A GHOSTLY REUNION by Tonya Kappes (Showcase, Interview & Giveaway)
A Ghostly Reunion
by Tonya Kappes
on Tour January 16 – February 17, 2017
Synopsis:
A Ghostly Reunion
Proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, Emma Lee can see, hear, and talk to ghosts of murdered folks. And when her high school nemesis is found dead, Jade Lee Peel is the same old mean girl—trying to come between Emma Lee and her hot boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, all over again.
There’s only one way for Emma Lee to be free of the trash-talking ghost—solve the murder so the former prom queen can cross over.
But the last thing Jade Lee wants is to leave the town where she had her glory days. And the more Emma Lee investigates on her own, the more complicated Miss Popularity turns out to be. Now Emma Lee will have to work extra closely with her hunky lawman to get to the twisty truth.
Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Published by: HarperCollins / Witness
Publication Date: December 27th 2016
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 006246695X (ISBN13: 9780062466952)
Series: Ghostly Southern Mysteries #5
Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗
Read an excerpt:
Sexy isn’t a firm fanny in a thong, ladies.”
Hettie Bell didn’t seem so sexy in her hot pink leggings and matching top as she gasped for breath in her downward dog position in the middle of Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky. Her butt stuck straight up in the air, right there on display for everyone to see. Her black, chin-length bob was falling out of the small ponytail on both sides and her bangs hung down in her eyes.
“Sexy is confidence and self-acceptance. It’s exactly what yoga provides.”
Hettie Bell curled up on her tiptoes with her palms planted on one of the mats she provided for us. The rickety old floor of the gazebo, in the middle of the town square, groaned as we all tried to mimic her pose. “Yes!” Beulah Paige Bellefry hollered out like we were in the first pew of the Sleepy Hollow Baptist Church getting a good Bible beating from Pastor Brown himself.
“Amen to a good pose!”
Beulah continued to adjust her feet and hands each time she started to slip. If she wasn’t a bit overweight, I’d say it was her eighties silk sweat suit that was slicker than cat’s guts giving her problems. Or it could’ve been those pearls around her wrist, neck and ears weighing her down. Beulah never took off those pearls. She said pearls were a staple for a Southern gal.
“You said it, sister,” Mary Anna Hardy gasped. She teetered side to side, nearly knocking into Granny. Her sweat left streaks down her makeup. Who on earth got up this early and put makeup on to do yoga? Mary Anna Hardy, that’s who.
“God help us!”
“That’s it.”
I pushed back off my heels and crossed my legs, staring at all the Auxiliary women’s derrieres at my eye level.
“I’m here to do some relaxing, not Sunday school.”
Sleepy Hollow was smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt and if God wasn’t thrown in our conversations, then we weren’t breathing. But the last thing I wanted to think about was my butt stuck up to the high heavens and everyone up in the Great Beyond looking down upon me.
Author Bio:
Tonya Kappes has written more than fifteen novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in northern Kentucky. Now that her boys are teenagers, Tonya writes full-time but can be found at all of her guys’ high school games with a pencil and paper in hand.
Q&A with Tonya Kappes
Writing and Reading:
Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
Well, I’ve never killed anyone or attempted to, so I’m going to say that it’s not personal experience. I can’t help but stop and listen to the news when it’s on my television when they report on a murder. Especially a cold case. Those have little tidbits I can use and manipulate into my stories.
Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
In mysteries the plot always start in reverse. I always know the victim, killer, how, and why. From there I take the reader backwards to the the reason. It’s a lot of fun.
Are any of your characters based on you or people that you know?
Yes. Sort of. Every person who is killed is named after someone I truly love. Hahha. Strange. I killed them. BUT, it’s the covers of my Ghostly Southern Mystery Series that make up for me using their name because all the covers have a grave stone with the victim’s name on it. How many people can say their name is on the front cover of a book?
Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
I write every single day. I get up around 5:30 a.m. and grab a coffee. For the next hour I send emails, come up with my marketing plan for the day and start writing until I’ve got at least 3k words on the page.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
Yeah…not answering this one. My author friends might send a hit man.
What are you reading now?
I’m in a cozy mystery only book club on Facebook. We are currently reading Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seely
Are you working on your next novel?
I am. I’m currently working through another series, my Kenni Lowry Mystery Series. I’ve just started writing the fourth book in a ten book deal. It’s a lot of fun. Can you tell us a little about it? Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits. With the help of her poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.
Fun questions:
Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
I’m not sure if that’s a fun question! That’s a hard one. And I can honestly say that I never think about. I’m a writer, not a producer or screen writer.
Favorite leisure activity/hobby?
I have a group of eleven friends I meet every Tuesday for snacks and crafting. Seriously. We have a weekly craft night. It’s so much fun and it takes my mind out of the story/plot for a few hours.
Favorite meal?
Hands down pizza!
Thank you for stopping by CMash Reads and spending time with us.
Catch Up with Tonya Kappes on her Website 🔗, Twitter 🔗, & Facebook 🔗
Tour Participants:
Love this series!! Thanks for the fun interview.
I really need to find copies of these books…maybe the library has them, will have to check. Pizza, anything chocolate, coffee or tea (for hot drinks), Mountain Dew or Pepsi (for cold drinks)….those are what get me through most days, Speaking of which, time to go find some fuel for the day…
Thank you so much!!
Love all of Tonya Kappes books
Great interview! I absolutely love every one of Tonya’s books.
Great interview! I love all of Tonya’s books!
Love the interview. Love this series. Emma Lee is a wonderful character
Great interview! Love this series!
Enjoyed the interview. Looking forward to reading
all Tonya’s books.
Great interview! I love the part that Tonya kills people she loves. haha But it’s cool about their name being on the cover tombstone.
Good questions. I sat here and wondered what part I would want to play in one of Tonya’s movies.
Love the questions and answers. I really enjoy this series, the characters are so fun.
Great series! Can’t wait to read “A Ghostly Reunion”.
Thanks for a fun & informative post. I learned more about Tonya that I didn’t know.
Now these are my kinda books. The one entry where you have to sign up on the author’s giveaway for the Kindle she asks if we would review the book on such a such a date, but she put 2016 & I put yes figuring she just made a mistake on the year… right? Sure hope so. hugs