A NEW BOOK RELEASE and a BOOK REVIEW

We almost missed our April post, but here it is.  The ladies of Grandmothers, Incorporated are at it again in Book #4 in the Grandmothers, Incorporated series, Whose Knife is it Anyway? now available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.  

Meanwhile, here's a review of an interesting mystery novel with a different twist that readers might enjoy.

BOOK REVIEW

Face of the Enemy

I like the old black and white, fast talking film noir mystery movies othe 1930s and 40s that I’ve occasionally run across on TV.  I like the sense of urgency, and the sense of style they convey, but rarely have I found a book that captured the feeling of that film genre, that is until I read Face of the Enemy, by Jo Anne Dobson and Beverly Graves Myers.

Set in December 1941, shortly after Japan bombed Pear Harbor, Face of the Enemy sheds light on America’s racial paranoia during that period of time, especially its bigotry toward people of Japanese descent.  Even more interesting is the fact that this novel doesn’t take place on the West Coast where there were mass government incarcerations of people of Japanese ancestry.  Instead, Face of the Enemy takes place on the East Coast, in the glitzy art world of New York City.

When the murdered body of an art dealer is discovered in his gallery, the authorities suspect artists, Masako Fumi, an avant-garde Japanese immigrant, married to a university professor, who is American and who is gravely ill.  Although there are other suspects and even a lead detective who is skeptical about her guilt, the FBI is anxious to turn the talented artist’s case into a political coup, especially since she’s the estranged daughter of a high official in the Japanese government.  It seems that Masako’s only hope for redemption is her husband’s nurse, an unassuming Southern bell named Louise Hunter, who fervently believes in the woman’s innocence and vows to help her.

The twists and turns in Face of the Enemy are a mystery lover’s delight.  The characters are vivid and the dialogue is snappy.  As for the storyline, it contains historic references about an era about which I knew little.  Face of the Enemy wasn’t merely entertaining, but educational as well.   

BLOG NEGLECT GUILT

Okay, Okay, we're guilty of blog neglect and we know it!

For the past year we've been busy finishing our latest Grandmothers, Incorporated adventure, Whose Knife is it Anyway? That's why we haven't been keeping up with our blog.  That's our story and we're sticking to it!  So here's the blurb for our ladies' latest escapade:

WHOSE KNIFE IS IT ANYWAY?

THAT'S WHAT BEA, HATTIE AND CONNIE WANT TO KNOW AS THE AMATEUR SLEUTHS BECOME EMBROILED IN A CASE OF "REAL" MURDER THIS TIME.

WHEN THE LADIES OF GRANDMOTHERS, INCORPORATED ARE TRAPPED IN THE WOODS WITH A GROUP OF FEUDING CHURCH LADIES, THEY WONDER IS A KILLER LURKING IN THEIR MIDST?

IT'S ANOTHER ROUND OF BELLY LAUGHS AS THE LADIES EMBARK ON A DESPERATE SEARCH TO DISCOVER WHOSE KNIFE IS IT ANYWAY?

Readers can find Whose Knife is it Anyway in Ebook format at the Barnes and Noble and Kobo book sites.  We'll keep readers informed when it appears on other sites.  

With the new year, we've made a commitment to do better when it comes to keeping  up with our blog.  We thank you for taking the time to view Mini Musings.

ANOTHER BOOK? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!

Hi folks, this is Miss Fanny and all I've got to say for my little stint on this blog is those Grandmothers, Incorporated writers are at it again!  Lord have mercy, it seems like those two women are always telling our business.  They've been working nonstop trying to get their next cozy mystery out.  It's called Whose Knife is it Anyway?  In that book they're going to tell the world what happened when Bea, Hattie, Connie and me went on a retreat in the woods with a bunch of feuding church ladies. It wasn't pretty, especially when we found a dead body--but, that's another story.  Let me get back to the latest fast one Evans and Rhodes are pulling.

It's not enough that they had us characters from the Grandmothers, Incorporated novels in a play Off Broadway titled like their first novel, Grandmothers, Incorporated, but the heifers turned around and put Hattie and me alone in another play they wrote titled Stake Out.  That one turned out to be one of the ten top grossing plays in the 10th Annual Indy Fringe Theatre Festival.

Now, they've got the nerve to come out with a new book that contains both plays!  The book is titled From the Page to the Stage: Two Plays for Women.  One play is a two act and the other one is a one act play, so they made sure that there's something for everybody, and they're selling From the Page to the Stage:  Two Plays for Women on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.  None of the storylines in either play has anything to do with the storylines in the books they write about us.  It seems that every time the ladies and me find ourselves in a couple of brand new situations the next thing you know, Evans and Rhodes are in our business--again.  Obviously, they think our lives are funny, since both plays are comedies.

Is there no end to them exploiting us?  Where's the justice?  Don't we have a say in all this?  I guess as long as we keep having adventures, Bea, Hattie, Connie and me will be giving them something to write about.  What a life!

The link to purchase From the Page to the Stage:  Two Plays for Women is www.amazon.com/dp/B00W7IGI68

 

IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR!

Hi Folks!  Season's Greetings from all of us--Bea, Hattie, Connie and Miss Fanny.  The year 2014 has been a fantastic one for our creators, L. Barnett Evans and C.V. Rhodes.

It started with the release of our latest adventure, There's Something Wrong with Miss Zelda. Then there was the play that they wrote titled, Stake Out, that featured Hattie and Miss Fanny doing their thing.  It was produced at the 2014 Indy Fringe Theatre Festival and the play turned out to be one of the top 10 grossing plays in the festival.  Not to shabby, huh?

This year Evans and Rhodes have had the privilege of being invited to speak to numerous book clubs.  They've participated in several book festivals, all the while working on the upcoming book that will feature our next adventure.  It's called, Whose Knife Is It Anyway? 

Yes, the ladies have done well by us in 2014.  Many of our accomplishments have been chronicled right here on our blog.  You never know what we'll do next, so be sure to keep reading!

We're looking forward to new adventures and new experiences in 2015.  We hope you'll join us and continue to enjoy us!

WE'RE STILL HERE!

Oh, oh!  My girls and I have been so busy that we let quite a few months pass without blogging about a thing!  I'm Hattie Collier and back in August Miss Fanny and I starred in a stage play called Stakeout where I showed the world how well I could track down a no good cheating man.  Well, while Stakeout was a success.  I'm sad to say that my case went belly up, but I really don't want to talk about it.  Maybe one day the play, Stakeout, will come your way and you can attend and find out what happened for yourself.

Meanwhile, Bea is still all up on her high horse about trying to get her detective license.  She wants to have it by the time Whose Knife is it Anyway? comes out.  Whose Knife is it Anyway? is the next book in the Grandmothers, Incorporated series by Evans and Rhodes.  In the book my girls and me go on a retreat with ladies from rival churches, and I don't know what Bea plans to do with a P.I. license stuck on a retreat in the back woods with a bunch of cackling hens, but that's her problem.  I'm just praying that I survive the doggone thing.  Lord knows what will happen.  I know that Evans and Rhodes will come up with something weird.

Over the next few months, our creators will be taking our stories to a couple of book fairs.  They've already bent the ears of a few book clubs about our antics.  I tell you, being an infamous--I mean famous--sleuth is time consuming.  Hope one of the girls has time to write the blog next month.  We'll see.