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Book Review: Pralines and Creamed by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
A few months ago, I reviewed “Murder by Milkshake,” a cozy young adult mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo, and today I’m excited to participate in a Reader Review event for WOW! Women on Writing for the next book in the series, “Pralines and Creamed.” About the book: ASIN: B0D97GM9CJ ISBN: B0DHHB3HWT Publication date: October 1, 2024 Print Length: 234 pages Genre: Young Adult Cozy Mystery…
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The Abduction and Murder of Hubbard Harris, Jr. in South Carolina
On December 23, 1933, a 15-year-old young man named Hubbard H. Harris, Jr. went missing from the Columbia, South Carolina area on his birthday The boy was the son of Hubbard Harris, Sr., vice president of Home Stores, Inc., a grocery chain. Forty-eight hours after he went missing, three residents of the Olympia mill village discovered a body in a…
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Guest Post by Marlene Bell, Author of A Hush at Midnight
Today we’re sharing a guest post by author Marlene Bell, author of A Hush at Midnight, as part of her blog tour through WOW! Women on Writing. About the Book: Celebrity chef Laura Harris dwells on the horror of finding her mentor’s body in the groundskeeper’s disheveled bed—pillow and bedding half covering her open eyes—purple bruising around her mouth. A…
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When Nancy Cooper Went Missing in Cary, N.C.
October is the designated month for bringing awareness to Domestic Violence, but it is a topic I believe we should be talking about year round, as it still remains a prevalent issue in our society. I’ve discussed several cases tied to domestic violence in this podcast, including Patty Jo Pulley from Episode 45, Across State Lines, Maryann and Elaine Boczkowski…
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The Drowning Death of Brenda Anderson in South Carolina
On the afternoon of June 19, 1965, a little girl playing on the shore of Folly Beach, South Carolina came across the deceased body of a woman wearing a two-piece bathing suit. Because there were no personal belongings found on the beach, authorities began questioning nearby residents to see if anyone could identify the young woman. When 24-year-old John Paul…
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Book Review: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
When I heard that author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo had begun writing a YA cozy mysteries, with Murder by Milkshake being the first in her series, I was so excited. As a teen, I was a huge fan of the Trixie Belden mystery series, as well as Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High books featuring the lives of twins Liz and Jessica…
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The 1995 Shooting at the University of North Carolina
On Jan. 26, 1995, around 2 p.m., twenty-six-year-old University of North Carolina law student Wendell Williamson walked down Henderson Street near campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., carrying a semi-automatic rifle and wearing a camouflage jacket. He opened fire, killing 42-year-old restaurant worker Ralph Walker near his apartment. He continued walking, shooting at bystanders. Twenty-year-old UNC student and lacrosse player Kevin…
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Book Review: The Merchant of Venus
Today I’m participating in a fun blog tour for WOW! Women on Writing by sharing my review of the book The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton by Nancy Thornton Navarro and Adriana Thornton-Cornejo with Philip Mershon. Imagine losing a parent and discovering he had a secret life you’d never known about. You and your siblings embark on…
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Book Review: Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
I discovered author Elin Hilderbrand on a beach trip with the book Barefoot, so it was fitting that I completed her final Nantucket-based novel, Swan Song, on the beach as well. I’ve never been to Nantucket, as I mostly visit beaches in the Carolinas and Florida, but you can bet it’s on my bucket list of places to visit, thanks…
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From Patriarch to the Small Screen: The North Carolina Murder of Leith Von Stein
The 1988 murder of Leith Von Stein that was perpetrated by a young man named Chris Pritchard, who was then a student at North Carolina State University. I found the following background information on the family in an article that ran in the Winston-Salem Journal on January 29, 1990. Chris Pritchard grew up in North Carolina, the son of a…