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Cozy Wednesday with Author Leann Sweeney (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Read - A - Latte 150 Challenge, Reviews 2013, Where Are You Reading Challenge 36 Responses »

May 222013

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am always happy when Leann drops by for a visit!

The Cat, The Mill and The Murder by Leann Sweeney

We don’t make much of anything in this country anymore—China seems to have taken over in that department–and though I never think about “themes” while I am writing a book, there always ends up being one hidden between the lines. In The Cat, the Mill and the Murder that’s exactly what happened again.

The inspiration for this book began when I saw an abandoned textile mill for the first time in the town where I now live. These old buildings are like discovering dinosaur bones—except they aren’t buried. They lie unattended across the South, begging to be used again. Bricks lie scattered, old smoke stacks rise but with no purpose, stone staircases lead to nowhere. I was sad when I saw the Greenwood Mill, but I saw a story.

The Cat, the Mill and the Murder begins with the town’s intent to “repurpose” a mill in Mercy, South Carolina. Resident Jillian Hart is a quilter and has a degree in textile arts so she is asked to join in the assessment of the old, mammoth building. Not only does she know about such places, a colony of feral cats have taken up residence inside. She’s respected for her expertise with cats, too. It seems like the perfect job for her. But old buildings aren’t completely exposed inside or out. Some folks believe they are haunted and there is no doubt secrets lie within. When those secrets come to light, murderers crawl out with them. And a very unusual cat will be with heroine Jillian Hart throughout this journey to help her catch a killer.

~Leann

About The Author
Leann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls and educated at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, New York. She also has a degree in behavioral science from the University of Houston and has worked in psychiatry. A former registered nurse, she has been writing in the mystery genre for many years, and also writes the Yellow Rose Mystery series.

Find out more on her webpage here. She also blogs at The Cozy Chicks on Sundays!
Find her on:

Amazon.com Widgets

The Cat, the Mill and the Murder:
A Cats in Trouble Mystery
5th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Obsidian (May 7, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451415417
E-Book File Size: 534 KB
ASIN: B009UZ9ZRK

In this fifth installment of the Cats in Trouble series Jillian has volunteered to help relocate a clowder of feral cats from on old mill so the city can help investors revamp the space. She was quite surprised to also find a woman living in the mill. Jeannie went missing from Mercy 10 years ago shortly after her daughter disappeared.

Jeannie has no plans to evacuate the mill where she lives with her cat Boots. She tells Jillian, it is a “holy place” and she must protect it from “creepers”. When Jeanie is hurt and forced to leave the mill to go to the hospital Jillian learns there are more surprises in the old mill. Secrets that have been buried for years start to see the light of day.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Leann’s love of felines shines brightly in her stories and each one is better than the last. This one features the Lorraine Stanley Textile Mill. Cozy loves will recognize this homage to two special ladies.

This story takes us to the “other side of the tracks” to the Mill Village. A little trip back in history but even in 2013 there is still the division of classes even as one of mighty rich have fallen on hard times. They still have the hoity-toity attitude.

We also learn about feral cats in a very entertaining way. Shawn explains the difference between the cats we love to cuddle and the cats we just can’t.

In addition to the wonderful character of Jeannie, our favorites from the past return. Jillian and Tom’s romance is evolving even with Lydia still trying her best to keep them apart. I laughed out loud as she was kept out of crime scene and she begged Tom for his help while doing her best to ignore that Jillian was even in the room.

But the characters that capture my heart have four paws, Merlot, Syrah, Chablis and now Boots add the special touch to this story. I love how much Jillian loves her kitties and even has an app on her phone to check on them. I also love the way most of the residents of Mercy are pet lovers and believe in humane treatment of all animals. In fact this book was part of Penguin’s Read Humane Campaign. All through the month of May you can purchase special copies of six different books and Penguin will donate $25000 to the Humane Society of the U.S. to fight animal cruelty.

Another “catavating” cozy from Leann Sweeney! and may I add another New York Times Bestseller! Kudos my friend!!

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.

Leave a comment for Leann 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 June 5, 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

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 Paige Shelton (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Reviews 2012 41 Responses »

Dec 052012

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am pleased to welcome Paige Shelton back to Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book. She is the author of the Farmer’s Market Mysteries and the Country Cooking School Mysteries. A Killer Maize (A Farmers’ Market Mystery) hit stores yesterday and I am so glad she could squeeze in a visit.

Hi Paige!

Hi Everyone!

It’s hard to believe that it’s December 2012. I’m holding tight to the hope that the Mayans were wrong, or that we’ve misinterpreted their calendar, or perhaps that they just ran out of energy to continue writing said calendar, and we’ll all ride safely into 2013. I’ve made sure not to neglect deadlines for books I have publishing next year, just to be safe.

A Killer Maize is the fourth book in the Farmers’ Market Mystery series, and it’s also my fourth book that has published over the last twelve months. Add in a Farmers’ Market ebook short story, and I’ve definitely experienced some confusing moments lately. Every time someone asks me about a specific book, or character, or plot point, I fall into what probably looks like a daze, but in fact I’m just going through the “files” in my head to track down the right answer. The older I’ve gotten, the slower those files are to be found and opened. So, if I’m ever fortunate enough to meet you in person, I hope you’ll forgive me if I have to take a moment.

These busy years have shown me how incredibly valuable those are who I have pulled into my writer’s life. My family is astoundingly supportive and understanding. My agent and editor have been perfect. They have been there for me in moments when I wasn’t sure if I was headed in the right direction, or perhaps I knew I was headed in the wrong direction but I didn’t know the way out. I even once chose a wrong direction on purpose, and they were quick to let me know it was okay. Phew.

I have a couple friends who read what I write and kindly warn me if I’m off track. They are always thorough and have met the challenge of my recent tight deadlines. It could be considered rude to send an almost three hundred page attachment to someone with a note that says: “Any chance I could get this back in less than a week?” I don’t even need to say that anymore; my Beta readers are up to the task.

There’s also a whole team of people I rarely talk to and will probably never meet but who work with my publisher. A smart and efficient publicist, cover designers, copy editors – I couldn’t do what I do without them. I’ve tried to thank them personally in the acknowledgments of the last couple books, but I can’t express my gratitude enough.

Bloggers, reviewers, everyone who takes a moment to say something positive about my books – your support is sometimes so incredible that I feel overwhelmed. Pardon me this moment of melodrama, but you have brought happy tears to my eyes many times. As a writer, there’s nothing like hearing that something you’ve poured yourself into -something you’ve created – actually resonates with someone other than yourself.

And, most of all, if it weren’t for you, the book lovers and the book readers, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to have four books (and that short story) publish in a twelve month time period. Deadlines wouldn’t matter –shoot, they wouldn’t exist. Agents and editors would have no reason to guide with grace and patience. Cover designers, publicists, copyeditors, bloggers – they’d all have to find something else to do.

So, as the end of the world potentially draws near, I’d really just like to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love to do. You’re the best, and I wish you the happiest of holidays, a fantastic new year, and blessings of good health, abundant happiness, and an always overflowing stack of good books.

~Paige

Thank you for giving us such wonderful stories to read that bring us so much enjoyment and finding time in your very busy schedule to visit with us!

A Killer Maize
(A Farmers’ Market Mystery)
4th in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425251744
Cover Illustration by Dan Craig

A few of the vendor’s from Bailey’s Farmer’s Market are taking their products to the Swayton County Fall Festival. The festival director thinks their unique products will bring in new customers to the festival. After the first day the vendors think they have made a big mistake. This festival is dead, hardly any people there at all. That is until one of the carnival workers is founding hanging from his rickety Ferris wheel, dead from a gunshot wound.

Funny how murder brings out the people out to the fair, including one of Becca’s exes. He just happens to be running one of the games at the festival and he is acting quite suspicious. Becca just can’t help herself. She has to work her way through a myriad of clues, lies, and secrets to “find a kernel of truth before the killer starts stalking her.”

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I love the setting! A fall festival with a huge corn maze and dilapidated rides and maybe even a ghost. Paige Shelton always surprises and never disappoints. A carny with a spider tattoo on his neck!!! Mysterious owners, a creepy little town, and gypsy magic. This story should have come out at Halloween but I am not complaining. I fell right into this story and there is more than one maze in this story. We are led through the clues and hit a few dead ends and have to back up, regroup and chart a new path. Masterfully plotted, just masterful!!

I did miss the regulars at Bailey’s a bit but the new characters were quite colorful and unique. Scott Two’s appearance at the festival gave us a peak at Becca’s past and of course Sam helps out the local police a bit and is in just the right place at the right time.

On top of solving the crime Becca is also making a very important decision of her own. She also learns what Scott has been up to these past few years. I also loved the addition of another furry friend.

Head to the bookstores online or brick and mortar and harvest the homegrown mystery today. A jam packed who-dun-it that will “a-maize” you!

Find out more about Paige and her books at her webpage here.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 1 copy 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 Heather for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
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Contest Will End December 19, 2012 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: Let It Sew by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Reviews 2012 5 Responses »

Nov 272012

Let It Sew
(Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries)
7th in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (November 6, 2012)
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425251713
Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover Design by Judith Lagerman

Down south, the holidays mean family—and for Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair, family means the Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle. It may not be a white Christmas, but it’s one she’ll never forget—no matter how hard she tries…

The Sweet Briar Holiday Decorating Committee has been taken over by an outsider. Margaret Louise has been replaced without any notice. She has been replaced by “The Grinch” who just happens to be dating councilman Avery Jordan. To try to keep things under control Margaret Louise volunteered Leona, Rose, Dixie and Tori to help “the councilman’s little hussy”. Tori and Dixie have their hands full with the Holiday Book Extravaganza but can’t turn their backs on helping Margaret Louise.

And the season has brought sad tidings as well: Charlotte Devereaux, a sewing circle founding member who unraveled after her storybook marriage fell apart, has passed away. Charlotte loved to draw and near the end of her life while her while her mind was foggy, she sketched some things that make Tori realize her husband didn’t leave her – he was murdered!!!

Santa’s naughty list will be overflowing as Tori sorts out all the clues.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

After 7 stories I feel like the ladies of the Sweet Briar Sewing Circle are old friends I get to see not near enough. Visiting them for the holidays was absolutely perfect. I was as upset about Miss Maime Wellington as the ladies. I have to admit I thought she may be another victim found dead before this story ended. Thankfully my friends had their own “sweet” way to deal with their Grinch.

The actual murder mystery in this story was pretty complex with several possible suspects and the author kept me guessing right up to the end. She is a master at this. I am always one or two steps behind.

I really enjoyed learning about The Devereaux Creek Center and hope the ladies keep up their volunteer work. There seems to be a bit more to to its story.

Elizabeth Lynn Casey has created wonderful caring characters and placed them in a beautiful place. She also puts them in real situations outside the mystery. Whether it be a book fair or a crafting session you will be inspired. She even includes an easy stocking pattern in this edition that will have you wondering if you can do a project just like the Southern Sewing Circle.

I highly recommend a holiday trip over the river and through the woods to Sweet Briar and while there may not be a lot of snow these ladies really know how to Let It Sew!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

To find out more about Elizabeth Lynn Casey visit her blog at http://elizabethlynncasey.com/blog/ and her Facebook Fan Page here.

Cozy Wednesday with Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene (Giveaway too!)

Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts, Reviews 2012 42 Responses »

Sep 192012

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I discovered Joyce and Jim when I became hooked on their Renaissance Mysteries. Then being a huge NASCAR fan, a few months ago I devoured Swapping Paint and Hooked Up. I hope they come back to that series again soon. Their Missing Piece Mysteries are screaming from my To-Be-Read bookshelf and I have started to collect the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries too. (Don’t worry I will have links to all their books below.)

I love the way they write. I will never understand how two wonderful authors work together to create such terrific stories. Joyce and Jim Lavene sure do make it work. I am so thrilled to have them as guests today. They share a little bit about their lives behind the scenes.

Hi Joyce & Jim!

Hi Everyone!

Living With Writers

Living with one writer is probably bad enough. We’ve heard terrible stories about forgotten dry cleaning, crackers for dinner, and holes in porches that don’t get repaired for months. Living with TWO writers in a house is even worse.

Imagine if you will that two writers are both deeply involved with writing a new novel. It’s going well. The characters and plot are flowing. Everything seems fine.

Then the power company comes to turn off the electricity because someone forgot to pay the bill. “It was right in the middle of that part where we couldn’t decide if the killer was actually the killer,” my husband says. That’s his excuse.

I’m not much better. There was a crisis in one of our character’s lives that was completely turning the plot away from where it was supposed to be.

A call came in on my cell phone that I had missed my dental appointment. “You know we charge you for the appointment unless we have a cancellation at least 24 hours in advance,” the receptionist tells me with ‘60’s music playing in the background.

“We had a family emergency,” I tell her. “A family member was almost killed when a fire broke out in her home and she was locked inside.”

“MY LORD!” the receptionist says. “Is she okay now? Why wasn’t that on the news?”

I assure her that our ‘family member’ is fine. I know that person I’m creating in my laptop isn’t real, but she seems real to me.

There’s a scene at the beginning to Romancing the Stone when author Joan Wilder is finishing a book. She’s crying and she can’t find any paper products in her house to blow her nose. That’s because she forgot to buy them. The house is a wreck but the book is finished. That’s all that matters.

And so it goes in our house. Sometimes we might forget to cut the lawn until our neighbor comes and does it for us or our poor dog might have his legs crossed because he has to pee so badly.

But the book is finished. That’s all that matters.

~Joyce & Jim

About The Authors

Joyce and Jim Lavene write bestselling mystery together. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin,Berkleyand Charter Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolinawith their family, their cat,Quincy, and their rescue dog, Rudi. They enjoy photography, watercolor, gardening and long drives.

Look for our new Peggy Lee Garden Mystery, Buried by Buttercups, coming October 2012!
Find Them At Their Website here. They have so many great things happening!!

Treacherous Toys
(Renaissance Faire Mystery)
5th Book in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (September 4, 2012)
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425251584
Cover Illustration by Ben Perini
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell

This series features Jessie Morton, an assistant history professor at the University of South Carolina at Columbia that may be out of a job after the holidays. She returns to Renaissance Faire Village to work as an apprentice for her dissertation - “The Proliferation of Medieval Crafts in Modern Times”.

It is Christmastime at Renaissance Faire Village. Jessie’s wishes are coming true as she apprentices for a new toy maker. Unfortunately Chris Christmas’s time at the Faire is abruptly cut short when he is found dead shortly after Jessie’s arrival. Jessie befriends Chris’s wife and helps her with their children in hopes of learning who would have wanted to put Father Christmas on ice. She is doing her best to unwrap the clues to track down who was very, very naughty and protect those who are very, very nice.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

What a wonderful time at the Renaissance Faire Village. Snow is falling, a skating rink in the village green, wreaths on the doors and candles in the windows. Christmas coming to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and it’s a balmy 80 degrees. Father Christmas and his elves are hearing the children’s wishes and there are many special events at the Faire.

Sounds like a lot of fun until the head elf, Father Christmas himself, is found dead in his workshop. Then Jessie and Mrs. Christmas are almost run down by a horse and other injuries and close calls start happening. Oh and don’t forget Queen Olivia is entering the last month of her pregnancy and has the whole village hopping as she practices her plan for getting to the hospital.

This installment is extraordinary. I really enjoyed Christmas at the Faire. The characters jump right off the pages.

Jessie’s relationship with Chase is getting more serious. She is plotting revenge after she gets pranked. Then she finds herself in a precarious predicament. There is never a dull moment when Jessie is at the Faire. I wanted to find out whodunit but I didn’t want the story to end.

These stories are just plain fun to read and enjoy. This holly jolly installment is the best one yet. I am already booking my next trip to the Renaissance Faire Village. I can’t wait to see what kind of murder and mayhem hits the village next but with authors like Joyce and Jim Lavene I know it is going to be fantastic!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Would you like to win a copy of Treacherous Toys

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 Joyce and Jim for 5 more Bonus Entries

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End October 3, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM

Cozy Wednesday with Leann Sweeney (Giveaway too!)

A - Z Cozy Mystery Challenge, Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Reviews 2012, What An Animal Reading Challenge 45 Responses »

Apr 182012

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

Leann Sweeney and I go way back to when I started blogging back at Dollycas’s Thoughts. The first book in the series The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse was the very first book I publicly reviewed. I know my reviews have improved since then. With Facebook it is nice that we could online friends. Because of that I know Leann while is so excited about the new book The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon: A Cats in Trouble Mystery, she has had a rough week. I will let her tell you all about it!

Hi Leann!!

Hi Lori and all!

Cats in Trouble—Maybe Even in Your Own Home
By Leann Sweeney

Mercy, South Carolina is home to quilter Jillian Hart, her three wonderful cats Chablis, Merlot and Syrah and a cast of characters who help or sometimes hinder Jillian’s quest to help “Cats in Trouble.” (And by the way, the cats NEVER hinder!) Somehow, Jillian’s quest always seems to involve murder. This time, in The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon: A Cats in Trouble Mystery, the investigation is more personal than ever before. I won’t say more than that! I’ll let Lori tell you.

In each novel in the series, I always try to enlighten and entertain—plus include a cat in trouble who might be a bit of surprise. I drew on my own experience with feline diabetes for this new book. My precious cat, Agatha Christie was diagnosed two and a half years ago. She fought the good fight, but this week, seven days after the release of the new book, she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. She was the sweetest cat I have ever known and the third cat in a year I have lost to what was really just old age. They were all teenagers in cat years, but ancient in human years. I miss them so much, but I have a new “fellow” in my life named Wexford (after Ruth Rendell’s police inspector). He turns one-year-old next week, has a great and loving personality and is my new inspiration.

I was so gratified to learn that several people who read the new book last week learned through my heroine, Jillian, that plastic is toxic to cats. They have since removed plastic dishes from their homes. If that information saves one cat’s life, I am so happy. My own Archie Goodwin, a tuxedo cat who died in November, was suffering from terrible mouth and gum sores about seven years ago. I did a little research, found out plastic can cause these sores (and worse things, too). Within a week of removing the plastic dishes, his sores were gone and they never returned.

Next up in the series, I tackle the heartbreak of feral cats and all the misinformation about them—plus the humane and wonderful ways people are saving these colonies of cats. Look for The Cat, The Mill and The Murder next April. Guess I better get back to work, huh?

~Leann

I am so glad Leann is able to stop by today. I know she has a lot on her mind. Our pets work their way into our hearts so fast and we become almost as dependent on them as they are on us. They can always sense when we need them. When we have had a bad day they are there with the head on our knee or jump into our laps to comfort us. It is always painful when they are sick and can’t tell us what is wrong or when we lose them quickly or to a longtime illness. They may be gone from our physical lives but will forever live on it our hearts.

Thank you Leann for sharing!!

The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon:
A Cats in Trouble Mystery

4th in the Series
Obsidian
Published by New American Library
A Division of The Penguin Group

Mercy is a town when everyone knows everyone’s business. How is that Jillian didn’t know her friend Tom had a brother?

Jillian returns home after attending craft fairs and cat shows selling her beautiful kitty quilts to find Tom missing and a man claiming to be Tom’s brother looking mighty comfortable in Tom’s house. She also finds Tom’s diabetic cat has gotten out of the house and this stranger has made no effort at all to look for him.

Then Tom’s car is found wrecked with a dead man, thankfully not Tom, inside. Where the heck is Tom and what is going on in Mercy?

Jillian with the help of her feline friends is going to find out and find out fast before someone else ends up dead!

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Each story is better than the last. This is definitely the best of the series so far!!

We get to delve into Tom’s past and it is jam packed with secrets that keep us on our paws until the very last page. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say there are several surprises. Lydia still thinks Jillian is standing in the way of her and Tom living happily ever after. Merlot, Syrah and Chablis meet a new friend and there are some new characters that you have to read to believe. There are parts will have you laughing out loud, parts that will have you shaking in your shoes, and parts that may make you shed a tear or two. Sweeney has written a complex mystery and the dialogue between the characters was some of the best I have ever read.

Leann also always includes some cat facts and trivia woven into her stories and this time she enlightens us on feline diabetes and that plastic bowls can be toxic to our furry friends. I changed my pets water bowls the minute I read about it in the book.

I am not going to pussyfoot around, this book is fabulous, I loved it and you will too!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author
As well as being a writer, I am a registered nurse and worked for 35 years, 15 of them mostly in psyschiatry and the last 20 before I took early retirement as a school nurse–but wait. School nursing is a psych job, too. I have degrees in nursing and in psychology and have lived on the Texas Gulf Coast for 32 years. My husband is a chemical engineer and I have two amazing children. My son and his wife live in Seattle. My daughter and her husband rotate between NYC and Massachusetts. Aren’t we lucky to be in between? Well, sorta. Both places are too far away.

Would you like to win a copy of this fabulous 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.

Leave a comment for Leann for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End May 2, 2012 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here.

Cozy Wednesday with Elizabeth Lynn Casey (Giveaway too!)

A - Z Cozy Mystery Challenge, Cozy Wednesday, Giveaways, Guest Posts 32 Responses »

Apr 042012

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!

Those Southern Sewing Circle ladies are back and this edition is awesome. I have loved each and every book in this series. This women have become friends I can’t wait to see again and again. They are always getting into some kind of trouble. I have always wondered where Elizabeth comes up with her ideas. I am thrilled she is here today to shed a little light on the subject. Please get a glass of sweet tea and help me welcome Elizabeth Lynn Casey.

Hi Elizabeth!!

Hi Everyone!

The Happy Place
By Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Readers often ask where I get my ideas. And, in many cases, my answer is fairly simple—a snippet from a newsbyte on the radio, or a news item on my computer’s splash screen. When this happens, it’s because something about that particular news item caught my attention and sent me off to my happy place.

Now, while I love the ocean and hiking through the woods, the happy place to which I’m writing about at the moment is inside my head.

Strange, I know.

When a snippet finds its way into my happy place, I’m pretty much done. I don’t hear another word the radio personality says, I don’t read another word of the blurb on my screen. Instead, I retreat and let my mind start putting its own spin on things.

I’ll give you an example from yesterday’s release of Reap What You Sew (the sixth book in my Southern Sewing Circle mystery series).

This book was born from a simple “how was your day” discussion with a woman I see from time to time. She’s a special education teacher with some of the best “how was your day” answers, I’ve ever heard. Anyway, she was talking about a young man in her class who is a Kleptomaniac Hoarder—which means he has a tendency to swipe things (in quantity) and hang onto them.

What, if anything, this woman said about the rest of her day, I don’t know. Because I wasn’t there, anymore.

Well, technically I was there—still sitting in the same chair—but I wasn’t there.

Yup, that’s right. I was in my happy place.

Before I left that night, I knew a) how I was going to use that Kleptomaniac Hoarder thing, b) who was going to enter the canvas of characters with that condition and c) how it was going to play out.

The result? A super fun story that has; a famous movie director coming to Sweet Briar to film a few scenes for an upcoming film, the introduction of (fan favorites) Leona and Margaret Louise’s elderly mother, and a murder that puts three of the sewing Circle’s members on the suspect list.

If you’re already a fan of the series, I hope you enjoy this latest installment (the cover is spectacular, isn’t it?). If you’re new to the series, you’ve got some catching up to do.

Next up? Let It Sew, the seventh book in the series coming November 6th.

Happy Reading!

~Elizabeth

Thank you so much Elizabeth for stopping by. I know you are super busy with this book release and another in June. You continue to amaze me and create characters and stories for all of us to enjoy! You keep writing and we’ll keep reading!!

About This Author

Elizabeth Lynn Casey is the author of the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries with Berkley Prime Crime. Reap What You Sew, the latest title in the series, debuted yesterday. In addition to this series, Elizabeth will also be writing the upcoming Amish Mysteries (also with Berkley Prime Crime/Penguin) under her real name, Laura Bradford. Hearse and Buggy, the first book in the series, will release on June 5th. For more information about Elizabeth, visit: www.elizabethlynncasey.com

Reap What You Sew
(A Southern Sewing Circle Mystery)
6th in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group
Published by The Penguin Group

Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher(It’s Amazing!)
Cover Design by Judith Lagerman

Quaint, cozy, Sweet Briar is about to get full of drama, lots of drama! Warren Shoemaker has chosen Sweet Briar to be the setting for his next movie. Everyone in Sweet Briar, including every member of the Southern Sewing Circle is dreaming of stardom hoping to be cast as an extra in the movie. One of the members even plans to snag a leading role. Tori Sinclair is the lucky one to actual earn a part as an extra. She is very excited to step out of the library and into a movie based on one of her favorite books.

The cameras stop rolling very early as everyone waits for the leading actress to arrive on the set, but we soon learn she is not just late or being the diva the whole crew knows her to be. She is found dead in her trailer, murdered and more than one of the sewing circle members turns out to be prime suspects in her death. The show most definitely will not go on until Tori can uncover the truth and catch the real killer. The set is anything but quiet as she pieces together the clues that will sew up all the drama plaguing the lovely town of Sweet Briar.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Everyone needs a group of friends like the ladies of the Southern Sewing Circle. These ladies have each others back whether they are trying to survive a break up with a boyfriend, dealing with their kids, facing the task of what to do with an aging parent or keeping someone’s butt out of jail. A certain lady in the group gets herself in a bunch of hot water in this installment and at times can be exasperating at her thoughts that even though she may not have committed the crime, she is still happy “that woman” is out of the “picture”. As I have said before these friendships are the core of this series. Each of their different outlooks and personalities bring the perfect contrast to this group of characters. Each character is brilliantly written.

The movie plot touches home with me as my little hometown here in Wisconsin was used as a backdrop for a bit of Johnny Depp’s movie Public Enemy. The scenes rang true to everything I heard and observed during that time. Little towns just go crazy when there movie stars walking about.

The victim and I share something too. I can’t tell you what but you will see when you read this wonderful story.

There are the surprises and twists that Elizabeth Lynn Casey stitches in each of her mysteries. She says snippets (ideas) find the way to her “happy place” and stories are born. She has done amazing things with these snippets. I hope her “happy place” overflows with these ideas and lead to many more fun stories like this one. You cannot go wrong with an Elizabeth Lynn Casey mystery. They are fun, entertaining and definitely “must reads”!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Thanks to the wonderful people
at Berkley Prime Crime
I have 2 copies of

and one copy of the fifth book in the series

U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
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Leave a comment for Elizabeth for 5 Bonus Entries !

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Last Chance Beauty Queen by Hope Ramsay

A - Z Reading Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Reviews 2012 3 Responses »

Feb 182012

Last Chance Beauty Queen
Published by Forever
Hachette Book Group
3rd in Series

Hugh Debracy, an English Baron, comes to Last Chance, South Carolina to try to complete a deal that his partner started before he disappeared. He needs to try to convince the owner of Golfing For God to sell him his property so that he can build his textile plant. Seems the land has perfect road and rail access, but the owner is not selling. Enter Caroline “Rocky” Rhodes, former Last Chance Watermelon Queen, aide to U.S. Senator Rupert Warren and daughter of the owner of Golfing For God. The Senator needs this factory built and expects Rocky to make it happen.

Rocky doesn’t come home to Last Chance often and coming home while the Watermelon Festival is going on turns this trip into quite a crazy return. She is supposed to be working for the Senator, but her friends and family expect her take part in the festival as a former Watermelon Queen, wearing the green and pink dress, riding on a float in the parade and even taking part in a kissing booth. She really wants to be promoted to the Senator’s Washington Office and none of these shenanigans are going to help her land the job.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I broke my own rule, this is the third book in this series and I read it without reading the previous two installments and you know what, it didn’t matter. This book can definitely read as a stand alone. This is Rocky’s story. Home At Last Chance is her brother Tulane’s story and Welcome to Last Chance starts off the series with their brother Clay’s story.

This is a wild crazy story full of wild and crazy characters and it was a splendid, fun and a very entertaining read. The Sorrowful Angel added a unique element to the story that at first I was confused by, but in the end it all came together.

Ruby Rhodes, Rocky’s mom runs the local beauty parlor, and you know how hairdresser’s know everyone secrets, that is definitely the case here. She is also the typical mother than can get her kids do anything she asks, even her oldest son, Stone, the local sheriff.

There is also a fourth book in the works, Last Chance Christmas. I plan to read the first two books before that one is released.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. She’s a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart, and is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She has two grown children and a couple of demanding lap cats. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar.

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

Almost Perfect by Patricia Rice

E-Book Challenge, Reviews 2012 1 Response »

Jan 122012

I have decided to add a little romance to my blog. Many romances contain an element of mystery and many mysteries have an element of romance so this seems like a natural progression. I won a chance to review this e-book from LibraryThing and it seems like a good way to kick off my return to the world of romance. Don’t worry I promise not to go romance crazy.

Almost Perfect (Carolina Series)

Cleo Alyssum has moved to a small seaside town in South Carolina to try to get her life in order. She has a bit of a checkered past. Cleo is on probation and her sister has custody of her son Matty. She has purchased the local hardware store and her past is a secret to her customers. Cleo has befriended a neighbor woman who has her own problems, if for no other reason to help out the woman’s teenage kids. She just has to keep her nose clean and she will get her son back in time for Christmas. The last thing she needs in her life is a man.

Along comes Jared McCloud wanting to rent the beach house on the property. He even offers to pay for repairs and upgrades to the house. Cleo is an extremely private person, she agrees to let him rent the place as long as he respects her privacy. Their lives quickly become intertwined with her holding back and him trying to push forward. Can they have a future in spite of her past?

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I really enjoyed this story. Cleo is a woman trying to turn her life around and it isn’t easy especially because she has shut everyone out. Jared is the man that just may be able to break through her barriers while knocking down a few of his own. Their interplay is entertaining and captivating.

Cleo is also very unconventional with her “zoo” and her wonderful inventions to keep trespassers off her property.

This is more than love story, it does have romance and a few sexy scenes, but there is also humor, drama and even a bit of mystery. This may be my first Patricia Rice novel but it definitely is not my last. I have added the entire Carolina Series to my wish list.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

To find out more about Patricia and all her books check out her web page.