Babs Hightower's Blog, page 62
July 11, 2016
SOMETHING’S KNOT KOSHER by Mary Marks, review and guest post
Something’s Knot Kosher
by Mary Marks
Something’s Knot Kosher
(A Quilting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (June 28, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496701800
E-Book ASIN: B0165HUVWS
Funerals can be patchy affairs for Martha Rose and her close-knit circle of friends–especially in the case of a missing body. . .
When Birdie Watson’s husband Russell is killed during a bank robbery, Martha just wants to support her grieving friend. But en route to the burial plot in Oregon, Martha makes a harrowing discovery about the casket’s contents–instead of Russell, she finds an unidentified man. Now Martha and her quilting klatch can’t rest in peace until they unspool the truth behind the macabre mix up. . .
My thoughts
I love Mary’s books and this one is a sure fire crowd pleasure. Martha is up to her eyes balls with someone else in the casket of Birdies husband. It is not Russell in there but some other man. Now Martha and her gang have to find out who is is and where is Russell.
I have to admit there were some laugh out moments with Martha and her friends. Mary knows how to draw the reader into the book. You feel like you are right there with Martha trying to figure out what is going on. A great series everyone should try.
Guest Post
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
July 11 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW, GUEST POST
July 12 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – INTERVIEW
July 13 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW
July 14 – My funny View of life – REVIEW
July 15 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
July 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Bookjunkie’s Book Blog – REVIEW
July 17 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
July 18 – Bubble Bath Books – REVIEW
July 19 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
July 20 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
July 22 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
The post SOMETHING’S KNOT KOSHER by Mary Marks, review and guest post appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
July 8, 2016
MURDER UNDER THE COVERED BRIDGE
Murder Under The Covered Bridge
by Elizabeth Perona
Murder Under the Covered Bridge
(A Bucket List Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink (July 8, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-0738748054
E-Book ASIN: B01A5OGTUK
SynopsisWorking on a television taping to promote the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the ladies decide to use their access to the Roseville Bridge to cross an item off Charlotte’s bucket list: #39) Be a Sexy Calendar Girl. But the photo shoot is interrupted by gunshots and Francine’s cousin William stumbling down the riverbank followed by a man with a gun. William sustains life-threatening injuries, but is it homicide?
Francine and Charlotte go into detective mode to uncover the secret William knew about the shooter. Their success, however, depends on surviving two arson events, a séance, a shortage of Mary Ruth’s wildly popular corn fritter donuts, memory-challenged nursing home residents, and a killer who refuses to go up in flames.
Guest Post
A Matter of Whimsy
The second book in the Bucket List mystery series, Murder under the Covered Bridge, introduces something that may feel new to our writing, an element of fantasy, but it’s really nothing new. If you read the first book carefully, you’ll see that it’s an extension of what is already one of the fun aspects of the book—whimsy.
The women of the Bridge Club have a knack for getting themselves in trouble. They go from trying to skinny dip at midnight (their escapade hidden away from the world) to being on Good Morning America a couple of days later. The transition from one to the other makes for a hilarious situation, and that makes it a great deal of fun for us. But the truth is, it borders on farce. It really couldn’t happen. The next step, which we’ve plunged into with the new book, is to add another element that couldn’t happen, not because the likelihood is so minimal as to be zero, but because its real counterpart has never been discovered in the natural world – a spring with restorative powers.
But could you believe in such a thing? People certainly have in the past. History.com reports that Alexander the Great was said to have come across a healing “river of paradise.” In the fourth century B.C., they report, similar legends cropped up in such disparate locations as the Canary Islands, Japan, Polynesia and England. In the early twentieth century, the spring mineral waters of places like Hot Springs, Arkansas and French Lick, Indiana, were reputed to have healing powers. Spas were created around these warm mineral baths, and tourists, desperate for cures from various ailments, flocked to them.
It’s our contention that even today, people believe. A quick scan of newspaper “advertisements” (which are made to look like authentic news articles but whose true purpose is revealed by the hard-to-spot disclaimer “advertisement” at the top), shows that people are not only still looking for miracle cures but will spend real money on the hope that they exist. So people still believe.
We believe it’s fun to consider the possibility of such waters. This won’t be the cornerstone of every mystery the ladies will encounter, we promise. It’s just one of the complications of life they’ll be wrestling with. (At least, Francine and Jonathan will wrestle with it. Right now they’re the only ones who know.) The hallmark of the Bucket List series, which is the good humor of the good ladies of the Summer Ridge Bridge Club and the nearly farcical circumstances in which they find themselves, will remain intact.
Trust us, it’s all whimsy.
About The AuthorsElizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and Liz Dombrosky. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series, the standalone thriller The Final Mayan Prophecy (with Paul Skorich), and co-editor and contributor to the anthologies Racing Can Be Murder and Hoosier Hoops & Hijinks. Tony is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. He is also a member of Sisters-in-Crime.
Liz Dombrosky graduated from Ball State University in the Honors College with a degree in teaching. She is currently a stay-at-home mom. Murder on the Bucket List
was her first novel.
Author Links
Webpage –Tony www.tonyperona.com
Webpage – Elizabeth www.elizabethperona.com,
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorelizabethperona/timeline
Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N
Tour Participants
July 7 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
July 8 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
July 9 – Around the World in Books – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
July 11 – Bubble Bath Books – REVIEW
July 12 – Books Direct – GUEST POST
July 12 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
July 13 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
July 13 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
July 14 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
July 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
The post MURDER UNDER THE COVERED BRIDGE appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
July 7, 2016
Friday Finds for July 8th 2016
Welcome to July 8th’s Friday Finds. This week is still Cozy Mystery for me.
Click cover for your copy
I am currently reading this book right now and love it so far. Love Midnight Ice :).
Baggage claim can be terminal when a computer glitch mislabels identical vintage suitcases. This is what happened after three women with a knack for solving mysteries each grabbed the wrong bag.
MIDNIGHT ICE by Diane Vallere
A Mad for Mod Mystery Novella (prequel to Pillow Stalk)
When interior decorator Madison Night crosses the country to distance herself from a recent breakup, she learns it’s harder to escape her past than she thought, and diamonds are rarely a girl’s best friend.
SWITCH BACK by Kendel Lynn
An Elliott Lisbon Mystery Novella (prequel to Board Stiff)
Ballantyne Foundation director Elliott Lisbon travels to Texas after inheriting an entire town, but when she learns the donor was murdered, she has to unlock the small town’s big secrets or she’ll never get out alive.
FOOL’S GOLD by Gigi Pandian
A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery (prequel to Artifact)
When a world-famous chess set is stolen from a locked room during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, historian Jaya Jones and her magician best friend must outwit actresses and alchemists to solve the baffling crime.
Related subjects include: mystery novella, novella series, humorous murder mysteries, amateur sleuth books, whodunnit short stories, book club recommendations, Southern humor, cozy mysteries, women sleuths, whodunit mysteries.
Books in the Henery Press Mystery Novella Series:
OTHER PEOPLE’S BAGGAGE (#1)
HEARTACHE MOTEL (#2)
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July 5, 2016
BRING YOUR OWN BAKER
The post BRING YOUR OWN BAKER appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
June 27, 2016
Spritz N Wipe product review
We have been buying wipes for the boys since they are 5 and 6 to help when they go to the bathroom. When I saw this product I wanted to see if it would work just as well. I was surprised that it does. The boys and all of us did not mind using it and it help them using the toilet paper now as well.
As you can see from the pictures above it is very easy to assemble and use. The Spritz n Wipe ( https://www.giveawayservice.com/p/e2a... ) is very affordable the two pack pure water is only $9.99 a big savings from buying wipes all the time. This is a big keeper for our family and an easy tool to teach your kids how to wipe the right way and switch over to toilet paper.
The best part of this product is:
1 – 8oz. cartridges of Spritz’n Wipe’s Simply Pure formula
Safe for your septic or sewer system
Fast and easy to use
Installs easy in minutes
Better hygiene and more convenient than regular toilet paper
More economical than wipes. Saves money.
Environmentally friendlier than wipes
No harsh chemicals
Alcohol free
Hands-free toilet paper moistening system. It turns your own toilet paper into a clean, fresh and convenient wipe. No more flushing wipes down your toilet! Wipes can cause issues with your own plumbing system and those of the municipality in your town.
I received this product in exchange for review from Giveaway Service website. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
The post Spritz N Wipe product review appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
The Make-Ahead Kitchen: 75 Slow-Cooker, Freezer, and Prepared Meals for the Busy Lifestyle
Skip the hassle of last-minute meals and leftovers and replace them with simple, healthy, delicious, and easy-to-prepare make-ahead dishes! Your family will love these comfortable meals, new favorites, cozy drinks, and tantalizing desserts–all of them prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to worry! Enjoy simple, soul-filling foods without the chaos of preparing them at the last minute.
My thoughts:
This is a wonderful cookbook for the busy mom’s out there. It has everything you could think of, drinks, desserts, meals etc. I think families will have a few new comfort foods to choose from. The desserts are what are a big hit with the kids. The author does a great job with the photos and easy to follow directions. You can’t go wrong with this cook book.
The post The Make-Ahead Kitchen: 75 Slow-Cooker, Freezer, and Prepared Meals for the Busy Lifestyle appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
June 24, 2016
Friday Finds for June 24th #FridayFinds
Welcome to this weeks Friday Finds. Looking forward to reading what everyone else has to offer today.
Click cover for more info
Pre-order August 2nd release click cover for more info
The post Friday Finds for June 24th #FridayFinds appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
June 22, 2016
THE QUIRKY QUIZ SHOW CAPER by Sally Carpenter
The Quirky Quiz Show Caper
by Sally Carpenter
The Quirky Quiz Show Caper
(Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Nysteries)
4th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Cozy Cat Press (March 26, 2016)
Paperback: 242 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1939816870
E-Book ASIN: B01ERVIAVS
38-year-old formal teen idol Sandy Fairfax is a guest panelist on a TV game show–and the first category is murder! When his brother, a college professor is framed for the murder of one of his student, Sandy investigates, in between fighting with his ex, visiting his kids, wooing his new girlfriend, and presenting a concert at a black tie gala to save his father’s orchestra. Sandy’s ready to tear out his long blond hair as the game points and suspects pile up.
About This Author
Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, Calif.
She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground” also earned a college creative writing award and “Star Collector” was produced in New York City.
Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.
She’s worked as an actress, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for Paramount Pictures. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.
The Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series is comprised of: “The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper
” (2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel), “The Sinister Sitcom Caper
,” “The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper
” and “The Quirky Quiz Show Caper
.”
She has short stories in two anthologies: “Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in” in “Last Exit to Murder” and “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” in “Plan B: Omnibus.”
Carpenter penned chapter three of the Cozy Cat Press group mystery “Chasing the Codex
.”
To atone for her sins of killing fictional people, she also writes the monthly Roots of Faith column for the Acorn Newspapers.
She blogs at http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com and ladiesofmystery.com.
She’s a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles.
Find her on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/sally.carpenter.54
Purchase Links
Tour Participants
July 18 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
July 19 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
July 20 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
July 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 22 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
July 23 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – INTERVIEW
July 24 – Tea and A Book – REVIEW
July 25 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW
July 26 – Bookjunkie’s Book Blog – REVIEW
July 26 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 27 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
July 28 – Queen of All She Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 29 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – GUEST POST
July 30 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
July 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
The post THE QUIRKY QUIZ SHOW CAPER by Sally Carpenter appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
SHARPE SHOOTER
Sharpe Shooter
by Lisa B. Thomas
Sharpe Shooter
(Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series Book 1)
Cozy Mystery
Self Published (March 19, 2015)
Paperback: 202 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1514114346
E-Book ASIN: B00UZLDFYW
SynopsisBurned-out high school teacher Deena Sharpe is ready for a change. She has no idea a fifty-year-old murder case is about to turn her life upside down.
The Perry County Sheriff’s office has found a skeleton in the closet…literally. When they identify the man’s body fifty years after his disappearance, his family turns to Deena to uncover the truth about his murder. The clock begins ticking when she discovers a mysterious writer is about to implicate the victim in his latest conspiracy theory book. She must channel her inner super-sleuth to solve the puzzle and protect her family name. With the help of her off-beat brother and others from the cozy town of Maycroft, Texas, Deena takes on a quest that leads to more questions than answers.
Sharpe Shooter is the first book in the Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series. With antique shopping, car chases, and ghosts in the night, the story will keep you guessing as you follow Deena on her quest for the truth.
Guest Post
Deena Sharpe here. I’m a 50-something Southern gal from Texas with a crazy story to tell.
When I was a little girl, my mother’s cousin—we called him Uncle Matthew—went missing. By that I mean, he just up and disappeared on us. My mother got a call from her frantic Aunt Cora asking us to drive down to Maycroft where the police had found Matthew’s car abandoned on the highway. We never did find him, but not for the lack of trying.
That was the start of our Great Family Mystery.
Here it is about fifty years later, and I live in Maycroft—the same place Matthew lived when he disappeared. A few months ago, I got a call out of the blue. The Perry County Sheriff’s Office finally found his body. It wasn’t in a lake or a ditch or any of the places you’d expect. It was in their own evidence closet and had been there since the 1960s. Not only that, but we found out the poor man had been murdered in cold blood. Shot in the head. Twice.
The circumstances surrounding the discovery of his body are fascinating in and of themselves, but I won’t go into that now. What I will tell you is that my Great Aunt Cora, now in her 90s, turned to me, a newly-fired-somewhat-retired journalism teacher, to see if I could figure out what happened to her son all those many years ago.
Sound easy? Hardly.
I’m married with an awesome husband. He was super supportive of my taking on the investigation. (I think he thought it would keep me busy while I figured out what to do with myself since I quit my job.) I had no idea where this adventure would lead me.
Luckily, my brother, Russell, lives nearby in Crossbow. He knows all about guns. He volunteered to serve as my assistant sleuth and bodyguard. Russell is what some might call “crazy.” We refer to him as “eccentric.” He is one of those confirmed bachelors who is suspicious of the government and wants to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse and such. He’s a sweetheart and would do anything to help anyone. However, if you are ever in a car chase, don’t let him drive!
Did I mention that Maycroft is a small town in northeast Texas? I actually live in the outskirts of town. We call it the suburbs. We have everything you would expect, like competitive, busy-bodies for neighbors. Someday, Dallas might grow right up to the edge of town, but for now we love our small town life on the edge of the piney woods.
I need to mention my good friend Sandra Davis. She owns a thrift store here in Maycroft. She’s a big animal lover whose husband is a lawyer. I buy a lot of things at her shop for my antique booth. That’s a hobby of mine. Buying and selling old junk. Anyway, Sandra helped me figure out an important clue in Uncle Matthew’s disappearance.
Oh dear, I hope I haven’t said too much. I really want you to read the story and see if you can figure out “who done it” for your own self. But just to give you a hint, I’ll say this: Think 1963, Russians, jealousy, conspiracy, army, nosy neighbors, church suppers, maps, and ghosts. That should get your curiosity going.
To fill in the missing pieces of this puzzle, read Sharpe Shooter. It is available on Amazon in print and ebook.
About The Author –
Born and raised in Texas, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Finally, after thirty-three years as a high school Journalism and English teacher, I dusted off the laptop and released my first novel. Having grown up reading Trixie Belden
, Nancy Drew
, and Agatha Christie
, I was drawn to the mystery genre.
With two grown children out of the nest, I live a quiet life with my husband and Peekapoo puppy. Besides writing, I enjoy my grandchildren, photography, traveling, and antiquing (aka. buying and selling used junk). Like my main character, Deena, I have an antique booth and enjoy treasure hunting and reselling vintage finds.
Links:
Website – www.lisabthomas.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LisaBThomasAuthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LBThomas2
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5916082.Lisa_B_Thomas
Purchase Link –
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June 21, 2016
RIVERBEND ROAD by RaeAnne Thayne
The post RIVERBEND ROAD by RaeAnne Thayne appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
