Liz Adams Mystery Series - Book Tour and Giveaway

Will P.I. Liz and her truth-sniffing dog Duke get to the bottom of things
before the damage is irreparable? 
​

Charleston Conundrum
A Liz Adams Mystery Book 1
by Stacy Wilder
Genre: Cozy Mystery 

A Cozy Mystery With a Twist...

Liz Adams never imagined when she moved to Charleston with her truth sniffing Labrador retriever, Duke, that she would use her skills as a private investigator to avoid winding up on Death Row.

Liz’s life is upended when her best friend, Peg, is murdered and she becomes a suspect.Liz’s gun was the murder weapon. Tensions flare between Liz and the cops as she rises to the top of their suspect list.

At the request of Peg’s father, Liz agrees to take on the investigation. Riding a roller coaster of emotions, Liz uncovers many secrets Peg kept from her despite their being best friends. The suspects include a cast of characters: the ex-husband, the boyfriend, a coworker, several neighbors, and family members.

Charleston Conundrum takes the reader from Charleston, South Carolina, to Paris and back in the emotional unraveling of Peg’s life and death to a killer ending.

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​Duke’s baritone bark rang in my ears. Sirens screeched. I jerked upright. The neon lights on my bedside clock pulsed four fifty-two. Heart hammering, I emerged from the warm cocoon of blankets atop my four-poster bed. The jolt of cold tile on my feet lifted a portion of the fog created by last night’s
third glass of wine.
“What’s the matter, boy?” Red lights beaconed through the front bay windows. My sixth sense kicked in, and the hairs on my arm responded. I grabbed Duke’s leather collar and edged past his ninety-pound muscled body to peer through the beveled glass of my front door.
My stomach dropped. Police cars swarmed my neighbor’s house.
My neighbor, Peg, and I had become fast friends shortly after I moved here. Just six hours ago, we’d polished off her stash of merlot. The good stuff … that she’d bought at a charity auction … for three times the normal price.
I couldn’t imagine why every emergency crew in Charleston was parked in front of her home. I ran my fingers through my hair in disbelief. “What the hell is going on?”
After slipping into my robe, I left Duke inside and marched toward the red lights and swarm of emergency personnel. Each step felt heavy, and leaden. My gut clenched tighter, and tighter, and I wiped beads of perspiration off the back of my neck. The yellow tape stretched across the sidewalk leading to her front door screamed “crime scene.” Streetlamps glowed in the morning mist, and the combination of pulsating red and orange lights gave off an eerie glow. Neighbors trickled from their homes and formed a small crowd. I scanned the faces but couldn’t find Peg. Picking up the pace, I headed toward Cassie, the sixty-year-old widow, who lived next door to Peg.
“Cassie, what happened? Where’s Peg?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head.
My legs trembled, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. “What happened?” I repeated. “Why are the cops here?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice rose a few decibels. “Last night I thought I heard a loud pop, like a firecracker, but I’m not sure. I fell asleep with the television on. Went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Turned off the television and crawled back in bed. The next thing I heard was the sirens.”
“What time was that?” The most likely neighbors to have any information were Cassie and Lou, Peg’s other neighbor and business partner. Peg and Lou owned an interior design firm.
“Around two,” she replied.
I’m not popular with most of the Charleston police force, and that was an understatement. I challenged their good ole’ boy club. Even though I owned a Labrador, I operated more like a bulldog. What most of them resented, second to my track record, was my ability to navigate through the Charleston elite. I relied on Peg’s friends and connections often.
I dreaded trying to drag information out of the cops.
Matt walked up adjusting his holster. The ginger-colored cowlick he sported on top of his head made him look like he’d just rolled out of bed. Matt was one of the few members of the Charleston police force who was actually friendly toward me. Peg had nicknamed him Howdy Doody.
“Howdy, Liz.”
“What happened, Matt? Where’s Peg?”
Matt gazed at the ground. “I’m sorry, Liz. She’s dead.”
That was the last thing I remembered before my world went black.

Carmel Conundrum
A Liz Adams Mystery Book 2

Stolen identities, a cult, a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and a budding romance . . .

Join Private Investigator Liz Adams, and her lie-detecting Labrador, Duke, in the scenic town of Carmel By-the-Sea, as the pair investigate the mystery of stolen identities. Complications arise when Liz becomes romantically entangled with her hot new client, Brad.

Enter Apollo, a charismatic cult leader, whose mission to save the homeless has a dark twist. Why does he continue to trespass on Liz’s property? She’s compelled to uncover the answer.

Tensions mount, as the stakes become a matter of life and death. Will Liz and Duke solve both mysteries before the damage is irreparable?

Travel with Liz from Charleston, SC to Carmel, CA, and back to discover the astounding truth.


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​My heart fluttered when Brad grabbed my hand and led me to a dirt trail.
“It’s about half a mile to the coastline. The path is a little rough. You’ll be glad you wore those shoes.”
My hiking boots were brand new and weren’t my usual fashion statement, but I was grateful for them as we navigated the rugged terrain. Duke marked his territory along the way. Suddenly, Brad put his arm in front of me, halting my progress.
“Shh,” he whispered and pointed ahead.
When I spotted the mountain lion perched on a rock fifty yards down the path, my heart hammered in my ears. My whole body tensed. I yanked the leash tighter to my body and hoped that Duke didn’t spot the animal as his nose twitched at the smell in the breeze. Brad pulled the air horn out of his pocket and prepared to sound it if needed. The tawny feline’s paws were huge. I held my breath, trying to make as little noise as possible. As soon as the creature spotted us, Brad sounded the horn and the animal’s muscular body darted off into the trees. Duke barked, and I took in a deep gulp of air while gripping the leash tighter so Duke wouldn’t chase the big cat.
“That’s lucky.”
After I’d released my breath, I said, “Lucky?”
“Yeah, you got to see a mountain lion. How cool is that? Probably a male. He was a decent size.”
“Let’s go back.” I was glad that I relieved my bladder before we left the house. Duke sensed my unease and whined.
Trust me. That mountain lion is long gone. He’s way more scared of us.” Brad grabbed my hand. “Come on. You have to see your beach.”
His enthusiasm was contagious, and I reluctantly followed him down the path while hanging on to his hand. My heart rate slowed as I diligently searched the brush for any lingering cats. Once I’d calmed down, I had to agree with Brad. Seeing the creature was definitely cool.

Stacy writes mysteries, children’s stories, short stories, and poetry. Her mission is to deliver a delightful story to readers of all ages while benefiting a larger community. She donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of her books to causes that support wildlife conservation, and the homeless, both people and pets.

As well as writing, Stacy is passionate about her faith, family, Labradors, the causes that she supports, the beach, art, and reading books.

She and her husband live in Houston, Texas, with a totally spoiled Labrador retriever, Eve.
You can find Stacy’s website at www.storystacy.com

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Brad’s Birthday Cake
This recipe is compliments of Piece and Love Cakery, Houston, TX. The company is owned by two sisters, Gigi Welling Nitzberg and Kerry Stovall. Their mission is to make beautiful things that taste like childhood, baking and making moments special. Many thanks to Gigi and Kerry for this delicious cake recipe!

Ingredients for cake:
5 large eggs 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons almond extract 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond flour 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Ingredients for frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature) 6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup meringue powder 2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cherry juice concentrate (use the juice from a jar of maraschino cherries)

Ingredients for filling:
2 cups cherry pie filling
3 tablespoons hot water

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease three six-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Grease the parchment. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on high speed with whisk attachment until thick and lemon-colored. Slow the mixer and add the melted butter and extracts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds. Divide the batter into the three pans, about two cups per pan. Bake for 34-37 minutes, until the edges start to pull away from the sides and the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool cakes in the pans on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
In a bowl, with hand mixer or stand mixer, mix softened butter with meringue powder and powdered sugar. When combined, add extracts and salt. Add cherry juice 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each one.

For the filling:
Add hot water to pie filling. Strain juice from the cherries into a bowl separating the cherries and the juice. Set aside.

Layering the cake:
Brush ¼ cup cherry filling juice on bottom layer of cake. Spread ¾ to 1 cup of frosting, pushing it toward the outer edge and creating a shallow well. Put 1/3 cup of the reserved cherries in the well (making a dam around the edge will keep the filling from pushing out and dripping out the sides). Repeat with the next layer. Frost the top layer, then continue with frosting around the sides. If the frosting seems thin, put it in the fridge for five minutes to let it stiffen. The cake can be chilled to set the frosting, but let it come to room temperature before serving.
Enjoy!

Author’s note – I used two 8 ½ inch cake pans, extending the cooking time 15 minutes. Gigi gave me a great tip – Listen to the cake. If it’s sizzling, it’s not done yet. The cake is cooked when it barely sizzles. The recipe would also be great as cupcakes, skipping the filling. Delicious!

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