Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–Stabbed In The Baklava

 

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Tina Kashian and her new release Stabbed In The Baklava.  This is the second book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series.

 

Stabbed in the Baklava (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (August 28, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1496713494
ISBN-13: 978-1496713490
Digital ASIN: B077WVFL8M

 

 

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2thcnMU

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2EUI5Dh

iBooks: https://apple.co/2JQmvnn

Google Books: https://bit.ly/2qDzgt9

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Hf71f1

 

 

Tense yet fun, this second book in the series was entertaining to read. The motives and suspects are varied, secrets are revealed and Lucy has to escape personal endangerment once again.
~Laura’s Interests

If you are searching for a funny story with some delicious food, this is your book! 😉
~Varietats

I greatly enjoyed the bits and pieces of Mediterranean food, music, and dances that the author weaves into the story. It adds an authentic touch to the theme and will leave the reader hungry for a taste of the delectable food served at the Kebab Kitchen!
~Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder

Well-plotted and lots of fun, the mystery and the characters will keep you fully engaged from start to finish!
~Reading Is My SuperPower

. . .  a quaint small town, charming characters and food descriptions that will have you salivating.
~The Avid Reader

Overall the book does what it should – keep you guessing from start to finish while uncovering clues and trying to keep Lucy out of too much trouble.
~Storeybook Reviews

The book is well-written, and the pacing is perfect. I loved the cast of secondary characters, especially the relationship she has with her family.
~Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews

With a cleverness worthy of the mystery world’s greatest authors, Tina Kashian filled STABBED IN THE BAKLAVA with suspects, clues, twist and turns, and red herrings enough to keep me guessing until the end!
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews

 

 

Lucy Berberian has taken over her family’s Mediterranean restaurant on the Jersey Shore after an unsatisfying stint at a Philadelphia law firm. It’s great to be back in her old beach town, even if she’s turning into a seasoned sleuth . . .

Catering a high-society wedding should bring in some big income for Kebab Kitchen—and raise its profile too. But it’s not exactly good publicity when the best man winds up skewered like a shish kebab. Worse yet, Lucy’s ex, Azad—who’s the restaurant’s new head chef—is the prime suspect. But she doesn’t give a fig what the cops think. He may have killer looks, but he’s no murderer. She just needs to prove his innocence, before he has to go on the lamb . . .

Recipes included!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The characters are well developed and well rounded.  I love the relationship between Lucy and her family, you can tell they love each other and will do anything for each other.  She does butt heads with them at times, but that happens in all families. I like the time that she spend with her best friend, Katie, and the fact that they get into all kinds of mischief, all in the name of crime solving.  You never know what they will do next. Lucy has two men interested in her, and I am not sure which man she will pick (although I know who I want her to pick). I just hope she makes a decision soon, I am not a fan of love triangles.

The writing style flows smoothly and defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing without getting too wordy. I felt like I was right there on the Jersey shore, watching all of the action taking place and enjoying the aromas of the restaurant.

The mystery is well plotted and carries on well throughout the entire book.  There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through, and when you add in the plenty of twists and turns it is not easy to solve.  And that is how I like my mysteries.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  It has everything that I look for in a cozy: engaging characters, and intriguing mystery and a charming setting.  Do not miss this book (and series).

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

 

 

 

 

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sand castles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit www.tinakashian.com and join her Newsletter to enter free contests to win books, get delicious recipes, and to learn when her books will be released.

Author Links

• Website: tinakashian.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16902011.Tina_Kashian

 

 

 

To enter the Giveaway, click on the link below:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792751/?

 

 

 

 

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 27 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

August 27 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Varietats – REVIEW

August 28 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

August 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 29 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

August 29 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

August 30 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

August 30 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 31 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 1 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 1 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 3 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

September 3 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

September 3 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 4 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 5 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  

September 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 6 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

September 6 – Island Confidential

…

 

 

 

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–Barnabas Tew And The Case Of The Nine Worlds

 

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Columbkill Noonan  and her new release Barnabas Tew And The Case Of The Nine Worlds.   This is the second book in her series.

 

Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Nine Worlds
Cozy Mystery/Fantasy
2nd in Series
Crooked Cat Books (September 4, 2018)
Paperback: 310 pages
ISBN-10: 172240728X
ISBN-13: 978-1722407285
Digital ASIN: B07DKH8CZC

Purchase Link 

Amazon

B&N

 

 

Hold your flying horses!

Barnabas Tew and Wilfred Colby are back, and, once again, they’re in a bit of a pickle.

Barnabas and Wilfred, two earnest but bumbling Victorian detectives, travel through the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology, trying to stave off the impending end of the world – an event which the locals call Ragnarok. This time, however, the intrepid twosome has some help: a brave Viking seer named Brynhild and her flying horse.

Can the two plucky detectives and the fearsome Brynhild outwit those who would bring about Ragnarok? Will they survive the harsh conditions and terrifying creatures of the Norse afterlife?

Will they save the world…again?

 

 

 

Columbkill Noonan has an M.S. in Biology (she has, in turn, been a field biologist, an environmental compliance inspector, and a lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology).

When she’s not teaching or writing, she can usually be found riding her rescue horse, Mittens, practicing yoga (on the ground, in an aerial silk, on a SUP board, and sometimes even on Mittens), or spending far too much time at the local organic, vegan market.

Author Links

Blog – https://columbkill.weebly.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan/

 

 

 

 

When did you know that you wanted to be an author?  What things, if any, influenced that decision?

I’ve wanted to write since I was five years old, but I never really thought it would be a viable career choice. It wasn’t until later in life that I thought, hey, why not give this a try? And so I did. I needed, I think, to gain some confidence in myself, and to have a bit of a thicker skin…if I had tried writing as a younger person I don’t think I could have handled the inherent rejection and criticisms very well at all!

With so many cozies being written today, what makes your books stand out from the crowd?

Well, that’s easy: my characters are dead! The detectives, Barnabas and Wilfred, are killed off in the first few chapters of the first book, so that they can solve a case for Anubis (who is an Egyptian god). In “Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Nine Worlds”, they’re headed to the afterlife of the Vikings. In that way, the books are sort of “cozy mythological mysteries”, if that’s a genre!

 

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you just see where the characters take you?

I outline the general idea, so that I know what Barnabas and Wilfred need to do and where they need to go by the end of each chapter. How they get there and what happens to them on the way is up to them, really.

 

Do you read your reviews?  Do you respond to them, good or bad?  Do you do anything special to get those reviews?

I do read the reviews (and also force my husband to read them too!) I don’t respond to them in general, because I don’t want to seem stalker-y….but if I read a bad one I sometimes imagine that I’m responding to it! That said, even though it’s much more fun to see positive reviews rather than negative ones, I do know that not everyone will love every book, and I try not to take criticisms personally.

 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t worry so much about what other people think. Really not to worry so much about everything, in general. Just do what you do, and be content with that.

 

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in someone buying your book(s)?   Who designs your book covers?

I do! I personally choose books based on the covers all the time. My publisher, Crooked Cat Books, takes care of the cover design, and I think they do a fabulous job. All of their books have gorgeous covers!

 

Please give us an insight into your main characters.  What do you think makes them special?

I think that Barnabas is completely unique. He’s a bit uptight, and high-strung, and prone to outbursts of temper, but he’s also loyal, and brave, and has a strong moral compass. He’s a lot of fun to write, for sure (especially the parts where he’s having an outburst!)

 

What have you learned about yourselves since becoming an author?

That I am a silly creature, and that I like for things to be happy rather than dark.

 

Do you write full-time or part-time?

Part time….gotta pay the bills, you know.

 

What do your plans for future projects include?

I’m currently working on the third Barnabas novel. I can’t give away any spoilers, but I can say that they’ve gone on to yet another fun afterlife!

 

What do you think the hardest part of writing is?  What is the easiest?

Actually writing is the easiest part of writing, and the hardest part is editing, for sure. I’m always afraid I’ll mess something up if I change it.

What type of books do you like to read?  Who are some of your favorite authors?

I like (surprise!) mysteries. Charles Finch is a favorite, and Anne Perry. I also like historical capers. Right now I’m reading a Wilbur Smith book that’s set in Ancient Egypt, so it’s right up my alley.

 

What is the one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I’ve been completely trained by my cats and by my rescue horse. I do pretty much whatever they say.

 

Do you have anything specific you would like to say to your readers?

That I hope they love reading about Barnabas as much as I love writing about him? And to not take things too seriously…some things are just meant to be fun, and that’s ok.

 

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

    Website: https://columbkill.weebly.com/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/columbkillnoon1  

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10778169.Columbkill_Noonan

  Buy link: mybook.to/BarnabasNineWorlds

 

 

Please click on the link below to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792755/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

 

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 4 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 5 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

September 6 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 6 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 7 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

September 8 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 9 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

September 10 – Student of Opinions – REVIEW

September 11 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 12 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

September 13 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – RECIPE GUEST POST

September 14 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 15 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT