Babs Hightower's Blog, page 3
August 12, 2019
Apples and Alibis (A Down South Cafe Mystery Book) by Gayle Leeson
About Apples and Alibis
Apples and Alibis (A Down South Cafe Mystery Book)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Grace Abraham Publishing (August 13, 2019)
Print Length: 188 pages
ASIN: B07V1X8SW3
That’s the last time Amy agrees to do a favor for a stranger…
Down South Cafe owner, Amy Flowers is in over her head. Operating a cafe while hosting the first Farmers’ Market in Winter Garden has her swimming in apples. And when an elderly woman calls the cafe, pleading for a delivery for her upcoming party, Amy relents, feeling compelled to help the desperate customer.
But when she arrives, the woman is slumped over her kitchen table, and Amy is catapulted into the middle of a small town crime. Guilt-ridden for not arriving earlier to save the woman, she sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding the woman. Now, between running the cafe and dealing with the chaos of the farmers’ market, Amy is squeezing in a murder investigation, a run-in with her boyfriend’s mom, and her own mother’s quirky life decisions. Life can’t get any worse…or can it? This cafe owner needs a break–in the case.
About Gayle Leeson
About the Author
Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series
and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series
. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series
.The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn’t always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her.
Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is “a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!”
Says Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author, “One day I found myself happily reading . . . mysteries by Gayle Trent. If she can win me over . . . she’s got a great future.”
The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.
Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of the genre will take kindly to Marcy, her Irish wolfhound, Angus O’Ruff, and Tallulah Falls. This is a fast, pleasant read with prose full of pop culture references and, of course, sharp needlework puns.”
Pat Cooper of RT Book Reviews says, “If her debut here is any indication, Lee’s new series is going to be fun, spunky and educational. She smoothly interweaves plot with her character’s personality and charm, while dropping tantalizing hints of stitching projects and their history. Marcy Singer is young, fun, sharp and likable. Readers will be looking forward to her future adventures.” (RT Book Reviews nominated The Quick and the Thread for a 2010 Book Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category)
I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series!
Webpage: http://www.gayleleeson.com http://www.gayletrent.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gayletrent/pins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gayletrentleeson/
Purchase Links – Amazon B&N Kobo
BLAST PARTICIPANTS
Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
The post Apples and Alibis (A Down South Cafe Mystery Book) by Gayle Leeson appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 11, 2019
Stir Up (Lark Davis Mysteries) by Annabelle Hunter
Stir Up (Lark Davis Mysteries)
by Annabelle Hunter
About the Book
Stir Up (Lark Davis Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Independently Published (July 1, 2019)
Print Length: 178 page
Digital ASIN: B07SGH94K4
GoodReads Link Coming Soon!
Peace and quiet is underrated.
After her last brush with murder, Larklyn Davis is relieved to be spending her time with the talented new horse at her stables instead of tripping over body parts. While she’s trying to figure out why her newest horse has lost his mojo, she’s also puzzling over her relationship with the brooding, uncommunicative Detective Brecken Wilson.
But then, disaster strikes, and both Lark’s reputation and business are on the line. Once again she finds herself pulled into a murder case and in close proximity to the handsome Detective. Throw in a dashing veterinarian plus a matchmaking town and Lark’s life spins out of control. As clues pile up and all evidence leads back to her barn, Lark gets saddled up to solve another mystery.
Who knew life in Barrow Bay would stir up so much trouble?
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About the Annabelle Hunter
Annabelle Hunter is a stay-at-home mom and an avid fan of classic mystery shows and dressage. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and too many animals.
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 12 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW
August 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 13 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 14 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 16 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
August 17 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
August 18 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
August 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 20 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 20 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
August 21 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 21 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
August 22 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
August 23 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 24 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 25 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
The post Stir Up (Lark Davis Mysteries) by Annabelle Hunter appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
BLIND SIGHT (Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series) by Tanya R. Taylor
BLIND SIGHT
(Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series)
by Tanya R. Taylor
About the Book
BLIND SIGHT (Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Self Published (July 28, 2019)
Number of Pages: 200
Digital ASIN: B07RVF7W99
Lucille Pfiffer sees, but not with her eyes. She lives with her beloved dog Vanilla (“Nilla” for short) in a cozy neighborhood that is quite “active” due to what occurred in the distant past. Though totally blind, she plays an integral role in helping to solve pressing and puzzling mysteries, one right after the other, which, without her, might remain unsolved.
The question is: How can she do any of that with such a handicap?
Guest Post
Buried Dreams
You may have heard something to the effect of “The graveyard is full of unrealized goals, unlived dreams and untapped-into potential”. In other words, it simply means that many people have died having not lived their lives to their absolute, fullest potential. By the same token, I’m sure that some people tried to live their dream and worked really hard at it, but unfortunately, for some reason or the other didn’t see it materialize.
Achieving great things by use of our gifts and talents oftentimes do not come easily. People who have become majorly successful in life will probably tell you that it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears, serious thoughts of wanting to give up, and episodes of utter hopelessness after seeing no way that things can possibly work out in their favor. Yet, they are now living those dreams and finally able to exhale. You may wonder what it took; how they made it and the simple answer to that is: Indomitable Persistence.Persistence in the face of difficulty; persistence in the face of opposition & ridicule;persistence in the face of hopelessness & despair; drying the tears, dusting themselves off and getting back up — and repeating that scenario over and over again.
The road to realizing your dream is not an easy one to travel. It is a terribly rough surface filled with unbelievably huge potholes that require a great test of your fortitude and faith to get across. You must be able to envision that beautiful, smoothly paved road on the other side although it is nowhere in sight. The bottom line is the desire to achieve your dream must be far beyond the comprehension of others; it must be glued to and ingrained in every fiber of your being. Otherwise, when the road gets rough (and it will) you will throw in the towel and put it aside – probably forever – and those goals, dreams & aspirations will join the millions of others in the graveyard. If it’s not difficult enough to test every bit of determination in your soul, then it’s not truly your dream, your goal, your aspiration. I believe we can all achieve whatever level of success appointed to us; many times we get so discouraged and give up just before the breakthrough. If only we can see how close we really are.
– Tanya R. Taylor
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About Tanya R. Taylor
Tanya R. Taylor has wowed readers with her riveting plots and compelling themes.
She is the author of several #1 bestsellers on Amazon and published her first book titled: ‘A Killing Rage’ as a young adult.
She has worked in the Financial arena and is also a seasoned ghostwriter. Her book ‘Cornelius’ climbed to #1 in the Teen & Young-adult Multi-generational Family Fiction category. And her supernatural, suspense/thrillers – ‘CARA’ and ‘INFESTATION: A Small Town Nightmare’ are multiple times #1 international bestsellers.
Tanya writes in various genres including Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Thrillers, Science-fiction, Mystery and Suspense.
She has a passion for the welfare of children and animals. Her hobbies include Reading, writing, and researching.
Author Links
Website: https://tanya-r-taylor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanyartaylorbooks/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tanya-r-taylor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tanyartay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8634397.Tanya_R_Taylor
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 7 –The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
August 7 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 8 – I’m All About Books – GUEST POST
August 9 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 11 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
August 12 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
August 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 13 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 13 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 14 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 16 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 18 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
August 19 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 20 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Guest Post
The post BLIND SIGHT (Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series) by Tanya R. Taylor appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 9, 2019
The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio
The Time for Murder is Meow
(A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery)
by T. C. LoTempio
About the Book
The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Midnight Ink (August 8, 2019
Paperback: 312 pages
ISBN-10: 0738760366
ISBN-13: 978-0738760360
Digital ASIN: B07HL4F1Z6
Shell and her two furry sidekicks must cat-ch a killer to save their pet shop
Crishell “Shell” McMillan sees the cancellation of her TV series as a blessing in disguise. The former actress can now take over her late aunt’s pet shop, the Purr N’ Bark, and do something she loves.
While getting the shop ready for re-opening, Shell is asked to loan her aunt’s Cary Grant posters to the local museum for an exhibit. She finds the prospect exciting—until a museum board member, who had a long-standing feud with Shell’s aunt, votes against it. When she discovers the board member dead in the museum, Shell becomes suspect number one. Can she, her Siamese cat Kahlua, and her new sidekick—her aunt’s Persian Purrday—find the real culprit, or will her latest career go up in kitty litter?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author
While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime and the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane. Her latest, the Pet Shop Mysteries, makes its debut August 8 with The Time for Murder is Meow.
You can cat-ch up with them at ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com or her website, www.tclotempio.net
Where to find them:
ROCCO’s blog: www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
Website: www.tclotempio.net
Purchase Links: Amazon B&N IndieBound
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 8 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
August 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 9 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 9 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 9 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW
August 9 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
August 10 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 10 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 11 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW
August 11 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 12 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
August 12 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
August 13 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
August 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 14 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
August 14 – Books Direct – GUEST POST
August 14 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 15 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – REVIEW
August 15 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
The post The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 8, 2019
McKinley Mysteries by Carolyn Arnold
McKinley Mysteries
by Carolyn Arnold
Series Information
Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.
This is the perfect book series for fans of Hart to Hart, Castle, Colombo, Monk, Rockford Files, Psych, and Magnum PI.
Book Overview (in published order)
The Day Job is Murder (2014)Vacation is Murder (2014)Money is Murder (2014)Politics is Murder (2014)Family is Murder (2014)Shopping is Murder (2014)Christmas is Murder (2014)Valentine’s Day is Murder (2015)Coffee is Murder (2015)Skiing is Murder (2016)Halloween is Murder (2017)
The Day Job is Murder
The bad guys aren’t the only ones on his radar…For Albany PD homicide detective Sean McKinley, catching killers is the easy part of his job. Working next to his beautiful partner, Sara Cain, is what’s difficult. It might have something to do with the fact that he’s fallen in love with her, though. Fortunately, she feels the same way about him. But she’s convinced they should just be friends.If only there was some way to change her mind…
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Vacation is Murder
This wasn’t in the travel brochure…There’s only so much relaxation two former detectives can handle—even if they’re on their honeymoon. With their recent fall into money, Sean and Sara McKinley should be living it up, enjoying the sun and beaches of Cancun. But heading into their third week they’ve had just about enough lying around.When the husband of a couple they’ve befriended is kidnapped and held for ransom, it has the McKinleys putting their experience to use. As they set out in the unfamiliar landscape of paradise, the investigation will have them risking their lives to stop a killer.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Money is Murder
It’s in the fine print…Old Man Quinn left Sean more than his billions–he left him a murder to solve.Inside the chest given to him from the executor of Quinn’s Will, Sean finds a key and implicit instruction that the contents are for his eyes only. After Sean discovers where the key fits, he finds another letter–Quinn wants a closed case reopened, and Sean is shocked to learn who the victim was.As Sean and his wife, Sara, uncover clues, it leads them from the back rooms of Quinn’s corporation to the streets of New York City, but they will stop at nothing to get to the truth.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Politics is Murder
There’s no time for a debate…Sean and Sara’s popularity as a murder-solving duo has gained momentum. But it’s not until it comes time for a local television interview that they meet Reanne Mable and end up finding themselves involved with a high-profile investigation.Reanne is the sister-in-law of Albany’s Mayor Davenport and his daughter, Halie, has gone missing from her university campus. With a desire to keep the matter out of the media spotlight, Davenport turns to Sean and Sara to find her. But with the police already investigating the matter, taking this case would pit them against their friends from the police department, including their former sergeant Jimmy Voigt.As time moves on, though, the fate of the girl is not up for a vote, and the McKinleys set out to find out what really happened. With the mayor taking the heat for a recently passed zoning bylaw, is an enraged small business owner behind Halie’s disappearance? Or did she simply grow tired of living in her father’s limelight and run away?To get the answers, Sean and Sara will need to use all the resources at their disposal and may have to call upon their good friend Jimmy for help, after all.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Family is Murder
If only there were someone to clean up this mess…Sean and Sara McKinley put out an ad for a maid, but they never expected Sara’s birth mother to apply—or at least that’s who the woman is claiming she is. While Sean is suspicious of her true identity and motive, Sara opens her heart to the woman. But when a dead body turns up soon after Sara’s supposed mother takes off without so much as a good-bye, they both start to question the truth.Could they have welcomed a killer into their home and not even known it?
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Shopping is Murder
They find more than a bargain…Black Friday should be all about shopping and discounts, but when Sean and Sara only have a few more items left to buy, screams fill the mall—and for good reason. A man has fallen to his death from the second level.But what exactly happened isn’t that straightforward, and normally, Sean and Sara would leave this matter to the police, but the widow was a childhood friend of Sara’s. While the police are leaning toward the belief the man intentionally took the leap, the widow is adamant her husband would never jump and asks Sara for her help.Despite the fact there is an unresolved past between the friends—in which Sara feels she let her down—Sara can’t turn her back on her now. Fueled by guilt and the need to find answers, Sara convinces Sean they should look into the man’s death.But the answers aren’t all coming quickly. Mall security has dropped the ball and there’s no seeming motive for murder. To find out the truth will take unconventional means, a little undercover work, and the help of their friend Jimmy. And if it all comes together, they just might have this case wrapped up in time for the holidays. Maybe even with a pretty little bow.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Christmas is Murder
Mistletoe and mischief…Albany’s the perfect image of a winter wonderland, and Sean and Sara’s friend Jimmy is going to be Santa Claus for the upcoming Christmas parade. The trees and decorations have been selected and the gifts have been purchased. The season has truly cast its magical spell–until Sean and Sara’s neighbors die in a horrible house fire.While the fire department ruled holiday-related hazards as the cause, Sara suspects there’s more to it. Her determination to find the truth has her and Sean toeing the line between what’s legal and what’s not.As they sort out fact from fiction, the McKinleys make the final decision about whether or not they should open a private investigation firm.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Valentine’s Day is Murder
Cupid’s arrow may have missed its mark…Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Coffee is Murder
A cup a day won’t kill you, but a few might.Their first case as private investigators have Sean, Sara, and Jimmy neck-deep in coffee beans trying to find a killer. With their client certain that her mother was poisoned through her coffee of the month club, it has them setting out to Williamsburg, Virginia. But instead of approaching matters from the traditional standpoint, Sean and Sara brew a robust plot and stir Jimmy into the blend, all to get close to their top suspect and grind out the truth.Going undercover at Tasty Beans, the coffee company, the three of them work to expose the culprit before anyone else dies.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Skiing is Murder
They’re ready to hit the slopes when things go downhill…Sean and Sara are supposed to have a relaxing vacation in Vail, but it all goes up in a puff of powder when there’s a suspicious death on the mountain. And the deceased is not just anyone; it’s Adrian Blackwell, a two-time Olympic skiing gold medalist.Rumor has it Adrian died in a skiing accident, but he was too skilled for Sara to accept that as fact. But she doesn’t want to disappoint Sean by ruining his ski trip, even though she’s convinced Adrian was murdered and she’s itching to find the killer.Sean has never been able to say no to Sara, but this time he plans to. However, all it takes is a call from their PI firm back in Albany to change his mind. A job’s come in to investigate Adrian’s death, and his agent is the one footing the bill, leaving Sean with more questions than answers.Yet one major problem remains: their New York State PI licenses hold no legal authority in Colorado. They still can’t help but look into Adrian’s death on the sly, though. This case will definitely involve some underhanded tactics, all while trying to dodge the local police over the course of the investigation.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Beware of all that goes bump in the night…Sean and Sara McKinley are excited about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to take on the investigation through their PI firm.But this case is not without its challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinleys to get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.As they troll for leads and work through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even be time for a little trick-or-treating.
Major Retailer Links for this book:
Author Bio
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website – http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
Tour Participants
August 1 – I’m All About Books – THE DAY JOB IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 1 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW – VACATION IS MURDER
August 2 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 3 – Readeropolis – VACATION IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 4 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW – THE DAY JOB IS MURDER
August 5 – The Cozy Pages – COFFEE IS MURDER GUEST POST /SKIING IS MURDER EXCERPT
August 6 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – MONEY IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 7 – Lisa Ks Book Review – GENERAL AUTHOR INTERVIEW CHOICE
August 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 10 – Laura’s Interests – POLITICS IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 11 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW, EXCERPT – MONEY IS MURDER
August 12 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW – COFFEE IS MURDER
August 13 – ebook addicts – REVIEW – VACATION IS MURDER, MONEY IS MURDER
August 14 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW – VACATION IS MURDER
August 15 – Literary Gold – VACATION IS MURDER POST
August 16 – T’s Stuff – FAMILY IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SHOPPING IS MURDER POST
August 18 – OFF
August 19 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – SKIING IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 20 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW – MONEY IS MURDER
August 21 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 22 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW – THE DAY JOB IS MURDER
August 23 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – HALLOWEEN IS MURDER GUEST POST #1
August 25 – OFF
August 26 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW – HALLOWEEN IS MURDER
August 27 – OFF
August 28 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW – CHRISTMAS IS MURDER – COFFEE IS MURDER
August 29 – Mysteries with Character – HALLOWEEN IS MURDER GUEST POST #2
August 29 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW – POLITICS IS MURDER
August 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – ALL BOOKS
August 31 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW – THE DAY JOB IS MURDER, VACATION IS MURDER, CHRISTMAS IS MURDER
The post McKinley Mysteries by Carolyn Arnold appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 6, 2019
Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life (Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery) by Katherine H. Brown
Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life
(Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery)
by Katherine H. Brown
About the Book
Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life (Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (March 1, 2019)
Paperback: 280 pages
ISBN-10: 1733725806
ISBN-13: 978-1733725804
Digital ASIN: B07P1P5N2K
Piper and Samantha are in heaven. Well, close. After winning a contest to raise the most money for human trafficking awareness and prevention, Piper and Sam are rewarded with a long weekend at the O Heavenly Day Spa. When mysterious notes start appearing everywhere, things get uncomfortable. When spa treatments go awry it is starting to get dangerous. A threatening message in Piper’s closet convinces Piper and Sam that they have to find out who is behind all of these disasters before someone gets hurt. Is it Broussard the stuffy concierge? Gladys, the sweet old lady who decided to join them for the weekend? When the smoke alarms go off and the spa erupts into panic, the chaos separates the friends and Piper stumbles into trouble. Will her friends be able to help her in time?
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About the Author
Katherine Brown is a Texas girl, a lover of books, and a weaver of words. Her first official publication was of two children’s books in 2017, which has now grown into five books of the School is Scary series; however, she likes to think her career as a writer started when she sold her parents newsletters of articles about school and poetry for fifty cents per copy as a pre-teen. Married to a wonderful husband and mom of a smart, spunky stepdaughter, Katherine enjoys spending time with family and reading as many new books as she can get her hands on. Her YA series, the Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery series, is ramping up in 2019 with book 1 released in March and book 2 was released June 1, 2019.
About the Author
Website http://www.katherinebrownbooks.com
Amazon Author Page
Facebook Author Page
BookBub
Goodreads
Instagram
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 5 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
August 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – I’m All About Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 7 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 7 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 8 – Books Direct – GUEST POST, EXCERPT
August 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 9 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 10 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
August 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
August 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
August 12 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
August 12 – eBook addicts – REVIEW
The post Rest, Relax, Run for Your Life (Ooey Gooey Bakery Mystery) by Katherine H. Brown appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 4, 2019
Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks
Knot on Her Life
(A Quilting Mystery)
by Mary Marks
About the Book
Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (July 30, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496720504
ISBN-13: 978-1496720504
Digital ASIN: B07K5ZJRYX
While quilter Martha Rose awaits the birth of her granddaughter, a neighborhood girl appears at her door with a mystery that can’t be pinned down . .
Martha’s eager to finish the baby quilt she’s making for her new granddaughter, but she scraps those plans when a young girl rings her doorbell begging for help. Poppy Halaby, the foster child of Martha’s neighbor, is an orphan whose parents were murdered by a killer who was never caught. When Poppy’s doting foster mom falls suspiciously ill, Martha is determined to keep the child safe. But she’ll have to unravel more about Poppy’s parents to stitch a broken family back together again—and prevent another crime cut from the same cloth . . .
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About Mary Marks
About the Author
Born and raised in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary Marks earned a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Public Administration from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. In 2004 she enrolled in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Her first novel, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in a national writing competition in 2011. She is currently a reviewer of cozy mysteries for The New York Journal of Books at www.nyjournalofbooks.com.
Readers can visit her at www.marymarksmysteries.com and https://www.facebook.com/mmarks2013
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 1 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 1 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
August 2 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW
August 2 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
August 3 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT
August 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 4 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 5 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
August 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 7 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
The post Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 3, 2019
The Great Jewel Robbery (A Front Page Mystery) by Elizabeth McKenna
The Great Jewel Robbery (A Front Page Mystery)
by Elizabeth McKenna
About the Book
The Great Jewel Robbery (A Front Page Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (June 3, 2019)
Paperback: 204 pages
ISBN-10: 0578503018
ISBN-13: 978-0578503011
Digital ASIN: B07SKB5YX7
Mystery with a splash of romance…
Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.
Excerpt
The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna – copyright 2019
Two uniformed officers got out of the first car and waited at the bottom of the steps while the man in the second car talked on his radio. After he exited the SUV, the three men conferred for a moment and then climbed the steps toward our welcoming party.
When they reached us, I sucked in a surprised breath. Though he had traded his boating attire for faded jeans and a white T-shirt, Mr. Twinkling Green Eyes with the beautiful, caramel-colored skin from the gas station stood before me. I tried to figure out the odds of the guy who stole my donut being a cop, but I couldn’t. I barely passed stats my freshman year of college. My best guess was “pretty low.”
I elbowed Grace and mouthed “donut.”
Her palpable disgust had me assuming she thought I needed a sugar fix. With a shake of my head, I whispered, “It’s the guy from the mini-mart who stole my donut.”
She squinted at the man before shrugging me off.
“Mrs. Braun?” Mr. Green Eyes asked in an official, police officer voice. Ivy stepped forward, and he held out his hand to her. “I’m Detective Ryan O’Mara, and these are officers Conway and Lewis.”
While Ivy greeted them, my mind puzzled over his name. He looked nothing like a red-headed leprechaun, and I should know, being three-quarters Irish myself.
“And you are?” The detective directed the question at Grace and me.
“This is Emma Moore and Grace Warner,” Ivy replied. “They were with me when I discovered the missing jewels. I thought you would want to talk to them.”
“We’ve already met,” I blurted out, drawing everyone’s attention. “At the mini-mart. Earlier today.” Grace’s fingernail poked my thigh, her subtle way of suggesting I stop babbling.
O’Mara played it cool with a barely perceptible nod. “We’re going to have to interview everyone here, guests as well as staff. Do you know if anyone has left the party yet?”
“No, I don’t.” Ivy clasped her hands together, and her fingers turned white from the pressure. “We invited over one hundred and fifty people. I’m sure a few left as soon as the auction ended.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Maybe thirty minutes?” The uncertainty in her voice had us nodding in confirmation.
The detective glanced sharply at his watch, his tight lips corroborating his displeasure. “We’ll need a list of all the guests and the staff, both temporary and permanent.” He pulled a notepad and pen out of his back pocket and gestured at the front door. “And we’ll need somewhere to conduct interviews. What’s the biggest room you have in there?”
“The ballroom, but the dining room would be more comfortable for the guests. We could bring in more chairs, and people could sit and eat while they wait.”
O’Mara turned to the uniformed officers. “Call the Williams Bay station and see if Dannon and York can join us. Then round up everyone, put them in the dining room, and start the interviews. I’m going to check out the crime scene with the ladies.” He rubbed a hand over his tightly cropped, black curls. “It’s going to be a long night.”
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About the Author
Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.
Author Links
Website: https://elizabethmckenna.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMcKennaAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizaMcKenna
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5337654.Elizabeth_McKenna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_mckenna_author/
Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Scribd – Apple
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 4 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
August 5 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 6 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 6 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
August 7 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
August 8 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 9 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
August 9 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – GUEST POST
August 10 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 11 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE
August 12 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 13 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
August 14 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
August 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 15 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
August 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 17 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
The post The Great Jewel Robbery (A Front Page Mystery) by Elizabeth McKenna appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
August 2, 2019
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs: A Novel by Katherine Howe
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs: A Novel
by Katherine Howe
About the Book
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs: A Novel
Occult Fiction
Henry Holt and Co. (June 25, 2019)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1250304865
ISBN-13: 978-1250304865
Kindle ASIN: B07HF3MDDH
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe returns to the world of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane with a bewitching story of a New England history professor who must race against time to free her family from a curse
Connie Goodwin is an expert on America’s fractured past with witchcraft. A young, tenure-track professor in Boston, she’s earned career success by studying the history of magic in colonial America—especially women’s home recipes and medicines—and by exposing society’s threats against women fluent in those skills. But beyond her studies, Connie harbors a secret: She is the direct descendant of a woman tried as a witch in Salem, an ancestor whose abilities were far more magical than the historical record shows.
When a hint from her mother and clues from her research lead Connie to the shocking realization that her partner’s life is in danger, she must race to solve the mystery behind a hundreds’-years-long deadly curse.
Flashing back through American history to the lives of certain supernaturally gifted women, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs affectingly reveals not only the special bond that unites one particular matriarchal line, but also explores the many challenges to women’s survival across the decades—and the risks some women are forced to take to protect what they love most.
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About the Author
Katherine Howe is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The House of Velvet and Glass, as well as the young adult novels, Conversion and The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen. She served as editor of The Penguin Book of Witches and her fiction has been translated into over twenty languages. Descended from three women who were tried for witchcraft in Salem, she and her family live in New England and New York City, where she is at work on her next novel.
Twitter: @katherinebhowe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinebhowe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherinebhowe/
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 1 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
August 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 2 – The Book Diva’s Reads – REVIEW*
August 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 4 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 6 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – Ascroft, eh? – REVIEW
August 7 – The Haunted Reading Room – REVIEW
August 7 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
August 8 – Reading Reality – REVIEW
August 9 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW
August 9 – Rosepoint Reviews – REVIEW
August 10 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
The post The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs: A Novel by Katherine Howe appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
Overcoming The Challenges Of E-Books
Book-lovers want to get their hands on as many books as possible, even if they’re electronic. My favorite author might be Jane Austen, but it’s important to move with the times and try out new things. Hey, it might turn out to be something enjoyable – you never know until you try.
Ebooks do come with challenges and they are enough to put most avid readers off downloading them. However, they are fixable so long as you know where to focus your energy. Here are four of the main problems with e-books and my solutions. Hopefully, we’ll all be on the digital bandwagon before long.
Accessibility
It’s not like reaching for a book on the shelf – you’ve got to have an account, log in, and buy and download an ebook. The process can be tiring, but there are a few shortcuts. The main one is to stay logged into your Kindle or Amazon account regardless. All it takes is a click of a button and you’re ebook will pop-up. Downloading the book is a smart move, too, if you have internet troubles. Use https://setapp.com/how-to/speed-up-slow-internet-downloads-on-mac to speed up your connection. Of course, an app is always quicker and more accessible than a webpage.
Comfort
We’ve all settled down to read an e-book only to find it gets uncomfortable. Tablets can be bulky, which means they’re hard to position properly while reading. Anyway, most of us don’t want to multitask during our relaxation period. Otherwise, it won’t be very chilled out. I find the best method is to put a device in a case and prop it up against a fixed surface. That way, it shouldn’t move and your arms won’t get tired after long periods. Kindle users should check out https://ebookfriendly.com/basic-kindle-2019-best-cases-sleeves/ for the best cases.
Tired Eyes
Eye strain is real and it’s not healthy. Our peepers aren’t made to stare at screens for extended periods, yet ebooks require us to do it. It’s a catch-22 until you realize there’s no need to binge read. Taking regular breaks during a reading session is a fantastic tip, regardless of whether you like actual pages or digital ones. Not only does it give the eyes a rest, but it refreshes the mind so that sentences don’t in one ear and out the other. Blinking can help, too. Eyes dry up after too long, and blinking forces them to moisten. Https://yoursightmatters.com/prevent-eyestrain-when-reading-your-favorite-book/ has more.
Cost
E-books can add to the cost of reading because they’re easier to consume. As a result, we often finish them quicker and move onto a new story. When you buy two or three books a week, the price can quickly mount up. Thankfully, there are always free versions that are available to download. They might not be what you want, but I recommend doing it for two reasons. Firstly, it will boost your budget. Secondly, you might discover a genre you love.
Ebooks can be challenging, but, with a little push, we might all learn to care for them.
The post Overcoming The Challenges Of E-Books appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
