Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween! Friday 56

Happy Halloween to you! 


" I closed my eyes and looked again- again, I swear I saw a shimmer in the deepest shadows along the far wall. Not a light exactly. And certainly not a full-blown movement."


Awesome book! Check it out!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

First in a New Series- A Killer Read by Erika Chase

It's time for another great first!  A Killer Read by Erika Chase debuted in April of 2012. It has led to an awesome series. If you haven't read this series I highly suggest that you add it to your list. You won't be disappointed.



Book Description

 April 3, 2012
For the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, six friends gather in Molly Matthews's old Southern mansion-including Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with a penchant for mysteries. But the mystery book club meeting becomes the scene of an actual murder when a stranger is shot-and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly' antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.

Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox. As she and the book club members try to read between the lines, Molly surfaces as the next name on the killer's list...

You can get it here :


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Author Spotlight- Nancy Coco

The Charming Nancy Coco is our spotlight today! Nancy is the author of the Candy Coated Mystery Series!

Thank you Nancy for many hours of great reading! I love this series and know you all will love it too.



Best known for writing plucky heroines Nancy Coco AKA Nancy J. Parra has 15 books published-

Most recently Nancy has three cozy mystery book series going.
Gluten for Punishment and Murder Gone A-Rye are both part of the Gluten Free Baker's Treat Mystery series. (Berkley Prime Crime)
All Fudge Up and To Fudge or Not To Fudge are part of the Candy Coated Mystery series (Kensington) -which Nancy writes as Nancy Coco
Then there is Engaged in Murder- the first in the Perfect Proposal series from Berkly Prime Crime.

All Fudged Up was Nancy's first National Best seller.

All of these books can be bought on amazon/ It's not to late to start this yummy series. She has a new on soon to be released.





Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Book Release Day- Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant

Happy Book Release day to Ellie Grant! Treacherous Tart  is released today. Isn't that a great cover? Don't miss out on this series!!


Book Description

 October 28, 2014
In this second charming novel in the Pie Shop cozy mystery series, a modern-day Lothario is shot dead, and it’s up to Maggie to clear her aunt and partner-in-pie from the suspect list.

It’s Christmastime at Pie in the Sky, Aunt Clara’s pie shop, and she has a new beau, Donald Wickerson, who loves her Marvelous Mince Pies.

Unfortunately, it seems that this holiday, Donald might only be interested in Aunt Clara for her money. Ryan and Maggie research his background and find he’s had several wives who met with unfortunate “accidents” that left him wealthier. Now they have to convince Aunt Clara that her boyfriend is after more than just her pie recipes.

When Donald stumbles into Pie in the Sky and dies after being shot, Aunt Clara is devastated—and also a suspect, since everyone in Durham knows about Donald from Ryan’s newspaper article. Now Maggie and Ryan will have to prove that someone else in the long list of people he’d wronged finally got the courage to end his life.



if you haven't got it , you can get it here:




Monday, October 27, 2014

Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Happy Monday! I was so happy to read this book for review! Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan! 

The Latest thriller from one of the nation's top investigative reporters and multi-award winning author Truth Be Told was released on October 7th. 


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s NBC afliate. She’s won 32 EMMYs, 12
Edward R. Murrow awards and dozens of other honors for her ground-breaking journalism. A bestselling
author of seven mystery novels, Ryan has won multiple prestigious awards for her crime fction: three
Agathas, the Anthony, Daphne, Macavity, and for THE OTHER WOMAN, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark
Award. National reviews have called her a “master at crafting suspenseful mysteries” and “a superb and gifted
storyteller.” Her 2013 novel, THE WRONG GIRL, has the extraordinary honor of winning the Agatha Award
for Best Contemporary Novel and the Daphne Award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense, and is a seven-week
Boston Globe bestseller. Her newest hardcover, TRUTH BE TOLD, is a Library Journal Editor’s Pick and RT Book
Reviews Top Pick, with starred reviews from Booklist and from Library Journal, which raves, “Drop everything
and binge read!” She’s a founding teacher at Mystery Writers of America University and 2013 president of
national Sisters in Crime.



My review:

Hank Phillippi Ryan is a master at story telling and she has done it again with her third installment of the Jane Ryland series. She captivates you and keeps you mesmerized through this entire book. The characters she has built are strong and vibrant and the plot is intense. Jane Ryland is a solid character and she is a great reporter who will stop at nothing to get her story. This is a must read and once you start there is no stopping. 


Want to find out more:

Hank’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/hankpryan

(There are other links for purchases available, which you can find here)






Sunday, October 26, 2014

Weekly Wrap Up # 42

Here is what happened this week.

Oct 25th- Book Trivia hosted by Heather Webber

Books I've read:

Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Murder in Real Time by Julie Anne Lindsey

Coming this week:

Oct.27th-  Book Review- Truth be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Oct.28th- Book Release- Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant
Oct.29th- Author Spotlight- Nancy Coco
Oct 30th- First in a New Series- A Killer Read by Erika Chase
Oct.31- Scavenger Hunt
Nov.1st- Book Trivia- Peg Cochran

Hope to see you here!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Book Trivia hosted by Heather Webber

It's time for trivia and I am thrilled to have Heather Webber hosting it today! All you have to do is answer the questions and leave your answers and email for a chance to win this:


Here we go!!!


Good Luck!!
From A Potion To Die For, the first book in the Magic Potion shop mysteries:

1 .What are the names of Carly Bell Hartwell’s two cats?
2 .What nickname does Carly have for her three aunts?
3 .What is the name of the town Carly lives in?
4 .What is the name of Carly’s mama’s wedding chapel?
5 .What is the name of the town’s coffee shop?
6 .What does Carly’s cousin Delia sell in her shop?
7. What is the name of Carly’s neighbor who gives matrimonial forecasts?

Have fun and go!! The winner will be chosen Sunday afternoon!



Friday, October 24, 2014

Murder in Real Time by Julie Anne Lindsey


What a great way to start the weekend with a fabulous book tour. I'm excited to have with us today Julie Anne Lindsey!! Welcome!

murder in real time large banner640

Murder in Real Time
by Julie Anne Lindsey


The mystery is interesting and kept me flipping the pages until the end, wanting to know who was doing this and why. I also really liked the way the author tells the story. She’s creative with it and I felt like I was one of the islanders through most of the story.
~The Gal in the Blue Mask
As for the mystery, it’s an engaging one that will keep the reader hooked all the way to the end… So as I tell my students – if you want to know what happens you HAVE to read the book. Seriously, I highly recommend you read the book. My to be read list is out of control and there’s not much room to add more, so when I say that I’m adding a series to my must read list (you know the list of authors/series that you always buy?) then you know the book is a must read.
~Booklady’s Booknotes
Murder, mayhem and a dash of romance kept me fully occupied…
~The Ninja Librarian
I liked the way Patience talked to people and got information out of them, you can tell she’s a counselor, she has a way with her of getting people to open up. The mystery was well plotted and intriguing, there’s a nice romantic touch, lovely descriptions of the island, and with plenty of suspects that kept me guessing till the end…
~Carole’s Book Corner
This was a fun new mystery. I liked the characters and the location. While you can jump right in and start with this book and not be at all lost, it stands alone, I find I want to know more and will go back to read the first two in the series.
~Rantin’, Ravin’ and Reading

  • Print Length: 228 pages
  • Publisher: Carina Press (September 29, 2014)
  • ASIN: B00KV62MK4

Synopsis:
Book three of The Patience Price Mysteries
With the chaos of summer tourists and fall birders out of town, counselor Patience Price is looking forward to the quiet life she remembers. She longs for some peace. And an apple fritter. But the calm is cut short when a reality show sets up camp to film a special about ghosts on her little island. Now fans, reporters and crew have flocked to sleepy Chincoteague. Who knew ghost hunters had an entourage?
When two cast members are killed in a room at the local B&B—a room usually occupied by Patience’s FBI agent boyfriend, Sebastian—she finds herself on the case. Sebastian doesn’t want Patience ruffling any feathers but, as always, she can’t help herself.
Patience promises to let Sebastian handle the investigation—he is FBI, after all—but after a drive-by shooting, her wicked curiosity gets the best of her. And with the TV show forging ahead with filming, the list of suspects (and the line of food trucks) only grows. But has the shooter already flown the coop? And how do you find a killer when you don’t know who the target is?

My Review:

This book is a captivating whodunit. Patience is a strong character and her friends are likable and make for a great story. The plot is fun and keeps you wanting more.I like how you get right into the story and it keeps you going from the start.  I didn't read the first two books but will go back and read them.

Patience and her friend Claire always seem to find trouble and this time was no exception when they get mixed up in a murder. Sebastian is on the case to find the killer before they attack again.Patience promised him that she would stay out of it. He knows that she can't keep that promise so he has to keep her from getting hurt all the while trying to find the killer.

You will not be able to put this book down once you start.

Writing: Free Therapy by Julie Anne Lindsey
Do you have any phobias?
I’m not sure I have “phobias’, but I’m afraid of more things all the time. Growing up, I was the least likely child to be abducted because you wouldn’t find me out without a grown up, talking to anyone I’d met less than ninety-seven times (relatives included) or doing anything less than cowering behind my dad’s leg. I’ve long been protective of my body, my safety and my health. I was a dedicated hand-washer before wans washing was cool and I’d stay inside the hotel if my mom forgot to buy sunscreen. In hindsight, I was probably a pain to raise, but I was never in trouble, so there’s that.
So, how did a Chicken Little like me end up writing mysteries? Well, it’s free therapy. Like I said, I’m afraid of everything. Let me list a few things to help you see my problem. Are you ready? *clears throat* My shadow. Not a joke. Abduction. I hate bugs, especially things that fly and spiders. All spiders. I don’t like the dark. I avoid stranger-danger (which made dating in my twenties an impossibility. My girlfriends saw potential sex partners. I saw Ted Bundy. Roofies and Dateline specials on date rape and domestic violence). Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of new experiences either because - unknown. I also dislike crowds, they make me panicky and insecure. I’m terrified to the point of tears when faced with monkeys or their likeness. They can be on television or in photos. Doesn’t matter and I will not go anywhere near them at a zoo. I believe with all my soul they want to kill me in grotesque and animalistic ways. Moving on…..I also fear horses. Have you seen how fast they run? Have you seen the size of their teeth?? They kick, really hard and watch people with big intelligent eyes. They can kill you. Period. They might not be plotting like monkeys, but they’re capable, so I steer clear. I don’t like stray dogs or random wandering animals, domestic or otherwise because they want to bite me. I’m not a fan of driving and I detest highway travel. When I’m at the wheel, I will go thirty minutes out of my way to take back roads. I never watch or read scary stories and I hate when they show previews for scary things during the Today Show, my only non-recorded television viewing because then I have to cover my eyes and listen for it to be over. I fear Oompa Loompas, rightly so, because last year year there was an Oompa Loompa attack in London. I’m not joking. After twenty years of telling my mom they were dangerous, I had my proof and she laughed. Apparently people dressed as Oompas didn’t count as actual Oompas to her. She’s picky like that. The dentist freaks me out, too and I sing old jingles in my head during every checkup and cleaning. I worry I will get lice in a theatre or bed bugs in hotels. I bring my own bowling shoes and roller skates. Rent shoes? Um, no. Attics and unfinished basements bother me. I don’t answer the door for deliveries. You will need to leave that on the doormat. I watch television. I know things. I also worry about killers posing as policemen, and something evil lurking at fairs, festivals and inside funhouses. Are you wondering how I survive? So am I.
I think I’ve been writing more suspense and mystery lately as an outlet for my … issues. It’s nice to see my characters survive. It gives me hope. As official ruler of my worlds, I know the heroine will be okay in the end, get the bad guy and maybe come out a little stronger or wiser for her bravery and tenacious quest for truth. I live vicariously through them. I feel their fears in my soul and root for them with every keystroke. Seeing good things come from scary situations helps me sleep at night. I like knowing no matter what my heroine faces, she can survive it. It gives me hope. I won’t accept candy front strangers anytime soon or park beside one of those panel vans, but I also won’t cross the street when faced with
a squirrel, so that’s a start.
If you’re in the mood for a fun new amateur sleuth series, I hope you’ll consider giving mine a try. My heroine, Patience, is a little quirky and spirited, but she’s clever and lovable too. Of course, I’m utterly biased.
Murder in Real Time
With the chaos of summer tourists and fall birders out of town, counselor Patience Price is looking forward to the quiet life she remembers. She longs for some peace. And an apple fritter. But the calm is cut short when a reality show sets up camp to film a special about ghosts on her little island. Now fans, reporters and crew have flocked to sleepy Chincoteague. Who knew ghost hunters had an entourage?
When two cast members are killed in a room at the local B&B—a room usually occupied by Patience's FBI agent boyfriend, Sebastian—she finds herself on the case. Sebastian doesn't want Patience ruffling any feathers but, as always, she can't help herself.
Patience promises to let Sebastian handle the investigation—he is FBI, after all—but after a drive-by shooting, her wicked curiosity gets the best of her. And with the TV show forging ahead with filming, the list of suspects (and the line of food trucks) only grows. But has the shooter already flown the coop? And how do you find a killer when you don't know who the target is?



Lindsey_headshot
About This Author
Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. She’s a self-proclaimed nerd with a penchant for words and proclivity for fun. Julie lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three small children. Today, she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world.

Author Links
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo

Thursday, October 23, 2014

First in a New Series- Double Booked for Murder

It's time for another First in a Series. Double Booked for Murder by Ali Brandon starts the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series.


Book Description

 December 6, 2011
As the new owners of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee...and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup: the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's ruled an accident-until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise...


Haven't started this one? Well here is your chance to..



Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Author Spotlight- Rosie Genova

Happy Wednesday to you!!Today I am spotlighting the Lovely Rosie Genova. Rosie is the author of the Italian Kitchen Mystery Series. Thanks Rosie for hours of great reading!

Rosie GenovaMurder and Marinara: An Italian Kitchen Mystery (An Italian Kitchen Mystery series Book 1) The Wedding Soup Murder: An Italian Kitchen Mystery (An Italian Kitchen Mystery series Book 2) 


National bestselling author Rosie Genova is proud to be a Jersey girl. The inspiration for her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, comes from her deep appreciation for Italian food, her affinity for the Jersey shore, and her love of classic mysteries from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. The first book in the series, Murder and Marinara, was named a Best Cozy of 2013 by Suspense Magazine and is a 2014 finalist for a Daphne Award by the Kiss of Death mystery chapter of RWA. When not at her writing desk, Rosie can be found in Room 111 teaching English and journalism. She still lives in her favorite state with her husband and the youngest of her three Jersey boys. Rosie also writes women's fiction as Rosemary DiBattista.

You can get her books here if you haven't already! Don't miss out on this series!


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

It's Here!! Double Strike by Gretchen Archer!

The book you all have been waiting for is here!! Double Strike by Gretchen Archer has hit the book stores and e-readers! Did you get it? 

Gretchen is amazing and her books are incredible you will be reading all night long! So Celebrate and get this book today!



Book Description

 October 21, 2014

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Double Strike is special—funny, unique, and I love Davis.” – Janet Evanovich

Bellissimo Resort and Casino Super Spy Davis Way knows three things: Cooking isn’t a prerequisite for a happy marriage, don’t trust men who look like David Hasselhoff, and money doesn’t grow on Christmas trees. None of which help when a storm hits the Gulf a week before the most anticipated event in Bellissimo history: the Strike It Rich Sweepstakes. Securing the guests, staff, and property might take a stray bullet. Or two.
Bellissimo Resort and Casino Super Spy Davis Way has three problems: She’s desperate to change her marital status, she has a new boss who speaks in hashtags, and Bianca Sanders has confiscated her clothes. All of which bring on a headache hot enough to spark a fire. Solving her problems means stealing a car. From a dingbat lawyer.
Bellissimo Resort and Casino Super Spy Davis Way has three goals: Keep the Sanders family out of prison, regain her footing in her relationship, and find the genius who wrote the software for futureGaming. One of which, the manhunt one, is iffy. Because when Alabama hides someone, they hide them good.
DOUBLE STRIKE. A VIP invitation to an extraordinary high-stakes gaming event, as thieves, feds, dance instructors, shady bankers, kidnappers, and gold waiters go all in. #Don’tMissIt


You don't want to miss a single minute of this book!


Monday, October 20, 2014

Guest Post by Miranda James

I am so thrilled to have  Miranda James a.k.a.Dean James with us today! Miranda is the author of The Cat in the Stack Mysteries and her newest Southern Ladies  mystery, Bless Her Dead Little Heart!

So glad you can be with us today Miranda.  I am a big fan of your books! Looking forward to what will be next!





Belles of Steel
By Miranda James


Every small Southern town has them – those indomitable women who run all kinds of organizations, from garden and bridge clubs to charitable agencies. Often they come from the town’s oldest families, generation after generation of club women who oil the wheels of the social engine. These were exactly the women I needed when I was working on Out of Circulation, the fourth book in my “Cat in the Stacks” series.
The story revolved around fund-raising efforts for the local public library – in this case, the fictional Athena (Mississippi) Public Library. I needed strong characters for the Friends of the Library Board of Directors, and I counted on disagreements among the members. Has there ever been a committee when members didn’t butt heads over even the most minute of details? Perfect starting point for conflict in a murder mystery, I thought.
In the spring of 2011 I attended the first-ever Daddy’s Girls Weekend, an event put together by my friend and fellow writer, Carolyn Haines, author of the Sarah Booth Delaney series. There I met two sisters, An’gel Ducote Molpus and Dickce Ducote Little, who inspired me to create their fictional counterparts, Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce Ducote.
The fictional sisters are several decades older, unmarried, and childless, yet their characters owe much to their real-life inspirations. The Ducote sisters are the true grandes dames of Athena society, intelligent, hard-working, and intolerant of pretention and snobbery. The conflict between them and the character of Vera Cassity was an essential element of the story, and I had great fun with the scenes involving these characters.
Not long after I finished Out of Circulation I was working on ideas for a second series, one that would feature two older
women characters. After discussion with my agent and my editor, we settled on making the Ducote sisters the main characters. I loved them, my editor loved them, and evidently so did my readers. Thus was the new series born.
The first book in the “Southern Ladies” mysteries, Bless Her Dead Little Heart, is officially out on October 7th. The Ducote sisters are on their own as amateur detectives, because Charlie Harris and his family are in France on vacation. They do have the assistance of Diesel, the Maine Coon cat, who makes a cameo appearance in the book. An old sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, turns up on the sisters’ doorstep one August afternoon and claims that someone in her family is trying to murder her. Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce know that Rosabelle loves being the center of attention, but this sounds a bit over-the-top even for this self-absorbed socialite. When Rosabelle’s family members follow her to Athena, however, the sisters quickly discover that one of them does have murder in mind.

I had great fun writing this book, letting the sisters have their way. I hope readers will have fun, too, getting to know Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce.
Some of Miranda's books:

The Silence of the Library (Cat in the Stacks Mystery Book 5) Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks Mystery Book 1) Out of Circulation (Cat in the Stacks Mystery)  Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks Mystery Book 2)

Read Humane File M for Murder (Cat in the Stacks Mystery)


Check out amazon for all of these great reads!



Dean James/Miranda James
Bless Her Dead Little Heart  (Berkley Prime Crime, Oct. 7, 2014)
Arsenic and Old Books (Berkley Prime Crime hardcover, Jan. 27, 2015)
www.catinthestacks.com



Sunday, October 19, 2014

Weekly Wrap Up #41

Here's What happened this week:


Books I've read:

Stirring the Plot by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Legend of Sleepy Harlow by Kylie Logan

Coming this week:

Oct 20th- Guest Post- Dean James
Oct 21st- Book Review
Oct 22nd- Author Spotlight- Rosie Genova
Oct 23rd- First in a New Series- Double Booked for Murder
Oct 24th- Blog Tour- Murder in Reel Time
Oct 25th- Book Trivia hosted by Heather Webber

I Hope you will come and check it out this week!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Book Trivia hosted by Ritter Ames

It's time for trivia and today's lovely host is.. Ritter Ames!! The trivia is from her Organized Mysteries! Leave your answers here and the winner will be chosen tomorrow afternoon!!


Here we go! Good Luck.

1.So far in the Organized Mysteries series, the murders have occurred because of job Kate contracted to work for her organizational company. What is the name of Kate’s small business venture?
2.What is Meg always wondering about Lieutenant Johnson?
3.Why did the McKenzie family move to Hazelton, VT?
4.What is the occupation of Meg Berman’s husband, Gil?
5.In Organized for Murder, what beverage does the client (and first victim) share with Kate until they are interrupted?
6.Kate and Meg are best friends now, and work well together in the organization business, but Kate had never really had a close friend before. Why?
7.In Organized for Homicide, the suspect has a fledging small business of her own that is getting a lot of attention. What kind of business is it?
8.In Organized for Murder, Keith had organized the neighborhood kids in a game of street hockey. His and Kate’s daughters played the same position—but on opposite teams—as Keith played during his pro years. What position is that?
9.How many children does Meg have?
10.The Berman household is full of pets—two dogs, two cats, and a bearded dragon at the moment. What pet did Kate’s girls finally get in Organized for Homicide after bugging her for months to let them have a pet of their own?

The prize is:
Kate and Meg are the best kind of friends—they support each other while accepting the other’s flaws and failings. They are also moms who know advice shared makes life just that much easier. Because of their friendship—and because Kate is still getting acclimated to Vermont’s brisk weather—the giveaway is a pair of Organized for Homicide porcelain mugs, so the winner can share with her/his best friend, and they can both use the mugs to enjoy warm beverages in the upcoming cooler months. Also included will be a pair of magnetic clips to share—perfect for keeping shopping notes on the refrigerator, or for lists of phone numbers of favorite people.


First in Series- Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross

Happy Monday! This week's First in Series is Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross Released on August 22, 2000. Seri...