Not gonna lie, y’all–it’s hard to remain positive and productive when our world is on fire. Pandemic, police brutality, peaceful protests flaming into pandemonium. It’s been a rough month.

Today we pause to take a breath and share fellowship with the Insecure Writers Support Group monthly blog hop. The awesome co-hosts for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre! The IWSG is a place where writers gather to share woes, worries, tips, and encouragement. Join us here: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

This month’s question: Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

I write sexy romance stories–that’s no secret. I love the genre, and I love my work. But not so long ago, I was still one of those readers–literary snobs who look down their noses at romance without ever having read much of it. I’d swallowed the internalized-misogyny Kool-Aid. You know: Smart women don’t read silly fluff like romance novels. Eew. We read Literature with a capital L, or maybe dude-centric sci-fi, fantasy, or thrillers. Because I’m not like the other girls (big-time internalized misogyny). Because stories that center women’s agency and pleasure are…less…worthy… Oh. See how quickly that argument breaks down when you examine it?

Romance fiction is available in all flavors: romance + adventure, + paranormal, + crime fiction, + sci-fi, + historical fiction, + urban fantasy, + comedy, + angsty drama…and it’s no less worthy than any other genre fiction. Period.

Speaking of romance plus crime fiction, today I’m welcoming back to the blog author Julie Howard, who’s here to tell us about her newest beachy story, just in time for summer.

Julie, tell us about the inspiration for this story!

Thank you, Sadira, for having me on your blog today! My new release, Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite, is out today. Yes, I know that title is a mouthful. Let me tell you what inspired this unusual title.

First, the book is part of my publisher’s summer One Scoop or Two series. Each book is written by a different author, and all books include a flavor of ice cream and a beach. I knew instantly that my cozy mystery would take place on California’s central coast, one of my favorite places. I wanted a flavor of ice cream that would allude to the ocean, and I had just visited a friend’s lavender farm – thus the flavor sea salt lavender was born. It was the type of flavor my main character, Rosella Rivers, would create in for her ice cream food truck, which specializes in unique combinations.

Aphrodite is the name of a creamy white standard poodle, whose inclusion in this story was inspired by my childhood pet. Rosella’s small town is Olympus Bay, which has a stone statue of Poseidon rising from the shoreline. A beautiful dog named Aphrodite seemed very appropriate, and she plays a pivotal role in the plot. So there you have it! Read on for more about Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite.

A case of murder with sweet complications

Rosella Rivers enjoys the perfect life, loving her new ice cream food truck business featuring exotic flavors. But her beach view parking space is not so lovable when she finds an acquaintance stabbed to death in the boardwalk bathroom.

Detective Mark Pruitt knows murder is bad for small-town Olympus Bay. He must find the suspect before he strikes again. When he first sets eyes on Rosella, the only witness, he is smitten. However, there’s no time for romance when danger lurks. 

Together he and the lovely ice cream maker must discover the killer before he turns his sight on Rosella.

Excerpt:

The echo of a drip-drip-drip resonated from within. Rosella glanced around, wishing a man would pass by, someone she could send inside on her behalf. On this side of the structure, though, the beachfront was hidden from view and the building backed by sand dunes. Unless someone needed to use the facilities, they wouldn’t approach.

“Mick?”

A distant chime from the town clock made her heart sink. Ten a.m. Opening time. She had to get back to her truck. A fresh round of anxious yips sounded. She scooted to the corner of the building and peeked toward her truck. Aphrodite stood at attention, straining at the leash. The dog barked twice at spotting her and renewed efforts to break free of the tether.

She returned to the doorway. “Mick, I’m just going to step inside since I’m a little bit worried, just to make sure you’re okay. Let me know if I shouldn’t come in.” No response sounded. “All right, coming in.”

The odor hit her first. Heavy, sweet, sickening. Then her eyes registered the scene. Mick lay face down in the middle of the tile floor, a steady stream of deep red blood winding its way toward a drain.

Get your Copy of Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite!

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xdqkl3

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/sea-salt-lavender-for-aphrodite/id1508636065?ls=1 

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sea-salt-lavender-for-aphrodite-julie-howard/1136868422?ean=2940162717829

Julie Howard is the author of the best-selling Wild Crime and Spirited Quest series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. Now she edits an online anthology, Potato Soup Journal, and spends many delightful hours writing her books.

Follow Julie Howard on all the socials!

Website: http://juliemhoward.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07D6CS4NQ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward