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Have you heard about our Valentine’s Day Facebook Party? Save the date of Feb 14, 2025, from 7-8 pm EST, so that you can join us for all the fun! party page is https://facebook.com/newreleaseparty/

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Let's Talk with Debra H. Goldstein

“New Release: With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying"

This has been a wonderful week. In fact, I’ve been happy dancing non-stop. Let me give you a hint why I’ve been in such a celebratory mood. WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING was officially released on February 4 in print and e-book formats. It is a collection of eighteen of my short stories, most of which won prizes or were finalists for the Agatha, Anthony, or Derringer awards. Looking at the cover, you might be wondering why I’m sharing it with you on Booklovers Bench, where we all write cozy mysteries? The answer is because most of the stories are cozy.

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Win 7 Free Books AND A Mug – Feb 2025

Contest Run: Feb. 1-22, 2025
Win 7 Free Books AND A Logo Mug!
  • Enter to win 7 free books AND a logo mug from Booklovers Bench cozy mystery authors in our 12th Anniversary Giveaway!

Enter Here!


On The Bench

Characters on the Bench – January

Characters on the Bench graphic

It’s that time again when everyone is talking about New Year’s resolutions. Should we make them? Should we not? Do we ever really keep them? Find out what our amateur sleuths have to say about  them in this month’s Characters on the Bench.

Read the complete "On The Bench"!


Latest News

  • Terry Ambrose:

    is still working with a narrator to release THE CASE OF THE AMOROUS ASSAILANT, the first Beachtown Detective Agency mystery, as an audiobook. Additionally, Terry is extremely pleased that THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO MURDER, the eighth Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, was selected as one of the reviewer’s favorites at Kings River Life. And, as always, Terry is also writing, hoping to release the ninth Seaside Cove Mystery this summer.

  • Nancy J. Cohen:

    is writing a new Bad Hair Day mystery and doing editorial corrections on a potential new series starter.

  • Debra H. Goldstein

    will be a panelist at Murder in the Magic City (Birmingham, AL) and Murder on the Menu (Wetumpka, Alabama) on February 1 and 2. She will be introducing her new book, WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING, which releases on February 4. The book is a collection of eighteen of Debra’s short stories, ranging from cozy to dark, that won prizes or were finalists for the Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards.

    On February 10, Debra will be hosting an Author Takeover for the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group at 7 p.m. EST. On February 14, she will join her fellow Booklovers Bench authors on Facebook for A Love of Mysteries party at 7 p.m. EST.

  • Cheryl Hollon:

    is gearing up for the challenges of being co-chair of the SleuthFest 2025 Mystery Conference as well as working on a new manuscript. New beginnings are so exciting.

  • Diane A.S. Stuckart:

    says that while making progress on Tarot Cats #2 she has also managed to update her website AND has finally released her short story collection, WHO’S BEHIND THE DOOR, in trade paperback. She’ll be joining her fellow Booklovers Bench authors on Facebook at the A Love of Mysteries party at 7 pm on Feb 14.

  • Maggie Toussaint:

    writing as Valona Jones, is releasing her 4th Magic Candle Shop Mystery, CANDLE WITH CARE, on February 11. She’s doing a Cozy Mystery Party Takeover Feb. 12 at 7pm EST (Facebook), a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour Feb 13-22, and A Love of Mysteries party at 7pm (Facebook) on Feb 14. Sign up for her newsletter at https://maggietoussaint.com to stay current with her news.

  • Lois Winston:

    SEAMS LIKE THE PERFECT CRIME, the 14th book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, releases on February 4th. She’ll be on a virtual book tour sponsored by Great Escapes Tours from February 4-17th. Visit each stop to enter for a chance to win one of 3 copies of the book. Find the schedule and links at https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2025/02/fourteen-and-counting-virtual-book-tour.html. Lois will also be making stops at additional non-tour blogs throughout the month, including Feb. 5th at Dru’s Book Musings-A Day in My Life and Writers Who Kill; Feb. 12th at Chicks on the Case; Feb. 16th at Mystery Lover’s Kitchen; and Feb. 24 at It’s Not Always a Mystery. Finally, she’ll end the month on Feb. 28th at Teresa Trent’s Books to the Ceiling blog and podcast.

    On February 14th, Lois will be part of the Booklover’s Bench Facebook A Love of Cozy Mysteries Valentine’s Day Party 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, 4pm PT.) Then, on February 19th at 8pm ET (7pm CT, 6pm MT, 5pm PT,) Lois will be the featured guest (via Zoom) of the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime. Her talk will be on Writing Humor in Mysteries. https://desertsleuths.com/.