Let's welcome Connie di Marco today. Connie is doing a Virtual Book Blast Tour for The Madness of Mercury, a Contemporary Mystery available now from Suspense Publishing. The Book Blast Tour will take place August 22 - 26, 2022.
Connie di Marco will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC
to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4339/
Blurb
The
Zodiac Mysteries feature San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti, who never
thought murder would be part of her practice. In The Madness of Mercury,
Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, makes her the
target of a recently-arrived cult preacher who advocates love and compassion to
those less fortunate. But the power-hungry preacher is waging war on sin and
his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence those who would stand
in his way. Julia is at the top of his list.
Excerpt
“Thank God you’re there.” Gale sounded very shaky.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m at the Mystic Eye. Something very strange just happened. I heard a knock at the back door. I thought it might be you.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes. I closed up and sent Cheryl home. When I opened the door . . . oh God, Julia. Someone left a dead cat on the doorstep.”
I cringed. “I’ll be right there.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t need to come. I wrapped it up and put it in plastic in the dumpster. It looked like its neck had been broken.”
“Don’t argue. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Less than that.”
I drove the length of California Street as fast as I could, slowing at each red light. Once I was sure no other cars were crossing I ran through several intersections. When I reached the Eye the shop was closed but the display lights were on in the front windows. I pulled down the alleyway and parked next to Gale’s car. I tapped on the door. “Gale, it’s me.” She opened the door immediately. The storeroom was dark. A stack of empty boxes and packing materials stood against the wall. Inside, the only light was a small desk lamp in the office.
Gale is tall and self-assured with a regal bearing. Tonight she was completely shaken. She hugged her arms, more from fright than from cold. “I feel bad now that I’ve called you. I was just so freaked out. I recognized the cat, it was the little gray one that hangs out behind the apartment building next door. I think it’s a stray. Everyone around here feeds it, even the restaurant people, and it’s such a friendly little thing. Some sick bastard probably gave it some food and then snapped its neck. God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Shouldn’t you call the cops?”
“And tell them what? I found a dead cat? Please. Like they’d listen. Even if they thought someone had killed it, what could they do?”
“It shows a pattern of harassment. Might be worth making a report.”
She sighed. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I just wasn’t thinking straight. I was so upset.” She collapsed in the chair behind her desk.
I shrugged out of my coat. “Why are you here so late?”
“We just got a huge shipment of books and supplies in. Cheryl’s been working late every night so I sent her home. I had just finished stacking the boxes in the storeroom.” Gale shivered involuntarily. “Look, let’s get out of here. Have you eaten? Why don’t we go up the block and grab some food? Actually a drink sounds even better.”
“Okay.”
“Get your coat. We can leave the cars here and walk. I’ll just get my purse.”
I headed to the front door and
checked that the locks were all in place.
The drapes separating the display windows from the shop were drawn for
privacy. Gale left the desk lamp on in
the office and walked out to the front counter.
As she reached under the counter for her purse, we heard glass
breaking. Then I saw a flash of flame
through the doorway to the back storeroom.
I screamed. The empty boxes and
packing materials had caught fire in an explosive flash. The smoke alarm started to ring, filling the
shop with earsplitting sound. Using my
coat like a blanket, I dropped it over the center of the flaming pile. It wasn’t going to be enough, but I had to do
something before the entire storeroom went up, if not the building.
Author bio and links
Connie
di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring Julia Bonatti, a San
Francisco astrologer who never thought murder would be part of her practice: The Madness of Mercury is the first in the
series. Writing as Connie Archer, she is
also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Penguin
Random House. You can find her excerpts
and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America
Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery
Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, The Crime Writers
Association and Sisters in Crime.
Website: http://www.conniedimarco.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/connie-di-marco
Blog: http://www.conniedimarco.com/blog
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/zodiacmysteries/(ConniediMarcoAuthor)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askzodia
Goodreads:
http://bit.ly/1r4fl4U
Links
for The Madness of Mercury:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jq5j7r
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1UapU0B
Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1SBPKeq
Goodreads:
http://bit.ly/1ou4EXV
