Friday, August 30, 2013

Going Through the Notions-Interview/Review/AND Giveaway!

I'd like to welcome Cate Price to the blog today. Cate is the author of Going Through the Notions, first of the new Deadly Notions Mystery series.




Kathy: Daisy Buchanan's mom was a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Is he a favorite of yours as well? CP: Actually, I’m afraid not. I remember reading The Great Gatsby when I was young and finding it vaguely depressing. I couldn’t seem to relate to the characters. Perhaps I should take another look now as an adult and see if I have a different opinion.

Kathy: Daisy enjoys searching for items for her shop, Sometimes a Great Notion, at auctions, estate sales, and other picker venues. Are you a garage saler?
CP: Absolutely! My mom is an avid antiquer, too, so that’s one of our favorite things to do together. If my daughter is in the car with us, she groans if she sees a yard sale sign, because she knows it means we’ll have to stop. Like Daisy, I have a passion for preserving the past, and my house is an eclectic mix of yard sale finds, hand-me-downs and other quirky treasures.

Kathy: I'm somewhat intimidated by auctions. Do you enjoy them? Do you have any tips for auction novices?
CP: I like to bid on what they call the “box lots” where they start the bidding at only a dollar or two. It’s typically items that are too small or inexpensive to be auctioned off individually, so they are grouped together, and literally in cardboard boxes. I’ve found some great kitchen utensils, books, vintage tea towels, etc. You can experience the fun of bidding, but for five bucks, not five hundred. If you do venture out onto the main floor, set a budget in your head before you start. It’s too easy to get caught up in the excitement.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
CP: You know, recently someone asked me about the books I loved as a child and I remember reading several series by authors like Enid Blyton and Malcolm Saville which revolved around a group of children who solved mysteries. As an adult, I mainly read romances or historicals until my mom introduced me to Diane Mott Davidson and her culinary mystery series. From then on, I was hooked, but now it’s struck me that I’ve actually come full circle.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
CP: I belong to Romance Writers of America, as well as Sisters in Crime, and I also write women’s fiction.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 
CP:  It’s about a retired schoolteacher, Daisy Buchanan, who runs a vintage sewing notions and antiques store in a quaint village in Bucks County, PA.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
CP: I’m fond of Daisy, because she’s not perfect and she has her insecurities, like the rest of us. She always tries to do the right thing, but sometimes she takes on too much.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
CP: An editor at Penguin came up with the idea for a series based on a sewing notions store. I had submitted a query to my dream agent around the same time. They liked my writing style and recommended me for the job.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
CP: I submitted a proposal for the series, which consisted of the first three chapters and synopsis for GOING THROUGH THE NOTIONS. Berkley Prime Crime offered a three-book deal, based solely on the proposal. It was a fantastic opportunity for me, and thankfully my editor is delighted with how her vision for the series and my interpretation have turned out to be so in line. She tells me she thinks we were separated at birth!

Kathy:  If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
CP: Elizabeth George, Diane Mott Davidson, Peter Mayle, and Janet Evanovich.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?
CP: The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley. It’s terrific.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
CP: Going to flea markets, gardening, walking my dogs, and cooking with friends. It’s fun to drink wine and try out new recipes with good friends with the understanding that it may or may not work out, without the pressure of a formal dinner party.

One of my interests in breast cancer awareness. I’ve done the 3-Day Breast Cancer walk four times. It’s a 60-mile walk over three days, and quite a challenge, but one of the most empowering and satisfying experiences of my life. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, so it’s a cause that’s near and dear to my heart. Another interest would be animal rescue. I have two rescue dogs, and they’re such good boys and great ambassadors when we meet people on our walks who ask me about getting a dog. I always encourage them to adopt.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
CP: Brown eggs, gluten-free bread, salad fixings, and Chardonnay.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
CP: I’ve turned in Book 2 in the Deadly Notions mystery series, A DOLLHOUSE TO DIE FOR, and am currently working on Book 3. I’m having a lot of fun with this series, and have more books planned, so I hope I have the opportunity to write them.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
CP: Interesting question! It’s very cool when people tell me how much they loved the characters in the book. How they felt like they knew them, and hated for it to end because they’d have to leave them behind. It’s a wonderful feeling to hear that someone enjoyed your story that much. That means the world to me.

Review 

Going Through the Notions By Cate Price
The 1st Deadly Notions Mystery

In Going Through the Notions we meet Daisy Buchanan (her mother loved F. Scott Fitzgerald and she couldn't bear to become Daily Daly when she married). She and her husband, Joe, sold their NYC condo to their adult daughter and moved to the small town of Millbury, Pennsylvania. Daisy, a retired school teacher, has opened her own store, Sometimes a Good Notion, where she sells sewing notions, antiques, and various odds and ends while her husband enjoys doing projects around the house. In this book a day at an auction is curtailed when their good friend and auctioneer, Angus, is arrested for murder. Daisy vows to stand by him and prove his innocence.

The book started slowly for me, but gained momentum and finished strong. The author's use of incomplete sentences created a cadence which I found distracting. Either this style diminished or I became acclimated to it as I didn't notice it at the end of the book and was simply swept away by the story. The mystery itself was very good, but, while I didn't dislike Daisy, I found it hard to warm to her. I have a feeling the series will grow stronger as it progresses and I encourage readers to give this book a try.

Going Through the Notions  * * *
A Deadly Notions Mystery  Too early to rate.

My rating system:

To me a 5 star book is an amazing read that swept me away and left me changed. A 4 star review is a great book that I really loved. 3 stars is still a solid good read, positive and enjoyable. Reviews will cease to be that positive at the 2 star rating-an OK book with serious flaws. And a 1 star-don't bother.


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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Do or Diner Great Escapes WINNERS!!!!

And the winners are...

results powered by Random.org
Entry #598Jenna C.
Entry #257Victoria Z.
Entry #162Michele D.
Entry #179Lori H.
Entry #838Ashley M.
Entry #63Nancy S.

The  first four names drawn won 1 copy of the book and a $10 gift card to their choice of Amazon or B&N.  The last 2 won copies of the book to be sent.

Emails have been sent to the winners to collect their mailing info and gift card choice.

Congratulations everyone! Thanks for entering the Do or Diner contest sponsored by the Great Escapes Book Tours. Be sure to keep visiting me here at Cozy Up With Kathy!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Bran New Death by Victoria Hamilton. This book is the first in the Merry Muffin Mystery series and will be released on Tuesday. Merry Wynter has left the fashion world in NYC and come to Upstate New York to get her inherited castle (yes, castle) ready to sell. However, things are a little off in Autumn Vale. Did her uncle die in an accident or was he murdered? Before he died did he kill his business partner, or did someone else, or did the partner simply leave town. There's no doubt that the man found on the castle grounds, the man Merry recently threatened, was murdered, however. Add a good friend, a rabbit named Magic, and scrumptious muffins and you have a great start to a new series. I am absolutely loving it!

Find out more about this book on a special blog post this MONDAY. I'll be interviewing Victoria Hamilton and I'll give my review.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Spotlight: Appetite for Murder

I'd like to spotlight a book today. Appetite for Murder by Cecile Lamalle published in 1999 is the first in the series of only (sadly) 3 books. Charly Poisson is the chef and co-owner of La Fermette, the best French restaurant in Van Buren County in Upstate New York. It's also the only French restaurant in Van Buren County. Recipes are included.

From the back cover:

A Fungus Among Us

While foraging for fungi in his secret spot, Charly Poisson, owner and chef of La Fermette, inadvertently unearths more than the oyster mushrooms he enjoys on his breakfast toast. Someone, apparently, has had the bad taste to bury an Hermes scarf in the humus-with a woman still attached! Mon Dieu!

Now, plagued by a series of mysterious barn burnings and a psychotic killer on the loose, a once-sleepy upstate New York town has suddenly become a bubbling hot compote of danger and intrigue. Does the blood-hungry murderer lurk among Charly's quirky, epicurean clientele? Worse yet, do the police intend to put the case on the back burner? Add to the mix one chubby French chef with a dangerous craving to solve the crime, rumors of mob ties, age-old vendettas, and a melange of motives that make almost everyone a suspect. Stir the pot vigorously and heat to serve...

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Diva Digs Up the Dirt by Krista Davis. This book is the 6th in the Domestic Diva Mystery series. I love this series and I love this book.

The somewhat secretive past of Wolf (Sophie's boyfriend and detective) comes forward in this book. Is it possible he murdered his wife? In addition to that mystery someone seems to be trying to kill off Sophie's clients, the Greene family...and they're somehow connected to Wolf. I'm almost finished and can't wait to see what happens!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Do or Diner Giveaway

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Christine Wenger, author of Do or Diner. Would you like to win a copy of the book? Click below on the Rafflecopter link and give it a shot!

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Order Up! An Interview With Christine Wenger

Sunday; a perfect day for a trip to a diner. My favorite time to visit a diner is breakfast time, especially if I can get some biscuits and gravy. Although homemade pie is always welcome too! Today our dining may be virtual, but we get to meet Christine Wenger, author of Do or Diner, the first in the Comfort Food Mystery series.



Kathy: I love reading books that are set in familiar locations. I was excited to see the Comfort Food Mysteries are set in Upstate New York (I live in Western New York). What made you decide to set your mystery here?

CW: We’re neighbors, Kathy!! I’ve lived in Central NY (near Syracuse) forever! I love the Northern area, specifically the little towns along Lake Ontario, and thought that a retro diner would be perfect in a little harbor town.

Kathy: I admit my love of diners. I especially love those that have a retro look with lots of chrome and/or kitsch.Is your Silver Bullet Diner based on a real life diner, a compilation of diners, or is it your dream diner?

CW: I love them, too. The Silver Bullet Diner is totally a compilation of diners that I’ve been to. I just love diners and specifically gravitate to them over any other kind of eateries.

Kathy: Comfort food is such a...well, comfort. What is your favorite comfort food? Do you prepare it for yourself? Or do you find it at a local diner? Can you find it on the menu at the Silver Bullet Diner?

CW: My comfort food is mac and cheese. And Polish dishes that my grandmothers and mother always prepared, especially for the holidays. Oh, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. And let’s not forget desserts! My comfort dessert is apple pie. I cook and bake and love entertaining. But I’m basically a meat and potatoes, diner food cook. All the cooking shows and recipes with strange ingredients (that no one can ever find) under the guise of “gourmet food”, is just not the way the average person eats. My diner has daily specials-all of which I’d order myself.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

CW: A friend of mine was writing them, and she shared her work with me in our writer’s meetings at the local library. I’ll admit that I never heard the term “cozy mystery” before last year until she said it! Then I went to Barnes and Noble and Amazon and bought zillions of them and fell in love with cozies. I knew that I just had to write them.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

CW: Yes. I write romances for Harlequin Special Edition. I’ll have nine romances out with them in 2014.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

CW: DO OR DINER is my very first cozy mystery and the first book in my “COMFORT FOOD MYSTERIES”. The second book in this series, A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER, will be out in April of 2014.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

CW: Trixie Matkowski has to be my favorite character, mostly because she’s a lot like me! She’s a foodie and has a great love of family, tradition and heritage like I do.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

CW: Nothing specific -just an immediate attraction to the genre and the desire to write my own cozy mystery.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

CW: Gee, I don’t know. If I enjoyed writing it, I just hoped others would enjoy reading it.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

CW: Hmmm…Jane Austen, Robert Parker, Nora Roberts, and Tina Fey

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

CW: SEA GLASS by Anita Shreve because right now I’m at the beach! But up next is BUTTER SAFE THAN SORRY by Tamar Myers and three stacks of more cozies.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

CW: I love watching bull riding and attending the events in person. I follow the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Circuit (www.pbrnow.com) with my husband, Jim. I know, it’s kind of strange for a New Yorker, but we just love it! You should see us when we get dressed in our “cowboy duds.”

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

CW: Ice cream, potato chips, cookies, chocolate. Aren’t these the four food groups?

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

CW: I definitely want to continue this series, which is the FIRST comfort food series published by Penguin Obsidian books. I’d totally love to continue with Trixie’s adventures as long as people like reading them.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

CW: I absolutely adore readers who have read my books and like them. It’s so heartwarming to hear readers say that they laughed and/or cried. The best is when they say that they couldn’t put it down. Yes!

BEST WISHES AND HAPPY READING! Christine Wenger 

You can read more about Christine Wenger at these sites:
Website: www.christinewenger.com


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Going Through the Notions by Cate Price. This book is the first of the Deadly Notions Mysteries and will be released September 3rd.

Daisy and her husband have left New York City and moved to the small village of Millbury, Pennsylvania. Daisy has opened her own store, Sometimes a Great Notion, which sells antique notions-sewing bits, vintage fabric, some antiques, and odds and ends. When they arrive at an auction they discover their friend, the auctioneer, has been arrested for murder.

I am enjoying the book, though I had difficulty at the start with author Cate Price's writing style. Too many incomplete sentences made reading stilted for me. In addition, while I don't dislike Daisy, I'm having difficulty really relating to her. As I've continued reading, either I've gotten used to the writing, or the style's changed as I don't find it as distracting as I did before. The story is good and I am enjoying it despite these setbacks.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Buzzkill Interview and Giveaway

I'm pleased to be the first stop on the Great Escapes Book Tour for Buzzkill. Buzzkill is the 4th in the Pecan Bayou Series by Teresa Trent.
Kathy: I lived in Austin, Texas for 10 years and always loved my jaunts into the Texas Hill Country. How did your visit inspire Pecan Bayou?

TT: I live in Houston and love the wildflowers in the spring. We make a yearly trip to the hill country, but don't get out of the car much. I just love to drive and drive, feel the warm breeze and look at the colors with maybe a little George Winston on the radio. I have a dear friend who always keeps me up-to-date on where to eat and what unique items the towns along the way have to buy. I love the German influence in the area and tried to include that in Buzzkill with the Wilhelm's German bed and breakfast. The town of Pecan Bayou is really a series of towns I've lived in set in one of my favorite areas of Texas.

Kathy: A Dash of Murder, the first Betsy Livingston Mystery, involves ghost hunting and the next 2 books have paranormal aspects. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever been on a ghost hunt?

TT: I believe in ghosts and ghost hoaxes. I'm a big fan of Ghosthunters on Scify and love it when they debunk a paranormal occurrence. I have also lived in two different houses that I considered haunted. My last experience was when I was sharing an old house with two roommates in Colorado. It was a two story Victorian home that housed college students on three levels. We had vacuums turn off and on by themselves and doors lock and unlock. Whatever it was, it hated Stevie Nicks' songs and would act up after my roommate would play her music on the stereo. It seemed like it wanted us to be in the basement-a really creepy place. So yes, I believe in ghosts.

Kathy: Betsy Livingston writes The Happy Hinter newspaper column. Do these tips come naturally for you? Are you a happy homemaker?

TT: Ha! Some days it's more like I'm a hopeless homemaker, but I try. I have always loved how people share ways to do things better, easier or cheaper, so I guess like Betsy, I've collected a few things over the years.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

TT: I loved Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books and watched every Murder She Wrote ever made. I would so live in that house in Cabot Cove, even with the crime rate.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

TT: Not yet, but would love to write a Debbie Macomber type of a novel some day. I know that I would write "cozy" in almost any genre because I enjoy creating characters that are around all of us in our real lives.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

TT: The Pecan Bayou mystery series revolves around the life of Betsy Livingston who is a helpful hints writer for the local paper. Her husband walks out on her when she's pregnant and she creates the persona of The Happy Hinter even though she's not so happy and feels like she's made some major mistakes in her life. Betsy is very observant and this sometimes is an asset when her father, a local police lieutenant is working a murder case.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

TT: It's like asking me to pick a favorite child. I guess I love Aunt Maggie because even though she is a composite of many women who have been there for me, she is very much like my own mother was. Sometimes when I write about Maggie and Judd I feel a reconnection with my parents.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

TT: The series stemmed from the first book about the ghost hunt. When my daughter was in middle school we would watch the ghost hunting shows together and from that I started writing a story about ghost hunters. It of course changed drastically when I decided to take the focus off of them and put it on a female amateur sleuth. Once I created the town and the characters I knew the series story arc I wanted to take with Betsy and her life and had the entire series mapped out with the first book.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

TT: This question could fill the entire interview. It was a very tough decision for me because I felt like if traditional publishing didn't value my work they were probably correct. I decided that I would submit the heck out of my first novel and when I came to a certain rejection count I would start checking into self-publishing. While I waited at the mailbox, I started reading everything I could about self-publishing and discussed it endlessly with my husband. After I hit my rejection slip goal (a strange thing to be hitting) I started working on readying the manuscript. Admittedly I had a lot to learn about writing when I first started, but I'm not sorry I published independently.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

TT: I just saw Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg on their "The Heist" book tour and was fascinated by all they shared about their experiences in writing and publishing so I would love to hear more from them. I think would also like to spend some time with Debbie Macomber and Phillip Gulley who wrote the wonderful cozy series about the town of Harmony.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

TT: The Ever-Running Man by Marcia Muller

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

TT: I go back and forth between knitting, sewing and embroidery. I also sing in the church choir.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

TT: Almond milk, a leftover that needs tossing, sweet tea, Rice Chex

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

TT: I am planning two more books in this series and I am currently at work on Book 5. I don't have a title yet, but it involves a fire. I am also working out characters and settings for a second series that probably won't be in Texas.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

TT: Writing. I get to sit down and create my very own people and places. I give them happy, sad, scary and frustrating times. I find that really fun.


Want to find out more about Teresa Trent? You can find her here:
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter
Twitter- @ttrent_cozymys
Goodreadshttp://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5219581.Teresa_Trent






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Sunday, August 11, 2013

Welcome to Crystal Haven-Interview and Review

Welcome to Crystal Haven, the setting of Pall in the Family, the first book in the new series by Dawn Eastman.
Kathy: Crystal Haven is a spiritualist community in western Michigan. Living close to the Lily Dale Assembly in New York I appreciate the reference. Have you visited any spiritualist communities? Have you ever been to Lily Dale?

DE: A relative lived in Lilydale for several years and I spent time there with her in my early twenties. I was struck by how psychic ability was treated as normal and just part of everyday life. Years later, I thought it would be fun to create a town where being psychic was considered just as valid as any other way of obtaining information.

Kathy: When it comes to psychics and mediums do you consider yourself a skeptic, a believer, or a skeptical believer?

DE: Probably a skeptical believer - I've had a few thought-provoking encounters with psychics so I keep an open mind.

Kathy: Two of my favorite characters are Baxter and Tuffy. Are either of them based on any animal friends you know?

DE: There was always a dog in my house growing up (usually more than one) so I have a lot of experience with dogs. Baxter and Tuffy are compilations of dogs I have known. I do own a bossy Shih Tzu-Bichon mix, but he's much friendlier than Tuffy.

Baxter has his own fan club, a good friend of mine has elected herself president. I don't know what they do at their meetings...

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

DE: Agatha Christie. When I was a teenager I discovered a box of them that had belonged to my grandmother - I've been hooked ever since.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

DE: I have a couple of other projects on the back burner. One is historical fiction, the other is speculative fiction. But this series is keeping me busy right now.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

DE: The Family Fortune Mystery series takes place in the western part of Michigan in a fictional town called Crystal Haven. It is a tourist town catering to those seeking psychic or new-age answers. Clyde Fortune is an ex-cop who returns home and keeps getting mixed up in murder investigations while trying to keep her whacky friends and relatives in line.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

DE: Violet has become my favorite, mostly because she's always doing something I don't expect. Plus, she writes my blog for me, which I appreciate.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

DE: I was brainstorming some ides for a series that would be fun to write and Clyde, Vi and Rose wandered in, bickering. When I realized Rose and Vi were nagging her to use her psychic abilities, I remembered my time in Lilydale, gave them their own town and waited to see what would happen.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

DE: I have an amazing writer's group. We've been together about 6 years and almost all of us are published. Watching the others get their first contracts and see their stories in print inspired me to give it a try as well.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

DE: Yeats, Salinger, Twain, Rowling

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

DE: Cuckoo's Calling

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

DE: I love to knit and read.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

DE: Tea, almonds, chocolate, and more tea

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

DE: Book 2 will be released in June 2014. It takes place in the autumn and delves more into Clyde's friend Diana's life and family. Plus Clyde learns some secrets about her own past and her own family. Book 3 is due out in April 2015. It takes place in a converted castle and involves enthusiastic knitters, a huge snow storm, and ghosts.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

DE: I love the idea of sharing this kooky group with others and the thought of making people laugh.



Review

Pall in the Family By Dawn Eastman

The 1st Family Fortune Mystery

Sometimes when facing a crisis in life it’s good to be able to leave town and sort through things in your childhood home. That’s what Clyde Fortune does in Pall in the Family, the first Family Fortune Mystery by Dawn Eastman. Unfortunately, instead of quiet contemplation, she finds murder!

Temporarily trading her career as a police officer in Ann Arbor for a job as a dog walker in the Spiritualist Community of Crystal Haven, Michigan Clyde is once again living with her parents and Aunt Vi. Clyde’s mother, Rose, (who reads tarot cards) as well as her Aunt Vi (who’s a pet psychic) believe that Clyde is back to embrace the family gift. Clyde, however, is not so acceptive. When Clyde and her nephew Seth, who is also visiting for the summer, go to pick up Tuffy for his walk they find a cowering dog and the dead body of his owner.

I enjoyed my first visit to Crystal Haven. Having visited the Lily Dale Assembly in Lilydale, New York I was immediately drawn to a cozy series set in a Spiritualist community.

Dawn Eastman gives us characters that are relatable, Clyde and Seth in particular, as well as those able to bring some wacky fun, like Aunt Vi. I admit at times to not liking Aunt Vi very much. That in itself is a sign of quality writing; when you’re involved enough to NOT like them, for them to get under your skin, annoy you, and make you mad. I also admit my love, not for Mack, who is a good romantic lead, but for Baxter, all 130 pounds of drooling bullmastiff!

Pick up a copy of Pall in the Family and check out Crystal Haven yourself!

Pall in the Family  * * * *
The Fortune Family Mysteries  Too early to rate

My rating system:

To me a 5 star book is an amazing read that swept me away and left me changed. A 4 star review is a great book that I really loved. 3 stars is still a solid good read, positive and enjoyable. Reviews will cease to be that positive at the 2 star rating-an OK book with serious flaws. And a 1 star-don't bother.


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower. I'm fortunate enough to have an advanced reader copy of this book, the third in the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series. The book will be officially released September 1st.

Cloe Humphrey has left Cleveland, Ohio to teach at a small college. She's made friends with members of an Amish family, and made some enemies as well. It's Christmastime and Chloe has been in Amish country for 5 months now. Her relationship with Timothy, who left the Amish, seems to be progressing. Unfortunately, on their first real date they find a dead body. They also discover their friend Billy is not who they think.

I just started this book and am already engrossed. So while you're waiting for its release go out and get A Plain Death and A Plain Scandal, the first two books in the series!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Review: Read and Buried By Erika Chase


Read and Buried By Erika Chase
The 2nd in the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Series

The Ashton Corners Book Club is back in action. It’s Christmastime in Ashton Corners, Alabama and Lizzie Turner and her friends get an unholy surprise. A well known novelist shows up in town and intends to speak at their book club meeting. His intentions, however, are questionable and he winds up dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed my second visit to Ashton Corners, although I still am not sure how Lizzie finds the time for all of her activities. She has a regular job, tutors, is in a choir, a book club, and jogs regularly! There was one minor editing issue which caught my attention and caused me to read the section in question a few times, but it certainly didn’t detract from the story as a whole. I wonder if anyone else caught it.

Erika Chase gives us cozy Southern charm and characters we’d like to call friends. I know I enjoy my time in Ashton Corners; I recommend you pay a visit!

Read and Buried    * * * *
The Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery Series     Too early to rate

My rating system:

To me a 5 star book is an amazing read that swept me away and left me changed. A 4 star review is a great book that I really loved. 3 stars is still a solid good read, positive and enjoyable. Reviews will cease to be that positive at the 2 star rating-an OK book with serious flaws. And a 1 star-don't bother.