1. What if a young mother found a lucrative way to provide a future for her son, but then couldn’t get out? Soon she becomes a homicide statistic. We automatically look at what she did-making drugs-and label her a bad person. Now that you know character Mandy Patterson’s backstory, do you feel empathy for her? Do you think others care if a meth cook dies?

2. A man she met on vacation, Deputy Sam Mayes, visits my sleuth Baxley Powell and her family. Like her, the man has extrasensory abilities, and she wants to learn from his experiences. He, on the other hand, is abiding by her lets-be-friends decree, but he’s made it clear he’s interested in a romantic relationship. As a woman, would you pursue the friendship?

3. For the longest time, Baxley has lived in relationship limbo. Her elite soldier of a husband went missing on a military mission. After a year went by, the Army declared him dead. As someone who can traverse the Veil of Life, Baxley knows he isn’t dead, only she can’t find him in the land of the living either. She worries he’s hurt. That’s the only way she knows that he wouldn’t come home to her and their young daughter. People say she should start dating again, but Baxley is married. Her honor and integrity demand that she honor her vows. What would you do in that situation?

4. In-laws and Outlaws is a phrase I’ve often heard applied to some extended families. In Confound It, discord rules amongst the victim’s family members. There’s love, but there’s also envy, greed, jealousy, and lust. Does your family always get along? What’s the usual bone of contention? Examples: curfew, bedtime, heirloom, elder care, employment, authority, money, respect…

5. We expect those who care for us to comfort us when troubles occur. But Confound It’s Mandy Patterson is trapped in a desperate situation, and she’s afraid of her boyfriend. What advice would you give someone like Mandy?

6. In Confound It, Mandy’s sister makes no bones that she wants what her sister has, only June is mostly talk and no action. Plus, she believes the world owes her. She gets mad when Mandy won’t continue to give her money. Do you believe in Tough Love? Why or why not?

7. My sleuth Baxley Powell is a Dreamwalker. She taps into her extrasensory abilities to learn more about a person, place, or thing in this world or the next. In reality, psychics often have one strong extrasensory skill. In the Dreamwalker Series, I take liberties so that Baxley explores a new paranormal aspect in each book. Confound It is book five in this series. Usually in other books, she must hold an item of the victim to make contact with his or her spirit. In this book, Baxley has several spontaneous visions causing her no end of confusion. What characteristic of Baxley’s do you most admire and why? (Her traits include loyalty, adaptability, courage, patience, composure, self-sufficiency, perceptiveness, honesty, fairness, or her curiosity).

8. Deputy Sam Mayes is a Cherokee. He carefully treads his way in both his native world and the white man’s world. Baxley doesn’t understand the issues he faces, doesn’t know how hard he is to appear to be solidly in both worlds, or that it costs his tribes when he is less than fully theirs. Assimilation used to be the American Way. Our society is a melting pot of immigrant groups. Why does assimilation hurt Native American tribes? Don’t people have to live and make a living in the twenty-first century?

9. Baxley’s household has a menagerie of animals: a Shih-Pooh named Muffin, a chihuahua named Elvis, black lab named Maddy, a Maine Coon cat named Sulay, and a tabby named Ziggy. Her ghost dog, Oliver the Great Dane, puts in appearances now and then. Occasionally, one of her pet-sitting clients leaves their animals with her, so she has even more animals at home. With such a variety of dogs and cats, which animal is the boss and why?

10. In a series mystery like this one, as the series goes along, the amateur sleuth gains more of a familiarity with the criminal world, though she still says firmly grounded in her community. Although Baxley has gained experience as a dreamwalker, one of her abilities, being able to perceive lies, happens automatically. This can be a bonus for her police work, but this (and her other skills) makes people leery of her. If you had a special skill that made people nervous, would you use it or hide it?

Join me at Writers Who Kill blog on June 6, 2018, for an entertaining blog interview on how did you put this book together. You’ll find behind the scenes dirt you always wanted to know about the Dreamwalker Series and Baxley Powell and her friends. Some of the questions made me stop and think before I could answer them. There are times, not saying all the time, but certain times when ideas come together in such a way as to look premeditated. I wouldn’t say that I purposefully insert themes or layer conflict in this book or any book, but somehow it happens and it works. Elaine pushed me to articulate the process and the ideas behind the story. Here’s the link: https://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/

Join me at Dru’s Book Musing today, June 3, 2018, as she reveals her take on Confound It, book 5 in my Dreamwalker Mystery Series. There’s also an in-depth interview of my protagonist, female sleuth Baxley Powell, and she’s really telling all! www.drusbookmusing.com There’s a giveaway!

Please join me on Friday, June 1, from 7-8:30 pm EDT, to launch Confound It. I’ll be on the Book Launch Party page I share with author Nancy J Cohen, https://www.facebook.com/newreleaseparty  There’ll be prizes and fun activities! I hope to see you there!!!

Hold onto your hats! The Great Escapes Blog Tour for Confound It starts June 1 and runs through June 14.

Here’s the schedule:

June 1 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
June 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
June 3 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
June 5 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 6 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST
June 6 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
June 7 – Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST
June 8 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 9 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
June 10 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – GUEST POST
June 11 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
June 11 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
June 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 13 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
June 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 14 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

Here’s the main Blog Tour Page: https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/upcoming-great-escapes-book-tours/confound-it-a-dreamwalker-mystery-by-maggie-toussaint/

Copy the list to have it handy, and then click on over on the right dates! I’d love to see you. There are Rafflecopter Prizes as well.

Thank you, Lori Caswell for setting this up! Mystery authors love you!

Join me at the Killer Nashville blog on May 22 where I’m discussing villains. We often think of the bad guy second when we’re working on characterization, but we benefit when we take a different approach. I give behind the scenes information about my forthcoming release, Confound It. I hope you’ll join me at the conference’s website blog: https://killernashville.com/blog/

Great News! The next Dreamwalker Mystery releases in ebook and paperback on June 1, 2018, from Camel Press. I have several individual blog appearances scheduled, a Great Escapes Blog Tour (June 1-14), and a Facebook Launch Party planned from 7-8:30 pm EDT on June 1 at http://www.facebook.com/newreleaseparty I hope you’ll join in the fun and help me launch another Baxley Powell adventure into the world.

Do you love the book cover? The background photo is one I took. I’m very flattered that Camel Press loves this image as much as I do. After a foggy morning, the sun just burned through the clouds and created that shaft of sunlight in the road. Fortunately I had my camera with me and snapped a few pictures. The sunny moment was brief but it was certainly glorious!

Early reviews for Confound It are awesome. Here are a few snips to whet your appetite:
“Fun and fast-paced,” – RT Reviews
“This gripping tale pulled at every emotion imaginable,“ – Dru Ann Love
“A dream come true for fans of paranormal mysteries,” – Leigh Perry, author

Print books can be pre-ordered now at Amazon and B&N.

A host of novellas from some darn good authors, if I do say so myself. Catch up with your old friend Cleopatra Jones in this exciting novella!

August 1 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW

August 2 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT

August 2 – Island Confidential -GUEST POST

August 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 4 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 4 – T’s Stuff – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 5 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

August 7 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

August 9 – Varietats2010 – REVIEW

August 10 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

More release-associated blogs, but not on the “tour”:

August 2 – Writers Who Kill – Interview

August 2 – To Read or Not to Read – Guest Post “Keeping a Series Fresh”

August 11 – Dru’s Book Musings – A day in the life of Baxley Powell

August 13 – Cats Books More Cats – Guest blog

August 16 – Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers  – Another day in the life of Baxley Powell

FIVE STARS. MYSTERY: Baxley Powell is just looking to spend a week with family and friends (and a few pets) camping in the mountains of North Georgia. However, the police have a different idea of how she should spend her time. Baxley has particular talents which can help the police solve the murders of several people, and they’re not going to let a little thing like the remote location get in their way. Before she knows it Baxley is reluctantly using her talents to assist in several investigations all at once.

What a great story! Ms. Toussaint has created vivid and believable characters in a paranormal setting that draws the reader into the action. The arc of the story is well thought out and the author avoids tired clichés in her treatment of all the characters. Baxley narrates the action with wit and humor as she finds herself manipulated by both human and supernatural creatures alike. The author draws from myth and legend and her boundless imagination to create a wonderful story. “Dadgummit” keeps the reader engrossed throughout each page with surprising plot twists and the author’s unique take on the paranormal genre.

Highly recommended for both fans of paranormal and for those readers who just like a great story! Gwenellen Tarbet for InD’tale Magazine