Friday, April 13, 2007

Mysterious Moms Getting Mixed Up With Murder

I feel particularly close to author Sara Rosett this week. Sara writes books about moms who get mixed up with murder mysteries. Sounds all too plausible sometimes, eh?

Yes, you may have surmised that Thing One and Thing Two are on Spring Break, so it is All Mom, All the Time. I spent most of the day with four kids at the pool (because if one has a playdate, the other had better) and then went out to lunch, then ice cream (!!!!!) and then came home to deal with lovely microwerveable dinners (all I could manage, but hey, they were Amy's at least). Wait, aren't we supposed to recuperate on break? The only easy part of it is not having to rush to school in the morning.

However, we get to visit puppies tomorrow!



In the meantime, the book is "on ice," I read a page-turner whose ending made me want to hurl it across the room, then hurl into the nearest trash can. I picked up The English Patient next. I think I'll have better luck with that one.

Anyway, mega-welcomes to Sara! Here's some info on her intriguing book!

THE AUTHOR

(in Sara's own words)
I've always wanted to write novels. During elementary school I started dozens of novels, but never finished them. I loved beginnings and interesting settings, but I was a little short on plot! As a kid, I spent a lot of time trying to describe the world around me. Since I lived in the flat plains of Texas the clouds and sunsets became my first (and most frequent) writing exercises. I loved going to the library with my mom when I was a kid. We'd go almost every Saturday and I still remember walking to the children's mystery section and thinking, "Please let there be a Nancy Drew I haven't read." Obviously, this was in the days before the internet and on-line bookstores. I hadn't heard of Inter-library loan either. Once I transitioned to the adult section in the library, I couldn't quite find my niche. It certainly wasn't romance. I knew I'd never be able to write steamy love scenes and suspense didn't quite fit me either.

In college I majored in English and graduated summa cum laude. That's also were I met my husband, an Air Force pilot, and we've been on the move ever since. We've lived in central and southern California, Washington state, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Hopscotching around the country gave me a checkered resume. I've been a credit processor, a staff reporter for two Air Force base newspapers, and a researcher/writer for a travel company. As we moved from one Air Force base to another, I'd hit the base library and local libraries, always searching for a good book. I discovered a new type of fiction was emerging, mysteries with female protagonists who lived in America and did everything from kick-butt PI work to catering. This was a type of fiction I could write. And it had a plot so I could finally get past my opening scenes! I'd found my niche, so after years of thinking and dreaming about writing a novel, I finally decided to give it a try. the Mom Zone Mystery series is the result.

THE BOOK

On her way to see her husband who is with the 52nd Air Refueling squadron, stay-at-home mom Ellie Avery meets her daughter's babysitter Penny Follette. Instead of fading into the woodwork, she is all aglow promising to tell Ellie her secret later. She gives Ellie a bag of chocolate covered coffees beans and she promptly sets it down in the area where the squadron has its drinks and food.

Later that day Ellie receives a phone call from a friend saying that Penny committed suicide. When a stunned Ellie listens to her phone messages, Penny's is full of vigor as she informs her that she is pregnant. Ellie is certain that her friend didn't kill herself as the enthusiasm is too great. A tox screen shows she was poisoned. Georgia, who is part of the squadron, drinks the coffee Ellie left behind and is rushed to the hospital because she was poisoned. Ellie soon becomes a suspect as she is the only link between the two women. Things get worse when she finds a third body, the general's wife who was also murdered. In between poisonings, Ellie is the victim of serious malicious pranks by someone who wants her to turn over "it" to him; since she doesn't know what it is, she begins sleuthing in earnest to prevent anyone else especially her and her family from becoming victim number four.
~Plot Summary by Harriet Klausner

THE PRAISE
Publishers Weekly : The author, also the wife of an air force pilot, includes practical tips for organizing closets, but the novel's most valuable insight is its window into women's lives on a military base.

Romantic Times: Thoroughly entertaining. The author's smooth, succinct writing style enables the plot to flow effortlessly until its captivating conclusion. (Four stars)

Please take a look at Sara's latest book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or do what I do, support your local independent bookseller.