A Spooky Halloween Read

Happy Halloween! If you’re looking for a spooky read, check out my Halloween novella titled Haunted Hair Nights. This book won Third Place in the IDA Contest in the Suspense Short category. The story falls between Peril by Ponytail and Facials Can Be Fatal in my Bad Hair Day mystery series.

Haunted Hair Nights

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9970038-3-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-9970038-4-0
Cover Design by Boulevard Photografica
Interior Design by www.formatting4U.com

When history teacher Bill Ripari offers his property for a Halloween school haunted house project, hairstylist Marla Vail volunteers to help put the scare factor into the place. She joins her stepdaughter along with other students, parents, and teachers to transform the wooded estate into a creepy attraction. She’s busy creating decorations when a splash of red on the estate grounds catches her eye. Upon a closer look, she realizes the dark stain isn’t fake blood meant to be part of the scene. The trail leads to the history teacher’s dead body.

Worried about the kids, Marla puts on her sleuthing hat to investigate. She discovers that every one of the volunteers present that night had a possible motive. Between slacker students, helicopter parents, unexpected heirs, and a stonewalling school administration, Marla has her hands full in solving the murder and keeping her stepdaughter safe. Can she sift through the suspects and unmask the killer before Halloween fright night turns into reality?

“Halloween, mystery, dead body, oh my! This novella, although short, was filled with lots of twists and turns, interesting complex characters and a great storyline!” Charlene’s Reviews

“This standalone novella will keep you flipping pages wondering who done it until the end. For those of us who don’t want bad dreams for Halloween, this entry into the Bad Hair Day series is an excellent alternative.” Reader by Night

“This is a good cozy mystery that can be enjoyed by young adults on up. It was a pleasure to read this story.” Readers’ Favorite

“I love this series so much. It’s especially nice to read how Marla is progressing with her new family. A haunted mansion is the perfect setting for a Halloween read.” Socrates Book Reviews

Click Here to Get Your Copy Now

Happy Halloween! 

Star Tangled Murder New Release

I am excited to announce the release of STAR TANGLED MURDER, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.

Star Tangled Murder

Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-24-9
Print ISBN: 978-1-952886-25-6
Edited by Deni Dietz at Stray Cat Productions
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Interior Design www.formatting4U.com
Cover Copy by BlurbWriter.com

Join me at TWO Book Launch Parties for Fun & Prizes!

TONIGHT March 14 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm EDT at https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty/

 

Friday, March 17, 7:00 to 8:00 pm EDT at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty

 

Story Description

Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk.

As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?

In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing could blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she’ll become the next victim. Recipes Included!

GET YOUR COPY HERE  

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQS68WS7
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952886252/
Apple Books: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445207585
BN Nook: https://bit.ly/3vuluKN
BN Print: https://bit.ly/3I6HpyU
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=UICjEAAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/star-tangled-murder
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/StarTangledMurder
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781952886256
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1298730

Booksellers & Librarians: This title is also available from Ingram.

STAR TANGLED MURDER is now available in print and ebook formats! #newrelease #cozymystery Click To Tweet

Note: Contact me for a Reader Discussion Guide 

GREAT ESCAPES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR March 15 – 25, 2023

Follow my Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for book reviews, spotlights, author interviews, guest posts and giveaways!

 

GIVEAWAYS

Enter Here March 12 – 27 to win a signed copy of “Star Tangled Murder” and a Box of White Tea.

 

Enter Here March 1 – 18 to win a free book at Booklover’s Bench.

 

Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Five

In this trio of adventures, Marla solves a murder at her day spa during the December holidays, investigates her best friend’s suspicious car accident, and enters a bake-off contest at a farm festival where she discovers a dead body in the strawberry field.

FACIALS CAN BE FATAL

The last thing salon owner Marla Vail needs during the December holidays is a dead body slathered in a green facial mask at her new day spa. Hoping to salvage her reputation, she determines to track down the killer. She’d better prepare for a body count that has nothing to do with hot stone massages and everything to do with murder. 

Gold Medal Winner in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 

“Take a twisty mystery, add a cast of amiable characters, a dash of family drama, and a pinch of South Florida during the holiday season—they all add up to the recipe for a delightful cozy!” Lucy Burdette, bestselling author of the Key West Food Critic Mysteries

HAIR BRAINED

When hairstylist Marla Vail’s best friend, Tally, is hurt in a suspicious car accident, Marla assumes guardianship of her infant son. The crash takes an ominous turn when Marla’s husband, a homicide detective, determines it may not have been an accident after all. Marla launches an investigation while praying for her friend’s recovery. Can she find the culprit before someone else ends up as roadkill?

First Place Winner in the Chanticleer International Book Awards 

“Readers will become immersed from page one. You’ll hang on every word as the twists and turns of the mystery are revealed.” Suspense Magazine 

HAIRBALL HIJINKS (Short Story)

Southern sleuth Marla Vail agrees to help find a neighbor’s missing cat. As she follows the trail of the lost feline, she’s surprised to find more than the pet missing from the elderly woman’s house. The lady’s valuables are gone, and according to the police, it isn’t the first incident in the neighborhood. Can Marla outwit the crooks before they cause another cat’astrophe?

“A fast-paced read with charming characters.” Socrates Book Reviews

TRIMMED TO DEATH

Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. As Marla investigates, she learns there’s no shortage of suspects. Can she unmask the killer before someone else’s life is cut short?

“The dialogue is sharp, the eye for detail is masterful, and the narrative pacing is just right. Plenty of suspicious-seeming characters raise the tension. Even if you’re not yet a ‘Cozy’ fan, you’ll have a blast.” Florida Weekly

New Release – Styled for Murder

STYLED FOR MURDER, #17 in The Bad Hair Day Mysteries, is now available in print and ebook formats. Happy Book Birthday!

Styled for Murder

When hairstylist and savvy sleuth, Marla Vail, gets a frantic call from her mother that there’s a dead body in her shower, Marla realizes this wasn’t part of the home renovation plans. The victim turns out to be the project manager, who had an untrustworthy reputation in town. Disgruntled customers, unpaid suppliers, and the design company’s staff are among the suspects. Which one of them wanted the foreman to pipe down about their shady dealings?

Meanwhile, the lead investigator sets his sights on Marla’s stepfather, Reed, who’s keeping secrets from his family. Reed has a past connection to the victim and won’t come clean about what he knows. As Marla drills deeper, she’s showered with suspicions, but nobody’s willing to leak any information. She needs to hammer down the prospects, or time will drain away and the murderer will strike again.

To flush out the culprit, Marla taps into her pipeline of resources. Can she assemble the clues and demolish the alibis to nail a killer? Or has someone designed the perfect murder? Recipes Included!

Styled for Murder
Copyright © 2021 by Nancy J. Cohen
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-21-8
Print ISBN: 978-1-952886-22-5
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Digital Layout by Formatting4U.com
Cover Copy by BlurbWriter.com

Join me TONIGHT at 7:00 – 8:30 pm EST for a Book Launch Party with Fun & Prizes. Bring your friends! https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty

Book Launch Party

View the Book Trailerhttps://youtu.be/yT95QwTzT58

ORDER NOW – Remember that books make great holiday gifts!
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DYN9YG6
Apple – https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1583387985
BN – https://bit.ly/3jF7Uz7
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/styled-for-murder
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nancy_J_Cohen_Styled_for_Murder?id=y69FEAAAQBAJ
Books2Read – https://books2read.com/StyledforMurder

Print Copies – Order Online
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Styled-Murder-Nancy-Cohen/dp/1952886228/
BN: https://bit.ly/3jF7Uz7
Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/books/styled-for-murder/9781952886225
Indieboundhttps://www.indiebound.org/book/9781952886225
BooksAMillion  – https://bit.ly/3EE1F62

Booksellers and Librarians – This title is also available from Ingram

BookBubhttps://bit.ly/3BDjBfw
Goodreads https://bit.ly/3DIuAGm
Pinterest Board – https://www.pinterest.com/njcohen/styled-for-murder/

STYLED FOR MURDER, #17 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries, is now available! #newrelease #cozymystery Click To Tweet

Follow my Virtual Book Tour for excerpts, reviews, interviews, recipes and giveaways!

Great Escapes Book Tour

 

ON SALE

Permed to Death, #1 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries, is on sale for 99 cents Nov. 16 – 30! 

PTD Sale

GET YOUR COPY HERE:

Kindle
Apple
BN Nook
Kobo
Google Play
Books2Read

GIVEAWAYS

Enter Here Nov. 14 – 24 to win my box set collection

 

Enter Here Nov. 1 – 18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench

Win a Free Book Nov2021

Setting – Real or Imaginary?

Welcome to Lois Winston, my bestselling author friend who writes the hilarious Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. If you like wacky characters, clever plots, and interesting settings, you’ll love her series.

Setting – Real or Imaginary? by Lois Winston

When Nancy invited me to guest blog here, she mentioned that she was enjoying the setting of my latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Stitch Bake, Die! The book mostly takes place at an exclusive country club that’s hosting a conference. Nancy asked if I had based the setting on an actual place. I had.

In November 2019, months before Covid shut down the world, my husband and I were invited to a wedding held at one of the most exclusive private venues in the country. Along with weddings and other social and corporate events, the site is often used as a movie and TV location, as well as for fashion photography shoots. It’s located on some of the priciest real estate in the country, which might surprise those of you who only think of strip malls, The Sopranos, and Snooki when it comes to New Jersey.

The centerpiece of the estate is a Norman-inspired chateau, originally built as a home for a New York City industrialist in the early days of the twentieth century. Along with the chateau, there are various outbuildings, including a conference center, horse stable, helipad, and both formal gardens and woodlands, complete with ponds, streams, and meandering footpaths. However, unlike many over-the-top estates built by the Robber Barons of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this one is elegant rather than ostentatious, featuring hand-carved mahogany woodwork and handmade Spanish and Portuguese tiles. The moment I stepped foot inside the chateau, I knew I’d eventually use it as a setting in a future book.

That opportunity arose when I came up with the plot of Stitch, Bake, Die!, my tenth Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. However, given that I set a murder in the chateau, I’ve given it a fictitious name.

This is not the first time I’ve used a real-life setting in my books. All my books are set in locations familiar to me. The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries take place in an actual New Jersey town. Many readers have told me they enjoy reading about places they know. Others have expressed interest in one day traveling to a location I’ve described, like when Anastasia accompanied boyfriend Zack Barnes to Barcelona in Mosaic Mayhem. Unfortunately, Anastasia wound up kidnapped at Parc Güell during her visit. As a result, she didn’t have much time to experience the grandeur of Antoni Gaudi’s whimsical mosaic masterpiece. Then again, I am writing mysteries, not travelogues!

Have you ever read a book set in a location familiar to you? Do you enjoy the special intimacy of having been to the town or city where the story is set and to various places within that setting?

Stitch, Bake, Die!

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 10

Stitch, Bake, Die!

With massive debt, a communist mother-in-law, a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and a photojournalist boyfriend who may or may not be a spy, crafts editor Anastasia Pollack already juggles too much in her life. So she’s not thrilled when her magazine volunteers her to present workshops and judge a needlework contest at the inaugural conference of the New Jersey chapter of the Stitch and Bake Society, a national organization of retired professional women. At least her best friend and cooking editor Cloris McWerther has also been roped into similar duties for the culinary side of the 3-day event taking place on the grounds of the exclusive Beckwith Chateau Country Club.

The sweet little old ladies Anastasia is expecting to meet are definitely old, and some of them are little, but all are anything but sweet. She’s stepped into a vipers’ den that starts with bribery and ends with murder. When an ice storm forces Anastasia and Cloris to spend the night at the Chateau, Anastasia discovers evidence of insurance scams, medical fraud, an opioid ring, long-buried family secrets, and a bevy of suspects.

Can she piece together the various clues before she becomes the killer’s next target?

Crafting tips included.

Buy Links
Paperback https://amzn.to/2YiodcR
Kindle https://amzn.to/3ylMivw
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/stitch-bake-die/id1582066729
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/stitch-bake-die
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stitch-bake-die-lois-winston/1140036766?ean=2940162610267

<><><>

 Lois Winston

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry.

Website: www.loiswinston.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston

 

 

New Mystery Release – Box Set Volume One

I am excited to announce the launch of The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume One: Books 1-3!

The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume One

Copyright © 2021 by Nancy J. Cohen
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-16-4
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Digital Layout by www.formatting4u.com

The first three books in the award-winning Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series are now available in a brand new box set! Here’s your chance to get started or to get caught up if you’ve missed these earlier titles. Or buy the set for a Mother’s Day gift!

Launch Party on Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 – 8:00 pm EDT. Fun & Prizes! https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty/

Launch Party

Meet Marla Shore, a Florida hairstylist and salon owner with a knack for styling hair and solving crimes. In her debut case, the brazen beautician unravels a shocking murder that’s making waves all over Palm Haven, a small southern town where almost everyone has something to hide. A coastal fundraiser and a murder at a sports club round out this trio of fun, light reads.

PERMED TO DEATH – Book 1

Sassy salon owner Marla Shore is giving grumpy Mrs. Kravitz a perm when her client dies in the shampoo chair. If that isn’t enough to give her a bad hair day, handsome Detective Vail suspects Marla of poisoning the woman’s coffee creamer. Figuring she’d better expose the real killer before the next victim frizzes out, Marla sets on the trail of a wave of wacky suspects. Her theory regarding whodunit gels only after she looks for the culprit closer to home.

“A terrific mystery debut for Nancy Cohen. Marla the beautician is a delight!” Tamar Myers, author of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries and the Den of Antiquity Mystery Series.

HAIR RAISER – Book 2

When South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore takes charge of a fundraiser for a coastal preservation society, she has to comb through a knot of suspects to determine who’s sabotaging their gala event. Participating chefs are dropping off the roster like hot rollers, and it’s only through a series of hair-raising exploits that she can tease the truth from a tangle of suspects. Too late to stop a murder, Marla must salvage the grand affair before she’s moussed into oblivion.

“Curl up with Nancy Cohen’s stylishly witty and chillingly suspenseful tale of murder on the Florida coast—Hair Raiser is a cut above.” Joanne Pence, author of the Angie Amalfi mystery series

MURDER BY MANICURE – Book 3

Hairstylist Marla Shore joins a fitness club to get in shape but discovers a dead body instead of an exercise routine. Jolene Myers—a client at Marla’s salon—has drowned beneath the frothing waters of the whirlpool. When Homicide Detective Dalton Vail determines Jolene’s death was no accident, Marla decides to give her deductive skills a workout and help solve the case.

“Marla Shore is a beguiling, very clever sleuth who teases out every clue. Absolutely delightful!” Jill Churchill, author of the Jane Jeffry & Grace and Favor mystery series.

Don’t Wait – Get Your Copy Now!

Amazon
Apple
BN Nook
Kobo
Books2Read

Goodreads
BookBub

Get your copy of The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume One and start reading this hilarious cozy mystery series now. #amreading #cozymystery Click To Tweet

*A Word About Reviews*
My new box set will need reviews. If you’ve already read these three books, I’d appreciate it if you might say a few words on this box set page at any of the above sites. Ditto for when you read this volume for the first time. My thanks in advance!

GIVEAWAYS

April 26 – May 5  Mysteries with Humor

If you haven’t read EASTER HAIR HUNT, you can enter to win it on BookSweeps — plus 25+ exciting Mysteries with Humor from a great collection of authors AND a brand new eReader! Enter here: bit.ly/HumorousMystery-Apr21

May 1 – May 10  Florida Writers Book Expo

Browse sixty booths across genres at this virtual event, all books by Florida authors. They even have freebies at every booth! Even better? There’s a Reader Rewards program, so the more you spend, the more ebooks you get for free! I’m one of the participating authors, and I hope you’ll join us. Prizes and free books for attendees! Also, I’ll be interviewed on site Monday, May 3 at 2:00 pm. Go Here to browse, pick up some freebies and join the fun: https://floridawritersbooks.com

May 1 – May 18 Booklover’s Bench

Enter to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors. Click Here: https://bookloversbench.com/win-a-free-book-may-2021/