Hello, everyone! My name is Bumble, and I live in Santaland, right in the bustling heart of Christmastown. Until recently, most of my days here have been much the same. You can usually find me on the sidewalk in front of Flock and Ivy’s florist shop, chatting with passersby and enjoying the brisk weather. No, I’m not a flower junkie—I’m a snowman, and we tend to hang out in one place. Which means that snowmen see a lot of what happens in our community.
That’s why I’m speaking with you today. You see, I’m a key witness in a murder case that happened in Christmastown during this week leading up to Valentine’s Day, when all of Christmastown has gone bonkers for hearts and flowers. Love is in the air! Mrs. Claus’s best friend, Claire, is getting married, the reindeer are frisky, and even we snowmen are getting into the spirit of the occasion. This week, I’ve been raising money for my favorite charity. If you see a snowman next to a sign that reads “GIVE A LITTLE, RECEIVE A SNOWMAN HUG,” that’s me.
But you’re probably interested in the murder I mentioned. Everyone is! An elf named Sterling Redwinkle dropped dead from the prick of a poisoned rose as he was proposing to Mrs. Claus’s friend Juniper, who’s a bridesmaid in Claire’s wedding. And guess where that rose came from? Flock and Ivy’s florist shop, right next to yours truly.
The trouble is, Ivy swears she had nothing to do with the poisoned rose—even though Mrs. Claus found out that Ivy was formerly involved with Sterling. The plot thickens, as the detectives say!
Obviously, Mrs. Claus is taking a keen interest in discovering who caused the death of her friend’s would-be fiancé. And it’s sort of important that she gets herself involved, because…well, frankly, our local law officers, Constable Crinkles and Deputy Ollie, are a little distracted at the moment. A huge Valentine’s week chocolate contest is taking place in Christmastown, and Ollie’s Constabulary Creams are serious contenders for the blue ribbon. And Jake Frost, our local private detective, is worried about his upcoming marriage to Claire, who seems to have cold feet about marrying now that death has touched her wedding party. Or maybe there’s another cause entirely for those cold feet…
As a snowman, I know a little about cold feet—and I also know something about what happened across the street from Flock and Ivy’s that might just be a clue to solving this whole mystery. What do I know? I hope you’ll get your mittens on a copy of Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine to find out.
And this winter, please don’t forget to hug a snowman!
Giveaway: Liz has generously offered to give away one print copy of MRS. CLAUS AND THE VERY VICIOUS VALENTINE. To enter, please leave a comment below and tell us what do you like about the holiday season. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends October 4, 2025. Good luck everyone!
MRS. CLAUS AND THE VERY VICIOUS VALENTINE – A Mrs. Claus Mystery, Book 6
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: September 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air with April Claus’s friend, Claire, getting married to Jake Frost—but when a cold-blooded killer strikes, it sends shivers through Santaland . . .
It’s the wedding of the winter—Claire and Jake—and April and Juniper will be bridesmaids. Everyone’s feeling the love. Even the reindeer who pull April’s sleigh are feeling the Valentine’s vibes: both Wobbler and Cannonball fancy Flouncy, a doe from the Vixen herd. As for April, of course she couldn’t be happier being married to Nick (aka THE Santa Claus), but now that they’re no longer newlyweds, has their romance been a bit backburnered?
As the bridal party assembles at the Order of Elven Seamstresses for a fitting, Juniper’s new boyfriend, Sterling Redwinkle, stops by with a corsage. While he’s pinning it on Juniper, he’s pricked by a rose thorn and collapses. Though he’s rushed to the Santaland infirmary, he dies within hours. It turns out the thorns were covered in deadly poison. But who was the killer’s target—sweet Sterling or the now heartbroken bridesmaid?
With Ivy the florist immediately the chief suspect—even being called “Poison Ivy” by naughty gossipers—it’s up to Mrs. Claus to uncover the North Pole poisoner in time to salvage Claire and Jake’s wedding at Castle Kringle . . .
About the author
Liz Ireland grew up in Texas, where she experienced nothing but green Christmases for most of her life—until she moved to Canada. She currently lives on beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia. You can find her at lizireland.wordpress.com, on Facebook as LizIrelandAuthor, and on Instagram as lizireland_author.
the meaning behind Christmas.
rhe Decorations and the lights.
the music and the movies
I love the music and the movies, too!
I like the sense of peace and goodwill around the holidays. (At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.)
I enjoy all the decorations and lights, and just the fun feeling of the season.
Love the Mrs. Claus series, been looking forward to this book.
Thank you so much, Alicia!
Yes, ideally–LOL. I love that peace and goodwill is what we strive for!
I don’t need to be entered in the contest. I will buy my own copy because I love this series! Congratulations on Book #6 being published!
Thank you, Pat!
I love getting together with family, the decorations and lights
Getting together with family really makes holidays special!
I love the meaning behind it, the precious memories I make with my family, the decorations, music and special foods.
Me too, Cherie! It’s the people who make it special.
Everything! Christmas is my favorite. It’s the focus on Jesus along with how much more peaceful people seem during this time.
It’s a great time of year to focus on generosity of spirit!
I love cooking and baking seasonal treats during the holidays! I also love to watch holiday baking competitions, all the holiday desserts are so cute and cozy.
Agree, Kiana. The desserts and baking are a holiday highlight!
I love making family/friend ornaments every year to giveaway. I know they appreciate them and I have so much fun coming up with what to make.
Oh, Liz, I wish I were more crafty! Love the handmade ornament idea.
I love everything about the holidays, the food, the decorations, lights everywhere, the coziness. I also enjoy baking but don’t bake a ton throughout the year, but I bake a lot of cookies for Christmas! (I already have a copy as I pre-ordered so you can exclude me from the giveaway 🙂 )
Thank you, Michaela! Wishing you many great batches of cookies this year!