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Showing posts with label Ali Brandon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ali Brandon. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

ParaMysMo 2014 - Ali Brandon, author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries


Today we kick off Paranormal Mystery Month (ParaMysMo) at The Qwillery. Throughout the month, paranormal mystery authors will be sharing how they or one of their characters celebrate Halloween. There will be giveaways as well!  To start us off, please welcome Ali Brandon, author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries.







STUFF AND THINGS AND HALLOWEEN
By Ali Brandon

         “I’m doing stuff…things…”

                    --Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead

        Just like all the rest of you, I LOVE Halloween. I’ve considered it my favorite holiday ever since I was a child. Trick-or-treating! Dressing up! Running around the neighborhood at night, and without a parent! Compared to all that, Christmas came in a poor second on the fun scale.
        But perhaps the very best part about October 31 was spending the week or two before decking the halls with everything orange and black. Unfortunately, back when I was of trick-or-treating age, our family didn’t have money to spare for scary accoutrements. And so, if you wanted Halloween decorations, you made them yourself.
        This meant that—aside from the requisite jack-o-lantern that our dad carved—everything was handcrafted by me and my siblings. From the pillow cases hung from the ceiling as ghosts, to the crayoned pumpkin drawings, to the paper grocery bags decorated with construction paper black cats to use as trick-or-treat sacks, we did it all. But while all these crafty projects were a fun diversion, deep down I always had a hankering for store-bought Halloween stuff…and things.
        You know what I mean. The boxed costumes with those plastic molded masks that covered your entire face; the little plastic jack-o’-lanterns and cat heads meant to be filled with candy corn; the black-and-orange tin noisemakers printed with witches and bats that you shook or spun to create a racket. I’d sigh over all these luxuries in the dime store, lingering in the Halloween department until the exasperated sales clerk finally shooed me away, empty-handed.
        Flash forward to adulthood. Now, I could finally channel my inner witchy version of Martha Stewart and treat myself to all kinds of Halloween stuff…all the things I’d missed out on as a kid. Sure, my husband would roll his eyes throughout the month of October each time I came home with something new, but to his credit he never protested. (Maybe because I let him indulge his fishing gear passion all summer!)
        Not that I’ve gone to extremes over the years. I’ve learned to buy small, so that most of my favorite finds can be displayed together on the same couple of shelves. This means I can enjoy my Halloween-y stuff year round.
        My annual ritual begins sometime in September, as soon as the stores start unpacking the stuffed black cats and ceramic ghosts. Just like in the dime store days, I wander the Halloween aisles (real and virtual) ooh’ing and aah’ing over all the fun new decorations. It’s only now October, and to celebrate Halloween 2014 I’ve already bought: The Nightmare Before Christmas pen set; a Jack Skellington mug; a Jinxy Beanie Baby black kitten; a set of Ghost Tarot cards; a set of Halloween Lenormand cards; Day of the Dead kitty sugar skull earrings; and rose-and-sugar skull Day of the Dead earrings.
        Whew!
        But I’m just getting warmed up. I’ll be hitting the thrift stores, too, in case some cool vintage Halloween stuff and things from my childhood slips past the clerks and ends up on the shelves. And I can’t forget to shop the pet superstores. Gotta get the yearly batch of new Halloween squeaky toys for my dogs!
        But it doesn’t end on October 31. Just when I think I’ve satisfied my need for black and orange, here come the after-Halloween markdowns. Time to whip out credit card again! But the heck with the 75% off bags of candy that all the other middle-aged broads are piling into their shopping carts. I’m not in the mood for mini chocolate bars.
        You’ll find me the next aisle over looking for stuff…and things.





Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries

Literally Murder
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 4
Berkley, September 30, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

From her Brooklyn bookstore, Darla Pettistone not only sells mysteries, but solves them, aided by her big-boned black cat, Hamlet—who has suddenly pounced into the spotlight after unleashing his fists of furry…  

After a video of Darla and Hamlet performing at a martial arts tournament goes viral, the Florida chapter of the Feline Society of America invites the “Karate Kitty” to be the guest of honor at their championship cat show in Fort Lauderdale.

Upon arrival, Darla discovers that not everyone in the Sunshine State has a sunny disposition. Animal rights activists are on the march, and a cat show contestant stages his own angry protest when his special breed Minx—half Sphynx, half Manx—doesn’t win. Then Hamlet disappears—only to be found next a dead man's body. Now it’s up to Darla and Hamlet to take best in show and collar the killer…
Amazon: Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound




Words with Fiends
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 3
Berkley, November 5, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Brooklyn bookstore owner Darla Pettistone and her oversized black cat, Hamlet, have solved a few complicated capers. But after a recent brush with danger, Darla needs to get Hamlet out of a feline funk…

Lately, Hamlet hasn’t been chasing customers or being his obnoxious self—something Darla surprisingly misses. Concerned, she hires a cat whisperer to probe Hamlet’s feline psyche and then decides to get out of her own funk by taking up karate to learn how to defend herself in case the need arises again.

But when Darla finds her sensei dead at the dojo, it seems that even a master can be felled by foul play. Darla decides to investigate the matter herself, and the promise of a mystery snaps Hamlet out of his bad mood. After all, Darla may be the sleuth, but Hamlet’s got a black belt in detection.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound




A Novel Way to Die
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 2
Berkley, November 6, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Darla Pettistone may have inherited her great aunt Dee’s Brooklyn bookstore, but it’s the store’s mascot—an oversized black cat named Hamlet—who acts like he owns the place. And when someone turns up dead, Hamlet smells something rotten in Brooklyn…

As the owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books, Darla is settling nicely into her new life, even reaching an uneasy truce with Hamlet. Unfortunately, when she needs to hire a new clerk, the finicky feline decides to lend a paw to the hiring process. He chases away applicants who don’t meet his approval, finally settling on an unlikely candidate: Robert, a book-loving Goth kid who has a secret only Hamlet knows.

And Hamlet can’t seem to stay out of trouble. One of the bookstore’s regular customers, a man who is renovating a local brownstone, claims he’s seen Hamlet prowling the neighborhood. When the man’s business partner is found dead, Darla discovers that Hamlet may have been the only witness to what could be murder. With the crafty cat’s help, she wonders if they just might be able to pounce on a killer...
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound




Double Booked for Death
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 1
Berkley, December 6, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

As the new owner of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee...and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup: the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's ruled an accident-until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise...
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound





About Ali

Ali Brandon is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Book Four in the series, LITERALLY MURDER, is out in time for Halloween. Writing under her real name, Diane A.S. Stuckart, she penned the popular Leonardo da Vinci historical mystery series, which has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as a Florida Book Award. A native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane a/k/a Ali now lives in South Florida. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and the Cat Writers Association and proudly displays her The Walking Dead action figures at her day job. Visit her at www.dianestuckart.com, and be sure to “like” Hamlet on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/blackcatbookshopmysteries.





The Giveaway

What:  One entrant will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Literally Murder by Ali Brandon.

How:  Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59PM US Eastern Time on October 15, 2014. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter

*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change without any notice.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Monday, November 04, 2013

The View From Monday - November 4, 2013


Happy first Monday in November! Hope everyone in the US (who had to switch) fell back to Standard time okay. I find this much easier than losing an hour in the Spring when we switch to Daylight Savings Time. I wish that we could just stay on Standard time all year or Daylight Time. I'm not a fan of the switching back and forth. As for reading last week... I started a number of novels and hope to get through a couple of them at least. My daughter is applying to college and that seems to consume a great deal of time leaving me little time for my very neglected TBR.




This is a very full release week with something for everyone - UF, PNR, SF, F, etc.!  You may find a printable PDF of this week's releases (also including November 1st) here.


November's two Debuts are out this week:

The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney;

and

Siren's Secret (Dark Seas 1) by Debbie Herbert.


From a formerly featured Debut Author Challenge author:

Entwined (Darkest London 3.5) by Kristen Callihan.


And for fans of ParaCozyMysMo:

A Potion to Die For (Magic Potion Mystery 1) by Heather Blake

Words With Fiends (Black Cat Bookshop 3) by Ali Brandon

Charms and Chocolate Chips (Magical Bakery Mystery 3) by Bailey Cates

The Thrill of the Haunt (Haunted Guesthouse Mystery 5) by E.J. Copperman



November 1, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Days of the Deer Liliana Bodoc F - Saga of the Borderlands
Journey to Wudang (e) Kylie Chan F
A Single Girl's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Kindle e) JT Clay PNR/Humor/Z
The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe D.G. Compton SF - SF Masterworks
The Forgotten City (Kindle e) Nina D'Aleo UF - Demon War Chronicles 2
Claiming the Jackal (e) Seressia Glass PNR
Dark Prince's Desire (e) Jessa Slade PNR
Eclipse: The Lost Book of Ascension (Kindle e) Dirk Strasser F
Equinox: The Second Book of Ascension (Kindle e) Dirk Strasser F
The Invisible Man H. G. Wells SF - SF Masterworks



November 4, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Rustication: A Novel Charles Palliser Go
Sing for the Dead (e) PJ Schnyder PNR - London Undead 2



November 5, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
First and Only (ri) Dan Abnett F - Black Library Classics / Warhammer 40,000
To Dance with the Devil Cat Adams UF - Blood Singer 6
Dragon Actually (ri) G.A. Aiken PNR - Dragon Kin 1
Terminator Dreams (e) Aaron Allston SF - Terminator 3
Terminator Hunt (e) Aaron Allston SF - Terminator 3
Darkness Splintered Keri Arthur UF - Dark Angels 6
Day/Night: Travels in the Scriptorium and Man in the Dark Paul Auster Meta
Fortune's Pawn Rachel Bach SF - Paradox 1
Iron Winter Stephen Baxter F - Northland Trilogy 3
The Teleportation Accident (h2tp) Ned Beauman TT/GB
Scent of Darkness (h2tp) Margot Berwin H
Masks E. C. Blake F
A Potion to Die For Heather Blake PCM - Magic Potion Mystery 1
Swords Are My Business: A Collection of Four Eddie LaCrosse Novels Alex Bledsoe F - Eddie LaCrosse
Words With Fiends Ali Brandon PCM - Black Cat Bookshop 3
Entwined Kristen Callihan PHR - Darkest London 3.5
Charms and Chocolate Chips Bailey Cates PCM - Magical Bakery Mystery 3
The Golden City (D) J. Kathleen Cheney F
Magic and Loss Nancy A. Collins UF - Golgotham 3
The Thrill of the Haunt E.J. Copperman PCM - Haunted Guesthouse Mystery 5
SEAL Team 13 Evan Currie H/Th - SEAL Team 13 1
The Ice Dragon (ri) Bianca D'Arc PNR - Dragon Knights 3
A Dance of Blades David Dalglish F - Shadowdance 2
Wild Darkness Lauren Dane PNR - Bound by Magick 4
After Ellen Datlow (ed) Ap/Dys - Anthology
A Cosmic Christmas 2 You Hank Davis (ed) SF - Anthology
Gossamer Wing Delphine Dryden SPR - Steam and Seduction 1
A Feast of Souls Hailey Edwards PNR - Araneae Nation 2
Midkemia: The Chronicles of Pug Raymond E. Feist
Stephen Abrams
F
Home for the Holidays: A Night Huntress Novella Jeaniene Frost UF - Night Huntress
The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure William Goldman F
The Child Keith F. Goodnight SF
The Keepers: Christmas in Salem Heather Graham
Deborah LeBlanc
Kathleen Pickering
Beth Ciotta
PNR - Anthology
Midnight's Surrender (e) Donna Grant PNR -  A Dark Warriors Holiday Novella
Rise of the Machines (e 1st) David Hagberg SF - Terminator 3
Deadlocked (mm2tp) Charlaine Harris UF - Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series 12
Kinked Thea Harrison PNR - Elder Races 6
Twenty-First Century Science Fiction David G. Hartwell (ed)
Patrick Nielson Hayden (ed)
SF - Anthology
Siren's Secret (D) Debbie Herbert PNR - Dark Seas 1
Sister Mine (h2tp) Nalo Hopkinson F
The Silvered (h2mm) Tanya Huff F
Trollslayer (ri) William King F - Black Library Archive / Warhammer 40,000 / Gotrek & Felix
Nightmare City Andrew Klaven H
Come and Take Them Tom Kratman SF
Contagion Tim Lebbon PA - Toxic City 3
Trade Secret Sharon Lee
Steve Miller
SF - Liaden Universe 10
The God Tattoo: Untold Tales from the Twilight Reign Tom Lloyd F
Flame of Sevenwaters (h2mm) Juliet Marillier F - Sevenwaters 6
Starhawk Jack McDevitt SF - Engines of God 7
The Lair Emily McKay UF - The Farm 2
Nightbringer (ri) Graham McNeill F - Black Library Archive / Warhammer 40,000 / Ultramarines
Tour of the Merrimack: Volume Two R. M. Meluch SF
Hell Bent Devon Monk UF - Broken Magic 1
Here Comes the Vampire (Kindle e) Kimberly Raye PNR - Dead End Dating 6
The Guns of Santa Sangre Eric Red H / W
The Misfortune Cookie Laura Resnick UF - Esther Diamond 6
Much Ado about Magic (ri) Patricia Rice PNR - Magic 5
The Legend of Drizzt 25th Anniversary Edition, Book III R. A. Salvatore F - Legend of Drizzt Omnibus
Limit Frank Schatzing SF/ Th
Bellman & Black Diane Setterfield Gh
Royal Airs Sharon Shinn F - Elemental Blessings 2
The Icy Touch John Shirley UF - Grimm
Declaration of Courtship (e) Nalini Singh PNR - Psy/Changeling Novella
Texture of Intimacy (e) Nalini Singh PNR - Psy/Changeling Novella
Spheres of Influence Ryk E. Spoor SF
Some of the Best From Tor.com, 2013 Edition: A Tor.Com Original (e) Various SF/F - Anthology
Burning Paradise Robert Charles Wilson SF
Star Wars: Death Star Owner's Technical Manual: Imperial DS-1 Orbital Battle Station Ryder Windham
Chris Reiff
Chris Trevas
SF - Star Wars
Eternal Sin: Mark of the Vampire Laura Wright PNR - Mark of the Vampire 6



November 6, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Gamification / C-Monkeys Keith Hollihan SF - Novellas
The Oregon Trail Diary of Willa Porter: A Tor.Com Original Andy Marino SF
Kabu Kabu Nnedi Okorafor F - Collection



November 7, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Rowena's Key: HarperImpulse Fantasy Romance Novella (e) AJ Nuest FR - The Golden Key Chronicles 1



November 8, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Mister October, Volume I - An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala Christopher Golden (ed) H / SpecFic - Anthology
Mister October, Volume II - An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala Christopher Golden (ed) H / SpecFic - Anthology


D - Debut
e - eBook
e 1st - first eBook edition
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback


Ap - Apocalyptic
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
Gh - Ghosts
Go - Gothic
H - Horror
Meta - Metaphysical
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PHR - Paranormal Historical Romance
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SPR - Steampunk Romance
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
W - Western
Z - Zombies

Saturday, July 06, 2013

ParaCozyMysMo - Interview with Hamlet from the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries by Ali Brandon and Giveaway - July 6, 2013


Please welcome Hamlet to The Qwillery. Hamlet is the delightful kitty (who'll probably get really outraged when he reads that) who is featured in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series by Ali Brandon. He's a feline sleuth with an attitude and psychic abilities and we're thrilled to have him here today!









TQ:  Hi Hamlet. Welcome to The Qwillery!

HamletMeow and thank you. But where are the birds? You said something about quills, and it’s snack time. Growl, never mind.



TQ:  Please tell us a bit about yourself. For example, where is your favorite place to have a cat nap?

Hamlet:  First of all, for those humans who do not know me, I am Hamlet the Cat, the official mascot of Pettistone’s Fine Books in Brooklyn. You can read about my adventures in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. While I help hunt down human criminals in my spare time, my main job is keeping an eye on the bookstore.

It is amusing that you ask me about where I like to nap. Any place out of the way of noisy humans is fine. But, most of the time I sleep on the counter near the cash register so I can keep an eye on my human, Darla Pettistone. She is not as clever as a feline and needs much supervision, even though she tells people she owns the store.



TQ:  I know that you live in a book store, do you have a favorite book section? Mysteries perhaps?

Hamlet:  Mysteries are a bit too predictable for someone of my keen feline intellect. Besides, I believe in giving equal time to all the sections. I like the beanbag chair in the children’s department best…except, of course, when there are little humans running about. And the self-help section is amusing, too. I like to sneak up on the humans browsing there and make them jump and scream. That seems to cure them of their problems, since most of them run out of the store as fast as a mouse when I do that.



TQ:  What do you do to relax?

Hamlet:  Felines never relax. Even when we appear to be sleeping, we are busy. It is a difficult job to supervise humans 24/7. What do you think would happen if we felines weren’t keeping an eye on things all the time? But one of my hobbies is slipping out of the brownstone when Darla is not looking. Sometimes, a feline just needs the company of another feline. I have several cat friends, especially the little tuxedo female who lives six blocks away. Purrrr!



TQ:  So tell us who really is the boss at Pettistone's Fine Books? Is it you or Darla?

HamletMeow Out Loud. Only a human would ask a question like that! Of course I am the boss. I am the feline, am I not? But I let Darla think she is in charge, just because humans are so sensitive. And I don’t have time to train another human to take her place. Oh, one other thing. Since I have paws instead of hands, it is difficult for me to ring up purchases in the store. So I will admit she is good for something besides pouring my kibble.



TQ:  What is your top tip to solving mysteries?

Hamlet:  You must learn to use your eyes and whiskers! And you humans don’t know how to be quiet. I learn many important things just by sitting silently and listening. Darla and the other humans aren’t clever enough to do the same thing. I have to help them out all the time by doing what Darla calls “book snagging”…I pull down books from the shelves with titles that point a paw at the killer. It is too bad that Darla isn’t always smart enough to figure out what I mean.



TQ:  Do you think that your feline qualities make you a better sleuth?

Hamlet:  Of course. If humans could see in the dark like felines and walk quietly about like we do, they would not need my help. But instead, when it is nighttime, you can hear humans stumbling around a mile away. And they have to carry those silly things they call flashlights.



TQ:  Do you and Darla have any plans for the book store?

Hamlet:  Darla said she is thinking about adding a coffee bar. If she does, I think she should sell mice to go with the coffee. They are tasty and would be very popular snacks. Of course, I would expect the employee discount, Meow Out Loud!



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery!

Hamlet:  It was a pleasure. And now, after all this hard work talking to you, I think I shall take a nap. Purrrrrr!






Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries

Words with Fiends
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 3
Berkley, November 5, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Brooklyn bookstore owner Darla Pettistone and her oversized black cat, Hamlet, have solved a few complicated capers. But after a recent brush with danger, Darla needs to get Hamlet out of a feline funk…

Lately, Hamlet hasn’t been chasing customers or being his obnoxious self—something Darla surprisingly misses. Concerned, she hires a cat whisperer to probe Hamlet’s feline psyche and then decides to get out of her own funk by taking up karate to learn how to defend herself in case the need arises again.

But when Darla finds her sensei dead at the dojo, it seems that even a master can be felled by foul play. Darla decides to investigate the matter herself, and the promise of a mystery snaps Hamlet out of his bad mood. After all, Darla may be the sleuth, but Hamlet’s got a black belt in detection.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound




A Novel Way to Die
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 2
Berkley, November 6, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Darla Pettistone may have inherited her great aunt Dee’s Brooklyn bookstore, but it’s the store’s mascot—an oversized black cat named Hamlet—who acts like he owns the place. And when someone turns up dead, Hamlet smells something rotten in Brooklyn…

As the owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books, Darla is settling nicely into her new life, even reaching an uneasy truce with Hamlet. Unfortunately, when she needs to hire a new clerk, the finicky feline decides to lend a paw to the hiring process. He chases away applicants who don’t meet his approval, finally settling on an unlikely candidate: Robert, a book-loving Goth kid who has a secret only Hamlet knows.

And Hamlet can’t seem to stay out of trouble. One of the bookstore’s regular customers, a man who is renovating a local brownstone, claims he’s seen Hamlet prowling the neighborhood. When the man’s business partner is found dead, Darla discovers that Hamlet may have been the only witness to what could be murder. With the crafty cat’s help, she wonders if they just might be able to pounce on a killer...
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound




Double Booked for Death
A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 1
Berkley, December 6, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

As the new owner of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee...and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup: the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's ruled an accident-until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise...
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound





About Ali

       Ali Brandon is the national bestselling author of DOUBLE BOOKED FOR DEATH, her 2011 debut offering in the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. The follow-up book, A NOVEL WAY TO DIE, was published November 2012 and hit the New York Times Extended List for bestselling Mass Market paperbacks. Third in the series, WORDS WITH FIENDS, will be published in November 2013. At least three more Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries will follow.

       Writing under her real name, Diane A.S. Stuckart, she’s also the author of the popular Leonardo da Vinci historical mystery series, which has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as a Florida Book Award. Additionally, she has published several fantasy and mystery short stories, which have been collected and re-released in a single eBook anthology entitled, WHO’S BEHIND THE DOOR?.

       A native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane a/k/a Ali now lives in South Florida. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and a past board member for the MWA Florida Chapter. Visit her at www.dianestuckart.com or www.alibrandon.com. And don’t forget to “Like” Hamlet the Cat on Facebook: facebook.com/blackcatbookshopmysteries.





The Giveaway

What:  One commenter will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of A Novel Way to Dies (A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery 2) from The Qwillery.

How:   Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on August 10, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.


*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*



a Rafflecopter giveaway