- Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Too Much to Candle (Glenmyre Whim Mysteries) by Sarah E. Burr. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Too Much to Candle (Glenmyre Whim Mysteries)
by Sarah E. Burr
Too Much to Candle (Glenmyre Whim Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery/Paranormal
2nd in Series
Setting: A fictional town in upstate New York called Crucible
Independently Published (October 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: 249
Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury sets out again to bring the truth to light.
Iggy Alewell, Hazel Wickbury’s friend and candle shop assistant, is eager to purchase his own home with the advance from his first big book deal. Iggy is on the hunt for something with character, so what could be better than the old Cragmire house that’s rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on its property? Hazel is thrilled her friend has found success, but things in Crucible take a nasty turn when another potential buyer for the Cragmire house goes missing. He was last seen taking a boat out on Lake Glenmyre, and when the rental is found empty, it’s clear to police that foul play is involved.
What’s worse is that Iggy becomes the prime suspect in the man’s disappearance, and Detective Holden Whitfield’s thorny, new partner is certain Iggy is guilty. To clear Iggy from suspicion and dispel the darkness penetrating their beloved town, Hazel and her Aunt Poppy team up again to find a killer before their friend gets burned.
Return to Crucible in Too Much to Candle, Book Two in the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries.
Interview with Author Sarah E. Burr
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m much better at hyping up my characters than myself LOL I’m an introverted millennial. I love technology. I love to read. I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I’ve lived in several states and currently make my home in New York. Besides writing, I love to sing—I’m a big fan of Broadway musicals. I have the most precious pup named Eevee. She is a great writing companion. (From Christy: Eevee! From Pokemon? My kids are 27 & 24, and we played Pokemon together!)
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I can remember, mostly a lot of “Chapter Ones” for Nancy Drew fan-fiction stories. I began taking my writing seriously about five years ago and began publishing shortly after that.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I don’t know if I ever thought I’d be lucky enough to be an author. However, I’ve known since I was seven that I wanted to write a book. Funnily enough, the first manuscript I ever wrote (one that has yet to see the light of day) was a young adult fantasy novel inspired by The Da Vinci Code, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Twilight. Quite the combo, right?
I think I found my home with cozy mysteries because they allow me to vicariously live out my childhood fantasies of being Nancy Drew. I also love “living” with these caring, fun characters and their warm, welcoming towns. Writing cozies makes for a soothing escape because I know good will always triumph over evil.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I love reading cozy mysteries, for sure. I also like to read suspense, historical fiction, and psychological thrillers. I recently got into reading manga (I’m a big anime fan) and am enjoying the Yona of the Dawn series.
One of my favorite cozy mystery author perks is reading advanced copies of upcoming mysteries. I’m loving Leah Dobrinska’s debut cozy mystery novel, Death Checked Out, which launches this December from Level Best Books!
Do you have a favorite place to write?
In the summer, I love to write on my porch. I take my laptop and work outside until the battery dies (or my brain short-circuits for the day). I primarily work at my desk in the winter and rely heavily on my two computer monitors.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
Organized clutter LOL I have some FUNKO Pops from my favorite anime shows, a notebook, some Post-Its, a pen holder in the shape of a type-writer, photos of my dog, Eevee, and candles. Lots of candles!
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
One of the first books I clearly remember is Good Families Don’t, a very funny/silly book. My parents laughed a lot while reading it to me. It was one of those children’s books that’s a little cheeky, and, honestly, I didn’t understand the humor until I was much older.
One of my favorite books as a kid was Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Something about that novel really resonated with me. And I can’t talk about favorite books without mentioning Nancy Drew. My favorite Nancy Drew novel is a tie between The Ghost of Blackwood Hall and The Spider Sapphire Mystery.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I love them all! They all suit a different reading situation for me. I love listening to audiobooks while driving, cooking, or doing laundry. I love reading physical books at home, outside on my porch, and reading e-books while traveling on vacation.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
New Zealand, just because I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw the first Lord of the Rings movie. Maybe Hazel Wickbury from the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries finds a clue as to the whereabouts of her long-lost father in New Zealand—I could make it work! (From Christy: I want to live there because there are no poisonous snakes or bugs!!)
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
So many writers have inspired me in my lifetime, but for this question, two people come to mind as being very influential in my writing. One was my college writing professor, Tina Crossgrove. She was a great mentor who helped me explore the wonders of both creative fiction and creative non-fiction writing.
My first editor, Bettye Underwood, also significantly shaped who I am as a writer. She helped me unlearn all the bad habits I developed while working in corporate America and showed me how to craft a good story.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I am very close with the Blue Ridge Literary Agency authors (who are represented by my agent, Dawn Dowdle). I also frequently connect with the Sisters in Crime community and am a member of the New York/TriState Chapter. If you’re looking for a writing group, I cannot recommend Sisters in Crime enough!
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
Right now, I am writing Book Nine in the Court of Mystery series. My heroine, Duchess Jacqueline, is finally returning home to her castle for some respite, although readers know she probably won’t have downtime for long. Something in the realm always needs her attention, and there’s sure to be a mystery for the Duchess and her friends to solve!
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thank you for having me!!
About Sarah E. Burr
Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl. After not finding any mysteries in corporate America, Sarah began writing some of her own. She is the author of the Trending Topic Mysteries and the Court of Mystery series. Sarah is also the author of the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. You Can’t Candle the Truth was a 2022 NGIBA Best Mystery Finalist and a 2022 Silver Falchion Best Supernatural Mystery Finalist.
Sarah is a member of Sisters in Crime, currently serving as the social media guru for the NY-TriState Chapter. She is also the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a livestreamed YouTube series featuring author interviews and book discussions. She writes as a member of the Writers Who Kill blogging team. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing Broadway show tunes, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.
Author Links
Website: www.saraheburr.com
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/saraheburrsignup
Socials: https://bit.ly/sarahsocialmediahub
Sarah’s Blog: https://bit.ly/noteworthyauthorblog
The Glenmyre Whim Mysteries: https://bit.ly/glenmyrewhimmysteries
Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/authorsaraheburr
Purchase Link – Amazon
Enter the giveaway
Too Much to Candle TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 14 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 14 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
October 18 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 19 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – Elza Reads – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 20 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
October 21 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
October 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
October 22 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
October 23 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
October 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
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Thank you so much for the fun interview, Christy! When we adopted Eevee, she had a furry little mane like Eevee the Pokemon did, so we thought it was a good fit. She even has a Pokeball around her neck 🙂
You’re welcome! That is SO adorable about Eevee!! My almost 25 year old son was playing Pokemon this weekend with his girlfriend. It makes my mom heart happy! Thanks for stopping!
Too Much to Candle (Glenmyre Whim Mysteries) by Sarah E. Burr sounds like a fun cozy that will light up the reader’s imagination.
Thanks for sharing!
I love the cover! The colors and design are great!
This sounds like a great read.
Thank you for introducing me to this series.
I love a good cozy mystery, this sounds like a fun one!
Congrats on your tour!
This looks like a good read. Best of luck with the success of the publication.
I enjoyed the author interview. Thanks for the giveaway!