BLOG TOUR – A Stewed Observation

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SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

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A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries)
by Karen C. Whalen

About the Book

A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (August 6, 2018)
Print Length: 214 pages
Digital ASIN: B07DYVWHFY

The Gourmet Dinner Club travels to Ireland to enjoy Irish cuisine while staying at a medieval, ivy-covered castle. Jane Marsh hopes Dale Capricorn will ask her to marry him at this romantic dream destination. But her plans are put on hold when the elderly castle owner becomes violent, a club member restrains him, and he collapses and dies.
The police believe the mysterious death is murder and begin to suspect one of the club’s members. Dale leaves for home on a business emergency, and as the lone single gal in the club full of couples, Jane is thrown into the company of Griffin O’Doherty, the handsome Irishman who stands to inherit the castle.
Jane must prove her friend’s innocence by solving the crime. Which of the sweet-tempered Irish could be a callous killer?

Guest Post by the Author

New bikes for active adults

Hubby and I agreed it was time to get new bicycles.

Our Treks were twenty years old, the frames scratched, the pedals stiff, and the gears clanged against the fittings when we shifted. As we pointed the car toward the sports shop, we made a list of what we were looking for. First off, something to last another twenty years. Yes, we’d just turned sixty, but we were an active sixty—more like fifty, heck even forty. We loved to bike ride and hike and do all those outdoorsy things Coloradoans loved to do. So, we had in mind bicycles for the adventuresome, active, daredevil adult. Woot-woot. That was us!

We walked up and down the rows of bicycles, a bit overwhelmed by the choices. Aluminum alloy frames for lighter weight. Yes. This year’s model or last year’s sale model. The ones on sale, of course. Long distance, touring, racing. None of those. Fat tires or skinny tires? Road bike, mountain bike, or hybrid. Or, cruiser. Hmmmmm. There weren’t this many choices twenty years ago.

A young lady in a cycling jersey with a bike logo on the front approached us. We explained to the sales clerk that we were quite active for being in our sixties. She asked, “Are you looking for bikes for big trail rides or a weekend enduro?”

What?

I said, “We usually do day rides on paths, about twenty to thirty miles a trip.”

“More like ten, babe.” My hubby just had to contradict me. So much for being in agreement.

“Well, we would go longer if we had better bikes.” I pointed to a model with curled under handlebars. “I can’t lean over that far to reach those handlebars. That would give me a neck ache.”

“So you don’t want the drop handlebars, you want the risers.” The clerk directed us to another section in the shop.

I added, “It has to be lightweight, too. I can’t pedal a thirty-pound bike uphill anymore.” That in addition to the weight I’d gained in the past twenty years.

“And I need a comfortable seat.” My husband had lost the padding in his posterior. I didn’t have a problem in this area. Hubby rubbed his chin. “And suspension in the seat post.” Again the seat…

I squeezed the brakes on a cute red bike. “Disc brakes. I want to be able to slow my speed on downgrades.” I guess I was pretty concerned about those hills.

The clerk wheeled a bike away from the rack. “Here,” she looked at me, “you can try this one. I’ll get a similar one for your husband.” She pushed one after the other to the back door, handed us helmets, and told us to take the bikes for a spin.

Oh, how nice those brand new bicycles were. The gears shifted smoothly, the wheels rotated noiselessly. My hubby didn’t complain about his backside. The only sound was the wind in my ears. We both nodded to the clerk as we dismounted and bumped the bikes back through the doorway.

“I’d like you to ride another kind for comparison.” She had two more bikes ready. “Now, these are electric bikes. They have battery-powered motors for climbing hills.”

“Motors?” Hubby stooped down to examine the chain.

“Climbing hills?” I’m sure my eyes lit up.

“They have sensors to detect how much pressure you’re putting on the pedals. The bike will add power accordingly.” She handed off the bikes. “And, these are on sale.”

Allrighty then. We took those fancy electric bikes for a test drive.

“I think these are the bikes for the active adult,” Hubby said. He wouldn’t let go of the handlebars after he jumped off. I patted the frame lovingly and stroked the brake levers.

The daring duo had found their perfect bikes. We were back in agreement.

In my dinner club murder mystery series, recent widow, Jane Marsh, is determined to recapture a rich, full life. For example, she strives for youthful fun by riding a bicycle in a suit and heels downtown on her lunch hour. If you’d like an adventuresome read, you will enjoy this culinary cozy series.

About the Author

Karen C. Whalen is the author of a culinary cozy series, the “dinner club murder mysteries.” The first four in the series are: Everything Bundt the Truth, Not According to Flan, No Grater Evil, and A Stewed Observation. The first book in the series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Her books are similar to those written by cozy authors Jessica Beck and Joanne Fluke. She worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She believes that it’s never too late to try something new. She loves to host dinner clubs, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, and read cozy murder mysteries.

Author Links
Website – http://karencwhalen.com

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/whalenkarenc

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/whalenkarenc

Twitter – https://twitter.com/whalenkc

GoodReads– https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15891729.Karen_C_Whalen

Purchase Links:
Amazon The Wild Rose Press iBooks

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