Chronicles of the Dragon Cave from A to Z: "B" for Breast plates and bloggers

Clarifying Note: Ever been in a place where you're not familiar with the customs? A very elegant table with 5 spoons, 10 forks and 6 glasses in front of you and you keep glancing around for cues on how to deal with your food? Well, this is my very first A to Z challenge and I feel just like that. When my dwarves came back from visiting dozens of blogs yesterday, they brought to my attention the fact everyone explained what could be expected from their posts this month. I didn't. Yesterday I skipped formalities and just started. I presumed your minds were all connected to this dragon's so you were aware what the master plan was since the  moment I concocted it. Don't know where I read humans can do that with red dragons.

Now to those of you who haven't developed such a telepathic connection with me, Chronicles of the Dragon Cave from A to Z are about the life in the Dragon Cave while we prepared ourselves for this challenge. Through these bits, you'll learn more about me, my lair, my muses and some of my most relevant dwarves. I hope you enjoy.  By the end, we might try that telepathic connection again.

"Carmelita, why are you covering the walls with all those welcome signs?" Pancholin asked, cloth and polisher in hand.
   "The master told me multiple bloggers are coming for the A to Z Challenge and I want them to feel our hospitality." Carmelita hung a picture of the Dwarf Cheering Squad with a welcoming legend.
   The idea of strangers in the cave unsettled Pancholin. "Bloggers? What bloggers? When is this happening? I didn't see that memo!" He started to polish the closest metal at hand.
   Carmelita frowned and crashed a smiley face sign on his head. "My breast plates don't need polishing. How many times do I have to tell you?" She grabbed the rest of the signs and strode away. "Fireballs! Bloggers might be here already."
   With the sign as a collar, Pancholin glanced about as if looking for ghosts. Nerves got the best of him. The circling motion of his hand was instinctive. "B-bloggers? if you are really here, manifest yourselves...nicely."

The Begonia Bribe Cover Reveal 

Today the fireworks at the Cave are due to the cover reveal of Alyse Carlson's book: The Begonia Bribe. We are always happy to be part of this kind of parties. Congratulations, Alyse!

The Begonia Bribe:  2nd in the Garden Society Cozy Mystery series by Alyse Carlson (aka: Hart Johnson)  
Roanoke, Virginia, is home to some of the country’s most exquisite gardens, and it’s Camellia Harris’s job to promote them. But when a pint-sized beauty contest comes to town, someone decides to deliver a final judgment …

A beauty pageant for little girls—the Little Miss Begonia Pageant—has decided to hold their event in a Roanoke park. Camellia is called in to help deal with the botanical details, the cute contestants, and their catty mothers. She soon realizes that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the judges row. There’s jealousy, betrayal, and a love triangle involving local newsman—and known lothario—Telly Stevens. And a mysterious saboteur is trying to stop the pageant from happening at all.

But the drama turns deadly when Stevens is found dead, poisoned by some sort of plant. With a full flowerbed of potential suspects, Cam needs to dig through the evidence to uproot a killer with a deadly green thumb.

Pre-order on: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find Hart/Alyse at: Confessions of a Watery Tart Facebook Author Page or Profile Twitter