Favorites
Enjoy this collection of virtual things near and dear to me. You can scroll down or jump directly to:
INTERVIEWS | REVIEWS | WEB SITES | ORGANIZATIONS
INTERVIEWS
- Listen to Cindy’s podcast interview at Divorce Source Radio where Dying for a Dance is described as sure to “have readers turning pages to see if the feisty single mom can calm a Bridezilla gal pal, squeeze in lip locks with a hunky detective, save her bank and her job, and figure out who is murdering dance instructors.”
- My TV interview on Sacramento & Co.
- My NPR interview with Jeffrey Callison
- “Cindy Sample’s earlier dream was to sit on a sofa next to Oprah. However, she’s now a local mystery writer who just released her second book, Dying for a Dance, and is working on her next one, Dying for a Daiquiri.” Read more of Menka Belgal’s Folsom Telegraph Interview.
- “Whether you are dying for a date or just a good book, one local author can help” says Laura Newell of the El Dorado Hills Telegraph.
- “Cindy Sample & Outrageous Hot Chipotle Cake” at Pots & Pens
- “[Cindy] Sample is every bit as fresh and sassy in person as she is in print.” Read more from Mary Beth Magee in her Yahoo! Contributor Network Article.
- “An Interview With A Dating Queen” by Buried Under Books
- “[Sample's characters] are going to be a continuing hit with readers,” says Wendy Schultz of the Mountain Democrat.
- My Feisty Side of Fifty Radio Interview on Blog Talk Radio with Mary Eileen Williams
- Catch my blog interview with the Dames of Dialogue, and learn how persistence and patience can lead to publication.
- Keli Gwyn of Romance Writers on the Journey talks cookies and craft with Cindy
REVIEWS
- Cindy Himler of RT Book Reviews says, “Sample’s sleuth is an endearing character readers will adore.”
4 STARS
- Lynn Farris of Kings Examiner.com notes, “All of the elements of an excellent cozy mystery. Interesting characters, plot and setting. Fast paced writing. I struggled to figure out what it was that stood out that made me really enjoy the book and I decided it was the tone. It is a feel-good book, it makes you smile.”
5 STARS
- Terell Byrd of Kings River Life Magazine says, “I have rarely been more cheered up by spending time with a book. Dying for a Dance is the perfect antidote to a bout of the winter blues.”
- Stephanie Rollins of Book Reviews R Us loves Dying for a Dance. “Cindy Sample has mastered the art of REAL dialogue. The characters are wacky and believable. Any woman who constantly finds herself in awkward situations will love this book! The plot is light-hearted without being full of fluff. This is a story that will make you wonder “who did it” and make you laugh out loud. Of course, the romance simply is divine!”
5 STARS
- Romance Junkies Reviewer Chrissy Dionne calls Dying for a Dance: “A fun suspenseful read that holds your attention, captures your imagination and keeps you chuckling at Laurel’s antics. Cindy Sample’s writing is positively fun, imaginative and all around tantalizing – she’s definitely an author well worth adding to your ‘watch’ list.”
5 BLUE RIBBONS
- Marlene Pyle of The GenReview says, “You’ve got to love Laurel McKay, the main character in Dying For a Dance. Backed up by Laurel’s loving but highly critical mother; her gay work assistant, Stan; and Tom, the cute cop, the cast of characters is packed with humor. Dying For a Dance is a light-hearted romantic comedy sure to please female mystery fans.
- San Francisco Book Review calls Dying for a Date “highly enjoyable,” remarking it “combines the fun of a spunky and smart heroine with an exciting murder mystery.”
- Mystery and Suspense author JF Hilborne notes Dying for a Date “is one of those books, the type you stay up late – way too late – to finish.” And says of the difficult task of combining murder mystery and humor that “Cindy Sample does it brilliantly.”
- Lori Twichell of Fiction Addict thinks Dying for a Date “is funny, smart and has a fast paced plot that keeps you guessing,” and says Laurel McKay “balances life, divorce, romance and mystery solving [. . .] with grace, panache and just enough humor to keep you laughing along.”
- Dying for a Date is in The Sacramento Bee.
- Mary Beth Magee calls Dying for a Date “smart” and “sassy.”
- Long and Short Reviews looks at Dying for a Date.

- Amber Garza of Amber Loves to Read relates to soccer mom Laurel McKay.
- Check out the Buried Under Books review.
- Dying for a Date is on Christy’s Bookshelf at Midwest Book Review.
- See what Kam Aures of Rebecca’s Reads has to say about Dying for a Date.
WEB SITES
- The Blood-Red Pencil: Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
- Buried Under Books: Tales of a former indie book seller
- Cozy Mystery List: Learn about Cozies, who writes them, and which new authors you might want to explore.
- Hey, There’s a Dead Guy in the Living Room: Mystery publishing from idea to bookshelf
- Killer Hobbies: Five mystery writers who are dying to discuss the hobbies that drove them to murder.
- Kill Zone: Insider perspectives from today’s hottest thriller and mystery writers
- The LadyKillers: An unsuitable blog for a woman. . .a blog for readers and writers of fiction
- The Lipstick Chronicles: Just keep reading, and nobody gets hurt.
- Murderous Musings: Where writers of mysterious books muse about murder and mayhem and all kinds of stuff.
- Poe’s Deadly Daughters: A blog for mystery lovers
- The Stiletto Gang: Women writers on a mission to bring mystery, humor, and high heels to the world
ORGANIZATIONS
- California Writers Club, Sacramento Branch
- Capitol Crimes, The Sacramento Chapter of Sisters in Crime
- Left Coast Crime 2012, being held in Sacramento, California
- Mystery Writers of America, Home of the Edgar Awards
- Mystery Writers of America, Northern California Chapter
- Northern California Publishers and Authors, Supporting and Encouraging Independent Publishing in Northern California
- Sacramento Valley Rose, Chapter #52 of The Romance Writers of America
- Sisters in Crime, The Northern California Chapter of Sisters in Crime










