Guest post by Elena Taylor (with a giveaway!)
July 6 - August 14, 2026 Virtual Book Tour
A Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery
A female sheriff races against time to solve a murder at a carnival that puts her whole town at risk. Thrilling, romantic, and full of suspense!
Sheriff Bet Rivers' inspection of the carnival grounds should have been routine. Murder is certainly the last thing on anyone's mind. Then comes the sound of a gunshot. And a dead body with no signs of trauma, no witnesses and no obvious motive for the killing.
But solving the unexplained death is only part of the challenge. Bet is still grappling with her on-off relationship with town owner Rob Collier, while dealing with her feelings about her late father, the beloved town sheriff she had to replace.
As Bet launches her homicide investigation, she soon discovers the carnival is a place of whispers, rumours, resentments and lie after lie. And as the stakes build, it quickly becomes clear that protecting a deadly secret is something that someone is willing to kill to keep.
Author Bio:
Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo. She is also the author of the standalone suspense novel, The Haunting of Emily Grace.
With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. Located in Washington State, Elena produces tense and suspenseful investigations for a lone sheriff in an isolated community.
Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their equines, dogs, and cats.
Catch Up With Elena Taylor:
ElenaTaylorAuthor.com
www.TheMysteryOfWriting.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @elenataylorauthor
Instagram - @ElenaTaylorAuthor
BlueSky - @elenataylorauthor.bsky.social
X - @Elena_TaylorAut
Facebook - @elenataylorauthor
YouTube - @ElenaHartwellAuthor
GUEST POST: If My Animals Were Characters in Kill to Keep . . . by Elena Taylor
The barn cats are killers. Every single one of them. I often come into the barn to find
entrails strewn across the floor. (It even inspired my short story Blood, which you can
find on Amazon.) So, the antagonist(s) in Kill to Keep would definitely be the barn cats,
with one exception: Nana the matriarch. Haha, I can totally see that! Good choice.
Nana would definitely be Alma. Alma is tough as nails and has been running the
Sheriff’s Station in Collier, Washington, since before Bet Rivers was born. Our Nana
moved herself and her extensive family into my barn two years ago and wasn’t going to
take “no” for an answer. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and what
everyone else is going to do to support that. She’s sweet and loving and yet, she can
knock a bird off a fence at a hundred yards.
LOL I can picture Alma knocking a bird off a fence. She is tough and sometimes I'm not so in love with her. But she is faithful and you have to respect that!
Boone the giant mule would definitely be Bet Rivers. I know, that’s a little bit of gender
bending because Boonie is a boy, but he’s perfect for the part. Tall, good looking,
steady. He can leap straight up in the air if necessary but also remains calm in the face
of adversity. He doesn’t rush into anything, but he will fight to the death to protect his
people without a second thought. Mules are very territorial and protective. If Boone is
out in the pasture, I can guarantee you that the coyotes give him, and the rest of the
herd, a wide berth.
OH my gosh, this is the perfect choice! This is exactly how I would describe Bet. "will fight to the death to protect his people without a second thought" but she isn't reckless, she stays calm!
Jasper would be Rob Collier. Jasper is strong, quiet, and loyal. He doesn’t have to
prove he’s the toughest man in the room, it’s just who he is. He’s handsome and stands
out in the pasture … er, crowd, but not because he has to be the center of attention,
he’s just charismatic and carries himself with an air of authority.
"strong, quiet, and loyal" Yep, just how I picture him. <3
My favorite choice of my animals as characters in Kill to Keep might be for Rob Collier’s
horse Figure. Figure was the name of the first Morgan horse, a breed created by Justin
Morgan in 1789. Figure in Kill to Keep and the other books in the series, is a Morgan,
but he’s described as “part moose” because of his size. The average Morgan stands
between 14.1 and 15.2 hands, but Rob’s horse is much taller.
This year I bought a Morgan/Belgian draft cross, who is a very big boy at 16 hands. I
never thought I’d own a giant Morgan just like Rob! That’s where their similarities end,
however, Rob’s horse is super steady and can handle anything. My boy Noble is
untrained, five years old, and afraid of his own shadow. Still, Noble can rise to the
challenge! It may just take a while before he’s camera ready.
This is so cool! You pretty much put Noble into your book. :-)
Lastly, Bet’s late father would be my beloved Arabian horse, Chance. I lost Chance a
long time ago, but he’s with me every day. I loved that horse more than anything in the
world and losing him was the hardest event of my life. But I learned so much from him,
lessons I carry with me to this day. Bet’s father wasn’t an easy man, but he made Bet
who she is. Chance wasn’t an easy horse, but he made me who I am too.
Awwwww I love this! <3 <3 <3
I loved thinking about my animals as characters in Kill to Keep. If you follow me on
social media, you will get to see all these animals and more on a regular basis, that way
you can decide for yourself how I did.
I think you did perfect! This was so much fun. One of my favorite guest posts. And I love seeing all the pictures on your socials! Keep 'em coming!
Thank you!!!
Tour Participants:
Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!Click here to view the Tour Schedule
Step Right Up For A Killer Giveaway
This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elena Taylor. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
KILL TO KEEP by Elena Taylor | Gift CardCan't see the giveaway? Click Here!
Comments
Post a Comment