Goodreads: My Year in Books 2020

Black Cozy Mystery ~ A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (aka Abby L Vandiver)

Not much to say here, other than I finally picked up the first book in Abby Collette's (aka Abby L Vandiver) ice cream-themed black cozy mystery series, A Deadly Inside Scoop (released in May 2020).  I have the first book in her Romaine Wilder Mystery series I still have to get to.  If only I could get my cozy-centric act together these days.  Though, I can say with certainty, I am reading on the regular–if anything.  These days I'm mostly tackling unread titles that have been hanging around my shelves for a little too long.  This purchase was a product of knocking out at least five unreads during that pursuit.  Anyway, as we push closer and closer to winter (cold days/long nights), I gravitate closer to putting on a pot of chili for some cozy mystery reading.  Here's to getting my act together, and for the same for everyone out there who is hanging in there this year.

In the meantime... the blurb of A Deadly Inside Scoop from Amazon...

"Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family's ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she's going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.

To make matters worse, that evening, Win finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Win’s father is implicated in his death. It's not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Win is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she'll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown..."

FauxCast ~ The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

FauxCast ~ CHOP IT UP: Goldenboy by Michael Nava (Henry Rios Mystery #2)

Been a while, huh?  I read this book back in March–as a part of #MarchMysteryMadness–and recorded this soon after.  I guess I just held on to this recording as one proceeds to tackle other areas of one's life amid... well... we know what's going on these days.  With that said, this recording is completely unedited.  Normally I try to clean things up for you guys.  This time I'm trying to get my mojo back first.  LOL.  

Anyway, enjoy!   I also hope you're all well.  Staying safe and motivated.  And refusing to give up on whatever you're reaching to achieve.

Goldenboy by Michael Nava (Henry Rios Mystery #2)

Black Cozy Author Esme Addison's Interview with Author Ellie Alexander

 

Just Going Lay This Here...

Author Valerie Wilson Wesley is FINALLY back at it again with an upcoming Tamara Hayle mystery.  Not much information on the book itself–other than it's the 9th book since 2008's Of Blood and Sorrow.  Very exciting to see Wesley's Tamara Hayle books coming back.  Though, I have to say, I hope this isn't the final cover art design.  I don't know; it looks all Gothic and creepy.  Nevertheless, there's no release date yet.

We Got Some NEW Black Mysteries Up in HERE!

Ahhhh, some black writers writing mysteries.  Should I scream once again on how excited one is?  I mean, I have been doing so up and down these blogging streets for over seven years now.  Ain’t a thing gon’ change either?  Anyway, here’s what I got.  Two released in 2020 (one as recently as last week), and a newfound series came falling into my lap.  For more info click the links below (they are Amazon affiliate).

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby

Secrets, Lies, & Crawfish Pies by Abby L. Vandiver

The Missing American by Kwei Quartey

Choices Indie Movie

So listen–errr, read.  I'm coming out of my "hiatus" for a bit to share this indie movie I was a part of.  I filmed the scene I was in last year, so it's exciting to see the results here a year later.  Now I ain't an actor!  So don't judge my performance to harshly.  LOL.  Matter-of-fact, pay attention to the deliverance of the pros' ability to tell this story.  Nevertheless, the film was written/directed/produced by an amazingly talented and inspiring friend of mines named, Tracie.  I was apart of another project of hers back in 2017, but it has yet to be completed in the face of this movie, Choices.  I say that because nothing is cooler than knowing cool people doing cool things!  

ENJOY!

Baldwin Reading of "Going to Meet the Man"

The 3rd Cass Raines Private-Eye Book is OUT NOW!

"Wealth. Power. Celebrity. Vonda Allen’s glossy vanity magazine has taken the Windy City by storm, and she’s well on her way to building a one-woman media empire. Everybody adores her. Except the people who work for her. And the person who’s sending her flowers with death threats . . .

As Vonda’s bodyguard, off-duty cop Ben Mickerson knows he could use some back-up—and no one fits the bill better than his ex-partner on the police force, Cass Raines. Now a full-time private eye, Cass is reluctant to take the job. She isn’t keen on playing babysitter to a celebrity who’s rumored to be a heartless diva. But as a favor to Ben, she signs on. But when Vonda refuses to say why someone might be after her, and two of her staff turn up dead, Ben and Cass must battle an unknown assailant bent on getting to the great lady herself, before someone else dies.

Cass finds out the hard way just how persistent a threat they face during the first stop on Vonda’s book tour. As fans clamour for her autograph, things take an ugly turn when a mysterious fan shows up with flowers and slashes Ben with a knife. While her ex-partner’s life hangs in the balance, Cass is left to find out what secrets Vonda is keeping, who might want her dead, and how she can bring Ben’s attacker to justice before enemies in the Chicago Police Department try to stop her in her tracks . . ."

What You Don't See is the third (and I pray to GOD not last) book in Tracy Clark's Chicago-based private-eye, Cass Raines, mystery series.  Amazon had me wait two days since it's May 26th release, but I got mine.  Heck, and it's right on time for the weekend ('cause I ain't GOT TO WORK!).  

So yes, prowling the streets of Chicago with Cass is pretty much all I need.  That and maybe a DoorDash and Instacart order just to keep me in the house.  Anyway, super excited to start this one!  Black woman private-eye for the complete and UTTER WIN, baby!  Y'all out there know how I getz down.

Call or text me at your own risk.  I may respond.  I may not.  It all depends on how deep I am into my reading of What You Don't See.

New Valerie Wilson Wesley Book & Series on the WAY!

"Odessa Jones doesn't trust her second sight. The extrasensory "gift" that her Aunt Phoenix claims will always protect her let Dessa down in a major way when she was blindsided by the death of her husband. Now, with her failing catering business looming over her, not to mention the possible loss of her home and continuing grieving, Dessa's last chance to keep her life together is a job at a real estate agency with a shady past.

With volatile boss Charlie Risko and a ramshackle operation, it's far from a dream job, but working at Risko Realty veers more into nightmare territory when Charlie is found murdered. Dessa knows she had a "glimmer"--or premonition--of death the day before, and is troubled to think she could have predicted Charlie's death. Her second sight kicks in again when a coworker is arrested for Charlie's murder - and Dessa knows for certain that he's innocent. This time, Dessa doesn't want to ignore her gift. She teams up with friend, former detective, and current barbeque cook Lennox Royal to help her track down the killer - but will her glimmers help save her before the killer strikes again?"

Get READYYYYYYY!  Release January 26, 2021 (as of now, I guess)

Pre-order A Glimmer of Death on Amazon Kindle

Pre-order A Glimmer of Death on Amazon in Paperback 

Muller & Paretsky Short Story Haul

Soooooo, I'm not that great at keeping up with short stories.  But shoottttttt I miss the cheeseburger and FRIES out of reading Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone private-eye stories.  And equally that of Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski series.  I've tidied up these series; totally up-to-date with these two iconic contemporary woman private-eye stories.  Now I really miss these author, and most certainly the voices of their characters.  So short stories it is!  

New Society6 Journal/Notebook/Whatever

Yay!  I got my new journal/notebook/whatever from my Society6 Store today.  And, needless to say, I LOVE it.  Journals like these are the reason I started all this eight years ago–in the first place.  I was tired of searching for new journals to write in.  Only to find those journals featuring wildflowers, cats, puppies, and landscapes.  I wanted something featuring something of my own.  I guess I managed to make that happen!  

Anyway, this is called the "Ain't that Mellow Mellow, Jeremi" journal.  The name is from a song featured on the 1974 Foxy Brown score produced by Willie Hutch.  Yellow.  Mellow.  Get it?

Anyway, this is a side-by-side of my retiring Zazzle journal (I bought in 2016) with my new Society6 one.  As you can see the Zazzle is spiral-bound (larger as well), whereas the Society6 one isn't.

CHOP IT UP: The Black Tower by P. D. James

"ABCD" May Reading TBR

Heyyyyyy. I hope and pray everyone is doing well and keeping safe out there.

So we all like to do little things to create a monthly TBR (given we've decided to make one to begin with). Especially to keep from spending hours or even days between books. And when you factor in today’s virus crisis, now is a good time to get down to reading with a bit of a charge. With a rhythm. With a nice, striding... pace. More so, it's a time to tackle unreads books (I know, I know) that have overdue property taxes on shelf space. Since browsing our favorite libraries and bookstores ain’t happening any time soon, it's an unfortunate but re-calibrating opportunity to play our reading cards. In, of course, fun and interesting ways.

So the first two weeks (or so-so) of May got me creating what I’ve dubbed an ”ABCD May TBR”.

4 BOOKSHELVES. 4 LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET BY ORDER. 4 AUTHORS-BY-LAST-NAME PICKS. 4 UNREAD BOOKS. BOOM!

My first shelf was my “A” shelf. Unread books with "A" last name authors. Alphabet order through the pickings. Let's go! Maya ANgelou’s autobiography, A Song Flung Up to Heaven, beat Margaret ATwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. True enough. Yet, I took a little concession and choose the latter. Why? Two reason. One: never read an Atwood, but read plenty Angelous. Two: because this is an alarming time to explore some disturbing dystopian/totalitarian state novels. And I’m going to throw this out there: Gilead (do your research on that). So let's keep it real with the potential parallels we all fear on the horizon. The phrase "It'll never happen here" comes to mind.

A Special Video Blog Exclusive: "Build Your Investigator" TAG

What's up those who've managed to read this. I'm doing something a little unusual here in two or three ways. First: I've created a TAG video. Two: This video was suppose to be up in March as my last #MarchMysteryMadness video. The lag has to do with me deciding to take some time to be "still" in regards to this virus business ripping up the world. And to spend a little time off BookTube to focus on just life (or preparation in this case) and family matters. I hope everyone is doing okay during this time. Stay safe and keep your prayers up! As for the TAG questions: 1. Name Your Investigator 2. How would your investigator get involved with his/her first crime/case? 3. What's your investigator's appearance like? 4. What's your investigator's financial status and goals like? 5. What's your investigator's background like? 6. What's your investigator's talents, skills and values? 7. What's your investigator's personality like?

Receipting/Journaling/Messing???

I guess I can do this.  Bowling alleys.  Restaurants.  Crab boils.  Christmas gifts.  Out-of-town adventures.  Family-time carousing grocery stores for food for weekend cookouts.  Quarantine purchases.  

While I've skimmed on actually journaling everything I've been up to, I've been keeping receipts in the attempt to go BACK and fill in a few blanks–of some sort.  Instead, I'm going to be super cute (is this cheating?) by taping the receipts in order.  It'll be one of those late-night Saturday projects to get me on the path of journaling regularly.  I'm looking for a fresh start, beginning with buying a new journal.

Of COURSE, I'm going to buy one of my own.  And I've never bought one from my Society6 store.  Needless to say, I'm having a hard time deciding which one I want to get a fresh start with!

Right?

Right?

Ooooo. Somebody Sent Me Books...

What’s happening, all? Well, I guess that question isn’t exactly necessary in our current health crisis climate. So, in saying that, I hope and pray you reading this is doing well and keeping safe. I’ve taken this time to be still. Still reading, but keeping still. Not too much video making and blogging. More like be extra careful of my movements (as I still have to go to work), as well as keeping up with my family’s movements. There is much to say about these last few weeks but, for the majority, me and my folks are doing well. And I pray yours is too.

I’m here to share and shout out Elizabeth from the YouTube Channel, LizziefayeLovesBooks. Last week she sent me some books, y'all! Anyway, her and I have shared a BookTubeship these past few years. That BookTubeship came stirred by our connection in hosting #MarchMysteryMadness together since 2016. There are actual stories behind the book picks she has sent me. But instead of getting into all that on this rainy Saturday, I’ll share her latest video down below. Total appreciation for this.

      

So, yes. This was really, really sweet. And I can’t wait to read them! Folks are out here sending me books, man. How blessed is THAT! THANKS ONCE AGAIN, ELIZABETH!

CHOP IT UP: Somebody Else's Child by Terris McMahan Grimes

#MarchMysteryMadness 2020 Giveaway WINNER (or "WIN-TAH!")