Babs Hightower's Blog
October 2, 2019
Bab’s boys.
Some of Bab’s clients have expressed a desire to contribute directly to our boys. So, a gofundme page was setup to allow anyone to contribute should they wish to do so.
I am honored to know, that she reached so many people and made an impact on their lives.
She may be gone from this earthly plane, but I know in my heart, she will not be forgotten. She will live on in our hearts, and in our memories.
Tom
https://www.gofundme.com/f/barbara-babs-hightower-memorial-fund
The post Bab’s boys. appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 17, 2019
The Garden Club Murder (A Tish Tarragon Mystery) by Amy Patricia Meade
The Garden Club Murder (A Tish Tarragon Mystery)
by Amy Patricia Meade
About The Garden Club Murder
The Garden Club Murder (A Tish Tarragon Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Severn House Publishers (September 1, 2019)
Hardcover: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 0727889443
ISBN-13: 978-0727889447
Digital ASIN: B07TXLVLPP
Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win.
Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane’s bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?
About Amy Patricia Meade
Author of the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade is a native of Long Island, NY where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.
After stints as an Operations Manager for a document imaging company and a freelance technical writer, Amy left the bright lights of New York City and headed north to pursue her creative writing career amidst the idyllic beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains.
Now residing in Bristol, England, Amy spends her time writing mysteries with a humorous or historical bent. When not writing, Amy enjoys traveling, testing out new recipes, classic films, and exploring her new home.
Author Links:
Webpage: https://amypatriciameade.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.patriciameade/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amypatriciameade/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amypmeade
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/174006.Amy_Patricia_Meade
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – AbeBooks
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
September 17 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 17 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
September 18 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 18 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 19 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 20 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 20 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
September 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 22 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
September 23 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
September 24 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 24 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
September 25 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 26 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
September 28 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 28 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
September 29 –Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
The post The Garden Club Murder (A Tish Tarragon Mystery) by Amy Patricia Meade appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 12, 2019
The House on Hallowed Ground (A Misty Dawn Mystery) by Nancy Cole Silverman
The House on Hallowed Ground (A Misty Dawn Mystery)
by Nancy Cole Silverman
About the Book
The House on Hallowed Ground (A Misty Dawn Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Henery Press (September 10, 2019)
Hardcover: 260 pages
ISBN-10: 163511554X
ISBN-13: 978-1635115543
Paperback: 260 pages
ISBN-10: 1635115515
ISBN-13: 978-1635115512
Digital ASIN: B07TKNGZ2Z
When Misty Dawn, a former Hollywood Psychic to the Stars, moves into an old craftsman house, she encounters the former owner, the recently deceased Hollywood set designer, Wilson Thorne.
Wilson is unaware of his circumstances, and when Misty explains the particulars of his limbo state, and how he might help himself if he helps her, he’s not at all happy. That is until young actress Zoey Chamberlain comes to Misty’s door for help.
Zoey has recently purchased The Pink Mansion, a historic Hollywood Hills home, and believes it’s haunted. But when Misty arrives to search the house, it’s not a ghost she finds, but a dead body.
The police are quick to suspect Zoey of murdering her best friend. Zoey maintains her innocence and fears her friend’s death may have been a result of the ghost…and a long-time family curse.
Together Misty and Wilson must untangle the secrets of The Pink Mansion or submit to the powers of the family curse.
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About Nancy Cole Silverman
Nancy Cole Silverman’s realization that she and Edgar Allen Poe shared the same birthday sparked her lifelong interest in mystery fiction. After a very successful career in the radio industry she turned to writing, and her crime-focused novels and short stories have attracted readers throughout America. Her Carol Childs Mysteries series (Henery Press) features a single-mom whose “day job” as a reporter at a busy Los Angeles radio station often leads to long nights as a crime-solver. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.
Author Links –
Facebook – GoodReads – Twitter: @NancyColeSilve1
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
September 9 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
September 10 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – COZY WEDNESDAY
September 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 12 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 12 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
September 13 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 14 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
September 16 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
September 16 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
September 17 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
September 18 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
September 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
September 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
September 22 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
The post The House on Hallowed Ground (A Misty Dawn Mystery) by Nancy Cole Silverman appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 11, 2019
A Tangle in the Vines (A Calla Lily Mystery) by Anna Celeste Burke
A Tangle in the Vines
(A Calla Lily Mystery)
by Anna Celeste Burke
About A Tangle In The Vines
A Tangle in the Vines (A Calla Lily Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Independently Published (September 10, 2019)
Number of Pages 250 pages with recipes
ASIN: B07T62B16Q
The curtain may fall on the Calla Lily Players’ first season unless Lily and Austin can find a killer on the loose in California’s wine country. Torrential rains threaten to put a damper on The Calla Lily Players’ first outdoor theater production. When the ground suddenly shifts, buried secrets revealed amid the tangled vines put the spotlight on murder. As Lily and Austin dig deeper into the mystery, the drama unfolds onstage and off. The race is on to find a killer before opening night.
Grab your copy of the second book in the Calla Lily Mystery series by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Anna Celeste Burke and join the race! Recipes Included. Free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
Guest Post
A Cozy Mystery Romance Series in California’s Wine Country
Greetings from the hot, hot, hot California desert!
I want to say thanks to Bab’s Bistro for the opportunity to visit with you on her delightful blog and to Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tours for organizing this opportunity to introduce my new book in a new series: A Tangle in the Vines, Calla Lily Mystery #2.
I am so excited about my new Calla Lily Mystery series set in California’s wine country. The Calla Lily Mystery series is my fifth cozy mystery series. As in the others, you’ll find me snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! As I’ve developed each new series, I’ve been heading north from SoCal where I grew up. Although I spent much of my adult life elsewhere, when I retired, I came back to California and now call the toasty desert near Palm Springs, home.
Wine country, centered in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, is an intriguing setting because of its laidback, small-town rural lifestyle and lavish, physical beauty. There’s something wildly romantic, too, about the rolling hills, the lush vineyards, the play of light and shadows as the sun passes from day into night. The evenings are especially enchanting when moonlight bathes the countryside. All that’s a perfect backdrop for romance to bloom between the two lead characters, Lilian Callahan and Deputy US Marshal, Austin Jennings.
In book one, after her Great Aunt Lettie dies, Lily comes home to a hail of bullets. That’s before she learns she’s inherited the Calla Lily Vineyards, Winery, and Playhouse. Sparks fly when a hunky lawman wearing a Stetson hat, cowboy boots, and a beguiling grin comes to Lily’s assistance. He’s intent on helping Lily discover who wants her dead and why, but it soon becomes apparent that his interest in Lily isn’t strictly professional. She shares Austin’s instant attraction. As a Hollywood actress who, until recently, had a starring role in a long-running daytime soap opera, Lily was in ‘Tinsel Town’ too long to believe in love at first sight.
There’s also the little matter of all the murder and mayhem going on around them. Life in small-town California wine country turns out to be a tangled vine of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. I love playing off the idyllic setting against all the hidden motives that drive people to misbehave. In book two, there’s another tangle in the vines that puts the spotlight on murder. Lily and her friends were hoping to produce and perform a brand-new play during the Napa Thanksgiving Harvest Festival. Less than ninety days away, that already required a minor miracle. A killer on the loose is all they need.
Another reason I love California’s wine country as the backdrop for this series is that the area wreaks of mystery rooted in its status and history. The wine industry is highly competitive. Grapes are tricky. They need to be picked at just the right moment and handled the right way to produce a palatable wine. Strategies for creating a prize-winning vintage require technical know-how, data, intuition, and the ability to be flexible in the face of the curveballs Mother Nature throws. Vineyards and wineries need money. I see the potential for funny business and foul-play everywhere!
Initially inhabited by native tribes that were all but wiped out by waves of invaders, elements of their heritage remain. The Spanish settled in the area building missions, and after the Mexican revolution for independence, the Mexican government controlled the area. After the Mexican American War, the Anglos moved in, stampeding into Northern California during the gold rush. Thirsty gold miners spurred the development of the first wave of wineries farther to the east than the Napa Valley. Hidden in that history are motives, means, and opportunities for skullduggery.
In cozy mysteries, despite the nasty, dangerous business of crime, there are all sorts of resources to deploy to combat the mischief. Of course, that includes a resourceful amateur sleuth who, in Lily’s case, happens to come into a fortune and has an inside track into the US Marshals Service. Friends like her aunt’s best friend, Judy Tucker who steps in for Lettie, and Lily’s posse of divas from LA. Plus, there are four-legged friends, too, like Lily’s beloved Miniature Pinscher, Marlowe. Humor, food, and well-crafted wine also offer a few creature comforts while trying to figure out whodunit.
There’s more to come for Lily, Austin, Marlowe, and their friends. In Fall’s Killer Vintage, the Taste of Napa Challenge turns out to be more challenging than anyone ever imagined. One of the wines entered in the competition is more than a little disappointing when it turns out to be a killer vintage. When one of Aunt Lettie’s old friends turns out to be a suspect, Lily is soon caught up in the mystery. Is the murder of a federal judge about a rivalry among vintners, or is someone out for revenge?
I hope you’ll grab the first two books in the series and join in on the misadventures in wine country. Cheers!
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About Anna Celeste Burke
An award-winning, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, I hope you’ll join me snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, and food—California style!
Life is an extravaganza! Figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge. On my way to Oahu, to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed as a runaway. Eventually, the police let me go, but the rock band broke up.
Retired now, I’m still married to the same sweet guy and live with him near Palm Springs, California. I write the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set here in the Coachella Valley, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series set along California’s Central Coast, The Georgie Shaw Mystery series set in the OC, The Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery Series set on the so-called American Riviera, just north of Santa Barbara, and The Calla Lily Mystery series where the murder and mayhem take place in California’s Wine Country. Won’t you join me? Sign up at: http://desertcitiesmystery.com.
Author Links
Website: https://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7553558.Anna_Celeste_Burke
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-celeste-burke
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
September 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
September 12 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
September 12 – ❧Defining Ways❧ – SPOTLIGHT
September 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 13 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
September 13 – Laura’s Interests – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
September 13 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
September 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
September 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
September 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
September 15 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
September 15 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
September 15 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
September 16 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 16 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
September 16 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
The post A Tangle in the Vines (A Calla Lily Mystery) by Anna Celeste Burke appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 10, 2019
Ring-A-Ding Dead! (A Myriad Mystery) by Claire Logan
Ring-A-Ding Dead!
(The Myriad Mysteries)
by Claire Logan
About Ring-A-Ding Dead!
Ring-A-Ding Dead! (The Myriad Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (May 29, 2019)
Print Length: 244 pages
Digital ASIN: B07SG1XXM6
Just married! It’s time for a … murder?
When checking into the posh Myriad Hotel on their honeymoon, Hector and Pamela Jackson discover a dead body! All the couple wants to do, though, is keep out of the commotion and enjoy some well-earned rest.
But another person dies, and they happen to appear at the crime scene. When a third person falls right in front of them, the police begin to wonder why.
Who’s responsible for the murders? Why are they happening? Are the couple under suspicion? Where does the little stray dog hanging around the hotel entrance come from? And when are Hector and Pamela finally going to have a proper honeymoon?
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About Claire Logan
I’ve loved reading since I can remember! I love puzzles and mysteries and intrigue, and of all the cities I’ve been to, Chicago is my favorite. My four years of living in Chicago during grad school were wonderful. Plus I love history. And wasn’t the 1920’s wild? I’ve always wanted to write a series set in Chicago and now here’s my chance.
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claireloganauthor
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/claire-logan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18783548.Claire_Logan
Purchase Links
Amazon: (on Kindle Unlimited)
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 11 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
September 12 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
September 13 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW
September 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 15 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 17 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
September 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
September 18 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
September 19 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 20 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
September 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
September 21 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
September 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
September 22 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
September 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post Ring-A-Ding Dead! (A Myriad Mystery) by Claire Logan appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 9, 2019
Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook
Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery
by Allison Brook
About the Buried in the Stacks
Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 10, 2019)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1643851381
ISBN-13: 978-1643851389
Digital ASIN: B07NKPTL81
Librarian Carrie Singleton is building a haven, but one of her neighbors is misbehavin’. Can resident spirit Evelyn help Carrie catch the culprit who made her a ghost?
In winter, the Haunted Library is a refuge for homeless townspeople. When a group purchases a vacant house to establish a daytime haven for the homeless, Carrie offers the library as a meeting place for the Haven House committee, but quickly learns that it may be used for illegal activities.
As the new Sunshine Delegate, Carrie heads to the hospital to visit her cantankerous colleague, Dorothy, who had fallen outside the local supermarket. She tells Carrie that her husband tried to kill her–and that he murdered her Aunt Evelyn, the library’s resident ghost, six years earlier.
And then Dorothy is murdered–run off the road as soon as she returns to work. Evelyn implores Carrie to find her niece’s killer, but that’s no easy task: Dorothy had made a hobby of blackmailing her neighbors and colleagues. Carrie, Evelyn, and Smoky Joe the cat are on the case, but are the library cards stacked against them?
Guest Post
Some Thoughts On Writing a Novel
I spent the first six months of 2019 writing the fourth book of my Haunted Library mystery series. Then, to my surprise, it was finished—the murderer revealed, loose ends tied up at 80,000 plus words—just like the previous three books. Surprised because I’d simply sat down each day for a few hours in the late afternoon and wrote a few pages at a time.
I approached this book as both a plotter and a pantser—starting out as a plotter with a clear idea of the book’s framework: two groups of characters with a murder in each camp linked to a murder that took place twenty years earlier in Clover Ridge, the setting of my series. Once I worked out how the murders were connected, I began writing as a pantser. Scene after scene came to mind and my story unfolded. I’m not saying I never got stuck, but it was never over anything major and never for long. I have line-edited two-thirds of the manuscript so far, and the only edits I’ve made involve changing words or phrases for clarity and smoother reading.
I began to wonder how this relative ease—and I say relative because I feel a pang of anxiety every time I sit down to write—came about. Writing a mystery, regardless of the subgenre, requires attention to one’s characters’ development and interactions, careful plotting, and good pacing to maintain the reader’s attention without telescoping the identity of the murderer. A mystery writer must deal with many elements simultaneously, similar to the way a puppeteer has to control a marionette’s many strings when performing.
I believe that becoming a good fiction writer is an ongoing process. We learn as we take courses, study technique, critique one another, and continue to write. Soon we no longer have to stop to consciously think: does this scene further the plot? Do I need to bring in the murderer more frequently? Am I remembering to show character development? Not revealing too much too soon? These are important issues that must be addressed. Eventually, they are dealt with on a subconscious level. As we continue to work on our novels and short stories we acquire the ability to know how and what to write.
Years ago, I read Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: the Story of Success. Using Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the Beatles as examples of masters in their fields, he surmises that learning, practicing and/or performing roughly ten thousand hours in their areas of expertise led to their high achievement in their chosen fields. I’ve no way of knowing if ten thousand hours of writing and learning about writing will make a good fiction writer, but I do know that becoming one requires hard work. Until what we’ve taken in becomes ingrained in our minds and our souls, to be made use of intuitively—like a seasoned tennis player knows subliminally where to send the next volley so his or her opponent can’t return it. It’s all part of a process that requires dedication and discipline—and constant writing.
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About Allison Brook
Allison Brook is the pseudonym for Marilyn Levinson, who writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. She lives on Long Island and enjoys traveling, reading, watching foreign films, doing Sudoku and dining out. She especially loves to visit with her grandchildren on FaceTime.
Author Links
Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
My Amazon page: http://amzn.to/K6Md1O
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
September 10 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 10 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
September 11 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
September 11 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
September 12 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 12 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 13 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
September 13 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
September 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 15 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
September 15 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
September 16 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 16 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 17 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 17 – That’s What She’s Reading – GUEST POST
September 18 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 18 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 19 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
September 19 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
September 20 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
The post Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
Babs
I am Tommy, Babs husband. For those whom may not have seen the posts on social media, she passed away Saturday evening.
She loved her books, dogs, kids, grandkids, and me too. She will be missed greatly. She will always be the love of my life. What I wanted to do, was take a moment and share a picture of the woman I love. You all read, and used or viewed her work here. However some of you may never have saw the woman behind the scenes. So this is the love of my life Babs. She really was the best wife, mother, friend and grandmother any one could have ever asked for. My heart has a hole in it that will never heal.
Till we meet again my love!
The post Babs appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 5, 2019
Remembering the Dead: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J. Duncan
Remembering the Dead:
A Penny Brannigan Mystery
by Elizabeth J. Duncan
About Remembering the Dead
Remembering the Dead: A Penny Brannigan Mystery
Cozy Mystery
10th in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 10, 2019)
Hardcover: 296 Pages
ISBN-10: 1643851136
ISBN-13: 978-1643851136
Digital ASIN: B07NKQ22XN
In award-winning author Elizabeth J. Duncan’s tenth Penny Brannigan mystery set in North Wales, Canadian amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan attends a dinner party at a posh country house–where a historic chair disappears and a waiter is murdered.
Artist and spa owner Penny Brannigan has been asked to organize a formal dinner to mark the centenary of the armistice that ended World War One. After dinner, the guests adjourn to the library for a private exhibition of the Black Chair, a precious piece of Welsh literary history awarded in 1917 to poet Hedd Wyn. But to the guests’ shock, the newly restored bardic chair is missing. And then Penny discovers the rain-soaked body of a waiter.
When Penny learns that the victim was the nephew of one of her employees, she is determined to find the killer. Meanwhile, the local police search for the Black Chair. The Prince of Wales is due to open an exhibit featuring the chair in three weeks, so time is not on their side. A visit to a nursing home to consult an ex-thief convinces Penny that the theft of the Black Chair and the waiter’s murder are connected. She rushes to Dublin to consult a disagreeable antiquarian, who might know more than he lets on, and during the course of her investigation confronts a gaggle of suspicious travelers and an eccentric herbalist who seems to have something to hide. Can Penny find the chair and the culprit before she is laid to rest in the green grass of Wales?
Guest Post
Welsh fruit pudding
Known in Welsh as pwdin frwythau oeredig, this easy-to-make dessert is a cross between a trifle and a summer pudding. But because it can be made with frozen fruit, it’s a bright and delicious way to bring back summer on a cold winter day.
1 lb., 4 oz., mixed, fresh or frozen soft fruit such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries (I used rhubarb and blueberries)
4 tbsp sugar
Large, thick slice of bread, crusts removed (use a good, traditional loaf, not sliced, processed bread)
1 ¼ cups whipping cream
3 tbsp elderflower cordial (Optional, but infuses a delicate, fragrant flavour.)
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
Reserve a few berries for decoration and put the rest in a pan with the sugar and 2 tbsp water. Bring just to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until the fruit is soft and has given up its juice.
Cut the bread into one-inch cubes and place in a glass bowl or individual serving dishes.
Spoon the fruit mixture over the bread and leave to cool.
Whip the cream with the cordial until stiff peaks form. Fold in the yogurt and spoon the mixture over the fruit. Chill.
Just before serving, decorate the top with the reserved fruit.
Serves six to eight.
Adapted from Welsh Heritage Food and Cooking, Annette Yates, Lorenz Books (2006)
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About Elizabeth J. Duncan
A two-time winner of the Bloody Words (Bony Blithe) Award for Canada’s best light mystery, Elizabeth J. Duncan is the author of two series of traditional mysteries: the Penny Brannigan series set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer and amateur sleuth Charlotte Fairfax. A former journalist, public relations practitioner, and college professor, Elizabeth is a faculty member of the Humber School for Writers. She divides her time between Toronto, Canada, and Llandudno, North Wales.
Author Links
Website: www.elizabethjduncan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethjduncan
Twitter: @elizabethduncan
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 3 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
September 3 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
September 4 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
September 4 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 5 – Here’s How It Happened – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 6 – Babs Book Bistro – RECIPE POST
September 7 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 7 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 7 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
September 8 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW
September 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
September 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
September 10 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 10 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
The post Remembering the Dead: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J. Duncan appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 2, 2019
Crypt Suzette (A Five-Ingredient Mystery) by Maya Corrigan
Crypt Suzette
(A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
by Maya Corrigan
August 26 – September 4, 2019
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
About the Book
Crypt Suzette (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Kensington (August 27, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496722426
ISBN-13: 978-1496722423
Digital ASIN: B07L2GDD8H
Val Deniston is catering the debut of Bayport’s newest bookstore—but the death of a customer is about to draw her into a real-life murder mystery …
Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val’s granddad’s house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town—but she’s always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book.
After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver—and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette’s coworkers and fellow creative writing students, she grows more convinced that the dead woman’s demons weren’t imaginary—and that she needs to rip the mask off a killer …
Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!
Guest Post
MADELEINES
A madeleine is a small shell-shaped cake often treated like a cookie because of its tiny size. Crunchy on the edges and firm on the inside, it’s perfect to eat with tea or coffee.
To bake madeleines, you need a special pan with shell molds.
2 eggs1 lemon for 1⁄2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed juice and 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest1 cup confectioners’ sugar (more if you want to dust the madeleines with sugar when they’re done)3⁄4 cup sifted cake flour/self-rising flour. (If you have all-purpose flour, add 1⁄4 teaspoon of baking powder to it before sifting.)1⁄2 cup butter, melted but no longer hot
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Before mixing the ingredients:
Grease and flour 24 madeleine moldsZest the lemonMelt the butter, setting it aside to cool
Beat the eggs, lemon juice, and zest at high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add the sugar gradually while beating the mixture for an additional 4 minutes. Fold in the sifted flour little by little. Then fold in the butter, stirring until it’s blended with the batter.
Spoon the batter into the shell molds, so they’re 3⁄4 full. Don’t smooth out the batter. It will fill the shell evenly as it bakes.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are brown.
The tops should be golden yellow and spring back.
Add another minute or two in the oven if needed.
Cool the pan for 1 minute, then loosen the madeleines around the edges with a knife. If they don’t come out easily, you may need to tap the bottom of the pan. Cool them on a rack.
You can serve madeleines plain or dress them up by sprinkling them with confectioners’ sugar, dipping one end in melted chocolate, or glazing them with a mixture of lemon and confectioners’ sugar thinned with water to a spreading consistency.
Yield: 24 madeleines
Giveaway
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About Maya Corrigan
Maya Corrigan blends her love of food and detective stories in her Five-Ingredient Mystery series set in a fictional historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The first book in the series, By Cook or by Crook, was published in 2014.
Before taking up a life of crime (on the page), she taught university courses in writing, detective fiction, American literature, and drama. She won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mainstream Mystery / Suspense. Her short stories, written under the name of Mary Ann Corrigan, have been published in anthologies.
When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, tennis, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Her website features trivia about food and mysteries.
Author Links
WebPage: mayacorrigan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maya-Corrigan Books/305167769636032
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 26 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
August 26 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 27 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 28 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 28 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Ruff Drafts – RECIPE, SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 30 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 30 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 31 – Reading Is My SuperPower – RECIPE, SPOTLIGHT
August 31 – Teresa Watson – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 1 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
September 1 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT
September 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
September 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
September 3 – That’s What She’s Reading – GUEST POST
September 4 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
September 4 – ebook addicts – REVIEW
The post Crypt Suzette (A Five-Ingredient Mystery) by Maya Corrigan appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 1, 2019
Bark If It’s Murder (A Dog Club Mystery) by V.M. Burns
Bark If It’s Murder
(A Dog Club Mystery)
by V.M. Burns
About Bark If It’s Murder
Bark If It’s Murder (A Dog Club Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Lyrical Underground (August 27, 2019)
Paperback: 162 pages
ISBN-10: 1516107926
ISBN-13: 978-1516107926
Digital ASIN: B07L2G3DJ1
Lilly Echosby just witnessed a murder on a pet cam. Or did she?
When a last-minute opportunity arises to accompany her boss to an art auction in Atlanta, Lilly throws some money at the problem of where to board her toy poodle Aggie (short for Agatha Christie). Posh Pet Haven offers the most luxurious canine accommodations in all of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The place even provides pet cams so anxious owners can check in on their pampered pooches.
But when Lilly tries to take a peek at her poodle, she gets a terrible shock—she witnesses what she’s sure is a murder. She thinks the victim may be the wealthy co-owner of Pet Haven. The police follow her lead but find no body, no evidence of a crime, and no video record. Starting to feel like the dog owner who cried wolf, Lilly decides to go undercover to catch a killer who may be hiding in plain sight …
Guest post
A Recipe for a Cozy
Sometimes it seems like cozy mysteries are the red headed step children of the mystery genre. Admitting to enjoying cozy mysteries is akin to admitting you still enjoy watching cartoons or Disney movies as an adult. Standing up in public and boldly proclaiming to the world that you not only enjoy reading cozies, but you write them will garner a stare and a frozen smile. This is about five seconds before you’re asked, what is a cozy mystery? Why are cozies looked down on? To understand, you need to first understand what ingredients go into making a cozy mystery unique.
Cozies are mysteries with a few distinct features. They typically feature an amateur sleuth (most often a female) solving a mystery. This person is just an average Jane Doe—no one special, and are often from a small town or community. The amateur sleuth isn’t a trained law enforcement expert. They aren’t getting paid to solve the murder nor are do they possess any special knowledge or skills specific to investigating. The idea is to show that anybody can solve a mystery if placed in the right situation. Retired English teacher, Jessica Fletcher, is a perfect example. The average-ness of the sleuth often lends itself to themes, which are also popular in cozy mysteries. Have a neighbor who’s an avid gardener? A relative who loves to bake? Or, a friend who quilts or knits? Perfect. Readers can not only work along with the sleuth to figure out the murderer, but they can also pick up recipes while they’re at it.
Another distinct feature of cozy mysteries is that they cannot have explicit sex, graphic violence or bad language. A murder mystery without graphic violence? Yes, that’s the idea. The amateur stumbles across a dead body, but the reader doesn’t get the gory details. The important thing in a cozy isn’t the HOW, but the WHO, or the WHODUNIT. The reader needs to follow the clues and find the killer.
Cozies are often humorous, which is probably one reason they aren’t taken seriously. Amateurs make mistakes and often find themselves in tricky situations. An untrained amateur sleuth who enjoys baking cookies, trying to solve a murder sounds like a recipe for disaster, or at least a setup for a good joke. Cozy mysteries rarely disappoint when it comes to capturing the humor of a situation.
The ingredients that make a cozy mystery…well, cozy are most likely the same things that contribute to cozies not being taken seriously, even within the mystery community. Take a nosy neighbor with a passion for gardening, who digs up a dead body. Throw in a bumbling detective who believes our gardener is the guilty party and a wacky side-kick, determined to help figure out whodunit, and you’ve got a cozy mystery. But, don’t be deceived. Just because a mystery is “cozy” doesn’t mean it can’t be well-crafted, suspenseful and thrilling. Cozies provide all of that, plus a good laugh and if you’re lucky, a great recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
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About V.M. Burns
V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs, British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the Midwest, she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com
Author Links:
Website: http://www.vmburns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Twitter: @vmburns
Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Mythical Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 27 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
August 28 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
August 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
August 29 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
August 31 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
August 31 – The Book’s the Thing – SPOTLIGHT
September 1 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW*
September 1 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 2 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
September 3 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 3 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 4 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 4 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST
September 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
September 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post Bark If It’s Murder (A Dog Club Mystery) by V.M. Burns appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
