Livia J. Washburn – författare

When Things Go Really SouthNo one is surprised when feisty Delilah Dickinson opens her own literary travel agency in Atlanta after her divorce. But during her first group''s tour of an old plantation modeled after Tara from Gone with the Wind--complete with a full cast of actors--things go south really fast. The actor playing Clark Gable playing Rhett Butler is found dead, apparently the victim of a fatal dose of Southern in-hospitality. Before anyone can even think "Where shall I go? What shall I do?" Delilah finds herself taking over the investigation when the #1 suspect turns out to be her son-in-law. But life starts imitating art when the actors begin taking their roles a little too seriously--believing they actually are Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O''Hara, and Melanie. Next stop: Sunset Boulevard."Amusing, breathlessly quick." --Publishers Weekly"Liva J. Washburn''s mysteries are among the best." --Mystery News"Gone with the Wind fans will cozy up to this tale." --Mystery Scene

Dead Man Overboard! Delilah Dickinson''s literary travel agency is a hit! But the latest package tour, a leisurely steamboat trip down Huckleberry Finn''s Mississippi, delivered one dead passenger. As it turns out, Ben Webster made a few enemies before he expired by trying to slug a roulette dealer. Delilah knows the steamship''s no-nonsense head of security definitely is dirty and low-down and just plain old mean. . .but could he be a murderer? Pretty soon her list of suspects is longer than the Mississippi is wide. . .not to mention she''s taken quite a shine to Mark Twain himself--or rather Mark Lansing, the handsome actor playing Huck Finn''s scribe for the tour. Of course, things just ain''t never what they seem when Delilah''s at the helm, and one tricky murder turns into two and things start to get pretty dicey on yonder steamboat. Hopefully Delilah can nab the killer before she''s too many fathoms deep. . .Praise for Livia J. Washburn and Frankly My Dear, I''m Dead"Amusing, breathlessly quick." --Publishers Weekly"Gone with the Wind fans will cozy up to this tale." --Mystery Scene"Liva J. Washburn''s mysteries are among the best." --Mystery News

Delilah Dickinson is looking forward to a relaxing getaway leading her literary travel agency''s latest tour at the annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival in New Orleans. But a group of low-key English professors waste little time drawing their claws, especially when one of them claims he can prove Williams didn''t even write Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But when the supposed real author turns up dead, Delilah knows she''s got to get to the bottom of things. . .even if the truth is as dirty as all them lies! Finding a murderer amidst all the steamy affairs, squabbling, and shouts of"Shut up! / No, you shut up!" is making Delilah feel like a certain cat stuck on a certain roof. Plus there''s still a killer on the loose, and if she doesn''t act quickly she just may find herself starring. . .in her very own death scene!Praise for Livia J. Washburn and Frankly My Dear, I''m Dead"Amusing, breathlessly quick." --Publishers Weekly"Gone with the Wind fans will cozy up to this tale." --Mystery Scene

In this bake-off, people get knocked off. The irresistible new entry in the national bestselling series.When Phyllis?s cousin asks her to look after her Oak Knoll bed-and-breakfast for a few weeks, Phyllis jumps at the chance?mostly because the inn is located close to the annual Rockport, Texas, Just Desserts competition. Determined to beat her friendly rival and enjoy some peaceful downtime with her boyfriend Sam, Phyllis concocts the ultimate sweet treat. But Phyllis?s holiday turns bitter when she and Sam discover a dead body?and all signs point to murder. Dismayed that bad luck seems to pop up wherever she goes, Phyllis wants to stay out of this one. But as the list of suspects gets too close for comfort, she decides to throw herself into the mix. Because when it comes to solving murders, Phyllis is one smart cookie.

It''s Thanksgiving in Weatherford, Texas, and Phyllis is taking her grandson, Bobby, to the first annual Harvest Festival with hopes of winning the baking contest now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow turns out to be a dead body in disguise, Phyllis must dish out some justice...

A Christmas killer has been icing Phylis Newsom''s friends in the sixth Fresh-Baked mystery.

Not only will Phyllis Newsom''s house be featured in the annual Christmas Jingle Bell Tour of Homes, she also has a Christmas Eve bridal shower and a New Year''s Eve wedding to bake goodies for. But like her tasty treats, she rises to the occasion.

Before the tour gets under way, Phyllis makes a gruesome discovery on her porch: someone has tried to kill her friend. As Santa''s naughty list gets longer, Phyllis tries to catch a half-baked killer.

All year round, retired schoolteacher Phyllis Newsom is as sweet as peach pie-except during the Peach Festival, whose blue ribbon has slipped through Phyllis''s fingers more than once...

Everyone''s a little shook up when the corpse of a no-good local turns up underneath a car in a local garage. But even as Phyllis engages in some amateur sleuthing, she won''t let it distract her from out-baking her rivals and winning the upcoming Peach Festival contest.

She and all the other contestants guard their secret, original recipes with their lives-and talk a whole lot of trash. With her unusual Spicy Peach Cobbler, Phyllis hopes to knock ''em dead. But that''s just an expression-never in her wildest dreams did she think her cobbler would actually kill a judge. Now, she''s suspected of murder-and she''s got to bake this case wide open.

It’s time for the State Fair of Texas—and cooking contests galore! Fryers are heating up and stomachs are growling. But Phyllis Newsom had better watch out. Someone’s brought an appetite for murder.... Phyllis and her friends Carolyn and Sam are ready to whip up their best dishes and win some ribbons in Dallas. And they’re excited to learn that one of their favorite celebrity chefs—Joye Jameson of The Joye of Cooking—is broadcasting her TV show from the fair. When Phyllis’s funnel cake is picked as one of the best of that category, Joye invites her and the other finalists to prepare their delicious recipes live on the air. But Phyllis’s moment in the spotlight is spoiled after Joye suffers a deadly allergic reaction from one bite of her funnel cake. Now she’s gone from top entry to top suspect. So in order to clear her name, Phyllis will have to turn up the heat on this investigation before the real killer slips through her fingers....  INCLUDES RECIPES!

It’s Halloween in Weatherford, Texas—which means Phyllis Newsom is baking up a storm of yummy seasonal treats...but she’s about to get even busier unmasking a killer. While Phyllis and her friend Carolyn are preparing for a baking contest, her housemate Sam adopts Buck, an adorable Dalmatian who was hit by a car. To thank local veterinarian Hank Baxter for helping the dog, Phyllis and Carolyn bake a batch of doggie treats for his other four-legged patients.But when they arrive at the clinic, the vet is in the process of being arrested—for the murder of his wife! Convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree and that someone’s been burying evidence, Sam begs Phyllis to help find the real killer. Joined by Buck, the friends engage in a dogged pursuit of the murderer, who will stop at nothing to muzzle them…permanently.Includes Recipes

In the latest from the national bestselling author of Trick or Deadly Treat, Phyllis Newsom returns with a festive Christmas recipe that’s to die for…‘Tis the season in Weatherford, Texas, and everyone in town is gearing up for the annual holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony in the town square, where Phyllis Newsom will be serving her much-anticipated candy cane cupcakes. Local rancher Barney McCrory manages to charm one away from her before the ceremony begins. But unfortunately, when the minty confection is finished, so is he.This isn’t the first time someone has dropped dead after eating one of Phyllis’s treats. But when the paramedics determine the rancher was shot, suspicion swiftly falls on McCrory’s daughter and her husband—who both stand to reap some sweet rewards from his death. Though Phyllis doesn’t want to get mixed up in another murder investigation, something about this case doesn’t sit right with her. With a little help from a tabloid TV news crew, Phyllis must unwrap the truth and restore good cheer to Weatherford before it’s too late…Includes recipes! From the Trade Paperback edition.

Wedding bells will be ringing in Weatherford, Texas, this Christmas when Phyllis Newsom opens up her home for her best friend’s wedding. And although the bride is wearing white, no one suspects that she’ll soon be wearing black.... After all the planning—and the cake tasting—the big day has finally arrived. Eve Turner, one of Phyllis’s boarders—and her best friend—is moving out and getting married to the affable Roy Porter. While she’s sad to see Eve go, Phyllis is more than happy to host the event in her home and to bake the bride and groom a delicious three-tiered coconut wedding cake. Even though a snowstorm in the forecast seems like a recipe for disaster, the day runs as smoothly as buttercream.  But the marriage doesn’t last long past the honeymoon. When Roy’s found dead at a Weatherford bed-and-breakfast, Eve’s the top suspect. Now Phyllis must find out who iced Roy before her friend finds herself behind bars….  Includes recipes!

At this year''s school carnival fund-raiser, the obnoxious president of the Parent Teacher Organization is found stabbed through the heart with Phyllis Newsom''s own knife, with traces of incriminating frosting. Clearing her name will be no piece of cake...

It’s Christmastime in Weatherford, Texas, and retired teacher–cum–amateur sleuth Phyllis Newsom has to deal with a cutthroat Christmas bake-off in this festive Fresh-Baked mystery.   Phyllis would like to think she’s entering the Christmas cookie contest just for fun. But that’s not exactly true. She can’t imagine anyone beating her delicate snowflake-shaped lime sugar cookies, although her neighbor Mrs. Simmons’s gingerdoodles might give her a run for her money.   Then, during her annual Christmas cookie exchange, Phyllis heads over to the elderly Mrs. Simmons’s home and finds the poor thing in a pile of lime sugar cookies, strangled by the belt of her own bathrobe. With a number of names on Santa’s naughty suspect list, this case is a cookie Phyllis means to crumble...