Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop on Galveston’s historic Strand has been the scene of two murders – both of which she has been instrumental in helping solve. So when she gets invited to demo her chocolate skills aboard a cruise ship sailing out of the local port, she’s excited at the chance to get away from the shop long enough to regain her equilibrium. She even brings her best friend along, and makes plans for time at the spa. But when she gets on board, she finds out that she’s been booked for a mystery-themed cruise, and said best friend, Autumn, has to finally deal with the real reasons she quit writing mysteries. Only – if that wasn’t stressful enough – it doesn’t take long before there’s a real murder on the cruise, and someone Felicity knows becomes the prime suspect. When said suspect asks her for help, she can’t exactly say no, can she?
Felicity finds herself surrounded by cruise goers who all had connections to the victim – and finds that both Logan (her business partner, whom she recently kissed) and Arlo (the cop who was once Felicity’s first boyfriend, before she moved away from Galveston) are dealing with the case until more official help can arrive. How will Felicity survive the ensuing awkwardness?
One thing that helps: the retired police dog turned therapy dog she meets on board. Satchmo helps Felicity deal with being back on the water after tragedy in her past – and also helps her uncover a vital clue to the case. Can Felicity unmask the killer and keep a friend from being framed before all the suspects leave the ship?
In Out of Temper, my protagonist Felicity Koerber, gets to go on a cruise. She’s a bean to bar chocolate maker, operating out of Galveston, Texas. A new Texas-based cruise line has invited her aboard to do demos about chocolate.
Felicity is into several kinds of music, in part from hanging out with her friends and traveling widely. So when making her a cruise-themed playlist, I went a bit eclectic. There are songs here that remind Felicity of the ocean, and others that she experiences at different on-board events.
I’ve sailed aboard a number of cruises, and some of the most fun parts involve music. There are shows, dance lessons, music in the background as you go about other activities.
I hope this playlist makes you feel like you’re sitting by the pool as the boat gently rocks. Enjoy a little sunshine, and the chance to vicariously get away from it all.
Amber Royer writes the Chocoverse comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series, and the Bean to Bar Mysteries. She is also the author of Story Like a Journalist: a Workbook for Novelists, which boils down her writing knowledge into an actionable plan involving over 100 worksheets to build a comprehensive story plan for your novel. She also teaches creative writing and is an author coach. Amber and her husband live in the DFW Area, where you can often find them hiking or taking landscape/architecture/wildlife photographs. If you are very nice to Amber, she might make you cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes, of course! Amber blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate.
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Thank you for letting me share the playlist here. I had so much fun putting it together!
Thanks, Amber. It’s a great list!
Hey, Walk the Moon made your playlist! Their music is a lot of fun. It gives me flashbacks to my youth. Thanks for putting that together!
Hah! I completely agree with you, Lisa, on Walk the Moon!
What a fun & eclectic playlist to get in that vacay kinda mode — and this series sounds equally fun to dive into. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kristine!