GIVING THANKS 2019

Each year I use this time of the year to "count my blessing" and be thankful - for even the simple things in life. . . How about you?

I am thankful for my family - for my sisters and brother, my husband, his kids and our grandkids, my brother-in-law Zvi, my step-mother, my nephews and my cousins and their collective families. And, and of course, our three dogs - Sparky, Princess, and Bailey.

I am thankful for my friends - some of whom I see more frequently than others, some of whom I've know longer than others. Keeping in touch is definitely easier with social media. 

I am thankful for my health, for the health of those around me. I am thankful when I see our veterans and active military. I am thankful when someone does something nice for me or I see someone do something nice for someone else.

I am thankful for readers and other writers who have supported my writing efforts and provide motivation to keep writing. 

Each year, I say the same thing, and then forget. Maybe next year, I'll look at each day and identify something I am thankful for. 

For those of you who share this American tradition with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole...  I hope you, too, are having a great Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Book Review: DINNER AND A MURDER A Nikki Hunter Mystery #3 by Nancy Skopin

Synopsis

Dinner & A Murder is the third book in a mystery series featuring Nicoli "Nikki" Hunter, a Private Investigator specializing in covert bar and restaurant surveillance.

After surviving two attempts on her life, Nikki decides to do something normal for a change and attend her high school reunion. While there she becomes reacquainted with an old flame, Paul Marks, who is now an air traffic control supervisor. Nikki agrees to have lunch with Paul the following day, and over lunch she becomes convinced that something is terribly wrong. After a few beers and a little persuading, Paul confides that three controllers reporting to him have died in the last two months, under suspicious circumstances.

Nikki insists on looking into the deaths and, with the help of her former mentor, Sam Pettigrew, soon discovers that Paul himself is the target of a ruthless assassin. So much for normal. In an effort to save Paul, Nikki must, once again, put her own life on the line.

Review

A compelling read, Nikki gets involved in what looks like a serial killer of Air Traffic Controllers when an old classmate asks for help. It may be coincidence, but then an attempt is made on Paul's life. This is fast moving with some POV of the killer mixed in with Nikki's own conflicts over commitment, her high school best friend's unhappy marriage and her quirky mentor, Sam Pettigrew. In  her between, Nicki is working covert bar and restaurant surveillance, eating and drinking in multiple places - what a job! 

Nikki is an unpretentious and likable character dealing with her own issues, including quitting smoking. This is the third in the series, but my first and it easily can be read as a stand-alone. That said, you still might want to start at the beginning of the series and keep going. Beware: This is not a cozy - adult language and some may find this offensive.

The Nikki Hunter Mystery Series

Murder on the Menu (#1)

Murder Over Cocktails (#2)

Dinner and a Murder (#3)

Murder a la Carte (#4)

Murder Served Hot (#5)

A Side Order of Murder (#6)

Murder Alfresco (#7)

Murder Served Cold (#8)

Murder Served Al Dente (#9)

Blog Tour & Spotlight: COZY FOOD : 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes Edited by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

A change of pace - happy cooking (and eating)!

Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes
Cozy Cookbook
Good Read Mysteries (May 15, 2014)
Number of Pages: 241 (167 of recipes, 70 of contributor bios and books)
ISBN-10: 0983589178
ISBN-13: 978-0983589174
Kindle ASIN: B00KGZSEQ6

What happens when 128 cozy mystery writers get together to do a cookbook? You get more than 220 recipes that are as varied and interesting as an amateur sleuth’s day job. 

Regional recipes come from every part of the United States and England — a couple find their way from Australia and Italy, too — and from diverse times. There are recipes from people looking to keep gluten out of their lives, eat vegetarian, or make a treat or two for their furry four-legged friends. And yes, there are recipes that appeal to the sweet tooth, lots of them, in fact.

There’s no mystery about what happens when cozy writers get together. They bring the wit, inventiveness, and adventure found in their books right along with their recipes.

The recipes are introduced by their authors and linked to the writer bios in the back of the book

You can look up your favorite cozy writer and see which recipes are their favorites; they'll tell you what the recipe means to them. Or you can enjoy a dish and then link to the recipe's author's biography and books.

Either way you enjoy the cookbook, you're sure to find great new recipes to make and terrific new cozy authors to read.

Contributing Authors: Sparkle Abbey, Ellery Adams, (aka J. B. Stanley, Jennifer Stanley) Judy Alter, Marian Allen, Ritter Ames, Donna Andrews, Traci Andrighetti, Amy Beth Arkawy, Mignon F. Ballard, Sandra Balzo, JoAnn Bassett, Cynthia Baxter, (aka Cynthia Blair) Jenna Bennett, (aka Jennie Bentley) Sally Berneathy, (aka Sally Carleen, Sally Steward, Sara Garrett) Maggie Bishop, Cindy Blackburn, Juliet Blackwell, Susan Furlong Bollinger, Sheila Webster Boneham, Laura Bradford, Frances Brody, Duffy Brown, Joyce Ann Brown, Mollie Bryan, B.B. Cantwell, Laurie Cass, (aka Laura Alden) Nancy J. Cohen, Shelley Costa, Judith Cutler, Rebecca (aka R.P.) Dahlke, Kathi Daley, Kathleen Delaney, Diana Dempsey, Pamela Frost Dennis, Lesley A. Diehl, Leighann Dobbs, Vicki Doudera, Pamela DuMond, Carola Dunn, Jean Erhardt, Chloe Evans, Monica Ferris, (aka Margaret Frazer, Mary Monica Pulver, Mary Kuhfeld) Judy Fitzwater, Chris Forman, Kaye George, Sally Goldenbaum, Barbara Graham, Sarah Graves, Carolyn Haines, (aka R.B. Chesterton) Vinnie Hansen, Traci Hilton, Sibel Hodge, Valerie Horowitz, Mary Ellen Hughes, Linda Joffe Hull, Ellen Elizabeth Hunter, Dawn Greenfield Ireland, Melanie Jackson, Holly Jacobs, Miranda James, (aka Dean James) Nancy Lynn Jarvis, Heather Justesen, Pamela Kelley, E.E. Kennedy, Mary Kennedy, Josi S. Kilpack, Kelly Klepfer, (aka Michelle Griep, Ellie Marks) Barbara Lee Cool, Marilyn Levinson, Liz Lipperman, Gail Lukasik, Elaine Macko, Sylvia Massara, Sonja Massie, (aka G.A. McKevett) Edith Maxwell, (aka Tace Baker) Lorena McCourtney, Marja McGraw, Eileen Haavik McIntire, Staci McLaughlin, Catriona McPherson, Camille Minichino, (aka Margaret Grace, Ada Madison) Marie Moore, Ruth Moose, Amy Myers, Tamar Myers, Christa Nardi, Radine Trees Nehring, Kerri Nelson, Clare O’Donohue, Diana Orgain, Joyce Oroz, Elaine L. Orr, Helen Osterman, Gail Oust, K.B. Owen, Sharon Pape, Nancy J. Parra, (aka Nancy J. Coco) Allison Cesario Paton, Joanne Pence, Maggie Pill, Ann Purser, Melissa Bourbon Ramirez, (aka Melissa Bourbon) Nanci Rathbun, Rosalee Richland, Becky Lyn Rickman, Karen Robbins, Carolyn J. Rose, Pamela Rose, Cindy Sample, June Shaw, Connie Shelton, Clea Simon, Joanna Campbell Slan, Karen Rose Smith, Lane Stone, Maria Grazia Swan, Denise Swanson, Marcia Talley, Nancy Jill Thames, Sharon Burch Toner, Elaine Viets, Lea Wait, Wendy Lyn Watson, (aka Annie Knox) Christine Wenger, Gayle Wigglesworth, Lois Winston, Joan H. Young, Suzanne Young

Editor Nancy Lynn Jarvis was a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years before she fell in love with writing and let her license lapse.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.

Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. She has written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries; a stand-alone novel “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers; edited “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes” and a short story anthology, “Santa Cruz Weird;” and even done a little insider’s book, “The Truth About Hosting Airbnb” about her first year as a host.

Her newest venture is “The Glass House” is the first book in a planned series of PIP Inc. Mysteries. Now she’s trying to figure out when to work on another series she’d love to do called “Geezers with Tools” about two older handymen who will solve mysteries in the course of doing their work, and setting up writer retreats at her house.

Editor Links

Website – https://www.nancylynnjarvis.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2918242.Nancy_Lynn_Jarvis

Purchase – Amazon - Kindle - Amazon Paperback

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 13 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW, RECIPE POST

November 13 – LibriAmoriMiei - REVIEW

November 14 – Here's How It Happened - REVIEW

November 15 – Reading Authors Network – REVIEW, RECIPE POST

November 16 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

November 17 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, RECIPE POST

November 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

November 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

November 19 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

November 19 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW

November 20 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, RECIPE POST

November 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

November 21 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

November 22 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 22 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW, RECIPE POST

November 23 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 23 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

November 24 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 25 – Ruff Drafts – REVIEW

November 26 – Baroness' Book Trove - REVIEW

November 26 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

November 27 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight: A BAD HAIR DAY COOKBOOK Recipes from Nancy J. Cohen's Cozy Mystery Series

A Bad Hair Day Cookbook

Recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s Cozy Mystery Series

Are you having a bad hair day? Whip out your whisk, snatch up your spoon, and prepare your palate. Inside the pages of this cookbook are recipes that will bring you good cheer.

Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla offers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family. Whether you’re a skilled cook or an eager novice, this cookbook will unravel the mystery of cooking. Put on your apron and plan to make some killer recipes!

Bonuses Include:

• Meet the Sleuth
• Introduction by Marla Vail
• Cooking Tips
• Excerpts from Series Titles
• Themed Menu Suggestions
• “A Sabbath Dinner” by Nancy’s Mother

Release Date: November 19, 2019
Digital ISBN: 978-0-9997932-4-4, Orange Grove Press, $4.99
Print ISBN: 978-0-9997932-5-1, Orange Grove Press, $15.99
Cover Design by Boulevard Photografica
Digital Layout by www.formatting4U.com

“Being an empty nester for over a decade, I got out of the habit of cooking and my husband and I eat out all the time. Reading through this cookbook has revived my interest in getting back in the kitchen.” Rhonda Gilliland, Author and Editor of the Cooked to Death Series

“Mysteries and cookbooks belong side by side on readers’ shelves. After untimely death unleashes chaos in fiction, recipe rituals, meal routines, and dining etiquette offer a semblance of civility to restore balance. A Bad Hair Day Cookbook serves up both food and justice.” Christine A. Jackson, Ph.D., Author of Myth and Ritual in Women’s Detective Fiction

“Fans of Nancy Cohen’s prior books already know that her Bad Hair Day series of cozy mysteries are compelling reads, but A Bad Hair Day Cookbook offers something different in presenting recipes by ‘Marla Vail’, the fictional Florida hairstylist and salon owner whose exploits power Cohen’s Bad Hair Day series. These recipes are anything but fictional, however. They not only supplement the series with a fun nonfiction twist, but emphasize Nancy J. Cohen’s original creations (along with recipes from friends and family), designed for busy cooks who may not be out solving crimes, but whose time is equally challenged.” Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

Buy Links
Amazon: 
Apple Books: 
BN Nook: 
Kobo: 
Books2Read: 
Goodreads
Print Edition from Ingram Coming Soon!

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers' Favorite Gold Medal, earned first place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third place in the Arizona Literary Awards, and finaled in the American Fiction Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, has been nominated for an Agatha Award and won a gold medal in the President’s Book Awards from Florida Authors and Publishers Association. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

Contact Nancy at nancy@nancyjcohen.com

NancyJCohen.com

Book Review: LIARS AND LUNATICS IN GOOSE PIMPLE JUNCTION : A Goose Pimple Junction Mystery Book 5 by Amy Metz

Synopsis

It’s election season, and there’s a new candidate in town. Virgil Pepper is determined to take the job from Goose Pimple Junction’s long-time mayor. Virgil is a charming and charismatic candidate but someone who will say anything (and mean none of it) to get what he wants. Three things top his list: to become mayor, to acquire Jackson Wright’s land, and to make Caledonia Culpepper one of his many conquests.

Wynona Baxter is back, and she’s a new woman. Now Daisy has a new identity, new life, and new business–ironically named Killer Cupcakes. But the town soon finds out that isn’t the only kind of killer in town. Book five of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series combines political hijinks, delicious cupcakes, Goose Juice moonshine, the ups and downs of finding true love, and, of course, murder.

It is said that “It’s a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what.” Lying in politics, lying for personal and professional gain, lying about an identity . . . What are the folks of Goose Pimple Junction willing to lie for . . . and what are they willing to die for?

Review

Anyone who enjoys small town politics and the personalities will enjoy this 5th in the Goose Pimple Junction series. Virgil Pepper is threatening the balance of years as he throws his name in for the upcoming mayoral election and woos Caledonia Culpepper. Only thanks to the town gossip, it becomes abundantly clear that Virgil isn't only wooing Caledonia but many others. Someone poisons the local moonshine and there's the new comer to town, Daisy Baker, and her delicious cupcakes - and not so pristine back story. Virgil is dead and there are many questions to be asked, and only some get answered. There is something for everyone in this very fun read.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON

Blog Tour & Review: A LEGACY OF MURDER A Kate Hamilton Mystery by Connie Berry

Synopsis

American antique dealer Kate Hamilton's Christmastime jaunt to a charming English village leads to an investigation of a missing ruby...and a chain of murders.

It's Christmastime and antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is off to visit her daughter, Christine, in the quaint English village of Long Barston. Christine and her boyfriend, Tristan, work at stately-but-crumbling Finchley Hall. Touring the Elizabethan house and grounds, Kate is intrigued by the docent's tales of the Finchley Hoard, and the strange deaths surrounding the renowned treasure trove. But next to a small lake, Kate spies the body of a young woman, killed by a garden spade.

Nearly blind Lady Barbara, who lives at Finchley with her loyal butler, Mugg, persuades Kate to take over the murdered woman's work. Kate finds that a Burmese ruby has vanished from the legendary Blood-Red Ring, replaced by a lesser garnet. Were the theft and the woman's death connected?

Kate learns that Lady Barbara's son fled to Venezuela years before, suspected of murdering another young woman. The murder weapon belonged to an old gardener, who becomes the leading suspect. But is Lady Barbara's son back to kill again? When another body is found, the clues point toward Christine. It's up to Kate to clear her daughter's name in Connie Berry's second Kate Hamilton mystery, a treasure for fans of traditional British mysteries.

Review

A holiday timed mystery, there are many interesting characters, some not so likable, though Kate Hamilton is trying her best to get along with all of them, and suspiciously missing information. The setting is quaint and rich with history. This is the 2nd murder of someone planning to showcase the history of the Finchley Hoard, and now Kate is asked to take over the chore. Nobody really wants to answer all her questions and Lady Barbara has limited vision and Mugg gives the impression of her frailty. Most of the staff have long gone, but Mugg orchestrates appearances to keep Lady Barbara in the dark. And then there's yet another murder, and Kate's daughter might be implicated. This drives a stake between Kate and her would be male friend, the policeman in charge of the investigation.

This is a great story for fans of British mystery, rich with description. Kate is very thorough and dedicated, often dealing with conflictual feelings, not all of them specific to the Finchley Hoard or the ruby.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

About Connie Berry

Like her protagonist, Connie Berry was raised in the antiques trade. After teaching theology for twenty-five years, she took up writing mysteries featuring high-end antiques and the legacy of the past. Connie loves history, cute animals, travel with a hint of adventure, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable dog, Millie.

Author Links: Website –www.connieberry.com

Facebook Author@Facebook.com

Twitter @conniecberry

Goodreads –https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18733373.Connie_Berry

Purchase: Amazon Barnes & Noble Indiebound Kobo


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Blog Tour and Review: THREE WIDOWS AND A CORPSE : A Food Blogger Mystery by Debra Sennefelder

Synopsis

Food blogger Hope Early finds one item not on her scavenger hunt list—a dead husband . . .

Between developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine, Hope has a full plate. Still, she’s never too busy to compete in a Jefferson, Connecticut, tradition—the town’s annual scavenger hunt.

But as she races with her team to check off the next item, Hope discovers a grisly surprise—the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. His wife Elaine, who’s also in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. But two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead.

It turns out this louse of a spouse was more than a little lax in legally divorcing his former wives. Did one of them put a bullet in the bigamist? Number one suspect and number three wife Elaine begs Hope to investigate. Now Hope is on a new kind of hunt—for a cold-hearted killer and triple widow-maker . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

Review

Hope has a lot of things going on, from the opportunity to get back into a top foodie magazine, the network special she's developing recipes for, and her food blog that she has made successful. Add to that helping her sister recover from not being elected Mayor, her role in the annual scavenger hunt, and her own relationship. The dead husband was just one more thing. In between all of this, Hope is NOT investigating. 

The pace is steady and the intersections of characters across settings and how Hope is able to connect the dots is well done. And some of her creations definitely sound yummy. Those who enjoy cozy mysteries will not be disappointed - and you get recipes besides the killer!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

About the Author

Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie and Billy.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Romance Writers of America.

Author Links:

Website – Facebook – Goodreads

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

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