Finish The Series Challenge » Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

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 40 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

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.”

Cozy Wednesday with Author Mary Daheim (Fantastic Giveaway too!)

A - Z Cozy Mystery Challenge, Cozy Wednesday, Cruisin Thru Cozies Reading Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Giveaways, Guest Posts, It's Monday! What Are You Reading?, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 43 Responses »

Jan 302013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I know I have been gushing for weeks and the day is finally here. Mary Daheim author of the Alpine Mystery Series and the Bed and Breakfast Mysteries is my guest today. Her stories were some of the first mysteries I read after my accident, before I even knew what a cozy mystery was. I have always been a fan of mysteries and thrillers and a friend thought I would enjoy the calmer tone of a cozy as I recovered. She came to my room with a stack of Mary’s books. One of the first books I held after my left hand started working again was The Alpine Advocate and I was hooked. If you would have told me then I would be able to converse with famous authors on a daily basis like I can today I would have told you that you were crazy! Loving technology!!

Welcome Mary!!

Hi Everyone!!

Mary with her granddaughter Maisy

CHARACTERS:

OUT OF CONTROL & NAMING NAMES

Why do characters in books do what they do?

They do as they please. Most writers insist that once characters are created, they take on a life of their own. I’ll vouch for that. Nowhere is it more evident than in my Emma Lord/Alpine series. What makes it even harder to deal with my often perverse protagonist is that I gave her a first person narrative. We see everything that happens through Emma’s eyes and her vision is often impaired, especially when it comes to love.

When I’m writing a book in that series, Emma and everybody else must act in a way that’s true to character. That’s not to say that these people don’t change over time—they do, Emma included. But over the years, she’s often driven me nuts. There’s nothing I can do about it, no more than I can in real life when someone is pigheadedly making a big mistake. I keep my mouth shut in the real world and in fiction I refrain from interfering via the keyboard.

It’s somewhat different with the B&B series. Having based the protagonist and her sidekick on my cousin Judy and me, I know how these two will react. I should clear up one misconception about Judith: She is not me. I’m the not-quite-as-kind Renie. I was named for my grandmothers, Mary and Serena. But Serena was always known as Rene (one syllable, rhymes with mean). Thus, my parents named me Mary Rene. Within the family, I’ve always been called Renie (rhymes with meanie). In more formal situations I was Mary Rene.

When I started grade school, I had a problem being Mary Rene Richardson. We were required to print our full names on one line at the top of the page. I’ve always had big handwriting (or printing, back then). I couldn’t get all those letters on one line. So I dropped the Rene. It’s a good thing I had practical and understanding parents. To this day, I still think of myself as Mary Rene, though most people call me Mary.

Which brings me back to Emma. By coincidence, I have an earlier Civil War historical romance I wrote in 1985 called Pride’s Captive that’s being re-released February first with a new title, Reunion. The heroine is named Serena and her goal is to become a journalist. I really can’t remember if I thought much about that coincidence when I chose a name for my Alpine protagonist. I’ve always liked my paternal grandmother’s names of Emma Serena, so I decided to go with the other half of her name. In 1991 when I started the Alpine series I didn’t know many Emmas in real life. Now it’s one of the most popular names for baby girls. I take no credit for this, of course, but it does make me smile. The name means “universal or all-containing.” Maybe that suits a journalist–but that isn’t why I chose it.

As for the B&Bs, Judith and Renie aren’t exact duplicates of their real-life counterparts. I wouldn’t want Judy suing me and I’m not sure how I could go about suing myself. In fact, many of the characters in the B&B books are based on family members, though some are composites. So far, none of them have threatened to sue me. Yet.

And yes—Gertrude and Aunt Deb are based on Judy’s mother and my mother. Though they were sisters in real life, they’re sisters-in-law in the books. I’m often asked if the real Gertrude is or was as ornery as she appears in the books. My answer is–not quite. My Aunt Kate had a sharp tongue and was very opinionated. She also had a wonderful sense of humor and a good heart.

Aunt Deb displays my mother’s martyr complex, if somewhat exaggerated. But Mom was very protective and demanded a lot of attention from her only child—just as Aunt Kate did with Judy. Mom was very smart and loved to laugh. She and my aunt would get into arguments over the phone, with Aunt Kate usually hanging up on Mom, who would then announce that her sister was an idiot. Judy tells me Aunt Kate would say the same thing about my mother.

For some reason, I’m thinking back to the night Aunt Kate died (well into her 90s) and of a comeback from Judy that will never make it into a book: Her mother had been hospitalized for a fairly minor problem. Around 8:30 one evening, Judy called to tell me her mother had died. Could my husband Dave and I meet her at the hospital? Of course we could. We arrived a few minutes ahead of Judy and we were talking to the nurse. The first question from Judy (a nurse in real life) was why her mother had died so suddenly. The nurse told Judy they Hi Everyone!! know what to put down as cause of death.

Judy looked at the nurse with a straight face and said, “I think we can rule out foul play.”

Sometimes life imitates art. Or is it the other way around?

~Mary

To Find Out More About Mary Visit Her Website Here.

Amazon.com Widgets

The Alpine Xanadu:
An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Mysteries)
24th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Ballantine Books (January 29, 2013)
An Imprint of The Random House Publishing Group
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0345535313
E-Book File Size: 1085 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345535316
ASIN: B008TSC10C

Things are crazy in Alpine! RestHaven, a new rehab and mental health facility is finally opening and the Advocate staff in on deadline to get the feature out that will introduce it to the community. The town is buzzing about the news that Emma and Sheriff Milo Dodge are engaged. Then that fool Wayne Eriks has climbed an electric pole in the middle of a storm and got himself electrocuted. Or did he? Something is not adding up for the sheriff. Add to that allegations that someone’s trying to kill the richest man in town . . . or whispers of a rash of indecent behavior at the local high school… and Vida Runkel, the Advocate’s stalwart House & Home editor, disappears into thin air. Milo and Emma have no time to even think about a wedding. They have too many mysteries to solve. Their happiness will just have to wait.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Every visit to Alpine is entertaining and fun! This edition is jam packed with action and keeps the reader on their toes. Twists and turns galore. It is hard not to get caught up in the tangled web of these characters lives.

I don’t know if my husband could away with some of the comments the sheriff makes to Emma but for Milo they just fit. Emma and Milo have grown into that comfy couple. They respect each other but at times one of them wants to strangle the other. When you talk about characters evolving over the life of a series Emma and Milo are excellent examples.

Now Vida is the one I want to strangle. She needs to take off one of those huge hats and hit her grandson Roger with it! That kid needs to grow up and get on with his life and she needs to stop coddling him. She is an absolute treasure to Alpine. Who else who keep all these friends, foes and relatives straight? but she is not helping that boy a bit.

My heart aches for Mitch and Brenda and their family. Dealing with a son in prison has to be tough especially when he keeps escaping.

Emma’s family takes a smaller role in this installment but Milo’s ex-wife and daughter are right on the scene. After 24 stories there are several characters the make minor appearances in these stories but Daheim does her best to keep us in the loop with as many families as possible. Each book is like a mini vacation to Alpine, Washington.

Mary Daheim writes intelligent and complex mysteries full of humor, intrigue and a bit of romance. In a previous review I called her a beacon on the cozy mystery horizon. She has created two longing running series and keeps them engaging and fresh. I look forward to each and every one.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Mary has sponsored a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY!!!!

6! YES 6! HARDCOVERS BOOKS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO ME TO SHARE WITH YOU!!!
You can enter to win as many as you like.
There Will Be 6 Winners!!!

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 Mary for 5 Bonus Entries !

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

Contest Will End February 13, 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

The Alpine Uproar – The Alpine Vengeance – The Alpine Winter by Mary Daheim

Cruisin Thru Cozies Reading Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 1 Response »

Jan 222013

I absolutely love reading, reviewing and blogging but there is one problem. You just can’t read every book you want to. I would say my reading speed is average and I am striving to increase my speed because there are so many books and so little time. I have been hooked on several series for years like The Alpine Series by Mary Daheim. At the end of last year I put a post on Facebook for authors to visit in the new year for Cozy Wednesdays. One of the first authors to reply was Mary Daheim. I was so excited I tripped all over myself setting up her visit for January 30. I still have a hard time with how accessible authors are because of the internet. If you are a bookaholic like me you understand what I mean. It’s meeting famous people! Seriously talented famous people!!!

The great thing about her visit was that I had to prepare. The last 3 books in The Alpine Series were screaming at me from my To-Be-Read Shelf. I had to read those before I could read the review copy of the 24th book in this wonderful series, The Alpine Zanadu! I was able to reconnect with Emma Lord, Editor of The Alpine Advocate – Sheriff Milo Dodge – House & Home Editor and radio personality Vida Runkel - and all the other residents of the beautiful town in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. This series has been around since 1992 and is still going strong! Let me tell you a bit about these latest titles:

alpine uproar

The Alpine Uproar:
An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Mysteries)
21st in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 23, 2009)
Hardcover: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 0345502558
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0345502568
E-Book File Size: 1968 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345502558

Emma and Sheriff Dodge have their hands full with a fatal barroom brawl, a heartbreaking highway accident that leaves 2 people dead and a young local on life support and holy smokes is Milo getting back together with “Mulehide”???

*********

apline vengeance

The Alpine Vengeance:
An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Mysteries)
22nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 29, 2011)
Hardcover: 336 pages ISBN-13: 978-0345502575
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0345502582 E-Book File Size: 1951 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345502582

Thanksgiving comes to Alpine and Emma is all by herself. Her son is stuck at his parish in Alaska and her brother is filling in for another priest and even Milo was with his ex-wife and daughter after a really rough time for the whole family. Frankly the last person Emma wanted to talk to was Milo the Monday after the holiday but he has received some alarming unsigned letters. The letters said the wrong person went to prison for murder 10 years ago. Neither Emma nor Milo recognizes the repentant killer’s name. Even Vida who knows everything about everyone is stumped. A 4th letter arrives threatening that unless swift action is taken to right this wrong there will be another death. Never a dull moment in Alpine!

***********

the alpine winter hardcover

The Alpine Winter:
An Emma Lord Mystery
23rd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 29, 2011)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0345502599
E-Book File Size: 1938 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0345502590
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages (January 29, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-0345502605

Christmas in Alpine. The priests are coming home for the holiday and Emma is so nervous. How will they react to her relationship with Milo? But that’s not all that’s happening in Alpine. Emma’s star reporter goes AWOL after learning his son has escaped from prison. Some bones turn up and Roy Everson is positive they belong to his mother who has been missing for 16 years. But the most disturbing is the body found in the cave on Mount Sawyer.

************

Dollycas’s Thoughts
There are so many reasons why I love this series.

The characters and their dialogue rings real and true. Emma is a klutz and sometimes an accident looking for a place to happen. Emma and Milo bicker, yes bicker, just like my parents did. They can be calling each other names and acting childish one minute and hugging the next. There is so much love between them and it is finally starting to shine. She is always in his business and he is always in hers.

Every small town has at least one Vida Runkel. She is the resident related to almost everyone in Alpine or is friends that someone that is. All gossip makes a pit stop at her desk.

The reception desk at the paper has been manned by a couple different women as Ginny has taken time out for the birth of another child. Ed Bronsky still drops in or falls in occasionally but Leo has the paper’s advertising under control. Kip has the website and the paper’s production well in hand.

I love stopping by The Advocate for a cup of coffee and a danish and a visit with these wonderful fictional friends.

The other recurring characters are just as well crafted.

Each book has a main plot and at least 1 other subplot, sometimes more, and the mysteries extend from one book right into another. These 3 books were written to take place right in succession, at the end of 2004, so I was thrilled to read them one right after the other. Each story also has that “hang on to your seats” moments when you just can’t turn the pages fast enough.

Daheim is a beacon on the cozy mystery horizon. She has written this long running series with a middle aged protagonist who is fun and charming and witty and allowed her to fall for the cantankerous Sheriff after a life full of strife. Mystery, humor, romance, and intrigue. Knowing that the letter Z in just 3 books away makes me especially sad. I will not be ready to leave Alpine behind, but until then The Alpine Xanadu hits shelves on January 29 and Mary will be here for Cozy Wednesday on the 30th. Oh and don’t forget about her Bed & Breakfast Series!!

a perfect escape
5 STARFISH

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

These books were from my private collection.

Dec 302012

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!

I can’t believe how quickly 2012 flew by. The biggest events for me happened in April and December when my new grandchildren were born. I known their parents won’t agree but the months went pretty fast. I am looking forward to spending as much time with them and 5 year old Kaden and the rest of my family as I can in 2013. I am also excited about 2013 in my blog world. I think it is going to be an awesome year for books and sharing my thoughts with all of you. What are you looking forward to in 2013??

Weekly Recap December 24 – 29

Monday – It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Tuesday – Just For Fun 2012 Challenge Wrap Up
Wednesday – Cozy Wednesday Special Cozy Giveaway
Thursday – Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Spotlight With Giveaway Me Before You: A Novel hits stores tomorrow and I highly recommend it. It is a powerful story that hit me on a personal level but I feel everyone will be touched by this story and it would be an excellent book club selection for the discussions it will start.
Friday – My Best Reads of 2012 This was a hard list to put together because I read so many wonderful books this year.
Saturday – Saturday Surfin’ – Recipes – Romance Challenge and Favorite Reads.

December Wrap Up

Reading Challenge 2012

I finished 2012 reading 222 books. So I completed this challenge and the Outdo Yourself Challenge with some to spare even with going 48 hours this week without reading a word.

I have not seen anyone running a Total Number of Books Reading Challenge for 2013. Please let me know if you know of one.

December Totals
16 Books – 4808 Pages – 2460 KB
2012 Totals – 222 Books – 65744 Pages – 28682 KB

More 2012 Challenges Completed

17 / 19 Challenges. 89% done!

197 / 197 books. 100% done!

20 / 20 books. 100% done!

8 / 12 free e-books. 67% done!

Fell Short on this one

25 / 25 e-books. 100% done!

51 / 51 States. 100% done!

18 / 18 Outside the U.S.A. 100% done!

12 / 12 cozies. 100% done!

13 / 13 cozies. 100% done!

6 / 6 cozies. 100% done!

6 / 6 books. 100% done!

2 / 2 series. 100% done!

26 / 26 books. 100% done!

5 / 5 books. 100% done!

12 / 12 books. 100% done!

6 / 6 books. 100% done!

8 / 8 books. 100% done!

24 / 24 books. 100% done!

12 / 10 books. 120% done!

0 / 3 books. 0% done!
This was a personal challenge to read 3 books from the year I was born.
I failed miserably. I am not going to try in 2013.

So I was successful at all but 2 challenges. Not a bad year.

mail call314

Due to the New Years Holiday January Cozies have a release date of 12/31/2012.
I was getting worried because the review copies had not arrived yet last week.
They finally arrived Thursday.

These books also arrived for review:

and

Mary Daheim will be here January 30 for Cozy Wednesday!

This was a huge post!

Looking forward to an awesome 2013 full of great reads!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Saturday Surfin’ – Week 10 – Cozy Christmas Countdown Giveaway – More 2013 Challenges

Cruisin Thru Cozies Reading Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Saturday Surfin', What An Animal Reading Challenge, Where Are You Reading Challenge 5 Responses »

Dec 012012

One of the things I have been trying to improve on is visiting more blogs each week.

Doing this has led me to some very interesting blog posts so I am going to use
Saturday Surfin” to bring some of these posts to your attention.

HAVE A COZY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN!

Join Killer Characters at the Have a Cozy Christmas Countdown!

In celebration of the holidays, KillerCharacters.com is giving away a book a day. From November 26 to December 25, visit their site and leave a comment, and you’ll be entered for that day’s giveaway. Return the next day to see if you won. You have thirty chances to win! Be sure to come back each day and leave a new comment to enter the drawing for that day. Good luck. From all the Killer Characters and their authors, Have a very Cozy Christmas!

Head over there every day to enter the giveaways!!

2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge Sign Up!!!

Sheila at Book Journey is hosting this challenge for the 3rd year.

What is the point of this challenge?
It is to try to read in each of the 50 States
between January 1 2013 – December 31, 2013.

Today I am just 1 book away from completing the challenge for 2012.
It was much easier than I thought it would be.
I only had to search out books for a few states.
My regular reading took care of most of them
plus I visited 18 places outside the U.S. too!
CLICK HERE for all the details!

*****

This is also the third year for this challenge.
To find out exactly what a cozy mystery is, check out Cozy-Mystery.com. This site is dedicated to cozy mysteries and does a great job of defining them as well as giving a list of cozy mysteries. This challenge is NOT restricted to what is on their list, it’s just to be used as a guideline in case you need some hints on what to read.

So, here are the rules…

1. Choose the level you wish to participate:
Level 1 – Snoop – Read at least 6 books
Level 2 – Investigator – Read 7-12 books
Level 3 – Super Sleuth – Read 13 or more books

2. The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 and ends December 31, 2013.

3. You don’t have to choose your books in advance. If you do, you can change your list at any time during the year. Books can overlap with other challenges.

4. Books can be in any format – paper, audio, ebooks…it all counts!

5. You don’t have to post a review, but I’m sure others would love to know about the books you are reading and may even want to add it to their reading lists.

NOTE: If you don’t have a blog and want to participate, that’s fine. You don’t have to have a blog, just post in the comments section as you finish books. If you belong to a site like Goodreads and review the books there, that’s fine too. Just leave us the link.

6. Take the button above, put it on your blog and post about the challenge. Then add your name to Mr. Linky at Yvonne’s blog. Please use the link of your challenge post, not the link to your home page.

7. She’s going to have one link for signing up, one link for completed reviews and one link for your wrap up posts.

I am signing up at the Super Sleuth level of 13 or more books!!!

CLICK HERE to join this challenge!

*****

Yvonne at Socrates Book Review Blog is hosting this one too!

Here are the rules guidelines.

1) All books that are part of a continuing series qualify (i.e. Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, James Patterson’s Alex Cross, etc. etc.)

2) It doesn’t matter if you have 1 or 10 books in a series to complete it, it qualifies (i.e. if you only need to read one more Sookie Stackhouse book to complete the goal, that’s fine) The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.

3) The qualification period is January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Books must be read during this time frame to count.

4) Take the button above and post about it. Use the Mr. Linky to sign up and make sure you link it directly to your post about this challenge. (Note: She’s not going to be using the Finishing the Series Blog she created last year. She’s going to keep everything right on her blog.)

5) If you don’t have a blog, that’s fine. Just leave a comment to sign up and tell us what you are reading.

IF YOU WANT TO LINK UP YOUR REVIEWS OR, FOR THOSE WITHOUT A BLOG, LEAVE A COMMENT ON YVONNE’S BLOG

6) Any format of book counts – audio, ebook, etc.

7) You should choose the series you want to finish before the challenge begins, but it isn’t necessary. It’s fine to change series during the year – as long as you complete whichever series it is.

8) Choose a level….

Level 1 – Complete 1 series.
Level 2 – Complete 2 series.
Level 3 – Complete 3 or more series.

I have several series I want to catch up on so I am signing up for Level 3.

Right now the ones I hope to catch up are Janet Evanovich Plum Series, J.B. Stanley’s Supper Club Series and one other series after I tidy up my To-Be-Read stacks.

*****

One more from Yvonne!

What An Animal Reading Challenge VI will begin on January 1st.

The rules are really simple…

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:

a. there is an animal in the title of the book
b. there is an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal plays a major role in the book
d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you’d like).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)–
dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark…dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf…you get the idea…

3. Challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
That’s a full year to read at least 6 books (you can read more if you’d like).

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.

5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or you can just list them as you find them.

6. Book titles may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).

7. Crossovers with other challenges are permitted and encouraged.

8. You don’t have to have a blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.  If you don’t have a blog, just post in the comment section that you’d like to join. You can post your books in there.

9. Books can be in any format of your choice (print, audio, ebooks)

CLICK HERE to head over to Yvonne’s blog to sign up!! I sure am!

*****

If you like Reading Challenges as much as I do, you have to subscribe or follow this blog!

There is a team of bloggers at work there to keep us up to date on all the latest challenges. I will post the ones here that I am participating in but there will be tons of challenges out there for 2013 and some start at different times of the year. I subscribe to the blog via email so news of new challenges land right in my Inbox.

That’s it for week 10 of Saturday Surfin’. If you see some posts you feel should be shared please leave the links in the comments section for people to visit. The weeks are too short to travel to all the wonderful blogs in the blogosphere but together we can help find and direct each other to at least a few.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Sunday Salon – May 2012 – The Finale

1st In A Series Challenge, Cruisin Thru Cozies Reading Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Sunday Salon, What An Animal Reading Challenge 5 Responses »

Jun 032012

So Happy Sunday Everyone!

Books I Read In May

20 Books – 5688 pages – 2878 KB
Totals Though May 95 Books – 25087 Pages – 8275 KB

Challenges Completed During May

I joined at the CD Disk Level – 10 ebooks!

1. Almost Perfect – Patricia Rice
2. Mortal Deception by Liz Roth
3. The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
4. Last Chance Beauty Queen by Hope Ramsay
5. Doxology by Brian Holers
6. Executive Sick Days by Maria E. Schneider
7. The Half Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter
8. Died on the Vine by Joyce Harmon
9. Skewered Halo by Brenda Youngerman
10. Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne

CHALLENGE COMPLETED 5-24-2012

Going to see if I make to the next level in this challenge which is 25 e-books. This is my first year with my Kindle and I had no idea how many books I would use it for and it is turning out to be many more than I thought.
11. Little Night by Luanne Rice
12. The Ninth Step by Barbara Taylor Sissel

I was signed up at the Super Sleuth Level 13 or more books!!

1. An Appetite For Murder – Lucy Burdette
2. Shear Murder by Nancy J. Cohen
3. File M for Murder by Miranda James
4. Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames
5. The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett
6. Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
7. The Probability of Murder by Ada Madison
8. Dread On A Arrival by Claudia Bishop
9. Ocean Waves by Terri Thayer
10. The Long Stitch Good Night by Amanda Lee
11. Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly
12. Monkey Wrench by Terri Thayer
13. Final Sail by Elaine Viets

CHALLENGE COMPLETED 5-11-2012

Series Lover Level Read the 1st book in 6 new Series!

1. Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington
2. Amber Eyes by Jolyn Palliatia
3. Blue Monday by Nicci French
4. A Killer Read by Ericka Chase
5. A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
6. A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton

CHALLENGE COMPLETED 5-16-2012

Signed up to finish 2 series’.

1. The Elm Creek Quilter’s Series by Jennifer Chiaverini
Read: The Aloha Quilt, The Union Quilters, The Wedding Quilt and Sonoma Rose

2. The Quilting Mystery Series by Terri Thayer
Read: Wild Goose Chase, Old Maid’s Puzzle, Ocean Waves and Monkey Wrench

Challenge Complete May 9, 2012
Going to try to still complete more series yet this year.

March 1, 2012 – February 28, 2013 (6 books)

1. Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
2. Dread on Arrival by Claudia Bishop
3. The Cat, The Wife and The Weapon by Leann Sweeney
4. Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly
5. A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton
6. The Big Kitty by Claire Donally

Challenge Complete May 18, 2012

There were several giveaways and a month long “Get Caught Reading” Contest.

Looking ahead for June

Armchair BEA starts tomorrow. There will be special posts through Friday. Giveaway Day is Tuesday!

Laura Bradford will be here for Cozy Wednesday this week to tell us about her new Amish Mystery Series. Hearse and Buggy comes out this Tuesday.

Tara McTiernan author of Barefoot Girls will be Guest Posting here Tuesday, June 12.

Alyse Carlson will be here for Cozy Wednesday on June 13 for her new book/series. The Azalea Assault (A Garden Society Mystery) also comes out this Tuesday.

Julie Hyzy is stopping by Cozy Wednesday on June 20. Grace Among Thieves (A Manor House Mystery), release date is this Tuesday, June 5th.

The All He Saw Was The Girl Virtual Book Tour stops by here on June 21.

Kari Lee Townsend will finish out a month of Cozy Wednesday on June 27. Corpse in the Crystal Ball (A Fortune Teller Mystery) is also out this Tuesday.

The month will be filled with reviews and Giveaway Blog Hops too!!

HAPPY READING!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Cozy Wednesday with Terri Thayer (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Cruisin Thru Cozies Reading Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Giveaways, Guest Posts 54 Responses »

May 092012

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

I am chair dancing today because if you are a follower of my blog you know I have been loving the Quilting Mysteries by Terri Thayer. The latest installment Monkey Wrenchwas released just yesterday. I was so happy to get a review copy! I was even happier when Terri said “yes” to guest posting here today. So pull up a chair and help yourself to some virtual lemonade and help me welcome Terri to Escape With Dollycas.

Welcome Terri! We are so glad you are here!

Hi Everyone!

Thank you Lori for inviting me.

“Get a gang.” That’s one of my favorite quotes on how to be happy from one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut.

I was reminded of how true that is while visiting Colorado. I have been here for a month at my mother’s place while she recovers from a broken hip. To get out of the house one day, I attended a meeting of the Quaking Aspen Quilt Guild as a visitor. Immediately, I felt right at home. Here was a gang of people just like me. Who loved the challenge of turning an idea, fabric and thread into a beautiful object. Who liked to talk sewing machines. Who thought spending hours and hours on a quilt project was normal. More than normal, necessary.

At home, I have plenty of gangs. My writing critique group. My book club. My out-to-lunch friends. My quilting buddies. My walking friends. Gangs keep my goals on track, inspire me with their writing or quilting, make me laugh. Laughing cures everything.

During my time here in Boulder, I’ve found more “gangs.” At the YMCA. At the Boulder Bookstore. At the Shambala Meditation Center. Connecting with others

Dewey Pellicano, my protagonist in the Quilting Mystery series, found her gang on the most unlikely place, at Quilter Paradiso, the quilt shop she inherited from her mother. She was nearly thirty and had never quilted. That was her mother’s gig, not hers. To her surprise, she loved the quilters she met. Pearl and Ina gave her the mothering she was missing. Vangie and Ursula help her out with the business end. Her regular customers inspire and entertain her. And make her laugh.

Gangs can spring up in the most unlikely places. The Internet is a wonderful place to connect with like-minded folks. Sites like Dollycas’ provide us a place to mingle with others who love mysteries. In our outdoor life, the library, the coffee shop, the gym, even the produce aisle of the grocery store can help us link up with people we admire and want to spend time with.

So follow Kurt’s—and mine—advice and get a gang.

Tell me about the gangs you already belong to.
Leave a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing
to win my new book, Monkey Wrench.

Thank you so much Terri!!!! I hope you will visit often! It would be wonderful to have you as part of my gang!!

About This Author
Terri Thayer is the author of seven mystery novels, including the latest Quilting Mystery, Monkey Wrench. She also wrote the Stamping Sisters Mysteries for Berkley/Penguin.
You can find her at the web on Facebook (Terri Thayer, author) or Twitter @territhayer.
Listen to an April 25th interview at Creative Mojo with Mark Lipiniski at http://www.toginet.com/shows/creativemojo.
Visit her website, http://www.territhayer.com to find out more about her unique serial Block of the Month, Tales of the Quilt Shop and Sugarplums.

Now for my review:

Monkey Wrench (A Quilting Mystery)
4th in Series
Midnight Ink
Published by Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Cover Illustration by Cheryl Chalmers – The July Group
Cover Design by Lisa Novak

It’s time for the annual Quilter’s Crawl and this year Quilters Paradiso (QP) is back on the map as part of the crawl. Over the weekend quilters will travel to 12 different quilt shops in the area for special bargains and prizes. Vangie from QP has even set up a Twitter promotion to help boost sales.

Getting everything set up and organized has been quite hectic as Vangie has college classes to work around and a new boyfriend. The store’s long time teacher Pearl is starting to fail a bit so she is not as much help as Dewey was hoping she would be. Dewey will work day and night with her few available employees to make sure everything is just right.

While picking up more maps for the Crawl Dewey learns of a program at the college that places young men with elderly women call “Grand Son”. They help around the house, run errands, help with medications. She thinks this maybe just the thing to help Pearl get back to where she was and teaching classes again.

Just days before the Crawl a riot breaks out on campus as law enforcement tries to crack down on the drug problem at the collage and Vangie’s new boyfriends dies from an overdose.

As if that’s not enough, one of the Twitter promotions sets off a stampede and a customer is killed.

These events have all put a huge Monkey Wrench into Dewey’s weekend plans. Now she has to untangle the clues and piece them back together to save her store and herself and her friends.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Terri packs her pages with drama, humor, a little romance and some wild characters. We were introduced to quite a group in this edition. All the shop owners for all the Quilter’s Crawl stores, one leader very set in her ways, a few of her followers stuck in the past and not open to new ideas and a few that have wanted to evolve but not had enough courage to buck the leader. Add Dewey to the mix and watch the sparks fly. Things don’t go exactly as planned but the group pushes forward together. They become quite a gang. I hope next year’s Quilter’s Crawl is a big success hopefully without the dead bodies. With the crew you just never know.

I love that Freddy has a shop near QP and was integral in the story. I even enjoyed Kym in a small dose as she steps in to help at the shop. Anyone that has ever remodeled anything will enjoy Dewey putting her brother through the paces to get a bathroom ready and operational before the big event.

The characters in these stories have become old friends, some I like more that others but they are all entertaining. The happenings at Quilters Paridiso are sometimes a long way from Paradise but I have enjoyed every single visit more than the last. I am looking forward to my next trip to California already.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Terri is giving away a copy of Monkey Wrench (A Quilting Mystery) in a very easy giveaway!
Answer her question above in the comment section and one comment will win!
Giveaway Will End May 23rd at 11:59 p.m. CST

Sonoma Rose by Jennifer Chiaverini

Finish The Series Challenge, Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge, Wisconsin Author 5 Responses »

Feb 212012

Sonoma Rose (Elm Creek Quilts)
Dutton
Published by The Penguin Group
An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
18th in the Series
Available Today!

What a Beautiful Cover!

In previous editions we were reminded that some of Sylvia Berstrom’s relatives had migrated to California. Sonoma Rose starts with a little of that history, picking up where The Quilter’s Homecoming, that was published in 2007 left off.

We meet Elizabeth Bergstrom Nelson’s friend, Rosa Diaz as the country is coping with all the restrictions of Prohibition. Mother to eight children, Rosa mourns the loss of four who succumbed to the mysterious wasting disease currently afflicting young Ana and Miguel. Her abusive husband refuses to take them into the city so the children can see a doctor. His mind is clearly on other things, like his fancy car and keeping secrets about his business dealings from his wife. When an act of violence shatters Rosa’s resolve to maintain her increasingly dangerous existence, she flees with the children and her precious heirloom quilts to the mesa where she last saw her beloved mother alive.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is the Jennifer Chiaverini I love to read. I think she lost her way a little bit wrapping up the current characters in The Wedding Quilt.This story shines a brilliant light on her masterful storytelling talent.

This is Rosa’s story. She is yet another strong female heroine created by Chiaverini that has you engaged from the moment we step back into her life. You will feel a wide range of emotions during her story, anger, fear, hope and joy. The bonds of friendship are as strong as all the other books in this series. The power of love from a mother’s love for her children to the enduring love between a man and a woman are woven wondrously through these pages. This story was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t put it down.

Jennifer Chiaverini has created some very memorable fiction characters and has allowed us to go along with them on the journeys not only in current time but into the past and into the future. I am really wondering what is next in this series. I have loved all of these characters and will miss them if this is where the journey ends. I sincerely hope she has some more Elm Creek Quilts stories in that big sewing basket of hers.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

A - Z Reading Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Reviews 2012 1 Response »

Jan 312012

The Wedding Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
Published by Dutton
An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
18th in Series

It’s September 2028 and Sarah’s daughter is getting married. Chiavernini takes us back in time as Sarah’s thoughts are filled with brides of Elm Creek Manor past and present-the traditions they honored, the legacies they bequeathed, and the wedding quilts that contain their stories in every stitch.

Sarah is also working on the perfect Wedding Quilt for her daughter complete with loving messages from all the guests of the wedding.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
As you know by now this is one of my favorite series. I love it when the author takes us back in time for the history of Elm Creek Valley and the when she writes of the wonderful Elm Creek Quilters. The Wedding Quilt has left me very sad and conflicted.

I know this is not the last Elm Creek Novel because I have an advance copy of Sonoma Rose right here on my desk, but while it is billed as an Elm Creek Quilts Novel, from a glance it doesn’t look like it features any of our favorites or connects to their history.

All of the current ladies’ history was wrapped up in The Wedding Quilt. The author put together snippets from past books and added a few pages to tie up all the loose ends. I feel like I have lost my fictional friends.

While Jennifer Chiaverini is an awesome writer and writes wonderful stories featuring very strong women, the was clearly not her best work. I feel there could have been several more books written with these characters. When I received this book I thought The Wedding Quilt would be about Anna and Jeremy’s wedding who came together at the end of A Quilter’s Holiday. I was shocked to find the wedding for one of the twins just born in real time. There is no way to go back.

I know sometimes the author’s work doesn’t necessarily go in the direct they would like, publishers and others have a great deal of input. I wish she would have just taken a break from the characters her readers had come to love and let us know she was headed in a different direction either with the series or an entirely new project. I have read several other reviews since finishing of people who also were shocked or disappointed in this installment. When you read a series through 18 books you become attached to the characters and the way it wrapped up just feels wrong.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. 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.”

The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

A - Z Reading Challenge, Finish The Series Challenge, Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge Comments Off

Jan 242012

The Union Quilters: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
Plume
Published by The Penguin Group

An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
17th in the series
Paperback Edition Available February 7, 2012

In 1862 Water’s Ford, Pennsylvania is a busy place. Most of the men are off to war to fight for the Union. The woman are rallying to support the cause. They are holding fundraisers, sending bandages, food and supplies. They are using their needles to make quilts to send to hospitals. The also create a very special quilt that will reach out well beyond Water’s Ford.

Gerda Bergstrom takes on Southern sympathizers in the pages of the local newspaper. Anneke Bergstrom deals with her husband pacifist beliefs and does her best to hide her shame. Constance Wright supports her husband as he tries to enter the war effort despite the color of his skin.

The quilters anxiously await letters from their husbands, sons, and brothers which they share with each other at their circle meetings. The community is drawn together as they hope and pray the war will end soon and their men will return home soon. The woman are gaining a new independence that will “alter the patchwork of life in the Elm Creek Valley”.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
An incredible personal look at the Civil War through the eyes of the soldiers and women who wait at home. These gripping individual stories brought together through this powerful piece of fiction give us a very relate-able picture about how the war effected those in a fight to save the Union.

I truly enjoy when the author steps back into the past to give us the history of the Elm Creek Valley. The battle scenes were captivating to show the real rugged truth of battle. The men took on more of a roll in this story while the women also really emerged even stronger than in previous stories. I especially liked the part of the story about the quilt that went to the battlefield.

Chiaverini is a strong storyteller whether writing historical or contemporary fiction. If her name in on the cover you know you are assured to read a treasure.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent