Fun Summer Reading

Summer is a GREAT time for some lazy reading--and maybe some yummy ZUCCHINI PIE. If you've been following this blog, you will recognize the reference to my newest (and 9th) traditionally published novel, ZUCCHINI PIE: GRANNY'S RECIPE FOR LIFE. (NOTE: You can read the whole first chapter FREE by clicking on the link at right.)

You can find ZUCCHINI PIE at the publisher's web site, www.covenant-lds.com. Covenant has also made my book part of an email blast you can see here. The blast includes a FREE book by Anita Stanfield and various new works by popular Covenant authors, including Marlene Bateman. You can see the covers of all these new books and read (free) the first chapter of each when you click here.

My publisher describes ZUCCHINI PIE like this:

When Karen Burnett receives word that 100-year-old Granny Adelaide is fading fast, she and her husband rush to the hospital to say their good-byes. As the end draws near, Granny reveals her dying wish: she wants each member of her fragmented family present at her funeral, as well as at a dinner featuring nostalgic family foods. In her last breaths, she calls upon Kare, to carry out this seemingly insurmountable task. With cherished recipes in hand and a determination to follow through with her promise, Karen sets Granny’s plan in motion. Karen’s husband, Tom, however, is less than enthusiastic about his grandmother’s meddling. He hasn’t seen his father—the man who abandoned Tom–his mother, and younger siblings in decades, and the years have done nothing to diminish his bitterness. As the day of the funeral approaches, Tom must decide: will he allow himself to be consumed by his anger, or will he embrace the potential for peace? Zucchini Pie is a heartfelt novel of connection: of a struggling family and the food that one wise old woman trusts will bring them back together.

The artists at Covenant gave me a cute cover. I include it below, side by side with the more intense cover of Marlene Bateman's book MOTIVE FOR MURDER, also new in June.

  

Here's the publisher's description of MOTIVE:

Meet Erica Coleman: a gifted and quirky private investigator with a penchant for sleuthing and a passion for chocolate. Erica imagined that her trip to Florida would be a slice of heaven—a chance to get away from it all and catch up with her best friend, Wendy. But a mere day into her idyllic vacation, all hope of fun in the sun is dashed      with a shocking discovery: the body of an unknown man on the driveway. A failed second homicide attempt hits even closer to home when Wendy’s fiancé barely survives poisoning. There’s no way to sugarcoat it—a murderer is on the prowl, and no one is above suspicion. 

Unsettled by the proximity of foul play, Wendy asks Erica to investigate. Erica is convinced that the near double-murder was no coincidence, so she accepts her friend’s request—with her skill, solving the mystery should be a piece of cake. But as she sifts through mounting evidence, one thing becomes clear: everyone had a reason for wanting both men dead. And as the plot thickens, it appears that Erica may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .

If you like mysteries, you're likely to love Erica and the mess in which she finds herself. The tension begins immediately, as shown by these first lines:

The atmosphere was tense as the audience collectively held its breath,
waiting, waiting, waiting. Although the water was still, everyone knew big
things were going on below the surface. Something riveting was about to
happen. The wait seemed to last forever. Then the water suddenly split,
and a huge, shining, black and white creature exploded into the air. 

Shamu.  

Hundreds of cameras clicked, and applause erupted throughout the
stadium. 

As gravity asserted itself, the whale fell back into the water.
For Erica Coleman, it was one of the high points of the show at
SeaWorld. 

I invite you to read the first chapters of both my book and Marlene's. Find mine in the link at right or find them both here. Then when your order arrives, sit back and enjoy some lazy summer reading, our treat!

Susan Aylworth is the author of nine published novels, all currently available in digital form for various e-readers. Her newest book, ZUCCHINI PIE: GRANNY'S RECIPE FOR LIFE, is out this month from Covenant Communications. Her tenth novel, RETURN TO RAINBOW ROCK, will soon be available as an original e-book, the seventh in the Rainbow Rock series. Find Susan at www.susanaylworth.com or follow her @SusanAylworth.