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Showing posts from July, 2016

Pick your poison

Poison is one of the better ways to commit murder - on the page that is! Personally, I like this 'weapon' as it can be easily concealed, comes in many different forms and some types are readily available for the amateur villain. Besides, in most cases it's not as messy. We all know about the most common types of poison such as arsenic and anti-freeze. I like to dig a little deeper and find kinds which you might not expect to be used. In Cocktails at Sunset, residents of the elderly living facility are murdered via an overdose of medication. Too much of a Viagra-like drug in a person who takes heart medications can trigger dangerously low blood pressure. Alcohol in high quantities has the potential to be lethal. It might be difficult to force someone to drink enough to be deadly but it would work in an IV. How easy for the killer to inject the victim so that an overdose blamed. As an Arizona resident, I know the leaves of the Oleander bush are dangerous. Animals can

Jayne's Restaurant Review - El Chorro Lodge

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 hadn't been to El Chorro,  in a very long time, year in fact, when I had a chance to dine here with a group. It was an early Spring evening so we were able to enjoy the outside patio for dinner. The original building, which is located in Paradise Valley, Arizona tucked into the north side of Camelback mountain, was built in 1934 as a school for girls. In 1937 it was converted to a restaurant and Lodge and was visited by many famous celebrities in it's heyday. More recently in 2009 it was purchased and both the restaurant and menu were renovated. If you didn't know it had changed you might imagine you had stepped back in time as the decor is steeped in Arizona history. I started with an organize cesear salad followed by classic beef stroganoff. Both were exceptional, as is the service. One of the items the restaurant is most known for are the sticky buns. These are served with dinner but are so sweet and delicious you could consider them your dessert. At then dollars fo

Payson Book Festival

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It's that time again! On July 22nd, I'll be in Payson, Arizona at the second annual book festival. Last year was the first time Menu for Murder was available at an event and marked a very exciting point for me as a newly published author. This year, Cocktails at Sunset, the second book in the series will be available for pre-sale advance purchase. If you are ready to escape the heat of Phoenix for the cooler temperatures, please join me. I hope to see you there. http://www.paysonbookfestival.org/ Happy Trails, Leslie

Easy Skinny Margarita

A friend got me hooked on this skinny and very simple Margarita. The only ingredient that you'll need to locate in your grocery store that you might not expect is Fresca. Yes, the diet soda from the 70's is making a comeback. Fill a rocks glass with ice Add 1 1/2 oz of silver Tequila, such as Patron Silver Fill glass with Fresca Add a pinch of salt - you don't need to salt the rim but if you prefer heavier salt you can Add a squeeze of lime Drink and enjoy. Happy Dining, Jayne Visit Leslie's website

Book Review - Little Shop of Homicide, A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery by Denise Swanson

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This is the first book I've read by this author and the first in the series. I find it difficult follow a series unless I start at book one but this was an exception. Even though it was obvious that I had missed some significant events in Dev Sinclair's life, the author did a good job of bringing the reader current without too much tedious backstory. We meet Dev working in her small town shop where she makes gift baskets, having left behind her highly paid job to be near to her grandmother. Her father is in prison for swindling clients in a ponzi type scam, which ruined Dev's career as well, even though she wasn't involved. I liked the main character and her potential love interest Jake. Jake is a U.S. Marshall who is recovering from an injury and helping out on his grandfather's farm. When Dev is suspected of murdering her high school boyfriend's fiance, Jack helps her find the real killer. I found this a enjoyable read and well within the cozy myst

Meeting New Readers

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As an author, there is only one thing more fun than completing a book and that is to meet the people who read it. I apologize in advance if I meet you at a book signing and ask to take a picture with you. I can't help myself! Here is a photo from one of the last events of a lovely lady who bought Menu for Murder. I hope she enjoyed it. Happy Trails,  Leslie Visit my website

Act Three - Climax

We are almost at the end of the discussion on the three act structure. The second part of act three is the climax. It is here where the antagonist is defeated by her flaw and the final conflict between our hero and the villain occurs. By the name you already know that this is the highest point in the action. This is the scene where James Bond saves the world, when Dorothy kills the wicked witch of the west or when all the players collide in one catastrophic collision. Watch for short sentences without lengthy narrative. If you're at the movies, this is the part where you may jump out of your seat and spill your popcorn. If you're reading the story, this is the part where you find yourself staying up until way past your bedtime, unable to stop turning the pages. As an author, this is the most fun for me to write. In Menu for Murder,I envisioned the scene long before I ever reached the midway point. However, Jayne has a mind of her own and the actual ending was different tha