Death Hits the High Notes

 Today, Wild Women Authors feature author GG Calpo and Death Hits the High Notes, a contemporary cozy mystery, a recent release by the Wild Rose Press. First up is music teacher Stefan Papadopoulos.

Good morning, Stefan. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. Let’s begin with what made you choose teaching band and choir for a profession. Music is in my bones. Without music, I’d wither like that plant on your desk. You might want to drizzle some water on it. It’s really parched and gasping. Say what? Stick to your questions? I’m just saying…okay, okay. To get back to music, without it, I’d be brown and droopy like your plant. And brown is so not a good look for me.  

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a band teacher or do something different? Well…I might have tried out for America’s Got Talent. It would have been fun to see Simon Cowell’s jaw drop when I belt out my solo. You know I sing solo in Whitman’s Port Choral Society? I’m not bragging when I say my “Ave Maria” brings tears to everyone’s eyes. You should a ticket to the concert. It’s this weekend. I’ve sung in the choir for years now. In fact, the choir is where everything happens in Death Hits the High Notes.

What is your biggest fear? Fear? What is fear but the knowledge that you’re doing or are in something out of your comfort zone? And what is life if you don’t step out of your safe, square box? Boring, that’s what it is. So, with your permission…or without it, actually, I will rephrase your question to “What is the one thing I dread more than death?” Then the answer, my dear, is to be BORING. For an Original like me, boring is the kiss of death.  

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey, of course! Have you seen his tweeds? His monocle? And that British upper-class twang? He’s divine! I just wish Dorothy Sayers wrote more books about him. I’ve read all eleven books and the short story collections so many times, I’ve lost count!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? As a young Greek man, my father—then my uncle when he stood loco parentis when my father died—drilled generosity into me. With family, with friends, with acquaintances, and even with strangers. Everyone, really. At work, with family and friends, in your neighborhood, wherever you find yourself. He said, generosity is never wasted. It creates ripples and returns to you in ways you will not expect. It pays uncounted dividends and enriches your life beyond what it cost you.   

Thank you for spending time with us, Stefan. Now we’d like to chat with GG.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? Another author I love is Lois McMaster Bujold, author of the Vorkosigan Saga, a series of science fiction novels about Miles Vorkosigan, an interstellar double agent for his planet Barrayar. What is most notable about this series—the story spans sixteen books and several shorter novellas—is how Miles perseveres through his physical and character flaws and challenges and becomes more than anyone would have dreamed he would be. When I write, I keep in mind that dynamic for my characters. Which is why each book in the Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series explores the character growth of one of Meg’s friends while driving Meg’s investigation into the deaths of her husband and son, and, of course, solving another murder in the cozy towns of Whitman’s Port, The Village of Codling Bay and Sands Neck Point.    

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? I started by researching how choirs work—when and where they would be rehearsing, the role of the conductor, and the dynamics among the members. And as often happens with research, one detail leads to another, then to another, which changed the three M’s of mystery murder books: Motive, Means and Method. But that’s the fun of writing. You never know where the plot and your characters will take you.     

Tell us a bit about your publisher and how you heard about them. I attended the 2025 annual conference of the Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference in New Jersey, and they had an editor/agent pitch session. There I met Melanie Billings of The Wild Rose Press, who generously asked for my full manuscript. She liked my five retired teachers as amateur sleuths and wanted to know more.

What influenced you to submit to them? The Wild Rose Press is a small press, but it is very responsive and supportive. They host a weekly chat forum where you get to talk to other TWRP authors and learn from them. It’s a great tool for a newbie like me.

How is the submission process? Quick, painless, and timely. I knew exactly what to submit and what to expect. There were no unnecessary steps or complications, and the entire process went smoothly from beginning to end. It was a less stressful experience that I had expected.

What is the turn-around time from date of query to date of release? My editor, Melanie Billings of The Wild Rose Press, is fantastic. I submitted Death Hits the High Notes in April this year, and she got it turned for publication by July, with a release date of October 7, 2026.

Let’s talk about what you are reading right now. The Queens of Crime. It’s a historical whodunit by Marie Benedict featuring real-life Golden Age female mystery writers—Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy—solving an actual murder, instead of just writing about one. I’ve just started the book, and it’s very engaging. The author did a great job blending historical facts about the authors and the societal context of the book in the 1930s.

What’s next for you? I’m hard at work on Book 3 of The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series, which should be out sometime in 2027. The focus of Book 3 shifts to Barbara, the former principal of Post Elementary School, and the self-appointed leader of the group. I also write short stories about a retired Filipino-American detective, Luzviminda Abad—four-feet eleven and walks with a cane. She’s a badass detective who refuses to let her sixty-plus years get in her way. Readers can visit my website, www.ggcalpo.com, and download free copies of the short stories.

To learn more about GG Calpo and the stories she creates go to: https://www.ggcalpo.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/gg.calpo

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gg.calpo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/62170493.G_G_Calpo

Amazon Author Central: https://amazon.com/author/gg.calpo

To purchase Death Hits the High Notes, go to:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/034m76OT

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-hits-the-high-notes-gg-calpo/1151020222?ean=9781509266845

 

 

Winter's Teeth by R. A. Betzer

Don’t Go Into The Woods

Today, Wild Women Authors are focused on Winter’s Teeth, a contemporary paranormal romance, written by R.A. Betzer, and recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing

About Winter’s Teeth: Rae Bennett, a morally ambiguous college student raised by the local ax-throwing gym, is doing her best to assimilate into adulthood after a tumultuous upbringing set her back in every way. Then, Fox Winter crashes into her life on an ice float in the creek. He’s a frozen corpse when she finds him, only to violently wake and take off into the woods before she can figure out what’s really going on.

She finds him again two weeks later when her sister goes missing at the rustic wedding venue run by the Winter family. Dragging Fox back into her life against his will, Rae enlists him to aid in the search for her sister. He has only one rule for their tentative new relationship—don’t go into the woods—which she flouts liberally to get to the bottom of things. With a reluctant Fox in tow, she discovers the darkest parts of the forest full of centuries-old legends and dangerous secrets surrounding his family.

In the dead of winter, a twisted tradition unfurls with supernatural shifters and their arranged marriages to kidnapped humans—her sister being one of them. Rae fights to rescue her sister before the tradition is complete, all while warring with a traitorous heart that begins to fall for one of the Winter villains. Somewhere along the way, she starts fighting for more than just her sister, hoping to rescue the man she loves, as well.

But, in the end, she may only be able to save one of them.

What others are saying about this book: “Fans of Sarah Beth Durst’s “The Lake House” and Ali Hazelwood’s “Bride” will enjoy “Winter’s Teeth” by R.A. Betzer.

Winter’s Teeth  can be found at: https://books2read.com/u/baXJky

A bit about our Focus Author: By night, R.A. Betzer is an author. By day, she's a scientist. Rory lives in rural PA close to the Appalachian mountains, which inspired much of her debut novel, "Winter's Teeth." When she’s not obsessively writing to the point of dehydration or religiously updating on Ao3, she can be found crocheting, watching anime, or mothering her goblin cat-child.

  

Whispers of a Pale Witch by S.A. Sizemore

              Some secrets just can't stay buried.

          Today, Wild Women Authors focus on Whispers of the Pale Witch, a contemporary paranormal mystery, recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing, and written by S.A. Sizemore.

About the Book: After the sudden death of her great-aunt, Kylie Beckett lands her dream job as a forensic photographer in the small seaside town where she was born. But once there, a series of murders and the dark truth about her family's past forces Kylie to harness unconscious powers to protect her newfound family from the murderous Pale Witch of Salem, Massachusetts, and keep a dangerous relic from the unstable witch before she unleashes a demon on Salem once again.

Shall we begin?

What others are saying about this book: “. . . Fans of Dan Brown’s “Robert Langdon” series, “Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman, and “The Butcher and the Wren” by Alaina Urquhart will enjoy “Whispers of the Pale Witch” by S.A. Sizemore. . .”

Whispers of the Pale Witch can be found at: https://books2read.com/u/4EvXVY

About our Focus Author: Drawn to theater from an early age, S.A. Sizemore began writing professionally while studying theater arts in college. After producing several plays regionally in Southern California, Sizemore pivoted to the themed entertainment industry. "Whispers of the Pale Witch" is the first installment of the Beckett Coven trilogy and her debut. It is partially inspired by Sizemore’s ancestral connection to the Salem Witch Trials. She is a full member of the Dramatists Guild of America. She is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and resides in California.

 

The Middle of Nowhere by Rita A. Popp

Bethany Jarviss—a smart, beautiful, single New Mexican in her early thirties—works for her family’s charitable foundation. When murder threatens to shake up the lives of people she loves, Bethany uses her sharp mind and engaging personality to solve crimes as an amateur detective.

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author Rita A. Popp and The Middle of Nowhere: book 3 in the Bethany Jarviss Mystery series recently released out of the Wild Rose Press. Up first is Bethany Jarviss.

Tell us a bit about your latest murder investigation in The Middle of Nowhere. I didn’t set out to solve a mystery; I only wanted a romantic reunion with my cowboy boyfriend, Nathan, at the Wyoming guest ranch where he’s a new wrangler. Then, someone is killed with a horseshoe, and Nathan is a prime murder suspect. Before the sheriff arrests my innocent guy, I aim to find the killer hiding in plain sight among the ranch’s owners, staff, and guests.

You’re the grants manager for The Jarviss Family Foundation. What made you choose that career? It’s satisfying work, having a hand in funding worthy projects all over New Mexico, such as daycare and senior centers, a college scholarship, and a pay-what-you-can café.

If you had to do all over again, would you stick with this career or do something different? I’d definitely start out working for the Foundation, which my father directs. But I’m not sure if it will be my lifelong job. Solving mysteries is much more exciting!

What is your biggest fear? Dad’s health is poor, and he’s itching to retire and pass the Foundation’s directorship to me. I’m not sure I could fill his shoes or would want to. I fear I’ll disappoint him if I say no, and if I say yes, I’ll find myself in a cushy position that won’t be very challenging in the long run.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. She’s a gutsy investigator and a perfect romantic and intellectual match for Lord Peter.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? “Never underestimate the power of a woman.” It’s the slogan of the former Ladies Home Journal magazine that my mom and I used to enjoy reading.

A bit about the author of the Bethany Jarviss Mysteries: Rita A. Popp has never found desiccated human bones while hiking, a murdered professor when she worked as a university writer and editor, or a victim killed by a horseshoe. But she has relished creating those inciting incidents for her Bethany Jarviss Mysteries. Rita writes at home in Colorado and at the New Mexico cabin she shares with her husband and their golden retriever, Agatha. She owns entire crumbling collections of books by Christie, Sayers, Allingham, and Marsh, and most of the Nancy Drews through number forty-three.

For more about Rita, go to https://ritapopp.com and www.facebook.com/rita.popp/.

What others are saying about this book: “There’s no shortage of secrets, hidden connections, red herrings, and fuel for speculation. Overall, The Middle of Nowhere is a treat for armchair detectives looking for some light reading.” -- Gabriel Santos for Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews

The Middle of Nowhere and the first two Bethany Jarviss Mysteries, The First Fiancée and The End of Promise, are available in paperback and ebook formats from Amazon.com and other retailers. 

Lexi Cherry is Dead

               Today, Wild Women Authors focus on Lexi Cherry Is Dead, a contemporary paranormal-mystery, written by Iowa author, Jo Mallory, and recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing.

About the Book: Casey Cherry has been desperately following the disappearance of her little sister, Lexi, but after months with no answers or leads, Casey is visited by Lexi’s ghost, who has no recollection of how she died.

Now, Casey must make amends with her two estranged best friends, paranormal enthusiast Rusty Harbor and stubborn realist Sara Pearce, to help her solve the puzzle. Unsure of how to navigate this new phenomenon, Casey also seeks guidance from the local witch. Most patrons in the small coastal Maine community are weary of her, but Casey realizes she may have some answers to her never-ending list of questions.

Suddenly, everyone is a suspect, and no one can be trusted. While playing the twisted game of whodunit, Casey picks up the pieces of her former life and comes to terms with her sister’s murder, all while courting the girl next door.

What others are saying about this book: “. . . Fans of TV shows Pretty Little Liars, Ghost Whisperer, and Gilmore Girls, or the books “The Agathas” by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson, “The Cheerleaders” by Kara Thomas, and “Girls Like Girls” by Hayley Kiyoko will enjoy “Lexi Cherry Is Dead”.

Lexi Cherry is Dead can be found at:

https://books2read.com/u/mgeJeX

About our Focus Author:

Jo Mallory (she/they) is a Midwest-based author and freelance Entertainment & Pop Culture journalist. In her fiction work, she focuses on Young Adult paranormal, romance, mystery, thriller/suspense, and horror. As a journalist, she focuses mainly on artist interviews and pop culture analysis. She is currently an Editorial Assistant at Honey POP, an online music publication.  In her free time, she enjoys traveling, seeing live music, or staying at home with her two cat children, Akasha and Lestat. She resides in Iowa.

 

Blue Dog and Karen Hulene Bartell

 . . . Locals whisper of the bayou’s thin places, where boundaries blur, and the rift distorts between fact and folklore. . .

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Karen Hulene Bartell and Blue Dog, a contemporary novel of suspense and a touch of the paranormal, a current release out of the Wild Rose Press.

First up is Deirdre “Dare” Doyle, a budding PhD candidate and explorer of many facets of the Louisiana bayou.

Good morning, Dare. Thank you for joining us. Let’s begin with you telling us a bit about Blue Dog. It is the story of my summer from hell…the two—not three months I’d been promised—but two months to complete/defend my dissertation to keep my job as adjunct professor and nurse my aunt as she recovers from her rotator cuff operation. If my toxic ex isn’t sabotaging me, a Louisiana hurricane and a bayou shapeshifter are threatening me. As if that isn’t enough, a seductive ranger’s competing for the little time I do have.”

Sounds like the typical, well-rounded life of a busy grad student. Not. What made you choose being a professor of Environmental Geography for a profession/career? In a nutshell…I wanted to be just like my favorite aunt, who’s always been more than an aunt. Kim was a second mother. Growing up, I spent more time with her than my parents, who were always on the road conducting fieldwork. They believed providing was the same as parenting. They always thought they could postpone their time with me until a car accident kept them away permanently.

She was my role model. She was my anchor. In fact, her house was—is—the closest thing to a home I’ve ever known, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps…be an Environmental Geography professor just like her.

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being an Environmental Geography professor or do something different? Funny you should ask. Recently, Kim paraphrased Marilyn Monroe, saying, ‘A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night. I want you to be happy, and to do that, your life needs a balance between goals and relationships.

When I asked if her life had been happy, a tear trickled down her cheek. ‘My life’s been good, fulfilling, but I wouldn’t call it complete, either. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be so single-minded that you don’t leave room for relationships…There’s more to life than work. Work to live, don’t live to work. Don’t confuse a career with your identity.’ And that conversation made me reassess my relationship with Clay.”

What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear depends on the day of the week. If I’m not worried about losing my job as adjunct professor or if my toxic ex isn’t sabotaging my dissertation with his sped-up timeline, I’m concerned about my aunt’s mood swings and side effects from her post-surgery pain meds. Other days, I’m terrified of the shapeshifter stalking me or whether I’m making the right choice regarding Clay. But my greatest fear is being in the direct path of the Category 5 hurricane making landfall.

With all that going on, who is your favorite fictional character and why? Scarlett O’Hara is my favorite fictional character because she always kept going, no matter what wrenches life threw at her.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Aunt Kim’s advice, ‘Work to live, don’t live to work. Don’t confuse a career with your identity.’

Thanks for taking the time out of a busy and fulfilling schedule, Dare. Now we’d like to chat with your creator, Karen Hulene Bartell.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I have to agree with Dare’s choice: Scarlett O’Hara and, of course, Margaret Mitchell, her creator.

With regard to research for Blue Dog, where did you start? And, did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? Many years ago, I became concerned with the ecological issues surrounding the Atchafalaya Basin. I started by researching the environmental impacts online, found references to rougarous, then attended the Rougarou Festival in Houma, Louisiana. Locals whom I chatted with in the Cajun country gave me far more insights than Googling. What evolved is (I hope) an entertaining story that highlights the plight of Louisiana’s bayous and its residents.

And it certainly did that! Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them? I first approached The Wild Rose Press in 2017 with my manuscript Wild Rose Pass. Honestly, it was the similarity of the names that caught my attention. But after nine years and six books with them, they’ve become my publishing home.

How is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query to date of release? Largely dependent on the editor, the turn-around time has diverged quite a bit. I think Wild Rose Pass and my previous book Indigo took the longest—roughly two years each, but Blue Dog (editor Ally Robertson) has been the fastest turn-around from query/submission to release date—about four months, if that.”

What are you reading right now? I’m currently reading Night Magic by Leigh Ann Henion and The Giver by Lois Lowry. Each is the recommendation for a separate book club—one environmental, and one social.

What's next for you? My [current] WIP is tentatively entitled Once in a Blue Moon. This suspense romance is the third in the Cryptid Charisma series and is set near Caddo Lake, along the North Texas/Louisiana border, where sightings of wood apes and bigfoot are regularly reported—and I kid you not!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Blue Dog, we can’t wait for this one. Thank you, Karen, for your understanding and patience with getting this blog visit up and running. We appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. KHD/vl

To learn more about Blue Dog and the stories Karen Hulene Bartell creates go to:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell  

Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/ 

Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell

To purchase Blue Dog, go to:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5X15M1P/thewildrosepr-20

Apple Books (iTunes) - https://books.apple.com/us/book/blue-dog/id6781672441

Universal Link - https://books2read.com/u/3yqjrZ

 

Greeting Cards for Exes

               “. . . a beautifully complex array of characters that touch your heart.” –A Bookish Escape

Today, Wild Women Authors focus on Greeting Cards for Exes, a contemporary women’s fiction, written by Rebekah L. Purdy, and recently released by Rowan Prose Publishing

About the Book: Piper Mishner has spent the last year trying to get over her ex, which is hard to do after he decides to move into the apartment next to hers with his new fiancé. As if she needs the reminder of how painful the breakup was. Not to mention, her job as a greeting card writer is now at risk due to her cynicism about love.

“I’m bored with you and need a change.”

The infamous words of Kerrie Holloway’s ex-husband, who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of being an “ex” since he wants her to pretend for their kids and family that they’re still together. While dating others and living in the same house. She gets a job in sales at a greeting card company, and is finally on the way to saving for her own place.

Maude Gilchrist has spent over fifty years married to the same man. A man who, one day, just leaves. No goodbye. No explanation. He was just gone. Bitter and alone, she decides to postpone retirement from the greeting card company. Although writing sappy cards about love is the last thing she wants to do.

Through lunch hour talks, weekend getaways, and drunken brawls, the ladies of All For You Greeting Cards Company help heal one another’s wounds and learn there are more important things in life than having a man. There may be a generational gap, but they all have the “ex-factor” in common.

What others are saying about this book: “. . .Fans of Ashley Poston, Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, Mia Sheridan, and Kristin Hannah will enjoy "Greeting Cards For Exes" by Rebekah L. Purdy. . .”

Greeting Cards for Exes can be found at: https://books2read.com/u/bQlRpD

About our Focus Author: Rebekah L. Purdy is an army veteran, born and raised in Michigan. She works full time for the court system and, in her free time, she writes YA stories across many genres, with more than 15 titles to date. She has a large family, including furbabies.

"Greeting Cards for Exes" is her first women's fiction book. She can be found at: www.rebekahlpurdy.com