Challenges » Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Review: Mr. Tea & The Traveling Teacup by Leslie Matthews Stansfield

May 212013

Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup: A Madeline’s Teahouse Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (September 29, 2012)
Trade Paperback: 234 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0988194328
E-Book File Size: 355 KB
ASIN: B009HCX7HK

After the death of their mother, sisters Terry and Karen Sutter, turn their childhood home into a tea house. It’s a dream come true, but the dream begins to resemble a nightmare when teacups start crashing to the floor in the middle of the night. Could the tea house be haunted? There’s a list of possible ghostly candidates: the prior owner who is rumored to have left behind a buried treasure, two spinster neighbors who disappeared without a trace over forty years ago, or perhaps it is Terry and Karen’s own mother trying to communicate with them. Karen, the older sister, thinks running a haunted tea house might be fun, until the sisters come home one night to find the attic stairs covered in a trail of what appears to be blood. Is it a ghost or is it a warning? The tea house’s new mascot, a psychic macaw, may provide some unexpected clues, but the sisters will encounter many more surprises before they solve this mystery.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was a great debut and a fun read.

All the characters are easy to identify with and they are an eclectic bunch. Karen and Terry have taken on a major endeavor but they are up to the task. What a wonderful tribute to their mother. Aunt Rose and Uncle Harry are true gems watching over the girls and butting in every chance they get. Detective Greg Mullins and his partner Tom are two hunks that add just the perfect amount of romantic tension. But there were two stars for me that both added humor. Mrs. Dinkle has a little problem everyone can hear but her and Mr. Tea, the macaw the could be psychic, has some terrific comments for anyone that come near or just enters the room.

Coming home is always hard but these girls are welcomed with open arms. Their mother’s friends become some of their best customers. I love these senior characters.

The author has laid a nice foundation for future installments. Will romance bloom? What will come out of Mr. Teas mouth next? Who will be the next victim? Are there still ghosts lurking about? I am not so patiently waiting for Stansfield’s next story.

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About This Author

LESLIE MATTHEWS STANSFIELD is the author of Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup , the first book in the Madeline’s Teahouse series. She is the author of a previous book on the town she lives in. She grew up in Delmar, New York, and credits her friends with developing her imagination. Leslie is a graduate of University of Hartford and recently received her Masters’ degree from the University of Phoenix in Educational Leadership. She is a math tutor in a public school as well as the Christian Education Director of her church. She is currently working on her second book in the Madeline’s Teahouse series. She has four children and eight grandchildren and lives in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: A Case of Redemption by Adam Mitzner

Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 1 Response »

May 172013

A Case of Redemption
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Gallery Books (May 14, 2013)
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1451674798
E-Book File Size: 652 KB
ASIN: B008J2B29O

Dan Sorenson was a high profile attorney at a big New York firm spending 12-16 hours a day working. Then the unthinkable happened. His wife and daughter were killed in a horrifying auto accident. He quits the law firm and spends 18 months wallowing in his grief. Drinking so much that he blacks out and forgets hours of time.

At a party he meets someone who can give him the opportunity of a lifetime, a way to start over, but first he has to have them explain the whole idea again as he barely remembers the meeting.

An up and coming rapper has been accused of killing his pop star “girlfriend”. He swears he is innocent but the press has the story on every front page so defending him will be an upward climb. He is not sure he is ready just a huge case. He also realizes this could be his last chance to get his life back on track. In a way he needs this client as much as his client needs him.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Oh this story is like a ride on a tilt-o-whirl. Full of twists and spins and plenty of excitement.

I love the way Mitzner creates characters readers will love even the ones we love to hate. Defending L.D. takes over Sorenson’s life. Nina was the calming influence he needed. J. D. has a past that has to be clarified and clarified again. The prosecuting attorney was a strong woman just doing her job. The trial judge adds a little humor to the story.

Told from Sorenson’s point of view readers have the “you are there” feeling. The story builds and builds at a perfect pace leading up to the trial but I can’t tell you more you have to read it for yourself. Just know the pages will be flying.

Fans of Grisham and Turow will love Mitzner. With just two books out he is definitely an author to watch. I can’t wait until his next book. Will Dan Sorenson pop up again? I sure hope so!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author

Adam Mitzner, a lawyer by day, is the author of A Case of Redemption, and A Conflict of Interest, one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of 2011. He lives in New York City.

To learn more check out his webpage here.

Follow him on:

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette

Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 2 Responses »

May 162013

Topped Chef:
A Key West Food Critic Mystery
3rd Book in Series
An Obsidian Mystery (May 7, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451239709
E-Book File Size: 528 KB
ASIN: B009UYXNSS

Hayley Snow loves her job as the food critic for Key Zest magazine, tasting the offerings from Key West’s most innovative restaurants. She’d rate her life four stars, until she’s forced into the spotlight…and another murder investigation.

Hayley’s boss has volunteered her to be a judge for the Key West Topped Chef contest hoping to score some extra publicity for his magazine. Hayley is both nervous and excited until she realizes one of the other judges is Sam Rizzoli. She just slammed his restaurant in her very first negative review.

When Rizzoli ends up dead speculation is one of his business rivals is responsible but Hayley has a feeling maybe someone is taking the chef contest a little too seriously. Hayley sees the police are not following the right leads so she decides it is up to her to serve up the actual killer.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Lucy Burdette has me in love with Key West. Life on a boat in nice sunny Florida eating her way through all the delightful cuisine the area has to offer. Hayley better watch out I want to steal her job!

Burdette is such a strong writer and creates really lively characters and puts them in spectacular situations. The plots are tight and the twists are plenty.

The murder takes us from the docks to the inner workings of a reality tv show and even into the world of drag queens. I absolutely loved it. The new characters turned the story on its ear while they recurring characters continue to steal out hearts. Hayley’s mom even appears in Key West via Skype and Gloria becomes Hayley’s sidekick in the investigation..

A new character to this story is someone returning to Key West. She has disrupted Hayley’s life with her return and I am very interested to see how she effects it in future installments. Maybe a new direction is just what Hayley needs.

Add this one to your Summer Reading Lists! An impressive read that will tickle all of your senses. There are recipes included too!! so you can actually tickle your taste buds!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author

New Jersey born clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib took up writing mysteries to justify time spent on the links. Her first series, featuring a neurotic professional golfer and a sports psychologist, was nominated for both Agatha and Anthony awards. Roberta is now writing the Key West food critic mystery series as Lucy Burdette.

Check out Lucy’s blog here.

Her alter ego’s website here.

Follow her on Facebook on Twitter or an Pinterest

She is one of the Jungle Red Writers.

Cozy Wednesday with Author Karen MacInerney (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, E-Book Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 39 Responses »

May 152013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am excited to welcome Karen here today!!

Write what you (would like to) know

Write what you know. I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard that saying about as often as “Please pass the salt.” (Maybe more, come to think of it. Perhaps we could stand to work on dinnertime etiquette.)

To my mind (and with apologies to Mr. Twain), if we all wrote what we knew the literary landscape would be awfully dull. There would be no Lord of the Rings. There would be no Miss Marple. The entire realm of science fiction and fantasy would be nonexistent. And all murder mysteries would be penned by people wearing orange jumpsuits.

For years, I did write what I knew. In the spiral-bound notebooks that littered my apartment (and, eventually, house), I wrote about the papers I didn’t want to write. I wrote about pancakes. I wrote about how much I couldn’t wait for summer to end. I even wrote about the science experiment I did in seventh grade. But it dawned on me at some point (somewhere around notebook #63, if I recall), that writing what I knew was not particularly interesting. It also occurred to me that if I was interested in writing fiction, it might benefit me to venture beyond the familiar (a.k.a. fairly boring, at least in my case).

When I began the Gray Whale Inn Mysteries ten years ago, although I’d spent summers on an island in Newfoundland, I had only been to Maine one time. I had never killed anyone. And I would never be confused with a domestic goddess, much less the type of person who could successfully run a quaint inn. But one May evening, as I sat in my Austin ranch with two small children and no hope of escape to cooler climes in sight, I started imagining what life would be like… if.

If, instead of living in Central Austin, I lived on a small island in Maine. If, in the place of filling baby bottles, I woke up every morning and baked muffins and strata for interesting guests. If I could smell beach roses on my afternoon walks and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean lapping at the rocks.

And if, of course, my neighbors started dropping like flies.

Ever since that time, I’ve been happily writing what I’d like to know. I’ve researched embezzling, poisonous plants, werewolves, magic spells, ghosts, shipwrecks, rumrunners, the Underground Railroad, and countless other fascinating subjects, most of which happily found a home on Cranberry Island. (Except the werewolves and magic spells. That’s another trilogy.) But I’m so glad I ignored that old adage. Because every time I pick up a pen (or, these days, the laptop), I get to escape to an alternate reality, where the scenery is fabulous, the characters are old friends, and I never know what might happen next.

I know I’m not the only one who gets to live different lives through writing – and reading. What about you? What fascinates you when you go to the bookstore – or when you sit down to write?

~Karen

About This Author
Karen is the author of the Gray Whale Inn mystery series (the first of which, Murder on the Rocks, was nominated for an Agatha award for Best First Novel) and the Tales of an Urban Werewolf trilogy, featuring reluctant werewolf Sophie Garou.

When she’s not toting children to or from activities, teaching writing classes, or hitting the Hike and Bike trail, you can often find Karen at her local coffee house working on her next book. She lives in Austin with her husband, two children, and a house rabbit named Bunny.

Find out more about Karen by visiting her webpage here.

And Follow her on:

Brush with Death
(The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries)
5th in Series
Cozy Mystery
MIDNIGHT INK (May 8, 2013)
An Imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Trade Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738734590
E-Book File Size: 837 KB
ASIN: B00C5H32NI

Winter on Cranberry Island should be a time for Natalie to relax but her niece is preparing to show her paintings at an art show, her future mother-in-law is coming to visit and she has just received a foreclosure notice for the Inn. Then she finds her niece’s mentor dead and when she realizes he really didn’t commit suicide she puts herself right in the line of fire as she tries to uncover the truth.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

After just losing our house to foreclosure this one started out hitting a little close to home but as I continued to read Natalie’s circumstances were totally different than ours so I was able to get right past it and enjoy the splendor of Cranberry Island and its residents. But the financial woes of another character did break my heart.

The mystery had more than a few twists and kept me enthralled to the final page. John was away from the island when the murder occurred so Natalie was sleuthing on her own. Gwen was dealing with conflicting advice from Natalie and the gallery owner while trying to deal with her mentor’s death. John’s mother grew by leaps and bounds for me in this installment. Plus Natalie’s way with food and her ability to just whip something up had me drooling.

The author pulls us right into the story. We can feel the frigid air and the freezing water, smell the muffins baking and picture Gwen’s masterpieces with such ease. If this is a new series for you start at the beginning with Murder on the Rocks but if you are like me you have been waiting for this installment you will devour this story. Karen MacInerney has exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to return to Cranberry Island again soon.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Would you like to win a copy of this wonderful book?

Thanks to the people at Midnight Ink
I have 1 copy to giveaway!!

U.S. Residents
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Karen for 5 Bonus Entries !

What fascinates you when you go to the bookstore – or when you sit down to write?

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 29, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM

Review: The S Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Reviews 2013, Where Are You Reading Challenge 2 Responses »

May 142013

The S-Word
Teen Fiction
Gallery Books (May 7, 2013)
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Trade Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1451695168
E-Book File Size: 609 KB
ASIN: B007Z4S22M

Lizzie wasn’t the first student at Verity High School to kill herself this year. But the difference is, she didn’t go quietly.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she’s caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie’s own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was a heart wrenching story to read. Our family has been personally touched by a teenage suicide and then as here a young life was lost because of secrets, lies, and misinformation.

The book is told from Angie’s point of view and questions, guilt, and anger over her best friend’s death are just eating her alive. Her personal journey through the grieving process while trying to hold herself and others responsible drive this story while at the same time as teaching several lessons about bullying and judging people. Actions do have consequences.

The author walks the fine line with subjects that could go very dark but by adding real high school behaviors in a very ingenious way she has escaped that trap. A plot full of surprises and realizations make this a hard book to put down. The diary entries added immensely to the story as we learned Lizzie’s way of not even naming names in a place where she kept her private thoughts.

This is heavy read with some expected and unexpected resolutions. I think it would be a great book to add to high school reading lists.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, Oregon, where she received her BA in English Literature. The S-Word is her first novel. Visit her website at ChelseaPitcher.com.

Follow her on:

Review & Giveaway: The Star Attraction by Alison Sweeney

Giveaways, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 9 Responses »

May 102013

The Star Attraction
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Women’s Fiction
Hyperion
Bookmark Entertainment Productions
Trade Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1401311049
E-Book File Size: 569 KB
ASIN: B009R9RGU2

Sophie is a Hollywood publicist who has a fabulous job, a fabulous boyfriend, and a fabulous life. She even scores her PR firm’s most important actor client and every woman’s dream—Billy Fox.

But will a steamy make-out session in a restaurant alley with her big-name client cost Sophie her job? And does she really want an escape from her life and her loving, if imperfect, relationship with her investment banker boyfriend?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Alison Sweeney takes us behind the scenes into the life of a very successful Hollywood publicist and we find her days could be featured on any daytime drama. Being tempted by a new actor she is supposed to be representing could ruin everything she has worked years to obtain.

Sweeney writes what she knows. She has worked on Days of Our Lives for 20 years and knows the job of a publicist as she has probably worked with more than a few herself. I have a hard time accepting this is her first foray into the world of fiction publishing. I hope it is the first of many! The story flows perfectly and she has created a leading lady readers will love. We also get wrapped up so easily in the romantic triangle. I was glad I didn’t have to choose which man she would spend her life with.

Sophie Atwater is a 31 year old publicist headed for the top. She is addicted to her Blackberry and she calls herself a “glorified babysitter”. That’s what her job is – holding the client’s hands and keeping them out of trouble. She is on the red-carpet, at fundraisers and sitting in on interviews. She is far from the perfect woman she strives to be and truthfully can be quite a klutz, especially when Billy Fox is around. Her mishaps will have you absolutely laughing out loud.

This debut has it all drama, comedy, romance and even a bit of mystery. A fun-tastic read! It is the book you will see everyone reading this summer at the beach!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author

Alison Sweeney is the host of NBC’s hit reality series “The Biggest Loser,” an award-winning actress who plays Sami Brady on NBC’s hit daytime drama “Days of our Lives,” and author of The Mommy Diet.She also makes time to give back to the community, serving on the Entertainment Council for Feeding America and annually co-hosting the Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon.

Ali lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a California Highway Patrol officer; their son Ben; and daughter Megan.

Alison is taking a break from her webpage right now but you can follow her on:

and

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Would you like to win a copy of this wonderful book?

Thanks to the people at Hyperion
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!

U.S. RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
3 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End MAY 24, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM

Cozy Wednesday with Reagan Summerside (Giveaways too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 65 Responses »

May 082013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

After 2 weeks of tote bag giveaways I am thrilled to welcome Reagan Summerside,
owner of the Prissy Fox, to Escape With Dollycas!

Killer in Crinolines (A Consignment Shop Mystery) hit shelves yesterday and it is another winner.

Hi! Reagan Summerside here to talk weddings. The good, the bad and the deadly…

You know that old saying, always the bridesmaid never the bride, well I’ve been both. The bride part didn’t take proven by the fact that I caught Hollis, my husband and the hound of Savannah, doing the horizontal hula with Cupcake right there in his office. That was some staff meeting, all right.

The last wedding I attended I came to deliver a bow-tie to the groom as he misplaced his. The good part of that wedding was the cake was delicious. The deadly part was that the groom wound up dead in five tiers of icing and fondant, the ugly part was that my BFF, Chantilly, the groom’s ex got accused of the murder.

Round tables decked out in peach-tone wedding linens with white flower arrangements of roses and forget-me-nots dotted the room and Doreen-the-wedding-planner lay crumbled in a heap on the floor.

“Oh dear Lord!” I starting for Doreen but stopped in my tracks because Simon was there too. He was face down in his very own five-tiered wedding cake with a silver cake knife sticking out of his back.

Chantilly shouldn’t have been at the wedding in the first place of course but she and her UPS truck just sort of wound up there.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said to Chantilly as she swiveled round in the driver’s seat of her UPS van. White icing and cake crumbs smeared her lips and a glob of raspberry filling dripped down her chin. A pink butter cream rose stuck to the front of her brown uniform blouse. “Dear God in heaven! You went and ate the wedding cake!”

“One slice,” she mumbled around a mouthful. “Who’s going to miss one little old slice? The freaking thing is five tiers high. It took three Cakery Bakery employees and the owner Delta Longford herself to lug it in. They even made GracieAnn Harlow stand on a ladder to get the bride and groom thing on top.”

Chantilly held up a chunk of mangled pastry. “This here should be my wedding cake, except for the pink roses. This should be my wedding day, my wedding colors of creamy-peach and blue-morning-rain. Simon is my man. We were engaged! How could he marry someone else!” Chantilly wailed, a tear sliding down her cheek and cutting a path across a white icing smear.

Hopefully none of the weddings you’ve attended were like this one with the groom dead as Lincoln right there in his own cake.

What do you think is the best part of a wedding? The cake? The first dance? The saying I Do?

Let me know and I’ll give away two Killer in Crinoline tote bags from the answers.

Hugs, Reagan

About This Author

Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, and conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Iced Chiffon, out October, 2012, is the first book in the Consignment: Murder series. Duffy writes romance as Dianne Castell and is a USA Today bestselling author.

Find out more about Duffy and her books on her webpage here.

Find her on:

Killer in Crinolines
(A Consignment Shop Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (May 7, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Julia Green
Cover Design by Diane Kolsky
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252154
E-Book File Size: 1055 KB
ASIN: B009KUWYQO

It’s August in Savannah, Georgia—hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat—or from a cake knife in the back…

Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.

Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!

With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend—before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit…

Dollycas’s Thoughts
August is hot in Savannah, Georgia and the perfect temperature for MURDER!!! Duffy Brown has topped herself with the sequel to Iced Chiffon.

All of favorite characters are back and will have your sides hurting from laughter. From Aunt Kiki’s Cher quotes like “Men aren’t necessities, they are luxuries” to Chantilly’s misguided reasoning and Reagan’s adventures taking over Chantilly’s parcel deliveries, this book is plum full of Southern charm and humor. Can anyone have worse luck than Reagan? Wherever she goes trouble follows close behind.

Walker Boone is starting grow on me and Bruce Willis has stolen my heart. But Waynetta Waverly, the bride to be, brings the drama to the story. Shouldn’t she be more upset over the death of her groom?

This was such a fun story but be prepared once you start reading you will not be able to stop. I was so caught up in the story I missed supper

Pour yourself a sweet tea or martini, find a comfy chair and sit back and enjoy the mystery, humor and a dash of romance that fill these pages. A perfect escape!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Duffy/Reagan for 5 Bonus Entries and to enter her giveaway!

What do you think is the best part of a wedding? The cake? The first dance? The saying I Do?

Let me know and I’ll give away two Killer in Crinoline tote bags from the answers.

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 22, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM

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Sunday Salon – April Review – Weekly Recap – Mail Call

1st In A Series Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Sunday Salon, Where Are You Reading Challenge 4 Responses »

May 052013

The Sunday Salon used to be a meme but was getting so huge it became unmanageable, so it is now a Facebook group that has become an informal week in review
gathering place for bloggers.
It is also a place to share our thoughts about things of a bookish nature.

So Happy Sunday Everyone!

Moving has put quite a dent in my reading time plus all 3 grandkids are here this weekend. According to GoodReads I am 5 books behind if I want to make the goal I set for this year so I hope to get back on track soon.

April Books Read

Totals 13 Books – 4101 Pages – 2051 KB
Year To Date Total 68 Books – 20360 Pages – 7525 KB

Challenges Completed

I signed up at the Sherlock Holmes Level of 30 books.

1. Political Suicide by Michael Palmer
2. Confessions by JoAnn Ross
3. Cross The Line by Jack Patterson
4. Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason
5. Town in a Pumpkin Bash by B.B. Haywood
6. To Brie or Not To Brie by Avery Aames
7. India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol K. Carr
8. A Rendezvous To Die For by Betty McMahon
9. Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly
10. Knot What It Seams by Elizabeth Craig
11. The Corpse With The Silver Tongue by Cathy Ace
12. Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams
13. Back From The Dead by Peter Leonard
14. Assaulted Pretzel by Laura Bradford
15. Murder at Death’s Door County by Elizabeth Rose
16. Six Years by Harlan Coben
17. Trouble in the Tarot by Kari Lee Townsend
18. A Bullet for Carlos by Giacomo Giammatteo
19. Nickeled and Dimed To Death by Denise Swanson
20. A Luring Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
21. The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott
22. Bowled Over by Victoria Hamilton
23. That Old Flame of Mine by J.J. Cook
24. Raveled by Anne McAneny
25. Safe From Harm by Stephanie Jaye Evans
26. Death Drops by Chrystle Fiedler
27. Scent to Kill by Chrystle Fiedler
28. Going, Going, Ganache by Jenn McKinlay
29. Dead Peasants by Larry D. Thompson
30. Oak and Dagger by Dorothy St. James

Challenge Complete April 10, 2013

1. The Artist’s Inheritance by Juli D. Revezzo
2. Playing With Poison by Cindy Blackburn
3. It Takes Two To Strangle by Stephen Kasminski
4. A Rendezvous To Die For by Betty McMahon
5. Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly
6. The Corpse With The Silver Tongue by Cathy Ace
7. Murder at Death’s Door County by Elizabeth Rose
8. The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott
9. Death Drops by Chrystle Fiedler
10. Take Mr Home by Nancy Herkness

Challenge Complete April 19, 2013

25 States 6 Settings Abroad
Arizona United Kingdom
California Mexico
Connecticut Ireland
District of Columbia France
Florida Columbia
Georgia Galapagos Islands
Illinois
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

You can click here or on the Challenges tab above to see how I am doing on the rest of my challenges.

Monday – It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Tuesday – Just For Fun! – Murder Talks Turkey: A Gertie Johnson Murder Mystery by Deb Baker
Wednesday – I reviewed - End Me a Tenor (A Glee Club Mystery) by Joelle Charbonneau.
Thursday – Book Tour with Review & Giveaway – Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans by JoAnne DeMaio.
Friday - I reviewed - Heard it Through the Grapevine (A Dead Sister Talking Mystery) by Lizbeth Lipperman.
Saturday – Spotlight with Giveaway – The Absent One: A Department Q Novel by Jussi – Adler Olsen.

Happy Reading!!

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Review: Heard It Through The Grapevine by Lizbeth Lipperman

E-Book Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 4 Responses »

May 032013

Heard it Through the Grapevine
(A Dead Sister Talking Mystery)
Brand New Series!
Mystery
Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (May 8, 2013)
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738736020
E-Book File Size: 808 KB
ASIN: B00C5H33M8

Sisters Tessa and Lainey Garcia weren’t on speaking terms. But now that Tessa’s dead, her wisecracking ghost is making up for lost time.

Lainey is a successful television personality and her career is really taking off but she has to put her everything on hold so she can return to Texas for her sister’s funeral. When she gets there she comes face to face with her dead sister and I don’t mean the one in the casket. Tessa’s ghost is on the scene and the only one that can see and hear her is Lainey. Then comes the news that Tessa was murdered and her ghost begs Lainey and her other sisters to find her killer. Tessa and her ex-husband ran a winery together, Lainey decides to start her search there…

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a mystery solved by a woman sleuth but I wouldn’t call it a cozy. Think of a mystery wrapped up in a soap opera with adult language and themes. I LOVED IT!!!!!

Tessa and Lainey may have been estranged for years but they interact as only sisters can. Tessa is a absolutely hilarious! She can crack wise all day long but the only one that can hear her is Lainey (and the reader of course). She had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.

The relationships between all the sisters living and dead are so realistic. These sisters get on each others nerves at times, they fight and make up, disagree and pair off and gang up on each other. They keep each other’s secrets and blurt them out at the worse times. They are not perfect and have made mistakes, some serious mistakes, but the sisters stand up and support one and other. They also team up to find their sister’s killer. Tessa was no saint so there are plenty of people who may want her dead so catching the culprit is not an easy task.

There is also romance and soul searching in this story. Lainey needs to make some decisions. Traveling back to Texas makes her realize how much she has missed her sisters and others she left behind.

Lipperman has quickly become one of my favorite authors as she writes mysteries like this, cozies like Murder for the Halibut (A Clueless Cook Mystery) and thrilling suspense like Shattered. Her unique style shines through every one.

If you like your cozies with more of an edge you will love this book just like I did.

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*Story has explicit language and content.

Find out more about this author at her webpage here. Follow her on

Review: Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans By Joanne DeMaio (Giveaway too!)

Giveaways, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, Where Are You Reading Challenge 7 Responses »

May 022013

Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 1, 2013)
Trade Paperback: 330 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1479262779
E-Book File Size: 510 KB
ASIN: B00BORGOVC

Escape to Stony Point, cuff your jeans and walk along the water’s edge in this nostalgic story bringing old friends, and their lives, back to the sea …

Designer Maris Carrington has returned to Stony Point to get her family home ready for sale after he father passes away. A home movie tucked inside a dusty attic box leads to an unexpected summer as she discovers a family secret.

She reconnects with old friends and finds inspiration for her new denim clothing line. Her friends lives are all in a state of flux and one has passed away. As memories are shared and remembered Maris starts to wonder about her life in Chicago. What is really holding there? Is she leading a life that makes her happy?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was the perfect story for me to read while we were going through the stress of moving. When things were getting too tough or tempers were flaring I could tune out and “escape” into the pages of Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans. I absolutely loved Whole Latte Life so was excited when I was asked to review this one. I still can’t believe this is only this author’s second book. She as woven together the lives of the characters with the hand of a master.

I think every reader will find they can identify will at least one of the characters. Eva, Matt, Kyle, Lauren, Jason and Maris are full, rich characters that all bring their own special qualities to this story of friendship, the choices made, love and regrets. Together they lean on each other and help each other heal, move forward and rebuild their lives. ?

All the characters are extraordinary but Jason really touched my heart, maybe because we both have leg issues Truthfully he has been carrying a huge weight on his shoulders and seeing him start to deal with his misplaced guilt was empowering.

The beach setting was a character in itself as so many answers were found just looking at the water and walking along the shoreline. I could smell the salt water and hear the surf and even find solace myself.

This is a very moving story that takes you on an emotional roller coaster but is comfortable like your favorite pair of blue jeans. I was sad to reach the last page. I highly recommend this captivating story that will stick with you long after you close the book.

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About This Author

Joanne DeMaio is the award-winning author of Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans and the bestselling novel Whole Latte Life, which won First Place in the 2012 Discovery Awards and was named a Kirkus Reviews Critics’ Pick. It has also been featured in USA Today, The Huffington Post and other outlets. Blue Jeans and Coffee Beansis her second novel. Both books explore the intricate relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends. In addition, her music essays have appeared in literary journals, celebrating her passion for song. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next book.

Find out more at her webpage here.

Connect with her on:

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