Christmas Books That I Love!

Christmas is a lovely time of year! I look forward to decorating my house, playing Christmas music, cooking, baking, and, of course, reading Christmas themed mysteries! The following are some that I would like to share, in the spirit of the season. Enjoy!

Victoria Benchley. The Christmas Contest. This is part of t he Duncan Dewar series, and takes place Scottish village. He is trying to solve a murder, while at the same time vying for Angela's heart!

Kathi Daley. The Christmas Letter. This is part of the Tess and Tilly cozy mystery series. This story is based in the small town of White Eagle, Montana, and thrives on small town shenanigans! 

Francis Duncan. Murder For Christmas. This is part of the Mordecai Tremaine series, and takes place at a country retreat.

Joanne Fluke, Sugar Cookie Murder. This is part of the Hannah Swensen series, based on a community Christmas celebration. I love that there are a ton of recipies included!

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. Murder On the Candlelight Tour. This is part of the Magnolia Mystery Wilmington series, featuring historic preservationist Ashley Wilkes, and the proverbial murder in the library!

Margaret Maron, Rituals of the Season. This is a Deborah Knott mystery that combines Christmas and Deborah's impending wedding. Excellent read!

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(c) November 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author.

The Legend of Justice and Diamonds - Second Printing

"The Legend of Justice and Diamonds" was originally published through Xulon Press in 2010. It is now available through Create Space and Kindle (The Legend of Justice and Diamonds). (You can find my review of the first printing here.) I was (and still am!) drawn to this book because it takes its foundation from the Tarot, which has been a a part of my life "forever". The book presents the cards as both living virtues, and living human beings, fashioned by The Creator. The background is that of what author Louis F. Hemsey terms "first Earth" - the time before Earth as we know it.

The voice of the story is Acellus, The Creator's scribe. He is also the first angelic being. Through his visions, the reader moves into the past, into what is termed an alternate reality, where it is the sixth year reign of the first King - a rogue entitled the King of Clubs. The story exemplifies the eternal struggle between good and evil, and moves smoothly between three realms - (1) the Forest of Cards, (2) the earthly realm of the Kng of Clubs, and (3) the realm of the Keepers, the ones who read the Tarot cards.

As an author myself, I am imressed with the manner in which Hemsey moved his work from Xulon Press to the independent publishing venues of Create Space and Kindle. The addition of a dlightful new cover spices things up nicely!

I have it on good authority (Hemsey himself!) that a sequel is in the works - involving the son's of the Jack of Diamonds and the Ace of Spades, along with the Queen of Diamonds and Lady Arabella of Saxon.

Now is a good time to read (and savor) the first book, so that you have the background handy for reading the sequel!

(c) November 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

A Writer's Thanksgiving

We have thanksgiving coming up here in the United States on November 23rd. It is all about food, family, and being thankful for all of the abundance in our lives, whatever form that takes (which, for some, will be endless football games!). I have been sitting here thinking about what I am thankful for as a writer.

I have been writing ever since I can remember. For whatever reason, I aways seemed to be secretary of whatever organization I was with. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, and I was secretary for my Camp Fire Girls group. I wrote up the minutes, then I got to walk them down to the local newspaper (I lived in a really small town!). This was a very big thrill for me!

As I became an adult, and moved forward in my career, most of my writing was of a technical nature. (I worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist.) As my avocation - Tarot and metaphysics - transformed into my vocation, I found myself writing on totally different topics. I took what to me was a huge risk and submitted an idea for a book to Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and it was accepted! I was shocked, and enormously happy! I submitted a second idea for a book, and that was accepted too. I am very thankful to Schiffer, and to my editor, Dinah Roseberry, for making publishing my books a very positive experience! 

I co-wrote a book on joy with my friend Brad Tesch, which turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. I am thankful for the time that I spent wth Brad co-writing that book. I wrote and self-published a book on surviving the holidays - which was a great deal of fun to write, and which made me feel good about being able to offer concrete "helpful hints" to others on how not to go insane during the holidays.

I have done written interviews with some of the most interesting people in the Tarot field. I am thankful that to a person they were gracious, and shared of themselves the things that worked for them, and the background of their work.

I currently have a WIP (work in progress) that entails, in part, flying in and out of smaller airports that cater to private and corporate planes. I am very thankful that I know someone through Facebook that I can contact to make sure that the airports that I researched and chose are actually viable choices. I certainly don't want to look the fool over a choice of airports! If this individual agrees to mentor me on this, they will receive mention as a valuable resource in my book.

There are so many things to be thankful for as a writer! What are some of the things that those of you who are fellow writer's are thankful for?

(c) Bonnie Cehovet November 2017