Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir: A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery by Heather Weidner. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir: A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery
by Heather Weidner
Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir: A Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Virginia
Level Best Books (January 16, 2024)
Paperback : 252 pages
Love is in the air when Hollywood arrives in Mermaid Bay, and the town may never be the same.
Fans will do almost anything to get a glimpse of the actors or a chance to be an extra in the Love Channel’s “My Coastal Valentine.” Crowds flock to the cozy beach town from all over and business is booming for Christmas shop owner, Jade Hicks until the body of a testy reporter is found in one of the actors rooms. And if murder isn’t bad enough, someone tries to kill the show’s star, hunky Raphael Allard.
The cozy little beach town feels cursed, as the Love Channel threatens to pull out of the project. Jade and the gang, Lorelei, Peppermint Patti, Bernie, Chloe, and Neville the Devil Cat, have to solve the crimes before it ruins the town’s reputation and breaks the hearts of fans across the country.
My review
Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir by Heather Weidner is the second book in the charming Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mystery series. If you love the beach, Christmas, and cozy mysteries, this is a series for you! In this book, you can throw in a love for Hallmark-ish movies too! The cast and crew of the Love Channel are shooting their newest TV movie, “My Coastal Valentine,” in Mermaid Bay, so the town is filled with excited fans and residents. This makes the perfect backdrop for this delightful cozy mystery!
I love the little beach town, Mermaid Bay! Jade Hicks runs the adorable Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe. With its themed Christmas rooms and eclectic mix of cute ornaments, it’s a place I would love to visit. Jade’s friend Amy owns the bookshop down the street. There’s a hot dog place, a coffee shop, the pier, a B&B, and more. Of course, the main attraction is the ocean! I’d do a lot more walking if I lived here!
In addition to its lovely setting, Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir has great characters. They’re a mix of young and old(er) folks who live and work in Mermaid Bay and, this time around, actors, directors, make-up artists…everyone who gets a TV movie made! The cast and crew all make great suspects for the murder and attempted murders! Sure, most of them are nice to your face, but you just never know! You’ll absolutely love the people who live in Mermaid Bay!
The mystery is well-plotted with well-placed clues throughout the book. This makes it a real page-turner! I read it over the course of two afternoons. It’s one that avid cozy mystery fans can read in a day because once you start, you won’t want to stop reading! If I hadn’t had to sleep, I would have read it straight through!
I highly recommend the highly entertaining cozy mystery, Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir for its charming setting, true to life characters, and captivating mystery!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Read my review of the first book here: Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones
Author Guest Post
What’s Real in Your Fiction by Heather Weidner
Author of the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries and the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries
Thank you so much for letting me stop by and chat with your readers about my writing and my new book, Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir. It’s the second cozy mystery in my Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe mystery series.
Recently, I was asked, “How much research do you actually do for fiction and how much of your work is true?” There’s quite a bit of research that goes into writing mysteries. I want to make sure that my stories are plausible and as accurate as possible. Readers notice when writers make mistakes.
I mix quite a bit of “real” in my short stories and novels. All of my settings are actual places. I tend to put my works in Virginia cities and counties because I write what I know. If a crime occurs, I make up that location’s name. I wouldn’t put a horrific or violent event at a real restaurant or store. And even if I’ve made up the little town, you’ll still recognize some nearby cities, landmarks, neighborhoods, and street names.
I get ideas for crimes and capers from real cases, but I usually take liberties with the details. In Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones, a beat-up suitcase washes up on the beach at Mermaid Bay, and it’s filled with some mysterious contents. Back in the ‘80s, there was a real crime where suitcases filled with body parts did appear on beaches along the East Coast. In my story, I thought it would be interesting for beachgoers to find something old and sinister in an unexpected place.
I base some of my characters on combinations of real people. I blend characteristics of several people to make an interesting fictional person. And phrases that family and friends say frequently appear in my stories. I carry a notebook with me wherever I go, and I am always jotting down names, interesting tidbits, and snippets of dialogue that might one day make their way to a story. I have two co-workers who keep asking me to make them villains. I haven’t done that yet, but I do hint from time to time that unruly team members will end up in a dumpster in a future story.
I use friends and family member’s names for minor characters. And every once in a while, you’ll find police, EMTs, waiters, or other characters named after my favorite authors, rock stars, or actors.
My private eye in the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries is named for one of my favorite American authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald. And she names her company, Falcon Investigations, in honor of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon. In the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, my amateur sleuth is named for the pen name of the women (and men) who wrote the Nancy Drew Mysteries.
I am also very fortunate to be a “CK” (Cop’s Kid). My dad, now retired, is one of my best sources of information on crime and law enforcement. He helps me make sure that the crime scenes are described as accurately as possible. I email him all the time with questions like, “Hey, Dad. What’s a meth lab smell like?” or “How much damage would this type of bullet do at close range?” I am also very fortunate to be a part of Sisters in Crime. Our local chapter (Central Virginia) offers a variety of programs with professionals in criminology, law enforcement, and forensics. Over the years, our chapter has had an arson investigator, a CSX railroad investigator, a forensic psychologist, a search dog trainer, and an alcohol beverage and control officer as guests. These speakers are so knowledgeable and willing to share information. I also appreciate that they answer all my weird, author questions without giving me too many funny looks.
Even though my short stories and novels are fiction, they also contain some truth and reality. And research is important, so that the work is interesting, accurate, and close to true life.
About Heather Weidner
Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.
Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime (Central Virginia, Chessie, Grand Canyon Writers, and Guppies), International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
Author Links
Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner
Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heather_weidner_author
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/heatherweidner
Purchase Link – Amazon
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Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
January 17 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
January 18 – Cozy, Suspenseful, and Sweet – SPOTLIGHT*
January 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
January 19 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
January 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
January 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
January 21 – CelticLady Reviews – RECIPE
January 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
January 22 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
January 23 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 23 – Maureen Musings – SPOTLIGHT
January 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
January 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
January 27 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
January 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
January 29 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
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Thank you so much for the review and for being a stop on my mystery tour!
You’re welcome! This is such a fun series!