Tag Archives: dog

Happy Book Launch!

Killer Excerpts and Killer Prices!

PS–all three books in my Downward Dog mystery series are now available! Learn more at http://tracyweberauthor.com. Thanks for reading!

I Present to You….an Excerpt from KARMA’S A KILLER!

Today is my monthly posting at InkSpot, the blog for the writers of Midnight Ink. You don’t want to miss this one–it’s a preview of the first chapter of my next book, Karma’s a Killer, which will officially be released on January 8! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/2015/12/i-present-to-youkarmas-killer.html

PS–Purchase Karma’s a Killer before January 8, 2016 and e-mail me at Tracy@WholeLifeYoga.com to receive an autographed bookplate!

Tracy Weber

Purchase my newest mystery, KARMA’S A KILLER, now at Amazon Barnes and Noble or a bookstore near you!

Check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series. A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere

How I Spent My Summer Vacation (AKA Sabbatical Ain’t for Wimps, Baby!)

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Not long ago I lamented to my husband how exhausted I was. He looked at me oddly and reminded me that I’d been on sabbatical for the past six weeks. I understand his confusion. I reminded him, in a very kind and gentle way 😉 that I was, indeed, still working. In many ways harder than normal.

I call my time off from teaching every August a sabbatical, but really I should call it a time of refocus. These days, that refocus is around writing. So for those of you wondering what I did on sabbatical, here’s a partial list of things both fun, not-so-fun, and surprising. I don’t feel like as much of a slacker when I read it!

What I did on my summer sabbatical:

Wrote the 2nd and 3rd drafts of my fourth book, tentatively titled A FATAL TWIST, including the laborious process of outlining and fixing timing and consistency errors. Normally this would take over three months! (Yippee, yahoo, and wahooey!)
Served on jury duty. Have you done your civic duty lately?
Took Tasha dog to 24 rehab appointments: 7 massages, 11 physical therapy sessions, 3 acupuncture treatments, and 3 chiropractor/osteopath appointments. (I actually thought it was more than that! It’s a good thing she enjoys them.)
Set up my winter, 2016 book signing tour. 6 stops and 5 cities so far—more to come!
Spent waaaaaay too much time on Facebook. Need I say more?
Wrote 7 blog articles.
Created the studio’s fall schedule. (A three-times-a-year project that always makes my head spin.)
Wrote 6 newsletters. 4 for the studio and 2 author newsletters.
Ate dinner out approximately 36 times. Hence the need for new clothes, below.
Walked the Tasha-dog. Approximately 65 walks in all, many at our favorite walking destination, Green Lake!
Watched all 39 episodes of Orange is the New Black. For the record, I already had a character named Crazy Eyes in my third book before I saw the series.
Finished the production edits and started sending out advanced copies of Karma’s a Killer.
Read and wrote endorsements for 3 fabulous books by authors Susan Obrien, Sharon St. George, and Colleen Shogan. Do yourself a favor and pre-order them now!
Put together Tasha’s wheelchair (the chariot!) all by myself. Hopefully she won’t need it for a very long time. In the meantime, her pal Froggert will keep it warm for her.
Harassed hubby until he finally finished my new mobile friendly author website!
Scheduled and created the catalogues, contracts and other registration materials for Whole Life Yoga’s 2016 yoga teacher training! Information sessions start in October!

What I didn’t do that I planned:

Get even one massage myself.
Go on a single trip.
Correct teacher training homework. (Sorry guys. Today, I promise!)
Clean house. (But that’s no surprise.)
Catch up on sleep.
Cook a meal that didn’t go from a cardboard box straight to the microwave. (This is a nice continuation of my several-year streak.)
Finish the book proposal for my meditation book.
Go to a movie.
Shop for clothes. Since I often mess up and wear them inside out, maybe that will double my wardrobe!
Start the second mystery series I have rattling around in my head. But if my writing continues to speed up, I may just start it soon!

So, all, I’ve missed you, but I’ve been busy! I look forward to being back teaching starting tonight. I hope you all had a fantastic summer, filled with love, joy, and lots of play.

How did you spend your summer vacation?

Tracy Weber

My newest mystery, KARMA’S A KILLER, is now available for pre-order at at Amazon Barnes and Noble, and Whole Life Yoga!

Yee haw, yippee, and yahooey!

They’re Here, They’re Here, They’re Here!

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August is an exciting time for me on so many levels. I’m on sabbatical from teaching yoga, which means I can concentrate on my writing. Sounds simple, right? It’s significantly more complex than you might think. Just as I was ready to dive into the second draft of my fourth novel, tentatively titled A TWISTED DEATH, I got requests to read and endorse two new fabulous mysteries, and my second editor at Midnight Ink got back to me with edits on my current novel, Karma’s a Killer.

This is the first time I’ve worked with Sandy, and I must say she’s AWESOME! She brings an attention to detail that my work has rarely seen before. And, if I have to brag, I guess this is the time: Karma’s a Killer is my best book so far. I truly believe it. Even better, it’s definitely by far my best cover!

Just when I thought my excitement couldn’t get any higher, the advanced copies and press release for Karma’s a Killer arrived on Wednesday. I keep burying my nose in the books, inhaling their new book smell. Can you tell I’m excited or what?

Here’s an excerpt from the press release for this newest installment in the series.

The latest mystery by award-winning novelist Tracy Weber, Karma’s a Killer is a fun, fresh, feisty new mystery featuring Seattle yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her trusty canine companion Bella.

About Karma’s a Killer: Yoga instructor Kate Davidson is about to discover that when it comes to murder, there’s no place like om. When she agrees to teach doga—yoga for dogs—at a fundraiser for Dogma, a local animal rescue, Kate believes the only real damage will be to her reputation. But when an animal rights protest at the event leads to a suspicious fire and a drowning, a few downward-facing dogs will be the least of Kate’s problems…

The police arrest Dharma, a woman claiming to be Kate’s estranged mother, and charge her with murder. To prove Dharma’s innocence, Kate, her boyfriend Michael, and her German shepherd sidekick Bella dive deeply into the worlds of animal activism, organizational politics, and the dangerous obsessions that drive them.

And if solving a murder weren’t complicated enough, Kate will also have to decide whether or not to reconcile with the estranged mother who abandoned her over thirty years ago. Not to mention having to contend with an almost-bankrupt animal rescue, a cantankerous crow, an unwanted pigeon houseguest, and a rabbit in a doga class. What could possibly go wrong?

A taut tale with more twists and turns than a vinyasa yoga class, Karma’s a Killer brims with suspense, wit and whimsy. With a to-die-for plot, sensational storyline, and charming characters—of both the two- and four-legged varieties—Karma’s a Killer is a clever, colorful, and utterly captivating cozy mystery.”

Sounds like a book I’d actually like to read. How about you?

Time to get working on scheduling those book launch events!

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series. A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere! KARMA’S A KILLER is available for pre-order now!

A Killer Retreat Book Launch Week 1: So far, so great!

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Fiona had to wait so long for book launch week that she outgrew her shirt!

Fiona had to wait so long for the book launch that she outgrew her shirt!

It’s been a fun and exciting book launch, and we’re just getting started. Here’s a summary of some of the highlights so far:

Reviews from Mystery Blogs: Check out the fun reviews from posted by the bloggers below: If you’ve seen any reviews that I haven’t listed here please let me know!

Booklady’s Booknotes: “A Killer Retreat is a humorous mystery that will give the reader page after page of stress free enjoyment.”
Shelley’s BookCase: “This is such a fantastic read. One that will have you reading until the last page.”
Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows: “Kate’s dedication to Bella and her serious medical issues are just one reason why I consider this a must-read series. Whether you are a yogi or not you will enjoy spending time with Kate, Bella, and their friends.”
Readalot: “Lots of mystery, lots of suspects, lot of Yoga, interesting characters and cute animals.”
Fresh Fiction: “Ms. Weber mixes up a delightful whodunit that sends the reader down false trails much like Bella the dog and her search for rabbits….Readers of cozy mysteries will enjoy this mystery and look forward to the next installment.”
Cozy up with Kathy “A Killer Retreat, is the best sort of book. It’s one that raises awareness of important societal issues, explores the difficulties relationships present, makes us worry about the people and other animals who inhabit its pages, and, while doing all of that, still makes us laugh!”
Thoughts In Progress: “A Killer Retreat is a charming cozy that provides relaxation and entertainment. This is a tantalizing series with the promise of more capers in the future.”
Just One More Paragraph: “Another great humorous and quirky mystery that is sure to not only to draw you in but entertain you from the first page.”

Interviews: I’m continually surprised by the diversity of questions I get asked by interviewers. There’s a tiny bit of overlap in the interviews below, but not very darned much. I’ve highlighted some of the unique questions in each.

Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows: This one is a lot of fun, because I got to write it from Bella’s (The German Shepherd in my series) point of view!
Edmonds News: Artfully Edmonds: This local arts columnist asked some great questions about how to “make it” in the writing business. Truth be told, I haven’t made it yet. But if I ever do, it will be because of support from readers like you!
Christa Reads and Writes: In this one, you can read about my yoga teacher/sleuth Kate and how she compares to me. Spoiler Alert! We have some similarities!
Thoughts in Progress: Learn about my writing process (or lack thereof, if the truth be known). I’m not exactly known for my organized desktop.
Cozy Up with Kathy: This interviewer asked me to talk about my work, of course, but also two other topics in the series I feel passionately about: EPI (the digestive disease my own dog has) and reactive dogs.
Omnimystery News: This interviewer asked lots of fun questions about my life, my characters, and my genre. My favorite question, however was to complete this sentence… I am a mystery writer and thus I am also… How do you think I answered it?
Radio Interview on Conversations Live with Cyrus Web. Cyrus hosted me on his program last launch and it was a thrill to talk with him again this year about my new book, getting to know my characters and encouraging other writers.

Guest articles: In addition to this writing blog, I’m a contributing author for several other blogs in the upcoming weeks. The two articles below posted in the past week.

Writers and Other Animals: This is actually an excerpt from the book—a scene in which Kate discovers Suicide Bluff, an area that will later become much more frightening than she could ever imagine.
Sequence Wiz: Read about finding your passion by sharing yoga in unusual ways.

Upcoming events this week: If you’re in the area, come see me! The party at Whole Life Yoga will feature champagne, killer cake, and lots of door prizes!

Radio Interview on My Mama’s Kitchen (Tuesday, January 13, 8 – 9 AM)
Book signing at the Edmonds Bookshop (Thursday, January 15, 5 – 8 PM) Edmonds, WA
Killer Party at Whole Life Yoga, co-sponsored by the University Bookstore! (Saturday, January 17, 2:30 – 4:00 PM) Seattle, WA

Thanks all! Have a great week and I’ll give you another summary next week!

Tracy Weber

Holy Book Launch, Batman!

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Reader Missy Schwebach and her dog Heidi

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here! Book launch week for A KILLER RETREAT. The official launch is this Thursday, January 8, but I have tons of activities scheduled over the next several months. Today’s article outlines my live book launch events through March. For the next few weeks on the blog, I’ll post links to some notable interviews and articles, as well as some radio shows! After that, we’ll be back to all yoga, all the time. 😉

Please join me for one, several, or all of the events below! And please support these booksellers who have gone out of their way to support me!

Signings and Launch parties:

Thursday, January 8, 5:00 – 7:00 PM PST. Facebook launch party! Many of my readers aren’t in Seattle, so I’ve decided to host a virtual launch party this year. I’ll be posting photos of settings in the book, offering excerpts, giving away a prize every 15 minutes, answering reader questions, and accepting virtual hugs. To join in, Click on this link. Please also share with your friends. The more the merrier!
Saturday, January 10, noon – 1:00. Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Seattle, WA. A low key meet-and-greet event. But you don’t want to miss the opportunity to check out this Seattle landmark that devotes its shelves completely to mysteries. Tons of fun!
Thursday, January 15, 5:00 – 8:00 PM. Edmonds Book Shop in Edmonds, WA. I loved being part of the Edmonds art walk last year, and this lovely local book store is a community favorite. I’ll be hosting some drawings for book-related goodies.
Saturday, January 17, 2:30 – 4:00 PM. Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, WA, co-sponsored by the University Bookstore. This one is going to be a PARTY! Cake, bubbly, yoga discounts, prizes, and readings. We’re going to have a blast!
Thursday, January 29, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. I had a great time in this open and inviting venue last year. I plan to offer a short chair yoga practice to liven things up, a couple of readings, Q&A, and tons of prizes! Not to be missed.
Saturday, January 31, 12:30 – 2:30 PM. Costco in Shoreline. And you don’t even have to buy the book in bulk! 😉 Costco offers great prices and I’m thrilled that they asked me to come and do an event with them. This will be another low key meet and greet, so feel free to come on by at any time during the event and say hi!
Friday, February 6, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Garfield Book Company in Tacoma, WA. This will be my first event at the bookstore at Pacific Lutheran University. In addition to reading, I’m going to offer a class on yoga for students and other readers. Please let all of your south end friends know!
Saturday, February 7, 1:30 – 2:30 PM. Page 2 Books in Burien, WA. Another fun new venue for me, in which I plan to tease the audience with readings, prizes, and maybe a yoga pose or two.
Saturday, February 14, 1:30 – 2:30 PM. Barnes and Noble in Federal Way, WA. I hope to see some of my old buddies from Weyerhaeuser there! Grab your honey and prepare to have a “killer” of a time!
Sunday, March 8, 4 – 5 PM. Village Books in Bellingham. Bellingham has a large viniyoga following, so I’m totally thrilled to go back there and share my second book. I’m still firming up the plans, but I hope to have a local yoga teacher co teach this with me.
Friday through Sunday, March 12 – 15. Left Coast Crime in Portland, Oregon. This fun fan convention is offered once a year. My panels and signings aren’t confirmed yet, but if you plan to attend, please hit me up for a drink!
Saturday, March 21, 2 – 3 PM. Barnes and Noble, in Billings, MT. What a complete and total hoot to be signing books in my hometown. I’ve invited another mystery author to join me, but I don’t want to jinx it so you’ll have to check with me in a few weeks to see if she can come. Readings, giveaways, and of course signings galore!
Saturday, May 9, 2 – 3 PM. Barnes and Noble, in Bellevue, WA. East side moms take note! What could be better than a little “spa day” relaxation with A Killer Retreat!

I have to admit, typing this all out just gave me heart palpitations. It’s going to be a BUSY few months! Add to this three radio shows, ten guest articles, and seven interviews scheduled—so far—and I may never sleep again. Please come see me at one of the events, give me a big hug, and let me draw from your energy.

And always, of course, come see me us at Whole Life Yoga! Thank you for your support!

Tracy Weber

Yoga Mysteries, Imperfect Sleuths, and Book Launches!

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Rene de los Santos waiting patiently for his copy of A Killer Retreat at Whole Life Yoga

Happy holidays, yogis!

Today is my blogging day on Inkspot., the blog for the authors of Midnight Ink. As the publication date of my second book approaches (January 8!) I took some time to reflect on my beginnings with Viniyoga and how it can help heal wounds that are both physical and mental. Check it out at http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/2014/12/yoga-mysteries-imperfect-sleuths-and.html

Rutledge, waiting not so patiently….

I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series. A KILLER RETREAT is available for preorder now. MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available at book sellers everywhere!

Heart Felt Thanks

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trees

In just over a month, my second yoga and dog-related mystery, A Killer Retreat, will finally be released and out in the world.

Until I became a writer, I ignored the acknowledgements and dedications decorating the first pages of my favorite reads. Now, I know that they represent the many, many connections that make a book possible. Please take a moment and help me acknowledge the people who helped me birth my second written child.

To anyone I may have neglected to mention: my oversight does not make your contribution less important. You have my sincerest appreciation.

Dedication:

To my husband Marc. Without your support, my writing wouldn’t be possible.

Acknowledgements:

I always assumed writing would be a lonely endeavor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Thank you to the readers who have contacted me to tell me that they’ve enjoyed my work and to the writers who’ve encouraged me to keep persevering. Your support means the world to me.

For A Killer Retreat, I have so many people to thank that I don’t even know where to begin.

My mom Marcia’s enthusiastic support of the series has touched me, and I’m pretty sure she has single-handedly kept the Billings Barnes and Noble in business since my first book was released. My yoga students have attended events, read my work, and given me encouragement even when I’ve struggled. My wonderful agent, Margaret Bail, editors Terri Bischoff and Connie Hill at Midnight Ink, and freelance editor Marta Tanrikulu have all given me invaluable help and feedback.

Special thanks to D.P. Lyle MD, who helped me work out the technical details of the crimes in this book. He is kind, generous with his time, and an invaluable resource to all of us in the crime writing community. Of course if there are any errors in this work, they are completely mine.

My husband, Marc, supports me in all of my crazy endeavors but chooses to work in the background, designing and maintaining my website, creating marketing materials, helping me brainstorm plot points, and putting up with the angst, heartache, joy, frustration, and excitement that are all part of being a writer. Thank you, honey.

Finally, I have to acknowledge my own personal Bella, German shepherd Tasha. You’re getting older, sweetie, so we don’t have as many adventures as we used to, but rest assured that you are woven into the fabric of my stories and branded on my heart. I hope we have many more years together. You will always be my inspiration and the greatest joy of my life.

Tracy weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series. A KILLER RETREAT is available for preorder now from Whole Life Yoga. MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and book sellers everywhere!

It’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature!

Tracy Weber – Whole Life Blog

Yoga, dogs, and mysteries… what could be more fun?

Tag Archives: dog

Happy Book Launch!

Killer Excerpts and Killer Prices!

PS–all three books in my Downward Dog mystery series are now available! Learn more at http://tracyweberauthor.com. Thanks for reading!

I Present to You….an Excerpt from KARMA’S A KILLER!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation (AKA Sabbatical Ain’t for Wimps, Baby!)

They’re Here, They’re Here, They’re Here!

A Killer Retreat Book Launch Week 1: So far, so great!

Holy Book Launch, Batman!

Yoga Mysteries, Imperfect Sleuths, and Book Launches!

Heart Felt Thanks

It’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature!