New Look, New Reviews, a Giveaway, and a Free Read

Ta Da! Everything is brand new around here, but I think the paint is finally dry. I simplified my blog format, have some great reviews to share, a book or two to give away, and a free read to chat up. Read on!

My latest release - the Large Print version of On The Nickel - will be available at Amazon in Large Print after July 6, but you can pre-order now if you want to be the first to get your hands on a copy. In this book Cleo has to figure out who ran over the church lady. She hopes it wasn't Mama, but there's a person-sized dent in Mama's car.

I recently received two wonderful reviews for On The Nickel:

Do you like cozy mysteries with a Southern flair, a little bit of sexiness, and a lot of fun in-between the murder and mayhem? Then On the Nickel might be the satisfying read you've been waiting for. The novel stars Cleopatra Jones, an accountant, a struggling nine-hole golfer, mother of two teenage girls, and daughter to a mother who often needs corralling more than the young girls in the household. Throw in a mighty sexy golf pro and a pregnant Saint Bernard, and you have an entertaining read in itself.

To make the story even more interesting, a murder occurs in the church parking lot where Cleo's mother often meets with the Ladies Outreach Committee. And Mama's car has an unexplained dent in the fender.

On the Nickel is the second in the Cleopatra Jones Mysteries. The first is In for a Penny, which will entertain you as much as the second. Maggie Toussaint should know how to write "Southern"—she IS Southern to the core. I recommend both novels. -- Celia Yeary-Reviewer

THANKS CELIA YEARY!

 
Witty and suspenseful. All Cleopatra Jones wants is to raise her two teen-aged daughters, improve her golf game and advance her relationship with handsome golf pro, Rafe Golden. She has no desire to get drug into the center of another homicide investigation. (see In for a Penny).
But when Erica Hodges is killed by a hit and run driver in the Trinity Episcopal Church parking lot, and Cleo's own mother is the prime suspect, Cleo has no choice.
On the Nickel is a fun read with enough humor and intrigue to keep you turning the pages while Cleopatra tries to thwart the advances of her ex-husband, Charlie; encourage advances from Rafe and clear her mother's name, all while raising two teen-aged daughters and caring for a pregnant St Bernard.
A good curl-up-on-the-couch mystery. -- Ruthann Heidgerken, Amazon reviewer

THANKS RUTHANN HEIDGERKEN!

Previously, On The Nickel was reviewed by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, Harriet Klausner, The Reading Reviewer, and Mysterious Reviews. My web guy is in the process of getting all the reviews posted to my site, http://www.maggietoussaint.com/
 
In honor of the large print release, I created a free read with my Cleopatra Jones characters. Basically, Cleo and Rafe spend a weekend at the beach. Sand Dollar Secrets has a little romance, a little bit of coastal Georgia, and a little mystery to solve. This short story will also be up at my site soon, but it's already posted here. Where, you ask? Go back to the top of the page and just before the first post are two tabs - "home" and "sand dollar secrets" - all you have to do is click on the words and you'll see my short story. I hope you love it!
 
Lastly, I'm running a week long comment fest. Stop by and leave a comment (and make sure I know how to get in touch with you!). For every 20 comments that aren't mine, I'll give away a copy of your choice of my titles.
 
So dive on in, leave a comment, and check back here next Sunday when I'll announce the winners!
 
Beat the heat - with a fun summer read!!!
 
Maggie Toussaint

Holy Toledo, Batman! Kirkus Loves Us!

Omigosh and halellujah! When a nice review comes in, it is truly time to celebrate. My publisher forwarded me the review out today from Kirkus for ON THE NICKEL, my brand new mystery. It's out now through the publisher's website, and it will be available through online stores such as Amazon and B&N on April 6.

Anyhoo, I'm dancing around coastal Georgia like Snoopy doing the happy dog dance. Without further ado, here's the KIRKUS review:


Just when life is finally improving for divorced accountant Cleopatra Jones, a secret from the past reaches out to bite her Mama.


After years of putting up with rude, pushy behavior from town doyenne Erica Hodges, Cleopatra Jones' Mama finally blows her top at a church meeting. When Erica is found run over in the church parking lot, Mama is naturally a prime suspect. Since her friend Detective Britt Radcliff seems stuck on Mama as the guilty party, Cleo is forced to investigate Erica's death. But Mama refuses to explain the recent damage to her car Cleo has noticed. At the same time, Cleo has her hands full with her cheating ex-husband, who's trying to get her back, her heavily pregnant Saint Bernard and her sexy golf pro, Rafe Golden, who's improving more than her game. Once she finds time to investigate, Cleo learns that not only was Erica hated by most everyone who knew her, including her two children, but that after running through a large fortune, she'd been getting along by indulging in blackmail. Mama's feud with Erica goes all the way back to their early boyfriends, one of whom Mama is now secretly dating again. When Mama's car is identified as the murder weapon, she's arrested, and Cleo must put herself in danger to ferret out the truth.


The second in this amusing and romantic series (In for a Penny, 2008) is a welcome addition to the cozy ranks.

I'm grinning like all get out. What a wonderful review!
 
Maggie Toussaint
a Georgia peach

Great Reviews for Muddy Waters!!!

I'm delighted to announce that Muddy Waters is launched to great acclaim! It is so heartening when a reviewer (and readers!) "get" what you've put down in book form. I'm honored to have so many excellent reviews to post. Here's an abbreviated snip from each of the reviews I've received on this romantic suspense to date.

Fantastic Read! Maggie Toussaint does an amazing job of foreshadowing as she weaves together a tapestry of suspense, mystery, small community life, and love while bringing into clear focus the overt and covert conflicts both Roxie and Sloan try to resolve. Ms. Toussaint’s writing style with superb imagery, exquisite description, and a touch of humor make Muddy Waters enthralling reading. Muddy Waters satisfies that hunger for a love that promises a happy-ever-after. – Long and Short Reviews, LASR BOOK OF THE WEEK. Full review at Long and Short Reviews


Great book, wonderful mystery and a red hot love story underlying it. Roxie and Sloan really mix it up in and out of the bedroom and that is what makes for a great romance. You can’t ask for more than that now can you? – Mary Gramlich, The Reading Reviewer. Full review at Mary Gramlich Blogspot

Couldn’t stop reading! Five stars! Toussaint’s book is a delightful, contemporary romance spiced with a mystery that keeps you guessing whether the Harding fortune exists or if it was jut a figment of a drunken imagination. Sloan and Roxie’s relationship unfolds in a natural way that draws the reader into their story. And the barriers between them and happily ever after are so organic to their personalities and their past that the reader truly wonders if these two will be able to work it out. – Keena Kincaid, author of Enthralled. Full review posted at Amazon.com

Toussaint pens a pleasant read for a nice fall afternoon. With its home realty and repair subplot, the author obviously knows her stuff. – Cindy Himler, Romantic Times Magazine

5 stars! A great book! I read Muddy Waters in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. You’ll feel the same way. The Georgia background rings true, with its small town clannish-ness, everyone knowing everyone else’s business, and never accepting that a leopard can change its spots or a miscreant should be allowed to live down his past. Both Roxie and Sloan are well-done; each is shown to be a strong character in his/her own right, while acting completely opposite to beliefs in relation to the other. The dialogue is smart and realistic, the progression of the story believable. Mac the dog is a delight. – Reviewer Icy Snow Blackstone. Full review at Book Reviews by Icy Snow

Muddy Waters is a fascinating story about Roxie and Sloan who both have ancestral history that intertwines as the story moves on. There are several layers to this story with a mystery surrounding money, Roxie having strange things happen to her, and Sloan whose company stopped a hacker attack with no leads on who did it. I thought Maggie Toussaint wrote the characters with a believability that captures the hearts of readers. – Emily, Single Titles. Full review at SingleTitles.Com

Muddy Waters was a great read and I can’t help but think of it time after time even after I’m done. Toussaint’s writing is crisp and easy to read. The plot is tight, filled with plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes. One of the most endearing aspects of the story is how Toussaint captures the authenticity of small town America, giving delicious depth to the setting and characters. – Steph Burkhart, author of Romance under the Moonlight. Full review posted at Amazon.com

Five Stars! Muddy Waters is another great read from award winning Maggie Toussaint. Small town setting and attitudes color the story and carry the plot to its conclusion. You won’t want to put it down until you reluctantly turn the last page. – Reviewer JJD as seen at Amazon.com


Maggie Toussaint’s Muddy Waters is a romantic suspense novel that draws the reader into the story from the first page with the pull of the tide against the Georgia coast. This is a fun read and a delightful break from some heavy tomes. – Nash Black, author of Haints. Full review posted at Nash-Black.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for your support and for accompanying me on this publishing odyssey!

Maggie Toussaint
http://www.maggietoussaint.com/