Guest Post and Giveaway: Knock On Wood by Linda O. Johnston

(A Superstition Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink (October 8, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0738745527

Synopsis:
Rory Chasen, now the manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, is delighted when her closest friend Gemma Grayfield, a librarian, comes for a visit. But Gemma arrives early and seems upset. It turns out she has broken up with her boyfriend, Frank Shorester. Gemma is soon hired to manage the Broken Mirror Bookstore. Frank follows her to Destiny, where Gemma is also wooed by two local men. Rory may be a little jealous—until one of those men, Deputy Mayor Bevin Dermot, turns up dead. Bevin is known for knocking on wood for everything, but despite Destiny being all about superstitions that did not save his life.

Rory tries to help Gemma clear herself of being a murder suspect, even counting on her lucky black and white dog Pluckie to help. But is Gemma guilty of murder—or of just having a run of bad luck?

Guest Post by Linda O. Johnston
 

Hi, everyone.  

I'm here to tell you that you're going to love my latest superstition mystery... knock on wood.  That means I'm knocking on wood that you enjoy KNOCK ON WOOD!

KNOCK ON WOOD is the second in my Superstition Mystery series for Midnight Ink.  It's about Rory Chasen, a superstition agnostic who first came to Destiny, California, to learn if superstitions are real after her fiancé walked under a ladder--and was killed shortly thereafter.  Rory stayed in Destiny after her lucky black-and-white dog Pluckie found an ill older lady in the back room of her store, the Lucky Dog Boutique.  Now, Rory runs that boutique.

In KNOCK ON WOOD, Rory's best friend Gemma comes for a visit and winds up staying to manage the Broken Mirror Bookstore--and run from her newly ex boyfriend.  She starts flirting with others in town, and when one of them, Lou Landorf, the town's Public Affairs Director, is found dead... well, you can guess who the main suspect is.

Are the superstition mysteries all about superstitions?  Well,  I do describe a lot of them, but I also leave it to Rory, and the readers, to determine if they're real.

Oh, did the knocking stop?  I can't always continue to knock on wood--especially since doing so apparently didn't solve all the problems in Lou Landorf's life...

But my fingers are crossed now that you do enjoy KNOCK ON WOOD!     

About This Author

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year.   Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 38 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.  She additionally writes the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink.

Her latest cozy mystery series, the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries also from Midnight Ink, started off in May with BITE THE BISCUIT and KNOCK ON WOOD comes out October 8.

Author Links:
Webpage:  www.LindaOJohnston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston
Purchase Links:
Amazon B&N

Giveaway 
Win a print copy of Knock on Wood.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Dear Abby - Vintage Dachshund Advertisements

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  My Momma has been busy with work this week and I have been busy helping her.  I am a great helper.

I wanted to share a few vintage dachshund ads with you today.  I have a few ads here from magazines, and also have digital ads as well -- I can't resist a vintage dachshund image.   (In truth, I love vintage dog ads in general!)

Dairy Queen - can you spot the dachshund?   (I hope he gets an ice cream cone!)

 Gaines Biscuits -- now this is great ad!  It involves dog treats.

 Pard dog food.  That dachshund is glad to see her mother coming home with lots of dog food.

Red Heart dog food - "the only 3-flavor dog food"

A fashion advertisement (probably 1930's) featuring a dachshund -- and another doxie's face in the background:

 The 1955 Chrysler -- and it is raining.  There is something wrong with this picture!  Ask me what I think about rain.

General Tire - two beautiful red smooth doxies walking with a stylish couple:

Chevrolet - this is a close-up of the ad picture.   That doxie sees herself in the shiny clean car!

I hope you enjoyed these vintage ads.   I would love to hear from you in the comments, below!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Throwback Thursday - Gauchos

Let's go back in the Way Back Machine to our teen years.  Think about what you wore.  What was the biggest fashion don't of your teens?   

Mine was definitely gauchos.  This happening style was basically knee length culottes with a lot of flare at the knees.  They were typically worn with vests, as pictured above, and with a snug knit top or silky Qiana patterned blouse.  Let me say that this was not a figure flattering look - on anyone!   And yet I wore it anyway.   I'm glad this was a short-lived fashion trend, and even happier that it has not been revived.

Did you ever wear gauchos?  What fashion don't did YOU wear in your teens?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Wordless Wednesday - Red Longhair Dachshund in Autumn Postcard

Found at Birdhouse Books:  Dog Postcards

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF

Alexandra Brown

Releasing Oct 13th, 2015

Harper Collins

The perfect seasonal tale of how laughter, friends and wacky Christmas sweaters can mend a broken heart.

Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cozies, beanies, and sweaters. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the screw-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas sweaters are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

BUY NOW

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo  

Author Bio

Alexandra Brown began her writing career as the City Girl columnist for The London Paper - a satirical diary account of her time working in the corporate world of London. Alex wrote the weekly column for two years before giving it up to concentrate on writing novels and is now the author of the Carrington’s books. Set in a department store in the pretty seaside town of Mulberry-On-Sea, the series follows the life, loves and laughs of sales assistant, Georgie Hart. The Great Christmas Knit Off is Alex’s fourth book and is the first in a new series set in the fictional village of Tindledale, following the lives of all the characters there.

Alex lives in a real village near the south coast of England, with her husband, daughter and a very shiny black Labrador.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads

Giveaway

Enter to Win a Print Copy of THE GREAT CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF

a Rafflecopter giveaway