Guest-Traci Hall and a Giveaway

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Jessie: Looking forward to what October might bring!

Today’s guest, Traci Hall is here talking about one of my favorite topics, research! Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her latest release! Take it away, Traci!

I love, love, love being on the Wickeds Blog—it is always fun to be here, and thank you to Jessica for the invite!

I am celebrating the release of Murder at a Scottish Christmas, available now. This is book six in the Scottish Shire series and honestly, I am gobsmacked by it. Stunned, grateful, and ready to write more.

There’s been a snafu with the audio version, but it is coming. Beverley A. Crick, the narrator for the series, does an incredible job. I like to listen to her version of the last story I wrote as prep for the next book, which will be Murder at the Scottish Games, out in 2025.

The research I did for those games of brute strength involved watching buff men in kilts tossing the caber or lifting stones (literal rocks lol) while at the Loch Norman games in North Carolina—it was sweaty work, but I did it all so I could bring those muscles to the page.

Which brings me to my topic: Research Rabbit Holes.

When I started off with the idea of a Scottish Christmas, I wanted to include puppies. Big red bows, happy families, maybe Wallace should get a fur sibling. The danger with writing cozy mysteries is that the holidays and murder go hand in hand. What kind of crimes might happen around Christmas morning? Or the new year…

Hogmanay is the Scots celebration of the New Year, and it is a big deal—like American New Year on steroids. Lots of fireworks go off. Fireworks could cover up the sound of a gun. But who can we kill? At this point, my main characters are like family, so we need to bring in other family…Amelia Henry. She’s got a shady past. She’s dark haired, as is her brother McCormac. 

A handy thing, as another Scots tradition involves the first-footer. Yes, Scots are superstitious folks. In order to ensure good luck for the following year, a tall, dark-haired man bringing gifts of black bun, coal, coin, salt, and whisky, must cross your threshold at midnight. These items might vary but they are meant to represent prosperity.

Anybody who is caught up with the series knows full well that Paislee’s had a string of bad luck and while she invited Hamish, her handsome dark-haired friend, to come for Christmas and New Year, he has to cancel at the last minute, leaving Paislee in a desperate bind. Amelia offers up McCormac. Because Paislee’s house isn’t finished yet to move in, they decide to share Christmas dinner together at the Muthu Newton Hotel. Paislee, Brody, Grandpa, Amelia…and McCormac. He’s all about the flash, and had given Amelia a pedigreed white Pomeranian for Christmas. He’s driving a brand-new Mercedes, and drunkenly ditches Amelia with Paislee to leave early and have “dessert” with one of his lasses, dropping cash on the table. He offers a bargain if Paislee wants a designer pup for Brody, who nods, until he hears the price of thousands of pounds. Paislee is not all that surprised that someone shoots McCormac under the cover of fireworks on Hogmanay but will help Amelia as she discovers that her brother hadn’t really turned over that new leaf as he’d promised. 

While researching cute Christmas pups I discovered that puppies had been smuggled from Ireland to Scotland, and around the UK. It was a legit problem.  Smuggled puppies? Sadly, this happened without thought to the puppies’ welfare during transport. The mom used for breeding was kept in a constant state of pregnancy, again, without thought to her health.

My hero in this story, besides DI Zeffer, Paislee, and Amelia, turned out to be the veterinarian for Wallace, Dr. Kathleen McHenry. She is a fierce advocate for the pups and for shutting down puppy mills—which, because this is a cozy mystery, we get to have that happy ending ❤ They are cracking down around the world too.

While I was researching things people smuggled, I was shocked by the variety of items. Watches and drugs were at the top of the list, and designer fish cleverly transferred in an apron under a woman’s skirt, tied with a stolen dinosaur skeleton for something I can’t forget.

I am a big believer in rescue pups. I’ve included a photo of our chihuahua mix, Pazia. She was rescued from a hoarding situation in Puerto Rico. Dogs require patience and love. They deserve food, water, and health care.

I used to have Pomeranians myself and so I understand wanting a certain breed of dog. My toy pom, Pippa, was an adorable hot mess. Her hips were bad, she had an overbite, and she required surgery that permanently ruined the use of her back leg. We bought her from a strip mall puppy store. She lived to be 17, and used that back leg like a kick stand, lol. They have websites dedicated to certain breeds of pups that still need homes, so if you are in the market for a dog and have your heart set on a certain breed, you might want to check them out. 

Readers, I would love to hear about your pup—rescue or not! Share in the comments. If you don’t have a dog, do you have a cat? Bird? Fish? Pet rock?  I’ll choose a winner for an autographed copy of Murder at a Scottish Christmas.  Thanks again for joining me here today at the Wickeds!

Traci Hall bio: From cozy mysteries to seaside romance, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over sixty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite story for everyone.
Mystery lovers, be on the lookout for her Scottish Shire series in seaside Nairn, or her Salem B&B Mystery series as Traci Wilton, or third, her Irish Castle mystery series as Ellie Brannigan. Whether it’s her popular By the Sea contemporary romance series or a fun who-done-it, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida, by living near the ocean. Reach her here: traciella@aol.com

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Scottish-Christmas-Shire-Mystery/dp/149674439X

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-a-scottish-christmas-traci-hall/1144532602?ean=9781496744395

Murder at a Scottish Christmas

The holidays in the charming seaside village of Nairn hold bright hope for sweater shop owner and knitting enthusiast Paislee Shaw—but a fireworks celebration provides cover for a killer in the sixth installment of USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall’s Scottish Shire Mystery series.

All Paislee wants for Christmas is for her new home to be finished, but it looks like she’ll have to wait for New Year’s Day. Whether the paint on the walls has dried or not, she’ll host a feast for her twelve-year-old son Brody, Grandpa, their black Scottish terrier Wallace, and friends—including police station receptionist Amelia Henry and her brother McCormac, whose black locks can fulfill the Scottish first-footer tradition that a tall, dark-haired man should be the first person to enter your home on New Year’s to bring good luck.

But McCormac’s luck is about to run out. During Hogmanay—when the Scots welcome the New Year with dancing, bonfires, and midnight fireworks—he collapses as the sky brightens in a blaze of color. A shooter has used the noise of the fireworks to hide a gun’s blast. Amelia is inconsolable, and Paislee vows to do whatever she can to help DI Zeffer solve the murder—even if it puts her in the killer’s sights next . . .

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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.

62 Thoughts

  2. H! I have 2 pups- 1 not a rescue and 1 a rescue. C.C. is an almost 7 year old golden retriever who will take as much attention as I’m able to give her. She’s my constant companion anytime I’m home. Flannery is our 2 year old rescue and I think she looks like the best parts of a terrier & a corgi. She has a lot of spunk and is always doing something silly.
    Thanks,
    Adrienne
    adriennechasteensnow@gmail.com

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  4. I remember seeing a page in the old Sears catalogue where there were photos of dogs for sale and thinking then it was very odd. I bet they were in puppy mills!

    I don’t have any pets right now, since my last two black cats passed away. Still too heartbroken.

    Your new book sounds very good!

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    1. Thank you, and for sharing about your cats. They are family and it’s hard when they are gone. It took 6 months before I was ready after Pippa. ❤

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  6. Congrats. I don’t have a dog right now but my son and his family adopted a Brown Lab almost three years ago and his name is Mudge so he is my Granddog. Whenever I visit them he goes crazy tail wagging and jumping on me. Thanks for your great generosity. This book looks terrific. Linda May

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  7. Congratulations on the release of “Murder at a Scottish Christmas”! It’s on my TBR list and I can’t wait to read and review it. Love the cover from the decorations on the tree to the look the older dog is giving the younger pup.

    Our precious Snickerdoodle crossed the rainbow bridge 2 years ago at the age of 17 years, 7 months and 17 days. It took us the two years to grieve to where we won’t be comparing a new family member to the one we loved so dearly. It wasn’t until just recently that we started discussing adding to our family again. Then a friend of a friend had two chihuahuas she was having to find homes for. One was 11 months old and the other 6 months old. Were we ready for not one, but two? After thought and prayer, we knew we were. After all, they would also be company for each other and not feel the separation from the only home they’d ever known. We this past week we drove to the state north of us and picked up these two very special boys. They have already wrapped themselves around our heart and have us wrapped around their little paws. As senior citizens, they can be exhausting at times (thus the good reason to have each other to play with to run off steam and energy), but they are so loving that it makes up for the extra work. Our home feels full of life again!

    Thank you so much for the fabulous chance to win an autographed copy of “Murder at a Scottish Christmas”.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  8. My boss at the time had one of their farm cats give birth but wouldn’t feed the kittens. Luckily another of the cats was just weaning her litter and let the new arrivals come to her. One of these kittens had some unique tabby/calico/Bengal coloring. She was also the runt and would get pushed around by the rest. My boss thought she would end up getting run over or something and thought she’d be better off as a house cat. So I unexpectedly ended up with an 8 week old kitten and made a quick run for essentials the next day. Hemi is now a little over 8 years old, still cute, can be sweet or trouble depending on the second. Not the runt anymore, in fact she’s started to get a bit chunky so I’m watching that.

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  9. Congrats on the book! My dog, Koda, is a retired racing greyhound. Greyhound adoption groups are so active in the US, it’s hard to think of them as “rescues” because it is almost common practice that after the dogs are finished racing, they go to their furever homes. But in the rest of the world it is definitely a rescue situation.

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    1. Hey Liz! I have a very good friend who adopts retired greyhounds. She’s on her fourth one and just loves them. They are so sweet tempered even though they are very tall lol. Koda is another awesome name!

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  10. Congratulations on the new book and thank you for bringing attention to the adoptable dogs who need homes and the abolishment of puppy mills. All the dogs we’ve had over the years have been rescues. The current two are an Australian Shepherd mix and a Basset Hound. They are both so wonderful! ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. Having spent most of my working life as a road warrior, I was in the stuffed critter camp for pets. These days I doggy sit for my sis and bil who have two senior rescues, Tommy and Tidbit. They are the latest in a long line of rescues for them.
    Congrats on the new release! It is on my TBR list. Love Paislee and crew.

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  12. I have an adorable, sweet, small mix from Lap Dog Rescue. Babka is my favorite dog that I have ever owned. She is smart. loyal, devoted, energetic and gives me love, and companionship. What a life we lead. Adventures everyday and great enjoyment.

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  13. Rescues have been in my family for many years. Now I have a rescue whom I named Bogie, after Bogart. Handsome, strong, sturdy and 15 pounds of love and sweetness combined. They are my reason to walk, thrive, and travel. My life is complete and nothing else matters.

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  14. My Cat Daisy Mae a rescue cat just suddenly died on February 13, 2024, so still getting over her death but winning this prize would be awesome for me and glad to hear your doing well with your pet my cat was 171/2 years old and &would have been 18 on Sept 12, 2024.

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  15. Congratulations on your newest. Sounds wonderful and a perfect read by the fire.

    YES! Adopt, don’t shop. I’ve had countless rescue kitties and birds, and our last was a rescue puppy. Hubs had wanted a pup for forever years, we’d become such frequent visitors at the local shelter that one day, when I was dropping off books, the shelter manager looked over her shoulder and said, “Tell your husband, I have his dog in my office.” My jaw dropped. Hubs was right behind me so he hot footed it to the office and the manager emerged with a shaggy brown and white dog in her arms. The exact dog my husband had described three years before. Turned out someone in a neighboring town had bought the dog from a breeder (ugh) in Indiana, had it shipped to far northern Maine, kept the dog for two weeks, decided it wasn’t working, and surrendered him to the shelter (yea for the prior owner for surrendering). Because it was five o’clock on a holiday Friday, the shelter manager took him home with her. We showed up before opening time on Tuesday so the little guy never spent a night in the shelter proper. He was three months old when we adopted him and is now a year and a half. Such a cutie.

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  16. Congratulations on the new book and whew, research can be so hard, right? Ha. We had a lovely Westie for 15 and a half years. They are wonderful dogs–smart, stubborn, loyal, and loving. We miss her every day.

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  17. I have2 rescue cats. Barnabas is a black cat that we got at a shelter in Salem, Ma and he has fangs that hang out of his mouth. My husband came up with the name from the 60’s tv show Dark Shadows. A few years later we moved to Florida and I kept hearing a cat outside. Went to investigate and it was a pregnant, stray. I gave her some food and water on the days that she showed up. One day she came to visit with 4 babies. They lived under our RV and eventually they took off but for one that was the only one that would come to me and let me pick him up. We were able to get him to a program that neuters stray cats and we brought him back home. He got him licenced and all his shots. He is the most loveable cat that I’ve ever had. He loves to snuggle and makes me feel better some with my medical issues. His name is Fella, I just started calling him that when he first showed up, saying he was such a cute Lil Fella.

    Thank you so much for this chance at your giveaway!!

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  18. I’m actually allergic to most pets, so I don’t have any, sadly. (No need to enter me in the giveaway.)

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  20. All of our dogs and cats have been rescues. I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

    Thanks for the chance! Love the adorable book cover!

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  21. mine have been rescues and i currently have a foster who i suspect will be another foster fail as were my previous ones.

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  22. Congrats on the book, which sounds like a good read. It’s so easy to go down the rabbit hole researching.

    I really enjoyed reading the comments about everyone’s pets, or non pets in some cases.

    We’ve always been owned by rescues. We’ve lost four of our five geriatric cats recently and decided it’s time to add to our household again. We adopted a kitten (Misty) that came from a hoarding situation. The woman had almost 90 cats in her home and she lived in the garage! A week later we adopted a companion kitten (Zoe). A bit later Misty started scratching and digging at her mouth with her claws. The vet thought it was her teeth, stomatitis, and scheduled a dental with the possibility all the teeth might need to be pulled. When they got the bright lights on her mouth during the procedure they could see ulcers on both sides of her mouth by her throat. While waiting for test results she developed another very rare type ulcer that’s like a pinpoint on the roof of her mouth. All from food allergy. The ulcer, Menrath, is so rare you can hardly find info about it. Our vet consulted with a dental vet to diagnose Misty. After steroid injections and hypoallergenic food Misty is doing great and coming out of her shell. Because of the great care we always give our cats they’ve lived to old ages. The vet says Misty came to us for a reason.

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  23. Congratulations on the new book. We have a cat named Luna who was a rescue. Not only was she abandoned by her previous family, but she also showed signs of having been abused. It took us quite a while to gain her trust.

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  24. Congratulations on your new release, I’m looking forward to reading it. I have two rescue 🐈 Hamilton and Jefferson. They are a lot of company and make life fun. They are so different and it makes them unique in their own way.

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  25. No dogs, but we have had 9 rescue cats. All whatever the equivalent of mutts are for cats. Everyone of them lovable and well behaved.

    I love this series and would love to win the latest.

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  26. I don’t have a dog, but I grew up in a household in which we had many, many cats over the years. I loved them all!

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  27. Hello again dear Traci! Ever since you visited my book club via Zoom we have been avidly reading your series and enjoying them thoroughly! Thank you for all the fun times and for today’s blog. It is so nice to see your adorable granddaughter and PAZIA again…she is so cute! regret to say that we had to send our black kitty (INKY) to Cat Heaven after she was with us for 18 years. We mourn her terribly, but are discouraged to get another fur baby because he/she would outlive us. We may change our minds, and know how much more love there would be in our home besides us love birds of 55 1/2 years. Now that I say love”BIRDS”…wouldn’t we be endangered by a new cat? HA! We love seeing your daily posts, and laugh at your funny and clever photos and memes. I so look forward to reading MURDER AT A SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS. JOY! Luis at ole dot travel

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    1. Luis!! It was a treat to join you, your wife, and your friends. Anytime! I am so sorry about Inky. When you are ready the right rescue will come along ❤ Thank you!

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    2. Good morning, Luis! I know I replied to your comment last night–I’m so sorry about Inky. When you are ready for another cat, I bet one will arrive lol. It was such a treat to be on your book club. Thank you!!

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  28. We basically saw a Yellow Lab (during the pandemic), that needed a new home. So we drove up there for my husband to meet the dog and owner. The dog appeared to get along with my husband and so we took him home with us. His name is Hank and he is still with us with his faults (doesn’t get along with other animals, likes to bark, etc.) but he needs someone to be firm with him. He is actually a yellow lab/part Husky mix. He does love the Kennel we take him to when we go on a trip and he usually ready to head home when we pick him up with his tail wagging.

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  29. We had a dog named Bear. He saved me from a fire that started in the early morning hours. If he had not woke me up, the fire chief said that I would not have made it out alive. The fire started in the unit next door. Thank you so much for the opportunity. God bless you. dpruss@prodigy.net

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  31. I hope I am not too late to share and join in. We adopted a dog that has more personality than most people I know LOL. We hadn’t had a dog in 13 years and having just lost my dad I was at a low and just knew that a pup would help. I was interested in a Rhodesian Ridgeback not realizing that they can be a handful. My friend who has a health issue has three full sized pure males and she was able to handle them. My hubs said that there are plenty of dogs who need homes and we had always gotten shelter pups and cats in the past. So I started scouring the shelter websites and sure enough they had an 8 month old female Rhodesian Ridgeback mix who just looks so sweet. The following Saturday we rushed to the shelter to meet her and yes she had quite a bit of pep in her step, but I wanted her no matter how hyper she was. Over the last year we have learned a LOT about how much this breed is like a strong willed child but it has been worth every minute. Our “baby” girl is almost 2 1/2 and weighs 85lbs of solid muscle. She is both a joy and a challenge and we wouldn’t have it any other way. LOVE your series, all three of them, and I can’t wait to read this next one. Next year we are going to Scotland and I have Nairn on my list of places to visit as a cozy book destination. Thank you for the opportunity to win a book! Happy Book birthday and here is to many more!

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