Babs Hightower's Blog, page 41
March 15, 2018
The Russian & Aunt Sophia (A Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery Novella) by Rita Moreau, blog tour & spotlight
The Russian & Aunt Sophia
(A Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery Novella)
by Rita Moreau
About the Book
The Russian & Aunt Sophia (A Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery Novella)
Cozy Mystery
Novella #1
Self Published (January 16, 2018)
Print Length: 77 pages
ASIN: B0793BTWPD
When mobsters frame her aunt, one psychic dives headfirst into a criminal conspiracy.
Mary Catherine, MC for short, inherited her family’s psychic abilities and a knack for trouble. When her fortune-telling aunt is accused of murdering a Russian mobster and refuses to defend herself by revealing what she saw in a card reading, it’s up to MC to divine the truth.
But if MC isn’t careful, she could end up sharing a jail cell with her aunt … or swimming with the fishes.
The Russian and Aunt Sophia is a madcap cozy mystery novella that could only take place in Florida. If you like surreal plots, well-rounded characters, and quirky comedy, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s psychic whodunit.
Click on the image to be taken to the authors page for the sales.
About the Author
Rita Moreau is the author of the Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery
series.
A workaholic by nature, upon retirement, Rita Moreau began work on her bucket list, writing a book. Traveling the national parks with her husband George in a vintage Bluebird motorhome, (on George’s list), Rita completed her first novel Bribing Saint Anthony. Back home she completed Nuns! Psychics! & Gypsies! OH! NO, Feisty Nuns and The Russian & Aunt Sophia. Rita and her husband live in a postcard called Florida where he has fun telling everyone he is the author’s husband. When not writing she joins PatZi Gil on the Joy on Paper radio program with Book Buzz Mysteries or you can find her teaching fitness classes and doing her best to keep busy. She loves connecting with readers. Visit her at www.RitaMoreau.com or find her on Facebook at facebook.com/RitaMoreauAuthor. She would love to hear from you.
Author Links
http://www.ritamoreau.com
https://www.facebook.com/RitaMoreauAuthor/
http://www.radio-joyonpaper.com/book-buzz-mysteries/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6587803.Rita_Moreau
Purchase Link
Amazon
Also by Rita Moreau
Tour Participants
March 14 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 14 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
March 16 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 16 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
March 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 19 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 20 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
The post The Russian & Aunt Sophia (A Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery Novella) by Rita Moreau, blog tour & spotlight appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 10, 2018
Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James, blog tour, giveaway & guest post
Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
by Dorothy St. James
About the Book
Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (March 13, 2018)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683314684
Digital ASIN: B074MBXLWX
Chocoholic Charity Penn must smoke out the killer to stop her newly inherited beachside chocolate shop from going up in flames in Dorothy St. James’ decadent follow-up to Asking for Truffle.
Chocolate shop owner Charity Penn is finally settling into life in the quirky South Carolina seaside town of Camellia Beach cooking up chocolate treats. She’s even helped organize the town’s lively beach music festival which has brought rollicking crowds eager to dance the Carolina shag. That is, until one of the band’s lead singers is found dead beside a beach bonfire.
While also trying to balance the amorous attention of music star Bixby Lewis, in town for the festival, and her quest to perfect a new hot flavored bonbon, Charity dives into the investigation. Though it’s more spice than sugar when she discovers a threatening note, comes across decades of age-old secrets, and Bixby comes into the line of fire when a gas grill explodes on the deck of a beachfront house.
Now Charity must turn up the heat and catch the killer before her chance melts away in Playing With Bonbon Fire, the delightful second Southern Chocolate Shop mystery served up just right for fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke.
Giveaway
Guest post
Folly Beach: the Quirky Beach Town that Inspired a Cozy Mystery Series
The town of Folly Beach is a tightknit beach community located about 15 minutes from the historic city of Charleston in South Carolina. Several tribes of Native Americans made the island their summer home until the late 1600s when the tribes moved further north to get away from the colonists’ settlements. During the Civil War, the island was the location of an important Union battery, “The Swamp Angel.” And the Pier and Pavilion located at the center of the island hosted many famous bands from the late 1930s and through the 1950s. It was quite the place to be.
A shrimp boat cruising down the Folly coastline.
I moved to Folly Beach in the early 90s and lived there for 20 years in a tiny beachfront cottage, witnessing all the drama and excitement that happens on an island community—from both the natural environment and the human inhabitants. Out on the “edge of America” it felt as if the subtle rhythms of nature thrummed through my body. I watched in wonder as the air rushed down the beach, racing up into towering storm clouds. I marveled at the schools of menhaden fish as they seem to bubble up on the ocean surface on hot summer days. And I’d floated over the waves as the early morning sun danced like gold on the water’s glassy-smooth surface…until a fish would bump into my leg. Yikes! That’s when I’d run for the shore, I’m not too brave to admit.
Sunset over the marsh
Folly Beach has a reputation of being the local beach that attracts the artists, the outsiders, and competitive surfers. It’s a fun mix of residents and offers quite a different feel from other (more affluent) area beaches. This has changed over the years as property values have risen. But the spirit of the island has remained. “Keep Folly Folly” has been a rallying call reminding town leaders to preserve its unique character.
As you might imagine, I love this town! And that is why this special place served as an inspiration for my Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. While Camellia Beach isn’t a carbon copy of Folly Beach, I worked hard to depict the island’s breezy spirit. Places like these are vanishing from the US landscape. The Folly Beach of today is very different from the Folly Beach of the 50s or even the70s. What makes it so special is slowly slipping away.
Everyone loves Folly’s quirky charm.
Camellia Beach, like Folly Beach, has a small downtown. Camellia Beach’s commercial district is in need of much more renovation than Folly’s quaint, carefully maintained buildings. The hotel in Camellia Beach, the Pink Pelican, doubles as an informal retirement home for many of the long-term residents. It’s the heart of the community.
And then there’s the Chocolate Box, a chocolate shop that has survived hurricanes and downturned economies. Charity Penn, a newcomer to the island, now owns this historic candy shop. And in addition to having a keen instinct for how to blend different flavors with chocolate to make her customer’s taste buds sing, she cannot ignore any unsolved crimes that threaten her adopted island.
In Playing with Bonbon Fire, the second book in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series, Penn is at it again—cooking up treats while working to keep everyone town of Camellia Beach safe. A threatening note, a dead musician, and decades of secrets put the town’s first beach music festival and its band members in grave danger. With the help from her meddling half-sister and a new flavor of chocolate sweets to ignite the senses, Penn follows the shifting tide of evidence to uncover a forty-year-old secret.
I hope you’ll come with me, and spend some time on this special island paradise. Is there a special place like Folly Beach that has captured your heart? I’d love to hear about it.
Dorothy St. James, known for the White House Gardener Mystery series, has gone back to her roots and setting a mystery series in a Southern beach town much like the one she’s called home for the past 20 years. The Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries combine her love of fine chocolates, quirky Southern charm, with a dash of danger. Asking for Truffle is the first book in this exciting new series. Playing with Bonbon Fire came out in March 2018 and In Cold Chocolate is scheduled to release September 2018.
About the Author
Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a neurotic dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.
Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.
Known for the White House Gardener Mystery series
, Dorothy is going back to her roots and setting a mystery series in a Southern beach town much like the one she’s called home for the past 20 years. The Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries
combine her love of fine chocolates, quirky Southern charm, with a dash of danger.
* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of the award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”
Author Links
Website: www.dorothystjames.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothymcfalls
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 11 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
March 11 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 11 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 13 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 13 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
March 13 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 14 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW
March 14 – Sapphyria’s Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
March 15 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
March 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 16 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 17 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
March 17 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 18 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 18 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 20 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
March 20 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
March 20 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 21 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW
March 22 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 23 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
March 23 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
March 24 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 24 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 24 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – SPOTLIGHT
The post Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James, blog tour, giveaway & guest post appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 9, 2018
Witch Way to Mintwood (Witch of Mintwood Mystery) by Addison Creek, blog tour, character guest post & spotlight
Witch Way to Mintwood (Witch of Mintwood Mystery)
by Addison Creek
About the Book
Witch Way to Mintwood (Witch of Mintwood Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Self Published (December 19, 2016)
Print Length: 208 pages
ASIN: B01N5HIGH5
House falling down? Check. Pet sitting job with annoying clients? Check. Ability to speak to ghosts, which has the unfortunate side effect of having to listen to what they say back? Double check! Hot high school crush still in town being all successful and stuff while you protest his building projects? All kinds of checks! Did anyone say Witch of Mintwood? Yup! Just add murder and this will be a week to remember!
Guest Post
Hi all, my name is Paws and I feature, appear, and am generally the center of attention in the Witch of Mintwood mystery series. I’m a talking ghost cat in these stories, which take place in the beautiful state of Maine.
I thought we’d do a little interview about why I love Maine from the ghost cat perspective. You’ll never guess, but it’s mostly because of the tall grass. Yes, that’s right. Tall grass is my favorite way to catch mice. I can hide out in the reeds. They can try to hide out in the reeds . . . all seems good to me.
Oh, an even better part about it is that birds fly overhead a lot. Sometimes I time a jump just right . . . but I digress. There’s always a reason to visit Maine, and sometimes there’s a reason to stay for a lifetime. I was born and raised here and now I live on the porch. There’s a lovely view of the birds, I mean trees, and given how old the farmhouse is, there’s sure to be a mouse or two. I guess one way or another I always end up back at the same topic. If you’re a ghost cat who is an assistant to the witch of a local town, and you want to live in an old farmhouse, I highly recommend Maine. Besides, ghosts can’t be bothered by the weather, which is a magic trick in and of itself in a state that gets so much snow. You’d love it.
About the Author
Reading, writing, dark chocolate, and cheese.
Hello! I’m the author of the Witch Way to Mintwood series and the Spooky Business series! I live in New England and love it. I survive the winter by layering, good-natured complaining, and more layering. In case you were wondering. Hearing from readers is always lovely, so come visit me here me on my blogor Facebook.
Purchase Link
Books in this series:
1. Witch Way to Mintwood
2. Witch Some Win Some
3. Spell by Midnight
4. A Witch on Mintwood Mountain
5. Witch Raising Situation
6. Witch Way Round
7. Witch Wish Way
8. White Witch Wonder
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 7 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 7 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 8 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 9 – Valerie’s Musings – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 9 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 10 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW
March 10 – Babs Book Bistro – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – Nadaness In Motion – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 11 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
March 11 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 12 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 12 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
The post Witch Way to Mintwood (Witch of Mintwood Mystery) by Addison Creek, blog tour, character guest post & spotlight appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 7, 2018
Six Feet Under (A Kenni Lowry Mystery) by Tonya Kappes, blog tour, guest post & giveway
Six Feet Under (A Kenni Lowry Mystery)
by Tonya Kappes
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Kentucky
Henery Press (March 13, 2018)
Paperback: 268 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635113082
Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. And let me tell you, this broth is in trouble. Get ready for a Southern showdown.
The residents of Cottonwood, Kentucky are sent into a tizzy when the Culinary Channel comes to town to film an episode of Southern Home Cookin’ with celebrity chef Frank Von Lee.
Especially Sheriff Kenni Lowry.
Her mama’s award-winning chicken pot pie is what brought Frank to town, and they don’t make hair in the South bigger than her mama’s ego after the news.
When Frank Von Lee is found dead from food poisoning and the most likely culprit is Mama’s chicken pot pie, Kenni’s poppa, the former sheriff, comes back from the Great Beyond to assist in the investigation.
But nothing’s prepared Kenni for such a personal tie to a case, and she finds herself pushing the limits of the laws she’s sworn to protect.
This book’s so delicious it’ll make your mouth water and leave you hankerin’ for more.
Giveaway
Guest Post
Guest Post
by Tonya Kappes
The south + funeral = social gathering
I’m from central Kentucky. I grew up:
· Listening to and learning superstitions
· Going to the Baptist church on Sunday and then going to my Granny’s for supper with all thirty-two relatives. EVERY Sunday.
· Going to the Baptist church on Wednesday for spaghetti supper. ( I still can’t make spaghetti for my family.)
· Pulling the car over and stop to let the ambulance pass
· Pulling the car over and stop to let the funeral procession go by
· Showing up on doorsteps without calling first
· Walking in people’s homes without knocking
· Spending many hours in the rocking chair on the front porch
· Waving at everyone who drove by
· Asking about your momma when I saw you
· Stopping to help everyone in need even if I didn’t know you, I bet you knew someone kin to you
· Driving up and down Main Street as a form of entertainment
· Four wheelin’ was our form of endless entertainment
· We don’t schedule weddings during basketball or horse racing
· Cowboy boots are our high-heels
· Going to the Hardees on Friday night to watch cloggers is a good time!
· I still love jug fishin’
· I still put up seven Christmas trees
· I still change my home decorations to go with the seasons
· I still can Bless Your Heart all day long *wink*
But funerals are social gatherings for us Sothern’s. No matter if there is ill will between anyone in the families, as soon as someone dies we go to cooking. The last thing a family needs to do is worry about cooking.
You’ll find all of these special things and more in the Kenni Lowry
About the Author
For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been publishing numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plot lines and quirky characters but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans.
Sign up for her newsletter on her website at Tonyakappes.com .
Visit Tonya:
Facebook at Author Tonya Kappes,
https://www.facebook.com/authortonyakappes
Kappes Krew Street Team
https://www.facebook.com/groups/208579765929709/
Website
tonyakappes.com
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4423580.Tonya_Kappes
Twitter
https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/tonyakappes/
Purchase Links:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 6 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 7 – Queen of All She Reads – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 8 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 8 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 10 – Christa Reads and Writes – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
March 11 – Varietats – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 12 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
March 12 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 13 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 13 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 14 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – REVIEW
March 15 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
March 16 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 16 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
March 17 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 18 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY
March 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 19 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
The post Six Feet Under (A Kenni Lowry Mystery) by Tonya Kappes, blog tour, guest post & giveway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery by Caroline Fardig, spotlight
Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery
by Caroline Fardig
Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1s in Series
Alibi (March 6, 2018)
ASIN: B071K4DV7W
Will be up on GoodReads soon.
Southern hospitality meets deadly deception in the start of a charming new mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive novels.
Quinn Bellandini loves her life in Savannah, Georgia, where she runs her grandfather’s B&B with her sister, Delilah. From baking fresh scones and serving up grits every morning to ensuring the guests see the best of their historic city, Quinn can’t imagine doing anything else—even if it means dealing with nuisances like the occasional malfunctioning commode. But when Quinn drops by the local restaurant owned by her friend Drew Green, and stumbles upon a murder, her whole world comes crashing down.
Drew’s brother was always a little surly, but Quinn can’t imagine that someone disliked the prickly chef enough to kill him. The police, on the other hand, don’t believe that Quinn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before her guests can even digest the next morning’s gourmet breakfast, Quinn learns that she and Drew are suspects.
Drew thinks they should do some investigating of their own. Quinn is pretty sure she’s better suited to playing hostess than amateur sleuth. But with Delilah as her cynical sidekick, Quinn starts looking for the real killer—before she gets put away faster than you can say “sugar.”
About the Author
CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
Social Media
Website: www.carolinefardig.com
Blog: http://www.carolinefardig.com/blog/
Twitter: @carolinefardig
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolinefardigbooks
Purchase Links
Don’t miss Caroline Fardig’s thrilling Java Jive mysteries, which can be read together or separately:
DEATH BEFORE DECAF| MUG SHOT
| A WHOLE LATTE MURDER
| BREW OR DIE
| MURDER OVER MOCHAS
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 5 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
March 5 – Ruff Drafts – INTERVIEW
March 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 7 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 7 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
March 8 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 9 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – GUEST POST
March 10 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
March 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – GUEST POST
March 12 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 13 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 14 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
March 14 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
March 15 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
March 16 – Books a Plenty Book Review – REVIEW
March 17 – Varietats – REVIEW
March 18 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
The post Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery by Caroline Fardig, spotlight appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 5, 2018
March issue of The Bistro is now live
Dorothy St. James on the cover and she will be on the blog here on the 11th of March with a giveaway.
We also have Duffy Brown, AnnaJ. Stewart, Stacy Henrie, Lynn Winchester and more authors. Giveaway, Guest posts, interviews, reviews and dedication to Bill Crider.
To read more click The Bistro
The post March issue of The Bistro is now live appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 2, 2018
Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery), Laura Childs, blog tour, giveaway & spotlight
Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs
About the Book
Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
19th in Series
Berkley (March 6, 2018)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451489609
Digital ASIN: B071K4DPRH
Theodosia Browning investigates a Charleston steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.
While viewing the harbor’s Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow’s walk of Timothy Neville’s Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it’s discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow.
At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner–all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
Giveaway
About the Author
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries
, Scrapbook Mysteries
, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries
. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries 
– set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries
– a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries
– set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
Laura’s Links:
Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 1 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 1 – Queen of All She Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – Teresa Trent Author Site – REVIEW
March 2 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
March 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – REVIEW
March 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 5 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 5 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT
March 6 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 6 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, GUEST POST
March 7 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
March 7 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
March 8 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 10 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
March 10 – Sapphyria’s Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – Mysteries with Character – REVIEW
March 13 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 14 – Varietats – REVIEW
March 14 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
March 15 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW, GUEST POST
March 15 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 16 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – REVIEW
March 16 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
March 17 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
March 18 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
March 18 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – INTERVIEW
March 19 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 19 – Ruff Drafts – INTERVIEW
March 20 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
The post Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery), Laura Childs, blog tour, giveaway & spotlight appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
pH Health by Healthy Wiser product review
pH Health is important even more now as we grow older. The ph helps measure your body electrical balance. Things can happen if it is not right. You can be too acidic or too alkaline. You can find it here https://healthywiser.com/products/ph-...
What I like most about these strips? You can use either your saliva or urine. Either one is very simple. It does give you a chart so you can track your settings and see what is going on in you body.
The kit comes with 120 test strips. They are in a plastic case so be careful opening it up or the strips welcome flying out.
I have been using for one day now as my kit came today. Very easy and fast results. So far I am ok but it does tell you to use several test through out the day.
If your pH is too acidic it can cause:
Energy drain, headaches, and indigestion
Bone degeneration
Muscle loss
Insulin sensitivity that results in weight gain and increased risk for diabetes
If your pH is too alkaline it can cause:
Nerve and joint pain
Arthritis
Insomnia
Body stiffness
We do have a coupon for you to use. Please give it a try. You won’t be disaponted.
Receive 20% Off our Whole HealthyWiser Collection
Click Here: http://amzn.to/2sDvdAF
Code: Healthy2018
The post pH Health by Healthy Wiser product review appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
March 1, 2018
Last Chance Cowboys, The Rancher by Anna Schmidt blog tour, excerpt, giveaway & spotlight
Title: Last Chance Cowboys: The Rancher
Author: Anna Schmidt
Series: Where the Trail Ends, #4
Pub Date: March 6, 2018
“You can’t be sure we’re doing the right thing,” she said.
He drew closer to the barbed wire separating them. “It’s impossible to know what’s right. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”
The world is changing, and the West isn’t as wild as it used to be. Trey Porterfield welcomes a new era of law and order—and the influx of settlers coming to the Arizona territory. But not everyone is willing to see the old ways change, and as the cattlemen and the herders take sides, a full-blown range war may be inevitable. There’s only one way Trey can see to bring peace to his feuding neighbors.
Marry the enemy.
Nell Stokes is a young widow fighting just to stay alive. In Trey, she sees a chance to heal old wounds and start over. Love was never in the cards, yet as Trey and Nell fight to unite the feuding land, they’ll discover a passion neither could have expected…and a danger far greater than either has ever known.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | IndieBound
Excerpt
When Trey reached home it was after dark and he rode straight to the bunkhouse. Javier sat on the banco outside the door, his arms folded across his chest, his legs outstretched and his hat covering his face.
“Javier!”
Trey reined in his horse and dismounted. By the time he had covered the distance between the horse and his friend, Javier was standing, watching closely as he clearly tried to judge Trey’s mood.
“¿Qué más, jefe?”
Trey grabbed his friend by his shirtfront and backed him up to the wall of the bunkhouse. Never before had he laid his hands on Javier in anger, but this time the man had crossed a line that friendship couldn’t forgive. “You tell me.” He stared at Javier, who met his gaze briefly, then glanced away.
“Not sure what you’re….”
Trey shook him. “The Stokes place last night—and the night before. You have anything to do with that?”
He had his answer before he finished the question. Javier scowled up at him, meeting his eyes directly. “You gotta choose a side, Trey.”
Trey felt an anger unlike any he had ever experienced in his life. It was born of frustration and exasperation, and fear. The fear that after the decades that his parents, his sister Maria and her husband had managed the ranch successfully, despite all kinds of human and natural disasters, he might be the one who failed. He gave Javier one more shove and then released him.
“Why do there have to be sides? Why can’t we all just live here and work the land and….”
While Trey might be quick to anger and quicker to let things go, Javier had no trouble showing his rage. He stepped closer to Trey and, with no pretense of modulating his voice, shouted, “You know why, Trey, and stop pretending you don’t. Them damned woolies chew the grass down to the nub, all the while their sharp hooves finish the job by digging up whatever’s left by the roots. This used to be open range—cattle range—and now we’re supposed to share it? You got any idea how far we’ve had to drive the herd to find decent pasture for the summer? That’s because of them.”
“And that makes it all right to terrorize a widow and her sick son for two nights running?” Trey roared in return.
Javier studied him hard for a long moment. They were both flushed, their fists clenched, their bodies poised for a fight. Javier was the first to step away. He stared down at the ground waiting for his breathing to calm, then looked up at Trey. “You falling for that sheepherder’s woman, my friend?” His tone was sympathetic.
Trey pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his sweat-slicked hair. “She’s an innocent in this fight, and I just don’t want to see anybody else get hurt, Javier. There’s got to be a way we can work this out. They aren’t going away—and neither are we.”
“We were here first,” Javier said, his voice petulant.
Trey allowed himself a wry smile. “Technically the Indians were here first and look what we did to them. After that it was the Spaniards—your ancestors. And they raised sheep, my friend, long before cattlemen showed up.”
The two of them leaned on the corral fence and gazed out into the black night for a long moment. “This isn’t just about sheep versus cattle, Javier. The truth is things are changing—everything about the life our parents knew is different. Every year another new town springs up or spreads out. We either learn to live with that or we spend the rest of our time on this earth fighting against progress that’ll surely beat us in the end.”
“So what’s your plan?” Javier asked.
Trey shrugged. “Don’t have one—just the notion we need to make this more about how we’re gonna live in peace and less about needin’ to be right.”
“Let me ask you something, Trey. If that woman and her boy weren’t part of this, would that change the way you look at it?”
“I hope not—but yeah, maybe.”
Javier pushed away from the split rail fence. “Got to give you one thing—she’s awfully pretty, and from what I saw of her at the church social, she’s not afraid to stand her ground. She’s got conviction. You need somebody like that, Trey. Too bad she’s on the wrong side of things.”
Trey bristled. “Need someone like her? Is that how you see me? As a man who needs somebody to speak for him because I’m too weak to do it myself?”
“You’re strong in ways I’ll never be able to understand, Trey. But you’ve got this way of thinking that everybody’s as good as you are. Few are. Most folks are a blend of good and bad. Nell Stokes appears to know that.”
“I know that.”
Javier shook his head. “Trouble is you have this idea you can change those other folks to come around to your way of seeing things.”
“It’s called hope,” Trey argued.
“It’s called impossible.” Javier glanced back at a couple of the other cowboys coming out of the bunkhouse, stretching and yawning. “We got the night shift,” he said, as he pulled on his hat.
Trey turned to the other hands. “You boys head on out. I need Javier here to help me.”
“With what?” Javier’s eyebrows lifted with suspicion.
“Come morning we’re gonna pay a call on Henry Galway and see if we can work something out—a council or something to start decidin’ what’s fair. And then you are going to apologize to Mrs. Stokes for scaring the bejesus out of her and her son. But before we do any of that we’re gonna head for the Stokes place and see if we can repair any of the damage done there before she and her boy get home. Get some rest, Javier—we leave at daybreak.”
Giveaway
About the author
Award-winning author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin.
Find Anna Online:
Website: http://www.booksbyanna.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/as_li_sh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anna13Schmidt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/690598.Anna_Schmidt
The post Last Chance Cowboys, The Rancher by Anna Schmidt blog tour, excerpt, giveaway & spotlight appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
February 28, 2018
Craks in a Marriage (Mah Jongg Mysteries) by Barbara Barrett, guest post, spotlight & giveaway
Craks in a Marriage (Mah Jongg Mysteries)
by Barbara Barrett
About the Book
Craks in a Marriage (Mah Jongg Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Florida
Self Published (February 6, 2018)
Print Length: 204 pages
ASIN: B079DCX8WQ
When Sydney Bonner overhears a fellow mah jongg player arguing on the phone with her husband, she realizes the couple’s “perfect marriage” isn’t all it appears to be. A few days later, the husband is found dead, his head bashed in. Fearing she’ll be considered the most likely suspect, the widow prevails upon Sydney and her three friends—Marianne, Kat and Micki—to find out who really killed him.
Though none of these four fun-loving, take-charge retirees has any training as detectives, the women agree to launch a secret investigation. As they dig under the happy veneer of their community’s social life, they find more than enough suspects, from shady ladies to resentful golf buddies, to keep them looking over their shoulders.
Could the murderer be lurking among the talent in a chaotic production put on by Sydney’s husband, who will do anything to keep busy in retirement? Could the sheriff, who may have more than a professional interest in chanteuse Kat, end up pinning the crime on the women instead? Each discovery during their investigations and their weekly mah jongg game keeps them running as they close in on the killer—but the killer may also be closing in on them.
Guest Post
Why Retirees?
I like to describe the Mah Jongg Mystery series as “The Golden Girls become Jessica Fletcher,” but I wasn’t sure if anyone under fifty would recognize the reference. Thanks to TV reruns, I probably don’t have to worry. Both TV shows have become cultural icons. The thing is, I couldn’t find a more recent example that fit this series. The closest I could come was “The Women’s Murder Club” by James Patterson, which aired from 2007-2008. But they weren’t retirees; in fact, their various occupations (a homicide detective, an assistant district attorney, a chief medical examiner and a newspaper crime reporter) are the fabric of their crime-solving stories.
When I decided to write Craks in a Marriage, the first book in this cozy mystery series, I wanted my characters to be a group of older women, all retirees. Why? For a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I’m a retiree also, and after eleven contemporary romance novels and one novella, all featuring main characters in their thirties and forties, I wanted to write about my world. Retirement has gone well for me, for the most part. I’ve been happier than I ever dreamed might be the case. I loved my career in human resource management, but it was only after I retired that I felt I could be completely me. I wanted to incorporate those feelings into my writing.
There are other discoveries about retirement I wanted to share as well. The most obvious change from work life to retirement is time. This may seem obvious, but you really don’t realize it until it happens. You no longer are bound to a schedule. You can do what you want when you want. The trick is to figure out what it is you want. I knew immediately; I wanted more time to write. I wanted at least one of my books to be published. That’s not the case for Trip Bonner, the spouse of one my amateur sleuths, Sydney Bonner. At least not yet. In this first book, he commits to overseeing a follies fundraiser as his way of filling his time when not on the golf course.
Time also shapes the lifestyle of my protagonists. Two of them are pursuing new careers. Kat Faulkner, the most laid-back member of the quartet by day, by night emerges as a vivacious chanteuse at local . Micki Demetrius, a former English teacher, free-lances op-ed pieces. All four play mah jongg weekly.
Though they don’t seek murders to investigate, their connections to locals keeps bringing them into the vortex of homicide, and they have the time to do it.
Retirement also means more time for family and friends. Sydney and her friend, Marianne’s, spouses don’t always notice their wives involvement in crimesolving because they spend so much time together anyhow not only playing mah jongg, but also at the local coffee shop, or shopping or at the Women’s Club, etc.
On the other hand, there are other factors in retirement that also must be mentioned: aging and health issues. All four women are experiencing the graying of their hair. One is already gray, two are graying and the third will only allow a white streak in her dark hair. The victim, the husband of one of their mah jongg friends, has been cheating on his wife, most likely because he saw himself getting up in years. A health issue plays an important role in eliminating one of the suspects.
Travel
Disposable income
Giveaway
About the Author
Barbara Barrett started reading mysteries when she was pregnant with her first child to keep her mind off things like her changing body and food cravings. When she’d devoured as many Agatha Christies as she could find, she branched out to English village cozies and Ellery Queen.
Later, to avoid a midlife crisis, she began writing fiction at night when she wasn’t at her day job as a human resources analyst for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and one novella, she has returned to the cozy mystery genre, using one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Not only has it been a great social outlet, it has also helped keep her mind active when not writing.
Craks in a Marriage, the first book in her “Mah Jongg Mystery” series, features four friends who seek the murderer of another mah jongg player’s husband before she is charged. None of the four is based on an actual person. Each is an amalgamation of several mah jongg friends with a lot of Barbara’s imagination thrown in for good measure. The four will continue to appear in future books in the series.
Anticipating the day when she would write her first mystery, she has been a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America for over a decade. She credits them with helping her hone her craft.
Barbara is married to a man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.
Now retired, she is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in Iowa, her home state. She earned her B.A. degree in History from the University of Iowa and her Master’s Degree in History from Drake University.
When not in front of her laptop creating her next story, she plays Mah Jongg, knits, and enjoys lunches with friends.
Author Links
Website – http://www.barbarabarrettbooks.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Barbara-Barrett-Author-1678443865812386/
Twitter – www.twitter.com/bbarrettbooks
Pinterest – pinterest.com/barbarabarrett7
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8181756.Barbara_Barrett
Subscribe to my newsletter: barbarabarrett747@gmail.com
Purchase Links
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
February 28 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
February 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
March 1 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 4 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
March 4 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY
March 5 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY
March 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 7 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
March 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
March 8 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
March 9 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY
The post Craks in a Marriage (Mah Jongg Mysteries) by Barbara Barrett, guest post, spotlight & giveaway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
