Spotlight & Giveaway: Dog Bones and Dead Bodies by Paige Tyler

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Paige Tyler to HJ!

Hi Paige and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Dog Bones and Dead Bodies!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to spend time chatting with me about my new book, Dog Bones and Dead Bodies! Harlequin Junkie has always been a wonderful place to visit and I can’t think of a better place to share my thoughts on this new cozy series. I hope you enjoy hearing about it as much as I enjoy talking about it!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Cozy up with a new book from Paige Tyler! Staying ahead of a cold-blooded murderer is no piece of pupcake in this fun pet cozy mystery! The most hated man in town gets himself killed and there’s no shortage of suspects. But when one of Tassie’s friends gets blamed for the crime, she’s determined to figure out who did it!
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

“You know those are dog treats, right?” Tassie asked.

From where she stood over by the long rustic-looking table with its plethora of three-tiered stands piled high with a variety of homemade dog treats, Lucy Shaw glanced up from the peanut butter bone-shaped cookie she was snacking on, blue eyes twinkling. “I know, but I’m hungry and these taste delicious. Besides, I’m eating for two.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I was inspired to write this series after watching the mysteries on the Hallmark Channel. I didn’t know I loved cozy mysteries so much until I found myself binge watching Murder 101, which ended up becoming my absolute favorite TV series! So when I decided to start a new series (after finishing up writing Special Wolf Alpha Team), it seemed completely natural to make it a cozy mystery. And after finishing this first book, it turned out that it was an awesome idea. I love this genre!
• I love dogs and they’re an important part of my life, so when I started writing this cozy series, I knew I wanted to put a doggie in a leading role. That’s why I gave my amateur sleuth, Tassie, a Chiweenie companion named Baxter. The fact that we also happen to have a Chiweenie who looks exactly like Baxter has everything to do with it!
• Of course, Baxter is more than a brave companion in this series. It turns out that our little Chiweenie is really good at knowing when people around him are fibbing. Every once in a while, he’ll throw Tassie the side eye when someone nearby is telling a lie. But you have to be careful who’s talking around you or you might make a mistake!
• Bluewater Bay is the quintessential cozy mystery town. The town is set on the coast of Maine, with a picturesque cove that just begs to be painted. It’s a place where everyone knows each other and are as friendly as can be. The kind of place where everyone would love to go to for a vacation. Or even live there.
• But like any small, quaint town, the beauty of Bluewater Bay can cover up some big secrets. And these secrets are going to lead to people getting murdered. But this is a cozy, so the murders will be in the nicest possible way…promise!

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

Tassie first meets Detective Jack Sterling at a murder scene…over a dead body. You’d think that the whole dead body thing would immediately disqualify this as a potential meet-cute scenario, but you’d be wrong!

Tassie finds herself appreciating how incredibly handsome the town’s newest police detective happens to be, even if he insists that her friend is a suspect in the death of one of the town’s most disliked characters.

Jack moved to Bluewater Bay to get away from the hustle, bustle of the big city. But he’s barely arrived before the first murder case hits his desk. But it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if the woman who found the body wasn’t so fascinating. She’s clever, stubborn, and beautiful. Just the kind of woman he likes!
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Sweet (This is a cozy, so set your oven to a low simmer.)

Slow-Burn (Tassie and Jack will be orbiting each other for a while before getting together.)

Tentative (They’re taking their time to get it right.)

Complicated (It’s hard to worry about dating when there’s a murder to solve.)

Obvious (To everyone but them.)
 

The First Kiss…

Well, since this is a cozy mystery, the first kiss is an “almost” first kiss. Tassie and Jack are walking back to Pupcakes, her doggy bakery, after having dinner at a dog-friendly restaurant in town so her Chiweenie, Baxter, could join. It’s not technically a date, but more of a brainstorming session to figure out who the murderer could be. Still, there are definitely sparks between them. Here’s a snippet…

As they stood there gazing at each other, Tassie got the feeling Jack wanted to kiss her. Which was perfectly a-okay with her. She wanted to kiss him too.

She didn’t know who leaned closer to the other first, but his lips were just inches away from hers when Baxter let out a sharp bark, interrupting whatever smooching was going to happen. She stepped back with an embarrassed laugh even as he did the same.

Since Baxter clearly liked Jack, she wasn’t sure why he’d mind if the two of them kissed. She glanced at her fur baby to see what was up with him only to realize that he wasn’t paying attention to them at all. Instead, he was focused on something down the street, ears and eyes on high alert.

While she was glad he hadn’t suddenly changed his mind about liking Jack, unfortunately, the romantic moment that’d been there a moment ago now seemed to have disappeared.

Drats.

“Well, I guess Baxter sees something or someone he doesn’t like over there,” Jack chuckled.

“Yeah.” She gave Baxter a kiss on the nose, then smiled. “I better get home.”

“Drive safe.” Jack petted her pooch on the head. “Goodnight, Baxter.”

Tassie got Baxter all situated in the SUV, then gave Jack a wave as she turned onto the street. He returned the gesture, watching her drive down the road before turning to continue along the sidewalk toward the police station. She knew because she snuck a peek at the rearview mirror to check.

She smiled, unable to help it.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

This is right after Tassie and Jack—along with Baxter, of course—talk to a person who was close to the murder victim. It highlights Tassie’s relationship with her Chiweenie as well as some playful banter between her and Jack…

“Well, everything she said was true,” Tassie said when they got to his SUV.

Jack gave her a quizzical look. “How can you be sure?”

“Because Baxter can tell when someone is lying.”

His gaze went from her to Baxter and back to her again. “How does he do that?”

She regarded her fur baby thoughtfully then shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe he can hear it in their voice or see it in their eyes.”

Mouth twitching, Jack reached out to pet Baxter where he was chilling in her arms, his expression skeptical.

“You think I’m imagining it, don’t you?” Tassie asked.

She wasn’t upset or defensive about it. If she hadn’t seen Baxter do his best impression of a lie detector with her own eyes, she might be a little dubious too.

“I know dogs are smart, but…”

“I’ll prove it to you,” she said.

“And how are you going to do that?”

“With a game of two truths and a lie.”

Jack chuckled, clearly amused by that idea.

“Go ahead,” she prompted. “Baxter will let me know which is which.”

He shook his head with another laugh. “Okay. I’ll play along. I was on the lacrosse team in high school. My father is an electrician. And my favorite color is blue.”

Tassie grinned. “Your father isn’t an electrician.”

That proclamation seemed to put him off balance. Jack frowned. “No, he isn’t. He’s a mechanical engineer. But how did Baxter know that?”

“When someone is lying, he gives me a sideways look,” she explained, booping Baxter’s nose with hers. “It’s his other superpower besides being irresistibly cute.”

“That’s amazing,” Jack said, petting Baxter. “Maybe I should have him in the interrogation room with me when I’m talking to a suspect.”

She laughed. “I don’t think I want everyone knowing about what Baxter can do or no one will want to talk to me.”

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

This scene showcases more of that fun banter between Tassie and Jack while also featuring their adorable pooches…

Once they were inside the fenced-in area, Detective Sterling unhooked the leash so his dog could explore the park, but for the moment, the pup seemed more interested in checking everything out from right where he was.

Over on the agility ramp, Baxter stopped what he was doing and regarded the detective and his dog curiously, ears perked and tail wagging.

Even though Detective Sterling probably already saw her—especially since they were the only ones in the park at the moment—Tassie lifted her arm and waved anyway. He waved back and headed her way, his dog at his side. Baxter eagerly jumped off the ramp to greet them, wanting to be friends with the bigger dog.

“This is Gus,” he said with a grin, running his hand up and down the Lab’s back, then giving him a pat.

“Hello, Gus,” she said, offering her hand so he could give it a sniff and decide if he wanted her to pet him. When he happily nudged her fingers, she caressed his floppy ears with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

With the introductions out of the way, Baxter and Gus went off on their own to play, leaving her and the detective to their own devices.

“Detective,” she said as he sat down beside her.

He grinned again. “Jack, please.”

She returned his smile. “Jack.”

He made a show of looking around the dog park.

Wondering what he was searching for, she looked around too. “What are you doing?” she asked.

He turned back to her. “Checking for dead bodies.”

She blinked. “What?”

His mouth twitched. “Well, there were dead bodies around the previous two times we met, so I just wanted to make sure.”

“And?”

“Not a dead body in sight.”

Tassie couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank goodness for that.”

Readers should read this book …

If you love smart likeable female sleuths, adorable sidekicks with four paws, and small towns full of quirky characters, you’ll adore reading about Tassie and Baxter’s adventures in Dog Bones and Dead Bodies!

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

Well, Cupcakes and Corpses, Book Two in the Pupcakes and Peril Series, is already available for pre-order everywhere and will release April 8th! We’re currently working on Book Three in the series, which will release this summer, as well as the next books in the SEALs of Coronado Series and the SWAT : Special Wolf Alpha Team Series.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: I’m giving away eight eBook copies of Dog Bones and Dead Bodies. All you need is an email address!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you enjoy reading stories with pets/animals involved? If so, what are some of your favorites you’ve read about?

 
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Excerpt from Dog Bones and Dead Bodies:

“Since we didn’t get to go yesterday, want to go the dog park for a little while before we go back to the shop?” Tassie asked Baxter.

Figuring the answer to that question was always yes since her fur baby loved the dog park, Tassie started in that direction. The sun would be setting in about an hour or so, but they could squeeze in a little playtime and still get back to the shop before then.

Baxter, however, had other ideas. Instead of falling into step beside her, he stood where he was, little legs spread wide, letting her know he had no intention of going anywhere. Much to her chagrin, he was focused on Conrad’s house.

Like yesterday.

Tassie wasn’t sure exactly where this was going but she already didn’t like it.

“What?” she demanded.

Baxter looked at Tassie, then at Conrad’s house again before turning back to her.

“No way. We aren’t doing this again,” she said. “Finding one dead body was enough, thank you very much. Let’s go.”

But instead of going the way she wanted to go, Baxter let out a little yip, then stepped off the sidewalk and started toward Conrad’s house. He was always a very compliant little dog, so if he wanted to check out Conrad’s house, there must be a good reason. Maybe he’d sniffed out a clue.

“Okay,” she said, letting Baxter lead her across the lawn. “But we really shouldn’t be trespassing on private property, you know.”

Then again, was it still trespassing if Conrad was dead?

Tassie expected Baxter to follow his nose directly up onto the porch and right to the crime scene tape strung across the door to keep people out. But he surprised her by leading her around the house and into the backyard.

O-kay.

“Where are we going, baby?” she asked.

Hopefully, not on a wild squirrel chase.

The trees at the edge of the clearing dappled the yard in shadows and Tassie let out a little shudder. It was creepy back here. And while it wasn’t anywhere near overgrown, it wasn’t going to win any awards in Better Homes & Gardens either.

Perhaps that’s why Conrad was planting those golden glows. Maybe even he thought the yard needed sprucing up.

As for Baxter, he clearly didn’t care what the yard looked like. He was more interested in sniffing every square inch of grass.

“Okay, Baxter,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at the house looming behind them in the shadows. “Let’s make this quick. We don’t want someone finding us back here and calling the police.”

Tassie groaned inwardly. She could only imagine what Detective Sterling would say. Probably something about them messing up an active crime scene. And admittedly looking more gorgeous than he had a right to be while he did.

Out ahead of her, Baxter snuffled at a part of the yard with fresh dirt, then pawed at it. Was that where Conrad had planted the golden glow?

Afraid Baxter might try to eat the seeds if he managed to dig them up, Tassie hurried forward, opening her mouth to call out his name. But before she could, Baxter stopped what he was doing and looked at her, letting out a sharp bark.

“What’s so interesting?” Tassie asked.

She moved closer so she could see what he was looking at. All she saw was dirt and more dirt.

Baxter must have realized she was clueless because he pawed at the soil again, revealing something that looked suspiciously like a human finger.

Sure it couldn’t possibly be that, she crouched down to get a better view. And almost fell on her butt when she realized she was right.

It was a human finger. A man’s if she wasn’t mistaken.

Yikes!

What was a finger doing in Conrad’s backyard?

Maybe a bird had picked it up somewhere else and dropped it here. That could happen, right? And lots of birds hung around Margot’s house with those feeders out there and all. Even so, that seemed a little far-fetched. Where would a bird find a finger?

Tassie looked at the finger again. At the moment, maybe more important than how it got there was whether it was still attached to a hand or not.

She didn’t want to touch the thing—or contaminate the crime scene, if that’s what it turned out to be—to find out though. She didn’t want Baxter digging around it anymore either. Thanks to all the trees, there were a lot of twigs on the ground. Picking the sturdiest
looking one she could find, she gently brushed away some more dirt to reveal another finger, followed by another.

Then a hand.

And the sleeve of what looked like a windbreaker.

Tassie dropped the twig. She’d seen enough.

Fishing her phone out of her crossbody bag, she dialed 9-1-1, then waited.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“Lucy, it’s Tassie,” she said. “I found another dead body.”

“What?! Where?”

“Buried in Conrad’s backyard.”

Lucy was silent for a moment, as if she was too stunned to say anything. Then she mumbled something Tassie couldn’t understand, her voice muffled, like she had her hand over the phone while she was talking to someone.

“Stay there, Tassie,” she finally said. “Jack’s on his way now.”

Sighing, Tassie hung up and looked at Baxter. “So, I guess we’re stuck here until Detective Sterling shows up.”

In a shadow-covered backyard that seemed even creepier now that she’d found a dead body. She wrapped her arms around her and took a few steps back. Baxter sat beside her, his attention fixed on the dirt-encrusted hand. Tassie would rather have looked anywhere but at that, and yet, her gaze kept wandering back there.

“So, who do you think this poor guy is, Baxter?”

He turned his head to look up at her then went back to staring at the lifeless hand in the dirt.

“Yeah, I have no idea either,” she said. “And who killed him and buried him here? Do you think it was Conrad? That makes sense, I suppose. If anyone else did it, Conrad surely would have noticed the body and called the police. Unless he was protecting whoever did it and that person ended up killing him because they were afraid he’d change his mind and turn them in.”

She sighed. This was getting more convoluted by the minute.

Tassie was still trying to fit together the few pieces she had when Detective Sterling showed up. He was accompanied by Henry, the same uniformed officer that was with him yesterday, as well as the coroner and his assistant. Baxter immediately wagged his tail in greeting as the detective walked over to them.

“Baxter,” he said, leaning down to give him a pet on the head before straightening up again and giving her a pointed look. “You seem to have a knack for finding dead bodies, Ms. Drake. That’s two in as many days.”

Lucky her.

“Trust me, it wasn’t on my list of things to do today,” she said dryly.

“Uh-huh.” His gaze was sharp as he eyed her. “Care to show me where the body is?”

Tassie considered staying where she was and pointing it out but decided it would probably be easier to show him. Especially since Baxter was already leading the way.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Life couldn’t be better for Pupcakes Bakery owner Tassie Drake. (Well…life could always be better, but things were pretty doggone good.) Her sister was handling the mind-numbing paperwork of the bakery, and the long Maine winter was over, which meant more bakery business and more walks in the park with her Chiweenie, Baxter––when she wasn’t baking delectably cute doggy treats, that is.

However, discovering a dead body on the way to the dog park was not on Tassie’s to-do list. The fact he was the meanest get-off-my-lawn old man in town didn’t make it better. The fact Tassie’s best friend was being charged with the murder made it worse. And while the town’s new detective, Jack Sterling, might be very (incredibly, drop-dead––oops, bad choice of words) handsome, he had the wrong suspect.

It’s up to Tassie and Baxter to find the real killer––and there is a town full of suspects––before her friend takes the fall. But staying ahead of a cold-blooded murderer is no piece of pupcake.
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Meet the Author:

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of cozy mystery, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband!) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog!).
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