something inside her she can’t let go. She may not believe she’ll really be loved again, but she knows exactly who and what she wants. The problem is she hasn’t seen or heard from Dash in years. Too distraught and lonely to do much about it, Bianca wanders the streets of New York. What she doesn’t know is that a mysterious stranger is watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal himself.

Targeted Age Group:: 22

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Bianca Snow just lost her baby and her boyfriend, but she can’t seem to get an old flame out of her head. Will she find him again or will her memories of true passion and love be forgotten?Bianca Snow’s recent miscarriage triggers something inside her she can’t let go. She may not believe she’ll really be loved again, but she knows exactly who and what she wants. The problem is she hasn’t seen or heard from Dash in years. Too distraught and lonely to do much about it, Bianca wanders the streets of New York. What she doesn’t know is that a mysterious stranger is watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal himself.

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The Vanished Lady by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson @vickiebrit

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Dana Lawrence doesn’t imagine when she buys the quaint Victorian house in the remote mountains of Colorado that her life will soon be in danger. She has heard the legend of Lelia Glenn and how she vanished in the 1800’s, but no one told her about the more recent disappearance of Amy Walden two years ago.
On the night of her arrival, Dana spies someone digging on her land. The sheriff tells her that on the day Amy disappeared Glenndale’s jewelry store was robbed. Amy’s boyfriend, Donnie Thorpe, is still on the run, and his accomplice, Jed Hoyt, has just been released from prison. Bennett believes a third party masterminded the robbery–her handsome neighbor, Logan Rand.
While Dana tries to beat the thieves to the stolen goods, she uncovers a grave. Threats and attempts on her life follow in rapid succession. Dana must identify the killer before she becomes the next vanished lady.

Targeted Age Group:: General Readership

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Lovely Victorian homes which are painted in multiple layers are often referred to as Painted Ladies. You will find such a house in our newest mystery. Loretta and and I were inspired to write this book after seeing so many of these unique and lovely homes in Denver, Colorado and in the small, neighboring gold mining towns, such as Georgetown. Loretta and I visited and photographed several of these old houses, which provided inspiration for our book about such a house with a secret.

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Dead Girl in a Green Dress by Loucinda McGary @LoucindaMcGary

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Most people consider Mackinac Island a paradise that harkens back to a genteel bygone era. But for Byrony Long, paradise turns into a nightmare when her half-sister Jessica is found dead near Mackinac’s Grand Hotel.

Convinced Jessica was murdered, Byrony hires private investigator Tate Madison to help her find the truth. But the more secrets they uncover, the higher the danger mounts around them. With the killer poised to strike again, will Byrony or Tate be the next victim?

Targeted Age Group:: Adults

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I’d always loved the movie “Somewhere in Time” which is set on Mackinac Island. When I finally got to visit the island myself in 2011 I kept thinking it would make a great setting for a murder mystery, and two years later, I published Dead Girl in a Green Dress.

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The Devil Drinks Coffee by Destiny Ford @AngCorbett

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A cow suicide, a revolving door rescue, and the birth of a bright purple pig are starting to make Kate Saxee wonder if taking a job in her small hometown of Branson Falls, Utah, was such a great idea. As The Branson Tribune editor, Kate covers local news, which, more often than not, involves her accident-prone mom. Nothing truly newsworthy has ever happened in the quiet town until local teen Chelsea Bradford turns up dead in a Branson Falls lake.

The police rule Chelsea’s death an accident, but Kate suspects there’s more to the story—and she’s not the only one. Two of Branson’s most eligible bachelors are determined to help her solve the crime—among other things. But the small town social network is faster than Twitter, and gossip about Kate’s love-life is quickly branding her the Branson Falls hussy.

As Kate learns more about Chelsea, she discovers that plenty of people are trying to cover up the real story behind the girl’s death—including Chelsea’s parents. Now Kate has to juggle work, men, her mom’s most recent disaster involving a low-speed John Deere Combine chase on the freeway, and fend off the Mormons heaven-bent on saving her soul—all while solving Chelsea’s murder. Dealing with this is going to require a lot of coffee, chocolate frosted donuts, Neil Diamond’s greatest hits, and a slew of words not on the town approved imitation swear list.

Targeted Age Group:: 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I wanted to write a funny mystery/romance about living in a small Utah town.

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Mystery Spring Fling: 10 Romantic Mystery Novels by Sibel Hodge

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10 romantic cozy mystery novels by New York Times, USA Today, and National Bestselling authors! Mystery, murder, laughs, romance, and tons of fun!

ALL proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to one local library. To nominate your public, private or school library to receive these much needed-funds, visit gemmahalliday dot com.

This bargain priced collection is available for a limited time only, and includes the FULL LENGTH novels:

CALAMITY JAYNE
by Kathleen Bacus

QUEENIE BABY: ON ASSIGNMENT
by Christina A. Burke

GEMINI MOON
by Maria Grazia Swan

‘SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY
by Leslie Langtry

LIMONCELLO YELLOW
by Traci Andrighetti

FASHION, LIES, AND MURDER
by Sibel Hodge

THE TELL-TALE CON
by Aimee Gilchrist

I SPY DEAD PEOPLE
by Jennifer Fischetto

LUCK BE A LADY
by Gemma Halliday & T.Sue Versteeg

and the novella:

THE CHRISTMAS CURSE
by Wendy Byrne

Targeted Age Group:: 16+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
This is a multi author boxed set in order to raise much needed funds for libraries. ALL proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to one local library.

Deadline to Nominate your library: March 31, 2014

A list of all nominated libraries will be published April 1st, along with a poll to vote for your favorite nominated library.

The library with the most votes at the end of the voting period will receive ALL proceeds from the sale of the Mystery Spring Fling ebook!

Eligible libraries include public libraries, privately funded non-profit libraries, and school libraries!

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