Friday, January 30, 2015

Cookbook Review: Pure Pork Awesomeness: Totally Cookable Recipes from Around the World by Kevin Gillespie, David Joachim







  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (March 31 2015)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00OSTXBEQ

Book Description

 "Like Bubba Gump and his shrimp, I have a million ways to cook pork because I love it so much. If I had only one animal to eat forevermore, I would eat pigs. You could have a pork chop one day, pulled pork another, and cured bacon the next day, and they’d all taste completely different. You can't do that with chicken. Chicken tastes like chicken no matter what part of the animal you eat. And I love beef and lamb, but they don't have the amazing versatility of pork. Pork can be the star of the show or a background flavor. But no matter where it shows up, pork is always welcome on my table."
---from the introduction, Kiss a Pig

On Bravo TV's season six of Top Chef, Kevin Gillespie became known for his love of pork. He literally wears it on his sleeve with his forearm tatoo. His first book, Fire in My Belly, a James Beard Award finalist, included his famous Bacon Jam. Now he shares his passion and love of pork in a book devoted entirely to the subject. Pure Pork Awesomeness celebrates pork's delicious versatility with more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes. Dig into everything from Bacon Popcorn and Bourbon Street Pork Chops to Korean Barbecued Pork Bulgogi, Vietnamese Spareribs with Chile and Lemongrass, and Banoffee Trifle with Candied Bacon. Organized like the pig itself, recipes use every cut of pork from shoulder and tenderloin to pork belly and ham. Find out how to buy the best-tasting pork available, differences among heritage breeds of pigs, and what to do with new cuts like "ribeye of pork". . . all from a witty, talented chef who knows the ins and outs of cooking pork at home.

About the Authors

 Chef Kevin Gillespie's true passion lies in incorporating fresh, organic, and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. After graduating with honors from the Art Institute of Atlanta, the Georgia native worked in top restaurants in Atlanta and Oregon before opening his first restaurant, Gunshow, in May 2013. Gillespie was one of the final three cheftestants on sseason six of Bravo's Top Chef and was voted Fan Favorite. He has been named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year Award for three consecutive years, nominated for Food & Wine's People's Best New Chef and named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 for his outstanding accomplishments in the restaurant industry. As a rising young culinary star who was bringing more than just good food to the table, Gillespie was named one of Mother Nature Network’s top 40 Chefs Under 40 in November 2009 for linking farms to forks and promoting better health for people and the planet. In February 2010, he was honored as one of Gayot.com's Top Five Rising Chefs. His debut cookbook, Fire in My Belly, was selected as a James Beard Award F inalist. Gillespie is a member of Slow Food Atlanta, Southern Foodways Alliance, Chefs Collaborative, Community Farmers Markets Chefs Advisory Board, Georgia Organics, and the Society for the Preservation of Traditional Southern Barbecue. He owns two restaurants: Gunshow in Atlanta which also operates a BBQ catering business called Terminus City. He plans to open a second restaurant called Revival in Decatur in 2015. It will be based on the Southern concept of meat-and-three; just like going to Grandma's for Sunday dinner, but available every day. For more information, please visit chefkevingillespie.com.

Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefKevinGillespie

David Joachim has authored, edited, or collaborated on more than 40 cookbooks. His first book with Kevin Gillespie, Fire in My Belly, was a James Beard Award finalist. His A Man, A Can, A Plan series of books has sold more than 1 million copies. He writes a column in Fine Cooking magazine called "The Science Of...," and he co-owns Chef Salt, a line of artisanal seasonings that feature unrefined salts from around the world.

My Review

 I have enthusiastically jumped on the foodie bandwagon. It is so addictive to watch cooking shows on tv. And I love Southern Barbecue! Meat and Three - one of my favorite things...you pick your barbecued meat and three sides. Chef Kevin Gillespie understand the pure pleasure of meat and three.  Yes indeed!

The cookbook is divided by cuts of meat:

No. 1 This Little Piggy - this section discusses the different varieties of hogs and the different cuts of pork

No. 2 Pantry Recipes - Brining, pepper vinegar, sauce and coleslaw!

No. 3 On the Shoulder - Main dishes, sandwiches and snacks using pork shoulder

No. 4 Loins - Main dishes, small plates and sandwiches with pork loin. Bourbon Street Rib Eye of Pork! Pork Vindaloo! Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peppercorn Sauce!

No. 5 Belly and Ribs - Main Dishes, snacks and small plates, soup and sandwiches, breakfast and desserts. Yes desserts...candied bacon, maple bacon ice cream. Great section...ribs, pork belly, bacon!

No. 6 Hams - Main dishes, sandwiches and soup, small plates and breakfast.

No. 7 Sausages and Such - Anytime sausages, main dishes, appetizers and small plates.

No. 8 Odds and Ends - Main dishes and small plates. Pork Fat Pommes Frites, homemade pork rinds

Mmmmmm...the barbecue sauce in chapter 2 sounds amazing! Not every recipe is illustrated but the illustrations that are included look so appetizing! There is a lot of variety with many ethnic varieties

I loved all the quotes about pigs that are included! This lovely cookbook is full of useful tips that any pork lover will find helpful (Good to Know, Worth Knowing sections).

A must buy! Definitely a fabulous addition to my cookbook collection. Highly recommend!

Monday, January 26, 2015

Review: Rock with Wings (Navajo Mysteries #20) by Anne Hillerman



  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (May 5 2015)
  • Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers CA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00MMET87S

Book Description

Navajo Tribal cops Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, investigate two perplexing cases in this exciting Southwestern mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter

Doing a good deed for a relative offers the perfect opportunity for Sergeant Jim Chee and his wife, Officer Bernie Manuelito, to get away from the daily grind of police work. But two cases will call them back from their short vacation and separate them—one near Shiprock, and the other at iconic Monument Valley.

Chee follows a series of seemingly random and cryptic clues that lead to a missing woman, a coldblooded thug, and a mysterious mound of dirt and rocks that could be a gravesite. Bernie has her hands full managing the fallout from a drug bust gone wrong, uncovering the origins of a fire in the middle of nowhere, and looking into an ambitious solar energy development with long-ranging consequences for Navajo land.

Under the guidance of their mentor, retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, Bernie and Chee will navigate unexpected obstacles and confront the greatest challenge yet to their skills, commitment, and courage.


About the Author

Anne Hillerman's newest book,"Spider Woman's Daughter" debuted at number 10 on the New York Times Best Seller list. The novel continues her father Tony Hillerman's popular Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn series. The book followed "Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn," with photos by Don Strel of the country the renown mystery author visited in his novels. Her cookbook, "Santa Fe Flavors: Best Restaurants and Recipes" received the New Mexico Book Award for the best cookbook of 2009. Anne's other books include "Gardens of Santa Fe," "Ride the Wind, USA to Africa," and "Children's Guide to Santa Fe." When she's not writing, Anne enjoys cooking, writing restaurant reviews for the Albuquerque Journal, and skiing.


My Review

Tony Hillerman was one of my favorite authors. That his daughter Anne is carrying on his Leaphorn and Chee series is a fitting tribute to such a fine author. Hillerman could evoke such a sense of place that you could feel the wonders of the Navajo reservation as you were reading. His daughter Anne is able to do this as well.

Anne Hillerman has been able to keep up the continuity of the Leaphorn/Chee stories while focusing on Jim Chee's wife, Officer Bernadette Manuelito. She is able to tell the stories from a more feminine point of view as she deals with her aging mother and rebellious younger sister. Rock With Wings also spent quite a bit of time with Officer Jim Chee as he assisted his cousin in the Monument Valley region of the reservation as well as helping out with the substation there and problems with a movie set. Their mentor, Lieutenant Leaphorn, also was able to assist with their assignments.

Rock With Wings is the Navajo name for the amazing Ship Rock monument. We went and visited Ship Rock this past Spring. So spectacular! I'm always looking for Leaphorn and Chee in the 4 corners region.

I really enjoyed Rock With Wings. I found all of the story lines to be interesting, contemporary and culturally relevant. Anne Hillerman is a good storyteller and she knows the area well. I would recommend that readers do read the entire series however Rock With Wings could also be read as a stand alone.

Highly recommend! Rock with Wings is available in May.





Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Review: Make it Happen Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose. by Lara Casey




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1164 KB
  • Print Length: 225 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0529101505
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (Dec 30 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00KQ2G18M

Book Description

"You know all those things you've always wanted to do? You should go do them!"

In the constant chase for perfection women find themselves worried, anxious, and completely overwhelmed. Working women want to take their careers to the next level, but are struggling to "do it all." Stay-at-home moms look for relief from burning the candle at both ends. Aspiring entrepreneurs and artists seek the courage to jump into a new venture. Make It Happen is the tool these women need to finally let go of the chase for perfection and take the leap of faith towards God's perfect plan.

Author Lara Casey was once a burned-out workaholic buried by debt, depression, and a failing marriage. Now thriving as a wife and mother, and running a booming business that fills her with joy, Lara is on a mission to share her experience and help readers find the spark that lives inside them. "I believe in the impossible. I'm living it," Lara says. "Life is too short to wait to take the leap!"

Written for women who want to do it all and live a life of meaning, Make It Happen rescues them from being overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, paralyzing fears, and other obstacles that stand in the way of cultivating the rich life God desires for them.

With seasoned advice, wisdom, and encouragement, Lara helps them pinpoint what isn't working and how to get there from here so they too can make it happen!

About the Author

Lara Casey is a believer in the impossible, helping women to live on purpose through the many hats she wears in her parent company, Lara Casey Media. She is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Southern Weddings® magazine and the founder of the Making Things Happen movement. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, Ari, and their bubbly daughter, Grace. For more information, visit www.LaraCasey.com.



My Review

A year from now, you will wish you had started TODAY.

– Karen Lamb

 

  From Amazon


You were created for a purpose, and it's time to make it happen.

Make It Happen is the story of how I surrendered my fear, took the leap, and got a life. In my case, a perfectly imperfect, fulfilling life as a mama, a working woman, and a grateful wife. This is the story of how I chose to make "it"—a greater purpose than mine—happen, and how you can too.

Make It Happen is for
  • women who find themselves worried, anxious, and completely overwhelmed by the constant chase for perfection
  • those seeking the courage to jump into a new venture
  • working women who are struggling to "do it all"
  • weary wives and moms looking for relief from burning the candle at both ends
  • anyone who dreams of a life lived not by accident, but on purpose
Your time has come to take a leap of faith. Join me as we surrender our fears, end the chase for perfection, and say yes to cultivating the meaningful lives God desires for us.

You know all those things you've always wanted to do?
You should go do them.

This is a very interesting book. Are you ready to set some goals and take a big leap of faith? Are you on the fence? In both cases, I think you would enjoy Lara Casey's Make It Happen: Surrender Your Fear, Take the Leap, Live on Purpose.

As you can see from the table of contents, the book is divided into the following sections:


PART ONE: SURRENDER YOUR FEAR 

1. Stop Chasing Perfect 
2. Meet Your Fear 
3. End the Extremes 
4. Find an Anchor 
5. Decide You Can 
6. Let It Go 

PART TWO: TAKE THE LEAP 

7. Leap into Trust 
8. Take a Leap of Faith 
9. Leap into What Matters 

PART THREE: LIVE ON PURPOSE 

10. Follow the Real Success Equation 
11. Make Room for Grace 
12. Follow Him 

PART FOUR: YOUR GUIDE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

How to Use This Guide 
Step 1: Evaluate Your Life 
Step 2: Clear the Clutter 
Step 3: Set Purposeful Goals 
Step 4: Take Action 
Step 5: Encourage Others 

I found this to be a powerful book for me to read. It is very encouraging. I am at a stage in my life where I am thinking about how I am going to spend my time over the next few years. Am I going to work? Part time or full time? What else can I be doing to purposely fill my time? How I can I make a difference? Is it all about helping elderly family members or is it something else? So many decisions to make.

Right off the bat, the first chapter spoke to me...Stop Chasing Perfect. As an admitted perfectionist, I often get bogged down right from the start. I appreciate the Take Actions sections at the end of each chapter. This book is perfect as a personal bible study. It could be used as a group study but I found this book to be very personal and probably is best handled on its own.

This is a great book. It is helping me along the path to be more courageous about the choices I am going to be making over the next little while. Highly recommend.

Review: Hush Hush (Tess Monaghan #12) by Laura Lippman



  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 320 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow (Feb. 24 2015)
  • Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers CA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00K52I7HQ



Book Description

The award-winning New York Times bestselling author of After I'm Gone, The Most Dangerous Thing, I'd Know You Anywhere, and What the Dead Know brings back private detective Tess Monaghan, introduced in the classic Baltimore Blues, in an absorbing mystery that plunges the new parent into a disturbing case involving murder and a manipulative mother.

On a searing August day, Melisandre Harris Dawes committed the unthinkable: she left her two-month-old daughter locked in a car while she sat nearby on the shores of the Patapsco River. Melisandre was found not guilty by reason of criminal insanity, although there was much skepticism about her mental state. Freed, she left the country, her husband and her two surviving children, determined to start over.

But now Melisandre has returned Baltimore to meet with her estranged teenage daughters and wants to film the reunion for a documentary. The problem is, she relinquished custody and her ex, now remarried, isn't sure he approves.

Now that's she's a mother herself--short on time, patience--Tess Monaghan wants nothing to do with a woman crazy enough to have killed her own child. But her mentor and close friend Tyner Gray, Melisandre's lawyer, has asked Tess and her new partner, retired Baltimore P.D. homicide detective Sandy Sanchez, to assess Melisandre's security needs.

As a former reporter and private investigator, Tess tries to understand why other people break the rules and the law. Yet the imperious Melisandre is something far different from anyone she's encountered. A decade ago, a judge ruled that Melisandre was beyond rational thought. But was she? Tess tries to ignore the discomfort she feels around the confident, manipulative Melisandre. But that gets tricky after Melisandre becomes a prime suspect in a murder.

Yet as her suspicions deepen, Tess realizes that just as she's been scrutinizing Melisandre, a judgmental stalker has been watching her every move as well. . . .



About the Author

Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working fulltime and published seven books about “accidental PI” Tess Monaghan before leaving daily journalism in 2001. Her work has been awarded the Edgar ®, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards. She also has been nominated for other prizes in the crime fiction field, including the Hammett and the Macavity. She was the first-ever recipient of the Mayor’s Prize for Literary Excellence and the first genre writer recognized as Author of the Year by the Maryland Library Association.

Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended city schools through ninth grade. After graduating from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and the San Antonio Light.

Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in 1989 and has lived there since. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman Jr., a Sun editorial writer who retired in 1995 but continues to freelance for several newspapers, and Madeline Mabry Lippman, a former Baltimore City school librarian. Her sister, Susan, is a local bookseller.



My Review

I confess; I am a huge fan of Laura Lippman. I have read every book in the Tess Monaghan series as well as every stand alone that Lippman has written. She is good. Fabulously good. Hush Hush is a great addition to the Tess Monaghan series.

Carla Scout, who is Tess and Crow's daughter, plays a major role in Hush Hush. Lippman herself became a mother for the first time several years ago and her first hand knowledge of dealing with a toddler is very evident in Hush Hush. Only a mother could write so profoundly about the everyday highs and lows of raising a toddler. Well done!

Hush Hush revolves around the infanticide of a baby whose mother had been found guilty by reason of criminal insanity. The mother, Melisandre Harris Dawes, is an unlikable, self absorbed, and conniving monster whose family was destroyed by her actions. And now she is back. How many lives will she wreck havoc in this time?

There is something about a well written, thoughtful book that brings me joy. Highly recommend Hush Hush by Laura Lippman! So happy Tess Monaghan is back! Loved this book!




Great Escapes Blog Tour: The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol mysteries Book 3) by Sally Carpenter







Tour Participants



January 19 – deal sharing aunt – Guest Post
January 20 – Kelly P’s Blog – Guest Post
January 21 – MysteriesEtc – Review
January 22 – EditingPen – Interview
January 22 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – Review
January 23 – Community Bookstop – Guest Post
January 23 – Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog – Interview
January 24 – Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight
January 25 – OFF
January 26 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review
January 27 – Brooke Blogs – Interview
January 29 – A Blue Million Books – Interview
January 29 – Tea and A Book – Review, Interview
January 30 – OFF
January 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 890 KB
  • Print Length: 226 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Cozy Cat Press (Nov. 6 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00PCPAQ5C


Book Description




38-year-old Sandy Fairfax is a former '70s teen idol and star of the TV show "Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth." Now he's rebuilding his career with a series of concerts aboard the SS Zodiac bound for the Bahamas. He makes amends with his estranged sister, Celeste, who is blind and also a musician, so she will join his performances. But their cruise hits turbulent waters when Sandy finds a dead body in his onboard dressing room. He investigates the colorful cast of suspects while avoiding an old flame and trying to ignite something with his beautiful choreographer. When Sandy gets too nosy, the bad guys throw him overboard. Will he sleep with the fishes or escape and unmask the killer at the ship's Halloween costume gala?

About the Author


Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, California.
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, freelance writer, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for a major movie studio. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.
Her initial book in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series, “The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper,” was a 2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel.
Her short story, “Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in,” appears in the anthology “Last Exit to Murder.”
“Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” was published in the “Plan B: Vol. 2” e-book anthology.
Her short story “The Pie-eyed Spy” appeared in the Nov. 23, 2013, issue of Kings River Life ezine.

Author Links
She blogs at http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com.
She’s a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles chapter. Contact her at Facebook or scwriter@earthlink.net.
Links: (blog) http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com
(Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/sally.carpenter.54

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N

My Review

I had read the first book in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mystery series and enjoyed so I looked forward to The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper. It was a pleasant cozy mystery.

I was on a cruise ship for two weeks in October so it was nice to revisit that with all the cruise ship references. I am sure that anyone else who has been on a cruise will enjoy that aspect as well. Always nice to pick up a few new tips.

We talked with a few of the cruise ship performers and found them interesting so it was cool that Sandy was performing on the cruise ship. We didn't have any mysteries on ours though! (which is good).

Interesting characters on the cruise ship to help keep things fun! Sandy brought his sister Celeste, a blind musician, along for the cruise to assist him as well as work on their relationship.

Fun cozy murder mystery set on the high seas! What else can you ask for!



Friday, January 16, 2015

Great Escapes Blog Tour: Kelly's Koffee Shop (A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery) by Dianne Harman



  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 976 KB
  • Print Length: 153 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00PE26G7U





Enter to Win:

Open internationally. To win an ebook copy of Kelly's Koffee Shop please leave a comment on this blog post. Be sure to leave your email address. To win you must be a follower. Please comment on how you follow this blog. The winner will be chosen by Randomizer on January 30th.





Tour Participants

January 15 – Kelly P’s Blog – Guest Post
January 16 – MysteriesEtcReview, Giveaway
January 17 – deal sharing aunt – Interview, Giveaway
January 19 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Guest Post, Giveaway
January 20 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
January 21 – A Blue Million Books – Interview, Giveaway
January 22 – Omnimystery News – Interview
January 23 – Community Bookstop – Review, Giveaway
January 24 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Guest Post, Giveaway
January 25 – off
January 26 – Latte’ Da! – Guest Post
January 27 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
January 28 – off 
January 29 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Review, Interview, Giveaway
January 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review, Giveaway







Book Description


Kelly pulled into the harbor parking lot next to the pier and noticed that Amber’s car wasn’t in its usual place and there was no sign of her. She was usually standing at the door of Kelly’s Koffee Shop, waiting for Kelly to open up. Wonder what that’s all about, she thought.

The local residents of Cedar Bay come to Kelly’s Koffee Shop for breakfast, lunch, and lots of gossip. Kelly serves it all up as she works to solve the murder of the high school Homecoming Queen. The townspeople can’t believe what has happened in their sleepy little Oregon seaside town. She identifies five prime suspects, but which one did it?

Follow Kelly, her boxer dog, Rebel, and her boyfriend, Mike, the county sheriff, as they try to determine who the killer is in a murder that’s shocked the town.

Kelly’s Coffee Shop is a mouth-watering cozy mystery with recipes!


About the Author

 Blog: http://dianneharman.com/blog/

I draw my stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. I owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years. I left that industry and opened two yoga centers, where I taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, and now divide my time between Huntington Beach and Sacramento, California, with my husband, a former Senator.
An avid reader, I bring the richness of my life experiences to my Coyote Series novels, Blue Coyote Motel, a quarter finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest, a Goodreads Psychological Thriller and e-thriller Book of the Month, Coyote in Provence, and Cornered Coyote.  Other awards include being finalists in the prestigious CLUE awards contest.
The series span the globe from the barrios of Santa Ana, California to the Himalayas. They follow Maria, and her husband, Jeffrey, who’s fired from a prestigious scientific laboratory for giving her an anti-aging hormone, as they open the Blue Coyote Motel in a remote Southwest desert area. The books tell the story of his descent into madness, her escape to Provence, and how she falls in love with a handsome Los Angeles Police Department Art Theft Detective. He convinces her to return to the United States where she’s arrested and stands trial. Will she spend the rest of her life in prison? Insanity, aging, substance abuse, courtroom drama, food, art, Mafia, to name a few!
My political novels, Tea Party Teddy and Tea Party Teddy’s Legacy, feature a multicultural romance set in the California political scene. Tea Party Teddy is the story of Nina, whose husband, Teddy, a newly elected California Assemblyman, is elected because of his hateful anti-immigration platform. His world unravels as he succumbs to the power of his office. The ultimate irony occurs when his wife becomes romantically involved with the founder of the Republicans for Latinos and in the process, discovers herself. The story of Bob and Nina continues in Legacy when Bob decides to run for the California Assembly against the Reverend Jim Thurston, a devout Tea Party member. Everyone’s favorite, Slade Kelly, the raunchy private investigator you met in Coyote in Provence, helps to keep the Silva family intact. Once you read it you’ll understand why every television station in California and across the nation featured Bob Silva as their lead story on the evening news.
My love of cooking, food, and mystery led to the soon to be published first book in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, the story of murder in a little coastal town in Oregon, five suspects, a female sleuth, and her dog – with mouth-watering favorite Harman family recipes included!
I am a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post.
My email address is dianne@dianneharman.com and here are some other links you may be interested in:
Amazon: http://ow.ly/s6pN5
Smashwords: http://ow.ly/u4Fb2
Twitter: @DianneDHarman
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110409099727295696245/posts
- See more at: http://dianneharman.com/blog/about-dianne/#sthash.ZReNCgJI.dpuf
 From Dianne's website:

I draw my stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. I owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years. I left that industry and opened two yoga centers, where I taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, and now divide my time between Huntington Beach and Sacramento, California, with my husband, a former Senator.

An avid reader, I bring the richness of my life experiences to my Coyote Series novels, Blue Coyote Motel, a quarter finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest, a Goodreads Psychological Thriller and e-thriller Book of the Month, Coyote in Provence, and Cornered Coyote.  Other awards include being finalists in the prestigious CLUE awards contest.

The series span the globe from the barrios of Santa Ana, California to the Himalayas. They follow Maria, and her husband, Jeffrey, who’s fired from a prestigious scientific laboratory for giving her an anti-aging hormone, as they open the Blue Coyote Motel in a remote Southwest desert area. The books tell the story of his descent into madness, her escape to Provence, and how she falls in love with a handsome Los Angeles Police Department Art Theft Detective. He convinces her to return to the United States where she’s arrested and stands trial. Will she spend the rest of her life in prison? Insanity, aging, substance abuse, courtroom drama, food, art, Mafia, to name a few!

My political novels, Tea Party Teddy and Tea Party Teddy’s Legacy, feature a multicultural romance set in the California political scene. Tea Party Teddy is the story of Nina, whose husband, Teddy, a newly elected California Assemblyman, is elected because of his hateful anti-immigration platform. His world unravels as he succumbs to the power of his office. The ultimate irony occurs when his wife becomes romantically involved with the founder of the Republicans for Latinos and in the process, discovers herself. The story of Bob and Nina continues in Legacy when Bob decides to run for the California Assembly against the Reverend Jim Thurston, a devout Tea Party member. Everyone’s favorite, Slade Kelly, the raunchy private investigator you met in Coyote in Provence, helps to keep the Silva family intact. Once you read it you’ll understand why every television station in California and across the nation featured Bob Silva as their lead story on the evening news.

My love of cooking, food, and mystery led to the soon to be published first book in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, the story of murder in a little coastal town in Oregon, five suspects, a female sleuth, and her dog – with mouth-watering favorite Harman family recipes included!
I am a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post.

My email address is dianne@dianneharman.com and here are some other links you may be interested in:

Smashwords: http://ow.ly/u4Fb2

Twitter: @DianneDHarman


I draw my stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. I owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years. I left that industry and opened two yoga centers, where I taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, and now divide my time between Huntington Beach and Sacramento, California, with my husband, a former Senator.
An avid reader, I bring the richness of my life experiences to my Coyote Series novels, Blue Coyote Motel, a quarter finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest, a Goodreads Psychological Thriller and e-thriller Book of the Month, Coyote in Provence, and Cornered Coyote.  Other awards include being finalists in the prestigious CLUE awards contest.
The series span the globe from the barrios of Santa Ana, California to the Himalayas. They follow Maria, and her husband, Jeffrey, who’s fired from a prestigious scientific laboratory for giving her an anti-aging hormone, as they open the Blue Coyote Motel in a remote Southwest desert area. The books tell the story of his descent into madness, her escape to Provence, and how she falls in love with a handsome Los Angeles Police Department Art Theft Detective. He convinces her to return to the United States where she’s arrested and stands trial. Will she spend the rest of her life in prison? Insanity, aging, substance abuse, courtroom drama, food, art, Mafia, to name a few!
My political novels, Tea Party Teddy and Tea Party Teddy’s Legacy, feature a multicultural romance set in the California political scene. Tea Party Teddy is the story of Nina, whose husband, Teddy, a newly elected California Assemblyman, is elected because of his hateful anti-immigration platform. His world unravels as he succumbs to the power of his office. The ultimate irony occurs when his wife becomes romantically involved with the founder of the Republicans for Latinos and in the process, discovers herself. The story of Bob and Nina continues in Legacy when Bob decides to run for the California Assembly against the Reverend Jim Thurston, a devout Tea Party member. Everyone’s favorite, Slade Kelly, the raunchy private investigator you met in Coyote in Provence, helps to keep the Silva family intact. Once you read it you’ll understand why every television station in California and across the nation featured Bob Silva as their lead story on the evening news.
My love of cooking, food, and mystery led to the soon to be published first book in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, the story of murder in a little coastal town in Oregon, five suspects, a female sleuth, and her dog – with mouth-watering favorite Harman family recipes included!
I am a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post.
My email address is dianne@dianneharman.com and here are some other links you may be interested in:
Amazon: http://ow.ly/s6pN5
Smashwords: http://ow.ly/u4Fb2
Twitter: @DianneDHarman
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110409099727295696245/posts
- See more at: http://dianneharman.com/blog/about-dianne/#sthash.ZReNCgJI.dpuf

My Review

Dianne Harman's Kelly's Koffee Shop is a cozy mystery set in a small town on the coast of Oregon.

The author was very good at describing the food in the and the recipes at the back were very interesting. I wish the dialogue in the book was better written. There were also quite a few suspects in the book and I was disappointed with the way the crime was solved in the end.

Kelly's Koffee Shop is 99 cents on Amazon.  This would be a good beach read.