Mama Does Time


Book Description

"Who knew that a who-dun-it would not only keep you guessing—but have you laughing! Deborah Sharp is the new Edna Buchanan."—Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of NBC's Today show Meet Mama: a true Southern woman with impeccable manners, sherbet-colored pantsuits, and four prior husbands, able to serve sweet tea and sidestep alligator attacks with equal aplomb. Mama's antics—especially her penchant for finding trouble — drive her daughters Mace, Maddie, and Marty to distraction. One night, while settling in to look for ex-beaus on COPS, Mace gets a frantic call from her mother. This time, the trouble is real: Mama found a body in the trunk of her turquoise convertible and the police think she's the killer. It doesn't help that the handsome detective assigned to the case seems determined to prove Mama's guilt or that the cowboy who broke Mace's heart shows up at the local Booze & 'n' Breeze in the midst of the investigation. Before their mama lands in prison—just like an embarrassing lyric from a country-western song—Mace and her sisters must find the real culprit. TV APPEARANCES NBC's Today Show from November 4, 2008 Mayor's Book Talk" from January 14, 2009 NBC6 "South Florida Today" from July 17, 2009 NBC's Today Show from August 4, 2009 Praise: "Mama Does Time is a humorous, touching reflection on familial love and politics."—Mystery Scene Magazine "With a strong, funny heroine, colorful characters, and a look at a part of Florida the tourists rarely see, Deborah Sharp has an engaging new series. Make sure Mama Does Time does time on your bookshelf."—Elaine Viets, author of Clubbed to Death: a Dead-End Job Mystery "Not since the late Anne George has there been such laugh-out-loud Southern fried fun. Deborah Sharp's Mama Does Time is a hilarious page turner with crisp and intelligent writing."—Sue Ann Jaffarian, author of the Odelia Grey Mystery series "Deborah Sharp's witty way with words makes Mama Does Time as much fun as a down-home visit with your quirky Florida cousins."—Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries "Colorful characters and a segment of Florida seldom seen by tourists evoke a Southern Sisters feeling in this very well written Southern fried epic...A winner."—BookBitch.com "The author's surname—Sharp—is an apt adjective to describe her writing. Her characters crackle off the page."—Cozy Library "Deborah Sharp has an eye for character...She's funny, perceptive, and entertaining. What more can a cozy reader ask for?"—Reviewing the Evidence "Newcomer Deborah Sharp will knock your socks off with this clever cozy mystery."—Fresh Fiction




Mama Sees Stars


Book Description

My stars and garters—Hollywood has descended on little ol' Himmarshee, Florida. As animal wrangler for a cowboy film, Mace is on the set when she discovers the arrogant executive producer shot dead, his body on display in the horse corral. With everyone from spoiled starlets to conniving crew members cursing the man's name, who in blue blazes didn't want to kill Norman Sydney? As Mama's head swells to diva proportions, thanks to her miniscule movie role, Mace shines an unwelcome spotlight on the big-city film folk to reveal a killer. Praise: "This zany fourth entry in Sharp's series is a feature worthy of the big screen."—Library Journal "Sibling rivalry, steamy romance, a surprising killer, and plenty of catfish and hush puppies make this Southern cozy a winner."—Library Journal "An amusing tale of life and love in the kind of Florida town that tourists rarely see."—Kirkus Reviews "A terrific combination of sleuthing and silliness."—St. Petersburg Times "Mama Sees Stars is The Golden Girls meet Entourage."—The Florida Book Review "Energetic plots and laugh-out loud humor are staples of Sharp's series, and the author's skills are at their finest in Mama Sees Stars."—Oline Cogdill, South Flordia Sun-Sentinel "Who knew that a who-dun-it would not only keep you guessing—but have you laughing!"—Hoda Kotb, NBC Today ShowCo-Anchor on Mama Dpes Time




Mama Rides Shotgun


Book Description

Mama's fixin' to get hitched to Husband #5. But first, she coerces her daughter, Mace, to saddle up for some country-gal bonding on the Florida Cracker Trail. The trek takes a deadly turn when Lawton Bramble—wealthy rancher and one-time beau of Mama's—keels over in his Cow Hunter Chili. Lawton had a horde of enemies and a famously bad ticker. Could a grudge-wielding rival have "spiced" the cattleman's chow? With (or maybe despite) the help of her sisters and her sexy ex-beau, Detective Martinez, Mace sets out to corral a low-down varmint who's determined to kill again. TV APPEARANCES NBC's Today Show from November 4, 2008 Mayor's Book Talk from January 14, 2009 NBC6 South Florida Today from July 17, 2009 NBC's Today Show from August 4, 2009 WJXT-TV from November 17, 2009 Praise for Mama Does Time, the first Mace Bauer Mystery: "Who knew that a who-dun-it would not only keep you guessing—but have you laughing! Deborah Sharp is the new Edna Buchanan."—Hoda Kotb, NBC Today Show co-anchor "A humorous, touching reflection on familial love and politics."—Mystery Scene "Native Floridian Deborah Sharp's acute comic timing and detailed perceptions of old Florida sparkle in her lively debut...highly entertaining."—Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel




Courting Murder


Book Description

Judge Rosswell Carew puts himself in the dangerous role of detective after finding two bodies in a Missouri park. He's both helped and hindered by a delightful cast of small-town characters, some of whom want to see him dead.




Empty Nest to Life Vest


Book Description

Their plan was bigger than they were. With daughters off to college, Christie and Rick grab their empty nest and shake out a plan to sail around the world. The first hurdle is that they don't own a boat. On these pages, six years of life are played out on Nanook, an insignificant swatch of fiberglass on the immense canvas of the ocean. The birth of a whale, dolphin dances and a hurricane compete for daily drama with marital strife and a faulty engine. Sail through these pages for the view and for the creative compass to change your own life. Oprah Winfrey said "One of life's greatest risks is never daring to risk." Christie and Rick took the risk. Sail with them on Nanook, a 37-foot sailboat. "It's a mystery how Christie and Rick slept in a V-berth, battled storms and managed to stay married. You'll want to read to the end to see how they did it." Deb Sharp, former USA Today reporter and author of the Mace Bauer mystery series "An exciting, thrilling, and at times heartwarming adventure that left me believing I could do this." Kerry Sanders, NBC News "A beautiful and bravely honest story set on the ocean and told straight from the author's heart." Craig Wasson, whose many film credits include Body Double; Four Friends (for which he received a Golden Globe nomination); and Puerto Vallarta Squeeze. Audio book credits include works by James Ellroy, Stephen King and John Grisham. Empty Nest to Life Vest is a true story about sailing and change - a memoir, a travel essay and an inspiration.




Killerfind


Book Description

When Rhetta McCarter's '79 Camaro is destroyed in a fire, her best friend and mechanic Victoria (Ricky) Lane, finds a replacement, a "barnfind" vintage Camaro in perfect condition, except for one major flaw: a body buried beneath it. Later, Ricky is arrested when a second victim is found murdered in the same barn. Rhetta is convinced not only that Ricky is innocent, but that the two murders are connected. The police don't agree, so Rhetta is forced to fight her way through a labyrinth of danger and misdirection to find the real murderer before the killer finds her first.




Murder Most Maine


Book Description

It's springtime on Cranberry Island—and love is in the air. It seems like every woman has the hots for buff trainer Dirk De Leon. He and his equally-gorgeous business partner, Vanessa Black, are leading a weight-loss retreat at the Gray Whale Inn—forcing innkeeper Natalie Barnes to lighten up her butter-laden breakfast menu. The mood on the island darkens when two grisly discoveries are made. The first is a skeleton walled up at the island's lighthouse. The second is a corpse of the fresh variety—the handsome Dirk! Could the spirit that once embodied the skeletal remains—perhaps the lighthouse keeper who disappeared a century ago—be responsible for Dirk's death? The police pin the blame on Natalie's boyfriend who—to her dismay—had a long-ago fling with Vanessa. To find the true killer and ease her own aching heart, Natalie must untangle the knot of jealous girlfriends and spurned admirers that once surrounded the hunky trainer. Praise: "MacInerney adds a dash of the supernatural, throws in some touristy tidbits and finishes with some tasty diet-right recipes."—Publishers Weekly "All thumbs up for Murder Most Maine, another in the engaging series of Cranberry Island mysteries. Karen MacInerney writes with verve and vitality, and her Natalie Barnes is a Maine original. I'm ready to book a room at the Gray Whale Inn!"—Susan Wittig Albert, bestselling author of Nightshade and other China Bayles Herbal Mysteries




Senior Sleuths


Book Description

Senior citizen sleuths prove that wisdom and aging go hand in hand in a collection of mystery tales by Agatha Christie, Lilian Jackson Braun, Loren D. Estleman, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Hugh Pentecost, Michael Gilbert, and other notable writers. Original.




India Black


Book Description

Read India Black's blog and other content on the Penguin Community. When Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel, Madam India Black is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried. Blackmailed into recovering the missing documents by the British spy known as French, India finds herself dodging Russian agents-and the attraction she starts to feel for the handsome conspirator.




Shooters


Book Description

From William Muldoon to Brock Lesnar, this history covers those who have divided themselves as tough guys on the professional wrestling circuit and legitimate confrontations. From catch wrestling master Billy Robinson to the Japanese professional wrestler who gave birth to the global phenomenon that is modern mixed martial arts (MMA), this investigation travels from the shadowy carnival tent and the dingy training hall to the bright lights of the squared circle and the Las Vegas glitz of the octagon. Billy Riley's legendary Wigan Snake Pit and the rigorous UWF Dojo in Tokyo are explored, revealing the secret history of both professional wrestling and the rising sport of MMA. Squared circle icons Strangler Lewis and Lou Thesz and Olympic heroes Danny Hodge and Kurt Angle are also featured.