Friday, May 27, 2016

Guest Post & $20 Amazon/BN Gift Card Giveaway ~ MURDER AT MORNINGSIDE by Sandra Bretting


Murder at Morningside (Missy DuBois Murder Series, #1)
by: Sandra Bretting
Series: The Missy DuBois Murder Series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Publisher: Lyrical Underground


Heads turn when milliner Missy Dubois waltzes into town to set up shop on the Great River Road in Louisiana. Heaven only knows the brides who get married in the grand old mansions there could use a bit of help.
But then Missy discovers a murder among the magnolias, and even the worst “bridezilla” seems suddenly tame.  


Time rewound with each footfall as I began to climb the grand outer staircase at Morningside Plantation. The limestone steps, burdened with the history of five generations, heaved their way toward heaven.
At the top lay a wide-plank verandah supported by columns painted pure white, like the clouds. By the time I took a third step, the digital camera in my right hand began to dissolve into the sterling silver handle of a ladies parasol. The visitors’ guide in my left hand magically transformed into a ballroom dance card bound by a satin cord.
Another step and the Mississippi River came into view as it flowed to the Gulf, languid as a waltz and the color of sweet tea. Could that be a whistle from a steamboat ferrying passengers past the plantation? If so, a turn and a wave wouldn’t be out of the question once I reached the top of the stairs, and good manners would dictate it.
I was about to do that when I realized the whistle was only my friend’s cell and not a Mississippi riverboat. “Ambrose! Turn that thing off. Honestly.”
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “I always forget you were Scarlett O’Hara in a past life.”
The mood was broken, though, and the sterling silver in my hand returned to plastic while the linen dance card hardened to a glossy brochure.


Purchase Murder at Morningside from:


They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Let me tell you, there’s no cure for a wedding once it’s gone off the rails, so I always bring along a pound of prevention, too.
I’m Missy DuBois, and I own a millenary studio right here on the Great River Road in Louisiana. That’s a stretch of land which curves along the Mississippi River and holds a dozen or so Southern mansions that predate the Civil War.
Folks have renovated these gems and turned them into bed & breakfasts, fancy hotels and even a private residence or two. No wonder girls flock down here every summer to get married on lush emerald lawns so green they put Churchill Downs to shame.
My job is to make sure these brides have the perfect veil or hat for their fancy nuptials. That’s not to say everything goes smoothly one hundred percent of the time. Sometimes there’s a glitch that requires a touch of creativity and a dash of knowhow.
Take the time MaryKate Boudreaux’s veil got stuck on a pew when she walked down the aisle. The florist had attached a bouquet to it with double-sided tape, which snagged a bit of netting and left a big tear. I don’t always attend my client’s weddings, but I happened to be sitting four rows over and saw the whole thing transpire. Afterward, I met MaryKate in the ladies room at the reception and dabbed some clear fingernail polish onto the rip. Viola! The rip disappeared and the photos turned out lovely.
Another time the fix was a little more complicated. It happened when Piper Lee’s mama tried to iron out a wrinkle in the veil right before the ceremony. Yep…it left a two-inch burn mark, smackdab in the front. Piper was fit to be tied, until I rushed to the scene with my fix-it kit and whipped out a peel-and-stick sheet that fuses fabric together. I glued a fold in the veil on both sides of her face, which hid the mark and left no one the wiser.
Most wedding mishaps can be fixed with a well-stocked sewing kit, I’ve found. It also helps to have a sense of humor. If all else fails, take a little extra time and remedy the situation using whatever you have on hand. As we say here in the South, “It’s better to arrive late than ugly.”


Sandra Bretting works as a freelance feature writer under contract to the Houston Chronicle. She received a journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and wrote for other publications (including the Los Angeles Times and Orange Coast Magazine) before moving to Texas.
Her Missy DuBois Mysteries series debuts from Kensington/Lyrical Underground in May 2016. Bretting’s previous mysteries include Unholy Lies (2012) and Bless the Dying (2014).


Places to find Sandra Bretting:


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54 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the release :)

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    1. Thank you so much! I've loved spending time with these characters...they're a hoot!

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  2. Thanks for having me here today. Nothing like a Friday morning to put a smile on your face!

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  3. I enjoyed reading the excerpt. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. Looking forward to checking out this book.

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    1. Thanks, Ally! Since the publisher priced it right at $3.99, I'm hoping lots of people can check it out. Good luck in the raffle!

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  4. This book is "my cup of tea", looking forward to reading it!

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    1. LOL, Nikolina! And the publisher priced it right at only $3.99, which is good news for everyone who loves Southern mysteries!

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    2. Thanks for leting me know! :)

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  5. I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for another great recommendation!

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  6. This book sounds awesome! Why did you, the author, opt for a milliner as the main character?

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    1. Great question, Rhi! I wanted someone who's involved with weddings (Missy makes custom veils and hats for brides), but I didn't want the usual caterer or florist. Lots of brides get married at the mansions on the Great River Road in Louisiana, so I thought it would be a good tie-in. Plus, I love hats and I know a little bit about hat-making, so it was a good fit.

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  7. this book sounds great i love the setting of a southern mystery !

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    1. Hi, Sandra! Thanks for the compliment...and I love your first name :)

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  8. I would love to read this book, but it seems that both the Brooklyn and Queens County Library systems have failed to bring in copies for it's patrons. I'm going to have to write to both of them with a scathing letter of protest.

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    1. Good for you, Nora! It's available in both print and eBook ($3.99), so they have a choice of formats. I love libraries, but they don't always know what to give us until we tell them. Good luck with the raffle!

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  9. read the excerpt thanks for your giveaway

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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    1. You're welcome, and I hope you liked the excerpt. This is a fun series to write, because Missy and her friends keep me on my toes!

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  10. Really great post, I enjoyed reading it! I particularly liked the excerpt, thanks for sharing :)

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  11. This really sounds like a great story. I loved the excerpt.

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    1. Thanks! It's nice my publisher priced it right at $3.99, so hopefully a lot of people can enjoy it.

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  12. I love mysteries and I am always watching for new ones! Thanks for offering this giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome, Linda. The good news is that my publisher priced the eBook at only $3.99, so more people can enjoy it. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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  13. Murder at Morningstar sounds great ♡ I would enjoy reading this book. Thank you

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    1. Thanks for the compliment, Linda. It's a fun book with some very colorful characters. I'm just thankful they let me tag along on their adventures!

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  14. I would love to read this. It sounds really good! Thank you!

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  15. Hi, Carol! Best of luck to you in the giveaway:)

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  16. Missy Dubois sounds like a hoot! What a fun mystery!

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    1. Thanks, Jeanna! Missy was awfully fun to write about. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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  17. This is the kind of book that I really enjoy! Thank you!

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    1. You're welcome, Carol! I'm really happy it's only $3.99, too, because I want a lot of people to be able to enjoy it. I'll cross my fingers for you in the drawing :)

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  18. Wishing you a great Memorial Day weekend. Be safe and enjoy and would like to salute all those who have given their lives in defense of this country. Thank you for this giveaway as well

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    1. You're so right! We'll never be able to repay our servicemen and service women for their sacrifices. My parents both left Holland on account of the war, and it changed them forever. best of luck to you in the drawing, and I hope you have a great Memorial Day!

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  19. I have added this to my TBR list and can't wait to read it.

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    1. I'm so glad, Becky! And the best part is that my publisher priced it right at only $3.99, so more people can enjoy it. Best of luck in the drawing!

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  20. Hope you are having a fabulous weekend! Looking forward to reading this book!

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    1. Hi, Ally! The weekend has been wonderful so far. I feel very blessed to live in a free country and thankful for the people who made it possible.

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  21. Stopping by and thanking you for giving us the opportunity to win. Have a great Sunday!

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    1. Hope you have a great Sunday, too! Can't quite tell what your hat is by the profile pic, but I'm sure it's fabulous :)

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  22. I love Southern cozy mysteries. Just my cup of sweet tea!

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    1. I love Southern cozy mysteries, too, Catherine! Best of luck in the giveaway. But, if worse comes to worst, my publisher decided to price the book at only $3.99, so more people can enjoy it. Have a good weekend!

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  23. I love any book that has weddings in it. I love them.

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    1. Agreed...I'm a sucker for weddings, too. Best of luck in the drawing!

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  24. What is the name of your favorite restaurant?

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    1. Hi, Ally. There's a restaurant here called Seasons 52 that only serves locally grown produce. The menu changes every week and nothing is over 600 calories. What's your favorite?

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  25. Oh this book sounds so good! I love that in involves a wedding!!! I was wondering if you have a favorite book that you have read?

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  26. Hi, Laura! Thanks for the compliment on the book. I just read The Nightingale, which was wonderful. Do you have a favorite book?

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  27. When you are writing do you use pen and paper or do you prefer to type.

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  28. Are you planning to write lots in this series?

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    1. Hi, Caitlin. Yep...the next book in the series will come out in December and the third one next May. They're scheduled to come out every six months, so readers won't have to wait too long to find out what happens next :)

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