Sniffing Out Murder
Sniffing Out Murder (A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery)
by Kallie E. Benjamin
About Sniffing Out Murder
Sniffing Out Murder (A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Indiana
Berkley (December 5, 2023)
Paperback : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593547357
ISBN-13 : 978-0593547359
Digital ASIN : B0BXKHGG75
When a murder unleashes a widespread investigation through Crosbyville, children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, must sniff out the truth before the whole town goes to the dogs.
After deciding that life as a teacher wasn’t right for her, Priscilla found inspiration for her first children’s book in her three-year-old bloodhound’s nose for truth, and so The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound was born. After the book’s massively pawsitive response led Pris to move back to her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, to continue the series, she’s surprised by how things have changed in the town, but even more so how they haven’t.
Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley—a former high school mean girl—is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.
With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?
About Kallie E. Benjamin
Kallie E. Benjamin (Valerie Burns) is the author of the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series. The first book, Sniffing Out Murder releases on December 5, 2023. Valerie is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist. Writing as V. M. Burns she is the author of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery, Dog Club Mystery, and RJ Franklin Mystery series. Writing as Valerie Burns, she is the author of the Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles.
Q&A With the Author
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
My favorite part about writing this book was getting to know the characters. Priscilla Cummings, aka Pris, was a new character and I needed to learn as much about her as possible. Who was she? What does she like? What are her big fears? What’s her backstory? Once I felt like I knew who she was, then I was able to write and the story took shape.
Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?I write three cozy mystery series. In addition to the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series, I also write the Baker Street Mystery series as Valerie Burns. I am working on copy edits for the third book in the series which has been retitled, A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death. This series features a fashionista and social media influencer, Maddy Montgomery. Maddy’s fiancé is a NO-Show for her wedding, which was being livestreamed, and she just wants a place to hide. So, she’s grateful when she learns that she’s inherited a bakery, a house, and a 250lb English mastiff from her great aunt Octavia. Thinking she can sell everything and return to her #exciting life triumphant, Maddy is surprised to learn that her great aunt’s will requires her to live in the house, run the bakery and keep the dog for one year. Even though Maddy can’t cook, she accepts the challenge.
As V. M. Burns, I also write the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. After her late husband, Leon dies, Samantha Washington realizes life is too short not to follow your dreams. So, she quits her job as a high school English teacher and buys the building that she and Leon always dreamed would be the home of their mystery bookshop. Sam also dreamed of writing British historical cozy mysteries. Each book in this series features two mysteries for readers to solve. Readers can solve the contemporary mystery that Sam is involved in, and the British historical cozy mystery that she is writing.
Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?For the future, I am hoping to continue writing the three mystery series along with a couple of short stories.
How long have you been writing?I have always been a voracious reader. I grew up 3 blocks from a library which I visited several times each week. That’s where I discovered a love for cozy mysteries which I still have today. Over the years, I kept a list entitled, “I WISH SOMEONE WOULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT . . .” Decades passed, and no one ever wrote those books. That’s when I decided to give it a try. I’ve always enjoyed writing, although I never wanted to be “A Writer.” When I was a lot younger, I wrote a lot of really bad poetry. Later, I wrote several screenplays (not so bad, but not good). In 2006, I decided to try my hand at writing a cozy mystery. It took quite a number of years before I finished it. I got a lot of rejections and realized I needed help. So, I enrolled in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. I graduated in 2015 and my first book was published in 2017.
Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?I hope that you will enjoy my new Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series (or any of my other mysteries). You can stay up to date on my new releases and all book news by connecting with me at:
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/
Website: vmburns.com
Author Links
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16534140.V_M_Burns
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vmburns
Website: vmburns.com
Purchase Links
Amazon Apple Books-A-Million Barnes and Noble Bookshop.org Google Play Hudson Booksellers Powells Target KOBO Walmart
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
December 5 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
December 5 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 5 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 5 – Cozy, Suspenseful, and Sweet – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
December 6 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
December 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
December 6 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
December 7 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
December 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
December 7 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
December 8 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
December 8 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
December 9 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
December 9 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
December 9 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
December 10 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
December 10 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
December 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
December 11 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
December 11 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and the book details and for offering a giveaway, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading Sniffing Out Murder. I love the cover!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun mystery!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds fantastic! Thanks, also, for the interview and giveaway!
ReplyDelete