IR-  Which book are we talking about today? 

AH-  Two books, actually. Book 3 in my Canine Confections series and my new Puzzle Book that accompanies it.

IR-  Can you tell us a bit about the story and its main characters? 

AH-  Samantha moved from a couple hours away to Palm Beach and ever since, there has been a murder. That makes 3 murders. She owns a dog bakery on the fancy Worth Avenue, adopted a dog named Sweet Pea, and lives on her Aunt Mary’s estate. She’s made a lot of friends.

IR-  What inspired the idea for your book?

AH-   I live near Palm Beach.

IR-  What was the most surprising thing you learned in writing this book? 

AH-  How hard it is to write a well-structured book that people who read cozies a lot will enjoy and be taken surprised by when they find out the killer.

IR-  Tell us about a favorite character from the book. 

AH-  Bethany. She’s snooty. And Sweet Pea. She’s the dog.

IR-  Do you have any “side stories” about any of the characters? 

AH-  Yup. Rick is a maybe love interest. Aunt Mary and Detective Trumble….well, I don’t want to spill too many beans for those who haven’t read them all yet.

IR-  Where did you come up with the names in the story? 

AH-  In my head.

IR-  If you were friends with a character in this book, what kinds of things would you do together? 

AH-  Meet for coffee, go to the beach, laugh.

IR-  What does it mean to you to be called an author? 

AH-  It sounds fun.

IR-  How do you define success as an author? 

AH-  Being happy and having a balance in life.

IR-  Can you share a day in the life of an author? 

AH-  Depends on the author and that wasn’t snippy. Truly, everyone is different.

IR-  What difference do you see between a writer and an author? 

AH-  None.

IR-  What was the defining moment that made you say to yourself, “Today, I am going to write a book that I will publish.”? 

AH-  No defining moment. 

IR-  How do you avoid or defeat writer’s block? 

AH-  Either write anything or walk my dogs.

IR-  What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? 

AH-  Research the technique of what readers expect from the genre they’re writing. Decide if you’re writing it for yourself or for the reader. If it’s just for yourself, just have fun.

IR-  Do you have any quirky writing rituals? 

AH-  Nope.

IR-  What comes first for you — the plot or the characters? 

AH-  Both.

IR-  As an author what do you think makes a good story? 

AH-  Surprises, twists, humor, suspense, pacing.

IR-  Who is your audience? 

AH-  For this series, people who like cozy things.

IR-  What has been your favorite reader feedback? 

AH-  That there “wasn’t a word I didn’t enjoy.”

IR-  How do you interact with your readers? 

AH-  On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

IR-  What is your all-time author? Do you think this has influenced your writing? 

AH-  Stephen King’s older books.

IR-  What do you look for in a story as a reader? 

AH-  Twists and turns. And humor. And pacing.

IR-  What is an underrated book that you think everyone should read at least once? 

AH-  I don’t know if it’s underrated but how about Rosemary’s Baby?

IR-  What are your top 5 favorite books or authors? 

AH-  I’ll think fast b/c there are too many.
Stephen King.
Kathleen Bridge.
Alyssa Maxwell.
Paula Hawkins.
Megan Abbott.

IR-  What are you reading now? 

AH-  Diary of a Wimpy Kid. And a Jeffrey Epstein book.

IR-  What is your author spirit animal? 

AH-  Dog.

IR-  If your book were made into a movie, which actors would play your characters? 

AH-  Samantha would be Meg Ryan but younger. Goldie Hawn might be Aunt Mary. 

Name three fun facts about you or your work. 

AH-  I get to pet my dogs whenever I want,
eat whenever I want,
and do whatever I want whenever I want. 

IR-  If you had a secret room that opened by pulling a book on a shelf, what book would you choose? 

A book with the title “magic” in it.

IR-  What is something you can do better than anyone else you know?

AH-  Love my dogs.

IR-  If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?

AH-  Write more books.

IR-  What are you working on in the near future?

AH-   Probably book 4 in the series, more puzzle books of all kinds, and psych thrillers.

Samantha finds herself pulled into the middle of another murder investigation. Charming as Worth Avenue is, I would be leary about setting up shop there, even in a community as exclusive as Palm Beach. Samantha is pretty much unfazed, with her dog, Sweet Pea, and her friends at her side, she jumps right into another investigation with her usual forge ahead gusto. Once again we are treated to the wrong turns, red herrings, and multiple suspects that have made this series fun to read from the start.

With some of my favorite characters returning and some new ones to meet along the way, the third book in this series is as much fun as the previous books. This is an engaging story and can be read as a stand-alone, but I would suggest starting from the beginning for the full effect. As always I am looking forward to what is coming next. 

I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Excerpt 

Like a bad penny that never fails to show no matter how much you wish for a silver dollar, Dick appeared across the street

Two occasions of dipping my toes back into the dating pool after my old boyfriend broke my heart back in Sun Haven, and I was already wanting to go full-on up to my ankles with this guy.

“Snowball, you’re going to have to play nice if you want to live here,” I said, hearing the empty threat in my words and knowing there was zero chance we would ever give the cat away just because we had a learning curve on how to make this work.

Now that I didn’t have to worry as much about my income stream, I could think about other things…sweeter things…like Peanut Butter Clusters and PupCakes

The furry girl and I were whizzing along Ocean Avenue for another day of work in paradise.

“It’s not my fault you’re a magnet for murder.”

Aunt Mary in spandex was one thing. Trumble in spandex was a good reason to wash my eyes out with battery acid.

A few months ago, when I lived in Sun Haven, I didn’t run into a murderer once, far as I know. This town was rife with them

About The Book

Paws of Death (A Canine Confections Mystery)

Two murders on the same strip of Worth Avenue in Palm Beach means dog bakery owner Samantha Armstrong and her fellow shopkeepers have reached their quota of bad stuff. Right?

They should be so lucky…

Samantha is thrilled that life in her new hometown has finally settled into a fun, peaceful rhythm. Canine Confections’ business is on the upswing, and her days are filled with jogs on the beach with her pooch Sweet Pea, cozy time with Aunt Mary on her aunt’s estate, and yummy treats at her upscale dog bakery. But things are not peaceful for long when Donna from the local gossip magazine, Pulse on Palm Beach, winds up dead at Samantha’s first foray into catering a millionaire dog’s birthday party.

Once again, Samantha finds herself smack dab in the middle of the investigation. But this time, it’s another reporter from Pulse that’s making her center-stage. With the aid of her precious Sweet Pea, Samantha pads around the splashy Worth Avenue sniffing out clues. Unfortunately, the more she searches, the more suspects she finds. And it doesn’t help that Angelina from Mystic Dreams has hired a psychic who warns that trouble in Palm Beach isn’t about to end anytime soon.

Includes an original recipe from the world-famous Three Dog Bakery!

Purchase Links – Amazon 
My CD Download on Amazon

About the Author

Amy Hueston’s Canine Confections mystery series has an abundance of dogs and pastries, two of her favorite things. When she isn’t writing her latest mystery or suspense, she can often be found either singing professionally or petting the nearest dog.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.hueston.73
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyhueston/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuestonAmy
Website: https://amyhueston.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20626879.Amy_Hueston

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