Book Tour Featuring *Sazerac, Sleuth & Slay* by Mary Cunningham @MaryCunningham @dollycas #giveaway #guestpost

Sazerac, Sleuth & Slay (An Andi Anna Jones Mystery)
by Mary Cunningham

About Sazerac, Sleuth & Slay

Sazerac, Sleuth & Slay (An Andi Anna Jones Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – In, and around, New Orleans
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (February 27, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509247440
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509247448
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BQGVDG7P

It’s gonna be a great day! Or, so she thought.

Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent, amateur sleuth, doesn’t suspect her least favorite client, Stewart (The Pain) Payne, will set off circumstances that lead to disappearance and death.

After his wife is a no-show for a convention in New Orleans, his threat to sue Graves Travel for “ten times more than it’s worth”, and Andi’s wish to honor one of her late dad’s requests, leads her to The Big Easy in search of Grace Payne.

Five unsolved murders, a body caught in a crawfish cage, and a mysterious candle, magic, and incense shop, takes Andi deep into the bayou on a hunt for clues.

Will another victim be added to a serial killer’s list, or is the main suspect closer to Andi than she thinks?

Author Guest Post

Andi Anna Jones, mediocre travel agent, with an inferiority complex about her job, her looks, and her single status, discovers her “inner sleuth” in Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder.

Let me explain how Andi’s occupation, personality, fears, and story came to life. Keeping with advice I got years ago, to “write what you know’, the main character is loosely based on a horrifying stint I had in North Miami Beach as a travel agent. I was truly awful and would duck behind my computer whenever a customer came through the door.

I also had a fantastic co-worker who pitched in when I got in a jam. Ellen recognized my fear from the first day, and graciously helped when I got stuck. Even so, I struggled to comprehend the job while my brain continued to jumble $$$ – SDF-DFW – 10:40 ET, 7:20 PT, 3:30, MT, and (heaven help me!) Greenwich Mean Time.

The fact I froze when faced with dozens of choices on computer screens made me wonder if I have Visual Comprehension Disorder. For instance, put me in a fast food restaurant and tell me to choose a meal, and I’ll stand there until they close down before I fully grasp the entire menu. Put me at an airline computer reservation screen and I’m unable to connect the categories for departure, arrival, price, or qualification. I do not, however, have other symptoms of this disorder such as: Confusing similar looking words, poor reading comprehension, difficulty telling time or understanding the concept of time, easily forgetting letters, numbers or words, or a poor speller.

However, two other categories caught my eye. Handwriting that is crooked or poorly spaced (Okay, my handwriting is atrocious!) and difficulty following multi-stepped directions (Yep, that’s me!)

Struggles aside, I made it through one whole year before we made the decision to move from the east coast of Florida to the west. I’m not sure who celebrated more when I walked out that agency door for the last time; me or that saint of a travel agency owner, Patty. *

Writing the series about Andi, her competent assistant, Ellie, and the rest of the quirky cast, helped exorcise the experience from my memory by giving Andi a positive outlet for her curiosity and love of a good mystery. I’ve also shared many laughs along the way as Andi stumbles and crashes her way through danger, intrigue, romance, frustration, and closure.

So, dear reader, please be kind when you judge Andi’s incompetence and lack of confidence. She’s doing her best. And, besides, you might hurt the author’s feelings.

*In an ironic turn of events, I taught travel and tourism in Fort Myers, Florida. Loved the job and was good at it! Go figure.

About Mary Cunningham

Author, Mary Cunningham grew up on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana.

Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn”.

Through the author’s horrifying stint as a travel agent, protagonist Andi Anna Jones, travel agent and amateur sleuth, sprang to life. The adult/mystery series gives extra meaning to the phrase, “Write what you know.”

Cunningham also has a published biography depicting a military brat, college and professional basketball player, along with a five-book, middle-grade fantasy series.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime, Atlanta Chapter, International Thriller Writers, Inc., and the Carrollton Writers Guild.

When she gives her fingers a break from the keyboard, she enjoys golf, swimming, and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where she makes her home with her husband.