Saturday, December 31, 2016


Wow . . . the last day of 2016.

It has been such a hard year for so many.
I'm going into 2017 with the hope of a kind and gentle year for us all.

I love this blog. 
I love doing it for me, and I love doing it for you.

To each reader, each author, each friend,
and those of you who are all of the above . . .
THANK YOU
for the support you have shown
 me each and every day. 
I couldn't do it without you, and I wouldn't want to.


📕📖📗📖📘📖📙

Friday, December 30, 2016


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 
OUT OF THE DYING PAN
Book 2 in the Deep Fried Mysteries
by Linda Reilly


Revenge is set to sizzle in the tasty new Deep Fried Mystery from the author of Fillet of Murder.


For Talia Marby, the sweet smell of success is a lot like the pungent aroma of fried fish and vinegar. Her new business, Fry Me a Sliver, is rapidly expanding beyond fish and chips to become one of the best eateries in the Berkshires. But the nasty owner of a neighboring boutique is making a stink, baiting Talia in a very public fight at a community center fundraiser and nursing an inexplicable grudge.
When the boutique owner is found strangled with Talia’s scarf knotted around her neck, our favorite fish fryer finds herself in hot oil. Needing to clear her name, and fast, Talia’s investigation soon yields some shocking surprises as well as a sizzling suspicion: someone had good reason to want the victim dead—and it’s frying Talia’s nerves...

Includes delicious recipes!


~*~*~*~*~

MY REVIEW


Author Linda Reilly has fried up another delicious treat!

When I read the first book in this series, FILLET OF MURDER, I was in deep fried mystery heaven. Guess what? You can go back again…I sure did with, OUT OF THE DYING PAN!

It was so delightful to be back in Wrensdale in the Berkshires. I simply adore the characters and the settings author Reilly has created with this series. I’d spend a lot of time in a place like Fry Me A Sliver. I know this because just reading about it made my stomach growl. J

Besides featuring fantastic sounding food, OUT OF THE DYING PAN was a superbly written mystery that flowed at a perfect pace. I loved every word from the first page on. Through the entire investigation I kept trying to guess the killer. I thought I had it figured out until I read the reveal. Wow…talk about a surprise! Outstanding! You really got me on this one Ms. Reilly.  

Fans of the first book are going to love this installment, and those new to the series, you can read it without feeling lost, but since it’s only book two, I suggest you pick up book one, FILLET OF MURDER as well and read them back to back. You won’t regret it!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for some yummy deep fried recipes!

~*~*~*~*~

About Linda



Raised in a sleepy town in the Berkshires, Linda Reilly has spent the bulk of her career in the field of real estate closings and title examination. It wasn’t until 1995 that her first short mystery, Out of Luck, was accepted for publication by Woman’s World Magazine. Since then she’s had over forty short stories published, including a sprinkling of romances. In 2013 Five Star Publishing released her first full-length mystery, Some Enchanted Murder. Her first mystery in the Deep Fried series, a cozy featuring fry cook Talia Marby, was released by Berkley Prime Crime in May 2015.


Linda lives in New Hampshire with her husband, who affectionately calls her “Nose-in-a-book.”

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

Linda Reilly is giving away 
1 Signed copy of
OUT OF THE DYING PAN!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form
at the end of this post!

This giveaway is open to US and Canada!

~*~*~*~*~

On to the recipe!

TALIA'S DEEP-FRIED MEATBALLS

All photos are courtesy of Google Images
Your dish may differ in appearance

Talia spent her childhood at her nana's elbow watching her make homemade meatballs. She knew that Nana tweaked the recipe depending on whom she was feeding. Ingredients such as fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs can be adjusted to suit your taste. 

If you'd like to cut down on preparation time for the deep-fried meatballs, there are many froazen brands that are quite good. 


Meatballs

3/4 pound hamburger
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (more if you're a garlic lover!)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon crushed basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed oregano
1 cup panko crumbs
5 tablespoons high-quality marinara sauce


   Mix all of the above ingredients with a fork until well blended. 
   Form into small- or medium-sized meatballs (about 1 1/2 inch diameter works well, but you can make them smaller if you'd like). 

   Roast in preheated over at 425 degrees in a roasting pan coated with nonstick spray for 10 to 12 minutes. 
   The meatballs should be browned but not over done. 
   Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or preferably overnight. 
   They cal also br frozen ahead of time. 


Batter

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely crushed basil
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


   Combine together in a mixing bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, Parmesan, and basil.
   In separate bowl, combine the water, egg, and oil. 
   Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.

   In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat additional vegetable oil to 350 to 375 degrees, using just enough oil to cover the meatballs. 
   A candy/deep-fry thermometer will help gauge the oil temperature. 
   One by one, coat the chilled meatballs in the batter. 
   Using tongs, remove each meatball from the batter and lower each one slowly into the oil, but avoid crowding the pan. 
   Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels. 
   Don't worry if your deep-fried meatballs end up with little batter "tails". They're crispy and delicious!
   Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.  


Wouldn't these be great hors d'oeuvres?

~*~*~

Please keep reading and check out my 
installments of 
Book Beginnings on Fridays
and
The Friday 56

Both are also from 
OUT OF THE DYING PAN


 ~*~*~



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



Talia Marby watched with a lump in her throat as the sign that read LAMBERT'S FISH & CHIPS was lowered carefully to the ground.


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 


A wave of longing fell over her.


GOOD LUCK!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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, December 29, 2016


Have you ever wondered what your favorite authors are doing when they aren't writing those wonderful cozy mysteries that we love so much?

Do they have other jobs, hobbies, hidden talents?

Now you can find out!

Today's special guest author is 

Liz Mugavero


So, what is one of the things 
Liz does when she's not writing?

When I’m Not Writing...

A lifelong obsession with self-helping
Well, that’s what some people call it. I really kind of hate that term. I prefer to call it personal growth. Whatever you name it, I’ve been practicing for years. I guess you could say it’s my dirty little secret. I’m obsessed with alternative health practices, mind-body-spirit tools - basically anything that makes me think differently. Or change something - however small - for the better.

Also, since there are so many books on different “self-helpy” subjects, I get to also indulge my reading obsession. When I need to take a break from mysteries, there’s always a new book to pick up. For instance, I just started Gabby Bernstein’s May Cause Miracles, a 40-day program on shifting thoughts from fear to love. [https://www.amazon.com/May-Cause-Miracles-Guidebook-Unlimited/dp/0307986950/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482760665&sr=1-1&keywords=may+cause+miracles


Sounds woo-woo, right? Maybe so. But there’s worse things to spend time on, I think.

My obsession started in my early twenties in a little store near my hometown called Circles of Wisdom [https://www.facebook.com/CirclesOfWisdom/]. From the minute I stepped into this metaphysical bookstore,I felt at home. Here you can find crystals, books, essential oils, oracle card decks, tarot readings, jewelry, workshops on everything from animal communication to meditation - I even bought my first Zen alarm clock here. I was hooked. 

Crystals especially called to me. The idea of beautiful little stones having the power to heal physical illnesses or emotional difficulties was amazing to me. Over the years I’ve collected hundreds of them, learned about them and continue to use them daily. 


Oracle cards and inspirational card decks were another fascination. I love the idea of working with a deck of cards that reflects your own energies back to you. Spirit animal cards are my favorite. I’m also really enjoying Notes From the Universe on Abundance. Pull one every morning and watch your mood change! And if you’re feeling stressed out, take a sniff of lavender essential oil to help calm yourself down. (I’m telling you, it works! I carry one in my purse.)


And, books. I don’t think it will be a big surprise to anyone that I love to read. From Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way [http://juliacameronlive.com/] to Nick Ortner’s The Tapping Solution, [http://www.thetappingsolution.com/] I’m constantly on the lookout for books that will help me improve my life. Louise Hay’s affirmation books have done just that. Filling the days with positive sayings can only have a positive impact on the way one looks at the world. Dr. Wayne Dyer’s inspirational books on how to change the way you look at life in order to achieve inner peace are like reference books for me - I’m constantly re-reading them or scouring them for that pearl of wisdom that’s relevant for a particular situation. 


It all helps. It really does. Luckily for the self-help industry, I still have a lot of work to do…so I’ll be keeping them in business for a long time to come.

Thank you for sharing with us, Liz. 

You can thank Liz too by leaving a comment.

Another great way to say thanks is reading and reviewing Liz's books.

BOOK FIVE

Kristan “Stan” Connor gladly turned tail on her high-flying job and moved to a quaint New England town to sell organic pet treats. But with her nose for solving murders, there’s no such thing as a quiet life…

Summer is winding down in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, but Stan’s love life and career are both heating up nicely. In between planning her new pet patisserie and café, Stan is settling into living-in-bliss with sexy pub owner Jake McGee. Love’s on the menu for Stan’s mom, Patricia, too, who’s engaged to Frog Ledge’s mayor, Tony Falco.
Mayor Falco’s dogged ambition isn’t popular among locals, but it’s his executive coach, Eleanor Chang, who’s inspired a dangerous grudge. When Eleanor is found dead, there’s a whole pack of suspects to choose from. Stan has first-hand experience of Eleanor’s unsavory business tactics. But finding out who forced her to take a fatal plunge off the corporate ladder means unearthing some shady secrets…and a killer who’s too close for comfort.
Includes Gourmet Pet Food Recipes


BOOK ONE                                BOOK TWO

BOOK THREE                       BOOK FOUR


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.