The Chocolatier's Wife/The Chocolatier's Ghost by Cindy Lynn Speer
The Chocolatier's Wife &
The Chocolatier's Ghost
by Cindy Lynn Speer
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GENRE: Fantasy Mystery
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BLURB:
The Chocolatier's
Wife: ROMANCE, MAGIC, MYSTERY.... AND CHOCOLATE
A truly original,
spellbinding love story, featuring vivid characters in a highly realistic
historical setting.
When Tasmin's
bethrothed, William, is accused of murder, she gathers her wind sprites and
rushes to his home town to investigate. She doesn't have a shred of doubt about
his innocence. But as she settles in his chocolate shop, she finds more in
store than she bargained for. Facing suspicious townsfolk, gossiping neighbors,
and William's own family, who all resent her kind - the sorcerer folk from the
North -- she must also learn to tell friend from foe, and fast. For the real
killer is still on the loose - and he is intent on ruining William's family at
all cost.
Part fairytale, part fantasy and magic, part pirate adventure and romance.
Oh-- and a large percentage mystery.
This is a family saga. At first we think it is about William discovering his mate. For many in his land mates are paired at a very young age. For William, it took longer and someone extra special.
Tasmin's people don't want her matched to someone from the barbaric and supposedly nonmagical South. Her mother goes to great strides to arrange an alternative to marriage for her. Unexpectedly, William writes letters to Tasmin beginning at age seven. She doesn't fool herself that she falls in love with him through his letters but a connection is formed.
This tale is told in alternating viewpoints between their correspondence and their present difficulties. Along with learning about the intended couple we continually learn not to trust what we think we know. The main crisis occurs when William is arrested for murder. Or is it?
Perhaps the real crisis happened earlier. That is all part of the mystery.
Even when you think you understand and have all figured out, another tiny bit of information surfaces. Tangled up tighter than a kitten's favorite yarn ball.
The bonus material is fascinating and enjoyable. The wind sprites add levity.
Part fairytale, part fantasy and magic, part pirate adventure and romance.
Oh-- and a large percentage mystery.
This is a family saga. At first we think it is about William discovering his mate. For many in his land mates are paired at a very young age. For William, it took longer and someone extra special.
Tasmin's people don't want her matched to someone from the barbaric and supposedly nonmagical South. Her mother goes to great strides to arrange an alternative to marriage for her. Unexpectedly, William writes letters to Tasmin beginning at age seven. She doesn't fool herself that she falls in love with him through his letters but a connection is formed.
This tale is told in alternating viewpoints between their correspondence and their present difficulties. Along with learning about the intended couple we continually learn not to trust what we think we know. The main crisis occurs when William is arrested for murder. Or is it?
Perhaps the real crisis happened earlier. That is all part of the mystery.
Even when you think you understand and have all figured out, another tiny bit of information surfaces. Tangled up tighter than a kitten's favorite yarn ball.
The bonus material is fascinating and enjoyable. The wind sprites add levity.
The Chocolatier's
Ghost: Married to her soul mate, the chocolatier William, Tasmin should not
have to worry about anything at all. But when her happily ever after is
interrupted by the disappearance of the town’s wise woman, she rushes in to
investigate. Faced with dangers, dead bodies, and more mysterious
disappearances, Tasmin and William must act fast to save their town and
themselves – especially when Tasmin starts to be haunted by a most unwelcome
ghost from her past…literally.
The Chocolatier’s
Ghost is an enchanting sequel to Cindy Lynn Speer’s bestselling romantic
mystery, The Chocolatier’s Wife.
This book is darker and more tangled than the previous book in this series.
William and Tasmin are well on their way to happily ever after and making a success of their chocolate shop. Bonny is imprisoned and Andrew has taken off.
Ghosts, spirits and misplaced souls populate the air and evil gathers on the wind.
Another mystery is afoot.
Once again, author Cindy Lynn Speer creates an amazing world full of magic and murder.
You must suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself totally in the tale.
Enjoy the telling along with a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
This book is darker and more tangled than the previous book in this series.
William and Tasmin are well on their way to happily ever after and making a success of their chocolate shop. Bonny is imprisoned and Andrew has taken off.
Ghosts, spirits and misplaced souls populate the air and evil gathers on the wind.
Another mystery is afoot.
Once again, author Cindy Lynn Speer creates an amazing world full of magic and murder.
You must suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself totally in the tale.
Enjoy the telling along with a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
Murder. Funny, how the idea of one’s future husband killing
someone made headaches go away. It was not that she could not conceive that he
was a killer; anyone who read the shipping information at the back of the
newspaper, listing, among other things, the manifests of pirate ships that had
been taken and destroyed, would know William was quite capable of killing. But,
she reasoned, that was hot blooded killing, it was not murder. Poisoning someone
with chocolate required coldness and cunning.
She moved at last, only enough to take her hair down. She
stared at the pins in her hands. No. She could not believe that William was
capable of cunning. He was smart, aye. But practical smart. Not without imagination,
of course, you could not accuse a man who wanted to make chocolates of a lack
of imagination, but he was also not the sort of man to go around blithely
killing people with the very product he hoped to sell. She could not believe
it.
After a while, the surprise wearing off, she tried to
imagine the two paths her life might take. She thought of being at the
university. She had trained there, and so she had friends as well as colleagues
among the staff. Eventually she would have the seniority to teach only the
advanced students, perhaps even ascend to the Circle, as her mother hoped. A
life of teaching and learning how to use herbs, divining the secret meanings
hidden in the wind, the rain, and the veins of leaves was hers. She was no
master wizard, but she was very, very good, and she knew her life was mapped
out for her here, a scholarly life of respect and decent wages and wanting for
nothing. It was, clearly, a good life, which was why her family wanted it for
her.
Then there was William. She tried to imagine him, blurry in
her mind, by her side. A life of children, shop-keeping. It did not seem as
glamorous or interesting, though she trusted she would be able to continue her
studies and believed that William would provide for her, but her fame would be
as his wife alone. No one would remember her save their children. Still, it was not without its appeal, the
idea of having someone who was all yours, someone to curl up against in the
winter. It was harder to imagine the future, here, for she knew so little in
comparison. The unknown could hold pain as well as joy.
She sighed, and went to bed, in a restless attempt at sleep
for what remained of the night.
When she came down the next day she had two cases in her
hands, and she was wearing her best traveling clothes. Her family looked up at
her from their breakfast, as she put the heavier of the two down, her hands
switching the other bag back and forth, nervous and moist on the hard, wooden
handle. “You see,” she said by way of good-morning-and-here’s-my-explanation,
“the problem is that I rather like him.”
What would we find under your bed?
Now that summer is finally here, bed bags full of my
electric blanket and my cold weather sheets.
Also, my winter boots will be joining them. Maybe, somewhere way in the back is a retired
monster living out his retirement since I am grown up and I’ve not replaced
myself with a child of my own, but who knows?
What was the scariest moment of your life?
When I was in Junior High, I was told by the bus driver that
she could not take me home due to a house fire. I asked her to drop me off as close as she
could, and I remember the bus ride (I was the last stop) being really
long. After she dropped me off, I walked
two miles, down country roads, wondering if my parents were OK, what about the
animals, what would we do if the house was gone? And when I got there I found out it was the
neighbor who lives about a half mile away, and the mixture of relief, guilt
over the relief, and sorrow for them lingers to this day.
Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?
I don’t listen to anything with words, because words
distract me. On rare occasions I might
listen to instrumental music, maybe even something with the right feel on
repeat, but that’s rare.
What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career
next year?
I believe in little steps.
I don’t think I will be lucky in that something huge will happen and
make me an overnight sensation, but I do believe, and hope, with steady work
and a book every year (next year’s is already turned in!) that every year I
will have more sales, every year I’ll have more readers, every year I will get
closer to my dream of world domination and tea being served to me by beautiful
Scottish men. I mean, closer to my dream
of being able to make my living writing.
World domination, where did that come from?
How long did it take you to write this book?
This one took me ages and ages because – I knew, always,
what I wanted to do next with Tasmin and William. I have a lot of ideas. But this was the sequel to the book I felt
people loved best, that was my best work.
The fear of failing to live up to the Chocolatier’s Wife was weirdly crippling. I’d fool with it, then give up, write
something else, then fool with it some more.
It was much harder to write than its predecessor…but, in the end, very
worth it.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Cindy Lynn
Speer has been writing since she was 13.
She has Blue Moon and Unbalanced published by Zumaya. Her other works, including The Chocolatier’s
Wife (recently out in an illustrated hardcover to celebrate its 10th anniversary)
and the Chocolatier’s Ghost, as well as the short story anthology Wishes and
Sorrows. When she is not writing she is
either practicing historical swordsmanship, sewing, or pretending she can
garden. She also loves road trips and
seeing nature. Her secret side hobby is
to write really boring bios about herself.
You can find out more about her at www.cindylynnspeer.com, or look for
her on Facebook (Cindy Lynn Speer) and Twitter (cindylynnspeer).
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DeleteA most interesting post. Really enjoyed learning about a new (to me) writer. It's nice to know that there are more than a few of us nuts in the world. It is always exciting to learn of a new author and reads. It's like a breath of fresh air. Do hope this will be an early beginning on her books. Della at deepotter (at) peoplepc (dot) com
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