Maggie vs Tonya

Judge smacks the gavel on the desk to get order in the courtroom. On one side of the courtroom Author Tonya Kappes is preparing to defend the lawsuit Maggie Parks has filed against her. While Maggie Parks is on the other side of the courtroom.

Judge: Ms. Parks, please state your claim.

Maggie Parks: I’m here today for you to order Tonya Kappes to make my familiar an animal like every other witch out there.

Judge: What exactly did she make your familiar?

Maggie Parks: A 1965 red AC Cobra.

Judge: A car? A muscle car?

Tonya Kappes: Funny (she snickers under her breath).

Maggie Parks: See! She thinks it’s funny! It’s not funny. Everyone else in my FAMILY has an animal. My sister Lilith has a bird, Aunt Meme has an owl, and mama has a cat! I get a car?

Judge: Ms. Kappes, what do you have to say for yourself?

Tonya Kappes: It’s funny. Vinnie is a 1965 muscle car that is so jealous of Maggie’s suitors, including Mick Jasper the undercover agent for SKUL, the Secret Keepers of the Universal Law. He has to get in Maggie’s car sometimes during the investigation and Vinnie is so jealous of him. Mick is very cute and hot, if you know what I mean.

Maggie Parks: It’s not funny! Vinnie locks Mick in and drives crazy, zipping in and out of traffic, warming Mick’s seat until his pants are practically on fire. (Maggie tries to hide a giggle.)

Tonya Kappes: See, funny!

Judge smacks the gavel: I rule in favor of Author Tonya Kappes. She knows how to use her imagination to bring smiles to even the maddest of faces.

Maggie Parks darts out of the courtroom and all we hear is Vinnie squeal his tires.

What about you? What type of familiar would you want?

Spies and Spells
Spies and Spells Book 1
While Maggie waits for her Witchy Hour, she works at the family diner with her mom, aunt Meme and Lilith, her sister - all witches. Soon Maggie gets entangled with a mysterious handsome stranger, Mick Jasper, and his secret U.S. organization, SKUL. Has she found her calling?

Amazon

Caught me by surprise!

There is something I discovered about myself and it actually took me by surprise. 

Over the last eight years I've had two offices. The first one was in our old house and it was a living room that we never used. My Eddy had converted it to an office and even had custom built shelves put in along with a chalkboard and a very cool barn door. 

It was beautiful. Only one problem...I never used it! I kept my stuff in there but I ended up writing my novels while sitting in an overstuffed chair or in the corner of my comfy couch. 

Four years ago we moved to a new house. There was a great office on the first floor as soon as you walked into the house. I painted it, bought a new desk, a new chair, rug, curtains, and hung up my accomplishments. It was a cool office. One problem. . .I never used it. 

I  ended up doing a Feng shui of my home and added all that I needed to add to make the office more creative for me. I repainted, re-arranged, redecorated and all was beautiful. One problem. . .I never used it. I ended up curling back up on the comfy couch or siting in a chair in a small room that sits off of the kitchen. There is a black square cube where I sit my coffee. The top of the cube comes off and my Eddy joked about the cube being my office because I stuffed it full with all the things I needed while I was writing that novel. 

One day a couple of months ago Eddy suggested we move the basement laundry room up to the first floor where the office that I never use was located. There were a few other things that needed to be re-arranged for a big remodel we will be doing in a few years so the first half of the office was going to just sit empty while the other half became a nice new laundry room. 

During the remodel, I kept my desk in the first half in front of the window, which when it was my real office the desk sat in the corner of the back of the room. I would sit at the desk and talk to Eddy while he worked on the laundry room. I began to gaze out of the window at my water fountain and the flower bed. I started to get a feeling, an urge that I needed to write, right then!

It was as if my creative juices started to flow. The small half of the room was cozy, almost hugging me. Then it occurred to me. Everyday for the past eight years I had an office but I chose to write in a snug place like a small couch, a comfy chair or even in the back seat of my van. I was a little surprised. 

Over the past couple of weeks, the remodel has been completed. My laundry room turned out amazing and the small half  of the old office has been transformed into a small office until the big remodel in a couple of years and I've gotten so much writing done in there on the super humid days when it's just been too hot to go outside. 

I even get to look out at my fountain and watch the birds wash themselves. 

Is there a special place you love to hang out in your house?

Thank you to my Kappes Krew team for making awesome blog post suggestions. Cecelia Kelsey is the wonderful Krew member who suggested I blog on my summer produce. Thanks Cecelia!!

Be sure to check out Tonyakappes.com for upcoming novels and preorder links!

A CHARMING VOODOO               BETTING OFF DEAD             

RELEASE DATE:9/26                    RELEASE DATE: 8/29                

 A GHOSTLY REUNION

 RELEASE DATE: 12/27

Meet Laurel London!

 

Have you checked out my Laurel London Mystery Series? I hope you put her on your summer reading list! She's fun, sassy, southern, and has a heart of gold. Right now CHECKERED CRIME IS FREE ON KINDLE!

AMAZON

We all want to be different, so what is the one thing you wish I had done differently with you?

Laurel: You did make me sound like a thug, even though I really did do all those things. . .like hack the preacher's credit card and run it up by buying all those presents for the orphans. But the way I see it, I'm kinda like Robin Hood.

If you could have added something to the story, and I would have let you, what would that have been? Probably more fashion. I mean, I get it that I had to dumpster dive to find clothes as a kid, and that's probably why I want to shop more.

What do you love best about yourself? What do you like least? I like how I'm a go-getter. Just because I was fired from Porty Morty's didn't stop me from going to get another job. I just didn't realize it was going to involve a dead body. The least thing I like about me is my temper. I don't have a great handle on that. It gets me into a lot of trouble.

What part of the book was the hardest for you that I had to work through? Disappointing the people I love even though they didn't know it was for the greater good and catch a killer.

Checkered Crime:

Laurel London is one tough cookie. Orphaned and with one heckuva checkered past, she's grown street smart and no one is going to tell her different, even if it means getting tangled up with the wrong side of the law. After terrorizing Walnut Grove, Kentucky all her adolescent life, she's back and she's ready to go on the up and up. Make something of herself. Prove the citizens of Walnut Grove wrong and make them admit she's somebody.

But when mobster Trigger Finger Tony Cardozza jumps in the back of Laurel London's car mistaking it for a taxi, she's up to her ears in no good.

Recently fired and checkbook in the red, when Trigger offers to pay Laurel large wads of cash to drive him where he needs to go and keep her mouth shut, she's all in. That is, until FBI agent Jax Jackson jumps in the back of Laurel London's car threatening to take her to jail for her past crimes if she doesn't cooperate with the FBI by going undercover to help bring down the mob.

Not just producing novels!

I happen to LOVE summer. It's not because I really do love being warm and not bundled up in several layers because cold weather. . .meaning anything under 65  chills me to my bones. . .but I love all the things I produce during those summer months. 

First off, I love sitting outside on my back deck overlooking our pool. I know...eye rolling...rough life. But it's not that I get in the pool, I'm a Pisces, and the water encourages my creative side. This is good for my writing. I can sit out there until it's too dark to even see with my deck lights and write. In fact, it's those summer months that I can write over 5k words a day and it's nothing. That's so good for my career.

  

But having beautiful flowers is also a reason I love the summer time. I have to tell the truth. . .my Eddy happens to be the one who gets credit for this one. He strategically planted my favorite flowers around our deck and eye level for me to enjoy while I sit in my outside office (the deck). The pops of color really do get my creativity flowing. This year we decided to plant a couple of beds of wildflowers. We'd heard they are touch and go and mostly didn't produce a lot, but I have to tell you, we've been pleasantly surprised. They are beautiful! We are amazed at how much as grown and how lovely the flowers are. Everyone who comes to the house to visit always comments on how gorgeous they are. It's truly magical.

Anotherr production beside writing books. . .

My vegetable garden. Wow! Every year we've expanded it. This year we added spaghetti squash to the mix. I'm so happy to report that I cooked the first one and the flavor is so much better than the store bought. Everyday during the summer months I eat a fresh salad from the garden starting with the lettuce all the way down to the onions. Eating healthy makes me feel so good and knowing that I grew the food is so much better!

How do you feel about summer?

Thank you to my Kappes Krew team for making awesome blog post suggestions. Cecelia Kelsey is the wonderful Krew member who suggested I blog on my summer produce. Thanks Cecelia!!

Be sure to check out Tonyakappes.com for upcoming novels and preorder links!

A CHARMING VOODOO               BETTING OFF DEAD                

RELEASE DATE:9/26                    RELEASE DATE: 8/29                

A GHOSTLY REUNION

RELEASE DATE: 12/27

Don't miss these Tonya Kappes novel preorders!

PREORDER THESE KAPPES NOVELS!

BETTING OFF DEAD releases on August 29th!

Preorder your copy of Betting Off Dead today!

Add Betting Off Dead to Goodreads!

And their off! 

Gambling on horse racing is Kentucky's number one sport but when Kentucky Derby Thoroughbred picked to win the Derby, Rails and Nails, ends up poisoned, SKUL special agent Mick Jasper and rookie witch Maggie Park, who keeps her witch powers a secret, are called in to investigate a world of illegal gambling where a run for the roses can prove to be deadly.

A CHARMING VOODOO releases on September 26th

Preorder your copy of A Charming  Voodoo today!

Add A Charming Voodoo to your Goodreads!

Bubble. . . bubble. . . 

Whispering Falls is abuzz with the new 

housing development and new shops 

popping up all over the magical 

village right before the annual All 

Hallow’s Eve celebration. 

Cures and trouble. . . 

June Heal’s intuition 

is on high alert and she just can’t shake 

that something bad is about to happen. 

Magic stirs . . . 

June finds Violet Draper standing over a dead body 

In the new pumpkin patch hours before it’s supposed 

to open for hayrides. 

And trouble doubles . . . 

Once again, June has to put her sleuthing skills to work 

and figure out who the real killer is before the new 

citizens pack up and move right back out of town.

A GHOSTLY REUNION will be released on December 27th!

Preorder your copy of A Ghostly Reunion today!

Add A Ghostly Reunion to your Goodreads!

Emma Lee Raines sees dead people

Proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, Emma Lee can see, hear, and talk to ghosts of murdered folks. And when her high school nemesis is found dead, Jade Lee Peel is the same old mean girl—trying to come between Emma Lee and her hot boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, all over again.

There’s only one way for Emma Lee to be free of the trash-talking ghost—solve the murder so the former prom queen can cross over.

But the last thing Jade Lee wants is to leave the town where she had her glory days. And the more Emma Lee investigates on her own, the more complicated Miss Popularity turns out to be. Now Emma Lee will have to work extra closely with her hunky lawman to get to the twisty truth.

Checkered Thief on sale!!

I'm thrilled that Checkered Thief is on sale for only .99!

 Be sure to check it out on the Goodreads page!

Also the first book in the Laurel London series, CHECKERED CRIME, is currently free!! 

The reviews on Goodreads are phenomenal!! 

As always, visit me at Tonyakappes.com and join the MEMBERS ONLY section for all the freebies! Plus there is a list of all the Kappes novels that are on sale this month!

Word Search Blog Tour

SQUEEEE!!! It's been a GREAT week for the Spies and Spells release! Thank y'all so much!

Today is the last day of the WORD SEARCH BLOG TOUR!

Did you collect the CAPITALIZED, ITALICIZED word on each stop to form a sentence?

Do you know the answer to the sentence?

Did you find all the blogger's names in the word search document?

Did you find the extra four words to be eligible for more prizes?

Last thing you have to do is go fill out the form on Tonyakappes.com under the CONTEST tab in the MEMBER SECTION and you are done!!!

Go here to fill out the form!

xoxo

Fixin' To Die Cover Reveal

I'm so excited to FINALLY reveal the cover for Fixin' To Die! It's the first book in a three book deal with Henery Press! I hope you love the cover as much as I do! Be sure jump over to the GOODREADS page and mark Fixin' To Die as a TO BE READ. And scroll down to the bottom of the page to enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a Tonya Kappes Loves Her Reader's Mystery Box.

Print ISBN-13: 9781635110371

ePub ISBN-13: 9781635110388

Kindle ISBN-13: 9781635110395

Hardback ISBN-13: 9781635110401

Title: FIXIN’ TO DIE

Series: Kenni Lowry Mystery Series

Series Number: 1

Edition: First

Pages:

Author: Kappes, Tonya

Publisher: Henery Press

Price: $15.95 trade paperback

             $31.95 hardcover

             $2.99 digital ebook

Publication Date: June 14, 2016

BISAC Audience: TRA (General/Trade)

BISAC Subject:

FIC022040 (mystery: women sleuths)

FIC022070 (mystery: cozy)

FIC016000 (fiction: humorous)

Description:

Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.

With the help of her Poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.

Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), humorous murder mysteries, book club recommendations, amateur sleuth books, Southern humor, small town, paranormal mysteries.

Books in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series:

·       FIXIN’ TO DIE (#1)

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all…

Author Bio:

Tonya has written over 20 novels and 4 novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, three teenage boys, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in Kentucky.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reader Reviews . . .Do you?

As an author, reviews are very important to my career. I'm not talking about having reviews just so we can break the algorithms of Amazon (it's rumored that if an author has at least 50 reviews on a book, Amazon algorithms promotes the book). I'm talking about real and honest reviews.

I write fun and light hearted mysteries along with southern romance novels. Each one of those are based around real women with real lives. I know that some of the mysteries are paranormal, but none the less, the  women in those mysteries can be related to. The  heroines in my  romance novels are definitely someone each of us can relate to.

Some of you might like  my mysteries so much more than you like my romances, but each and every review is so important to me as the author, not me as a USA TODAY Bestselling author. I want each one of my novels to touch a reader in such a way that they want to shout to the world how much my novel helped them escape out of their daily lives.

There is no right or wrong way to review a novel. There isn't a limit on words. But I want to know if you do review? Where do you review? Do you read reviews?

Leave a comment to win a $10 Amazon gift card and some Kappes goodies!

And so it goes...

I honestly can not believe my twins are heading off to college in a few months. Truth be told, I've been preparing myself for this  moment for some months now. For Christmas I made sure I bought them things they will need like a new laptop, new bedding, etc., that they will need to take with them because it was decided by them that they would go away from home.

That said. . . they turned 18 years old back in September. They are good boys and I've never had to police them or their activities. The only real control I had was over their checking and savings accounts. All I heard was "I can't wait until I'm 18", "When I'm 18...". When they turned 18, I started to treat them like grownups. I didn't transfer money into their accounts, I didn't wake them for school, I didn't take them to their dr appointments, I didn't do their laundry, I didn't pay for special nights out with friends and I didn't make their lunches for school. It was a big eye opener for them.

Now it's taken them FIVE months to say to me "yeah, I don't like being 18." Hahhaa!! They want to be treated as a grownup without the responsibilities. Not only that but guess who's name is back on their savings and checking account?! MINE!

I'm glad I gave them a good dose of what reality as an adult is really like because now they know they have to work extra hard for the education that they are paying for.

And so it goes. . .One has decided to stay home and go to college and live here. The other is still going away. It looks like I'm not going to be an empty-nester anytime soon.

Tell me about an experience you had with life lessons in the comments and I'll pick a winner for a Tonya Kappes Krew mini tote!

If you haven't had to opportunity to read USA Today Bestselling novel, A CHARMING CRIME, now is your time! It's currently  FREE for a limited time!