Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series) by Lesley A Diehl. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series)
by Lesley A Diehl
Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Upstate New York
Camel Press (November 14, 2023)
Paperback : 248 pages
On the other side of seventy, Maddie Sparks decides to spice up her life by changing her writing interests from cozy mysteries to romance. She also determines her appearance should reflect this transformation in her writing career. A sassy new haircut and more fashionable clothes complete the newer Maddie Sparks. Before she can begin this new chapter in her life, a stabbing death in the quiet country village she has made her home shocks the town’s residents.
When her son is accused of the murder, Maddie and the acting county sheriff come together to find the real killer. Their relationship soon blooms into more than one of shared determination to solve the murder. As they enjoy a hike in a nearby park, someone shoots the sheriff, barely missing Maddie. Another killer could be loose in the area, and the person may be closer to Maddie than she realizes. Maddie discovers parts of herself she didn’t know existed: real life romance with the sheriff, a talent for sleuthing and room in her life for a fuzzy, orange cat named “Spike.” This recent lease on life may be more exciting and more dangerous than Maddie expects.
Author Guest Post: Maddie and Me
Now that I am writing a protagonist much closer to me in age, many readers want to know if she is really me in disguise. It’s true that Maddie Sparks, my protagonist in Spiked Punch, is older by over thirty years than most of my other protagonists. And, yes, we do have many things in common. For example, Maddie and I feel similarly about the seasons. We are both summer and spring folks. She and I are not fond of winter unless we can spend it inside keeping warm. I have not yet written a Maddie adventure in winter, but I’m certain she will be spending most of her time sitting near her fireplace and cuddling with Spike, her orange rescue cat. I too have acquired a rescue cat. Her name is Bandita, and she has been with us for a year. She is sweet, the easiest cat I’ve ever had. She never hisses, spits, claws or bites, but although she is a chubby tuxedo, and her cute looks seem to scream “Cuddle me!” But she is not a lap cat…yet.
Maddie and I can tolerate a dry, warmer than usual fall like this fall, but our preference is summer, especially early summer when the foliage is that special shade of green. But don’t be surprised if summer brings other than sunny weather. For Upstate New York, thunderstorms can ruin a day with strong winds and torrential downpours like those Maddie experiences in Spiked Punch. Like Maddie, I’m not a fan of lightening, but unlike Maddie no one has taken a shot at me when I’m out hiking in a storm. That’s one difference between us: Maddie has a more interesting life than I do. I may be as snoopy as she is, but so far, I’ve not gotten into tracking down a killer or made enemies of not-so-nice people who might want to see me dead.
Maddie and I both write cozy mysteries. However, Maddie is bored with them and wants to move into romance. As for me, I’m really not the romantic type, so it’s unlikely I’ll change genres. Maddie’s interest in writing romance overflows into her real life when she meets Zack Montgomery, a retired county sheriff and the two of them along with her cat, Spike, take on the task of identifying a killer. My husband (who is also a mystery writer) and I talk about murder (in the context of writing, of course!) all the time, and we are devoted fans of British mysteries. Yes, there are parallels in interest between Maddie and me.
The village Maddie lives in is modeled on the one I live in. Neighbors who read Maddie’s adventures will recognize the village, although I have changed the name and the names of the businesses in it. Her house is almost identical to the one we live in and like ours, hers is across the stream from the village cemetery (very quiet neighbors). So similar is the property to ours that
Maddie looks out her back window and sees the same garden gone to weeds as we have. We still pretend we have somewhat of a garden with our small crop of potatoes, beans, lettuce and kale. I’m with Maddie when it comes to all those weeds—my back aches just thinking about pulling them.
I can count on many of my own experiences with relationships, family, cats, past romances and the entire process of growing old to inform Maddie’s life. I like that her experiences are similar to mine. Sometimes descriptions of her feelings and interactions seem to write themselves. When an idea pops into her mind, she cannot leave it until she pursues it in real time. That’s a great characteristic in a sleuth. We call it determination. I have somewhat of the same issue, but when I am kept awake by something, I call it worry.
But Maddie is her own person. She’s petite, works out in her local gym and is unafraid to speak her mind. Her sons are important to her as is her only granddaughter. While Maddie knows herself well, she is surprised when she meets Zack and falls for him. It wasn’t anything she thought she’d have in her own life, only in her romance novels. Never did Maddie believe she would find someone to love at her age. Nor did she expect that she would make a new woman friend, someone who is willing to share Maddie’s snoopy nature and willingness to take risks.
You’ll find Maddie is a fan of the afternoon cuppa like me. She seems to think a good strong cup of tea can cure anything from a cold to a failed love affair. She could be right, you know. There’s nothing like putting up your feet with a cup of tea in one hand and a good book in the other. Oh, and a cookie. There always should be something sweet with tea.
About Lesley A. Diehl
Cows, Lesley learned growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she went to the field to herd them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t a good career choice, instead she uses her country roots and her training as a psychologist to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. “A good chuckle,” says Lesley,” keeps us emotionally well-oiled long into our old age.” She is the author of the Eve Appel mysteries from Camel Press as well as several cozy mystery series and numerous short stories. Go to her webpage to find out more: www.lesleyadiehl.com.
Author Links
Website www.lesleyadiehl.com
Blog www.lesleyadiehl.com/blog
Facebook www.facebook.com/lesley.diehl.1
GoodReads www.goodreads.com/3414925.Lesley_A_Diehl
Amazon www.amazon.com/author/lesleydiehl
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo
Enter the Giveaway
Spiked Punch TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 15 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 15 – Cozy, Suspenseful, and Sweet – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 18 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
November 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 20 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 22 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 23 – THANKSGIVING U.S.
November 24 – Sapphyria’s Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 25 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
November 26 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 27 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
November 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 29 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
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I hope your readers enjoyed meeting Maddie and learning a bit about her and me. This is the first book in the Maddie Sparks mysteries and there will be more. Sign up for the giveaway and win two books from one of my other series.
I’m sure they will!
Love the cover art. So cute and eye catching
Spiked Punch sounds like a refreshing mystery book!
Thanks for the giveaway for Spiked Punch!