New Mystery from Gail Pallotta and giveaway

Cooking Up a Mystery

Gail Pallotta

Christian Romantic Mystery, 270 pp

released April 24, 2020

Pelican Book Group, LLC

$5.99 Ebook

Print – coming soon

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About the Book

Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off.

When Eric discovers that Laney's in danger, he vows to protect her. But can he make a lasting promise? Will she trust him? . . .and when they overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, will anyone believe them? There's more brewing than herbal tea in Cooking up a Mystery.


The Giveaway? Gail will give a Kindle copy of her suspense Stopped Cold to the third person who comments on this blog. Comment by noon CST on April 30 to be eligible.

A Brief Interview with Gail

Gail, what do you love about this new story?

Most importantly, I love the way the main character, Laney Eskridge, puts her faith in God to pull herself from the jaws of poverty. Her parents died and her husband left her for another woman. That was after she sent him through dental school instead of going to college herself. She’s struggling to make ends meet at Laney’s Delectable Delights, the new tea house her parents bequeathed to her. Forgiveness is the last thing on her mind right behind romance, which she wants no part of. However, when she comes face to face with Reverend Henshaw, who tells her she must forgive her ex, and move forward, she listens. She’s just not sure she can do it.

I also love the people who come in Laney’s Delectable Delights. She has some fun customers.

Introduce us to the romantic couple and tell us what makes their relationship work.

These two are highly unlikely to ever make a relationship work. Laney’s so angry at her ex, she’s determined to keep her distance from any man and succeed on her own. And that vow includes Eric Crider. He has a history of breaking off relationships when they grow too serious. His father hurt him and his mother deeply when he abandoned them, and everyone tells Eric he’s like his father. He would never want to inflict that type of pain on anyone, and he’s convinced the inability to commit to one person long term is in his DNA. There’s only one thing that can make their relationship work—their love for each other.

What do you hope readers will tell others about your book?

First, I hope they say it was fun to read. If they also find an inspirational message that touches them, that would be wonderful. It would be great too if they find some recipes they like in the back of the book. Those are from Mission Love Seeds, an organization helping children in the Philippines and answering local crises. All of them were taken from a cookbook, Heavenly Delights, authored as a fundraiser by my friend, Pam Nichols Griffin, in Destin, Florida.

    

What are you reading now?

Currently, I’m reading several books in the Ponder This series put out by Pelican Book Group.

What’s next for you?

I’m editing a couple of romantic suspense novels and hoping one of them will appear on the horizon soon.  

My Review

A wounded but determined chef and a commitment-phobic university professor fight their attraction. When they decide to take on an overheard terrorist plot, they must decide what’s more important—their personal hangups or the fate of the nation.

Laney finally landed on both feet and set off running. She’s got a great business, an assistant whose loyal and trustworthy, and a burgeoning catering clientele. She’s done the marriage thing and it didn’t work for her. That’s okay. Laney’s got enough on her plate and counting on only herself is a refreshing change, even though the weird noises coming from the other side of the wall creep her out. Then she meets Eric and his avant-garde taste in art.

Bachelor Eric’s broken-footed helplessness tugs at Laney’s heartstrings. He only needs dinner for a few weeks, thank you. Or does he? Na… Maybe… Could he? Could they? Every relationship has a few hiccups, and when these two souls accidentally overhear some truly frightening threats, they realize life is bigger than their issues. Besides, they make a pretty good team investigating things that go bump in the night. What happens after they save the world…well, you’ll just have to read the book.

Told from both sides of the oven, Laney and Eric’s humorous and poignant story of modern-day romance among the faith-filled set will leave Christian romantic mystery lovers smiling.

About the Author

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Nominee. She’s published six books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. https://www.gailpallotta.com/

And visit Mission Love Sees at http://www.missionloveseeds.org/blog/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/120924667405/

Social Media links:

Blog - https://gailpallotta.blogspot.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

Twitter - Gail Pallotta  @Hopefulwords

LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-pallotta-b368b220/

Amazon page

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-pallotta

Gail Pallotta and teen suicide rates with Stopped Cold

Welcome to my friend Gail Pallotta, who shares this article with the sad facts of teen suicide.
Gail has offered to give away a review copy of Stopped Cold and her book that focuses on Lyme Disease, Barely Above Water. Comment below to entered in the drawing which will take place on Thursday at 8 PM Central with the winners announced on Friday June 7.

According to The Parent Resource, The Jason Foundation, suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages ten to twenty-four. “Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 3, 041 attempts by young people grades nine through twelve.”

The CDC says “suicide among teens and young adults has nearly tripled since the 1940s.”

According to the Westminster Catechism, which I studied in the 1940s and 50s, man’s chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” 

In “A Young Athlete’s World of Pain and Where It Led,” published on June 22, 2016, in “The New York Times,” Tim Rohan tells the story of a young football player suffering from concussions. He didn’t mention it to anyone because he thought it wasn’t the manly thing to do. He ended up killing himself.

I’ve had the misfortune of knowing young people whose inability to cope with being less than number one resulted in devastating results. They range from youngsters who had difficulty coping because they didn’t come in first in a race or receive all A’s to young people who attempted or committed suicide. The drive seemed to originate from different sources, parents, siblings, peers or within.

I wanted them to know they didn’t have to be number one for God to love them. He’d given each of them a gift or gifts to use for him. The desire rattled around in my head for years and finally became the theme for Stopped Cold.

I’m a fan of healthy competition. It pushes us to do our best, and we often achieve success beyond our goals, or not, but when the game or contest ends, win or lose, we’re still a child of God. Winning or losing doesn’t define our self-worth.

About Stopped Cold 

Things aren't what they seem in peaceful Mistville, North Carolina. 

Margaret McWhorter enjoys a laid-back Freshman year in high school swimming and hanging out with friends—until the day her brother, Sean, suffers a stroke from taking steroids. Now he's lying unconscious in a hospital. 

Anger sets a fire for retribution inside her, and Margaret vows to make the criminals pay. Even the cop on the case can't stop her from investigating. Looking for justice, she convinces two friends, Jimmy and Emily to join her in a quest that takes them through a twisted, drug-filled sub-culture they discover deep in the woods behind the school. Time and again they walk a treacherous path, and come face-to-face with danger. 

All the while Margaret really wants to cure Sean, heal the hate inside, and open her heart to love. 

Meriwether, the high school in Stopped Cold, has its own twitter site. Margaret would love to have you follow it at Meriwether Christian @ MeriwetherCS

Buy the book:

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Pelican Book Group

BookBub

About the Author:

Gail Pallotta’s a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. She’s a former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, a Grace Awards Finalist for an earlier edition of Stopped Cold and a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner for Barely Above Water, a contemporary romance that includes a heroine struggling with Lyme disease. Learn more about Gail and her books on her website.

Hair Calamities with Gail Pallotta

Hair Calamities and Hot Cash

Gail Pallotta

Romantic mystery series

Prism Book Group, November 2018

E-book $5.99

Paper - $15.99

Buy on Amazon 

Buy on Barnes and Noble 

About the Book

“A comedic romp from small town to big city in search of missing money, hair catastrophes, and love. A truly fun read”—Cynthia Hickey, author of the Shady Acres Mystery series.

What happens when a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop...on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos? Soon Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted criminals! Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

Brief interview with the author:

Gail, what do you love about this book?

There are quite a few things that make this book dear to me. First of all, my mother’s beauty shop inspired it. Secondly, the small town setting where everyone knows everybody else gave me the opportunity to introduce characters who accepted and cared about one another. The setting also allowed breathtaking scenes in the North Carolina Mountains. Top that off with being able to write about romance and mystery, two genres I enjoy.

What are two things you learned while writing it?

Since I spent so much time in my mother’s shop, I was familiar with operating a salon and have kept up with the changing hairstyles and ways of creating them. However, I didn’t know how to mix hair dye.

Even though I’m familiar with the setting, I learned about different kinds of foliage and flowers out during spring in the North Carolina Mountains. They include oak and sycamore trees, wild azaleas and mountain laurel bushes. 

What kinds of things did you need to research to write about your villains?

There are several villains, two are into stealing cars and one is into corporate espionage. Mainly, I had to research the conditions under which the F.B.I. would come aboard to help solve a crime and learned the villains needed to cross state lines.

What are you reading over the holidays?

I have several fun Christmas books on my TBR list. I’ve read and loved Meow Mistletoe. It was such a fun book. I also plan to read Sarah Helps Santa by Gay Lewis. I’ve read and enjoyed several of Ms. Lewis’s Sarah books.

Tell us about your next book.

Thank you for asking. Cooking up a Mystery is another book set in Triville, North Carolina, with many of the same fun characters that appear in Hair Calamities and Hot Cash. Cooking up a Mystery introduces Laney Eskridge, who worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left for another woman. She’s already on edge from the emotional scars and her parents’ deaths when she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house. She and a customer, Eric, who has a fear of commitment fall for each other. However, she’s overwhelmed by the long hours at work, and she’s already been betrayed once. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off. He discovers she’s in danger and vows to protect her, but can he make a lasting promise? Can she trust him? They overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, but will anyone believe them?

About the Author

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she’s a Grace Awards Finalist and a 2017 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards recipient. She’s published several books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit Gail's website at www.gailpallotta.com.

Hot Cash and Hair Calamities

Cozy Inspirational Mystery

Gail Pallotta

 

Pelican Book Group

Nov 2, 2018

Ebook $5.99

 Print$15.99

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

What happens when a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop … on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos? Soon, Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the FBI’s most-wanted criminals!

Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

My review:

Meet Triville, North Carolina.

Triville is a fabulous place to drive through on a spring day. Gorgeous mountain vistas, a fun downtown, sweet restaurants, and a great beauty shop should you feel a need for a quick clip or curl. Eve has loads of experience, and thank goodness, lots of friends who are willing to come back after accidental bubbles and perms make haywire on the heads of her clients.

When a big city businessman careens into Eve’s life, her life is upended further. What’s not to love about a guy who gets on his hands and knees to mop a ton of bubbles for a stranger?

Fall under the enchanted spell of Triville and town that brings sweet magic to its residents and visitors alike. If you like Mitford, you’ll get a huge kick out of Triville! Eve is an inspiration as she works out her challenges and disappointments while wondering if widowhood should be a “permanent” condition, or it a little adventure might get her out of her routine.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she's a Grace Awards Finalist and a 2017 Reader's Favorite Book Awards recipient. She's published several books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit Gail’s website at gailpallotta.com

99cent mystery from Gail Pallotta

Hair Calamities and Hot Cash has its roots in the Western North Carolina Mountains. The elevation of the small town reaches nearly to the tops of the peaks to allow for breathtaking, romantic views, but the characters resemble the residents from my hometown at the foothills.

A Christian bond binds them whether they are acquaintances, best friends, people who only tolerate one another or folks who keep their distance. They squabble, and each of them likes some people better than others, but they respect each other. When one of them faces a hardship, death, illness or any other crisis, the rest of the residents reach out to one of their own. In the blink of an eye they’re ready with open hands, outstretched arms and casseroles.

It’s a quiet place with little to do, and everyone knows everyone else’s business, so they gossip. No newspaper, and probably not the internet, could keep up with their word-of-mouth broadcasts.  When Philip Wells, a stockbroker from New York, crashes his car into the young widow Eve Castleberry’s beauty shop, word spreads like lightning. At the same time, everyone in town hears how Eve suddenly created frizzy hairdos and dyed people’s hair red instead of blond. When she and Philip start dating...Well, there is no end to it.

The two of them do manage to keep Philip’s robbery a secret while they try to solve the crime. Of course, they don’t realize they’re chasing two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted. But I must stop adding to the gossip, relax and enjoy the view.

About the Book:

“A comedic romp from small town to big city in search of missing money, hair catastrophes, and love. A truly fun read”—Cynthia Hickey, author of the Shady Acres Mystery series.

What happens when a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop...on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos? Soon Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted criminals! Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former Grace Awards Finalist and a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner, she’s published five books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She loves to connect with readers.

Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.gailpallotta.com/mainphp.html

Visit her website at gailpallotta.com

Hair Calamities and Hot Cash is on pre-order for .99 at Amazon

For a special treat, Gail is giving away an electronic copy of her book Barely Above Water

Breaking Barriers, with Gail Pallotta

Breaking Barriers

Love Is series novella 8

Gail Pallotta

Love is…not easily angered.

Except when hatred and violence rule.

Gunshots ring out as Ann Jones enters the church. She hides in the bathroom until they stop, then stumbles into the sanctuary. The congregation lies dead in pools of blood. To rebuild the church, she starts True Light Guardians. At the first meeting, she’s attacked by a terrorist, but rescued by James Crawford. He melts her heart, cold from her father’s abuse, and they fall for each other. She’s afraid to commit to love that might grow angry later, like the type she knew as a child. James yearns to stop other attempts on Ann’s life, but can’t. Tormented by her constant risks, he breaks up with her. When an assault sends her to the hospital, an unlikely ally shares Ann’s plight with James, but he reveals a lead that puts all three of them in even more danger.

Inspirational romance novella

Near future events

$2.99 eBook Buy on Amazon

Bundled Print coming in the future

When I was in college I used to run into an atheist in the small cafe where we gathered for Coca-Colas, hamburgers and French fries after class. I tried to avoid him, because he always hopped over to my table and started an argument about my faith.

Perhaps he comes to mind on the release day of Breaking Barriers for several reasons. One, he was angry at me because I am a Christian. Even though today I can’t recall which verses he used, he’d take passages from the Bible and try to make me say they weren’t true. When I wouldn’t, he’d retort with a scientific argument and claim it had to be right.

The second reason he comes to mind—it was the mention of God’s love that finally silenced him. One day I grew so frustrated I asked, “If there’s no God, where does love come from? Why don’t you mix me up a little bowl of it? If scientists could do it, they would, because they could sell a ton of it for lots of money.”

His mouth gaped.

He never trotted to my table again.

Since then I’ve read that we have chemicals in the brain that produce love. I’ve often wondered if he came up with that theory. Even if that were true, the chemicals in the brain came from somewhere, and that would still lead back to God. I hope it wasn’t him. I hope he thought about God’s great love for us and decided to read the Bible. 

Lisa's review:

In the very near future Christians in the US are targeted for destruction. Ann knows, or thinks she knows many who could be likely culprits when she’s being stalked and attempts made on her sanity and life. When she takes on the job of leading disenfranchised and now underground church members in a new united effort to save the faith, attempts on the people of faith ramp up. The new man in Ann’s life, James, shows her not only how to practice what she preaches, but also how to trust God and let go of painful mistrust she’s carried since childhood. Ann’s stubbornness about her personal safety gives James more angst than he believes he can handle.

The story contains some humor mixed in with the real possibilities of future and present attacks. We’re not as safe as we think we are. Pallotta’s story is told through several viewpoints and focus on the gentle and growing love between two people caught up in frightening events outside of what we’ve come to accept as reasonable and expected safety. The goons might provide a little comic relief, but the potential situations underscore a general lack of respect that seems rampant in these times. When Ann can’t trust family, boss, workmates, maybe not even colleagues or friends, what’s left? A short novella will transport readers into a realm where trust not only relies on being able to sort out feelings, but also on faith.