Today is a special excerpt from the mystery novel, Ladle to the
Grave, by Connie Archer.
During her virtual book tour, Connie will be awarding a $20 Amazon or
Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner.
To be entered for a chance to win, use
the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
A little
bit about the author:
Connie
Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series
from Penguin Random House (Berkley Prime Crime). A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth
of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge
and Ladle to the Grave are set in the
imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont. A
Clue in the Stew will be released in April 2016. Connie was born and raised
in New England and now lives on the other coast.
A little
bit about the book:
By
the Spoonful is Snowflake, Vermont’s most popular soup shop, but owner Lucky
Jamieson doesn’t have any time to enjoy her success—she’s too busy trying to
keep a lid on false accusations against her loved ones…
It’s almost May, and
some of the local ladies have organized a pagan celebration in the woods to
welcome spring. But the evening goes terribly wrong when one of the attendees
winds up dead, apparently poisoned by an herbal concoction prepared by Lucky’s
grandfather, Jack.
Lucky’s sure her
grandfather could not have made such a tragic mistake. But before she can clear
him of suspicion, her best friend, Sophie, is diverted from planning her
wedding to By the Spoonful chef Sage DuBois when she finds a dead man floating
in the creek on her property. Now it’s up to Lucky to get both Sophie and Jack
out of hot water before a killer stirs up more trouble…
Recipes included!
Excerpt from Ladle to the Grave:
When Lucky reached Jack’s front
porch, she was dismayed to see the windows dark. She heard thumps and banging
and Jack’s voice crying out. He was inside, somewhere in the dark.
Jack knew it was happening again. He
couldn’t block out the screams. The boat was rising and falling in the sea. The
water was purple with blood. A hand reached up from the dark waters. Jack
grasped it and held on with all his strength. Then a quick glimpse of a shark’s
fin, and the man was gone. He was holding a disembodied arm. All around him
were the cries of men being torn to pieces. Jack sobbed. He couldn’t help them,
no matter how quick he was, no matter how strong. He wasn’t fast enough to save
them.
Lucky pushed the door open and
called Jack’s name. His moans were louder now. He had barricaded himself in the
bathroom in an effort to control the memories. The sound of shattering glass
came from within. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a small knife from the
wooden block next to the stove. Just as she slid the edge of the blade into the
doorframe, a heavy thud hit the door and Lucky fell back in shock, the knife
falling from her hands. Her heart was racing. She pushed the knife into the
doorjamb again and finally the lock released.
Jack was slumped on the floor in a
small pool of blood. Broken glass was everywhere. He was lost in his nightmare.
“It’s okay now, Jack. You’re home. You’re
safe.”
He looked into her eyes, confused.
“Lucky?”
“You had a spell, but you’re okay
now.”
Tears spilled down Jack’s face. “I’m
sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. Everything’s
going to be all right now.” She prayed her words would make it true.
27 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for the chance to win, love the book :)
What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Thank you for the great excerpt and giveaway!
This was really a wonderful and exciting excerpt.
Really enjoyed the excerpt.
I loved the excerpt, thank you. Sounds like a great book!
Really great post - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the giveaway!
rounder9834 @yahoo.com
Thanks so much for hosting me, Lisa! I hope everyone gets to visit the village of Snowflake soon. Good luck to everyone!
I really enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you.
What was your favourite book growing up?
Hi everyone! I'll try to respond to all in this comment.
Mai asked what's the most unusual thing you've every eaten? Mai, I guess I'd have to say octopus. I'm not very experimental when it comes to food, like people who try tarantulas in Thailand, that sort of thing. But I didn't really like octopus. It was chewy, rubbery and I couldn't look at those suckers on the tentacles.
And to answer Helen's question, it would have to be Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock, I think that was the title. Always loved mysteries!
Thank you too to Lisa, Judy, MomJane, Becky, Betty, Victoria, Rita Thomas and Ree for visiting!
Thank you for replying! Another question. Was it difficult becoming a published author?
Hi Patrick ~ thanks for stopping by! Very best of luck!
Hi Helen ~ in response to your question: It is definitely not an easy thing to accomplish, and probably everyone who's traditionally published would say that. But on the plus side, it can happen in any number of ways. I think every writer has a unique story. In my case, it sort of came sideways. I was very fortunate. With the first book I wrote (in another series) I was able to find a wonderful agent. Unfortunately this book did not sell, so I had to put it aside for a while. In the meantime, the opportunity to write this series came through my agent. If you're interested in being published yourself, I would suggest studying the Writers Market reference book and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published (a wonderful book that lays out the process, nuts and bolts). I hope this answers your question. Best of luck, Helen!
Thanks so much Connie,
I've always been interested in writing, and have tried my hand at it. I think I found the 'after' process fairly daunting though. Thank you for the ideas for books to read that might help me :).
I'm glad I was able to help, Helen. It can seem daunting, I agree. When I started, I knew nothing at all about the publishing business, but like any other endeavor, there is a path. You'll learn to write a query letter, check the agent's website for what they're looking for, etc. and don't be put off by rejection. Keep plugging until you hit the right person. Good luck!
Thank you!
A different question this time :) - If you could be any character in a book, who would it be?
Oh, did I not answer this, Helen. Maybe Nancy Drew, or better yet, Kinsey Millhone from the Alphabet series!
Oh sorry, yes you did. I missed that! I loved Nancy Drew, but don't know Kinsey Millhone. Will look her up!
When was your first big break as an author? And how did you celebrate? :)
I guess my first big break was a letter from my agent saying she was "intrigued by my proposal" and to please send the complete manuscript. I sent the manuscript immediately, and fully expected a rejection letter. Instead, I received a contract to sign! Did I celebrate? Well, I jumped up and down and was very excited, but I spent the next months waiting to hear if it sold to a publisher. It didn't. Not that one. But I still haven't given up on it. It may yet sell. Persistence, Helen!!!
Yes persistence is key! I have to say, being an author sounds very much like being on a roller coaster with the ups and downs!
LOL! Yes, that about sums it up. Good luck, Helen!
Thank you :)
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