Get those lucky fingers ready to type. 

It's Goodread Giveaways time!

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Quite the bounty this week!

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!

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Greetings from my little writing corner here on the West Coast of Canada. On the mend and taking it as easy as I can, getting ready for work tomorrow and looking forward to the tiny humans that keep me entertained at work and hoping to continue to be inspired to continue with my writing. 

Settings for me is a big thing when writing. I was thinking about what it is that I draw from when I am writing and setting is often the first thing. For me as a visual person I find that the first thing that comes to me is place, then characters. 

Today I am hoping you might indulge me in a bit of my writing that has been sitting for a long time, thinking of taking the old stories out and dusting them off, adding to them again and really hoping that you might be my test audience today. This is an excerpt from one of the cozies that lives in my head and wants to come alive. Please excuse all spelling and grammatical errors at this time...

"Alive or Just Breathing?" she asked as she came into my room. "Haven't decided yet" I responded.

"Agh so you know it is a choice then?" she said while cocking her head to the side with a slight sarcastic grin.

"Aye," I said "I do" carefully clasping my hands over my chest after tucking the blankets just under my armpits and closing my eyes.

" We have a wonderful aquasize program, bridge in the common room and afternoon tea on the patio at two" she said while reading her clipboard and turning the page

"Will see" I managed to mumble with my eyes closed hoping she would take the hint.

"Choice is yours" she said as she turned and left shutting the door from which she entered.

"I know" I thought. Trust me I know.

 I hated that she was right, I was just breathing.  It had been ages since I last felt "Alive" but the thought of aquazie made me think of drowning and let's face it I already felt like I was. Cards never interested me and well the thought of Afternoon tea was almost enough to get me out of bed, I am not one for watered down tea and store bought biscuits.  If one was going to go to the effort of calling it afternoon tea it best be served on a three tier tray with three types of sandwiches on the bottom, two types of scones, one savory and one sweet, with jam and devonshire cream of course, on the second tier and the third better have three pastries you cannot live without, now that, that is worthing living for and that would normally make me feel alive.

It had been about two weeks I guess since they brought me here, post op rehab. They said it would be good for me, this way I could get the rest, help and care to help me get back on my feet again after the accident, help me get back to normal, or the new normal I guess.

After 6 weeks in the hospital the thought of another four here made me shutter. I missed my apartment, my cat, my teapot and my teacup collection and I missed my work. I hated not being at my tea shop, not being able to come downstairs from the apartment, opening the store and tea room, putting the convection oven on and mixing up that first batch of buttery scones each morning. I missed my strong black vanilla tea, the robust and resilient rooibos red teas from South Africa and the delicate green teas of Asia. I even missed the herbal teas, my least favorite as they were not teas at all, merely teasaines but done right they were tolerable.  It took every ounce of energy not to reach for the phone and call my niece Elle Bea and just check on how things were going at the shop. Three of my 7 nieces were happily employed in the family business and while I knew they could handle it I truly missed the day to day interactions with them and with my customers."

Closing my eyes I drifted in and out of sleep, terrorized by the post traumatic stress that comes with being an accident victim, feeling so helpless and so lost.  The sounds of the screeching tires, bump of the car as it hit me, knocking me through the air, the smell of pavement as I hit it, the flashing of the lights and the sounds of the sirens as I came too. The soft brown eyes of the EMT who helped to stabilize me and get me on the stretcher backboard and who stayed with me all the way to the hospital. The sounds of the hospital monitors, the throbbing of the IV, the smell of the disinfectant and urine, that only hospitals seem to have. The combination of remembering and the dream woke me in yet another cold sweat. 

Stronger people than me don't ask why, but I do, I want to know why, why me, and I am not ashamed of that.  The broken hip and cracked pelvis made for only part of the reason I could not manage to recover at home, the stairs well they were not doable at this time and I could not exactly put a hospital bed and commode in the front  parlor of the tea room, but the thought had crossed my mind. I blame the pain meds for that one. As I drifted in and out of sleep for most of that morning, my fear and frustration turned to anger and anxiety. What the heck was I doing in here when I could be out there running my normal life. The one I had before the accident and why the heck had the police not found any leads?

Random attack my patootie. Stolen car, hit and run, police finding the car abandoned just a few streets from the tea shop. Me minutes from home, having a lovely day and then boom, everything changing in an instant.  Did the police really not think the threats I had been receiving through the mail slot of the tea room were credible?

A knock at the door woke me from my self pity party, opening my eyes to find that the physio therapist had arrived for our daily torture session. Sighing and resigned to the fact that if I was going to get out of here and find out who did this to me I was going to have to choose to be "Alive" and stop laying here "just breathing. "

.....-By Karen M. Gibson

Many thanks for your kindness, patience and time to read. Thank you to Lisa for this take over and a chance to share my writing. We all have these stories somewhere in us, time to invite them out, sit down with them and invite them to tea.

 

Oh , Hi there! Me again, dropping by to say hello, and share a bit of fun personal writing this pre-Easter Weekend.

Spring has sprung where I am on the West Coast and while I am grateful for the longer brighter  evenings , I have spent the last week in bed, sick with all the symptoms of Covid, but not covid if the tests I took are reliable. Three tests, one week and extreme cold symptoms, I am so over it.

Self care is something I do struggle with, a lifetime of being told I was lazy and to only look after others first. This has given me a challenge when it comes to knowing when to "Jump off the Swing".

My tea this week, sign from my sister in law, who is absolutely amazing and one of my best friends.

This is truly me normally, but this week I had to lay in my bed and go down the rabbit hole of Facebook, reels and instagram DIY's. Not all bad actually I found some of my old writing that well,  I thought I might run past you. I would honestly like to know if this would be something that would make you want to keep reading .....

When you start your day in the service of your cat, stagger out of your warm bed to let them out the window and then bash your foot on the fan, opening your toe nail bed and writing in pain your day can only get better right? Now where the heck did I put those bandages.- Karen M. Gibson April 6, 2015

I have Facebook Memories to thank for reminding me of that little early morning writing prompt.

I have so many of these written on paper, in note books, word documents, google documents and backs of  envelopes. With grand plans to write them into the cozy mysteries we all know and love. Let me know if you might like me to continue with this particular chapter. 

 I will check in again tomorrow, new topic....perhaps a new cozy? Oh and is it wrong to pop chores, like on slips of paper you would get in a fortune cookie into some of your teenager's plastic eggs? 

Thanks for joining us here and thank you to Lisa for letting me take over today. Hoping this rambling post has brought a smile or a smirk to your face today. ~ Karen

 

ATTENTION!

Cozy Food Friday

has been cancelled today in order to bring you the letter 

How else was I going to bring 

you cozy titles starting with the letter F? 😉

Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio in Vivien Chien's Fatal Fried Rice…

Lana Lee runs her family’s Chinese restaurant in Cleveland’s Asia Village like nobody’s business. When it comes to actual cooking, however, she’s known to be about a step up from boiling rice. So Lana decides to go to culinary school on the sly—and prove that she has what it takes in the kitchen after all. But when course instructor Margo Chan turns up dead after class, Lana suddenly finds herself on the case, frying pan in hand.

Since she was the one who discovered the body, Lana must do double duty in finding the killer and clearing her name. Now, with or without the help of her boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana launches her own investigation into Margo’s life and mysterious death. Doing so leads her on a wild goose chase to and from the culinary school—and all the way back to the Ho-Lee noodle shop, where the guilty party may be closer than Lana thinks.

Master barista Sage Caplin is opening a new coffee cart in Portland, Oregon, but a killer is brewing up a world of trouble. . . .
 
Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers . . . and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley—a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That’s essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus macchiato—especially in the case of one of Sage’s very first customers. . . .
 
Sage finds the man’s body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. There’s been plenty of anger in the air, from longtime vendors annoyed at Ground Rules taking a coveted spot in the food truck lot, to protesters demonstrating against a new high-rise. But who was mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, who’s trying to trickle back into her life. But when Sage’s very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer fast—before her business, and her life, come to a bitter end. . . .

Norrie Ellington has to pour herself into the case to bottle up a crafty killer . . .

With her overlong stay at Two Witches Winery extended yet again, screenwriter Norrie Ellington wants nothing more than to lay low and avoid murder investigations at all costs. Then two neighborhood boys show up at the winery saying they’ve discovered what looks like a dead body in a nearby woods, and Norrie’s curiosity gets the better of her. When the body turns out to be a local labor manager and the sheriff suspects a neighboring winery of foul play, Norrie turns sleuth once again.

Following the few clues found at the scene, Norrie soon learns that the victim had been charging exorbitant amounts for the seasonal workers he supplied to the vineyards, meaning any of the owners could have wanted him out of the way. And when another dead body is found, Norrie’s dizzying list of suspects threatens to overwhelm her. But with the stakes higher than ever, her biggest fear may be that if the local sheriff doesn’t kill her for meddling, there’s a murderer on the loose who surely will . . .

The Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must discover the truth behind a death sprinkled with suspicion before Mel and Joe can say "I do”, in the thirteenth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

Life is sweet and business is booming at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery--and the fact that Mel and Joe are getting married is the icing on the cake. Their reception will be held at the swanky resort where Oz works as the pastry chef. The wedding planning is all fun-fetti and games until Mel and Joe meet the head chef at the resort who has been making Oz's life miserable. When the eccentric chef insults Mel's bakery, Oz gets into a blowout argument with the culinary prima donna. 

Things turn extra sour when the chef is murdered, and Oz is the police's main suspect. As the countdown to the wedding day begins, Mel, Joe, and the rest of the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must sift through clues to catch the real killer and clear Oz's name before their wedding plans are totally battered and baked.

When it comes to murder, there's no need to mince words . . .

Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama...

Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister's restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life's finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she's considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah's more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal.

Although she wouldn't mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef's position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah's business rival--and her late ex-husband's lover. But Grace's future lands in hot water when the school's director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend's name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer...

Suzie and Mary are excited to be hosting cooking classes by a famous chef. Dune House, the majestic B&B on the beach, is all ready for the arrival of the chef and students. Mary is particularly looking forward to her daughter joining them for the weekend. However, it’s not all smooth sailing when the oven breaks down, and a pet spider is on the loose. But the class is still a big success, and everything looks to be back on track.

Until….a dead body is found. With a house full of suspects Suzie, Mary and Cathy, with a little help from their lovable Labrador, Pilot, do a little snooping.

Will they find the killer before someone else ends up dead? Or is their sleuthing just a recipe for disaster?

Fame, Food and Murder is the twenty-first book in the Dune House Cozy Mystery Series. If you like strong female sleuths, enduring friendships and loyal dogs then you’ll love this page-turning cozy mystery.

FFFFFFFFFFF

Check back next Friday for more F cozies.

Do you know of any?

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

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I'm happy to be joining

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours

 

and 

Amy Pershing

in hosting the cover reveal Amy's book

MURDER IS NO PICNIC.

Murder Is No Picnic (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) by Amy Pershing

COMING JUNE 7, 2022

When a celebrity chef is found dead,

             

Samantha Barnes, the "Cape Cod Foodie",

finds her search for the world's best blueberry buckle

               

turning into a search for a killer . . .

                           

READY!

                   

SET!!

                     

REVEAL!!!

Murder Is No Picnic (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Setting – Cape Cod, Massachusetts Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (June 7, 2022) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593199189 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593199183 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09K66BGZF

The Fourth of July is coming, and for professional food lover Samantha Barnes, it’s all about the picnic. Okay, and the fireworks. And the parade. But mostly the picnic. What could be better than a DIY clambake followed by the best blueberry buckle in the world? Sam has finally found the perfect recipe in the kitchen of Clara Foster, famed cookbook author and retired restaurateur, and she’s thrilled when Clara agrees to a buckle baking lesson.

But when Clara dies in a house fire blamed on carelessness in the kitchen, Sam doesn’t believe it. Unfortunately, her doubts set in motion an investigation pointing to the new owner of Clara’s legendary restaurant—and a cousin of Sam’s harbormaster boyfriend. So, in between researching the Cape’s best lobster rolls and planning her clambake, Sam needs to find Clara's killer before the fireworks really start....

You can Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon   B&N   Kobo  Google Books  IndieBound    Bookshop.org 

About the Author

 

Amy Pershing, who spent every summer of her childhood on Cape Cod, was an editor, a restaurant reviewer and a journalist before leading employee communications at a global bank. A few years ago she waved goodbye to Wall Street to write full time. Murder Is No Picnic is the third of the Cape Cod Foodie mysteries featuring Samantha Barnes, a disgraced but resilient ex-chef who retreats home to Cape Cod where she finds herself juggling a new job as the local paper’s “Cape Cod Foodie,” a complicated love life, a posse of just-slightly-odd friends, a falling-down house, a ginormous dog and a propensity for falling over dead bodies. Elizabeth Gilbert called the first book in the series, A Side of Murder, “the freshest, funniest mystery I have ever read,” and Kirkus Reviews gave the second book, An Eggnog to Die For, a starred review, saying, “A delightful sleuth, a complex mystery, and lovingly described cuisine: a winner for both foodies and mystery mavens.”

Website:  - AmyPershingAuthor.com 

  Follow  - amypershingauthor on Facebook 

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Sign up for News from the Cape Cod Foodie!

 

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In today's spotlight I'm featuring author

Dominique Daoust

and her book

A DISAPPEARANCE AT THE BONNE NUIT HOTEL

Book 1 in her The Deadly Exclusives Mysteries

Secret sources have a whole new meaning.

Newbie reporter Rita Larose is tired of getting assigned boring stories at one of Montreal's most popular newspapers. It's 1930 after all, women don't need to only write about household chores anymore!  But when a high hat socialite gossips about the New Year's Eve party at the Bonne Nuit Hotel, a riveting mystery falls right into Rita's lap. This is her chance to prove to herself and her underestimating colleagues that she has what it takes to write the hard-hitting articles.

While going undercover as a maid to get the scoop, Rita will soon discover unexpected friendships and an unusual gift of her own to contend with. Will she be able to juggle this newfound ability while not blowing her cover and jeopardizing her career-making article?

--------------

Let's learn more about The Deadly Exclusives Mysteries and Dominique!

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

DD: Thank you for having me!

LKBR: Please tell us about your new book.

DD: A Disappearance at the Bonne Nuit Hotel is about newbie reporter Rita Larose setting out to uncover the juiciest stories in Montreal in 1930. Along the way, she’ll discover something about herself which will be both an advantage and a hindrance for her career. I would describe it as a historical cozy mystery with a dash of the supernatural. It’s the first book in The Deadly Exclusives Trilogy (all three books are available on Amazon as of April 1st).

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

DD: It didn’t come to me all at once, it was a slower process where I started writing a bunch of ideas down until it created a coherent story. I’ve been obsessed with movies from the Old Hollywood era since I was a teen and I love a good mystery. My first job was as a maid at a nice hotel in the Montreal suburbs, plus I studied journalism. So I thought why not combine all these elements into a story?


LKBR: How did you go about submitting your first idea for a book? Was that first book published?

DD: I haven’t submitted a story to a publisher so far! I dabbled on Wattpad (a platform where you can post your stories for free) for a while but it wasn’t the place for me. So I decided to write a trilogy and self-publish it on Amazon myself!


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

DD: I currently work as a full-time executive assistant and write in my free time. I’m pretty strict with myself, so when I’m in writing mode, I aim for 4 chapters a week (usually two week nights as well as Saturday and Sunday morning). My goal is to eventually transition to writing full-time.


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

DD: I try my best! I have this Evernote app on my phone and I try to write things down as they come, but sometimes they come in one ear and immediately out the other. But I do have a few ideas for potential future cozy mysteries saved in there.


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

DD: I write my books from beginning to end. I have a very structured, linear mind and I don’t think it would allow me to work out of order!


LKBR: Where do you do most of your writing?

DD: I have a home office setup and I always write from there. I admire writers who can work out of coffee shops, but I’d get too distracted!


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

DD: I would count Google as one thing for sure. Then usually either tea or coffee and water. I don’t like having a cluttered space, so the more streamlined the better. It’s not super exciting but it’s accurate!


LKBR: Please describe yourself in one sentence.

DD: I’m just a gal who’s obsessed with cheese and margaritas.


LKBR: Do you have a message for your readers?

DD: This is only the beginning of my journey as an indie author. I do hope my books resonate with readers and entertain them!


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

DD: Thank you for these questions, I really appreciate it!

------------

Learn more about Dominique

Dominique Daoust is the author of The Deadly Exclusives
Trilogy. She is a journalism graduate from Concordia University
in Montreal, Canada. When not reading or writing, she likes to
do yoga, drink margaritas, incessantly quote Friends and listen
to rap while doing mundane household chores.

Follow Dominique

Instagram

Amazon

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).

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the above directions.