Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused (The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series) by Marcy Blesy. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused (The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series) by Marcy Blesy
Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused (The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Michigan
Publisher : Independently Published
Publication date : February 25, 2026
Print length : 236 pages
Paperback
The Empty Nest Retreat was supposed to help Juli find herself. Not question her sanity—or reality.
When Juli Tully’s kids fly the coop and she takes early retirement, the silence in her house is deafening—and not in a calming, spa-music kind of way. At her mother’s not-so-subtle urging, she signs for the Empty Nest Retreat at the Sand Bur Estate, a stately mansion perched on the windswept dunes of Lake Michigan.
Juli nearly bolts when she learns the retreat is phone-free. No texts. No doom-scrolling. No emergency updates from her kids. Instead, she’s stuck with an unusual group of fellow empty nesters: Nelle, a perpetually cheerful optimist; Kimmie, a bubbly influencer convinced the estate is magical; and Jedd, an arrogant dad who fancies himself Parent of the Year—and takes an instant dislike to Juli.
Then things get… strange.
Temperatures swing wildly. Lights flicker. Objects float. Juli can’t tell if her menopausal symptoms have gone off the rails or if rumors about the estate’s supernatural past are true.
Between meditation sessions and awkward financial-planning talks, one of the estate’s employees dies under suspicious circumstances. Thanks to Juli’s increasingly unpredictable “episodes,” she becomes the prime suspect.
With a murder to solve, a reputation to save, and a sarcastic talking cat who knows more than she’s letting on, Juli must uncover the truth—before this empty nest lands her in handcuffs.
If you love:
Empty nest reinvention
Midlife amateur sleuth
Retreat gone wrong
Isolated estate near Lake Michigan
Light paranormal elements
Self-help retreat chaos
Haunted (or is it?) mansion
Sarcastic talking cat
Humor with heart
Found family friendships
Wrongly suspected heroine
Cozy whodunit
You’ll adore this humorous cozy mystery set under along the shores of Lake Michigan!
Empty nests bring new beginnings… and unexpected secrets.
Author Guest Post
Marcy Blesy, Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused
Empty Nest Reinvention
Hello. I am Marcy Blesy, the author of several cozy mystery series including The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series, the Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series, and the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series. Today I am going to talk about my newest series, The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series.
My husband and I have been empty nesters for a couple of years now. To say I was not prepared for the quiet and the abrupt halt of the busy, busy, busy life would be an understatement. Just as no one can prepare new parents for the radical changes in their lives, no one can prepare parents at the other end of the spectrum when the kids move out and life shifts again.
In Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused in the Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series Juli Tully reluctantly signs up for an Empty Nest Retreat, with her family’s encouragement, to learn new strategies to reinvent herself and to stop wallowing in sadness. She meets other parents with varying degrees of emotion about becoming empty nesters. They attend sessions about self-care including yoga and meditation as well as hobby classes. Though fleeing to a spa is in the forefront of Juli’s mind, she joins a group of other parents to solve the murder of a retreat employee in the midst of unusual paranormal happenings. The book is funny, mysterious, and full of heart. I was very satisfied with the ending, and it made me smile.
I think self-care is an important part of growth. When a parent’s everyday role as mom or dad changes—as it’s supposed to happen in the course of life—emotions can be crushing. Caring for oneself, learning new things, and leaning into those things that make you happy are important to finding joy in life’s transitions.
I think parents will be able to relate to Juli’s emotions. They are heartfelt, funny, and—at times—over the top and confusing. Who can’t relate to the rollercoaster of parenting? What I wanted to accomplish with this new series, is growth in the main character as she finds her new voice and purpose in life. I hope I have accomplished this in the reader’s eyes. Thank you!
Enter the Giveaway
About Marcy Blesy
Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books across genres, best known for her Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series and the Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series —humorous, heartwarming whodunits filled with senior sleuths, quirky characters, and animal sidekicks. Her cozy mysteries spotlight midlife reinvention, found family, and laugh-out-loud amateur sleuthing, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan, and The Golden Girls.
Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.
For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.
Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram GoodReads
Purchase Link – Amazon
Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused TOUR PARTICIPANTS
April 28 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
April 29 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 29 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
April 30 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
April 30 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
May 1 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 3 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 4 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 5 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
May 6 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 6 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 8 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
May 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book– SPOTLIGHT
May 10 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
May 11 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here
Leave a Reply