A Study in Chocolate Book Blog Tour and #Giveaway #LoneStarLit

The Newest Sleuth in Galveston just wants to make chocolate!

Felicity’s fictional shop is in Galveston Texas, a ferry ride away from my hometown. I located it on the Historic Strand, to give her interesting architecture and a central view of going-ons with my fictionalized small business community. Galveston has always been one of my favorite places to spend time. From the beach to the state park, it’s a great place to photograph birds and other wildlife. And there is so much history related to the island to explore. Felicity lives with her aunt, who is a house-flipper specializing in rejuvenating neglected Victorian homes.  There is an extremely sweet romance triangle that will sort itself out in the next book, and a number of fun animal companions, fluffy, feathered and otherwise.

I have often been told my books make people hungry, and with the Cajun/Global food references – plus all the chocolate – this series is best read with snacks at hand!

If you want to see the book trailers, watch me read from the books, see snippets of recipes from the books, and more, check out my YouTube Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTKdtbDfF2spji02MQpsUAm38dbBtpCTK

Grand Openings Can Be Murder: Bean to Bar Mysteries No 1 – February 2, 2021, Golden Tip Press, $12.99.  Available as paperback and e-book, in the US.

Felicity Koerber has had a rough year. She’s moving back to Galveston Island and opening a bean to bar chocolate factory, fulfilling a dream she and her late husband, Kevin, had shared. Craft chocolate means a chance to travel the world, meeting with farmers and bringing back beans she can turn into little blocks of happiness, right close to home and family.

She thinks trouble has walked into her carefully re-built world when puddle-jump pilot Logan Hanlon shows up at her grand opening to order custom chocolates. Then one of her employees drops dead at the party, and Felicity’s one-who-got-away ex-boyfriend – who’s now a cop – thinks Felicity is a suspect. As the murder victim’s life becomes more and more of a mystery, Felicity realizes that if she’s going to clear her name in time to save her business, she might need Logan’s help. Though she’s not sure if she’s ready to let anyone into her life – even if it is to protect her from being the killer’s next victim.

For Felicity, Galveston is all about history, and a love-hate relationship with the ocean, which keeps threatening to deliver another hurricane – right into the middle of her investigation. Can she figure it out before all the clues get washed away?

In Grand Openings, you get:                       
Hungry From all the Chocolate
An Amateur Sleuth Rebuilding Her Life
An Adorable Bunny
A Surfer Girl Baking Assistant
Dirty Horchata
Social Media Addiction
Historic Galveston Island
Cajun Culture
Coffee and Books
Complex Love Interests
and did I mention Chocolate?

70% Dark Intentions: Bean to Bar Mysteries No 2 – July 20, 2021, Golden Tip Press, $12.99.  Available as paperback and e-book, in the US.

Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop on Galveston’s historic Strand is bringing in plenty of customers – in part due to the notoriety of the recent murder of one of her assistants, which she managed to solve. Things seem to be taking a turn for the better. Her new assistant, Mateo, even gets along with Carmen, the shop’s barista turned pastry chef. Felicity thinks she’s learning to cope with change – right up until one of her friends gets engaged. Everyone’s expecting her to ask Logan, her former bodyguard, to be her plus one. But even the thought of asking out someone else still makes her feel disloyal to her late husband’s memory — so maybe she hasn’t moved on from her husband’s death as much as she thought.

Felicity isn’t planning to contact Logan any time soon. Only, Felicity finds ANOTHER body right outside her shop – making it two murders at Greetings and Felicitations in as many months. That night, Mateo disappears, leaving Felicity to take care of his pet octopus. The police believe that Mateo committed the murder, but Felicity is convinced that, despite the mounting evidence, something more is going on, and Mateo may actually be in trouble.

When Logan assumes that he’s going to help Felicity investigate, she realizes she’s going to have to spend time with him – whether she’s ready to really talk to him or not. Can Felicity find out what happened to Mateo, unmask a killer, and throw an engagement party all at the same time?

In 70% Dark, you get:
Hungry From all the Chocolate
A Hotel Renovation Project
A mischievous Pet Octopus
A Blogger in Search of a Story
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Galveston Wildlife
A Cajun Cafe
Strong Friendships
Business Challenges
Complex Love Interests
and did I mention Chocolate?

 Out of Temper: Bean to Bar Mysteries No 3 – February 1, 2022, Golden Tip Press, $12.99.  Available as paperback and e-book, in the US.   

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, you get:

Hungry From all the Chocolate
An Amateur Sleuth Rebuilding Her Life
An Adorable Therapy Dog
A Best Friend with a Secret
Bread Pudding Truffles
Social Media Addiction
A Murder Mystery Theme Cruise
LARP-ers
Coffee and Books
Complex Love Interests
and did I mention Chocolate?

A Shot in the 80% Dark: Bean to Bar Mysteries No 4 – July 15, 2022, Golden Tip Press, $12.99.  Available as paperback and e-book, in the US.

Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop is thriving. Despite everything she’s been through with the murders she’s helped solve, Felicity is ready to take on new challenges. So when a local museum offers her a contract to create a chocolate replica of a gigantic sailing ship sculpture for a gala celebrating Galveston’s history, she jumps at the chance to combine chocolate-crafting with art.

The project is fun – right up until there’s not just one but two dead artists on the scene, and Felicity has to change gears back to detective. Logan, Felicity’s business partner and previous bodyguard, and Arlo, Felicity’s ex who is now the cop investigating the case, are split on which victim they think was actually the intended one. Felicity may have to take some chances, both emotionally and in luring out a killer, to determine the truth.

Can she find out how Galveston’s history relates to the murders, unmask a killer, and prepare 2,000 chocolate desserts for the gala all at the same time?

In A Shot in the 80% Dark, you get:

Hungry From all the Chocolate

Pirate History

Scuba Diving

A Sleuth Exploring Art

Several Quirky Artists

A Mouthy Cockatoo

A Cultural Food Mashup

A Blogger Family with Cute Kids

Complicated Love Interests

Social Media Fun

and did I mention Chocolate?

A Study in Chocolate: Bean to Bar Mysteries No 5 – January 17, 2023, Golden Tip Press, $12.99.  Available as paperback and e-book, in the US.

Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop on Galveston’s historic Strand is expanding, as it has become a gathering spot for the community, despite having been the scene of multiple murders. Artists she met while doing a chocolate sculpture are now working out of the shop. So when Felicity is invited to tea by an eccentric art collector, she’s intrigued, especially when she gets asked to pose for a portrait done with chocolate on chocolate. Only, when there is a murder the next day at the same historic house where the tea was held, one of Felicity’s artist friends becomes the main suspect.
When the killer threatens that, unless Felicity unravels the murder, one of her two love interests will be the next victim, she finds herself unwittingly at the center of a puzzle, with a Sherlock Holmes obsessed murderer who wants to be the next Moriarty – and wants to cast Felicity as Sherlock.
Felicity starts finding unexpected connects between her friends and acquaintances, and has to deal with the idea that someone who knows her is a murderer. At the same time, she has to keep her business running, despite construction dust and unruly customers – and an unexpected order for thousands of truffles.  Can Felicity solve it in time to protect the people she cares about from becoming additional victims?

In A Study in Chocolate, you get:

Hungry From all the Chocolate

Sherlock Holmes References

A Friend in Peril

A Look Inside a Historic Home

A Nosy Carriage Horse

Red Herrings

A Mysterious Challenge

A Podcasting Troublemaker

Dinner with Family

Gluten Free Chocolate Treats

and did I mention Chocolate?

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