Celebrating Mystery and Romantic Suspense Today!

Summer Sizzle Free Par-Tay is here!

For Two Days Only, June 13-14th, "The Huntress" will be FREE! 

Spunky bounty hunter Vega Brookes meets her match when she hunts down a dangerous ex-special forces officer accused of murder.

Written by Dorothy McFalls, which is my romantic pen name, The Huntress is a Romantic Suspense that is a little (a lot) steamier than my cozy mysteries.

Praise for The Huntress
"In The Huntress, Vega Brooks is a smart mouth, sexy, street-wise bounty hunter with a heart of gold. Dodging a matchmaking mother and working for her Bail Bondsman Uncle, Vega is hot on the trail of one sexy Grayson Walker. It's an action-packed adventure with sass and style. I absolutely loved it!" --Deborah Macgillivray, Author of A RESTLESS KNIGHT and Reviewer for The Best Reviews

"...delivers a plot ripe with suspense, tension, and conflict." --Amanda, Fallen Angel Reviews

If you like books like "The Huntress" you might also like these other FREE mystery/suspense/romantic suspense books:

"Smooth Irish" He's turned his back on life. Can she save him? By Jennifer Saints.

"Plain Jane" Brunettes beware. A Patterson style thriller with dash of Hannibal. By Carolyn McCray.

"Liquid Lies" One dead body. Two girls with a secret. By Lois Lavrisa.

"Copping Attitude" A strong woman and a red-hot cop find healing and love. By Ava Meyers.

"Full Body Contact" Is he a killer or a fighter? By Carolyn McCray and Elena Gray.

To enter to win a Kindle and $25 per day Amazon gift card, simply visit www.FreePartay.com and sign up for our newsletter!

Made in America Monday: Lincolnton Furniture Co.

It's Made in America Monday, where I feature a company that is producing (or selling) products that are made within the United States. Although you can find wonderful things made in other countries, I think sometimes we overlook the craftsmen and products that are being produced just around the corner.

So with the familiar slogan "Think Global, Act Local" in mind, I give you Made in America Monday.

The Lincolnton Furniture Company, North Carolina

A Dream Reborn: 

From 4/8/2011 Charleston Post & Courier's "N.C. Furniture Company's Revival Has Global Message:"

"When Bruce Cochrane’s family furniture company became an empty factory, he wouldn’t drive by the building, even though it was just a short ride from home. There were just too many memories of what was, and what he was sure would never be again.

"Five generations of Cochranes had been furniture makers, starting with his great-great-grandfather, William, who built church pews in the 1850s. By the mid-1990s, though, the long, proud family tradition appeared to be at an end."

First opened in 1905, the furniture company grew. In 1986, the family-owned company employed more than 1,000. Then in 1996, the business was sold and all operations were moved overseas.

From the website:  "Today, Bruce Cochrane has joined with Bruce Hric and Phillip Null to start Lincolnton Furniture.

"Lincolnton Furniture began taking orders in October 2011 and shipping of solid wood bedroom and dining furniture will begin in January 2012. It is the continuance of the Cochrane family manufacturing and selling furniture for six generations."

Where to buy: http://www.lincolntonfurnitureco.com/where-to-buy.html

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Dorothy St. James writes the White House Gardener Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Flowerbed of State is the first book in the series. Be sure to grab your copy while they're still available! Visit with Dorothy on the web or at Facebook. Or follow her on Twitter.

Praise for FLOWERBED OF STATE:
"Credible characters, a fast-paced plot, and a light look at political life in Washington, D.C., will delight cozy fans." ~ Publishers Weekly

"This spunky new romantic suspense series is an obvious pick for readers who enjoy Julie Hyzy's "White House Chef" series (Buffalo West Wing), but also think of gardening mystery series such as Rosemary Harris's (Slugfest)." ~ Library Journal

Order Flowerbed of State from your favorite bookseller. 

Order The Scarlet Pepper from your favorite bookseller.

Praise for THE SCARLET PEPPER:

"The second story in this series does not disappoint.... Once you start to read this story you will have a hard time putting it down. Can't wait for volume three." ~ reader review from JudiOH

"The Scarlett Pepper is the second book in The White House Gardener Mystery series. And a very enjoyable addition it is....Looking forward to reading the next book to she how Casey and Jack handle becoming "better friends", if Casey can begin to get closure on her parents deaths when she was a child and of course being a dog lover, looking forward to more tidbits on the First Dog." ~ reader review from F. Yoder

Mystery Writers of America Scholarship available for aspiring mystery writers!

The fabulous Chris Roerden, Chair of the McCloy-MWA Scholarship Program reminds all unpublished mystery writers to not wait until the postmark deadline of Feb.29, 2012, to decide to apply for a scholarship to take courses, classes, workshops, or other live (not online) educational programs to improve your writing skills. 

"It will take you more time than you think to pull together the specific info on courses and have in hand the two letters of reference required. If you have not been previously published for money in the mystery field, you are eligible to apply. ("For money" means a publisher paid you; if you paid, you may be considered unpublished)," she writes.

Here's how to apply:

Every year, two scholarships of up to $500 each are awarded in the McCloy-MWA Scholarship Program. The samples of mystery writing to submit can be 3 chapters of a novel or nonfiction, or 3 short stories or essays, or a full-length script. There's no entry fee or membership requirement. Applicants even get feedback from one or more of the 5 judges, who are commercially published in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and scriptwriting. Download details and the 2012 application form from http://mysterywriters.org (click McCloy Scholarship in the sidebar). And send for the FAQs to the email address shown on the form.

Book Recommendation

Looking for a new mystery to read? I know I'm always on the hunt for new books for my TBR pile....

Julie Hyzy's 5th White House Chef Mystery Affairs of Steak is available today from Berkley Prime Crime!

White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

Get your copy today. This book promises to be a winner!

Click here for a list of all the Berkley Prime Crime novels released today.