Robbing the Races

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A 1940s Fairytale-Inspired Mystery

The Legend of Locksley might just get Robin and Marian killed.

Robin Locke’s career as a jockey is far more successful than he ever expected. When a groom is found dead in the stables, Robin sets out to right the wrongs of Locksley. Unfortunately, Robin’s rival is dead set on proving him guilty!

Marian Silvers sets out to find a once in a lifetime story that will ensure her career as a reporter withstands the masochistic attitudes of the paper where she works. As she and Robin dig into the groom’s murder, she finds another side to the legend of Locksley…a side he would prefer stay hidden forever.

While the murderer wreaks havoc in their small town, Marian and Robin find that all is not as it seems. And then they become the next targets. They just need to evade the killer long enough to bring him to justice… and perhaps find love along the way.

This 1940s Robin Hood retelling features swapped character roles and a race against the clock

Available on:
Cover Artists:
Chautona Havig, Joshua Markey

Genres:
Fairytale Retelling, Historical Mystery

Excerpt:

Pre-order the ebook copy now to receive the discounted pre-order price of $2.99 HERE OR

Pre-order the paperback copy for 30% off plus free shipping. Just fill out the form HERE

Both come with a special pre-order gift of a special letter from a character in the story that will give a special insight only those with the gift will get to see! Click HERE to claim your gift with purchase.

A Vanishing Act

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A 1940s Fairytale-Inspired Mystery

On screen they’re a darling duo, but it’s a whole different story backstage.

Hollywood legend Kent Selwood isn’t happy sharing the limelight with rising star Stella Sanders. Tired of Stella’s drama, Kent makes it clear—he wants Stella gone.

Seamstress Bonnie Roseland is practically invisible to everyone at the studio, except for slick actor, Jerry Jackson. He’s the one man she wishes would leave her alone. Her deep-rooted faith helps her see beyond the glitz and glamor to the broken realities and dysfunctional atmosphere at the studio. She sometimes wonder if God has a purpose for her there or if she should just move on.

When the studio receives blackmail letters, Kent’s attitude makes him the prime suspect, and he’s swiftly banished from the lot, despite insisting that he’s been framed. Only Bonnie believes him, and she’s confident she knows who the real culprit is.

But when a ransom note arrives after Stella goes missing and evidence is discovered that clearly implicates Kent, will Bonnie help him uncover the truth in time to save his career… and Stella’s life?

Available on:
Cover Artists:
Chautona Havig, Joshua Markey

Genres:
Fairytale Retelling, Historical Mystery

Excerpt:

Pre-order the ebook copy now to receive the discounted pre-order price of $2.99 HERE OR

Pre-order the paperback copy for 30% off plus free shipping. Just fill out the form HERE

Both come with a special pre-order gift of a special letter from a character in the story that will give a special insight only those with the gift will get to see! Click HERE to claim your gift with purchase.

A Giant Murder Audiobook

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Would you like a shot of death with that, sir?

Josephine Jacobs was just doing her job, serving at an exclusive party - so, why is she now being accused of shooting TG Taggert?

At a party full of suspects in the murder of Taggert, Josie served the food giant everything but an eternally “parting shot.” Who really killed TG Taggert? His wife? His son, Jack? What about Harper Davis? Rumor has it, she was having an affair with him - motive for her or Taggert’s wife! The list of those who seemed to hate him keeps growing, including a chemist and a chef!

With her long-time friend, Office Porter O’Brien, Josie sets out to clear her name, and find out who really killed “the giant".

Find out in this next audiobook in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. A Giant Murder offers a re-telling of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, with enough clues and suspects to keep you looking over your shoulder. We’d recommend Kevlar....but it hasn’t been invented yet!

Published:
Cover Artists:
Chautona Havig, Joshua Markey

Genres:
Audiobooks, Fairytale Retelling

Excerpt:

A Troll Falls

Posted on by celebratelitpublishing

A 1940s Fairytale-Inspired Mystery

Murder. Even the word sounds ugly. Almost as ugly as the corpse on the shore.

Dallas, Texas, 1948

Opal Stedman enjoys caring for old Mrs. Farnesworth. But keeping her sister Ruby out of trouble, well that is another issue entirely. Especially now that Ruby has stepped into high society with her new beau. A dubious man. Maybe even duplicitous.

Even the handsome security guard warns her sister about him.

When a body is dragged onto the shore of the lake that borders their home, rumors and worries over the new man become assurances. But why has he involved her household in these gruesome shenanigans?

And why are Opal’s loved ones suddenly having “accidents”?

Loosely based on the little-known fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red” this mystery twists its way all along the banks of White Rock Lake during its heyday.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Chautona Havig, Joshua Markey

Genres:
Fairytale Retelling, Historical Mystery

Excerpt:
Reviews:Betti on Amazon wrote:

A body found in the lake, a mysterious push that almost caused a drowning, a note that brings more questions than answers and more will keep you wondering through this retelling of a fairy tale from many years ago. Opal Stedman had many reasons to fear but even more reasons to leave it all in the most capable hands of the Lord. Ruby, her sister, was spending time with a questionable man - another thing for Opal to be concerned about. White Rock Lake outside of Dallas, TX became the setting for this mystery.

An early copy of this book was received through CelebrateLit Publishing and BookFunnel. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

Jesse on Amazon wrote:

A Troll Falls had the Suspense, intriguing and captivating story line to keep you involved and wanting more. I really enjoyed reading about a local area I know in Dallas.
Grab you a copy and a comfy sit and be taken back in time.


A Ransomed Grete

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A 1930's Fairytale

October 1939—What happens when you run from danger… and into a trap?

After the Anschluss, Austria becomes a place its citizens don’t recognize—especially its Jewish citizens. Whispers ripple through Jewish communities—whispers about a chalet where a woman protects Jewish children from discovery. She’ll keep them safe, fed, and far away from Nazis.

Parents are forced to make horrific decisions. Send their children away to safety, possibly never seeing them again, or keep their families together and risk their children’s lives?

Hans Hartmann arrives at the chalet with a chip on his shoulder and a little girl in tow. He found Grete waiting at the train station. Alone. But life at Chalet Versteck feels more ominous than the streets of Vienna. Children sometimes vanish, and before Hans can figure out what’s happening, a high-ranking officer appears—and is killed.

It’s a race to find out who killed the man and get himself (and probably that pesky Grete) out!

A Ransomed Grete is the bridge book between the 1920s and 1940s Ever After Mysteries, combining fairy tales with mysteries.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Chautona Havig, Joshua Markey

Genres:
Fairytale Retelling, Historical Mystery

Excerpt:
Reviews:LuC on Amazon wrote:

Once again, Chautona Havig turns an impossibly difficult topic-Jewish parents in 1939 Austria, sending their children away in an attempt to keep them safe from Nazis- into a story of hope and redemption. A Ransomed Grete centers on two children, Hans and Grete, who are sent to Chalet Versteck by their mothers, who heard about a woman who would keep them safe. If the whispers from locals are to be believed, however, Hans and Grete’s adventure will be a perilous one.
On a personal note, this was a difficult book to review. Jewish families, frantic to keep their children safe from Nazis. Citizens forced into situations on threat of death. Deception and murder. Not easy to read, let alone write a review about! But here I am, trying, and knowing I’m not doing justice to Chautona Havig’s excellent work. Why? Because through the darkness, there’s a flicker of hope. Little acts of kindness where you’d not expect them. Bravery from some perceived as weak. And lessons taught by mothers that come back to their children in times of need. It’s that flicker of hope that runs through this book that’ll keep you reading, too. I absolutely recommend this book.


Slashed Canvas

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Ever After Mysteries

Held prisoner by all she’s lost, Katarina’s about to lose all she has.

Grand Duchess Katarina Volstova barely escaped the Russian revolution, arriving in Paris just before the birth of her twin daughters. With her heart still captive in her homeland, she haunts the Louvre each day, spending hours gazing at one painting, lost in her pain.

Not the man he once was, Timothy Smythe never returned home to England after the Great War. Instead, he hides himself away doing maintenance in the Louvre and watching the beautiful woman whose pain seems riveted on one painting.

When Katarina returns home to find her daughters and their nanny missing, the loss opens her eyes to all she has to lose now.

Frantic to find her girls, her distress causes Timothy to offer his assistance. Together they put together clues to a puzzle they must complete before the kidnapper ensures Katarina and her daughters are never reunited.

Slashed Canvas offers a retelling of The Lost Princess that mingles self-centered grief, spoiled little girls, and proof that nothing will stop a mother from saving her children.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Joshua Markey

Genres:
Historical

Excerpt:
Reviews:JenniferKbooks on Amazon wrote:

I always look for Liz Tolsma’s books because she is a wonderful storyteller. In this short space of 150 pages, Tolsma has created historical fiction with intrigue, suspense and romance. I appreciated the historical research regarding both the French and Russian cultures and histories. Her characters were interesting, complex and stretched by their circumstances. The part that impressed me the most was the lessons regarding love, grief, and restoration. This tale is the perfect length if you have only a short time to read but beware it is hard to put down!


The Nutcracker’s Suite

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Ever After Mysteries

“Time to dance, sugarplum.”

When mob king, Mario Topo’s, enforcer goes missing after a body is found in his hotel suite, the race is on. Police and mobsters alike are after Nicolo Natale, and he who finds Nicolo first might determine the enforcer’s fate.

A painter at the Meyer’s Toys factory, Clara Stahl, knows something is strange about the way so many men come and go through Mr. Myer’s office. Curiosity overcomes prudence, and just as she discovers the reason, Nicolo discovers her, and one of Topo’s men discovers them both.

A race through the city, a new friend… or more… a new life in the offing. Nicolo and Clara must find who killed Topo’s man and why before the police arrest him for murder or Topo’s men bump him and Clara off, too.

This next book in the Ever After Mysteries combines “The Nutcracker Suite” with a murder mystery set in the heart of 1920s Rockland.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Joshua Markey

Genres:
Christmas, Historical

Excerpt:
Reviews:DGL on Amazon wrote:

Havig has a real gift with words, yet I’m still amazed at how much she can pull me right into a story, and how beautiful a picture she can paint with her words. This book makes you feel like you’re right there in the 1920’s, during prohibition, and dealing with mobsters. Highly recommended.


Silencing the Siren

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Ever After Mysteries

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything… until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it—clothes, gadgets… even a car! What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire… in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can’t help but fall for her.

Annabel’s connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the “right” girl with the “right connections.” But he won’t do it. He’ll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don’t add up, Andrew begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, “What happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?”

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the story unfold.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Joshua Markey

Genres:
Historical

Excerpt:
Reviews:Kindle Customer on Amazon wrote:

Denise L. Barela did a beautiful job creating her debut novel. The cast of characters are memorable, the tension within the story built to a dynamic crescendo, and ahhh, the love story, it will sweep you away. Also, The Little Mermaid theme is enchanting.
I look forward to more novels by this talented author. Overall, a great read!


The Lost Dutchman’s Secret

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Ever After Mysteries

There’s a deadly secret in them thar hills—and gold, or so they say.

Deeply in debt to a wealthy local, Charles Sinclair, Dorothy Hodges’ father finally promises she’ll pay and in gold, no less. If only Dorothy could take to take the promises he spins out of thin air and turn them into that gold, all would be well.

With the help of a strange, rumpled man, Dorothy does manage to bring payment to one of Sinclair’s sons only to discover it won’t pay off the debt. Will the next payment be enough?  The next?

When Charles Sinclair ends up dead, Dorothy is the obvious prime suspect, but Sinclair’s son isn’t so certain. Together they work to clear her name and find the real murderer of the Superstitions, but will they find the answers buried in those hills?

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. The Lost Dutchman’s Secret offers a retelling of “Rumplestilskin” that requires more digging than a miner searching for The Lost Dutchman Mine.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Joshua Markey

Genres:
Historical

Excerpt:
Reviews:Joanne on Amazon wrote:

I think The Lost Dutchman's Secret is amazing from start to finish. So well-written, and everything just unfolds so well. The scenes, the characters, the plot... It was all so seamlessly woven together, it kept my attention from the very beginning.


Murder at the Empire

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Ever After Mysteries

Gayle Wells is a killer organist, but does a killer have her in his sights?

They call him the Emperor.  John Starek fills his theater with fine artwork and treasures. He’s particularly pleased to have one of the country’s first female organists – and he thinks Gayle Wells is the bee’s knees.

Despite pressure from her social crusader mother, Gayle isn’t interested in changing the world. She just wants a car of her own – and a career playing the organ at the Empire movie palace would be especially ducky.

Then the Empire’s treasures start disappearing and employees start dying. Are a few pieces of art really enough motive for the string of murders? Will Gayle be next?

Murder at the Empire brings the Nightingale into an elegant movie palace in the roaring 20’s – but the real excitement is all off-screen.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Joshua Markey

Genres:
Historical

Excerpt:
Reviews:Faith D on Amazon wrote:

The more I read of this book the more I wanted to read! The characters are wonderfully created for the part they play in the story. The mystery is intriguing and the small touch of romance in the air is delightful. I'd love to read more about John and Gayle. I think something is developing there. There was also the element of suspense, not being sure who the villain is or if there are more than one bad guy/gal. Overall I think it is a wonderful book!