Shards of Murder
by Cheryl Hollon
The story was well developed and the mystery was one that really held my attention. A great cozy!
~A Chick Who Reads
~A Chick Who Reads
You fall right back into the story and are pulled in from the first page.
~Shelley’s Book Case
~Shelley’s Book Case
I’m a huge fan of this series, and I think I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one…
~Book Babble
~Book Babble
SHARDS OF MURDER absolutely sparkled with fabulous writing, and an amazingly polished plot that held me captivated through the entire story.
~Lisa K’s Book Reviews
~Lisa K’s Book Reviews
Shards of Murder(A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (February 23, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1617737626
E-Book ASIN: B00Y6RC07Y
Synopsis
When a glass-making competition turns deadly, glass shop owner Savannah Webb must search for a window into a criminal’s mind…As the new proprietor of Webb’s Glass Shop, Savannah has been appointed to fill her late father’s shoes as a judge for the Spinnaker Arts Festival, held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With her innovative glass works, the clear winner is Megan Loyola, a student of Savannah’s former mentor.But when Megan doesn’t show up to accept her $25,000 award, rumors start flying. And when Savannah discovers the woman’s dead body on festival grounds, the police immediately suspect her of murder. To keep from appearing before a judge herself, Savannah sorts through the broken pieces of glass scattered around the victim for clues as to who took this killer competition too far…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks. Visit her online at cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter@CherylHollon.
Purchase Links
Interview:
Where are you from?
I live in St. Petersburg, Florida in a small neighborhood
within walking distance of the downtown area. in an area filled with Craftsman homes from
the 1920s. One of the most attractive aspects of St. Pete is all the festivals,
openings, fairs, art walks, masquerade balls and other avant-garde parties that
give local artists a very busy social life
I
grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. I attended Ruskin
Elementary School where we walked home for lunch each day. It seemed like
miles, but in reality was only about six blocks. It was the kind of
neighborhood where all the kids ran free each evening until the street lights
came on – then you’d better scurry to get home!
Tell us your latest news?
SHARDS
OF MURDER, the second book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery Series, is finally
released and available in all your favorite book sites. Even better news is
CRACKED TO DEATH is releasing on June 28!
When and why did you begin
writing?
I
began writing about ten years ago while I was a flight simulation engineer
during the long haul flights to England, Singapore, Australia and India. Those
flights and the site installation trips were both lengthy. Writing was a way to
stay creative, but I didn’t need to haul around art supplies, just pen and
paper.
When did you first consider
yourself a writer?
When
I sat at the signing table at Haslam’s Book Store, my neighborhood independent,
it came to me in a rush that I could no longer deny the fact that I was a
writer. After I received the publication date for the first book in the Webb’s
Glass Shop Mystery series, I approached Haslam’s to schedule my first signing.
I was so excited. Haslam’s owner – not so excited. He was not convinced that I
could draw a crowd and stated that he felt that no one would show up at all. I
was shocked! Where were the open arms embracing the newest literary debut? It
was an effective wake-up call. I redoubled my promotional efforts and was happy
that over 75 people attended my first signing. Wild applause from Haslam’s.
He’s now one of my biggest fans.
What inspired you to write
your first book?
The
first book I finished was about a young woman who quit her job as a forensic scientist
and started a business as a wedding photographer. I was deep into photography
at the time and had been shooting black and white film with a medium format
camera. The art center near me had a darkroom and I was able to develop and
print my photographs in their open lab sessions. The title of that book was
SHOOTING BRIDES and it holds a warm place in my heart at the first real book I
wrote. I queried it for about a year and got very close to landing an agent,
but I wasn’t ready yet.
Do you have a specific
writing style?
One
of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve received is to not confuse your
reader. I’ve taken that to heart and try to write in a clear straightforward
manner, but not shielding the reader from words that precisely describe the meaning
I’m trying to evoke. Word selection and rhythm are important to me along with
dialogue that sounds natural.
How did you come up with the
title?
My
good friends in the on-line Guppy Chapter of the Sisters in Crime organization
helped me out with titles that my publisher felt portrayed the essence of the
series. When I posted my plea on the Guppies (this stands for The Great
Unpublished) e-mail loop, they sent me about fifty suggestions and Kensington
Books chose three from the list. The Guppies are a true band of supporters and
mind hive of everything mystery. The mystery community is the most supportive
environment I’ve ever encountered.
Is there a message in your
novel that you want readers to grasp?
I’m
trying to show readers what small business Main Street Florida is all about and
bring into the light what’s behind the beaches, t-shirts and shell shops. There
are real people, families and a vital sense of community. It’s a tiny microcosm
of civilization. Everyone works together so the whole district can succeed. One
bad apple can upset the whole balance – there’s a story behind every
storefront.
What would you like my
readers to know?
Although
I don’t journal like my mother does, I have found a great sense of well-being
since I’ve started writing every day. In fact, on the rare days that I’m away
from the keyboard, I feel anxious, itchy, unsettled as if I’ve forgotten
something important – like where’s my billfold? I wasn’t expecting this, but I
shall never stop writing now that I know how it affects my mood and cognition.
As Ray Bradbury once said, “You fail only if you stop writing.” I’m not
stopping.
Cheryl’s upcoming release on
February 23, 2016: Shards of Murder
(Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery #2)
To
solve her father’s murder and save the family-owned glass shop, Savannah Webb
must shatter a killer’s carefully constructed façade…
After
Savannah’s father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, she drops everything to
return home to St. Petersburg, Florida, to settle his affairs—including the fate
of the beloved, family-owned glass shop. Savannah intends to hand over
ownership to her father’s trusted assistant and fellow glass expert, Hugh
Trevor, but soon discovers the master craftsman also dead of an apparent heart
attack.
As if the coincidence isn’t suspicious enough, Savannah
discovers a note her father left for her, warning her that she’s in danger.
With the local police unconvinced, it’s up to Savannah to piece together the
encoded clues. And when her father’s apprentice is accused of the murders,
Savannah is more desperate than ever to crack the case before the killer seizes
a window of opportunity to cut her out of the picture…
You
can find out more about Cheryl and her books online at www.cherylhollon.com, on
Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.
My Review:
This was a very interesting book for me. I did not know that there was so much to glasswork. There was a lot going on, a dog show, a glass competition, an investigation, romance and inventions. however it was beautifully written and flowed well. I really liked the info on show dogs and loved that show time was also when the mystery was solved. I love a good cozy where the animals play an important role. The killer was not who I thought and I really enjoyed the explanation for the killings. There were also some god things that happened at the end that I hope will be in future books. The Glossary of Terms was also helpful as I was reading. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
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I think I'd like this book! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDeborah
This sounds like a great read. I know nothing about glass making and would like to learn more about the craft.
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