Welcome back, Cheryl Hollon! Cheryl writes the wonderful Webb’s Glass Shop mystery series from Kensington Publishing. Cheryl is giving away a copy of one of her books to someone who leaves a comment!
Here’s a bit about Shattered at Sea: A Mediterranean cruise gives glass shop owner Savannah Webb a chance to demonstrate her expertise—and fire up her skills when it comes to foul play . . .
When Savannah signs on to perform glassblowing on a ship, part of the appeal is that she’ll get a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Edward’s family. An added bonus is that Edward’s cousin, Ian, will be joining them on board. But when Ian disappears at the beginning of the cruise, the ship’s authorities initially consider it suicide.
Savannah tries to balance her growing suspicions with work on her shows, but her relationship with the other glass artists begins to crack. And she can’t let love color her judgment when Edward suddenly jumps to the top of the suspect list. His fate is in Savannah’s hands, and she’ll do everything she can—on land and sea—to clear his name
Thank you, Wicked Cozy Author Sherry, for letting me guest post on your wonderful blog.
I’m shattered! Yes, I know that’s the title of my next release, but it applies to me right now. The inspiration for my books is a real-life glass shop run by owners Eloyne and Bradley Erickson. Because Central Avenue property in St. Petersburg has become so valuable, their landlord doubled their rent. So, they’re moving their business to a rental house in Pasadena — which is about five miles away.
As an established business with a dedicated following, their new location will not be a problem. They won’t have the walk-in traffic that their storefront building enjoyed. But they have reshaped their business model to focus on their loyal students who need little instruction but will benefit from personal tutoring and consultation.
The graphics capabilities will continue to provide services to established and new clientele without missing a beat. The main target for their stained-glass creations will be providing custom installations to construction contractors and architects. They will also continue to build on their renowned repair and restoration skills.
Sadly, for the community, they’re not going to teach beginner classes or offer retail inventory of stained glass materials and equipment. Quite a change.
Regardless of what happens in real life, the location of Webb’s Glass Shop that appears in my books will always be exactly where I want it – on Central Avenue right next to Queen’s Head Pub.
Readers: What unexpected change has you shattered?
Each book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery Series highlights a particular skill within the broad category of glass art. Savannah Webb will teach and participate in each skill area exploring and expanding her knowledge of the craft, along with her assistant, Amanda Blake. As a subject matter expert consulting with the St. Petersburg Police Department, her close associations within the art community and the unusually keen observation skills of her apprentice, Jacob Underwood, combine to solve crimes. Edward Morris, boyfriend and the British owner of the pub next door, fills out the investigation posse with more than moral support accompanied by coffee and scones. The craft topics for the third book in the series are etching glass and slumping glass to make dishware.
My husband, George and I have a glass studio in a freestanding cottage behind our house and we enjoy making promotional gifts for my blog tours. For this book, I will be giving away all sorts of vases, pendants, and earrings.
You can read more about Savannah in Shattered at Sea, the fifth book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries, published by Kensington Books. Available at your favorite book vendor. It releases on August 28, 2018.
Bio: Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art.
You can visit Cheryl and her books at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Hollon-Writer/357992230995844
http://www.twitter.com/cherylhollon
Congrats on the new book, Cheryl! Does it take place on a cruise? I can’t think of anything that has me shattered at the moment (well, except finding mother of the groom shoes – grrr!).
Good Morning, Edith. Yes, this book is set on a cruise. I’ve done a lot of them and especially enjoyed this one with the Hot Shop on the top deck where three gaffers demonstrated glassblowing.
Oof, I feel your shoe pain — that took me forever. I found my Mother-of-the-Groom dress in twenty minutes.
Congratulations on new book. What left me shattered I have to say in December 2017 I founded out unexpectedly Barnes & Noble by me was closing in January 2018 when I picked up a flyer paying for my items & now I have to find another bookstore to sit in & just be around books.
How heartbreaking. I get so sad when a bookstore closes. I hope you find another one soon.
Welcome back, Cheryl! Sometimes life little moments feel shattering but in retrospect they weren’t so bad.
I connected so strongly with their Central Avenue storefront, but in all likelihood, this is a great move for them. They’re incredibly creative and business savvy — they’ll be fine.
Love the books, and I especially love learning new things about glass and about FL. My grandfather managed a glass factory in WV – much more commercial than you are talking about but it gave me an interest in glassmaking.
One of the trips I want to make next year is a visit to Corning Glass and Murano, of course! 😉
How exciting to find another book in this series. Gee, I hope I win one! Like with Sherry, most things that seem shattering at the time are really just inconvenient. I guess I live a charmed life, but nothing truly shattering has happened to me.
I’m confident things will work out for my locals, it was just quite a shock. The landlord has dollar signs for eyes! Gack!
I love learning about any arts: mosaic, glass- blowing, knitting. I even took classes in St. Petersburg and Pasadena, FL. Would love your book!
Awesome! I’m considering glass mosaics as the focus for a future book. Good Luck!
Can you be shattered on purpose? That was us just a short while back. Having been in the same place for almost 25 years, we decided to uproot and take the plunge to move to a place we have always loved. It was after the passing of my Mom, which shattered my heart as well as my world, that we decided now or never. So in essence we shattered our whole there and picked up the pieces that were salvageable (what we decided to keep when downsizing) and put the pieces back together in a new frame (our dream home). I think the puzzle is now more beautiful that it was before even if somewhat a different picture that it evokes. 🙂
Can’t wait for the opportunity to read “Shattered at Sea”. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win one of your books.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
We’re considering leaving our Craftsman bungalow for a condo in downtown St. Petersburg. It’s a scary thought, but we’re going to give it a try. Good Luck!
I’m shattered to believe that I have missed books
revolving around glass…So happy to have discover your series. Thank you for the chance to win, while I find the rest…
That’s wonderful — I love discovering a new-to-me author. Good Luck!
Congratulations on Shattered, Cheryl. I hope we see you next week at Bouchercon. I think it’s wonderful the way your series will memorialize the store that was even as time marches on. Not that it’s exactly the same, but it captures a time and place.
That it will live on in my books is a comforting thought. I’ve spent so many wonderful hours in the shop. I’ll be spending time in their new one, of course. See you at Bouchercon! My panel is at 11:00 am on Thursday titled “The Business is Cozy.” When is yours?
Congrats on the new book!
I was a bit shattered to learn that my favorite local indie bookstore, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, was up for sale again, but the new owners seem to be delightful ladies, so that helps.
Yikes! That’s scary indeed. I would be devastated if my local closed.
Welcome back Cheryl! I am so looking forward to exploring St. Pete next week, and learning more about your setting.
Congratulations on the new book1
Hi Book Sister! Thank you very much. Just remember, it will be HOT! Yes, Africa HOT, but act like a local and venture out after dark or after the normal afternoon rain shower. The Vinoy is amazing and you don’t really NEED to leave, but you will want to. Welcome!
Fascinating premise for your book! I love glass art, collected some, and took a couple of Christmas ornament workshops but honestly, I’m terrified of the molten glass. Segueing now to the question: I was shattered to learn that Anchorage’s only artisan chocolate shop, Modern Dwellers, is closing. My reaction is what you would expect. It’ll take a month of aerobics to work that off.
My sympathies. We have several artisan chocolates shops and I patronize every one of them. Good Luck!
A consignment plus size clothing shop that I loved recently re opened under new ownership. It is not at all the same – the welcoming, funky vibe is gone and is replaced by overpriced clothing and racks crammed into the small space. I’m shattered by that. Congratulations on the new release, and thank you for the giveaway!
That’s my fear exactly. I know the owners are changing up their business model, but I will always miss the original store. Good Luck!
Cheryl – The tour of the Corning Glass Museum is fabulous. My husband and I spent an entire day there. Enjoy!
I need to get up there and do that tour. I can’t quite believe I haven’t managed it yet. Well, there is the whole book deadline thing. 😉 Good Luck!
Cheryl, I am sure the Ericksons will prosper in the new location. Best of luck with the new installment! There is always something new and fascinating to learn about glass blowing and glass work.
I know that Eloyne and Bradley will be fine — I’m selfish to want my real world to match my book world. At least I can control what goes on in my book world. LOL
Hi Cheryl. Congrats on the new book. Glad to hear your glass shop is going to continue despite the huge increase in rent. Hope it works out well for them.
Thank you very much! The glass shop is reopening in October. Husband and I will be one of their first customers. 🙂
Felicitations on the new book. Being widowed can definitely do a number on one and can take years to recover from, if one does manage to recover. Chores which were easy to keep up with when there were two tend to snowball when there is only one.
Thank you for your kind words. I’m sure years will actually not be enough for me. Good Luck in the drawing.
The loss of a loved one is a shattering event. I really enjoyed this post & am happy to know that the glass shop will continue on. Congratulations on another book.
Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to see how they’ve re-invested the shop. Good Luck!
CoNgRaTs on this new installment… it sounds like a coup! Nothing is earth shattering for me right now, but as a mum of 8, things tend not to faze me overmuch~ usually, lol!
Cheers~
Kelly Braun
Yikes! The phrase ‘mum of 8’ gives me the shivers. Good Luck in the drawing and I hope you find time to read.
How wonderful that you and your husband have a glass making cottage at your house. That sounds amazing. Actually having a cottage at your house sounds fabulous no matter what you do with it. I cannot really think of anything that has shattered me. I was pretty “shattered” the other day when I thought all day that a package of clothespin cookies was arriving and then realized it was really coming the next day. I was craving those cookies all that day!
Crushed cookie hopes! Shattering — absolutely. Good Luck in the drawing.
Your books are wonderful! I’m shattered and heartbroken at the death of my youngest son – 46 – who died 8/12/18 from cancer complications. Tears continue to fall.
So very sorry, Karen. It’s an awful thing to lose a child at any age. ((((((((((HUGS)))))))))
I’m so sorry for your enormous loss. Too hard.
Too difficult to imagine — incredible loss (((((HUGS)))))
Cheryl, that’s a heartbreaker! I hate progress.
This is the true business cycle — an area becomes popular because it attracts artists (cheap). Then people want to be there and rents rise and artists leave to start the cycle again. Sigh…
I’m going to have to get that book, it really looks interesting.
The thing that has me shattered right now is that a lot of my favorite book series have changed publishing companies and in a lot of cases have a price increase, plus have become harder to find in the bookstores…… I now have an even harder decision to make each month as to which series to buy. Argggghhhh! Not an easy choice for me to make!
I am a fan of this author and this series! Thanks for offering this chance!