Category Archives: newsletter

Hi, Cozy Readers. It’s raining today in Dallas, and as I’m sitting here at my desk this morning, listening to the drops against the window, I’m feeling grateful for friends, family, and you!

Thank you for your company this year on my list. I hope 2023 wraps up beautifully for you all, and that you have a wonderful 2024.

This year, I couldn’t decide between the flowers in snow stamps or the animals in snow stamps, so I went with both! Now that I’m almost done with the cards I’ll send out, it’s time to get back to writing, and, of course, reading. What are your plans for the rest of the year? I’d love to hear from you!

Sending cozy wishes,
Tammy D. Walker
https://www.tammydwalker.com

If you’re looking to add to your end-of-year to read list, here are a couple titles to discover:

Sauvignon Slaying
by Elizabeth Rain

A Grisly Murder, a Desperate Ghost, and a 100-year-old Secret?

Buying the rundown Vineyard on Spell’s Bay is Verity’s Do-Over. It just needs a little TLC. And maybe a bulldozer.

It’s here in the Magic-Filled town of Veil Falls that she will find out she’s something more than Over-the-Hill and Broke…

According to Honor, her handsome next-door neighbor and resident Vine Warlock, she has a certain gift.

Only a Wine Witch isn’t all she is. When the Naked Ghost on the Chair in her Bedroom starts asking questions, she’s certain she’s ready for the Not so Funny Farm…and determined to get rid of the Curse!

But after her first paying venue goes belly up….and Dead Hostess down, Verity, along with her newly adopted crime-sleuthing kitten Lois, will need to solve the murder quick if she want to get paid and keep the farm.

There’s a load of secrets in this seemingly cozy little town where nothing happens by chance…

 

The Case of the Missing Monkey and other short mystery stories
by Kris Bock

When a monkey goes missing, who’s to blame?

This free collection starts with a ten-page mystery short story set in the world of “The Accidental Detective” series. This is followed by information about the series, plus the first chapter of book 1, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven.

After that are three fun, short stories originally written for children. The Accidental Detective series of humorous contemporary mysteries: War correspondent Kate Tessler has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Join my mailing list (unsubscribe any time) and you’ll also get a sweet romance novella set in the world of my cat café series and “22 Recipes from the Cat Café,” if you like.

Hi, Cozy Readers! Hard to believe it’s already December, isn’t it? 2023 went by too fast (don’t they always?), but it’s been quite a year for me.

In January, my debut cozy mystery, Venus Rising, was published by The Wild Rose Press. In October, I signed the contract for the follow-up, Down to Earth. I also started this mailing list in February, and I’ve been thankful to have you all on this journey with me, whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just signed up!

I’m also grateful for the seemingly small things, too. After a long, scorching summer, we decided to plant roses this fall. The in-ground space we’d picked out wouldn’t work, so we planted them in containers. After traveling for Thanksgiving, we came back to beautiful blooms! Here’s one, a white rose with an old-fashioned, single flower shape.

What surprised you most this year? I’d love to hear your news about 2023!

Sending you cozy wishes,
Tammy D. Walker
https://www.tammydwalker.com

Here are more cozy mysteries and romances to discover:

“AN ELF-ING MESS: Cozy Holiday Short Story” by Donna B McNicol

What is a girl who hates Christmas doing driving to the most holiday-themed town in the state?

Snowflake Falls was located in the coldest, most northern part of the state. Even in the middle of summer, it was rarely warmer than 70 degrees. But when her elderly aunt calls asking for help to run her shop Jolly Goods, Autumn Winter knew she needed to go.

 

 

 

“Cold Cuts and Christmas Cocktails: A Rise and Shine Story” by G B Ralph

Christmas is here, and it’s time to meet the parents…

Will the welcome be as frosty as the weather, or will Gabriel’s new in-laws greet him with open arms? He’s barely had the chance to consider his odds as he’s too focused on braving his boyfriend’s driving.

Arthur’s behind the wheel, and he’s rather distracted. He can’t decide whether he’s more nervous about his boyfriend meeting his parents, or his parents meeting his boyfriend. With so much riding on this dinner, and so many ways it could end in disaster…

Will Arthur and Gabriel survive Christmas in suburbia?

This short story is the final instalment in the Rise and Shine series, set at Christmas after the events of Over and Out. Find out if the boys will have a wonderful evening surrounded by family, or a trying time behind enemy lines – it really could go either way.

 

Come for Coffee With Sally by Alexie Linn

Under the dingy, tattered overalls and threadbare red flannel shirt. Within the gray head that sports a wash-n-wear perky haircut. And inside the barn boots covering two pair of fluffy socks lives a little old lady who is a magnet of mysterious misadventures.

Her name is Sally Newton-Forester. She is better known as Sally the Loner.

These are her stories.

 

 

 

Snow on the Range
by Sofia Aves

Every Christmas, Red Hart Ranch opens their doors, and Montana provides the perfect backdrop for good company and better food. But this year, the table won’t be as full.

Eve Beaumont is a twin heir to Red Hart Ranch. She loves the land, loves the people, and will do anything for them. Christmas sees most of the ranch hands return to their own homes to celebrate. Only a few long term cowboys remain with the family.

When Eve and her brother Trav go into town to collect supplies, they each bring home a drifter for Christmas. Rhys Archer and Simon Haldon are as different as two cowpokes can be. One rough edged who can work the land and animals with a firm hand; the other a smooth talker with a devilish charm. Eve finds both men attractive against her better judgement, but when tragedy hits the ranch, romance is the last thing on her mind.

Vandalisms happen around the ranch, and Eve isn’t sure who she can trust. She knows neither man is who he pretends to be — but when no one listens to her, she has to prove her suspicions on her own.

Hi, Cozy Readers! As the year winds down, I’m still busy in my garden. The pansies my kids and I just put in are thriving, and we’ve got new roses that we’ve decided to put in larger containers.

I’m also thinking gardening because I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for my second mystery with them, a follow up to Venus Rising. Down to Earth takes us back to Amy Morrison’s hometown in Dawville, Texas, to her sister’s farm:

Stacey Hengesbach has enough to worry about with a pecan harvest, festival preparations, and a daughter who’s eager to leave their tiny hometown all needing her attention. So when a radio antenna tower falls, seriously injuring its owner, she’s willing to believe it’s an accident like everyone else in the county does, including the sheriff. But then another antenna tower falls, this time on her best friend’s cafe while they’re inside. With the help of her family, friends old and new, and the local ham radio club, Stacey races to solve the mystery of the falling antennas before another one comes crashing down.

I’ll keep you posted about covers, publication date, and availability.

I’d love to hear your good news, too! What do you have planned for November?

Sending cozy wishes,

Tammy D. Walker

https://www.tammydwalker.com

Here are more cozy mysteries to discover:

The Temp Jobs Cozy Mysteries: Books 1-3 by K.B. Blake

Temp Jobs Can Be Murder!

Death Behind the Dumpster – Book One

Attacked in the Aisles – Book Two

Poisoned by the Pool – Book Three

Murder—unlike her job—isn’t temporary.

 

 

Sting of Lies by Carol Potenza

Can solving a mysterious poisoning save her career? Oh, and lead her to a long-lost buried treasure? Wait. AND thrust her into the arms of true love?

Ice Age paleontologist and poisons expert Myrna P. Lee isn’t a team player. Not because she doesn’t want to be. She’s just terrible at it. At least, that’s what every one in her lab says. Even her dog, the amazing William Tell, gives her attitude.

Maybe she has a hard time trusting because of past betrayals by people she’s loved the most.

If you like stubborn smart heroines afraid to love, rugged cowboys with slow and sexy smiles who get caught in their own web of seduction, and a small dog who surprises the heck out of people when he’s picked up, then you’ll love Sting of Lies.

 

The Seaside Murder Before Christmas by Shannon Symonds

This year, Christmas in Esther and Sophie’s beach town is anything but jolly.

Despite enjoying the Parade of Lights, cutting fresh Christmas trees, and eating delicious treats, murder has darkened the Christmas spirit in Necanicum.

With all the strange goings on, Sophie and Esther take seasonal jobs at the newest business in town: a books and bakery shop. But when someone starts killing the competition at another bookstore, the girls know they must find answers before Santa comes to town.

Was it the bad boy baker with the wrench in the library? Or was it the new school principal with the Christmas cookies by the fire?

Make room for some old-fashioned traditions and sleuthing as Sophie and Esther race to solve the mystery before this Christmas becomes someone’s last chapter.

Hi, Cozy Readers! October is a favorite around here, and I’m so looking forward to carving pumpkins with my family and taking long walks in the cooler weather. It’s also a great month for curling up with a cozy read. Check out a few options listed below!

As always, I’d love to hear what you’re up to this month!

Sending you cozy wishes,
Tammy D. Walker
https://www.tammydwalker.com

 

More Cozy Reads to Explore:

AND THEN There Were Feathers: A Small Town Cozy Murder Mystery
by Peyton Stone

Having inherited her grandmother’s library, Luci thought it would be a great escape from corporate life…little did she know that the (now) deadly mystery section is where the bodies show up.

 

 

In the Beginning, There Was a Murder: An Amateur Female Sleuth Historical Cozy Mystery
by P.C. James

A secret liaison. A baffling murder. Can one woman solve the crime without joining the body count?

 

 

 

 

The Poisoned Clergyman
by EL Johnson

Poppy adores Constable Dyngley, but he is engaged. When his fiancée hires Poppy to clear her name, can Poppy put her jealousy aside?

Welcome to book two in the exciting new series The Perfect Poison Murders from bestselling author E.L. Johnson!

Hi, Cozy Readers! I’m back after a busy summer, and I’m happy to report that the weather is finally cooling off a bit here in Dallas. I hope your summer is going well!

While most of our garden gave up in the heat, the sunflowers continued to shine.

Just like the sunflowers persevered through the heat (and the times I forgot to water them–oops!), I’ve had to push through problems with plotting to get my writing to bloom. You can read more about that in my post over at Ladies of Mystery.

This fall, I’m working on finishing up The Wing of a Bee, the first novella in a new cozy mystery series, Butterfield’s Boutique and Computer Repair. I’d love to hear what you’ve got planned for the season!

I’m planning on reading more–of course. You’ll find more mysteries to discover below!

Sending you cozy wishes,

Tammy D. Walker

https://www.tammydwalker.com

Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder (A Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Book 1)

by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.

Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder?

Murder on Boston Common: A Plot Twist Cozy Mystery (Massachusetts Cozy Mystery)

by Andrea Kress

She’s rich and bored. This homicide has no motive. Determined to get to the truth, can she solve the murder before she’s next?

Boston, 1933. Amanda Burnside yearns for more. Dutifully hitting the social scene and volunteering for charity, the young former debutante is delighted to be dating a doctor yet wishes for excitement. But she wasn’t expecting a stroll on Boston Common with her beau to end with the discovery of a dead body.

Shocked by the experience, Amanda ignores her parents’ wishes and resolves to follow the clues to uncover the perpetrator. But with shady characters, ruthless bootleggers and wily politicians all fighting to keep the details buried, the plucky amateur sleuth fears the answers may land her in the morgue.

Can Amanda unmask a murderer without becoming the next victim?

Perfect Plate of Poison by Rose Malone

Mary Hogan left her high-powered law career in Boston when she inherited the quaint Emerald Inn, a german shepherd and persian cat, from her beloved psychic aunt. Living on the idyllic island and running a successful inn and catering business is her dream. And, Perfect Plate Catering is a huge success. So, what could possibly go wrong? Well, how about murder, for starters!

Mary’s food and wine pairing event takes a deadly turn when a prominent local has a sudden and tragic reaction to shellfish. There is only one problem. She didn’t use any seafood in her dishes.

Now, Mary with the help of her friends—furry and human and maybe even otherworldly—must navigate her way through the secrets hidden deep underneath Martha’s Vineyard’s charm. What she uncovers is jealousy, lies, and someone willing to kill to protect themselves.

Can she solve a murder, save her catering business, and clear her name? Or will she end up losing everything? Maybe even her own life…

Ginny Jomes and the Stolen Cabbage Caper

by Bebe Steiner

The annual Alaska State Fair. A missing world record-breaking cabbage. An innocent man charged. A humorous Alaskan cozy mystery.

Can amateur sleuth Ginny Jomes, that’s Jomes with an M., and her Moose Peak Mavens find the real thief of the record-breaking cabbage and save Charlie Townsend? Follow Ginny, the Mavens and her trusty mini Dachshund on the hunt from the Alaska State Fair to Owl Creek Farm as they search for the truth. After all, how much trouble can a quartet of sixty-something women get into?

Hello, Cozy Reader!  There’s still time to enter A Cozy Mystery Beach Giveaway and win a cozy mystery prize pack: https://aconitecafe.com/acozymysterybeachgiveaway/

How has your June gone so far?  This month has been a busy one, and it’s only half over!  Taking a family road trip, upgrading my ham radio license, and starting my summer teaching have all kept me busy.  How about you?  Is summer busier for you than the rest of the year?  Or do you slow down as the days heat up?

Wishing you all good reads, cool drinks (like my favorite, iced tea!), and wonderful times,

Tammy D. Walker

Home

Hi, Cozy Readers! It’s June, and that means it’s beach reads season! What are your favorite cozy beach reads?

In the spirit of the summer season, I’ve got my iced tea, a good book, and a giveaway to link to share! Enter A Cozy Mystery Beach Giveaway, and you can win a cozy mystery prize pack: https://aconitecafe.com/acozymysterybeachgiveaway/

Wishing you good weather and happy reading,
Tammy D. Walker
https://www.tammydwalker.com/

Here are more mysteries to check out:

“The Death of Hope” by Lou Collins

Family can be murder!
A Scolaris Short Mystery

When Ted’s daring plan to put an end to his father’s brutish ways backfires, Dad ends up dead, and he’s not the only one.

To make matters worse, the local guard arrests his defenseless sister for the crime, ignoring the never-ending list of suspects with a motive.

Sleuth along as Ted uncovers secrets buried in his family’s past to unmask a murderer and save the only family he has left.

 

Pies and Pilfering: Deep Fried Revenge Prequel by Karen McSpade

Taking a bite out of crime never tasted so sweet!  When a local widower’s prize-winning Peonies and famous Imperial Lemon Pie disappear faster than a hot knife through butter, undercover detective Piper Sandstone and her crime-fighting gal pals, the Dentures and Diamonds Crime Squad, must weed out a criminal before it’s too late.

But with a mysterious newcomer lurking around the small town and the thefts escalating, the ladies are left scratching their heads and wondering if they’re dealing with a garden-variety criminal or a mastermind thief.

As Piper digs deeper into the case, she must maintain her cover and avoid the handsome sheriff’s scrutiny. With the Rose Cup competition around the corner, the pressure is on to solve the case and return the stolen goods. Can Piper and her squad solve the case before the thief strikes again?

Filled with humor, friendship, and crime-solving fun, Pies and Pilfering, a culinary cozy mystery prequel to the Deep Fried Revenge series, will leave you ready for seconds! Join Piper and the ladies on their latest escapade and discover why readers are hooked on this hilarious and heartwarming series.

Murder at the Festival by Dani Simms

Back in her hometown, city girl Avery Parker is finally settling in after her husband’s sudden passing.

The town is abuzz with the annual wine festival and Avery is amped to show off Le Blanc Cellars’ newest release. But between pours of their famed Chenin Blanc, a lifeless body is found.

A curious gray stone clutched in the cold grip of a dead tourist intrigues the locals, and no one expects his death would be ruled a murder.

Driven by empathy for the dead man’s widow, Avery pieces together the puzzle and unearths a scandal larger than she could ever have imagined.

As long as she doesn’t get in her own way, Avery might bring justice for a tourist’s untimely demise. That is, unless she becomes a victim herself.

With more twists than the vines at Le Blanc Cellars, Murder at the Festival will have readers guessing this whodunit.

Wine pairings and irresistible recipes included!