Mystery & Suspense Challenge » Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Sunday Salon – April Review – Weekly Recap – Mail Call

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!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Cozy Wednesday with Author Dorothy St. James (Giveaways too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 43 Responses »

Apr 102013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am so excited to Welcome Dorothy here today!

Oh, the things a cozy mystery author must do! Oh, the hardships!

While conducting research for my White House Gardener Mystery series, not only did I spend several seasons visiting D.C. and the White House gardens to make sure that I soaked up the atmosphere and the feel for the area…

I also, lurked through the D.C. parks—sometimes at 4:30 in the morning—so I could act out in my mind the murders that take place in the books.

However, the biggest sacrifice for these books has happened…not in D.C. …not in my garden… but in my kitchen!

For the past several years my tiny house has been turned into a makeshift plant laboratory. While writing the first book in the White House Gardener Mystery series, Flowerbed of State, the kitchen counters were covered with pots of pineapple tops as I tested the best way to sprout the top of the pineapple. This also meant that every time I found myself at the grocery store, I was picking up a new pineapple to work with. And as a consequence, my husband and I ate scores of pineapples that year.

This past year while researching Oak and Dagger, the third and latest book in the White House Gardener Mystery series (and this year’s release), I wanted to do another kitchen-to-garden section at the end of the book. Instead of pineapples, I had the brilliant idea to include instructions on how to grow the tops of carrots and the bottoms of onions. Of course, I couldn’t include the instructions until I tested and determined the best ways to grow the carrots and onions.

Once again, my kitchen was transformed into a garden laboratory.

First, I grew carrots in the garden just for this purpose.

Thankfully, my husband didn’t mind when I gave him the task of eating the bottoms of the carrots.

I then placed the carrot tops in various glasses and set them on every available windowsill and counter space I could find. I repeated the process until I was satisfied that the carrots would sprout and grow for even someone with the brownest of brown thumbs.

Grow the Tops of Your Carrots

This is a quick and fun gardening project that anyone can do. When you are preparing your fresh carrots, cut off the top of the carrot (about a half-inch will do). Remove all but a few small leaves from the top.

Fill a glass or bowl with water. Set the carrot in the water so that it is partially submerged.

Place the glass or bowl in a sunny window. Change the water every few days. In a few weeks the carrot will sprout roots and new leaves will grow.

Plant the rooted carrot in a pot or in your garden.

You won’t grow new carrots from the plants, but swallowtail butterflies will enjoy feeding off the nectar from the flowers.

* * * * *

The same time that the “Great Carrot Experiment” was going on, I also experimented with sprouting the bottoms of my onions—the part of the onion that has those scraggly roots. And these onion bottoms, given time and attention, will produce new onions! Here’s what I learned:

* * * * *

Grow the Bottoms of Your Onions

Did you know you can grow a new onion from just the bottom part with the roots? Well, you can! Here’s a fun gardening project to try.

Cut off the bottom of your onion, the part with the dried roots. Leave about an inch to an inch and a half of onion with the roots.

Allow to dry for a couple of days in a well-ventilated area. This will allow it to form a callus and help prevent it from rotting.

You can get the roots started by soaking in water for a few days. (It’s fun to watch.) Or if you’re impatient plant the onion root-side down in a pot, burying it about a half-inch deep pot, or you can even plant it directly in the ground. Within a few weeks the onion will sprout.

* * * * *

Who knew that writing adventures for my plucky White House organic gardener, Casey Calhoun, would also send me on new and challenging adventures? I sure didn’t! It’s rarely a dull moment for this author. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

~Dorothy

About This Author

Dorothy St. James is the pseudonym for author Dorothy McFalls. As St. James she writes the White House Gardener Mystery series. (Book 1 — Flowerbed of State, May 2011), (Book 2 — The Scarlet Pepper, April 2012), and (Book 3 — Oak and Dagger, April 2013). Dorothy is a master gardener who loves puttering around in her garden and trying out new techniques.

You can find Dorothy at her website: www.DorothyStJames.com, on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames, or on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DorothyStJames

Amazon.com Widgets

Oak and Dagger
(A White House Gardener Mystery)
3rd in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (April 2, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover Design by Olivia Andreas
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252031
E-Book File Size: 868 KB
ASIN: B0099CVVQC

A simple tree planting leads to chaos at The White House. A schematic is missing from the Grounds Office and a set of important papers has also disappeared from the Curator’s Office. The gardeners are getting blamed for both. On top of that Casey is getting death threats, the First Dog is digging holes all over the South lawn and the First Lady’s sister is creating her own havoc.

Then the curator is found dead is a secluded garden and all the evidence points at Gordon Sims, the chief gardener. Casey just has to clear his name. When she learns all the chaos and the murder could have something to do with a two hundred year old treasure she realizes she must move fast before the killer strikes again….

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Casey Calhoun is a smart spunky protagonist and she is not afraid to get her hands dirty or stand out in the pouring rain to track down the killer. I am happy her relationship with Special Agent Jack Turner is moving forward. We also learn a bit more about Casey’s past.

There was so much happening in the installment that the pages were flying. The First Lady has her hands full with her twin boys and while her sister is supposed to be there to help she seems to have an agenda all her own. The decorator hired to create the nursery has much more interest in being out in the gardens instead in the space he is responsible for decorating. Jack is acting strange and seems to stand Casey up a lot. Gordon is in the hospital and Casey and Lorenzo have to work together and they never see eye to eye. The assistant curator is a strange little man who just happens to have rented the apartment below Casey.

Dolley Madison was important to this story. In fact the book starts with a quote from the famous First Lady: “And now, dear sister, I must leave this house or the retreating army will make me a prisoner in it by filling up the road I am directed to take.” Each subsequent chapter starts with a First Lady quote and I really enjoyed all of them.

Hang on tight! This story is a wild ride! I loved it!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

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

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.

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

CLICK FOR ENTRY FORM

PLUS DOROTHY ST. JAMES IS
ADDING A VERY SPECIAL GIVEAWAY ALL HER OWN

A White House Gift Packet
that includes:

a hand dyed indigo book cover
an official White House Historical Association bookmark
and an autographed copy of Flowerbed of State

Just leave a comment for Dorothy to enter!!

Contests Will End April 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.

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.”

Dead Peasants by Larry Thompson Virtual Book Tour (Giveaway too!)

Giveaways, Guest Posts, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, Virtual Blog Tour 21 Responses »

Apr 052013

I am thrilled this awesome author had time to
give us a little insight on what made him write books like this one!

Dolly asks about my becoming a writer later in life, my brother and the family tradition:

I think I always knew I would eventually become a writer. I dabbled in journalism in college, but by then my brother, Thomas (Tommy) Thompson was well on his way to a successful writing career, first as a reporter and then with LIFE magazine in its heyday. I chose not to follow in his footsteps and went to law school at The University of Texas.

From there I moved to Houston, married and started the law firm that I still head. With three kids and a full time law practice there were not enough hours in the day to write; so, I shoved the idea aside.

When my youngest son graduated from SMU, I decided to see if I could write a novel. Having had my last formal training in freshman English, I was brazen enough to forego writing seminars and just sat down at the computer. That led to my first novel, So Help Me God.

My brother, by the way, left LIFE and published his first book when he was thirty-seven. He went on to become an internationally famous best-selling author who died way to young with liver cancer.

It was twenty years after his death that I began So Help Me God. So, I suppose that it is something in our DNA that leads us into writing. Whatever it is, I find I enjoy the creative process and look forward to my time at the computer (usually a couple of hours early in the morning before I head off to a full day as a trial lawyer).

~Larry

Dead Peasants: A Thriller
Suspense Thriller
Thomas Dunne Books (October 2, 2012)
St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250009494
E-Book File Size: 465 KB
ASIN: B008VA736K

Synopsis: Lawyer Jack Bryant retires early to Fort Worth to kick back, relax and watch his son play football at TCU. Bored with retirement he opens a pro bono office in his RV. When Jack finds an elderly widow at his doorstep, clutching a check for life insurance proceeds on her husband but payable to his former employer, Jack files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow. A seemingly accidental death of his client’s husband thrusts Jack into a vortex of serial killings. He and his new love interest find themselves targets in the same murder for hire scheme. To stop the killings Jack must unravel what in their past makes certain people worth more dead than alive.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

RIVETING!!!

I loved this book! I sat down on a Sunday afternoon and started this book and hardly moved until I reached the last word.

I wish I knew an attorney like Jack Bryant. He has enough money to live comfortably forever and retires to put his son first. Something he hasn’t been able to do before because of his career. But his son is grown and while it is great having him around and watching him play ball, Jack needs more. He decides to give back to his community by helping those who need legal help but could never afford proper representation. An added bonus is his son being able to work with him.

I was personally touched by the man he helped with his mortgage foreclosure. This is happening all over the U.S. and the banks are winning because people can’t get help or get scammed by the wrong help. Scary to think the home you have had for years could be gone and you could be homeless.

The real meat of the story is the case he takes on for June Davis. Her husband Willie passed away and like always she is struggling to just get by. Then she receives a surprise from the U.S. Postal Service that in Jack Bryant’s hands could change her life forever. It will also open up a huge can of worms that will start to link together several unexplained deaths and will put his own life in danger.

Thompson has created fantastic well rounded characters and writes their stories in such a way that you are right there with them in the courtroom, on the streets and in his office RV. It also felt has if I was watching a movie, the pages were turning so fast.

A legal thriller that packs quite a punch!! This is one I would shout about from the rooftops if I could!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Amazon.com Widgets

I am thrilled to be able to give away a e-copy of this book!!

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 Larry Thompson 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 April 19, 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 book tour. 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: Going, Going, Ganache by Jenn McKinlay

A - Z Cozy Mystery Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, Where Are You Reading Challenge 4 Responses »

Apr 042013

Going, Going, Ganache
(Cupcake Bakery Mystery)
5th in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (April 2, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Jeff Fitz-Maurice
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252079
E-Book File Size: 625 KB
ASIN: B0099CVIYC

Fairy Tale Cupcakes is going to be featured in Southwest Style Magazine, that is if they can survive the photo shoot and the week long cupcake boot camp for the employees of the magazine. The new owner of SWS, Ian Hannigan, thinks baking cupcakes for charity is the perfect team building exercise for his staff. It quickly becomes clear that the staff is not thrilled with this idea. When a features editor is found murdered outside the bakery Mel and Angie have a team building exercise all their own. The need to catch a killer before anyone else gets frosted.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I took a great big bite out of this delicious mystery and loved every minute of it.

I love these characters and a couple of them had major developments in their lives in this installment of this wonderful series. Tate makes some huge decisions and Marty starts a blog that leads to something very unexpected. Mel is frustrated with herself, is she over thinking everything?

Then of course there is that darn dead body. The staff of Southwest Style is quite a unique group and they are all on the suspect list. They all seem to be hiding something.

Jenn McKinlay has baked up another delectable mystery filled with humor, romance and of course CUPCAKES!!!!

Do yourself a favor and start by baking up some of the cupcake recipes found in the back of the book and then sit back enjoy them along with this fantastic cozy.

Happy Reading!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author Jenn McKinlay is the NYT bestselling author of the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries and the Library Lover’s Mysteries. She also writes under the names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle. Check out her website. Find Jenn on Facebook and Twitter Don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter.

Amazon.com Widgets

Cozy Wednesday with Author Chrystle Fiedler (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 47 Responses »

Apr 032013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am so excited to welcome Chrystle here today. Her books pack a punch with clever mysteries and so much information about Natural Remedies. Check out her post, then brew yourself a cup of tea and escape into a cozy mystery!

THE JOYS OF DRINKING TEA AND READING COZY MYSTERIES

By Chrystle Fiedler

Nothing warms the body and soul like holding a fragrant steaming cup of herbal tea, inhaling its subtle scents as you slowly sip, while you enter the world of a cozy mystery. Not only does tea bring you flavor, variety, and easily digested nutrients, it also provides numerous health benefits from soothing a sore throat with fennel to easing anxiety and stress with chamomile. Making herbal tea is a unique way to use the benefits of aromatherapy, the theme of my latest cozy Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery.

I like to brew a nice cup of tea in the late afternoon, what the Brits call “tea time” and drink it as I am writing my cozy mysteries. Use this guide to make the perfect cup of tea the next time you’re planning on reading one!
Here’s how:

Making the Perfect Cup of Tea

Herbal tea is an infusion of leaves, seeds, roots or bark, whose goodness is extracted in hot water and sipped for its benefits, both mental and physical. To begin, use pure water, distilled, spring filtered, or well water. Use one heaping teaspoon of dry herbs per cup of hot water. Dried herbs available in loose bulk form are often less expensive and offer a wider variety of flavors. Health food stores offer muslin tea bags and tea balls, which can be filled with herbs and used to steep to make herbal tea.
You can also try using a conventional teapot. Here’s how:

Teapot Method

Fill a china or porcelain tea pot with hot water and allow it to stand for a minute or so. This warms the pot so that the tea you pour into it will not cool down quickly because of a cold pot and impede the steeping process.
Then pour off the water, add loose herbs (1 heaping teaspoon for each cup plus one extra one ‘for the pot’) and fill the pot with boiling water. Cover and allow the herbs and water to steep for ten to fifteen minutes. This also allows the herbs to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature. To serve the tea, simply hold a strainer over each cup as you pour.

The Infusion Method

The Infusion method is ideal for herbal leaves, flowers and seeds and even roots (such as ginger, osha, and valerian) that have delicate essential oils that would be diminished if boiled. The best way to prepare this type of tea is to lightly bruise seeds with a mortar and pestle to help release their flavor and properties.

Next, simply boil a cup of water and remove it from the heat. Add one heaping teaspoon of herb, cover (to prevent the delicate essential oils from
evaporating) and allow it to steep for ten to twenty minutes.

French Press

A French press is a glass pot, a gadget beloved by coffee drinkers, but works great for herbal tea. Simply add the herb to the press, cover with hot water and allow it to steep for ten minutes. The press automatically strains out the herbs, and you can give it a squeeze to further release therapeutic value.

Sun Tea

Sun teas work best with leaves and flowers. Add one cup of herb or herb mixture or twelve tea bags and allow the herbs to sit in sunlight for four to six hours. Cover the jar to prevent leaves from blowing into the jar.
Strain before drinking.

Cold Water Infusion

Cold water infusions retain more vitamin C, and a brighter color than hot infusions. Fill a glass pitcher with fresh picked herbs from the list below and cover with spring water. Allow to steep in the refrigerator for several hours (8-12) or overnight.

These herbs are good choices for cold infusion:

Bee Balm
Catnip
Lavender
Lilac
Lemon Balm
Lemon Verbena
Anise
Hyssop
Peppermint
Rooibos
Rose
Rosemary
Spearmint

Add Flavor to Your Tea

Make your tea even more flavorful by adding a touch of honey, agave nectar, apple juice, maple syrup, raw sugar, cinnamon extract, a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or orange. I like to add Truvia which is a kind of stevia. You can keep tea up to four days in the refrigerator.

Types of Tea You Might Like to Try:

Chamomile tea is a soothing and sedative herb that’s effective at relieving stress and anxiety and easing insomnia. Valerian tea also helps you to relax.

Ginger tea soothes tummy and digestive troubles like nausea and an upset stomach.

Milk Thistle tea is a gentle liver cleanser that helps this important organ to regenerate and work more efficiently.

Lemon Balm tea can help you see the glass half-full so it’s good for the winter blues. It can also help you concentrate better.

Rosehip tea is bursting with Vitamin C, so it’s good for your immune system and can help to ward off colds and flu. Green tea is also packed with polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps boost health.

~Chrystle

About This Author

Chrystle Fiedler is the author of Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery, (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster) the second in the NATURAL REMEDIES MYSTERY series, Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery, the non-fiction title THE The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Natural Remedies (Alpha, 2009), co-author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now!: The Cutting-Edge Program That Cures Your Type of Sugar Addiction and Puts You on the Road to Feeling Great – and Losing Weight!(Fairwinds Press, 2010), currently in its fourth printing, the Beat Sugar Addiction Now! Cookbook: Recipes That Cure Your Type of Sugar Addiction and Help You Lose Weight and Feel Great!The Country Almanac of Home Remedies: Time-Tested & Almost Forgotten Wisdom for Treating Hundreds of Common Ailments, Aches & Pains Quickly and Naturally (Fairwinds, 2011). Chrystle’s magazine articles featuring natural remedies have appeared in many national publications including Natural Health, Vegetarian Times, Better Homes & Gardens and Remedy. Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.

Amazon.com Widgets

Scent to Kill:
A Natural Remedies Mystery
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Gallery Books(February 26, 2013)
A Division of Simon & Schuster Inc.
Trade Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1451643619
E-Book File Size: 968 KB
ASIN: B008J4RPRK

Willow McQuade, naturopathic doctor, along with her hunky ex-cop boyfriend Jackson Spade, attend a party for a psychic TV show that is filming on Long Island’s idyllic East End. However, Willow is much more interested in visiting the estate’s lavender farm, seeking inspiration for the new aromatherapy workshops she’ll be holding at her store, Nature’s Way Market & Café.

Before the party is over, Roger Bixby one of the producers is dead and the police suspect murder. Roger was working on the show, MJ’s Mind, with Carly Bixby, his ex-wife and the new girlfriend of Willow’s ex from L.A., TV writer/producer Simon Lewis.

After Willow leaves the party, she gets a frantic text from Simon asking for her help. Since Simon had a fight with Roger earlier in the evening, and because of his death is now the primary shareholder in Galaxy films, Willow’s ex becomes the prime suspect. Simon begs her to crack the case and clear him of the murder. MJ McClellan, the psychic and star of the show also asks Willow for help. She hires Willow to provide natural remedies, including aromatherapy, massage, acupuncture and yoga to soothe the agitated crew of her show.

To find the killer, Willow has to deal with ghosts in a haunted mansion, a truly dysfunctional family, death threats and “accidents,” while trying to untangle a homicide identical to one committed during prohibition.

Thankfully, Jackson has been hired to provide security and is there to watch her back and help Willow solve this spooky mystery. As a bonus, you’ll find dozens of natural aromatherapy cures throughout the book that can improve your health in mind, body and spirit!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I was fortunate to be able to read the two book back to back and really enjoyed both.

Scent to Kill focuses on aromatherapy and essential oils and I could almost smell the lavender fields while reading. As soon as I finished the book I went online to check out diffusers and oils.

Willow McQuade uses her knowledge of herbal remedies to put herself right in the middle of the action. Helping the crew through the stresses of their jobs and the added stress of knowing there may be a murderer among them. She also keeps the door open to a more supernatural solution that could solve this murder and those that took place decades earlier. She and retired cop Jackson Spade make a great team. Their romance is also growing at a perfect pace.

Strong characters and setting made this a fun whodunit. The ghosts and the spooky mansion really added great elements to the story.

I can’t wait for my next trip to Nature’ s Way. I will need an appointment with both Hector and Allie. I once had a doctor tell me to do yoga for my back pain. Maybe Nick can explain how someone like me, paralyzed on one side could do yoga while I enjoy the nice healthy smoothie. I am sure the author will have a wonderful mystery to solve too!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

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

There are two copies available plus 1 lucky winner
will receive a copy of Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery.

To win a copy of Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery directly from the author
just leave a comment telling Chrystle your favorite cup of tea!
The winner will be randomly selected from the comments.

To win my review copy of both books
fill out the entry form. (Link Below)

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.

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

Contest Will End April 17, 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

Review: Death Drops by Chrystle Fiedler

1st In A Series Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, What's In A Name Challenge 2 Responses »

Mar 302013

Death Drops:
A Natural Remedies Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Mystery
Gallery Books (February 21, 2012)
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Trade Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1451643602
E-Book File Size: 891 KB
ASIN: B005GG0N6E

Nature’s Way Market and Café sells healthy foods and natural cures for what ails you. But there is no cure for murder. . . .

Naturopathic doctor Willow McQuade has come to Long Island’s North Fork to visit her Aunt Claire. Aunt Claire owns the Nature’s Way Market and Cafe and is the reason Willow became a Naturopathic Doctor. They have always been close while she is more estranged from her own mother and sister because they were unhappy with Willow’s career choice.

She has only been visiting a few days when her life is shattered. She returns from a walk and finds her Aunt Claire’s lifeless body on the market floor and a bottle of Mimulus lying nearby. Mimulus is taken to calm fears of misfortune and it clearly didn’t work.

Willow knows her death was no accident, her aunt was murdered! But why would anyone kill the wonderful woman? The cops look quickly to Willow as she is Clare’s heir. Willow teams up with former police officer Jackson Spade to try to prove that she is innocent and catch the killer before anyone else receives a fatal dose.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is like a new genre, an educational cozy mystery. The author has taken her knowledge of natural remedies and blended it with a clever mystery.

I was sad when Willow’s aunt died so early in the story. She was a character I really would have enjoyed knowing but she has passed on her knowledge and caring nature to Willow, making this protagonist a very interesting woman with tons of potential. She has an expert’s understanding of these natural substances that the police do not have or want making her interactions with detectives very entertaining.

Chrystle Fiedler has created an excellent foundation with this debut. She has given us a wonderful setting and dynamic characters. Starting each chapter with a Ask Dr. McQuade letter not only informs the reader but sets up the next chapter. All that should keep this series blooming for a long time

A very quick read. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Want to find out more about this author? Come back on Wednesday when Chrystle Fiedler will be my guest for Cozy Wednesday. I will be giving away my review copy of this book and Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery, the second book in the series. The author will be giving an additional copy of Scent to Kill. So be sure to stop by.

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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: Safe From Harm by Stephanie Jaye Evans

A - Z Cozy Mystery Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 1 Response »

Mar 292013

Safe From Harm
(A Sugar Land Mystery)
2nd in Series
Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (March 5, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Design by Judith Lagerman
Trade Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425253465
E-Book File Size: 593 KB
ASIN: B0099CVN4C

In this second installment of the Sugar Land Mysteries Preacher “Bear” Wells, his wife Annie Laurie, and their teenage daughter Jo get wrapped up in a death the rocks the town. Bear and his wife come home to find their daughter cradling the dead body of her friend Phoebe. Everyone believes Phoebe committed suicide, but Jo just can’t believe that. Why would Phoebe kill herself in their house?

Bear wasn’t comfortable with Jo’s new friend but Annie Laurie saw the good in her and the tragedy in her life. Phoebe’s mother has just died and she was forced to move in with her father, her stepmother and their children. Her father seemed to have a perfect life but all is not what it seems to be. Jo finds herself caught up in the mystery of this family and Phoebe’s death. Bear just hopes he can protect his daughter.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is not a mystery that hits you right in the face. The author has written a story that engages you in the characters first and the mystery is the subplot. We were introduced to these imperfect characters in Faithful Unto Death and quickly became invested in their lives. I like that there is a real family story outside of the questionable death of the teenager.

Jo has teenager issues and has disagreements/fights will her friends. She is starting to date and her dad is having trouble coping with that. Annie has a big heart and it sometimes leads her down the wrong path. Bear tries to take on everything himself but his family and Detective Wanderly work hard to keep him in check. The church volunteers are not all as they appear. Some are better and some have secrets and issues. The characters are true to way things are in life.

This is a mystery wrapped up in a very heartfelt story driven by wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book and the first in the series as well.

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About This Author
Stephanie Jaye Evans is a fifth generation Texan. She got her BA from Abilene Christian University and an MLS from Rice University. Her first book in the Sugar Land Mystery Series, Faithful Unto Death, was awarded the William F. Deeck—Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers and was a Library Journal Debut of the Month. The second in the series, Safe From Harm released on March 5, 2013. She lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her long-suffering husband and pug dogs. Find out more on her webpage here. Follow her on:

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Review: Raveled by Anne McAneny

A - Z Reading Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013 2 Responses »

Mar 282013

Raveled
Mystery
Published by Farrington Press (January 28, 2013)
Trade Paperback: 332 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0988846906
E-Book File Size: 629 KB
ASIN: B00B1SRBHK

Allison Fennimore has tried to put her life in Lavitte behind her. Sixteen years ago her father was accused of killing two teenagers. He committed suicide in jail. Now Allison’s brother reaches out from rehab to beg her to dig into her father’s conviction. She knows she will not be welcomed with open arms in Lavitte bit agrees to review the case. Once she starts digging she can’t stop. One lie leads to another and then a key source of information turns up dead and the revelations start to get ugly. Alison may wish she never started down this path but she can’t stop until she knows the truth.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

When I read the Ibsen quote at the start of the book, It was then that I began to look into the seams of your doctrine. I wanted only to pick at a single knot; but when I had got that undone, the whole thing Raveled out, I knew I was headed for a suspenseful journey.

This small town is an epitome of everything that go can wrong when secrets roll out of control. Allison’s quest for the truth puts herself in danger along with those that try to help help her. All the secrets and lies are Raveled together and as she works to untangle them she starts to wish she never would have opened this can of worms.

Anne McAneny brings a unique writing style to this complex mystery. She has a very descriptive way of telling a story that gives readers a vivid picture of time and place. It could be a very dark tale but she drops little tidbits of humor in the dialogue and characterization that refreshes the scenes.

I enjoyed my first McAneny experience. This is an author I will be watching.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author
As often as possible, Anne McAneny uses her writing as an excuse not to cook dinner. Her children learned the words bland and flavorless as soon as they graduated from Cheerios, so they were thrilled when Anne decided to follow her passion and write.

Anne also got certified as a Personal Trainer recently, but is not actually training anyone in a personal manner. No dummy, however, she knows that exercise serves as a perfectly valid reason to avoid that pesky dinner thing. Anne lives in Virginia with her husband and three hungry boys, a well-fed cat, and a newly adopted puggle whose energy dwarfs hers. When she’s not at her laptop, you will find her on her bike, pounding the pavement, or eating Goobers in front of the TV—but rarely in the kitchen. To read more of Anne’s slightly askew thoughts, check out her blog at www.AnneMcAneny.blogspot.com.
Follow her on:

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Cozy Wednesday With Author J.J. Cook (Giveaway too!)

1st In A Series Challenge, Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, What's In A Name Challenge, Where Are You Reading Challenge 55 Responses »

Mar 272013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

Today I am pleased to welcome new author J.J. Cook to tell us about their new series.
Cozy fans will be pleased to know that while this is a new name
this author team is very familiar to us.
Jim and Joyce Lavene have written several fantastic mysteries and other genres as well.

One half of J.J. Cook is here today!
Hi Joyce!!

Hi Everyone!

Stella Griffin and the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries

Our main character in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries is Fire Chief Stella Griffin. Stella is part of a strong Irish family that has served the fire department in Chicago, Illinois for many years. She understands the rigors of the life, but when it came time for her to make her choice of career, she knew it was what she wanted.

Firefighters are a strange breed of men, my grandfather used to tell me. They run into the fire instead of away from it. My grandfather, Henry Koch, was a firefighter. He was part of the team that fought the Our Lady of the Angel’s Fire, one of the most devastating because it killed so many children in a Catholic school. That was one fire he wouldn’t talk or joke about.

My great-grandfather, Michael Sebastian, was also with the CFD. In the late 1800s, he drove a team of white horses that hauled the fire wagon. The job was even harder when he was a firefighter because they had no special equipment, no protection.

My husband and my father have both been volunteer firefighters. Basically, this means they get all the danger and the hard work without getting paid. Volunteers have to train for hours every week, as much as the professional firefighters. They have to go out at all hours of the day and night, in every kind of weather, never knowing what’s waiting for them. They do it for their communities.

I wanted to be a firefighter when I was 14. I thought it was the noblest profession in the world. Everyone laughed because GIRLS weren’t firefighters. I cried for days. That’s changed now, for the better of the firefighting community, and probably the food!

Now, I’ve found a way of honoring the people in my family who have fought fires, lost some, and grieved over victims. Stella is the chief of a volunteer fire brigade in the Smoky Mountains. She is who I imagined I could be, at one time. She’s strong and brave, loyal to her volunteers, concerned about people.

She came to life for me in Sweet Pepper. In the first book, That Old Flame of Mine, she goes to the small town in Tennessee after a bad break-up with her boyfriend and an injury that has put her off the job. She doesn’t realize how raw her recruits are or how different being a volunteer firefighter is, but she learns.

She always plans on going back to Chicago, but Sweet Pepper, and the resident ghost in her log cabin there, may change her mind.

I hope this book will be something that would’ve made my family of firefighters proud.

~Joyce

About This Author
Joyce Lavene, and her husband/partner, Jim, write the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries as J.J. Cook. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.joyceandjimlavene.com or www.jjcook.net plus on

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That Old Flame of Mine
(A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade)
Brand New Series
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover Design by George Long
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252048
E-Book File Size: 738 KB
ASIN: B0099D4B3Q

NO MATCH FOR MURDER

After knocking the lights out of her boyfriend when she catches him cheating on her, Chicago fire fighter Stella Griffin hops on her Harley and heads for Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, where she ends up becoming the small town’s fire chief. When her dear friend Tory Lambert dies after her gingerbread-style house is set ablaze, Stella suspects arson and foul play.

As Stella investigates, she gets help from a most unlikely source—the ghost of Eric Gamlyn, Sweet Pepper’s old fire chief. And if that isn’t enough to rattle her, attractive police officer John Trump seems to have taken an interest in her. But Stella’s got to stay focused if she hopes to smoke out a killer before her own life is extinguished.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
As the daughter of a firefighter I was thrilled with this book. My dad passed away 25 years ago and it still seems like yesterday. I wish he would haunt his old firehouse, maybe he does? He did not die on “a scene” but he was a chief too just like Eric Gamlyn and I so wanted to be a firefighter and work side by side with him. At that time female firefighters were few and far between. Ladies were on the auxiliary and handled bake sales and delivered food and drink to the big fires. I would have loved Stella’s life even with the crummy boyfriend.

The story is so well written and full of wonderful real characters. The drill/practice sessions ring true to me as someone who has observed many. Chief Eric’s haunts struck my heart. Another firefighter lost too soon with so many plans and dedication. Stella has a lot on her plate in Sweet Pepper and with a bit of “help” she comes out on top. A sassy, smart, sleuth that this reader plans to enjoy tagging along with for a very long time.

J.J. Cook has written an extraordinary debut. This book will be burning up bookstore shelves next Tuesday. It’s hotter than a 5 alarm fire!! Respond and extricate your copy as soon as possible.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

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

Thanks to the people at Berkley Prime Crime
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 J.J. Cook 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 April 10, 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

Special Thursday Edition of Cozy Wednesday with Author Victoria Hamilton (Giveaways too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, What's In A Name Challenge, Where Are You Reading Challenge 52 Responses »

Mar 212013

There were just not enough Wednesdays this month for all the authors to visit so…
Welcome to this Special Thursday Edition of Cozy Wednesday!
I am thrilled to welcome Victoria Hamilton back to Escape With Dollycas.

Vintage Finds Inspire Cozy Mysteries
By: Victoria Hamilton

When I set out to plan a mystery series, I quickly decided to center it around my collection of vintage kitchen bowls and utensils. I don’t have the largest collection—I just don’t have the space—but I’m always on the lookout for interesting pieces, and I love reading about the history of kitchen implements, so it was a natural fit.

I especially love bowls. I don’t know why! I suppose that they unite the best in beauty, utility and color… all of the things that make an item not only collectible, but perfect for display. When it comes to bowls, I have a full set of vintage Pyrex Primary Colors bowls, and a few random pieces from the seventies. DepressionGlassBowl2 But then a friend gave me a fascinating vintage Depression glass bowl; it’s big and clear with an odd, heavy square bottom and grooved indentations down from the curled lip to the base. She didn’t know anything about it, so I looked it up. The square base intrigued me; had it been used as a stand mixer bowl, perhaps?

I found out that not only was the square bottom not for any utilitarian purposes, I had stumbled upon another bowl set obsession! These bowls were sold in graduated sets from the size of mine (I think my clear one is an example of the largest) to a teeny cutie of a bowl! Now I am determined to get one in every size, and… wait for it… in every color. Yes, they come in colored glass and I love colored glass.

This is how I first figured that out; I was haunting a thrift shop, as I often do, and I saw a small green one very similar, though the square base has a different shape. Well, you know I had to buy it. It’s adorable! Now I learn that they come in many colors: pink, amber, amethyst and the brilliant green of my new acquisition.

But how did I get from the receipt of a lovely bowl from a friend to picturing it as a murder weapon? Well, there isn’t much that I haven’t tried to imagine used as an instrument of death, as bad as that makes me sound. I’m a mystery writer. It’s my job to see things differently, I guess, so as I hefted that weighty bowl in my hand, I thought, ‘That is one sturdy bowl. It could do some serious damage. In fact… it could kill someone!’

And so the bowl shows up in Bowled Over as the murder weapon, provided unwittingly by poor Jaymie.

Wait until you see what I use as a murder weapon in the next Vintage Kitchen Mystery, Freezer I’ll Shoot, coming out in November of this year. Here’s a hint: though a kitchen utensil, it is a well known and oft used tool that is still considered a lethal weapon by police departments everywhere!

So next time you peruse the kitchen utensil aisle imagine me, looking up and down that row and wondering, ‘Now, what could I use to kill my next victim?’ Potato masher? Electric Mixer? Corkscrew?? The choices are endless.

~Victoria::~

About This Author

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym for author Donna Lea Simpson. As Victoria she writes the bestselling Vintage Kitchen Mystery series (Book 1 – A Deadly Grind– May 2012) – (Book 3 Freezer I’ll Shoot - November 2013) and the upcoming Merry Muffin Mysteries, also from Berkley (Book 1 – Bran New Death – September 3^rd, 2013) Victoria loves cooking and collecting vintage kitchen utensils, as well as reading and writing mysteries.

Check out her webpage for all the latest: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com

Find her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHamilton

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Bowled Over
(Vintage Kitchen Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (March 5, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Robert Crawford
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425251928
E-book File Size: 561 KB
ASIN: B0099CUTGK

Stirring up trouble…

Vintage kitchenware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton and her high school friend Kathy Cooper have been at odds for years but Jaymie has no idea why. She decides it is time to find out what she did that makes Kathy hate her so much. She needs to confront her so they can put whatever happened behind them.

But when she finds Kathy dead after the 4th of July fireworks along with her Depression era glass bowl she realizes there will not be any reconciliation. With her fingerprints all over the bowl and their rocky past she is not surprised to be the prime suspect of her murder.

Did the killer frame her on purpose? If so, she is ready to mix it up, because solving crimes is vintage Jaymie Leighton…

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I was “Bowled Over” by this marvelous mystery. This story had so many twists I almost got whiplash. So many secrets, so many suspects. I Loved It!

Jaymie has a huge heart and that always leads her right in the center of trouble. She needs to clear her name. With her many odd jobs she comes into contact with almost everyone in town. She has Valetta for backup, who knows the skinny on just about everyone in the area. Even Anna has info to help Jaymie find the killer. Jaymie just has to put all the clues together.

There’s also a bit of romance in this story but unfortunately Jaymie’s romantic path is a bit cloudy. Her sister Becca’s path is pretty clear yet again. Jaymie has given herself a six month deadline to decide how she feels about the men in her life. The next book should be very interesting!

Victoria Hamilton has dished up another fun and entertaining winner!

Freezer I’ll Shoot (A Vintage Kitchen Mystery) will be released November 5th and I want it today!!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

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

PLUS Victoria is giving away
one (1) copy of Bowled Over,
as well as a Vintage Kitchen Mysteries pen, notepad and magnetic calendar.

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 Victoria for 5 Bonus Entries!!

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

The first name chosen that
has left a comment will win Victoria’s prize!!!!

Contest Will End April 4, 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.