Friday, September 30, 2022

 

It's
Cozy Food Friday!

The weather is cooling (yay!), and that makes me hungry for hearty dinners. You too? 
Give this recipe a try!

photo property of www.cookandcount.com

Ingredients

3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika 
1½ lb. beef cubes (or any roast that makes good stew meat), cut into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
12 ounces sliced mushrooms (I don't like mushrooms, so I leave them out)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 quart. beef stock
12 ounces egg noodles (or any hearty pasta such as shells, corkscrew etc)

photo property of www.smalltownwoman.com

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour and ½ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and paprika. Add the beef cubes to bowl and stir until coated.

Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Place the beef in a single layer and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Move beef around to let brown on the other side, another 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the beef to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook for 8 minutes, with occasional stirring. Add the beef stock, scrape brown bits off the bottom of the pot, add the beef back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 hour on low, with the stock slow simmer. Every 15 minutes or so, stir to keep it from sticking.

Add the egg noodles and increase the heat to medium. Stir occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender. 

Serve immediately. 

4 - 6 servings

Optional . . . When plated, top with parsley, chopped scallions, sour cream, Parmesan cheese . . . anything that sounds good to you!

photo property of www.eatingon.dime.com

Can't you smell it?


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Thursday, September 29, 2022


How long have you been reading cozy mysteries?
Me? I've been reading cozies for 11 or 12 years now.

My sister, Darlene introduced them to me. She has been reading them for longer than I can remember. My guess would be around 30 years. Since before cozies were called cozies. I think back then they were just mysteries. 

Like today, you could tell a cozy back then by it's cover. They were never as deadly looking as other mysteries. 

On of my sister's favorite series was 
Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman.
Have any of your read the series?
Since Darlene was the one who introduced me to cozies, I thought I'd share Mrs. Pollifax with you.
 

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown, married children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent.

She takes on a “job” in Mexico City. The assignment doesn’t sound dangerous at first, but then, as often happens, something goes wrong. Now our dear Mrs. Pollifax finds herself embroiled in quite a hot Cold War—and her country’s enemies find themselves entangled with one unbelievably feisty lady.


Book 1, THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX was published in 1966. Hey, that's the year I was published, I mean born, as well! 


Once again the irrepressible Mrs. Pollifax, that very special agent with her own very special brand of logic, is off on an incredible escapade of international intrigue . . . from the exotic towns and countryside of Turkey to a mysterious rendezvous with a gypsy caravan.

“You are in effect replacing a dead man, Mrs. Pollifax. . . .”

When Emily Pollifax answered the phone that Sunday morning she quickly forgot about her Garden Club tea in the afternoon. The last time she had heard the voice on the other end of the line it had sent of her off on a journey that plunged her into a wild tangle of secret agents and high adventure.

Now the man from the CIA was asking if she could leave immediately on a mission th
at would take her halfway across the world. What could Mrs. Pollifax say but yes?

Some of the new "mass market" paperbacks don't have the cozy look, which is a shame. I suspect they were trying to keep bringing in new readers with more up to date covers. 

Here are the covers of the rest of the series.

 






There you go!

I haven't read the series myself, but according to my sister, you can't go wrong!


Dorothy Edith Gilman was an American writer. She is best known for the Mrs. Pollifax series. Begun in a time when women in mystery meant Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and international espionage meant 
Born: June 25, 1923
Died: February 2, 2012
As always, please leave a comment 
and let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 
the upper right hand corner of this page 
(on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of
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Wednesday, September 28, 2022


The site's name is
Temu


I am fit to be tied my friends. I found a new site where I could order wonderful little gifts, and items I could use for my eBay business. 

My very first order I was charged shipping when it clearly said shipping was free. 

I contacted customer service via chat. I was told to cancel the order and reorder it!
I had 40 items in that order! 40 items!
Round for round we went back and forth, with everything ending in me cancelling my order. I did not reorder, and won't. I'm now keeping a watch of my credit card to make sure I'm not charged. 

I should have known the deals were too good. But, you never know if you don't try, right?

Please, let your friends know to beware of this site. 

TEMU
is a
NO

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

It's that time again. 
Time to try our hands at winning books from Goodreads.




Not very many today. 
Make sure to check out Goodreads giveaway in other genres.


Again, I know Goodreads giveaways can be hard to win because of the volume of people who enter them. But stick with it. I have won a few titles, and you can too.

Since it can be hard to win,
I'm still entering each giveaway as well!
If I win, one of you will win!

I have entered each giveaway I have posted today. If I win a book, I will have a giveaway here and one of you will have another chance to win the book . . . from me! I like knowing that your my friends will have that second chance to win.

So, GOOD LUCK to you!
And wish a GOOD LUCK to me (for you)!
 
As always, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 
upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click "View web version". Then follow the above directions.

Monday, September 26, 2022

BOOK TOUR 


I'm happy to be a stop on the book tour for
DEADLY TRADITIONS
by
A group of amazing authors!


Celebrate the holidays with mistletoe, mayhem, and murder. Join your favorite authors as they cozy up by the fire with twelve festive short mysteries that feature treasured holiday traditions. Serve up a slice of fatal fruitcake and deck the halls with danger, because the holiday season has never been so much fun.

This original collection is available for a limited time only, so grab your copy today.


LKBR:  Hi, Melicity, it’s great to have you with us.

MP: Thank you so much for having me, Lisa!


LKBR: Please tell us a bit about yourself.

MP: Ooh - where to begin and keep it brief? Ha! Melicity is my cozy pen name, but my birth name is Melissa. I’ll answer to either! I’m an American girl, married to a Kiwi guy who lives in a Scottish mini castle. I’m also currently the president of the UK/EU’s Sisters in Crime chapter, Once Upon a Crime (but you don’t have to live in Europe to join us online!). When I’m not writing, I’m success coaching or traveling around the world fostering fur babies or performing (currently planning to narrate a fellow author’s cozy audiobook this year - yay!).

 

LKBR: Please tell us about your new book.

MP: Deadly Traditions is a collection of twelve, super fun Christmas cozy mystery stories, each with a focus on Christmas traditions. These tales are perfect if you like to enjoy a full story in one sitting before bed, in the bath, by the fire… anywhere you love to find your own brand of comfy ambience. My contribution is: A Little Christmas Villainy and is set in a villa in the Italian countryside where family members (up to no good!) have descended from England for the holiday.

 

LKBR: Do you remember where you were/what you were doing when the idea of this book/series came to you?

MP: The idea was first presented at the beginning of the year (I think!) by the fabulous and prolific, Gayle Leeson, during a small group gathering of cozy mystery author friends I created back in 2021 and continue to facilitate. I was hoping we could all collaborate on something fun at some point, so was completely thrilled when Gayle suggested it. Besides, everything’s more fun with a friend!

 

LKBR: Is writing your full time job? What’s your writing schedule like?

MP: Writing is not my full time job - I have too many other things I love to do! But it is a regular activity in this season. My writing schedule varies, but during the multiple sprints (I call them Writing Parties!) I host or participate in, I make much more progress. These typically happen in the morning or afternoon. I find I do a lot of writing in my head before I get out of bed, too. I avoid story creating at night, though, because my brain will be buzzing and I’ll struggle to get to sleep. Also, when I have deadlines looming, I become this all day magical paragon of productivity. I’m totally outwardly motivated. Ha!


LKBR: No matter where you are, do you write down ideas when inspiration strikes?

MP: I do. Well, probably 90% of the time. I don’t keep my phone in the bedroom, so I often have my husband send me an email or text of my idea to pick up in the morning if something strikes me when I’m all tucked up in bed and don’t want to get out again!

 

LKBR: Do you write your book(s) from beginning to end or do you write scenes out of order then pull them together?

MP: I typically write intuitively from beginning to end. Once in a while, I’ll jot down some lines of dialogue or a snippet of something coming up further in the story if my brain serves it up, but I’m not a jigsaw puzzle writer - which surprises me. The way I go through life, I would’ve totally thought I’d write random scenes as I felt inspired, to put together at the end, but it’s just not how it’s panned out.

 

LKBR: Where do you do most of your writing?

MP: I have a desk set up in front of a large bay window in the living room where I do most of my writing. But sometimes I get too fidgety, so will move my laptop to the kitchen table or to the couch for a change of scenery. Definitely not in bed though. I’d love to say I go to a cute café or botanical garden, but I’m too elegantly lazy to leave the house!

 

LKBR: What are three things always within reach when you’re writing?

MP: Hmm… Well, if I’m at my desk, I have a pretty monthly calendar where I can collect fancy stickers on the days and weeks I meet my goals. I have a mousepad with a picture of a kitten flying in to give me a hug from outer space. I have some encouragement cards set up and today one of them says, “Once we are willing to accept that anything worth doing might even be worth doing badly, our options widen.”

 

LKBR: Please describe yourself in one sentence.

MP: The first thing that comes to mind is: She believed she could, so she did; and she believed YOU could, so you believed you could, so you did, too.

 

LKBR: Do you have a message for your readers?

MP: Find out what things make your heart swell with fun, joy, delight, awe, whimsy, joie de vivre (you get the picture!) and give yourself permission to experience much, MUCH more of them. And then even more. And I hope the stories you’ll find in Deadly Traditions can be a small part of that journey of delight for you! xx

 

LKBR: Thank you so much, Melicity, for spending time with us today. Can’t wait to chat with you again!

MP: It was such fun to be here with you, Lisa. Let’s do it again sometime!

Keep reading until, and enter a Giveaway using the RaffleCopter form at the end!

Melicity Pope is the cozy pen name for me, Melissa Williams-Pope (Hi!), and the embodiment of one of my many heart-dreams.

When not writing and president-ing the UK/EU chapter of Sisters in Crime, I cycle through my variety of passions such as acting, singing and traveling the world fostering adorable furry friends, while using my positive psychology and ministry background to coach other women to experience their own dream-come-true lives and businesses. I’m a whimsical American, married to a down-to-earth Kiwi, currently based in a small Victorian castle-mansion in Scotland.

About the other Authors

About Gayle Leeson

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. Gayle has also written as Amanda Lee. She is currently writing the Kinsey Falls chick-lit/women's fiction series, the Down South Cafe cozy mystery series, and the Ghostly Fashionista cozy mystery series. Her book KILLER WEDDING CAKE won the Bronze Medal in the 20th Anniversary IPPY Awards. Gayle lives in Southwest Virginia with her family and enjoys hearing from readers.

About Mollie Cox Bryan

Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries with edge. She's the author of several bestselling mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman's World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People's Choice Award. She's also penned a historical fiction: MEMORY OF LIGHT: AN AFTERMATH OF GETTYSBURG. She's the mother of two nearly perfect daughters, each pursuing careers in music.

About Erin Scoggins

USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Scoggins is a long-time Southerner with a fondness for offbeat humor and fresh fried chicken. After fifteen years in marketing with a Fortune 500 company, she traded her MBA for fictional crime scenes and feisty small-town families. She writes fun, flirty mysteries that are celebrations of food, family, and the killer South.

Visit her at www.erinscoggins.com for book news and shenanigans.

About Estelle Richards

Saturday, September 24, 2022


Hello friends!
I'm off today helping my brother with his yard sale.

What do you think about yard sales? Do you have them, or do to them?

For the most part, I enjoy them. It's always fun to meet new people. Making some extra cash doesn't hurt either. 

I don't like getting up early in the morning to set them up. Also, they're a lot of work! At my brother's tomorrow, most will be set up before I get there. I'll just be guard-the-money girl. 

Since I've started selling on eBay, I really need to start shopping them.

What do you call them where you are? Yard Sales, Garage Sales . . . ?


Have a beautiful day everyone!