COCKTAILS & CASUALTIES by Carly Wayne with a giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author is awarding 4 prizes to randomly drawn winners (a leather bound diary and pen, a set of 4 drink coasters, a pewter necklace of a Quetzal bird, a copper compass). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Teddy Aarons is a nomad, using her bartending skills as an excuse to move to a new luxury resort with each change of the season. But when she finds herself stuck on the remote island of Mahina Cay, she finds refuge in the quirky little Township of Crooked Cove.
Crooked Cove is a village of expatriates from various countries, and the people are welcoming, but she only intends to stay long enough to make the money to get off the island and back to her real life.. However, when one of the village’s most distinguished citizens turns up dead, it’s up to her to either solve the case or become a permanent resident of the slammer!
With her new friend Jasmine at her side, Teddy will do whatever it takes to shake out the truth and stir up the real killer to clear her name. Will she manage to keep herself out of lockup, or will she end up under the influence of the Mahina Cay Prison?
Read an Excerpt
She stepped on the stage, not even knowing what song she was supposed to sing. She picked up the microphone, and the lights switched to a spotlight on her, then she heard the piano intro, and smiled. She knew what she had to do.
She took a deep breath, and belted out the first line, “First I was afraid, I was petrified…” As soon as the music kicked in, the lights turned into a disco, and the whole room jumped up to dance. Teddy sang a rousing rendition of ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor. No one remained in their seats, and she twirled and danced onstage with abandon, playing to the crowd. Somewhere deep in her mind as she sang, she marveled at herself. She had never enjoyed being in the spotlight, never bothered to make real friends at any of her jobs, never felt secure enough in herself or her surroundings to just let go the way she was doing at that moment. And she liked it.
Toward the end of the song, she looked out above the crowd. Standing in the shadows, just outside the doorway to the beach, a dark figure leaned back against the railing of the deck, watching her perform. As the clouds parted for just a moment, she saw El Kapitano incline his head toward her, the faintest of smiles curving his full lips. Then the clouds came back, and he was once again in shadow.
About the Author: Carly Wayne first discovered her love of storytelling as a child when she would create alternate endings for all of her favorite fairy tales. As she grew, her fascination developed into a passion for writing about the characters and worlds she imagined.
Now, Carly has returned to her ancestral home deep in the woods of Jacksonville, Florida, not too far from the ocean. She fills her days pursuing her bliss by writing, creating, and exploring nature.
Carly holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology.
Website: https://carlywayne.online
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/cocktails-casualties
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/creator.of.worlds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarlyWayneJax
GoodReads: https://cutt.ly/carlywayne-goodreads
BookBub: https://cutt.ly/carlywayne-bookbub
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I love the cover! It sets the stage for the book.
Thanks Jenna! Since I have no art skills whatsoever, I enjoy making my book covers! It is the closest I can get to being an artist!
sounds so good.
Carly Wayne is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book.
Thanks, Audrey. I hope you enjoy the story. I’d love to hear what you think!
Thank you for hosting this morning!
You’re very welcome!
Good morning! I’d like to take a moment to thank Aubrey Wynne for hosting a stop on my tour, and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to stop by! Engaging with readers is one of the highlights of being an author, and I can’t wait to dive into a conversation with each of you!
To start off the conversation, what is your favorite cozy mystery setting? Do you prefer quaint villages, bustling cities, or unique locales (like the island of Mahina Cay)?
And don’t hesitate to ask me anything about the writing process, character development, or the inspiration behind Crooked Cove!
Cheers,
Carly Wayne
My pleasure. Good luck with your release!
I liked the excerpt.
Thank You for the review.
Marion
Interesting excerpt. I love a good mystery and I look forward to reading more.