BOOK TOUR

 

SWEET PEPPER HERO

Book 4 in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries 

by J.J. Cook

Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper. 

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

Available now!

*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

One (1) copy 

SWEET PEPPER HERO

USA only

Winner will be chosen by random draw enter and the winner's name given to Lori with Great Escapes. 

Prize will be shipped out after December 21. 

Use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post 

This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours and Lisa Ks Book Reviews.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

MY FAMILY

Cozy mysteries for 2016 are off to a fiery start, and SWEET PEPPER HERO is the spark igniting the blaze!

While I enjoy every series written by J.J. Cook/Joyce and Jim Lavene, the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery series is my very favorite, and hold a special place on my book shelves and in my heart.

I wait all year (not very patiently) for the newest Sweet Pepper book by J.J. Cook . . . It is ALWAYS worth the wait! Everything about this series, from the characters and setting, to the incredible writing style of the authors. Each installment consistently gets better and better. SWEET PEPPER HERO serves to prove that statement to be a fact.

Filled cover to cover with action, mystery, and fun, I was turning the pages faster and faster as I followed the solid plot and read my way to the explosive conclusion. I didn’t want this book to end!

SWEET PEPPER HERO is smoking hot, and is my first contender for best cozy mystery of 2016!

Check out the back of the book for pepper facts, and some yummy recipes!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery and urban fantasy fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. Their first mystery novel, Last Dance, won the Master's Choice Award for best first mystery novel in 1999. Their romance, Flowers in the Night, was nominated for the Frankfurt Book Award in 2000.

They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Penguin, Amazon, and Simon and Schuster that are sold worldwide. They have also published hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in Midland, North Carolina with their family and their rescue pets--Rudi, Stan Lee, and Quincy. 

Visit them at:
www.joyceandjimlavene.com 
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene 
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene 
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene

GOOD LUCK!

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BOOK TOUR 

CINNAMON TOASTED 

Book 3 in the Spice Shop Mysteries 

by Gail Oust 

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Case in point: Piper Prescott's former mother-in-law Melly. Beneath her twin sets and pearls beats the heart of a geek―a geek whose programming changes for the point-of-sale software in Piper's shop have the owners of the program ready to make her an offer she can't refuse. "Trusty" Rusty Tulley and Chip Balboa swing by Brandywine Creek―just in time for the town's annual Oktoberfest, which has cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom flying off Piper's shelves in record numbers. News spreads faster than a text message, and Melly is the toast of the town.

But it isn't long before Melly's status changes to public enemy number one when Chip's body is found at the foot of her basement stairs. Questions start to pile up when handsome police chief Wyatt McBride arrives on the scene and the coroner sets the time of death for the previous evening. McBride wants to know why it took Melly so long to report the incident―especially after she admits to arguing with Chip about the contract he wanted her to sign. Piper knows Melly would never hurt a fly, so she enlists the help of her BFF Reba Mae to clear her name―but can they find the real killer before Melly gets sent away for good? A mouth-watering entry in Gail Oust's delicious Spice Shop series, Cinnamon Toasted is sure to delight cozy fans of all stripes.

Available now!

*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

One (1) Autographed Hardcover Copy 

CINNAMON TOASTED 

USA only

Winner will be choosen after January 13 

at the end of the tour

Check out the great prize and enter using Rafflecopter form at the end of this post. 

This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

MY REVIEW

Author Gail Oust really spices up mystery in this new installment of the Spice Shop Mysteries!

Blending just the right combination of the ingredients mystery, action, and humor, author Oust has created a cozy that is to be savored. CINNAMON TOASTED had me at page one.

This was another title that found me reading much later into the night than I had planned. The excellent story moved at a fast pace with each new chapter being better than the one before. There were twists and turns in the first-rate plot that lead all the way to the spectacular ending!

If you’re looking to add some flavor to your reading, you’re going to want to read CINNAMON TOASTED!     

If you haven’t read the other books in this series, no worries, you won’t feel lost. But I do suggest reading the first two because they are really good.

Don’t miss the yummy recipes at the back of the book! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Imagination is more important than knowledge” is one of my favorite quotes.  Another one should be, “Ignorance is bliss.”  I never started out to be a writer.  My goal was to become a registered nurse.  Having that black band added to my nurses’ cap was literally a crowning achievement.  While my education excelled in the nursing arts, it sadly lacked the liberal arts.  The only thing remotely close was once doing a research paper on the Sitz bath.

     I was a stay-at-home mom while our children were small.  Somewhere between the vacuum cleaner and the ironing board, my imagination shifted into high gear.  I had stories inside my head that just wouldn’t leave me alone.  I’m talking plots, dialogue, characters, and costume, the whole ball of wax.  During nap times, I’d take out my old portable typewriter and attempt to put it all down on paper.  Well, was I in for a shock!  I learned my very first lesson on becoming a writer.  I quickly discovered writing—even bad writing--is hard work.
     But ultimately my persistence paid off.  It wasn’t until I returned to work full-time as a nurse/technologist for a vascular lab that I made my first sale, Sweet Possession, a historical romance under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Turner.  Eight more historical romances followed while juggling a family and a job as vascular technologist.  It was a busy but rewarding time in my life.

     I’ve been happily married for more years than I care to count to my husband, Bob, and have two grown children.  In the course of our marriage, we’ve lived in Chicago, upstate New York, and suburban Detroit.  A few years ago, my husband and I re-located to another small town, this time one in South Carolina with a community very much like the one inhabited by Kate McCall, the protagonist in my new Bunco Babe Mystery series.  Along with a change in locale, I decided to change genres.  I’ve been a mystery fan ever since devouring Nancy Drew novels as a girl so the transition from historical romance to cozy mysteries was as fun as it was painless.

      As my son reminded me, life’s an adventure.  I’m enjoying the ride.

GOOD LUCK!

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It's

Cozy Food Friday 

with a 

Giveaway!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from

MURDER IN CUBA

Book 8 in the Cedar Bay Mysteries

by

Dianne Harman

Cuba - a land of classic cars, beautiful beaches, salsa music, and the best cigars in the world. As diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States starts to improve, everyone wants a piece of the action. When Mike’s friend, Jack Trout, asks Kelly and Mike to join his wife and him on an exploratory trip to a Cuban island, it’s an invitation they can’t resist. Mike’s dream of fly fishing the saltwater flats on the exotic island is quickly replaced when he’s asked by the local constable to help solve the murder of a British fly fishing guide, Dudley Samms. Jack becomes a suspect and his wife, Carola, asks Kelly to help solve the crime. 

Plenty of quirky characters have reasons to wish Dudley dead, but who killed him? The Englishman who is the head of one of the largest international banks in the world? The American with no visible means of support, but who has plenty of money to fish all around the world? The victim’s wife? One of the Cuban fishing guides? Or was it Jack? 

This is the eighth book in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series. Dianne is also the author of the Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series and the High Desert Cozy Mystery Series, all of which are best sellers. 

To find out more about Dianne and her books, visit her web site at www.DianneHarman.com  

Dianne is giving away 3 Kindle copies of 

MURDER IN CUBA!

Use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to enter for your chance to win!

Giveaway open to US and Canada

On to the recipe!

MOROS Y CRISTIANOS 

(Black Beans And Rice)

Ingredients:

1½ cups dried black beans 

¼ cup olive oil 

2½ cups diced onions

2½ cups green pepper, seeded and diced 

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 

3 tsp. ground cumin 

1 tsp. oregano 

1 bay leaf 

3 tbps. white vinegar 

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. salt 

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

4½ cups chicken stock 

3 cups long grain white rice 

2 tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish 

Directions: 

Cover the dry beans with 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. 

Bring to a boil for 20 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let stand covered for one hour. 

Drain and rinse the beans. 

Add enough water to cover them and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until tender about 45- 60 minutes. 

Drain. 

Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. 

Use a large covered stockpot and sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until tender. 

Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato paste, black beans, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and vinegar. 

Cook for about five minutes, stirring gently.

Add the chicken stock and rice. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes until rice is fully cooked.  

Adjust seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste.

Remove bay leaf and serve.

Enjoy! 

All photos courtesy of Google Images. 

Your dish may vary in appearance. 

Please keep reading and check out my 

installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56

 for this week are also from 

MURDER IN CUBA

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

My Book Beginnings (From Chapter 1)

"Stay here and watch our luggage. I'll go find the taxi that's supposed to pick us up and take us to the hotel. Jack, you speak a little Spanish. Give me a hand," Carola said. 

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice

Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56

Oh swell, it's headed exactly towards where we are.

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.

GOOD LUCK!

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BUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Book 1 in the Bread & Batter Mysteries 

by Karoline Barrett

Two bakery owners get mixed up with murder in the first adventure in the all-new Bread and Batter Mystery series...
 
As the co-owners of Bread and Batter Bakery in Destiny, New York, Molly Tyler and Olivia Williams have plenty on their plates. Molly is recently divorced and looking for a place to live, but they’re also both preparing for Destiny’s annual Apple Harvest Fair. The bakery has a booth where they’ll be selling not only delicious cupcakes and cider doughnuts, but also tote bags and t-shirts emblazoned with the bakery’s logo.
 
Tensions rise at the fair when local orchard owner Calista Danforth discovers organizers have assigned her usual booth to Bread and Batter. Although a heated argument ensues between her and Molly, the bakery manages to rake in lots of dough. But when Calista is found strangled to death with one of their t-shirts, Molly is named the prime suspect. Now these two friends must whip up some answers quickly before the future of their business crumbles.

MY REVIEW

A tasty treat! The Bread & Batter mysteries have a permanent place on my must read list!

Author Karoline Barrett has penned a fantastic story! BUN FOR YOUR LIFE has all the elements that make up a great mystery.

A wonderful cast of characters that include Molly and Olivia, best friends and business partners in the Bread and Batter Bakery, Molly’s ex-husband, a new guy in town, Sean, and more, have me wanting to move to Destiny and work at the Bread and Batter.

Extremely well written, the descriptions became solid scenes in my mind making me feel a part of the story. With twists getting twistier, and the intrigue as hot as cupcake in an oven, I was breathless by the time of the reveal.

If you’re looking for a great mystery, and/or want to start a new series, BUN FOR YOUR LIFE is a must have!

April 2016 can’t get here fast enough with Book two in the series, RAISIN THE DEAD! 

AVAILABLE NOW!

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.

CHASING THE CODEX 

A Mystery by 24 Authors

from Cozy Cat Press

Bryndis Palmer, owner of The Neglected Word bookstore, invites her fourteen-year-old niece Frida to visit her so that the precocious, Jane Austen-loving young girl can accompany Bryn to the “Midwest Booklovers’ Convention” being held in nearby Saint Louis. Never mind that Bryn has just broken up with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Holt Furst, or that said boyfriend has suddenly disappeared from his apartment above her shop––possibly in a violent kidnapping. Bryndis dutifully heads to the airport to pick up Frida, only to discover that Frida has also disappeared––reportedly swooped up by a chauffeur and whisked away in a limousine. Who would kidnap her niece? Where could they have taken her? Where could Holt be? Brynn is an amateur sleuth from her childhood days of reading Nancy Drew mysteries, and she barges ahead with her own investigation, certain that the local police and the airport authorities will bungle the job, and fearing the wrath of her sister Lia if anything happens to Frida. Of course, Bryn doesn’t know that the disappearances of Holt and Frida are actually connected, and as she begins her search, a mystifying tale starts to unravel––introducing her to a host of strange characters, all more unusual than those in the murder mysteries she’s accustomed to reading. Along the way, she discovers that she herself is somehow at the center of it all, and swirling around her are other strange curiosities––a missing Bible, a famous frontier hero, and a hidden secret code. Will she find Frida? And Holt? How does it all connect? And how is Bryn involved? It will all be revealed in CHASING THE CODEX. 

Here’s a different kind of book: This cozy mystery was written by 24 of Cozy Cat Press’s 40-some authors, with each author penning their own individual chapter or chapters. How did we make this happen? Easy! We started at the top of the alphabet with Amy Beth Arkawy and moved down the alphabet through Diane Weiner (with a few detours along the way). None of the authors had any idea where the next author would take the story; they only knew what they wanted to do with the characters and the plot in their own chapter. We think you’ll find the results amazing––and exciting! So, be prepared for quite a ride, as we go CHASING THE CODEX!

MY REVIEW

A brilliant example of “round robin” writing.

CHASING THE CODEX is a creative mystery written twenty-four amazing authors from Cozy Cat Press. Each author was responsible for a chapter, and is credited at the beginning of their chapter.

I have read books by many of the authors of this book. They all have their own unique style of writing. That being said, this story flowed flawlessly from chapter to chapter with each author bringing his and her own vision to the story without undoing the work of the author before them.

Having been written the way it was, the overall story was intriguing, and had just the right combination of mystery and action. The twists that developed were excellent and made for a read that I won’t soon forget.

I would love to see another story done this way. Way to go authors!

Available Now! 

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.