Hey Journal,

…they found a body on the beach this morning! Our handyman says everybody’s talking about it. I heard the lady died with a really old piece of pottery or something in her hand. 

Alex

Above is a journal entry of young Alex Atwood who helps her dad solve mysteries in Clues in the Sand. I love it that we can see the mystery through her eyes as well as her father’s. Terry Ambrose is visiting us today with book two in Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Series. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Terry on the Happy Homicides Anthology Series and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about his writing process.

 

Be sure to look for the Prize Guy. He wants to buy you a cup of Starbucks coffee and a signed print copy of Clues in the Sand.

 

How did you come with an idea for your book? 

There are really three ways this book came about. In at least the first three of the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, the stories are focused on treasure hunts. The idea came about after a comment by my wife. “Everybody loves a treasure story,” she’d said. The idea intrigued me almost immediately, so the little town of Seaside Cove became the center of a search for the San Manuel, a Spanish galleon that sank in the 16th Century.

Clues in the Sand was a natural progression for the series. It takes us one step closer to finding and salvaging the treasure of the San Manuel, but it also further develops the relationship between the three main characters—Rick Atwood, the owner of the B&B; his daughter Alex; and their cook, Marquetta Weiss. Though Rick and Marquetta are drawn together by a mutual attraction—and Alex’s attempts at matchmaking—they are also pulled apart by events from the past. It’s a very sticky situation which the adults acknowledge, but ten-year-old Alex doesn’t understand. In her opinion, her dad and Marquetta are being lame, but that’s a different issue.

The third influence came about while I was researching treasure hunters and treasure salvage. I discovered the hunt for treasure and salvage operations are actually quite a cutthroat business. Salvage operations cost millions of dollars and the salvage itself can be worth billions. So, one of the issues I wanted to deal in this book regarding the San Manuel involves the greed that transforms an exciting discovery into something capable of bringing out the worst in people.

 

What scene do you hope your readers enjoy the most?

Oh gosh, that’s a really difficult question because I try to write each scene equally well. However, sometimes my characters get themselves into predicaments I hadn’t anticipated. That was the case with the scene in which Alex is exploring in the B&B’s attic. It’s a dark and scary place for a ten-year-old, even one who considers herself a daredevil. I hope the reader is as shocked as Alex when she gets more than she bargained for.

 

What other things have you written or what projects might we see in the future?

I’m currently working on my ninth Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mystery. This is a series that is near and dear to my heart because it’s set in Hawai’i, one of my favorite places. After that, I’ll be writing the next Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, which will have a Christmas theme. The third book I’ll start on late this year is in my License to Lie thriller series. Whew! That’s a lot of writing!

 

If you could write any other genre what would that be?

I failed miserably at sci-fi. Even I didn’t like what I wrote, so that’s definitely out. I’d probably get blown out of the water in women’s fiction due to the whole men are from Mars thing. I might be interested in historical fiction, but I’m not sure I would have the patience for the detailed research it would require. Uh oh, I’m running out of genres, aren’t I? I think I’ll stick to mysteries.

 

Is there a giveaway or promotion for this book?

For the blog tour, there is a giveaway. Also, the book is on sale at $0.99 for the duration of the blog tour. On April 1, the prices returns to normal at $2.99.

Where can readers leave reviews of your book?

Readers can leave reviews on Amazon or Goodreads.

Please share the link for readers to add your book on Goodreads!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38111035-clues-in-the-sand

About the Book

Clues in the Sand (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series

To Rick Atwood’s dismay, the police find a body on the beach near his Seaside Cove B&B. The dead woman held a pottery shard from an ancient rice bowl, which the cops believe is a clue to her murder.

The chief suspect is Flynn O’Connor, a female archaeologist known for her hatred of treasure thieves. Trouble is, Rick’s daughter Alex sees Flynn as a role model and will not believe her friend is a killer.

Alex pressures her dad as only a ten-year-old can to prove Flynn is innocent. The mayor is also making demands—for Rick to stay out of the investigation. With his daughter and the mayor at odds, Rick sees trouble brewing. He knows too well how much Alex loves sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Especially when there’s murder involved.

My Review

This is the second book in the Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery Series. Rick Atwood is running his B&B with the help of Marquetta his cook and his daughter Alex. This is the first book I’ve read in this series and found it could be read as a stand-alone mystery. I enjoyed reading the little girl’s journal entries and watching her involvement in solving the crime along with her father’s. This cozy has plenty of intrigue and characters who aren’t exactly telling the truth!  

About the Author

 

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who only stole cars when it was legal. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He’s currently working on the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

Author Links:

Website: http://terryambrose.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/suspense.writer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447968.Terry_Ambrose

Purchase Link

Amazon

Website: http://terryambrose.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/suspense.writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suspense_writer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6447968.Terry_Ambrose

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078ZMZQ48/

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