Guest-Lynn Cahoon with a Giveaway!

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Jessie: Furiously knitting a sweater as the temperatures tumble!

I am so pleased to welcome Lynn Cahoon to the blog today! Her books are numerous and beloved! Over to you, Lynn!

Hi Wickeds! 

I’m Lynn Cahoon, author of several cozy mystery series including the Kitchen Witch series. This month the sixth book in the series, Six Stunning Sirens, just  released. In this book, Mia finds Mia’s Morsels putting on a beauty pageant for the coven.  She’s rooting for the underdog, a girl who doesn’t fit into the ‘in crowd’ but is amazing underneath. And as usual in a small town, the past has a way of affecting the present. 

So being the outcast in high school was a familiar topic for me. I was over emotional, focused on learning, and a book worm. Worse, I played the clarinet in band. We won’t even talk about the issues I had with my given name.

But what doesn’t kill us, writers use for grist for the mill. So during the autumn festival, Mia is challenged with hosting the Miss Magic Springs Harvest Queen contest which the the coven swears never had any type of human sacrifice. But the history of the contest isn’t all perfect. People have cheated, people have died. And the coven’s tired of having to clean up all the wayward spells around the winner. Worse, the underdog keeps showing up at the academy when bad things happen. Like people breaking into Mia’s house. Is it a coincidence? Or is she part of the problem. 

As a teenager, I participated in a local beauty pageant. My late sister made my outfits for the event. The winner bought hers on a trip to New York City with her mom. It was a weekend in Sun Valley. We had to learn a song and dance opening piece, do personal interviews, do a presentation, and finally, I walked in an evening gown competition. I talked to local businesses, raising the money to pay for my participation and made it through to the end without passing out on stage. 

I learned I could do anything, but there were some things I didn’t want to do as a career. I’m sure the winner became a TV announcer or a corporate executive, or maybe even an actress. In my story, the winner gets a full ride to anywhere she wants to go. Not a bad start in adult land. She just has to live through the contest and not give up. 

Isn’t that the way in life? Putting your nose to the grindstone, doing the work, and then taking the chances on the way. At least it makes life interesting. 

Readers, I have a signed, print copy of Six Stunning Sirens to one US (mailing address) winner. If you’re not in the US, I can send you a digital copy of one of my latest audio books. So you’ll still win. 😊 To win, tell me a time you took a chance. The outcome could be good or bad. I would have said my one and only entrance into the world of beauty pageants was bad, at the time but the experience taught me life lessons. And I got a week in Sun Valley. 

Six Stunning Sirens – 

In the latest in the enchanting series by New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon, Mia Malone is looking forward to catering the Miss Magic Springs Harvest Queen Pageant, part of the local coven’s big autumn celebration—until death puts a chill in the air . . .

In a triumph for Mia’s catering business and cooking school, Mia’s Morsels is chosen to host a fall festival event in their Idaho mountain town—which means managing a bunch of stage moms and their social media–obsessed daughters as they get ready for the big beauty contest. There’s a lot riding on the results of the Miss Magic Springs Harvest Pageant—it’s where the winning family receives an inside tract to coven power.

But after one stage mom is found dead and another winds up in the hospital, the coven suspects magical meddling. With a week to go before the coronation of the new queen, Mia must draw on her sleuthing powers to find out what’s going on—and whether this competition has gotten a little too cutthroat . . . 

Amazon –  https://www.amazon.com/Stunning-Sirens-Kitchen-Witch-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0CR6ZS2FT

Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-stunning-sirens-lynn-cahoon/1144532622?ean=9781496740809

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/six-stunning-sirens

Apple – https://books.apple.com/us/book/six-stunning-sirens/id6475178102

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Published by Jessie Crockett

Jessie Crockett wears a lot of hats, both literally and literarily. As Jessie Crockett she is the Daphne Award winning author of Live Free or Die and the nationally bestselling Sugar Grove series. As Jessica Ellicott she has received starred reivews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal for her historical mystery Murder in an English Village. As Jessica Estevao she writes the Agatha Award nominated Change of Fortune Mysteries. She loves the beach, fountain pens, Mini Coopers and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

56 Thoughts

      1. To this day I can’t do public speaking. But in the 6th grade, I tried out for cheerleader. I did the motions, but never made a sound lol

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  3. Congratulations, Lynn, on the book and on using bits from your past!

    I took a chance quitting my day job to write fiction full time eleven years ago, and I’d say it’s worked out pretty well. ;^)

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  4. Congratulations on the new book! Such a cute book cover. Let’s see, I took a chance at learning how to knit thinking it was too difficult. Now I can knit most anything!

    Thanks for the chance!

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  5. Congratulations on your new book! I took a chance moving me and my kids across the United States, from Maine to California, for a new job!

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  6. I took a chance of getting into a special education program in college. It worked out. I was a special education teacher for 30 years!

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  7. This book sounds right up my alley!
    I took a chance and moved to a new area, bought a little house on three acres, and I’m working on making it as self sustaining as I can!

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  8. Book sounds spectacular!

    Taking a chance? My middle name. I think the day the University of Miami discovered I had a cat in the dorm and refused to let me keep it. Rather than return it to the shelter, I sent it via air to my brother’s in-laws (Bleeker arrived safely and lived another eighteen years). As I was delivering the cat to the airline, I heard a last boarding call for a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica. I hugged the cat, hoofed it to the Air Jamaica counter and bought a ticket. I had no luggage or passport. I should mention it was 1970 when things like this were possible. My roommate wired money to the American Express office, there were no ATMs and I had no credit cards. I hitched a ride to Negril and lived on the beach in a palm frond hut I paid a kid a quarter to build for me. I stayed for a month on the beach. It was glorious. I made great friends, learned a lot of patois, and had a fabulous time. Getting back to the US was a bit tricky without a passport, but it all worked out, and it set a precedent for my off the cuff travel plans ever since. All in all – great experience.

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  9. First, the audiobook of Six Stunning Sirens dropped into my Audible library overnight. Yay!

    I’ll be 70 next month, Lord willing, and I have taken a chance on many things. Most took a lot of effort. One was marrying my high-school sweetheart at 17. 52 years later, we are still happily married. I give God all the credit.

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    1. Thanks for the read! 52 years is a great record. My sister was married for over 50 years. Me? Since I have two marriages, I’ll have to add them together to make it.

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  10. Congratulations on another book! I took a chance on love and we’ve been married for 34 years. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. I left a bad situation and drove north through arizona and utah not knowing were I was going to end up. I found a place to live and a job in utah. I also made a stop at one of the national parks more than 30 years ago. Was a nice drive and a way to clear my head.

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  12. Congratulations on the new book. Cannot wait to start reading it. I took a chance by going on study abroad trip to the Netherlands/Belgium by myself. Had a great time and grew as a person too.

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    1. I wanted to go back east (from Idaho) for my schooling, but the size of my college savings cried BSU. (Tuition was less than two hundred for a semester and books just a little over that.)

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  13. Congrats on the new release and I love the cover! I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and so look forward to this one. As for chances, I have come to the realization that day to day living is full of them! I did make a big jump some 30 years ago and left a secure job opportunity to take on a brand new position in my company some 800 miles away. Did it work out, well the company eliminated the position 2 years later. My career was up and down for the next 20 years, but all in all, I am secure and life is good, so yes.

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    1. I don’t regret any of my career moves when I worked the day job. Would I have had money to retire ten years earlier? Yes, but… there would have been a lot I missed out on.

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  14. Moving away to a new country to start over and begin a new business has been successful. Without the risk then we are always wondering.

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  15. Learning to take a chance is necessary in life. Whether we are old or young. My guts usually guide me as well as my intuition. Long ago I was introduced to a young man and we are together after 54 years.

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  18. Congrats on the new book, Lynn! After I lost my job in 2011, I took a chance on staying unemployed for the summer and working on my writing. I’d say it turned out pretty well (even though I’m back to a full-time day job).

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  19. After my divorce, I took a chance and moved in with a friend. That was 51 years ago. I’d say it worked out.

    It was great meeting you at Aaron’s!

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  21. Congratulations on the new book. I can’t imagine the work it takes to write a series. I never did anything brave.

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  22. I took a chance and moved from LA to San Diego years ago and it was wonderful for me. I got away from my stressful life and learned to relax.

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  24. Years ago my Sister and I took a Mississippi River cruise and one night they had a costume party and some of the people had the bright idea of dressing me up as Carmen Miranda. They dressed me up and used the top of an ice bucket and some fruit for a hat. That was and is so not something I would do, but I actually won and it was a good time

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  25. I was a pretty good student in high school and not one of the popular crowd, but not an outcast. I was not good in sports or math but did well in art class, English and history. I was a bit shy but pushed myself to overcome that issue. I took speech, went out for Student Council and Executive Council (class council actually). Now that does not seem like a taking a chance, but in our class, I had to do things that I was uncomfortable doing to help raise money for our class projects. I was in several skits at our football pep rallies in front of everyone in school. One was where we were dressed as football players working out and getting licks for not working out.
    Another, we were cheerleaders from around the world and I was one of four from Africa. Horrors. In 10th grade, I was a Cellar Girl (this was 1963) for Fall Festival and we put cardboard over all of the windows in a classroom and had a mirror ball and had to dance with a strobe light on us. Then in 11th grade, I was a Candy a-Go-Go dancer and had to dance in a cage in a red shift with white fringe (our school colors). But the piece de resistant was n 12th grade. We were Playboy Bunnies and wore black very short and tight satin shorts and a vest with black lace hose, tall high heels and we each had ears and a tail. Mine were apricot. We got up on stage and did a Rockettes like number with legs kicking, etc. and at the end we turned around bent over and shook out bunny tails. Then we acted as waitresses and served beverages to the people attending the club. Horrors! If I did not have photos, I would not believe that I did those things. But it certainly made me more outgoing. I wouldn’t take chances like that now. No one would want me to anyway as I’m not 14 and my body is not shapely like it was then. Ha! I look back on those memories though with fondness now.

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  27. Congratulations on the release of “Six Stunning Sirens”!

    The most recent time I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a chance was when I got a job outside of the home. It had been 15 years since I’d even had a part time job. To my, my “job” was being a homemaker, which also including helping my parents. It’s a joy I love. Circumstances chanced and I desparetly need to get out of the house when the walls started closing in on my. You see, our only child was killed in a car accident when she was 17. That’s when the house was too quiet. I not only got a job, but I was chef, cook and bottle washer when it came to the animal control department for our city of 11,000 people and at times I thought a million animals. Always knew I loved animals, but tons paperwork, learning the laws and how to enforce them (I worked under the police department, but court cases were entirely up to me) and dealing with people was way out there for me. I had worked for 14 months, when I was bitten by a dog. Not bad, but the dog had no rabies shot (state law not city) that required medical attention and fines accessed after it was proven the dog did not have rabies. After 3 court appearances being postponed, the judge dismissed the case. I knew I had an airtight case. I stayed after court to ask why. When he told me that the dog couldn’t read and didn’t know he was inside the city limits. My next step was to to the chief of police’s office to turn in my resignations. When asked why, I told him if the department and the courts won’t stick behind me (and it could have been a dog with rabies or I could have been badly hurt and no one seemed to care) then I couldn’t stand behind their decision. I went home. Time had passed, heart healed and returned to the job I love with all my heart – being a homemaker. It’s what I was meant to do. What did it teach me? That I can do anything I set my mind to and do it well. Plus, when pushed I can stand up to the highest authority when I am right unless you prove me wrong. Meaning I am stronger than I ever thought I could be through the death of my only child, handling a public job no one else wanted and do it well and realizing I am worthy of respect.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  28. When I was in college, I joined ROTC. We had to rappel off the football stadium wall. I am afraid of heights. I have to say standing on the edge of the stadium and taking a step off the edge was a step of faith. It is not something that I will ever do again, but I can say that I did it once. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you. dpruss@prodigy.net

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  29. I took a chance and went ziplining with my hubby despite the fact that I am uncomfortable with heights. I would not do it again, but I don’t regret trying it.

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  30. WOW I could never have entered a beauty or any other kind of contest, that takes bravery! I took a chance and followed my fiancé to North Carolina from California and ended up with two incredible sons and a wonderful husband. Thank you for the opportunity to win the book, LOVE the series and the recipes.

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  31. WOW I could never have entered a beauty or any other kind of contest, that takes bravery! I took a chance and followed my fiancé to North Carolina from California and ended up with two incredible sons and a wonderful husband. Thank you for the opportunity to win the book, LOVE the series and the recipes.

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  32. Hi Lynn! Congratulations on the new book release 📚📚. I took a chance in 7th grade on skiing with a girlfriend and her family, even though I had never been on a ski slope before. Long day on the bunny slope. Her kid brother would ski out in front of me and warn others to get out of my way. I survived, but it never became my favorite sport.

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