Leslie Keller Books

Here's a few new mysteries released in July that might be good reading. House of Spies: A Novel by Daniel Silva, NY Times best selling author this book was released at a whopping $14.99 which I think is high for an ebook.  Hope it's worth it! The Right Side by Spencer Quinn. This is not a cozy but does involve a female lead and a dog which is generally a good combination. Also written by a NY Times best selling author. It's about a soldier who returns home to become obsessed with finding a missing girl. A Crime of Passion Fruit (A Bakeshop Mystery) by Ellie Alexander.  Definitely a cozy mystery. Looks like a cute and fun read and I'll definitely add this to my list. The owner of a bake shop gets an opportunity to bake on a cruise ship and of course there's murder and mayhem. Death of a Bachelorette (A Jaine Austen Mystery) by Laura Levine. Freeland writer and her cat work on a reality show in the tropics and when a contestant dies the excitement begins. The ...

In June, I attended the Arizona Desert Dreams Writer's Conference which was organized by the Desert Rose chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Although I do not write romance I always try to attend this four day conference.  This year included a very notable writer from Arizona - Diana Gabaldon.  I am probably one of the few people who had never read any of her work, nor had I watched the series based on her Outlander series.  Having just completed the massive 900+ novel on Lyndon Johnson, I wasn't sure I was ready to jump into the first book in her series which comes in around 800+ pages.  Having heard her speak I knew I had to read it. Back to the conference itself.  The sessions presented by a trauma surgeon and a stand up comedian were fantastic.  You may wonder why a comedian would be at a writers conference but everyone has to write their material.  Since I love a bit of humor mixed in with my murder (on the page, of course), t...

Criminals aren't all master minds who want to take over the world. Here's a few examples, which I hope will make you laugh, of ones who should have behaved themselves. Birmingham, AL - June 14, 2017 A Pinson man was arrested after leading the Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies on a low-speed chase in a stolen delivery truck.  Yes a LOW SPEED chase.  The problem was that he couldn't get the truck out of first gear. Travelling at a whopping 25-30 mph, he was captured when the transmission seized due to the driver's inability to shift. Kansas City, KS  AP Wire & Fox 4 Newsroom - June 13, 2017 A man who robbed a bank to get away from his wife is sentenced to home confinement.Lawrence John Ripple (seriously, was he drinking?) went to the Bank of Labor and slipped the teller a note demanding money.  After he was given money, he waited for the police to arrive.  The Judge sentenced him to time to be served on house arrest. Arkansas - June 10, 2017 A ma...

I can't believe another year has gone by already and it's time again for the Payson Book Festival.  I can't wait to see some of my readers and meet new ones.  Here's a few pictures from the first two years. Payson Book Festival 2017 I hope to see you there this year.  Happy Trails, Leslie Visit my website Twitter      Instagram      Facebook      Menu for Murder      Cocktails at Sunset

I had never heard of the organization Cowbelles until my good friend Randy Glennie told me about them. Until she passed the March of this year, she was a very active member of the Santa Cruz chapter. Here's a bit of history about the organization from the Arizona State Cowbelles website. History of the Arizona State Cowbelles The Arizona State Cowbelles is an organization rich in history. “The Cowbelles” was organized as a social club by sixteen ranch wives in Douglas, a town in the very southeastern corner of Arizona, on October 17, 1939. The group’s purpose was “to promote family and social relations between cattle people and to cooperate for the best interests of our industry, our community, and our country”. One of the ladies’ first service projects was sewing quilts to donate to those in need. Soon they realized the need to educate consumers about the benefits of beef in the diet; many programs and activities were developed to accomplish this task. Other women in Arizo...

Recently I ventured up north to Sedona and was happy to discover a local restaurant called Gerardo's Italian Restaurant.  Located on Rt 89A, this small unassuming restaurant excels in the delicious department. When the owner is originally from my home state of Michigan I knew I must give it a try. We sat on the patio besides some lovely flowers and grape vines. There were many temptations to start with, such as the garlic bread but we went for the entrees and it's a good thing because the portions were sizeable. I debated on whether to get the lobster mac and cheese but I couldn't resist the Liguria pizza. Thinly sliced rosemary potatoes, crispy prosciutto di parma, fossil creek goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and topped with baby argula tossed in lemon oil. Yummy. I don't usually eat the crust but this was irresistible. My friend ordered the special which was shrimp in risotto.  The risotto was perfectly cooked and we weren't able to even put a dent in the dis...

Periodically I require myself to read something out of my genre and at least somewhat educational.  To meet my obligation, I read this book - all 960 pages of it.  According to the description it takes the average person 28 hours and 26 minutes to read it.  Since I usually only read in the evening for an hour or two, it took me months to get through this book. Oddly enough, although the reading was sometimes dry and very often repetitious, I was fascinated by Lyndon Johnson's early years. This book starts with his childhood and moves through his early political career. The author portrays our former President as highly secretive throughout his life and someone who created his own version of his history.  "And college is merely one example. In a sense, Lyndon Johnson not only attempted to create, and leave for history, his own legend but to ensure that it could never be disproven."  Astonishing. He was a brilliant political strategist, who pioneered the exo...

Since it's is exceptionally hot in Arizona in the summer, I try to stick with drinks which can be served extra cold and represent the season. For that reason, this month's drink is Sangria.  I like to add a bit of fizz to it sometimes but you can have it either way.  This is a drink you need to practice in order to get the exact correct mix of fruit and alcohol.  The great part is you get to sample the drink until you get it perfect. Sangria 1 bottle of red wine - you can use a sweeter or dry version 2 oz Triple Sec 1 oz Brandy - peach flavored is best 2 oz Orange Juice - freshly squeezed is best but any will do 1 oz Lemon Juice or the juice of one-half lemon 1/4 cup Sugar 10 oz club soda, chilled - I also like to use Champagne for an extra kick. Orange and lemon slices for garnish If you wish to add more fruit use some of these: Orange slices Lemon slices Lime slices Apple slices Peach wedges - one of my favorites Pineapple slices Grapes - these c...