Book excerpt: Dying for a Date by 2012 LEFTY Finalist for Best Humorous Mystery "Cindy Sample knows how to weave a story that satisfies and excites. Time literally flew by as I turned the pages...simultaneously harrowing, exciting, tender, and uplifting, a true who-done-it combined with a romance that will warm the heart and sheets." -Long and Short Reviews WOULD DATING BE THE DEATH OF HER? Unsure if she is looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Every Other Saturday Night, divorced mother of two, Laurel McKay reluctantly joins THE LOVE CLUB, a popular local dating service. Dressed to kill, she meets bachelor number one at a trendy restaurant. But the date is a bust, literally, when the guy decides Laurel is dessert, and she breaks his nose with her cell phone. It gets even worse when the man is found murdered the next morning, and Laurel has his blood on her clothes. Despite her now being a person of interest to the police, Laurel bravely ventures out on date number two. When that unlucky bachelor disappears during dinner, Laurel's only alibi is a bottle of Dom Perignon. The sexy investigating detective thinks she's innocent and is worried she may be the next target. That's more than enough motivation for Laurel to find a murderer determined to kill her social life--before dating becomes a dead end she can't escape. "Dying for a Date is such a wonderful fun read I couldn't put it down. Cindy Sample has created a cast of unforgettable and entertaining characters. Great humor, sexual tension, and an intriguing plot, all the components for a delightful romantic mystery." -Penny Warner, award-winning author of the Nancy Drew Handbook, Presley Parker party planning series and the Connor Westphal mysteries "Dying for a Date is one of those books, the type you stay up late - way too late - to finish. Combining murder mystery and humor is a difficult task and "Cindy Sample does it brilliantly." -Jenny Hilborne, author of the Mac Jackson Mystery Thriller series "Funny dialogue, relatable heroine, fast-paced plot. If real dating were this entertaining, we'd all be doing more of it. Dying for a Date will keep you glued to the pages and laughing out loud." -Liz Jasper, Eppie award-winning author of Underdead and Underdead in Denial. "With tongue-in-cheek and a tush in tight skirts, Laurel McKay traverses the demands of motherhood and the perils of on-line dating in Cindy Sample's chic mystery, Dying for a Date. Re-entering the singles scene after divorce isn't easy as Laurel discovers when her "blind date" tries to practice Braille on her body. Her first bad date becomes his last when he's found dead the next day. Curl up with a pint of ice cream, fluffy slippers and a book that will make you glad you're having a night in." -Sunny Frazier, Author of the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries "Dying for a Date combines the fun of a spunky and smart heroine with an exciting murder mystery. This is an excellent entry to the world of romantic mysteries." -San Francisco Book Review