Sharing the blog today is author Jodi Rath and the holiday installment in her Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series, “Turkey Basted to Death.” After reading about her day-in-the-life of working from home, be sure to scroll down to the tour section to click the big red button for your chance to win a signed copy of the new book. Don’t forget to look through the tour stops for more chances to win a copy of the book.
Working from Home with a Retired Husband and Eight Cats
By: Jodi Rath
I have dreamed of being a writer as a full-time job since I was a wee lass at age five. I am now a youthful (thank you very much) 46-year-old. I started working at age fifteen delivering newspapers—back when the real thing existed. At sixteen, I worked a long three days at a yogurt joint, then switched to the shoe business for about year before I got serious about work—I switched to working at video stores from age seventeen throughout my college years. I still have videos from when one of the stores closed—Bridges of Madison County was the MUST-HAVE I took with me as well as Postcards from the Edge. Ah, those were the days!
Between the end of college to age forty-five, I worked in insurance, advertising, communications, vice president of a credit union, high school English teacher, and in higher education. So, what does all this have to do with writing or working from home with a retired hubby and eight fur babies? Well, in February 2018, I started a business called MYS ED LLC. The MYS is short for mystery while being a play on the word Miss or Mrs. or Ms. and ed is for education. This is the point where I began working from home where I write on deadline for educational publishers, blogs, and affiliations while contracting with universities to teach Ohio teachers online and writing my culinary cozy mystery series called The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. It’s all my full-time job now!
So, working from home for me is well, AWESOME! Here’s the thing though, I’ve always been a homebody, quiet, private, and an introvert. At five, I would hole myself up in my room and play “magazine” with my dolls and stuffed animals. While I had a horrible first marriage, my current hubby, Mike, is the perfect man for me. We are always on the same page, and he helps me when my technology goes awry. He’s also the inspiration for one of my characters in the series. Since he’s retired, he’s taken on the cleaning, cooking, and errand running which gives me time to accomplish the many challenges my business brings each day. Here’s the worst thing that has happened with Mike: sometimes I’ll be working in my office (which is upstairs); he is on the main floor of the house. Now, I was sitting at my desk finishing up a draft with my Bluetooth headphones in listening to music while working—keep this in mind! He’s downstairs on the couch, and I hear something that makes me take the headphones out.
“Nom Nom Nom Nom,” comes from somewhere below, and I’m thinking, ‘Did I imagine that?’
Back to work with the headset in and a few minutes later, even louder, “NOM, NOM, NOM, NOM.” This is combined with lip-smacking. I look at the time on my computer and it’s about time for lunch. Hey, I’m hungry too—but I’m close to being done with a chapter—so back to it I go.
Next thing I know, he’s half-way up the steps, “NOM, NOM, NOM!”
“Um, honey, are you hungry?” I ask peeking out the door with a sly grin on my face.
“Yep, you ready to eat?”
Now, for the kitty part! We cannot say the words treats or ready to eat at our house without being attacked by a gang of eight cats—they all come running up the steps meowing loudly.
Okay, it’s time to wrap it up to feed the cats and my husband—which, if you remember, I said he does the cooking now! Yet, he can’t just do it and say, “Hey, I made lunch.” LOL!
So, this is a typical day in the life. I’ll take it! Thanks, everyone for hanging out with me today! Think of me the next year as I write four more books in the series: Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail comes out February 28, 2020; Cast Iron Stake Through the Heart comes out May 29, 2020; Deep Dish Pizza Disaster comes out September 4, 2020; Yuletide Cast of the Iron Skillet comes out December 18, 2020. Wish me luck when Ithe Rath crew gets hungry this next year!
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a bit of family drama.
After the last few months of her life, Jolie Tucker is just not in the holiday mood. Her new therapist is insisting on digging up old memories Jolie feels are better left alone. She can’t seem to get her head on straight about the men in her life and another dead body has just dropped at her feet.
I have to admit that going into this book, I was just a bit lost about who everyone was. Once I had hit the stride and caught up, I began to realize that this series reads more like a long-running drama with cozy highlights than a cozy with a great back story. Jolie and Ava are in their element whether chasing down leads or running their restaurant. They have each others’ backs in a way that only lifelong friends can.
As mentioned, the binding thread throughout the story is family. The good, the bad, and the ugly of family, along with the quirky, the drama and the secrets. As each of the characters deals with the twists that the family connections are throwing, it becomes obvious that 133 pages aren’t quite enough to contain this story. I am looking forward to reading more from this series.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
About The Book:
Turkey Basted to Death (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Thanksgiving is here, and Jolie Tucker has had quite the year! She is ready to sit back and relax with family and friends. But this is Leavensport, OH—so get ready for intense therapy sessions, dysfunctional family holiday gatherings, uninvited guests, and an inner-city teen advocate found DEAD—stabbed in the ear with the turkey baster!
Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!
Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
About The Author:
Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven cats.
Author Links: Website/Mailing List / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest / BookBub
Tour and Giveaways:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 14 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
November 15 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW. CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 16 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 17 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
November 18 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 19 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
November 21 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 22 – fundinmental – RECIPE
November 23 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
November 24 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
November 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
November 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 26 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
November 27 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
November 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
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I Read What You Write! 
Sounds like a fun read. Jodi is a new author to me.
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She is new to me as well, but I don’t imagine she will stay that way for long.
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Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the books. Be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter as I do several giveaways of the books in the series several months out of the year:) Happy Holidays!
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog and for your review. I truly appreciate both. Happy holidays!
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