Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance, Women & Gender Studies
Website: Author Tonya Kappes
Twitter: @tonyakappes11
E-Mail: Tonyak11(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
Tonya is an Amazon Movers and Shakers, and International bestselling author. She writes humorous cozy mystery and women's fiction that involves quirky characters in quirky situations.
Splitsville.com, the first novel in the Olivia Davis Mystery Series, is a double finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Mystery and Humorous Categories.
A New Tradition, the first small town romance short story, is the winner in the 2013 Indie Romance Novella Reader's Choice Award.
Carpe Bead 'em is the winner in Amazon's eFestival of Words in the Women's Fiction/Chick-lit Category.
A Charming Crime is nominated in 2013 eFestival of Words in the Fantasy Category. A Charming Crime's heroine, June Heal, is nominated in 2013 eFestival of Words Best Heroine Category. Become a member of Tonya's STREET TEAM! It's a gathering place of readers who love Tonya Kappes novels and Tonya gives away prizes! To sign up for Tonya's STREET TEAM, newsletter, view book trailer, and upcoming news, check out Tonya's website, Tonyakappes.com.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: A Ghostly Demise. What do you have on the drawing board next? Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called A Ghostly Murder. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Oh! You have your finger on the pulse. Yes! The fourth novel in my Ghostly Southern Mystery Series, A GHOSTLY MURDER, will be released on September 28th! I'm very fortunate HarperCollins has put out the first four novels in the series this year!
Here is the blurb!
Emma Lee raines knows there's only one cure for a bad case of murder I told you I was sick, reads the headstone above Mamie Sue Preston's grave. She was the richest woman in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, and also the biggest hypochondriac. Ironic, considering someone killed her—and covered it up perfectly. And how does Emma Lee, proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, know all this? Because Mamie Sue's ghost told her, that's how. And she's offering big bucks to find the perp.
The catch is, Mamie Sue was buried by the Raines family's archrival, Burns Funeral Home. Would the Burnses stoop to framing Emma Lee's granny? With an enterprising maid, a penny-pinching pastor, and a slimy Lexington lawyer all making a killing off Mamie Sue's estate, Emma Lee needs a teammate—like her dreamboat boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross. Because with millions at stake, snooping around is definitely bad for Emma Lee's health.
You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?
Oh these are such GREAT questions. Social media, including Twitter has really changed the way I have interacted with readers. I'm a people person and the more up front and personal I can get with someone, the better. Social media has really let me get to know my readers as more than just a reader. I'm also able to share with them my personal life and let them connect with me. I even take it a step further and make sure I send out birthday cards to all my readers each month or even just a hand written post card. When I'm lucky enough to get to see one of my readers at a live event, I make sure I ask them a personal question they might have talked about on their social media. I do care about my readers and love that social media gives me a little glimpse into their life. I'm honored and so grateful they pick up one of my books during a busy day of life and read my stories.
As for building my niche, social media's hashtags or groups are target specific which make it so much easier to reach that audience. My book launches are GREAT! I'm able to have some real fun with the social media aspect of the release. I love doing the chats, giving away prizes, and hosting Kindle chats with readers who have read the books. It's like a mini book club!
You do a lot of book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances. When and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
KissCon Arlington Heights, IL
Monday, September 28, 2015 at 6:15 p.m.
Tuscan Market & Wine Shop book club is proud to partner with Harper Collins/Avon and Little Black Dress wines to present KissCon Arlington Heights (the Ultimate Girls Night Out) featuring 8 Best Selling Women Authors for an evening of love, laughter and libations!
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
111 W Campbell St
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
$50 includes 2 drink tickets (wine, beer, soda), light appetizers, 2 books (new releases and selective favorites available that night) & author signings
Purchase your ticket by calling Tuscan Market at (847) 392-9700 For more info visit https://www.facebook.com/events/520211998143777/
Authors attending include Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lena Diaz, HelenKay Dimon, Beverly Jenkins, Tonya Kappes, Jennifer Ryan, LizBeth Selvig and Wendy Corsi Staub.
Readers can jump over to my website at tonyakappes.com and check out all my other live events. Every year in the fall I also host my own reader events. I rent out a mystery train and readers come from all over to ride the train and participate in a murder mystery while eating dinner! It's so much fun. We make a weekend out of it with a pizza party and a book signing at a local store. The event sells out in hours. I'm so grateful for such great readers! Next years train is REALLY going to be great, but I'm not telling until October 3rd. So be sure to check my website!
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I'm fortunate enough to have cover control with my traditional novels as well as my self-published titles. While writing the novels, I get a good sense of what I'd like to have on the cover. From there I work with the artist to get exactly what is in my head. Covers are VERY important to me.
Several of your novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience for you? Do you recommend new authors going this route to get more exposure?
I absolutely LOVE audio books. It has NOT hurt my regular sales at all. In fact, it has opened up a whole new audience. Some readers have bad eyes or can't read for long periods of time and the audio book works great for them. I would tell every author to be on every platform. Why not?
You have written several short stories. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
I came up with my first short when I wanted to introduce the reader to a new crop of characters. It was sort of a prequel thing. Since I write mystery, I have a tad bit of romance in them. Short stories are great to hit on those romance elements instead of incorporating them in a full novel. It's been very helpful for me and keeps my readers happy between novels.
I like the idea of Author bundles. You are a part of a novel collection called Tombstones and Tiaras. What was the impact on your other sales? What was the main objective of bundling your works with other romance authors? How did you put something like that together?
I was very excited to be asked to be in that boxset. Our idea was to be what I like to call PR BUDDIES where we tap into each other's reader base. It's a great way to get new readers. Luckily I've never had to put one together. I'm on the fun end.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
I have a perm-free novel on kindle. It's the first in my Magical Cures Series. I give it away because I want to reach more readers and if they end up liking my free novel, they will pick up the other 8 in the series. I'm upfront and honest with my writing. If they like the book GREAT! If not, no big deal. It was free, right?! I do a lot of giveaways. I love it! It makes me feel like I'm treating them to something. I'm so grateful for readers and without them I wouldn't be living my dream.
Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?
I have a pretty big newsletter list. I also keep an address book of my reader's mailing address. Every month I mail between 10-20 post cards to random readers. I hope they feel happy and loved and appreciated when they get one from me. It's my way of showing appreciation. I put out two newsletters a month. The second and fourth Tuesdays. The second Tuesday, one of my author friends give away one of their books to a lucky subscriber and the fourth is information on upcoming events, novels, parties, etc....When a new reader signs up for my newsletter, they receive a free ebook mystery download. It's worked great so far. My newsletter is by far my best marketing tool.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
I do not seek reviews. I do not read them. I know....I probably should but I don't. Everyone has their own opinion and I can't change it.
Author's Book List
A Ghostly Demise
- A Ghostly Southern MysteryThe prodigal father returns—but this ghost is no holy spirit
When she runs into her friend's deadbeat dad at the local deli, undertaker Emma Lee Raines can't wait to tell Mary Anna Hardy that he's back in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, after five long years. Cephus Hardy may have been the town drunk, but he didn't disappear on an epic bender like everyone thought: He was murdered. And he's heard that Emma Lee's been helping lost souls move on to that great big party in the sky.
Why do ghosts always bother Emma Lee at the worst times? Her granny's mayoral campaign is in high gear, a carnival is taking over the town square, and her hunky boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, is stuck wrestling runaway goats. Besides, Cephus has no clue whodunit…unless it was one of Mrs. Hardy's not-so-secret admirers. All roads lead Emma Lee to that carnival—and a killer who isn't clowning around.
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A CHARMING FATALITY
- Magical Cures Mystery Book 7Bubble. . .Bubble. . .
Whispering Falls’ resident potion maker, June Heal, is the first witch in the magical village to make a big money deal with the Head To Toe Works, a national chain specializing in spa and natural products.
Cures and Trouble. . .
June is going to need to use her own stress relief potion she made especially for Head To Toe Works after she discovers the dead body of Burt Rossen, the co-owner of Head To Toe Works, on the belt of the assembly line of her stress free lotion product.
Magic Stirs. . .
A new baby is born in Whispering Falls and giving Oscar Park, June’s fiancé and Whispering Falls’ sheriff, the itch to get a wedding date set and gives June an ultimatum.
And Trouble Doubles. . .
June is forced to use her witchy ways to figure out who stole her secret potion after it turns up missing. Rumors are flying around like broomsticks that June is a witch and used a spell to murder Mr. Rossen. Someone wants her out of Head To Toe Works, but who? Will the killer get to June before she can walk down the aisle?
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Checkered Thief
- A Laurel London Mystery Book 3Brassy, sassy southern babe Laurel London is back!
Once again, the entire Laurel London crew is in action, including Trixie Turner, and trying to figure out who is the mastermind behind the Glitz and Glam casino heist.
The heist king blackmails Laurel into believing Laurel’s long time best friend, Derek Smitherman, will be on the other end of the vigilante gun if she doesn’t help in stealing the money using her history of petty crime.
Cursed with a disastrous new task of putting her amateur sleuth skills to work and an increasing sense that it's really time to get a new job, Laurel spirals and tumbles through CHECKERED THIEF with all the wisecracks and pace her fans have come to expect.
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A Ghostly Grave
- A Ghostly Southern MysteryThere's a ghost on the loose—and a fox in the henhouse
Four years ago, the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home put Chicken Teater in the ground. Now undertaker Emma Lee Raines is digging him back up. The whole scene is bad for business, especially with her granny running for mayor and a big festival setting up in town. But ever since Emma Lee started seeing ghosts, Chicken's been pestering her to figure out who killed him.
With her handsome boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, busy getting new forensics on the old corpse, Emma Lee has time to look into her first suspect. Chicken's widow may be a former Miss Kentucky, but the love of his life was another beauty queen: Lady Cluckington, his prize-winning hen. Was Mrs. Teater the jealous type? Chicken seems to think so. Something's definitely rotten in Sleepy Hollow—and Emma Lee just prays it's not her luck.
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A Ghostly Undertaking
- A Ghostly Southern MysteryA funeral, a ghost, a murder . . . It's all in a day's work for emma lee raines . . .
Bopped on the head from a falling plastic Santa, local undertaker Emma Lee Raines is told she's suffering from “funeral trauma.” It's trauma all right, because the not-so-dearly departed keep talking to her. Take Ruthie Sue Payne—innkeeper, gossip queen, and arch-nemesis of Emma Lee's granny—she's adamant that she didn't just fall down those stairs. She was pushed.
Ruthie has no idea who wanted her pushing up daisies. All she knows is that she can't cross over until the matter is laid to eternal rest. In the land of the living, Emma Lee's high-school crush, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, isn't ready to rule out foul play. Granny Raines, the widow of Ruthie's ex-husband and co-owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, is the prime suspect. Now Emma Lee is stuck playing detective or risk being haunted forever.
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A Charming Secret
- Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 6Bubble... Bubble...
June Heal has it all.
A Charming Cure, her magical cure shop in the town of Whispering Falls, is thriving and she's engaged to her childhood sweetheart and sheriff, Oscar Park. Petunia Shrubwood is taking over as Village President and there is a new bed and breakfast in town, Full Moon Treesort.
Life in Whispering Falls is good.
Cures And Trouble...
Evil begins to lurk as June's nightmares return, sending her intuition into a downward spiral.
A Charming Cure goes up in flames and there is a dead body in the attic, clutching one of June's cures, sending some of the residents of Whispering Falls on a hunt. . .and she's the one they are looking for!
Magic Stirs...
June flees to her hometown of Locust Grove, reopening her cure shop at the local flea market, giving her the opportunity to use her intuition and put her sleuthing skills to work.
And Troubles Double...
Will June wake up from this nightmare in time to save Mr. Prince Charming, her Fairy-God cat, after her nightmare reveals his ultimate demise?
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Checkered Past
- A Laurel London Mystery Book 2Laurel London is one tough cookie. . .
Convict Willie Ray Bowman escapes from prison just days away from his date with "Old Sparky," the Kentucky state federal prison electric chair. Laurel hasn't seen Willie Ray since the day he left her picking up the pieces of her broken heart in Walnut Grove, Kentucky.
Can Laurel put her bitter, angry, feelings aside and help Willie Ray prove his innocence before the FBI find him?
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Taming Mr. Right
- A Bluegrass RomanceVivian Westwood is smart, practical, and has always followed the rules. She prides herself on her work ethic and climbing her way up the ladder where she just got promoted to her dream job as head horse trainer at the Lady B Horse Farm, leaving her little time for anything more in her life.
Cowboy Clay Preston likes his women like he likes to train his horses, fast. When he answers the help wanted sign at the Lady B Horse Farm, he sets his eyes on Vivian Westwood. He is use to getting what he wants and just because she's his boss doesn't stop him.
Vivian plays hard to get. Just when Clay ropes her, the secrets from his past turn their new life upside down.
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Checkered Crime
- A Laurel London MysteryLaurel London is one tough cookie. Orphaned and with one heckuva checkered past, she’s grown street smart and no one is going to tell her different, even if it means getting tangled up with the wrong side of the law. After terrorizing Walnut Grove, Kentucky all her adolescent life, she’s back and she’s ready to go on the up and up. Make something of herself. Prove the citizens of Walnut Grove wrong and make them admit she’s somebody.
But when mobster Trigger Finger Tony Cardozza jumps in the back of Laurel London’s car mistaking it for a taxi, she’s up to her ears in no good.
Recently fired and checkbook in the red, when Trigger offers to pay Laurel large wads of cash to drive him where he needs to go and keep her mouth shut, she’s all in. That is, until FBI agent Jax Jackson jumps in the back of Laurel London’s car threatening to take her to jail for her past crimes if she doesn’t cooperate with the FBI by going undercover to help bring down the mob.
Laurel finds herself battling the past and good vs evil and she’s not sure which is more deadly.
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Crimped To Death
- A Divorced Diva Mini-Mystery Book 2Enjoy the beaded jewelry set pattern in the back of the novel that Holly Harper creates in CRIMPED TO DEATH. You too can wear one of Holly's fabulous designs.
The Divorced Divas are a motley crew of women, all of whom are not afraid to stand up to the men who scorned them. During their beaded jewelry classes, the Divas plot ways to kill their exes. . .pretend play of course.
Someone in Swanee, Kentucky is trying to stop the group of women from meeting and will stop at nothing to make that happen. . .including the murder of Diva Bernadine’s ex-husband using one of The Beaded Dragonfly’s crimping tools as the weapon.
Holly Harper and the Diva’s must set aside their beading projects to clear Bernadine’s name and find the killer—before another Diva’s ex becomes the next victim.
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Tag. . .You're IT
After a horrible accident claimed the life of her best friend, seventeen year old Honor Prescott claims she can hear, see and touch dead people. To escape the ridicule, Honor's parents move her clear across the country to Harmony, Kentucky for a fresh start.
Honor’s dead best friend, Hillary Cooper, is desperate to help her friend and reveals the greatest secret a high schooler could know. The IT list, a national secret society that gives you instant popularity and Hillary has just put Honor’s name on the top of that list and everything is about to change.
The most popular guy in school, gorgeous, smart Chad Bowman suddenly only has eyes for Honor, knocking uber-popular Minnie Thompson off the top of the IT list.
Honor is drawn deeper into the popular world while trying to keep the other ghosts at bay, unearthing Harmony’s scandalous secrets that were meant to stay buried.
Only in the middle of her every wish come true, Honor finds out that being popular isn't all it's cracked up to be and can sometimes be murderous.
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A Charming Magic
- Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 5Bubble, Bubble. . .
Magic is floating all around Whispering Falls. There is a new flower shop, Magical Moments, and an upcoming wedding that has the town on cloud nine.
Cures and Trouble. . .
Arabella Paxton, the owner of Magical Moments is smart, beautiful and has her eyes on Oscar Park. Not even the dark cloud looming over Whispering Falls is going to stop her from what she wants.
Magic Stirs. . .
Village President and A Charming Cure owner, June Heal, is on a mission to find out why things are dying in Whispering Falls including her relationship with Oscar Park.
And Trouble Doubles. . .
There is a perfect storm brewing and a beloved Whispering Falls resident has been poisoned from a potion bought at A Charming Cure. June Heal has to use all her sleuthing skills and a little bit of magic to not only clear her name but help Oscar remember that she is the love of his life.
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A Charming Spell
- Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 4Bubble... Bubble...
There is a new store Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Ophelia Biblio, the owner of Ever After Book Shop, has a power that no one else in Whispering Falls has. She’s a witch and her shop is magical.
Cures and trouble...
June Heal is on a mission to come up with a special cure for Sheriff Oscar Park to help him regain his memory, while working hard at being the best newly elected Village President of the magical village.
Magic stirs...
Alexelrod Primrose shows up on June’s doorstep begging her to block the opening of Ever After Books, making her wonder if opening the village doors to witches is a good idea.
And troubles double...
When one of the Spiritualist turns up dead and Oscar Park is falling in love with someone else, June has her hands full trying to solve a murder and fix her love life.
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A Charming Wish
- Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 3Bubble, Bubble. . .
It seems shop owner and newly appointed Whispering Falls Village President June Heal has it all: Beauty, wits, bewitching powers...Sheriff Oscar Park. Life is good. Because life in Whispering Falls is magical.
Cures and Trouble. . .
But when a member of the community is found dead on the steps of A Charming Cure, June's homeopathic cure shop, and her fingerprints show up at the scenes of local robberies, she is kicked off the village council and her powers fall under scrutiny. Until it's uncovered who is wreaking havoc on the town...June's magic is suspended.
Magic Stirs. . .
With the help of a rather obnoxious genie and Mr. Prince Charming, June's Fairy-God cat, June is determined to figure out who is framing her. Time is of the essence when it becomes clear that the true villain is trying to get rid of her...permanently!
And Trouble Doubles. . .
Oscar Park will do anything to protect June even if that means giving up all of his magical powers. . .or worse, his life.
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Strung Out to Die
**BONUS BEADED BRACELET PATTERN IN THE BOOK**
Holly Harper's life is finally getting back on the right track after her divorce from "what's his name." She and a group of divorcees have formed a strong bond plotting creative ways to get back at their exes and created a self-help group known as The Divorced Divas where their meetings are held in Holly's bead store, The Beaded Dragonfly.
It’s no secret that Holly’s ex husband, Sean Harper, and the wealthiest bachelor in Swanee, Doug Sloan, don’t get along because Sean is constantly fixing all of Doug’s shoddy handy man work. Plus all the Divas would love to get their claws in some of Doug’s money.
When Doug ends up dead on the floor of The Beaded Dragonfly with a string of cat eye beads around his neck, it’s up to Holly to figure out whose framing her.
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A Charming Cure
- Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 2Bubble. . .Bubble. . .
Psychic June Heal's homeopathic cure shop, A Charming Cure, is the most popular shop in the unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky.
Cures and Trouble. . .
June is about to learn she has more than psychic abilities when she attends Hidden Hall A Spiritualist University, leaving her shop in the hands of handsome sheriff Oscar Park.
Hidden Hall has an internal war between the Good-Siders and the Dark-Siders, putting June in the middle.
Magic Stirs. . .
Hidden Hall is riddled with every type of spiritualist. Magic is lurking around every corner, even black-magic.
Unfortunately, the Ultimate Spell gets into the wrong hands. But it is only discovered after a few spiritualist go missing or end up poisoned to death.
And Trouble Doubles. . .
Madam Torres, June's crystal ball, reveals that A Charming Cure is in shambles along with the rest of Whistpering Falls.
Will June figure out who has the Ultimate Spell and stop them before they destroy the entire spiritualist community?
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A Charming Crime
- Book One - Magical Cures Mystery Series 1Bubble... Bubble...
June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems.
Cures and trouble...
Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought. . .literally.
Magic stirs...
June discovers she was born into a family of psychics, and her homeopathic cures truly are magical. Unfortunately, they are not magical enough to save her from being the number one murder suspect when a member of the community that she had just had a disagreement with shows up face down in the lake with June’s lucky charm in the victim’s grasp.
And troubles double...
Add to that an attraction to her high school best friend, Sheriff Oscar Park and Mr. Prince Charming, her cat, is stealing charms from Belle’s Baubles, June is forced to clear her name in more ways than murder. After all, they don’t have cauldrons in jail.
A Charming Crime is book one of the bestselling Magical Cures Mystery series. Come walk around Whispering Falls for a fun, fantasy mystery with magic and romance. You won't want to leave.
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
eBook Author’s Corner and
HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
That was a really great interview! The questions were awesome, as well as the answers. You are amazing Tonya Kappes! :)
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