Babs Hightower's Blog, page 26
October 5, 2018
COMES A SPECTER, Book 2, Ghostland Series by Keta Diablo #tour #giveaway
Blurb
Six months ago, Anya Fleming’s ten- year-old son, Willie-boy, found his father hanging in the barn. Traumatized over his father’s suicide, the boy hasn’t spoken a word since. Now, Willie-boy has come down with a grave, unknown illness and there’s only one man who can save him, Sutter Sky, a learned Blackfoot shaman known as Yellow Smoke—a shaman who was once deeply in love with Anya.
But Fate had other plans for Anya and Sutter—she was forced to marry Lewis Fleming, a cruel man who berated her night and day, and brokenhearted Sutter immersed himself in the mystical customs and beliefs of his People and became a shaman
As if Anya didn’t have enough to deal with after her husband’s death and her son’s illness, an evil, sinister ghost is terrorizing their ranch. Anya is convinced the spirit is Lewis, who apparently isn’t done making her life miserable.
When she turns to Yellow Smoke for help, will he put side his bitterness and save Willie-boy? And can the renowned shaman dispel the powerful ghost from their lives and send him back to Hades?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GXBF25X
Available on All venues November 1st
Giveaway
Interview
Keta: First of all, thank you so much for hosting my latest Western Romance Ghost story, Comes A Specter. Your generosity is much appreciated.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Keta: I live in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of gorgeous woodland. When I’m not writing or gardening I love to commune with nature. A pair of barn owls returns to the property every year to birth their young and show them off in the high branches of the oak trees. Nothing more adorable than these white fluffy babies with heart-shaped faces. A lifelong animal lover, I devote my time and support to the local animal shelter. Emma LaPounce, a rescued feline, has been my furry companion for the last ten years.
I’m an award-winning and best-selling author who writes in several genres: Western Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance and Contemporary Romance. In a past life, I wrote Gay Romance. My books have received numerous accolades, including RWA contest finalist, Authors After Dark finalist, Top Pick of the Month and Recommended Review from top review sites, and Best Romance Finalist from The Independent Author Network.
Ps: For some strange reason, ghosts often show up in my stories, no matter the genre.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Keta: Oh, no. My mother, now 91 years young, reminds me that I always wanted to be number 1) a boy (I had four brothers), number 2) professional equestrian (course I called it a cowgirl).
Tell us a little about the last/latest book you’ve written
Keta: See above in my Author Bio – for some strange reason ghosts always show up in my stories. No different in Comes A Specter, Book 2, Ghostland Series. Several reviewers said they loved the book, but the ghost scared the bejeebers out of them. Gee, I wasn’t scared.
Anyway, I didn’t even know I was writing about all these ghosts. One day, as I was going through my back list of books, I said, “Oh. My. Gosh. Keta!! You write about ghosts all the time.” Read some of my blurbs and you’ll see what I mean. No matter what genre I choose, somehow a ghost shows up. I used to see them—ghosts—when I was a toddler, but that’s another story for another day. Maybe subconsciously, that’s why they keep showing up in my stories.
Where did you get the inspiration for this particular book?
Keta: Let’s see, where were we? Oh, yeah…inspiration for Comes A Specter. I love Western Romance, and since I have such a penchant for dead people, er, I mean those who have crossed over, I created sort of a new sub-genre, Western Romance Ghost Stories. I love writing about cowboys, cowgirls, horses, ranches, rodeos, and…did I mention translucent spirits?
On average how long does it take it for you to write a book?
Keta: That depends on many factors. First, a writer has to be at the top of her/his game physically and mentally to pull this off. Second, she/he has to create a great plot and well-developed characters (no cookie-cutter walk-ons). Third, he/she must plant their butt in the chair and write, write every day, even if you have to pull the words out of the air. Better to have gibberish at times than a blank page, right? Fourth, it depends on whether one is writing a novella or a novel. A novella, two months; a full-length novel 4-5 months. Caveat: Keta is a slow writer compared to many others.
Do you have any unpublished/unfinished scripts?
Keta: Yes, we all have those. Some I keep under the bed, never to see the light of day. Others are sitting on my computer and flash me now and then to finish them.
What types of books do you read?
Keta: Across many genres, but never romance when I’m writing romance. Thrillers, suspense, angels/demons, Native American fiction, and small town contemporary (serious stuff). I hardly ever read humorous. I bet that doesn’t surprise you coming from a person who saw ghosts as a child, huh?
What books are you reading right now?
Freefall (Kristen Heitzmann)
The Dead Game (Suzanne Leist)
and…1,697 waiting for me on my Paperwhite Kindle (sad)
Which are your three favorite books of all time?
Keta: To Kill A Mockingbird, Man On Fire, Gone With the Wind, Legends of the Fall.
Do you/have you ever read a copy of your book after it has been published?
Keta: Gosh, no. I read it so many times while writing it; I’d get bored to death with the same old, same old. LOL.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author who is just starting out?
Keta: Well, I’m really no one to be giving advice to other writers. I made plenty of mistakes starting out myself, so maybe that’s it – study the craft of writing. Know the basic rules at least, and then get good enough at writing you feel comfortable breaking some. I mean, there are some you should never break, but breaking one now and then won’t cause the earth to stop spinning. I have a lot of books on my Kindle (see above). I can’t tell you how many times I read one chapter and delete the book. If it doesn’t grab me right away with lots of questions, then I’m outta there. Take for example Harper Lee’s opening line in To Kill A Mockingbird: Scout: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
I mean, she hooked me. Completely. I was in the sixth grade the first time I read that line, and from that moment on, I wanted to know who Jem was and how the heck did he break his arm? That book really opened my eyes to reading, gave me an appreciation for love of the written word.
I hope all your reads are good ones; I hope you fall in love all over again with the written word every time you sit down to read a book.
Keta
The post COMES A SPECTER, Book 2, Ghostland Series by Keta Diablo #tour #giveaway appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
The Perfect Body (Professor Molly Mysteries) by Frankie Bow
The Perfect Body (Professor Molly Mysteries)
by Frankie Bow
About the Book
The Perfect Body (Professor Molly Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Hawaiian Heritage Press
Release Date – September 30, 2018
Approximately 125 Pages
Not up online yet but will be soon.
When Professor Molly attends Mahina State University’s exclusive donor dinner, she doesn’t expect to have to share a table with the insufferable Stephen Park. Turns out it’s one thing to invite your toxic ex-boyfriend to drop dead…it’s quite another when he takes you up on it.
Guest Post
Recipe: The Maritime Club’s Retro Rumaki
The Maritime Club wasn’t terribly fancy, but nothing in Mahina was fancy. Thanks to the salt spray and frequent rainstorms, the shabby little clubhouse always looked like it needed a new paint job. What the Maritime Club did have was a magnificent oceanfront location. At high tide, sparkling waves broke on the black lava rock, misting the diners on the outdoor lanai. At low tide you could walk down the grassy bank to view the tide pools. And when it wasn’t raining, you could see clear out to the curved blue horizon.
–The Black Thumb
The Maritime Club is Mahina’s oldest private club. The bill of fare hasn’t changed since before Hawaii attained statehood, good news for fans of split pea soup, chicken a la king, and baked Alaska.
Emma Nakamura, Molly’s best friend at Mahina State, is a member. She joined the Maritime Club years ago, hoping her husband Yoshi would enjoy spending time there. He didn’t—Yoshi can be kind of a pill—but Emma decided to keep the membership anyway. Now Molly and Emma go there for happy hour most Mondays. (Everyone is already in a good mood Friday afternoon. Monday is when happy hour is really needed.)
Along with their beverages, Molly and Emma might enjoy a complimentary happy hour snack of rumaki and greasy egg rolls, served with a red-and-yellow yin-yang of ketchup and mustard.
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember rumaki. Originally offered at Don the Beachcomber’s, the dish featured bacon-wrapped chicken livers with crunchy water chestnut. Later variations have scallops instead of chicken liver. Whichever you prefer, here is an adaptable rumaki recipe:
INGREDIENTS
24 raw scallops or scallop pieces, or 1/4 lb trimmed and rinsed chicken livers (enough to make 24 pieces).
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
Crushed garlic cloves (optional)
12 canned water chestnuts, drained and cut in half. If you have big scallops you can omit the water chestnuts.
8 bacon slices (1/2 pound), cut into thirds
24 wooden toothpicks
PREPARATION
Stir together soy sauce and ginger. Add curry powder and/or garlic if desired.
Add water chestnuts and 24 pieces of meat. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
While chestnuts and livers and/or scallops marinate, soak toothpicks in cold water.
Preheat broiler.
Remove livers and/or scallops and chestnuts from the marinade and discard marinade.
Take the toothpicks out of the water and drain.
To assemble the rumaki: Place 1 piece of bacon on a cutting board and place 1 piece of liver or scallop and 1 half-chestnut in center. Wrap the bacon around the meat and chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Do this 23 more times.
Broil rumaki on rack of a broiler pan 2 inches from heat, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the meat is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
[Recipe-Duck Rumaki]
Serve immediately and enjoy a high-protein, low-sugar snack.
Giveaway
About the Author
Like Professor Molly, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining. In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.
Author Links
Twitter https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7809288.Frankie_Bow
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/frankie_bow/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankiebow/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/frankie_bow/
Tumblr http://frankiebow.tumblr.com/
RSS Feed https://frankiebow.com/feed/
Purchase Links Coming Soon!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
October 2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 4 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
October 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 6 – Babs Book Bistro – RECIPE POST
October 7 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 9 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 9 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
October 10 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
October 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 12 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 13 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
The post The Perfect Body (Professor Molly Mysteries) by Frankie Bow appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
October 3, 2018
A Very Merry Murder (A Professor Prather Mystery) by Mary Angela
A Very Merry Murder (A Professor Prather Mystery)
by Mary Angela
About the Book
A Very Merry Murder (A Professor Prather Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Camel Press (October 1, 2018)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-10: 1603816550
ISBN-13: 978-1603816557
Digital ASIN: B07G2VLLCV
It’s December in Copper Bluff, and from hillside to hallowed hall, everyone is merry—or will be as soon as semester break arrives. Students are studying, professors are grading, and Emmeline Prather is anticipating the university-sponsored holiday concert. Friend and colleague Lenny Jenkins will be accompanying the visiting quartet, Jazz Underground, and Em can’t think of a better way to kick-start the holiday season.
But before she can say “Jingle Bell Rock,” trouble arrives at Candlelight Inn, the bed and breakfast where the quartet is staying. One of the band members dies unexpectedly, and suspicion falls on Em, whose altercation with the man ends with him on the floor. He never recovers, and now she’s worried her reputation might not either. When Emmeline starts to see parallels between an Agatha Christie novel she’s teaching and the victim, Lenny claims she’s read one too many mysteries.
As the clues unravel, so does the murderer’s patience. Em is close to finding the truth, but will the truth—or the murderer—push her over the edge? It will take a Christmas miracle to solve this case, but if there’s one thing in surplus this time of year, it’s faith.
Giveaway
About the Author
© Julie Prairie Photography 2016
Mary Angela is the author of the Professor Prather academic mystery series, which has been called “enjoyable” and “clever” by Publishers Weekly. She is also an educator and has taught English and humanities at South Dakota’s public and private universities for over ten years. When Mary isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Author Links
Webpage Blog GoodReads Facebook Twitter
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 1 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
October 1 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 2 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
October 2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
October 3 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 4 – Babs Book Bistro -SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
October 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 5 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
October 6 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT
October 7 – Island Confidential – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 8 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
October 8 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
October 9 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
October 9 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
October 11 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW
October 11 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
October 11 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 12 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Varietats – REVIEW
October 13 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 14 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post A Very Merry Murder (A Professor Prather Mystery) by Mary Angela appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 30, 2018
Trimmed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) by Nancy J Cohen
Trimmed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
by Nancy J Cohen
About the Book
Trimmed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
15th in Series
Orange Grove Press (September 25, 2018)
Paperback: 290 pages
ISBN-10: 0998531766
ISBN-13: 978-0998531762
Digital ASIN: B07F2FP55B
Mix together a cocktail for murder, add a few salty suspects, toss in a dollop of sweet humor, and you have the recipe for Trimmed to Death, #15 in the Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series.
Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, Marla joins a scavenger hunt where people playing character roles are the targets. Instead of scoring points with a live person, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. Who would want to cut short the life of food magazine publisher and fellow bake-off contestant Francine Dodger? As she investigates, Marla learns there’s no shortage of suspects. A celebrity TV chef, food critic, olive oil importer, food truck owner, pastry chef, and cookbook author may be stirring up more than their next recipe. Can Marla unmask the killer before someone else gets trimmed from life?
Recipes Included!
Excerpt
Dalton signaled for them to move on. As they neared the site, Marla could make out the distinctive light from lanterns. It seemed to come from inside a big spreading tree.
Voices chanted as they drew nearer.Marla could hear them more distinctly now.
“Hear us, Lady Isis, and receive our prayers. We invoke thee to awaken our souls. Speak to us and save us from the darkness. May our words be a spell and a link to thy great light, O Queen and Mother. Let your Divine goodness arise within us and bring thy truth.”
Their volume rose in unison. “I am Isis, and from my life come the suns and the moons, the rain showers and the streams, the living and the dead. I am the Mother and the Earth. All glories of the universe bow to me as I am the priest, the sacrifice, the shrine. I am thy queen enraptured by a love that shall encompass thee.”
Their pitch changed again, becoming more pleading. “Hear us, Lady Isis, and accept our prayers. We worship and invoke thy greatness. Hail to thee, Mother of our humble lives.”
“You there, stop where you are,” a man hollered from behind Marla and Dalton.
Great, the group had left a lookout.Marla would never have succeeded as an Indian scout. The Native Americans would know how to proceed through the forest with stealth.
Slowly, with both hands in view, they turned around.
Giveaway
About the Author
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries
featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list and been selected by Suspense Magazine as the best cozy mystery. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. 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 fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.
Author Links:
Website: http://nancyjcohen.com
Blog: http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nancyjcohen
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91508.Nancy_J_Cohen
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/njcohen/
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen
Booklover’s Bench: http://bookloversbench.com
Newsletter Sign-Up: http://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter/
Purchase Links
Universal Link Amazon B&N iBooks Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 26 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
September 26 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
September 27 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
September 27 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
September 28 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
September 28 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
September 29 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST
September 29 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
September 30 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 30 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST
October 1 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
October 1 –Laura’s Interests – REVIEW – EXCERPT
October 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 2 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
October 3 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
October 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
October 4 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – EXCERPT
October 5 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
October 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
The post Trimmed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) by Nancy J Cohen appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER by Cleo Coyle
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
by Cleo Coyle
About the Book
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Berkley (September 25, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0425237451
ISBN-13: 978-0425237458
Digital ASIN: B078VX9SNF
Penelope Thornton-McClure and her bookshop’s ghost-in-residence Jack Shepard are back on a new case in this delightful paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
A big bestseller leads to small town trouble.
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful…
After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it–literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.
About the Author
Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries–now celebrating nearly fifteen years in print. They also write the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, which were originally published under their second pseudonym, Alice Kimberly (The Ghost and Mrs. McClure, The Ghost and the Dead Deb, The Ghost and the Dead Man’s Library, The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion). Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, and New York, and has written popular fiction for adults and children. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.
Author Links
Visit Cleo online: www.coffeehousemystery.com
Friend Cleo on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle
Follow Cleo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cleocoyle/
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play BookBub
Tour Participants
October 1 – Babs Book Bistro
October 1 – Community Bookstop
October 2 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies
October 2 – The Montana Bookaholic
October 3 – Socrates’ Book Reviews
October 3 – MJB Reviewers
October 4 – The Avid Reader
October 4 – Mysteries with Character
October 5 – Teresa Trent Author Blog
October 5 – Reading Authors
October 6 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews
October 6 – Island Confidential
October 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy
October 8 – Laura’s Interests
October 8 – My Reading Journeys
October 9 – Rosepoint Publishing
October 9 – A Holland Reads
October 10 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews
October 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews
October 11 – The Book’s the Thing
October 12 – Brooke Blogs
October 13 – Bookworm Cafe
October 13 – The Editing Pen
October 14 – Moonlight Rendezvous
October 15 – Curling Up by the Fire
The post THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER by Cleo Coyle appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 24, 2018
Past & Present, A Marketville Mystery by Judy Penz-Sheluk, recipe
Past & Present: A Marketville Mystery
by Judy Penz Sheluk
About the Book
Past & Present: A Marketville Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Superior Shores Press (September 21, 2018)
Paperback: 232 pages
ISBN-10: 0995000735
ISBN-13: 978-0995000735
Digital ASIN: B07FYZ6HPF
Sometimes the past reaches out to the present…
It’s been thirteen months since Calamity (Callie) Barnstable inherited a house in Marketville under the condition that she search for the person who murdered her mother thirty years earlier. She solves the mystery, but what next? Unemployment? Another nine-to-five job in Toronto?
Callie decides to set down roots in Marketville, take the skills and knowledge she acquired over the past year, and start her own business: Past & Present Investigations.
It’s not long before Callie and her new business partner, best friend Chantelle Marchand, get their first client: a woman who wants to find out everything she can about her grandmother, Anneliese Prei, and how she came to a “bad end” in 1956. It sounds like a perfect first assignment. Except for one thing: Anneliese’s past winds its way into Callie’s present, and not in a manner anyone—least of all Callie—could have predicted.
Recipe
Flexible Lasagna
By Mystery Author Judy Penz Sheluk
If you or someone in your family is a lacto-ovo vegetarian like my protagonist, Emily Garland, in my Glass Dolphin mystery series (The Hanged Man’s Noose; A Hole in One), my veggie lasagna is sure to be a winner. If, however, you’re like my meat-loving protagonist, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable in my Marketville Mystery series (Skeletons in the Attic, Past & Present) it isn’t lasagna without some ground beef in the sauce. Fortunately, my “Flexible Lasagna” recipe can be adapted for both camps and it’s always a potluck pleaser.
Veggie Version
3½ cups (28 oz.) pasta sauce
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 cup (8oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese (you can also use cheddar or ½ mozzarella and ½ cheddar)
2 cups of chopped raw vegetables: anything goes!
Ground Beef Version
3½ cups (28 oz.) pasta sauce
1 lb. lean ground beef, well cooked and drained, and added to pasta sauce
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 cup (8oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese (you can also use cheddar or ½ mozzarella and ½ cheddar)
2 cups of chopped raw vegetables: anything goes!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375
Grease 11 x 7 inch baking dish.
Spread ¼ of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish
Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce
Top noodles with ¼ cup of sauce, ½ of the shredded cheese, and all of the vegetables
Arrange remaining noodles on top, cover with remaining sauce
Cover with aluminum foil and bake until mixture is sizzling hot and noodles are tender (about an hour). Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
This recipe is great for using leftover raw vegetables that are starting to look a bit “sad.” My favorite combination is broccoli, yellow bell pepper, and mushrooms. Colorful and delicious…it also gives your meat lover some veggies—a win-win.
This dish freezes well. You can make up one of each, cook them both, and freeze one for another night or your next potluck.
You can find more recipes on Judy’s Food & Drink page on her website: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/recipes/
About the Author
Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE
and A HOLE IN ONE
) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC
). Judy’s short crime fiction appears is several collections. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario. Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.
Author Links
Website http://www.judypenzsheluk.com
Facebook https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/?business_id=736294013145101
Twitter https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8602696.Judy_Penz_Sheluk
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ca/judypenzsheluk/
Publisher https://barkingrainpress.org/judy-penz-sheluk/
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 21 – Community Bookstop – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
September 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST
September 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
September 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 24 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – Babs Book Bistro – RECIPE POST
September 25 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
September 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
September 27 – Mysteries with Character – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 27 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 28 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
September 28 – The Montana Bookaholic – GUEST POST
September 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
September 30 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 1 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 1 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 2 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
October 2 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 3 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 3 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
The post Past & Present, A Marketville Mystery by Judy Penz-Sheluk, recipe appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries) by Karen C. Whalen
A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries)
by Karen C. Whalen
About the Book
A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (August 6, 2018)
Print Length: 214 pages
Digital ASIN: B07DYVWHFY
The Gourmet Dinner Club travels to Ireland to enjoy Irish cuisine while staying at a medieval, ivy-covered castle. Jane Marsh hopes Dale Capricorn will ask her to marry him at this romantic dream destination. But her plans are put on hold when the elderly castle owner becomes violent, a club member restrains him, and he collapses and dies.
The police believe the mysterious death is murder and begin to suspect one of the club’s members. Dale leaves for home on a business emergency, and as the lone single gal in the club full of couples, Jane is thrown into the company of Griffin O’Doherty, the handsome Irishman who stands to inherit the castle.
Jane must prove her friend’s innocence by solving the crime. Which of the sweet-tempered Irish could be a callous killer?
Giveaway
About the Author
Karen C. Whalen is the author of a culinary cozy series, the “dinner club murder mysteries.” The first four in the series are: Everything Bundt the Truth
, Not According to Flan
, No Grater Evil,
and A Stewed Observation
. The first book in the series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Her books are similar to those written by cozy authors Jessica Beck and Joanne Fluke. She worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She believes that it’s never too late to try something new. She loves to host dinner clubs, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, and read cozy murder mysteries.
Author Links
Website – http://karencwhalen.com
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/whalenkarenc
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/whalenkarenc
Twitter – https://twitter.com/whalenkc
GoodReads– https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15891729.Karen_C_Whalen
Purchase Links:
Amazon The Wild Rose Press iBooks
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 17 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
September 18 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – GUEST POST
September 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
September 20 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 20 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
September 21 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
September 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
September 23 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
September 24 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
September 25 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 26 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
September 28 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
September 29 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 30 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries) by Karen C. Whalen appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
Youphoria Microfiber Quick Dry Travel Towel with Carry Case Campaign
The Travel Towel is great for almost anything. We do alot of hiking and walking. I always have a towel or two with me. What I like most about this towel? The snap button that you can place on your back pack and not worry about it coming off. For me, this comes in pretty handy.
The towel is thin, soft, compact and super absorbent. This compact travel towel can hold up to 5X its weight in water making it the most functional microfiber towel for travel packing.These microfiber towels dry up to 10X faster than normal terry cloth or cotton towels. The microfiber fabric is produced to not mildew or have odors after use
I love to use this over any other towel. It doesn’t leave your face or arms feelig scatchy or rough with each use. It is very soft and you feel clean. It is easy to take care of and wash. It last a lot longer between washes. There is no yucky oders. So far the colors have not faded. A great towel for any kind of activity. Great quality and price.
You can find more about the towel and purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
The post Youphoria Microfiber Quick Dry Travel Towel with Carry Case Campaign appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
September 23, 2018
Yesterday’s Tears (Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries) by Sam Cheever, guest post
Yesterday’s Tears (Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries)
by Sam Cheever
About the Book
Yesterday’s Tears (Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries)
Paranormal Mystery/Women Sleuths
5th in Series
Electric Prose Publications (September 28, 2018)
Print Length – Approximately 200 pages
This book is not up on Amazon or GoodReads yet
It might be a murder from decades ago, but it still has its claws in the present…and someone seems determined to drag Anna into it.
It’s way too soon to be returning to a haunted mansion, and Anna’s favorite cowboy ghost does his best to talk her out of it. But the opportunity to pick from the beautiful antiques left to her in a Crocker resident’s will is just too tempting for Anna and Pratt to pass up. So they’re going in…
They’re prepared to deal with a few cold spots. Maybe the occasional flickering light. But what Anna and the boys weren’t counting on was bumping up against the ghost of Josiah Bumgartner, a contemporary of Joss’ from the 1800s. And when Josiah claims the old woman who lived in the house hid his bones around the place, Anna agrees to help him find them. But something much darker is at work there. And, unfortunately for our happy little gang of antique hunters…Anna seems to have unwittingly stepped right into the middle of it.
Guest Post
A Different Kind of Mystery
A couple of years ago, when I wrote Book 1 of my Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries, I was really excited. The series is different from any other mystery series I’ve seen. It’s a unique mix of historical, paranormal mysteries with a touch of sweet romance thrown in. A truly potent mix that all but promises you’ll be captivated from beginning to end.
The heroine of this series, Anna Yesterday, owns Yesterday’s Antiques. Located in an old part of a small, fictional town called Crocker, Indiana, the shop was actually built on a spot of land that once held a Saloon. On that very spot, a cowboy from America’s history, Josselin Zebediah, died in a gunfight. Also, on that same spot, a saloon girl named Bess breathed her last breath doing whatever saloon girls do.
Both spirits are now tied to the shop through their anchoring objects. In Joss’ case that would be his gun belt, unearthed during an excavation project in the area behind the shop. In Bess’ case…well…Anna hasn’t found her anchoring object yet. But she’s beginning to suspect the ghost is there just to annoy everyone else in the building.
Anna and her two spiritual companions were getting along just fine before Pratt Davies walked into the store one day, looking for a job. Leery of the ex-cop’s effect on Anna, Joss would much rather Pratt turned right around and went back where he came from. But Pratt has no intention of going anywhere. He likes Crocker, antiques, and Anna, not necessarily in that order. More importantly, he never wants to return to his old job, which ended the career of one good cop and nearly cost Pratt and his partner their lives. It was a terrifying experience, made more horrifying by its ties to the ether, and he’s trying hard to put it far behind him. Pratt came to Crocker thinking he’d start over…immerse himself in normality, far from murders and spiritual shenanigans.
Boy was he about to be surprised!
With each book you get to solve not one but two murders. One from the past and one from the present. Sometimes the two murders are connected, and sometimes they aren’t. But antiques are almost always involved. I love the idea of “things” from our past carrying information and emotions into our present. If objects truly can absorb energy from their surroundings, then why couldn’t they hold the secrets to past events, or at least leave a trail of clues for us to follow?
This is the premise behind my Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries. If you think it sounds intriguing, I hope you’ll enter Anna’s world with me. You never know what Anna’s going to dig up next, but I can promise the adventure will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.
xx
Sam
Giveaway
About the Author
Let’s face it, nobody really cares that Sam Cheever is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Nobody cares that she’s written a whole ton of fun and snappy books. Let’s face it, the most interesting thing about Sam is the fact that she’s a dogaholic. Yeah, there’s no Dogaholic’s Anonymous chapter that can help her. Believe me, she’s looked. So Sam deals with her problem the best way she knows how. She digs into the mountains of personal experiences (mostly involving dog poo) to write GREAT dog characters.
Oh, and there are some people in her books too. She’s also pretty good at those.
Want to ask Sam about her dogs…erm…books? You can connect with her at one of the following places. Just don’t ask her why she has 15 dogs. Nobody in the whole wide world can answer that.
NEWSLETTER: Join Sam’s Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy monthly contests, and get previews of her upcoming work! http://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html
TEXT NEWS ALERTS: Or if you’d rather not receive a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for text alerts and just receive a brief text when Sam’s launching a new release or appearing somewhere fun. Just text SAMNEWS to 781-728-9542 to be added!
ONLINE HOT SPOTS: To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots: Her blog: http://www.samcheever.com/blog; Twitter: http://twitter.com/samcheever; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor. She looks forward to chatting with you! She has a technique for scooping poop that she knows you’re just DYING to learn about.
Author Links:
Newsletter: http://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html Subscribe to Sam’s newsletter and win a free copy of the fun mystery novella from Sam’s popular Silver Hills Cozy Mysteries
Text News Alerts: https://mobile-text-alerts.com/samnews
Website: http://www.SamCheever.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/samcheever
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samcheever
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sam-cheever
Purchase Links
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2S75ZK
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07G2S75ZK
Amazon.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G2S75ZK
Amazon.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07G2S75ZK
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yesterdays-tears-sam-cheever/1129207019?ean=2940161816547
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/yesterdays-tears/id1420209232?mt=11
kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/yesterday-s-tears-2
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 24 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 24 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
September 25 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 25 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
September 26 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
September 26 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
September 26 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 27 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
September 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
September 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
September 28 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 28 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post Yesterday’s Tears (Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries) by Sam Cheever, guest post appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
