I have always hosted my friend Louise Stevens on any release day of a new book she has and I am tickled pink today is another of those release days! AN APPLE A SLAY releases TODAY!!!! It’s a SECOND ACTS COZY MYSTERY and a story that will keep you guessing until the end! It just arrived on my Kindle and I am ready to dive it! This cover is EVERYTHING!! I love it so much.
BLURB:
Autumn in tiny Maple Hills brings leaf-peepers, apples galore, and… murder? I’m Amanda Seldon, and I never imagined when I returned to my Connecticut hometown to pursue my dream of being an author that sleuthing would be my side hustle.
But I just found my second body in four months. My childhood crush turned current boyfriend is a prime suspect, and because the state police took over the case, even his police chief brother can’t help him. The victim was unpopular in town, and plenty of people had motives to knock him off, but the police are laser-focused on Dylan. If I don’t step up, I’m afraid the real murderer will get off scot-free.
Looks like Fluffy my attack shih tzu and I are on the case again. But now the killer is after us. Can we solve the crime before Dylan goes to jail for a murder he didn’t commit?
EXCERPT:
I opened the door to the outbuilding that housed the Maple Hills Orchard offices. Knowing Fluffy’s second favorite person in the world after me—fine, the only other person in the world she liked—was inside, she trotted ahead of me like a little big shot.
“Dylan! I have the best news––”
I stopped in my tracks when I saw he was in a meeting with someone. And not just any someone, a willowy blonde who resembled a Scandinavian supermodel dressed like a businesswoman for a photo shoot.
“Amanda, come in.” Gratitude flashed in Dylan’s hazel eyes. It was just for a second, and then he got his polite face back in place.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No problem, we were just wrapping up,” Dylan said.
“Dylan is being polite; we still have some business to conduct.” A brief pause before the word ‘business’ and the teasing tilt of her red lips was just enough to hint it was monkey business they were conducting. But I knew Dylan well enough to know this woman was no threat to me.
“Amanda, do you remember Mallory Davisson from high school? Mallory, this is Amanda Seldon.”
Memories of interactions with Mallory flooded my mind, and let me just say none of them were pleasant. She’d been the quintessential mean girl when we were kids, and she seemed to save a lot of her premium nastiness for my friends and me. At the time, I didn’t understand, but with an adult appreciation of the situation, I realized she was probably insecure and felt the need to go after the weakest members of the pack. Jeremy, Cara, and me.
Maybe I matured with age, but the sweeping look of condescension she gave my outfit was vintage Mallory. “Don’t you look, um, sweet.”
My clothes were perfect for working all afternoon in old apple barn with no central heating. I wore jeans with a pink, fuzzy alpaca sweater, and shearling boots. Not the height of fashion, but it was functional and I knew I looked cute. Although when I looked at her black pencil skirt and fitted white silk blouse, not to mention the mile-high pumps with their tell-tale red sole, a little flutter of unease in my belly made me wish I was dressed in some of my LA clothes.
I squared my shoulders and decided to be the better person. “And you look fantastic, Mallory.”
She leaned back in her chair, and I could see the white all around her ice-blue eyes. Huh. Seemed like the mean girl didn’t know how to react to kindness in response to her backhanded compliments. Good to know.
Her eyes narrowed. “I see you never managed to leave Maple Hills. I live in Manhattan now.”
Dylan took a breath to intervene, but I sent a glance his way to let him know I had this, and his shoulders relaxed.
“I lived in Brooklyn, when I worked in Manhattan. So much more cutting-edge, you know? But I’ve spent the last ten years in Los Angeles. I just recently moved back to Maple Hills.”
A sudden cough told me Dylan had just smothered a chuckle, and I flashed a smile his way. “And I’m very happy to be here.”
“Of course you are, bless your heart.”
Oh no she didn’t. Did Mallory just bless-your-heart me? It was on.
She continued before I could speak. “I believe your two friends still live here too. What did everyone call you? The Three Stooges?”
I didn’t enjoy conflict, and my heart thudded in my chest, but I pasted on a smile. “Oh no, it’s the Three Musketeers, but I understand the literary allusion is above some people’s heads.”
Mallory sat up straight, and the movement diverted Fluffy’s attention from her beloved Dylan, at whose feet she sat. My fierce little defender sensed a threat and growled in a manner worthy of a rottweiler and then charged at Mallory, barking wildly. Her tail was down, a sure sign she was seriously displeased.
Mallory curled up in her seat, as best she could in her tight skirt. “Call off your mutt.”
“Fluffy, it’s okay, sweetie. She can’t hurt me,” I crooned to Fluffy, but still held on tight to her leash. Sometimes there was no soothing her when she got in a state.
Dylan squatted, held out his hand, palm side up, and spoke in a calm, quiet voice, “Come here, Fluffy.”
It was enough to divert her, and the barking stopped as she glanced over her shoulder to Dylan. Her tail was still down though, so it could go either way.
“Good girl. Come here.” He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together and smiled at Fluffy.
Her tail slowly lifted over her back, and with one last look of disdain at Mallory, she turned and pranced to Dylan, who scooped her up in his arms. His glance at Mallory was cold. “Fluffy is not a mutt. Not that there’s anything wrong with mutts.”
Since I still held her leash, when Dylan picked her up, I had to move closer to his side.
“It’s almost time for my shift at the orchard store, and while I’d love to stay and catch up with Mallory…” I paused briefly here, waiting for lightning to strike me. “I was wondering if I could get the key to your house, so I can leave Fluffy there while I work.”
“Sure, but why can’t she stay at home?” He handed the dog to me, and dug in his pockets for his key chain.
“Mom is vacuuming, and it whips Fluffy into a frenzy.”
A slow smile oozed across Mallory’s face like an oil slick. “You live at home with your parents? How precious.”
I ignored her and turned my gaze to Dylan. “Which brings me to my good news. I just made an offer on a lakeside condo. Fingers crossed!”
His smile warmed me down to my toes. If only he could smile at me that way the whole time I was working in the chilly barn, I wouldn’t need to wear these boots.
“Great news. You can tell me all about it at dinner tonight.” Dylan leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips.
Mallory cleared her throat in a pointed manner, and he reluctantly pulled away from me. “I just need to see Mallory off, and then I’ll check on Fluffy before I come over to the apple barn to see you.”
“See me off? We’re not done with our meeting.” Mallory frowned.
“Oh, yes we are,” Dylan said in a firm tone, which left no room for discussion.
I snatched the key and dashed for the door, still holding Fluffy in my arms. She took the opportunity to growl one more time at Mallory, who flinched.
The woman had tormented me from the time we started school until high school graduation, and I wish I could be a better person, but the way our reunion had gone today, my only thought was karma was sweet.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
https://bit.ly/3S44KWf
Barnes & Noble:
https://bit.ly/3S6lU5w
Apple Books:
https://bit.ly/3zBmCBm
Kobo:
https://bit.ly/4f2GpKa
Smashwords:
https://bit.ly/3Lmsy43
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Louise Stevens is the author of the Port Sunset Mysteries, and the Second Act Cozy Mystery series. A lover of mysteries since her discovery of Nancy Drew many years ago, she is thrilled to be writing cozy mysteries now. She lives in Maryland with her husband, who also loves a good mystery, in a house packed with books.
Louise Stevens is the pen name of contemporary romance author Donna Simonetta.
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Peggy Jaeger, Author 