July 17, 2018

Caramel Crush by Jenn McKinlay - Review


Book details
Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery (Book 9)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (April 4, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-0399583810

Book description
When a breakup via cupcake threatens to crumble their friend’s life for good, Mel and Angie race to solve the murder as this New York Times bestselling series continues…

Love is in the air at Fairy Tale Cupcakes as Angie prepares for her wedding, but co-owner, Mel, is preparing for a breakup. Her old friend, Diane Earnest, is dumping her fiancĂ© after discovering he’s only marrying her for her money. She wants Mel to personally deliver a batch of caramel breakup cupcakes to the louse and give her a play-by-play of his reaction.

When Mel finally tracks the man down, the look on his face isn’t the reaction she was expecting: he’s dead. After the police arrive and see the incriminating cupcakes, Diane becomes their prime suspect. If she hopes to taste freedom again, Mel and Angie must make sure the real killer gets their just desserts…

Meet the author - Jenn McKinlay
Jenn McKinlay, the New York Times bestselling author of the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries (including Vanilla Beaned, Dark Chocolate Demise, and Sugar and Iced), has baked and frosted cupcakes into the shapes of cats, mice, and outer-space aliens, to name just a few. Writing a mystery series based on one of her favorite food groups (dessert) is as enjoyable as licking the beaters, and she can’t wait to whip up the next one. She is also the author of the Hat Shop Mysteries (Assault and Beret, Copy Cap Murder) and the Library Lover’s Mysteries (Better Late than Never, A Likely Story).

My thoughts
I love when I get to visit Mel, Angie and the gang at Fairy Tale Cupcakes. I have to agree with the gang as Angie was becoming quite the bridezilla at time as she is planning her wedding to Tate. After Mel feels she has to repay Diane an old debt she finds a dead body in the most unusual place. I really did not care for Diane and was angry when I found out the real story behind the debt Mel thought she owed. There was two people that I had in mind for the suspect but boy was I wrong. The author leaves a cliff hanger at the end of this book regarding Marty and now I can't wait to get to the next book. 

July 16, 2018

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert - Spotlight and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series 
Crooked Lane Books (July 10, 2018) 
Hardcover: 300 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1683315957 
Digital: ASIN: B075QJHPR9
  

Book description
Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies.

October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried.

The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name.

That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder.

Meet the author - Victoria Gilbert
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. She has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director.

When not writing or reading, Victoria likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, and is represented by Frances Black at Literary Council, NY, NY.

Victoria lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. This is her first Blue Ridge Library mystery.

Author Links: Website/blog: http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/ 

Giveaway



TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
July 9 – The Ninja Librarian - REVIEW, GUEST POST 
July 9 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW 
July 9 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 10 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
July 10 – Curling Up by the Fire – REVIEW 
July 10 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
July 11 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST 
July 11 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT 
July 12 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW 
July 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST 
July 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
July 14 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT 
July 15 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW 
July 16 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW 
July 16 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 16 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT 
July 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW 
July 17 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 17 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 18 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW 
July 18 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
July 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW 
July 19 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST 
July 19 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 20 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW 
July 20 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 20 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST


July 15, 2018

Miss Serena's Secret by Carolyn Miller - Review

I received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own

Book details
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: July 24th 2018 by Kregel Publications 
ISBN: 9780825445347

Book description
With devastating scars in her past, Serena Winthrop is sure no man can be trusted--especially not a man like the too-smooth Viscount Carmichael. His reputation as a flirt and a gambler is everything she despises. And the young artist makes sure that this disreputable heir to an earldom knows of her deep disapproval whenever they encounter one another.

Henry, Lord Carmichael, is perfectly aware of his charms. He's gambled with plenty of ladies' hearts as easily as he has with their husbands' money. But lately he's wondered if there's more to life--and if his actions might prove unworthy of an admirable wife such as his friends have found.

When Serena's guardian asks his best friend to protect his young ward, Henry promises to be on his best behavior and not to woo her. But the more he learns of her, the more he realizes she might be his best reason for changing his character.

Then the lady's painting leads her to London infamy. Now Henry must choose between the life mapped out for him as the earl apparent and the love of his life. And Serena's secret may mean the end of his titled family line.

This second novel in a new series by internationally popular author Carolyn Miller is full of the rich historical detail and evocative writing her readers enjoy. The witty banter will continue to draw in fans of Jane Austen, Sarah Ladd, and Julie Klassen.

Meet the author - Carolyn Miller
Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn's novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges we all face at different times.

My thoughts
Carolyn Miller has hit it out of the park again with this new addition to her second series. She has a way of drawing you into the story and making you feel a part of the characters lives. I thought she also did a great job of setting the Regency scene/theme in this story. It is also fun that she includes characters from the previous book in this one so you don't forget about them. Then you have Serena's many secrets that you learn about as you make your way through the book. I thought the characters played well off of each other and enjoyed getting to know each of them. This book was a quick read for me as well as a very enjoyable one. I recommend that you give this author a try. 

July 10, 2018

Tied Up With Strings by Madeline McEwen - Spotlight and Giveaway

Book details
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Imajin Qwickies, 
An imprint of Imajin Books (December 11, 2017) 
Print Length: 85 pages 
ASIN: B077PLNWY9
  

Book description
An Imajin Qwickies® Mystery/Crime Novella Big mysteries often come in small packages…

When curmudgeonly private detective Betty Grape visits a young friend, who is housesitting in a remote village in England for Christmas vacation, something seems out of place. Her friend, Catia, is visibly nervous. Is she worried about the young men in the decrepit caravan in next door’s back garden? Or is Catia involved in the disappearance of the homeowner’s invalid wife?

As an American, Betty discovers the locals are full of friendly gossip but taciturn about solid facts. Though they are determined to keep Betty from butting in on their territory, she blunders through the social morass of narrow-minded foreigners and their broad Dorset accents. Can she unravel the tight knots of this mystery? Will she find the perpetrator under thickly thatched rooves or behind floral chintz curtains?

Meet the author - Madeline McEwen
Madeline McEwen is an ex-pat from the UK, bi-focaled and technically challenged. She and her Significant Other manage their four offspring, one major and three minors, two autistic, two neurotypical, plus a time-share with Alzheimer's. In her free time, she walks the canines and chases the felines with her nose in a book and her fingers on a keyboard.

Author Links Website http://www.madelinemcewen.c 

Giveaway


TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
July 9 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW 
July 10 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
July 10 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT 
July 11 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST 
July 11 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT 
July 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW 
July 12 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 13 – Carole's Book Corner - REVIEW 
July 13 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 14 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 14 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
July 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW 
July 15 – Rosepoint Publishing – SPOTLIGHT 
July 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST 
July 17 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 17 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
July 18 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

July 5, 2018

The Pumpkin Patch by Sandi Smith - Guest Post and Giveaway


Book Details:
Book Title: The Pumpkin Patch by Sandi Smith
Category: Adult Fiction, 316 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: November 5, 2017
Tour dates: June 25 to July 20, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M

Book Description:
How can one small-minded, angry person destroy the lives of so many people in her path, connecting them all together in a game of destruction and heartbreak? It is possible, but what pushes a person to enjoy inflicting pain to such an extent, leaving a trail of hate, anger, and defeat behind her, which only seems to make her stronger and more satisfied. Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of the Authors’ Book Agency, is that person, who, unknowingly, with a single thread of hate, has connected the lives of a small group of people, bringing them together with one single common denominator. Anger. The anger from this small group of people is building, but it has nowhere to go, or does it? Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of Authors’ Book Agency, has gone missing.

To follow the tour, please visit Sandi Smith's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author - Sandi Smith


Sandi Smith spent her time as a young girl combing the shelves of the public library. She has always enjoyed the magic that books have to offer and was inspired by her high school English teacher, Mr. Coolidge to embrace the arts. The author found her calling as a writer early one morning as her first story came to her in the form of a poem. Since then she has written more than 15 children’s books, with her most popular series about the adventures of an adorable spider in the A.R. Achnid series.

Sandi is happily married to her inspiration and husband of 40 years, John. She continues to write for her two precious grandchildren. When she’s not penning a new story, Sandi and John like to camp, kayak and to enjoy the simple life in their home in Pembroke, NH.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Guest Post
Writing by the Seat of my Pants 
by Sandi Smith

Definitely, the Pumpkin Patch was written by the seat of my pants. Whenever I got words, I never knew what was going to come into my mind. For The Pumpkin Patch, it started out with just one line – Her secretary found the note. That was it. Nothing else to guide me or even give me a hint as to what I was going to write. As I started to get other words, the book seemed to be going in the direction of a love story, and the story of a young woman who had lost her mother at a very young age, or so I thought.

One night, I started getting the name “Mary Elizabeth” in my head. What came to me after that were words of sadness and tears, with some anger at her mother and father. I never did get a definite story plot. What I did get were different characters. I would write a chapter on Mary Elizabeth, thinking that, okay, we’re going to write about the trials of a young woman growing up without a mother, and that would be it, but as I waited for more words to guide me in a direction, nothing came. It would be maybe a month or two later, sometimes even six months later, that I would get more words.

At one point, when I started getting more words, the story line seemed to change. I had words about the war in Vietnam. I didn’t even know what I would do with those words. When I wrote them, I felt sad and disoriented, as if someone was telling me a story that needed to be told. It was rather upsetting at the time, but I kept writing the words, waiting to see what the connection was to this story. Then about a month later, there was a new character. A character that I couldn’t even begin to understand what it was doing in this story…that was the character with the name of Janice. She was a character that was self-absorbed and only seemed to care about herself. What could this character have to do with Mary Elizabeth?

It seemed to me that, if the story was heading in the original direction I thought it was heading, that Mary Elizabeth would need someone who was a little more receptive to Mary Elizabeth’s disappointments that she had had in her life, not someone who only cared about herself. At that point, I actually thought that maybe I had two different stories going on at the same time.

But, as I did with my first novel, I just kept writing down the words, writing chapter after chapter, not exactly sure where it was all going. I knew there was a connection between all of the new characters I was writing about, chapter after chapter, and eventually it all came together. There was one main character that connected them all, and brought them together as one. Each chapter connects them all together in a web of deceit by this one woman, and it would come to a breaking point. 
 
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends July 28, 2018


July 1, 2018

Bamboozled by Barbara Barrett - Spotlight

Book details
Cozy Mysteries 2nd in Series 
Self Published (April 3, 2018) 
Paperback: 272 pages 
ISBN-13: 978-1948532037 
Digital ASIN: B07C9CLL4R
  

Book description
Essential oils distributor Dorcas Wiley is the boss everyone loves to hate. So when she turns up dead, killed by her own trophy, disgruntled saleswoman Cathy Broderick is the obvious suspect in her murder. Despite opportunity, motive and incriminating evidence, Cathy declares her innocence and enlists her mah jongg pals—Sydney Bonner and her cronies Marianne, Micki and Kat—to help save her from the death penalty.

Hot off a recent and nearly deadly investigation, the women are cautious about putting themselves in peril again. Syd’s spouse isn’t thrilled about another mystery in their lives, either, but he can’t resist the plea of Cathy’s husband. Soon, Syd is leading the way as they tangle with grumpy salespeople, the victim’s estranged husband and boyfriend, a mysterious housekeeper, a litigious customer, an annoyed sheriff and Cathy’s own arrogant lawyer.

The women have their own issues to deal with in their central Florida town of Serendipity Springs. Kat faces a health challenge, Micki fields a mysterious inquiry from her ex, Marianne has a chaotic anniversary and Syd wrestles with her husband over who’s really in charge. But nothing puts everyday life into perspective like the moment when their investigation brings them face to face with danger.

Meet the author - Barbara Barrett
Barbara Barrett started reading mysteries when she was pregnant with her first child to keep her mind off things like her changing body and food cravings. When she’d devoured as many Agatha Christies as she could find, she branched out to English village cozies and Ellery Queen.

Later, to avoid a midlife crisis, she began writing fiction at night when she wasn’t at her day job as a human resources analyst for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and one novella, she returned to the cozy mystery genre, using one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Not only has it been a great social outlet, it has also helped keep her mind active when not writing.

Bamboozled, the second book in her “Mah Jongg Mystery” series, features four friends who play mah jongg together and share otherwise in each other’s lives. None of the four is based on an actual person. Each is an amalgamation of several mah jongg friends with a lot of Barbara’s imagination thrown in for good measure. The four will continue to appear in future books in the series.

Anticipating the day when she would write her first mystery, she has been a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America for over a decade. She credits them with helping her hone her craft.

Barbara is married to the man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.

Author Links Website – http://www.barbarabarrettbooks.com 
Subscribe Cozy Newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/BBCozies 
Purchase Links Amazon B&N

TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
June 28 – Valerie's Musings - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 28 – Babs Book Bistro - SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 29 – The Power of Words – REVIEW 
June 29 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
June 30 - A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 30 - FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 30 - The Book Diva's Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
July 1 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
July 1 – cherylbbookblog – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
July 1 – A Holland Reads - SPOTLIGHT 
July 2 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST 
July 2 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 
July 3 – Teresa Trent Author Blog - CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY 
July 3 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW 
July 4 – Varietats - REVIEW, GUEST POST 
July 5 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST 
July 5 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
July 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST 
July 6 – Fiction Obsession – REVIEW 
July 6 – Christa Reads and Writes - SPOTLIGHT 
July 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
July 7 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT 
July 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW 
July 8 – Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Shadow Dancing by Julie Mulhern - Spotlight and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cozy Mystery 7th in Series 
Henery Press (June 19, 2018) 
Print Length: 210 pages 
Digital ASIN: B07BMJM89K
  

Book description
Visiting a psychic is outside the norm for Ellison Russell. Finding bodies is not. Unfortunately, the psychic’s crystal ball says she’ll soon be surrounded by death. Again.

Drat.

Now there’s a corpse in the front drive, a witchy neighbor ready to turn Ellison and her (not so) little dog into toadstools, and a stripper named Starry Knight occupying the guest room.

How did 1975 go so wrong so quickly?

Ellison must handle Mother (who’s found a body of her own), make up with a certain handsome detective, and catch a killer, or the death surrounding her might be her own.

Meet the author - Julie Mulhern
Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders. She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean–and she’s got an active imagination. Truth is–she’s an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.

Author Links Website – www.juliemulhernauthor.com 

Purchase Links Amazon kobo B&N BookBub 

Giveaway


TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
June 18 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW 
June 18 – My Fiction Obsession - AUTHOR INTERVIEW GIVEAWAY 
June 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW 
June 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 20 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY 
June 20 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY 
June 21 – Varietats – REVIEW 
June 21 – The Book Diva's Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 22 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 22 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 23 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
June 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 25 – My Fiction Obsession – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 25 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
June 26 – Valerie's Musings - GUEST POST 
June 26 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 27 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY 
June 27 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY 
June 28 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT 
June 28 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 29 – Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW 
June 29 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
June 30 - Brooke Blogs - CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY 
July 1 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT