Sunday, March 27, 2016


Author 
Kathi Daley 
has a new book out! 

You know what that means don't you? 

!!!GIVEAWAY!!! 

Kathi is giving away a tote & one copy of her new book
MURDER AT DOLPHIN BAY
Book 1 in the Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries!


Kailani Pope wants nothing more than to be a proud member of the Honolulu Police Department. Both her father and grandfather were cops, her five brothers are cops, and the only thing she has ever wanted from the time she can remember wanting anything, was to be a cop. She has passed all the requirements to be selected for the police academy but somehow her number never seems to come up. 

While she is waiting for her name to work its way to the top of the list she works as a lifeguard for the Dolphin Bay Resort. When a guest of the resort is found murdered, Kailani decides that if she can solve the murder before her brother who has been assigned to the case by HPD, then the department will have no choice but to take her application seriously and move her to the top of the list. 

Murder at Dolphin Bay is set on the beautiful island of Oahu providing a perfect backdrop for the perfect beach read.


This Giveaway is open to both US and CANADA

US winner - Tote & print copy


Canadian winner - $15 Amazon GC & Kindle copy



Use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to enter
 
Learn More about Kathi Daley





As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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clicking on the link in the 
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GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, March 26, 2016


AN UNHAPPY MEDIUM by Dawn Eastman
BITTERSWEET by Susan Wittig Albert

AN UNHAPPY MEDIUM
Book 4 in the Family Fortune Mysteries 
by Dawn Eastman


Psychic Clyde Fortune and her zany family are back in the fourth in the national bestselling series from the author of A Fright to the Death.
 
Former cop and novice psychic Clyde Fortune finds herself in a race for justice when a Zombie Fun Run turns deadly...
 
All of Crystal Haven, Michigan, is psyching up to participate in a Zombie Fun Run organized by Clyde’s nephew Seth, but Clyde is fretful about the undead festivities. For one thing, her sister, Grace, has unexpectedly returned to town after fifteen years. For another, Clyde has the nagging feeling that something is about to go wrong...
 
When one of the zombie runners is found murdered and then Grace disappears, Clyde realizes her grim premonition is dead-on. Now, she and her police detective boyfriend Mac must find a ghoulish murderer before someone points the finger at Grace. And when a tangled web of family secrets and old grudges combines with a mysterious case of stolen diamonds, even someone as quick-witted as Clyde might not be able to outrun a killer...

MY REVIEW


Fans of the Family Fortune Mystery series are going to love this newest installment!

It’s hard to believe that author Dawn Eastman is already to book four in this series. What’s not hard to believe is that the Family Fortune series has such a following of fans. It really is a delightful para-cozy series.

Ms. Eastman doesn’t disappoint with AN UNHAPPY MEDIUM. Clyde Fortune and her fun family are back and as quirky as ever. And what is more fitting for this town full of characters than a zombie run? Oh yeah, a zombie run with a real dead body.

Creatively written, with twists, turns, and sub stories, author Eastmen had me guessing and second guessing myself through the entire book. I was dead wrong in my guesses, leading to the reveal taking me by surprise.

As I mentioned, returning fans with be thrilled with AN UNHAPPY MEDIUM. And all fans of para-cozies need to check out this series. You won’t be disappointed.

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

BITTERSWEET
Book 23 in the China Bayles Mysteries
by Susan Wittig Albert


This Thanksgiving, be grateful for the “savvy sleuthing”* of New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayles—who teams up with an old friend to solve a case of theft and murder in a South Texas ranching community…
 
For Thanksgiving, China is planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother’s husband, Sam. She’s also looking forward to catching up with a friend, game warden Mackenzie “Mack” Chambers. But Leatha calls with bad news: Sam has had a heart attack. 
 
While Sam recuperates, Leatha does have a helper—Sue Ellen Krause. But Sue Ellen—who’s leaving her husband, the assistant foreman at a trophy game ranch—has troubles of her own. Before she can tell China the full story, Sue Ellen is killed in a car crash. 
 
When a local veterinarian is shot, Mack believes his murder could be related to fawns stolen from a nearby ranch. And China wonders if Sue Ellen’s death may not have been an accident, and if there’s a connection to the stolen animals...

MY REVIEW

Paperback edition

When I read what the subject of BITTERSWEET was, trophy game ranches, places where animals are kept and raised for the purpose of hunting them for thrills and trophies, I almost choose not to read the book. I personally find such places appalling and feel they should be outlawed.  But I was sent this book by the publisher to review, so I read it. I found it to be very well written. There is no doubt author Susan Wittig Albert knows how to draw readers into a story.

Written partly in first person with China narrating, and partly in third person with the story of China’s friend Mackenzie “Mack” Chambers being told, I wasn’t sure I was going to care for it at first, but I found myself looking forward to the spots where the POV changed (Normally at the start of a new chapter). It kept the story fresh, and I think it was a creative choice.

And even though the subject was not a favorite of mine, without giving anything away, I had reason to smile near the end when the universe had a unique revenge planned for the villain. I cheered!

Rounding out the book is very interesting information on different types of plants, and some tasty sounding recipes.

(This review is from excerpts of the review 
I wrote for the hardcover edition in 2015.)

Both of these titles are available for pre-order
Release date: April 5!


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.



Friday, March 25, 2016


It's
Cozy Food Friday 

That means it's time to share a recipe from 
another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from
TROUBLE AT THE KENNEL
Book 9 in the Cedar Bay Mysteries
by
Dianne Harman


Seven time Amazon All Star author Dianne Harman with her latest book in the best selling Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series 

Mike, the sheriff of Beaver County, Oregon and his wife Kelly, the 
owner of Kelly’s Koffee Shop, have just returned from a fly fishing 
trip to Cuba. On the drive home from the airport Mike gets a call 
informing him that the owner of Doggie Love Kennel, where they had 
boarded their dogs when they were in Cuba, has been murdered. To make 
matters worse, all of the dogs in the kennel, including Rebel and 
Lady, have been released and are running loose in the surrounding 
area. They immediately begin to search for their dogs as well as 
trying to determine who killed Mary Barnes. 

They have plenty of suspects to choose from: the druggie kennel 
employee; the owner of the award winning Yorkie that was impregnated 
while staying at the kennel; the disgruntled head of the Pit Bull 
Sanctuary who was instructed by the owner of the kennel to get his pit 
bulls off of the property within twenty-four hours; the impoverished 
woman whose property is next to the luxurious kennel and is jealous of 
the dogs being boarded there; the kennel manager; and her husband who 
has anger issues. Will Mike and Kelly find the killer before the 
killer comes after them? And what about the dog named Skyy? Is she 
cute enough to make Mike rethink his decision to only have two dogs? 
Can she worm her way into his heart? 

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

On to the recipe!

KILLER DOUBLE/DOUBLE
CHEESEBURGERS 
(MAKES TWO)

Sauce Ingredients:

¼ cup catsup
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow mustard (use the prepared, not the powder)
2 ¼ tsp. sweet pickle relish
2 ¼ tsp. dill pickle relish
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. sugar

Directions:

Stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. Sauce
can be kept refrigerated up to two weeks. (I 'Dianne' use it on all kinds of
sandwiches.)


Cheeseburgers and Topping Ingredients:

½ lb. ground beef (try to get as close to 80/20 ratio as possible. I
           sometimes have to mix two different packages of ground beef together
           to get the right ratio)
8 iceberg lettuce leaves
4 large tomato slices
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced (separate them into rings)
4 slices American or Swiss cheese
4 soft white hamburger buns (I use the cheap plain ones - no sesame
           seeds, onion, etc.)
¼ tsp. salt


Heat a griddle or a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.
Measure out 4 two ounce patties and flatten to about ¼ inch thick.
Toast the cut sides of the buns on the griddle. Cook the burgers on
one side for about 45 seconds. Flip them and put a slice of cheese on
each one, frying them for an additional 45 seconds. Remove from the
heat.

Assembly:

Put a tablespoon of sauce on the bottom and top sections of the bun.
On the bottom of each bun, put two lettuce leaves, a cheeseburger, a
slice of tomato, onion rings, and then the second burger. Enjoy!

All photos courtesy of Google Images. 
Your dish may vary in appearance.

I bet your stomach is growling.
Mine has been the whole time I was posting this!


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 
TROUBLE AT THE KENNEL


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

"Mike, our trip to Cuba was amazing. I'm so glad we went. I still can't believe I've been to Italy and Cuba, and in both places, I got involved solving a murder! I wonder what the chances are of something like that happening. The only down side was that it involved a lot of travel. Kind of a hurry up and wait at all the airports. I can't seem to sleep on an airplane, and last night was no exception." 

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 (56% on Kindle)

"......What are you doing out here? Client's ain't supposed to come out here. Jes' the employees and the dogs." 


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.

Thursday, March 24, 2016


NEEDLE AND DREAD by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
REST IN PEACH by Susan Furlong
BREAKING FOR BODIES by Duffy Brown

NEEDLE AND DREAD
Book 11 in the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries 
by Elizabeth Lynn Casey


The Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle is needled by the death of a highly strung woman in the new mystery by the author of Wedding Duress.
 
Downtown Sweet Briar is now home to a new sewing shop run by one of the circle’s own. With the help and support of her fellow members, Rose is determined to make SewTastic a success, and, to that end, she decides to sponsor a series of do-it-yourself weekends for sewing enthusiasts. 
 
But when a group arrives at SewTastic to work on a project, a loud and argumentative guest pushes everyone’s buttons. And when she winds up dead in Rose’s project room—strangled by a sewing machine power cord—it’s up to Tori and the gang to stitch together the clues before Rose’s reason for living is ripped apart at the seams.


PATTERN AND SEWING TIPS INCLUDED

MY REVIEW


The Sothern Sewing Circle Mystery series is everything readers love about cozy mysteries!

With this being the eleventh book in the series, you would think there would be nothing new to add. That is very far from the truth. Author Elizabeth Lynn Casey had kept each new book in this series fresh, fun, and oh so enjoyable. NEEDLE AND DREAD is written confirmation of this fact.

This latest trip to Casey’s town of Sweet Briar, South Carolina was just the vacation I needed. Every time I visit with the ladies that make up the sewing circle, I find myself smiling the entire time. They are for sure one of my favorite cast of characters. (Interestingly enough, one of my other favorite group of characters is from the Amish Mysteries, written by Ms. Casey under her real name, Laura Bradford.)

NEEDLE AND DREAD was outstanding! The story moved as fast as a well maintained sewing machine. Not being able to tear myself away, I finished this phenomenal story in one setting. From the fun beginning, straight through to the inspired, exciting reveal, and conclusion, this book was a truly perfect cozy mystery.

I’m already looking forward to book twelve!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for reader-suggested sewing tips, and a fun sewing pattern! (Don’t worry…you don’t have to know how to sew to enjoy this series!)

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

REST IN PEACH
Book 2 in the Georgia Peach Msyteries
by Susan Furlong


In the refreshing new Georgia Peach Mystery from the author of Peaches and Scream, an upcoming debutante ball turns into the pits when a juicy murder scandalizes a small town.

The annual Peach Cotillion, Cays Mill, Georgia’s biggest event, is fast approaching and Nola Mae Harper is just as excited as the rest of the town—even though she’s busy juggling both the cotillion dinner and the grand opening of her new shop, Peachy Keen. But she never expected that plans for the cotillion would end up in the pits because of the cutthroat competition between local debutantes.
 
When Vivien Crenshaw, insufferable church organist and despised mother of the town’s spoiled-rotten Peach Queen, is stabbed to death, the police turn to Nola’s friend Ginny as prime suspect. Apparently the two had fought over a one-of-a-kind cotillion gown. As Nola steps in to prove Ginny’s innocence she soon finds herself picking through a bushel of suspects, twice as many motives, and at the mercy of a killer all too keen on killing again.

 
INCLUDES RECIPES!

MY REVIEW


The Georgia Peach Mysteries are a prime example of everything great about cozy mysteries. REST IN PEACH is a juicy mystery that’s better than a fresh peach pie!

When I read the first book in this series, PEACHES AND SCREAM, I knew this was a series I could really sink my teeth into. And as delicious as that book was, author Susan Furlong has bumped up the recipe and made REST IN PEACE even tastier!

Ms. Furlong captured the pageantry, and insanity of the southern cotillion perfectly. I could almost hear the sound of the long white gowns swishing. And I absolutely loved the debutant tips at the start of each chapter!

From the murder, through the investigation, all the way to the outstanding conclusion, every word of this story captured and held tight to my imagination. With a well thought out plot, and masterful writing, REST IN PEACH was such a delight to read. I didn’t want the book to end.

Check out the back of the book for sweet peach recipes, and an excerpt from book three, WAR AND PEACH!

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

BREAKING FOR BODIES
Book 2 in the Cycle Path Mysteries
by Duffy Brown


Evie Bloomfield puts the pedal to the metal—in the latest Cycle Path mystery from the national bestselling author of Geared for the Grave.
 
Moving from Los Angeles to small, picturesque Mackinac Island to work in a bike shop might seem crazy, but Evie knows it’s the best decision she’s ever made. That’s not to say she’s gotten rid of all her stress; after all, the upcoming Lilac Festival has everyone in town riding in circles.
 
But things really go downhill when a ferry full of tourists—including Evie’s friend Fiona’s former boss, the editor of a sleazy rag in LA—arrives on the island. No one knows why Peephole Perry came all the way to Mackinac, but things aren’t looking good for Fiona when Peep is found dead. Now Evie has to gear up and get a grip on the truth if she wants to clear her friend’s name...

MY REVIEW


I cycled through this fabulous mystery at record speed. What a fun ride it was!

Cozy mystery readers were given a marvelous gift when author Duffy Brown came on the scene. All you have to do is read BRAKING FOR BODIES to see just how blessed we are.

Set on real life Mackinac Island (Have you ever seen Somewhere In Time?), the Cycle Path mystery series will pull you in with Ms. Brown’s descriptions of this beautiful setting. It’s clear she has a real love for, and vast knowledge of Mackinac. The Grand Hotel is featured in this story, and it has strengthened my resolve to get there one day.

With a fantastic plot that had me from page one, BRAKING FOR BODIES as a fast, funny mystery that had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation as well as laughing practically through the entire book! Duffy Brown knows just the right combination of mystery, intrigue, and humor to make up the perfect cozy mystery.

If you’re thinking of getting BRAKING FOR BODIES, stop back peddling. Throw yourself in gear, and race to get your copy!

These great titles are available 
for pre-order.
Release Date: April 5!


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.