Call in for Murder book tour is through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and includes an author interview and a giveaway. Learn about the author, share with a friend, subscribe to Sarandipity’s.
Book Details
Call In For Murder: A Neon Desert Novel
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Nevada
Independently Published
Publication date : October 19, 2025
Print length : 238 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 : 979-8999862600
Digital
ISBN-13 : 979-8999862617
ASIN : B0FVMJMQ3R
Call-in radio host Ashley Compton is Las Vegas’s best friend when it comes to giving relationship tips to strangers. But when a repeat caller is found murdered after exposing her woes on the air and accepting the challenge to put up or shut up, Ashley questions if her homespun advice was the catalyst for the murder.
Afraid of losing her job and destroying her reputation, Ashley heads to the seedy side of Las Vegas to snoop around. There she encounters shady dealings: lies, gambling, adultery, and potential criminal activities. When her two-timing and felonious suspects spout glib excuses to justify their behaviors, she digs deeper and is threatened, injured, and gets what she dishes out: advice she doesn’t always like.
Can Ashley’s sleuthing skills catch the killer, or will she end up just another crime statistic? Can she save her career, or will she be put on the Do-Not-Call list?
About Tammy Barker
Tammy Barker is a serious, by-the-book Washington DC government accountant by day and a wildly imaginative fiction writer by night. She writes contemporary traditional amateur sleuth mystery novels and historical pulp fiction short stories. Her other loves include reading anything, restoring or refurbishing vintage items, small home repairs, cooking and baking, classical piano, and wishing she lived during the 1940s and 1950s. She is on Facebook, and her website is https://tammybarkerwriter.com.
Author Links
- Webpage – https://tammybarkerwriter.com/
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tammybarkerwriter/
- Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61314173.Tammy_Barker
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tammybarkerwriter/
Purchase Links – Amazon Digital – Amazon Print – B&N Print
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 16 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
March 16 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW_NO POST YET
March 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 18 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 20 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 21 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
March 21 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 24 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 24 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 25 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST
Interview questions:
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
This is kind of t ought. It’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. All kids are the favorite for one reason or another.
Anyway, it’s probably the quibbles between Ashley and Cheryl. A lot of people say it’s over the top, but if they think about it, there’s probably that one person in their life like Cheryl. I know people like stories that are all sunshine and rainbows, the characters aren’t weak in any way, and no one is mean. But to me, the edginess I write is real life, and I will push back until no one buys my books. Then I’ll switch to a genre that accepts it with open arms.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Olivia Palomo (a character that’s just in this first book, at least so far).
We would go shopping. Seeing her going from store to store, making clerks cringe, cry, or show with glee at the commission would be fun. Being waited on hand and foot? You bet!
Watching her part the seas of people like her husband does at the casino? I’m all over it. Hopefully, she’d buy me a trinket from Tiffany’s I love the blue box/bag.
What books/authors have most inspired you?
Probably the Goldie Bear Culinary Mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson was my first inspiration. She introduced me to what is called a cozy mystery. I had no clue it was a thing before meeting her at the Tattered Cover bookstore back in the late 90s. Meeting her (a real author for the first time) was an awesome experience I will never forget. That was also my first foray into indie bookstores. It always left a great impression.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Most of them are a figment of my imagination.
A lot of people think I’m Ashley, but the only thing we have in common is the likes and dislikes. That’s it.
Nathan’s enthusiasm comes from the reality star Carson Kressley.
Tom (Ashley’s boss) is a riff on Lou Grant from the Mary Tyler Moore show.
Cheryl is a totally different story. She’s based on a real person. People tell me she’s over the top and I need to tone her down. I tell every last one of them if they ever come to DC, I will introduce them to the real Cheryl. There is absolutely no exaggeration. Every word out of Cheryl’s mouth has been said by my muse, either literally from an exact conversation, or importing it to another concept.
What made you want to become a writer?
I dare myself to attempt something, just to see if I can do it. All the time.
I dared myself to go on a hot air balloon ride, in Aspen Colorado, in December when I have a fear of plunging to my death. I dared myself to get a Master’s degree when I didn’t need it for work and had no interest in furthering my education. I dare myself to get on every amusement park ride if anyone else wants to go on one, no matter what it is.
In 2006, I dared myself to write a master I would be interested in, just to see if I could get to the words THE END.
And I did it!
Giveaway
Prize – A copy of Call In For Murder: A Neon Desert Novel by Tammy Barker, Swag, a copy of my literary twists booklet I made during Covid, a pen, a $10 gift card, either Amazon, Starbucks, or Barnes and Noble (Winner’s Choice).
