Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Canter with a Killer (A Horse Rescue Mystery) by Amber Camp. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Canter with a Killer (A Horse Rescue Mystery)
by Amber Camp
Canter with a Killer (A Horse Rescue Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Arkansas
Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022)
Hardcover : 304 pages
Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Mollie Cox Bryan, Amber Camp’s debut novel will have you galloping through the pages, as a horse rescue owner races to find a killer and clear her name.
Mallory Martin left her marriage and her unfulfilling job to move back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, and start a horse rescue. It’s everything she’s been missing, with paddocks of happy horses and one very quirky donkey. But when her cantankerous neighbor and longtime critic, Albert Cunningham, is found murdered in his fancy show barn, Mallory becomes suspect number one. Since Sheriff Grady Sullivan is ignoring all good sense and focusing only on Mallory, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Aided by her best friend, Lanie, and rescue volunteer Tanner, Mallory races headlong into the investigation in search of the real killer. But horses and murder aren’t the only thing on her mind when she meets Albert’s handsome son, Braydon. Sparks fly, and soon she’s got a new boyfriend. But there’s a case to be solved, and she redoubles her efforts to learn the truth.
The suspects mount quickly. There’s Albert’s girlfriend, Kathleen, who was on the farm when he was murdered; organic farmer Heather Rogers, who accused Albert of contaminating her creek; and Philip Atwood, who’d been trying for a right-of-way across Albert’s farm. None of the evidence is holding up though, and Mallory learns that she’ll need to take the reins on this investigation if she’s going to clear her own name.
Interview with Amber Camp
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Thank you for inviting me to talk about myself and my work!
I’ve lived in Northwest Arkansas for about 22 years now and I’m still in love with this gorgeous area. I moved around a lot as a kid, living mostly off-grid with my mom and staying summers and holidays with my aunt and uncle. They owned a working cattle and horse ranch and helped instill a lifelong love of horses. I met my husband while I was in nursing school and moved to Northwest Arkansas after we got engaged, putting down roots for the first time in my life. Now, I can’t really imagine living anywhere else.
In addition to writing, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, making jewelry, painting, sculpting, and of course, reading. We have a menagerie of rescue and non-rescue animals that includes horses, a mule, chickens, dogs, cats, and a very sassy hamster.
How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first full length novel at sixteen, but storytelling has always been a part of my life. I remember making little folded paper “books” as a kid and writing stories for my family. I put writing on the back burner most of my adult life, just stealing moments here and there while I focused on the “important things.” As I’ve gotten older, I realized that writing IS one of the important things and I started giving it the attention it deserved.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I honestly can’t remember ever not wanting to be an author. It’s my oldest dream. It has followed me through every stage of my life and has always been that one thing I daydreamed about the most. I didn’t start out writing mysteries even though cozies have always been a favorite genre. My first novel was high fantasy and from there I mostly wrote urban fantasy and romance. In 2020 I lost my long-term job due to COVID cutbacks and decided that I was going to shake things up and finally try to write a cozy mystery. It was, hands down, the most fun I’ve ever had writing a book, and that’s saying something because I love writing.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I usually have several books going at once, and one of them is always a cozy. It’s my comfort genre and one I always turn to when I just want to thoroughly enjoy what I’m reading. I have varied tastes though and I read everything from light sci-fi to horror. I’m currently reading And Then There Were Crumbs by Eve Calder, Dogged by Death by Laura Scott, The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, and These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I do a lot of writing in the middle of the chaos that is my living room. We currently have a new puppy and even when I’m alone in the house, I have to keep an eye on what he might be eating, which includes me, the furniture, the cats, or the other dogs. My little home office area isn’t puppy-proofed, so I don’t retreat there much right now. I’ve always liked to write with a lot going on around me though, so it works out.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
I do have a desk where I write sometimes. It has an embarrassing number of pens in two of my favorite coffee mugs, a Dunder Mifflin mug and an anime-style cat-a-corn. I also usually have a pile of notebooks and random sticky notes.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
The very first book I remember reading was The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. It is definitely one of my nostalgic favorites. My all-time favorite as a kid was The Claw and the Spiderweb by Valerie Reddix. It’s a great anthropomorphic quest of a cat hero who leads a fight against an evil bear lord. It sparked my imagination and love for the hero’s quest trope in fantasy.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I love them all! I just love books. There’s just something magical about a physical book in your hand that will always be my preference, but lack of shelf space has dictated my increase in e-book consumption. And I adore audiobooks for my commute.
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?
It’s so hard to narrow down! I have so many places I want to see, but when you add in the aspect of writing a book set in the same place, I would have to say Ouray, Colorado. We vacationed there a few years ago and it would be the perfect setting for a cozy mystery. The town is nestled in the San Juan Mountains and is so picturesque it looks like someone plucked it out of a painting, which is probably why it earned the nickname “Switzerland of America.” Ouray features on Olympic-sized geothermal pool, a multitude of outdoor adventures, and plenty of shopping if you prefer the indoors, all while keeping the atmosphere of a small, close-knit town. I would absolutely love to spend a year there writing a cozy mystery set in the area.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
Connecting with other writers has influenced me the most in the last few years. Writing is such a solitary pursuit and most of my life, I just wrote quietly and shared my work with very few people. Joining writing groups helped me critique and hone my work. Other writers understand all that goes into finishing, editing, and polishing a novel in a way that no one else can. I’ve also been immensely lucky in connecting with writing groups that are full of the most talented, supportive writers you could ever imagine.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I am so lucky that I have so many author friends that have cheered me on and propped me up along the way. I’m not even going to try to name them all because I’m so scared I’ll forget someone! I belong to several writing groups, Pitch to Published, Writers Win, A Writer’s Journey, Pitch Perfect, and Moms Who Write. I am also a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I am currently working on several projects. I’ve started a paranormal cozy mystery, also set in a fictional town in Northwest Arkansas. I am also developing the next two books in the Horse Rescue Mystery Series, expanding on the developing partnership between Mallory and Tanner and seeing where her relationship (or relationships, *wink*) take her. In addition to those projects, I’ve finally started a contemporary romance that’s been percolating in the back of my brain for some time now. I don’t know if I’ll try to pursue publishing it, but it’s definitely demanding to be written.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thank you so much for this opportunity to share a bit of myself with your readers.
Enter the giveaway
About Amber Camp
Amber has lived in Northwest Arkansas for twenty+ years, working as an RN at a rural hospital in the area. She has a menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and what has been described as the Mule from Hell, which may or may not be a slight exaggeration. Writing has always been a focus in Amber’s life, something she describes as “food for my soul.” An avid reader since grade school, she enjoys multiple genres and is always looking for new authors to add to her favorites. Amber is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Social media links:
Website https://www.ambercampauthor.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078078663492&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Twitter https://twitter.com/ambercatcamp
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ambercampwrites/
Purchase Links:
Amazon>> Barnes & Noble>> Books-a-Million>> Bookshop.org>> Hudson Booksellers>> Target>> Walmart>> Penguin Random House>> Apple Books>> Google Play>> Audible>>
Canter with a Killer TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 23 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 23 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
January 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 24 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT
January 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
January 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
January 26 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW
January 26 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 27 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 27 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
January 28 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
January 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews -SPOTLIGHT
January 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 30 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 1 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
February 2 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
February 3 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
February 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 5 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
February 5 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
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Sounds like a fun read. I really like the cute cover.
Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
Canter with a Killer sounds like a galloping good read for horse lovers.
Sounds like an exciting read. Love the cover art.
I enjoyed the author interview. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sounds like a great cozy!
This sounds like a fun, horsey read !