Thursday 12 May 2016

The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco #Mystery




Mercury by Connie di Marco will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

BLURB:

Astrologer Julia Bonatti never thought her chosen profession would bring danger into her life, but her outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, makes her the target of San Francisco’s recently-arrived cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle.  The followers of the power hungry preacher will stop at nothing to quell the voices of those who would stand in his way and Julia’s at the top of his list.  She’s willing to bet the charismatic Reverend is a Mercury-ruled individual, and she knows all too well that Mercury wasn’t just the messenger of the gods, he was a trickster and a liar as well. 




Excerpt:

I glanced down at the map with one eye on the road.  I had covered a lot of ground.  The turnoff to Ardillas was ten miles away.  My cell phone rang and I glanced at the number.  It was Don.  I hit the button to answer. 
“Julia.  Where are you?” 

“On the 101 about ten miles from Ardillas.” 

“Listen.  I’ve dug up some newspaper articles from the New Orleans area about a couple who got involved with the Prophet.  Then I discovered they had written a book, an exposé really, about six years ago.” 

“That’s great.  I’d love to get my hands on that.” 

“Julia . . .” 

“Maybe I could locate them and talk to them.” 

“That might be difficult.” 

“Why?” 

I was greeted by silence.  “Don?  You there?” 

“I’m here, Julia.”  Don was silent but I could tell the line was still open.  “They were murdered about a year after the book came out.” 

A cold knot formed in my stomach.  “Murdered?  How?” 

“Home invasion, at least that was the official verdict.  No one was ever charged.  A lot of people still harbor the suspicion it was an execution for betraying the Reverend Roy.”  Don was quiet for so long I wondered if I had lost reception.  “I think you should turn back.” 

I wasn’t used to being worried about, much less someone asking me not to do something.  Don had a point, but I know what a stubborn cuss I can be.  Just his asking nicely felt like an order and it put my back up.  It’s not a trait I’m proud of, but I have an irresistible tendency to do the exact opposite of what I’ve been told to do.  Sheer contrariness, I guess.  Don’s pleas were falling on deaf ears. 

“I can’t.  I can’t see the point of turning around now that I’m almost there.  Don’t worry.  I plan to talk to the Sheriff and scope things out.  Maybe I can get help from that quarter.  Mostly, I just want to locate Eunice.  And if I can get in and talk to her, then I can at least tell Dorothy where things are at. 

I heard his exasperated sigh.  “Stay in touch, okay?” 

“I will.”  I clicked off just as the sign indicating the town’s one exit sped closer.  I flicked on my turn signal even though no other cars were near – force of habit -- and moved over to the far right lane.  The exit appeared and I turned off, heading east onto a lonely two lane road. 


 
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Connie di Marco is the author of the upcoming Zodiac Mystery series from Midnight Ink featuring San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti.  The Madness of Mercury, first in the series, will be released on June 8, 2016.  Writing as Connie Archer, she’s also the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.  You can find her excerpts and recipes in both The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook.  She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.  You can visit her at her website:  www.conniedimarco.com, or Facebook.com/ConniediMarco (Author) and Twitter: @askzodia. 


Buy links for The Madness of Mercury:


Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/1UapU0


Indie Bound: bit.ly/1SBPKeq

Goodreads: bit.ly/1ou4EXV  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

34 comments:

  1. Julia has a lot on her plate. Be careful! Congrats Connie.

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    1. Julia certainly gets herself into hot water in this story! Best of luck, Sheena-Kay!

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting my stop today, Nana!

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  3. I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway chance.

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    1. Hi Marcy ~ thanks for visiting today and best of luck!

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  4. Great excerpt - I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Hi Victoria ~ glad you enjoyed this little snippet. Good luck!

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  5. Your book looks fascinating. Thanks for the giveaway and wishing you the best with your release.

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    1. Thanks so much, Kathleen ~ I hope you're able to enjoy Julia's first adventure soon ~ good luck!

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  6. Thank you for taking the time to offer us this giveaway

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    1. You're very welcome, James! Thanks for visiting today!

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  7. That looks really cute! I love the cozy covers :D

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  8. Enjoyed the excerpt...and love the cover! 😀

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    1. Hi Felicia ~ I'm glad you liked it. Hope you get to enjoy Julia's first adventure soon. Good luck!

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  9. I really enjoyed reading the entire post today. This is a new author for me but I would love to learn more! Thank you for the reveal!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by today, Nikolina! Best of luck to you!

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  10. Thanks for the opportunity to win, you're awesome! Happy Friday!

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  11. Happy Friday to you too, James! Great to see you here and good luck!

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  12. Congrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!

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    1. Hi Ally - thank you! Best of luck to you too and I hope you get to read all about Julia and her adventures!

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  13. I enjoyed reading the excerpt. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read! Totally can't wait to check out this book!

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    1. Hi Ally - I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. You just know that Julia's about to have some scary adventures in this little town! Best of luck!

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  14. Oh, what a fun premise! Love how the main character is an astrologer. And I can't help but adore the cover, too--such cute artwork!

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    1. Hi Heather - I love that Julia's an astrologer too. Her profession gets her into a lot of hot water! Best of luck to you!

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  15. Sounds like a great read, thank you for sharing!

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    1. Hi Dario - thanks for visiting, I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt too! Good luck!

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  16. I'm looking forward to seeing how Julia solves this mystery and what techniques she uses.

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    1. Hi Kim - so nice to see you here. Thanks for visiting! Astrology certainly gives her the clues she needs, but she still needs courage and her wits to escape from danger!

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