Journeys with Jana: #NewRelease: Candy, Cigarettes and Murder by Brenda Whiteside & Joyce Proell

Brenda Whiteside is back with another new release, this time a cozy mystery written with co-writer Joyce Proell. Welcome ladies! I wish you much success with your new series.

Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder

A Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Book 1

by Joyce Proell and Brenda Whiteside

Genre: Cozy Mystery

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.

Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder?

**NEW RELEASE!!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

**Coming Soon September 2023!!**

Joyce Proell is the award-winning author of Amaryllis, Eliza and the Cady Delafield mysteries: A Deadly Truth, A Burning Truth and A Wicked Truth. Along with her husband and little dog, Nellie, she lives in Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie. She loves to hear from readers.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won't discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Journey to a Cozy Mystery

by Joyce Proell

My interest in mysteries took flight in third grade. At one of my favorite places, the children’s section of the public library, I spotted an eerie cover and was immediately intrigued. I couldn’t wait to get home and devour The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy. Suspenseful, I’ll admit, yet after many years, I can’t recall a thing about the raggedy mummy or the plucky kids who solved the crime. What the book did do is encourage me to read more books of a similar type. Thank goodness for the Trixie Beldon series. Her neighborhood crime solving escapades delightfully fed my curiosity.

As I got older, I drifted to Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers’ stories featuring the clever Lord Peter Wimsey. Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and Tony Hillerman had my interest. For a time, I focused on British mystery authors like P.D. James, Anne Perry, Elly Griffiths, Anne Cleves and Martha Grimes, reading each book upon publication. I read American authors who set their series in England. Even Nordic Noir received its share of attention, as did historical mysteries and the lighter stories of M.C. Beaton and Elizabeth Peters. If you’ve not read her Amelia Peabody series, you’re missing out. Her stories, usually set at an archeological dig in Egypt are bright and funny. Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, Charles Todd, Jacqueline Winspear, C.S. Harris, Victoria Thompson, Kate Morton, Charlaine Harris, Rhys Bowen are just a few of my favorite mystery writers. A practical person might wonder where I found all the time to read.

I wonder, too. Maybe I’m a fast reader. In truth, I love mystery—dark or light, historical or contemporary, serious or funny. The sub-genre doesn’t really matter. Finding the killer does. Once the crime puzzle is set, I race to the end. And if by chance, I figure out who did it before the principal character does, I feel a great sense of satisfaction.

So it wasn’t a big jump that after writing two romances, I glided into romantic suspense with my Cady Delafield series. When my dear friend and fellow writer, Brenda Whiteside approached me with a series proposal about two sister sleuths, I got excited. The premise is fashioned after Brenda and her sister’s respective birthday dinners and always includes a Chocolate Martini. Thus, it made sense to title the series The Chocolate Martini Sisters. In the stories, the bond between the sisters, Emma and Nic, is as important as the murder. They are as diverse as they are similar. Nic is creative, intuitive and impulsive. Emma is analytical, fact-driven and careful. They are each other’s best friend and equally enjoy solving a caper. They are all about solving a mystery.

Candy, Cigarettes and Murder is the first in this series. I hope you are intrigued and excited to read about the lively sisters and their perplexing capers. I certainly had a blast writing about them.