Monday, October 31, 2016

Bible Review: NKJV, Know the Word Study Bible, eBook, Red Letter Edition: Gain a Greater Understanding of the Bible Book by Book, Verse by Verse, or Topic by Topic by Thomas Nelson









  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 10391 KB
  • Print Length: 1920 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Lea edition (Oct. 18 2016)
  • Sold by: Zondervan CA (CA SOR)
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01CXE9LKU
Book Description


Studying the Bible does not have to be an intimidating or overwhelming experience. The study of God’s Word can be easy and rewarding if you break down the Bible into easy-to-understand segments. The NKJV Know The Word Study Bible offers three easy ways to begin studying Scripture and helps individuals transition from being a casual reader of the Bible to becoming a regular student of the Word. Whether you prefer to study the Bible book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic, each starting point offers powerful insights that will help you develop a daily routine of Bible study. The Book by Book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The Verse by Verse studies help you to dig deeper into God’s Word at a verse level. The Topic by Topic articles, which cover 21 key theological topics, give you a bird's-eye view of Scripture and guide you through the main themes that run throughout the Bible.

Features Include:

• New King James Version Bible text
• Three easy approaches to study the Bible: Book by Book, Verse by Verse, Topic by Topic
• Book introductions
• Words of Jesus in red
• Two-color interior page design
• Comprehensive list of theological notes
• Concordance

My Review


I am reviewing the NKJV, Know the Word Study Bible, eBook, Red Letter Edition: Gain a Greater Understanding of the Bible Book by Book, Verse by Verse, or Topic by Topic by Thomas Nelson. This bible also comes in hardcover and paperback.

Whenever I am reviewing an ebook of the Bible I always check to see if the hyperlinks work. I tried several out and they all worked.

This bible has 3 approaches to studying the Bible: Book by Book, Verse by Verse, Topic by Topic. An example of the Topic by Topic is:



Trinity
Note 1: Trinity in Creation (Gen. 1:26–28)
Note 2: One in Three Persons (Deut. 6:4)
Note 3: God’s Triune Authority (Matt. 22:37–40)
Note 4: The Harmonious Trinity (John 16:12–15)
Note 5: The Triune God Saves (Gal. 4:1–7)


I like the Book by Book way myself. Each book of the Bible has a summary and a section on how to study that book. I always like the Verse by Verse method. The verses that are numbered in blue numbers are hyperlinked to an explanation or helpful information which are of course very helpful in a study bible.

I really like the NKJV, Know the Word Study Bible. It will be an excellent addition to my bible study library.

Review: Fatal Frost (A Dewberry Farm Mystery #2) by Karen MacInerney




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 3423 KB
  • Print Length: 282 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (Oct. 18 2016)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01F1Z67ZU


Book Description

Lucy Resnick’s nerves are as tight as a tea cozy. Her new goats, Hot Lips and Gidget, keep making a break for the town square, her truck is dying, and her boyfriend’s gorgeous ex-wife is in town for the holidays. Worse, someone’s digging holes on her land…and uprooting her peach orchard and dewberry patch in the process. Lucy needs additional holiday stress like she needs a blow to the head—which she receives one night, courtesy of the mystery digger.

When the dim-witted sheriff arrests one of Lucy’s best friends, the former reporter puts her own problems on the back burner and starts investigating. What she finds is a patchwork of clues—an injured puppy, a sapphire necklace gone missing, and a string of poison-pen letters—that draws her deep into a web of small-town secrets.

Word travels fast in Buttercup. When the killer learns Lucy’s on the trail, Lucy finds she needs more than her reporting skills to save her friend—she needs a Christmas miracle.


About the Author

I'm the author of the Agatha-nominated Gray Whale Inn mystery series, Tales of an Urban Werewolf. the Margie Peterson mysteries and the Dewberry Farm mysteries (plus a new fantasy in the works). My reading is like my writing: eclectic!

I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.


My Review

Fatal Frost is the second book in A Dewberry Farm Mystery series by Karen MacInerney.

I have read many of Karen MacInerney's books and they are all well written. Fatal Frost is well written and filled with interesting characters. It is set in a small town in the Texas Hill Country.

Lucy lives on her grandmother's former farm. She is trying to live a simple life on the farm. She has just purchased some goats so she can make goat's milk soap to sell. It is the Christmas season and her parents have joined her on the farm.

Lucy was an investigative reporter and she is going to need all the skills she learned to save one of her friends. The sheriff has arrested her good friend and Lucy is ready to help. Could the young lady who was murdered have been targeted for the buried treasure someone has been searching for? Or perhaps there is something going on with the new church?

I highly recommend Fatal Frost. It is a great, well written cozy mystery. It is set in the Christmas season so now is the perfect time to read it.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Review: 66 Ways God Loves You: Experience God's Love for You in Every Book of the Bible by Jennifer Rothschild






  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (Oct. 4 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0718087704
  • ISBN-13: 978-0718087708


Book Description

66 books, one incredible message

God’s Word is many things—instructive, historical, poetic. Yet to Jennifer Rothschild, the Bible is also an incredible love letter. In 66 Ways God Loves You, she walks you through each of the sixty-six books of the Bible and shows, in concise and thoughtful ways, how every book reflects God’s love for each of us, such as:

In Genesis God fashions me with His hands.
In Esther He Makes me royalty
In Acts God’s Spirit comes to live in me.
In I Peter God gives me victory over suffering.

Each chapter includes a succinct, meaningful reading on the message of that book in the Bible, along with a simple takeaway to help you bring the message to light in your own heart and life.


About the Author

Jennifer Rothschild is a recovering perfectionist who has learned to live beyond limits ever since her life drastically changed at the age of fifteen, when she lost her sight. Now, more than 30 years later, she boldly and compassionately teaches women how to find contentment, walk with endurance, and celebrate the ordinary.

She's the author of ten books, including the best-selling Lessons I Learned in the Dark, Self Talk, Soul Talk, the popular Me, Myself and Lies Bible study, and her soon to be released, God Is Just Not Fair.

As a speaker, author and accomplished singer-songwriter she travels internationally, offering fresh, sensible, Biblical advice to audiences who, like her, are determined to pursue healthy and fulfilling lives in spite of their circumstances. She has shared her practical and inspiring messages to arena-sized audiences across the country, and media outlets including Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, Life Today, The Learning Channel and The Billy Graham Television Special.

Jennifer is an avid listener of audio books, a C.S. Lewis junkie, and has a weakness for dark chocolate and robust coffee. She and her Dr. Phil live in Springfield, Missouri, and have two sons Connor and Clayton and a lovely daughter-in-law, Caroline. When she is not traveling, Jennifer enjoys nature walks, and riding a bicycle built for two.


My Review

I am reviewing the hardcover version of 66 Ways God Loves You. It is also available in a Kindle version on Amazon.

66 Ways God Loves You: Experience God's Love for You in Every Book of the Bible by Jennifer Rothschild is a lovely volume that I know I will treasure always. It is not a large book...about 5½" by 6½". It is beautifully illustrated. It would make a very lovely gift but also is a wonderful book to own yourself.

Jennifer Rothschild is a Christian speaker and author who I have long admired. In 66 Ways God Loves You, Jennifer takes the reader through the sixty-six books of the Bible in 3 page devotionals. She wants the reader to understand that God deeply loves you and that he tells you that in 66 ways and in the 66 books. She is very encouraging as she presents the ways God shows his love for you in all 66 books.

I think Jennifer Rothschild has done an excellent job in pulling encouraging verses for each of the books of the Bible. The illustrated pages are uplifting and joyful. I am reading this book as a devotional. I know that you will enjoy this lovely book. Highly recommend.



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Giveaway!!! Great Escapes Blog Tour: Send in the Clowns (The Country Club Murders Book 4) by Julie Mulhern




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 659 KB
  • Print Length: 246 pages
  • Publisher: Henery Press (Oct. 25 2016)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01J499OUE






Tour Participants

October 24 – A Date with a Book – REVIEW
October 24 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 25 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
October 25 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
October 26 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – Bibliophile Reviews –  REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 27 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW, EXCERPT
October 27 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy,  Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 28 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 28 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
October 29 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
October 29 – Grace. Gratitude. Life. by Marie McNary – REVIEW
October 30 – Nadaness In Motion – EXCERPT
October 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
November 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
November 1 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW,
November 2 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW
November 2 –  Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 3 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – GUEST POST
November 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
November 4 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, EXCERPT
November 4 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
November 5 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 6 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
November 7 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
November 7 – The Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW, EXCERPT



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Book Description




USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

"An impossible-to-put-down Harvey Wallbanger of a mystery. With a smart, funny protagonist who's learning to own her power as a woman, Send in the Clowns is one boss read." - Ellen Byron, USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Plantation Shudders

Haunted houses are scary enough without knife-wielding clowns. Especially murderous knife-wielding clowns. So thinks Ellison Russell, single mother, artist, and reluctant sleuth.


Now death wears a red nose and Ellison is up to the blood-stained collar of her new trench coat in costumes, caffeine, and possible killers. Who stabbed Brooks Harney? And why? Money? Jealousy? Drugs?


With Mother meddling, her father furious, and her date dragged downtown for questioning, turns out Ellison's only confidante is Mr. Coffee.

Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth books, book club recommendations, humorous murder mysteries, historical mysteries.

Books in the Country Club Murders Humorous Mystery Series:

* THE DEEP END (#1)
* GUARANTEED TO BLEED (#2)
* CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE (#3)
* SEND IN THE CLOWNS (#4)

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all...


About the Author

Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders. She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean–and she’s got an active imagination. Truth is–she’s an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.

Author Links

Webpage – www.juliemulhern.com
FB – https://www.facebook.com/juliekmulhern/?ref=hl
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JulieKMulhern
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573907.Julie_Mulhern

Purchase Links

Amazon – Barnes and Noble – iBooks – Kobo 


My Review

Send in the Clowns is the 4th book in The Country Club Murders mystery series by Julie Mulhern. I really get a kick out of this series set in the 1970s in Kansas City. Mulhern captures the 70s era perfectly...I should know...I grew up in the 1970s myself.

It is the 1970s so Ellison is in love with her Mr. Coffee machine..no Keurigs or Starbucks yet. Mr. Coffee is the only man she can rely on . Even her father is annoyed with her in Send in the Clowns. Both men in her life romantically don't know where they stand. And Ellison quite frankly just wants to look after herself. As long as she has Mr. Coffee.

A young man who is just about to inherit from a family trust is murdered. And Ellison is the one who sees him dying. Then his body disappears. Oh yes, and he is dressed like a clown...in a haunted house.
Send in the Clowns is set during Halloween which is the so timely. It is Halloween within a week of Send in the Clowns release date.

Send in the Clowns is well written. The pace is perfect and the mystery is intriguing. Most crimes involve money or passion and Send in the Clowns has money written all over it. There are several red herrings as Ellison deduces who has the most to benefit from the young man's, Brooks Hurney, death.

Highly recommend Send in the Clowns.  Be sure to read the entire series.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Giveaway!! Great Escapes Blog Tour: Body on the Bayou (Cajun Country Mystery #2) by Ellen Byron







  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 2385 KB
  • Print Length: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (Sept. 13 2016)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01H082DPY





TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 21 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
October 21 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
October 22 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
October 22 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW
October 23 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  
October 23 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
October 24 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 24 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
October 25 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
October 26 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST
October 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
October 27 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
October 28 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
October 28 – 3 Partners in Shopping. Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 29 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
October 29 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 30 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST
October 30 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Book Description



The Crozats feared that past murders at Crozat Plantation B&B might spell the death of their beloved estate, but they’ve managed to survive the scandal. Now there’s a très bigger story in Pelican, Louisiana: the upcoming nuptials between Maggie Crozat’s nemesis, Police Chief Rufus Durand, and her co-worker, Vanessa Fleer.

Maggie, inexplicably tasked with being Vanessa's Maid of Honor, quickly discovers why everyone else refused the assignment when the Bridezilla hands her a long list of duties — the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke, a mysterious woman with dangerous secrets. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou behind Crozat Plantation and the Pelican PD, as well as the Crozats, have another murder mystery on their hands.

There’s a gumbo-potful of suspects, including an ex-Marine with PTSD, an annoying local newspaper reporter, and Vanessa’s own sparkplug of a mother. But when it looks like the investigation is zeroing in on Vanessa as the prime suspect, Maggie reluctantly adds keeping the bride-to-be out of jail to her list of Maid of Honor responsibilities in Body on the Bayou, the second in Ellen Byron's charming and witty series.


Praise for Body on the Bayou :
Cozy readers who fell under the spell of the eccentric and charming Crozat family will welcome their return... Diane Mott Davidson and Lou Jane Temple fans will line up for this series."
- Library Journal

'A tight plot, an appealing setting, and a smart, good-hearted protagonist with a caring, supportive family and lots of friends give this story everything cozy readers could want.'
- Publishers Weekly

'Who did the deadly deed? Often amusing characters and plenty of red herrings make Byron's second Cajun Country mystery an entertaining read.'
- Kirkus Reviews

" Body on the Bayou is a perfect mix of Southern charm, spicy people, fantastic food, and murder... Once again, Ellen Byron has given us a murder mystery masterpiece!"
- Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

"Southern charm and humor permeate Ellen Byron's Body on the Bayou, a Louisiana murder mystery rife with suspenseful twists, relationship drama, and delectable cooking... Aside from the backdrop, the characters are the most compelling aspect of the novel, as even minor players possess unique and memorable personalities."
- Foreword Reviews, five star review

"Not only is the story a whole lot of fun to read, with a historical plantation setting, but there are also mouthwatering recipes for every reader to sink their teeth into."
- Suspense Magazine

"Byron fills this mystery with delightful characters... The story flows nicely and the killer is a surprise."
- Noir Journal


About the Author

Ellen’s debut novel, PLANTATION SHUDDERS: A Cajun Country Mystery, has been nominated for an Agatha Best First Novel award, a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery, and a Daphne Award for Best Mainstream Mystery. The second Cajun Country Mystery, BODY ON THE BAYOU, will be available in September 2016. Ellen’s TV credits include Wings and Just Shoot Me; she’s written over 200 magazine articles; her published plays include the award-winning Graceland and Asleep on the Wind. Ellen Byron is a native New Yorker who lives in Los Angeles and attributes her fascination with Louisiana to her college years at New Orleans’ Tulane University.

Webpage – http://www.ellenbyron.com/
Blog – http://www.ellenbyron.com/#!blog/c1in0
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ellenbyronla
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23234.Ellen_Byron

Purchase Links:

Amazon  B&N

My Review


Body on the Bayou is the second book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron.

Maggie Crozat has a lot to take care of preparing to be co-worker's Vanessa's maid-of-honor. But nothing could prepare her for the nasty wedding guest and Vanessa's cousin, Ginger. You just know Ginger is going to be the murder victim in this cozy. And sure enough, she is. Ginger has plenty of enemies so you know Maggie is going to have a tough time solving this case. The number of suspects multiplies as the novel goes forward.

I love the setting of this series. Pelican, Louisiana is located on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It is a lovely area to explore. I also like the small town setting.

Body on the Bayou is well written and I really enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed the characters. Maggie has a sort of boyfriend, Bo, to deal with along with his ex-wife who has moved to be closer to her son but seems to be moving in on Bo despite being remarried. Maggie's family and friends are all interesting. I also enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out who the killer was.

Highly recommend Body on the Bayou. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.



Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Giveaway!! Great Escapes Blog Tour: The Corpse with the Ruby Lips by Cathy Ace




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1984 KB
  • Print Length: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Touchwood Editions (Oct. 18 2016)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01ICFR6OW




Tour Participants

October 18 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST
October 18 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
October 19 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW
October 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping , Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – Books,Dreams,Life – REVIEW
October 21 –  Community Bookstop – INTERVIEW
October 22 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW, GUEST POST  
October 23 – Varietats 2010 – INTERVIEW
October 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
October 24 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – GUEST POST
October 25 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW
October 26 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
October 26 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
October 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW






Book Description




A new book from Bony Blithe award–winning mystery author Cathy Ace where her sleuth Cait Morgan investigates a chilling cold case from a university in Budapest.


A gig as guest lecturer at the university in Budapest should have been a dream job for a travelling criminologist and food lover. But wherever Cait Morgan goes, murder seems to follow. One of Cait’s new students pleads with her to solve the mystery of her grandmother’s brutal slaying. She agrees, but when she is repeatedly hassled by a weird colleague, and as bizarre details about the student’s family members come to light, Cait is beset by uncertainty.

As she gets closer to the truth, Cait's investigation puts the powers-that-be on high alert, and her instincts tell her she's in grave danger. Bud races to Budapest to come to Cait's aid, but will it be too late?


About the Author

Cathy Ace loves crime! It’s true – she discovered Nancy Drew in her local library, then found Agatha Christie on her Mum’s bookshelves, and she never looked back. Cathy happily admits that the characters she met between the book-covers as a child have influenced her writing. “Nancy Drew was plucky, strong and independent, and Agatha Christie’s puzzles engaged me every time. I love the sort of book that mixes intricate plotting with a dash of danger, and that’s what I’ve tried to create with my Cait Morgan Mystery Series. Beginning my new series, featuring the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency, I have been able to indulge my love of stately homes, village life and the interplay between characters that can take place in that sort of setting.”

Born and raised in Swansea, South Wales, Cathy is, like her heroine Cait Morgan, now a Canadian citizen. “Cait’s Welsh Canadian, as am I. They say ‘write what you know’, so a short, plus-sized Welsh woman, who’s quite bossy, fits the bill! But Cait and I are not one and the same: she’s got skills and talents I don’t possess,and I’m delighted to say that I don’t usually encounter corpses wherever I go! I’ve also chosen to burrow even deeper into my roots by creating a new cast of characters in the WISE women who come from all four corners of the United Kingdom and work in a uniquely British setting – a ducal estate set in the rolling Welsh countryside of the Wye Valley in Powys, where I spent a good deal of time when I was young.”

With a successful career in marketing having given her the chance to write training courses and textbooks, Cathy has now finally turned her attention to her real passion: crime fiction. Her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. Two of her works, “Dear George” and “Domestic Violence”, have also been produced by Jarvis & Ayres Productions as “Afternoon Reading” broadcasts for BBC Radio 4.

Cathy now writes two series of traditional mysteries: The Cait Morgan Mysteries (TouchWood Editions) and The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries (Severn House Publishers).
Cathy is proud to be Chair of Crime Writers of Canada,  a member of Sisters in Crime, the Crime Writers Association, and Mystery Writers of America.

Author Links:
Website:  www.cathyace.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cathy-Ace-Author/318388861616661
Twitter: @AceCathy
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3913679.Cathy_Ace

 Purchase Links 

Amazon – B&N 

My Review

The Corpse with the Ruby Lips by Cathy Ace is the eighth book in the Cait Morgan series. I have read most of the books in this series and they are all fabulous.

 The Corpse with the Ruby Lips takes the reader to Budapest where Cait is teaching a course at the university there. One of Cait's students approaches her about the murder of her grandmother when her grandfather was teaching at Cait's university in British Columbia. Cait and her husband Bud get drawn into this cold case from years ago. Bud had to stay behind in BC to look after his aging parents after his mother had a fall. Cait's student has a crazy family including an uncle who is a famous author. The family is filled secrets and Cait just cannot stay away from them.

I love that the Cait Morgan series is based in the area that I live. I love the familiar landmarks such as Hatzic which is where we had a cabin for years. I love the University of Vancouver which is similar to my university..Simon Fraser which is actually located in Burnaby. Author Cathy Ace brings fentanyl into the story which is interesting...it is the latest scourge to hit the world of addicts. You will see how she works it in.

A pleasure to read. I highly recommend The Corpse with the Ruby Lips.


Monday, October 17, 2016

Review: Christmas Joy: A Novel by Nancy Naigle




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1629 KB
  • Print Length: 350 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250106079
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Oct. 18 2016)
  • Sold by: Macmillan CA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01DJ0XZBI


Book Description

 Joy Holbrook might be all work and no play, but that changes when her Aunt Ruby takes a fall that lands her in a rehabilitation center before the holidays. Joy takes a leave of absence from her job as a market researcher to run the family farm, even though the timing may hinder her chance at garnering the promotion of her dreams.

Ben Andrews isn’t your average accountant. He also happens to be the handiest man in Crystal Falls. He’s helped his elderly neighbor, Ruby Johnson, decorate for the annual Christmas Home Tour—and win—the last several years. He’s not about to let some drop-in niece break their winning streak.

Ruby seems overly concerned about Joy being able to handle Molly. Under the impression she’s referring Molly the bunny that is one of the menagerie of animals, Joy’s not worried at all until the next morning when a little girl named Molly shows up. For the sake of her aunt, Joy is forced to partner with Ben while Ruby is on the mend to help with preparation for the Christmas tour and, in the process finds her career-focused heart dreaming of a family.

Will the magic of Christmas help her to open her heart and find her everlasting joy?



About the Author

 USA TODAY Bestselling author, Nancy Naigle, writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.

With a career spent on the cutting edge of technology in the banking industry, she never let go of her dream to write. Now she works full-time writing stories that are a calming blend of community, family, and the simple things in life. She writes the kind of stories she hopes will provide an escape from the hectic day-to-day in the make believe worlds she creates.

Look for Nancy's titles in the Adams Grove series.
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Out of Focus
Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes
Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies
Mint Juleps and Justice
Barbecue and Bad News
~coming in 2016 Porch Swings and Promises

Nancy also has co-written books with:


Phyllis C. Johnson ~ inkBLOT


Kelsey Browning ~ The Granny Series


Book 1- In For A Penny
Book 2 - Fit To Be Tied
Book 3 - In High Cotton
Book 4 - Under The Gun

Coming August 30th, don't miss the second book set in Boot Creek, EVERY YESTERDAY. (The followup book to Life After Perfect.)

Also, this October, look for Christmas Joy. A heartwarming Christmas novel.

Aside from writing she enjoys hunting for treasures in junk and antique shoppes, and getting crafty no matter what the medium from painting and digitizing embroidery designs, to weaving pine needle baskets.

A Virginia native, and spending most of her life in the Tidewater area, she now calls North Carolina home.


My Review

 I love Nancy Naigle's romances so I was very excited to read her stand alone Christmas story, Christmas Joy. And what a joy it is! Nancy Naigle has outdone herself with Christmas Joy. It is like stepping into a Hallmark movie.

Big city girl Joy has not been home for years to rural North Carolina but her aunt is injured and Joy rushes home to help. She thought it would be just a quick trip but her aunt needs to go to a rehabilitation hospital and Joy needs to take care of her aunt's menagerie of animals. And decorate for Christmas. But not just any Christmas decorating, it is a huge project that Joy soon takes control of along with Ben, her aunt's best friend's grandson. They have a mutual attraction but Ben is not looking for a big city girl. He wants a girl who would be happy in a small town.

The magic of Christmas is sometimes all the one needs to realize what is really important in life. Will Joy go back to her empty work filled life in Washington, DC or could she find contentment in her home town? 

Highly recommend! All romance novel lovers and fans of Hallmark Christmas movies need to read this one. If you are going to read one Christmas book this year, Christmas Joy is the one.




Great Escapes Blog Tour: Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mystery #3) by Joyce and Jim Lavene




  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1833 KB
  • Print Length: 300 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425268276
  • Publisher: Berkley (Oct. 4 2016)
  • Sold by: Penguin Group USA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01AHKXHTS
Purchase links:
Amazon – Barnes and Noble 







Tour Participants

October 3 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
October 3 – Queen of All She Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – Blogger Nicole – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Sleuth Cafe – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW*
October 4 – The Angry Grey Cat Reads – REVIEW
October 5 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW*
October 5 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW (Interview)
October 6 – Book Babble – REVIEW
October 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 7 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT
October 7 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW*
October 8 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW*
October 8 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW*
October 9 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW*
October 9 – fuonlyknew – REVIEW*
October 10 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – REVIEW*
October 10 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT*
October 11 – Deal Sharing Aunt – REVIEW*
October 12 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
October 12 – A Blue Million Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Booth Talks Books – REVIEW*
October 13 – The Cozy Mystery Journal – REVIEW
October 14 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT*
October 15 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  
October 16 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
October 17 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW
October 18 – Kathy Loves 2 Read – REVIEW
October 19 – ChristyMystery – REVIEW
October 20 – My Interdimensional Chaos – REVIEW
October 21 – Murder, Mystery & More… – REVIEW
October 22 – centraleast2 – REVIEW
October 23 – Lori’s Reading Corner – SPOTLIGHT
October 24 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT
October 24 – Polished Nails and Puppy Dog Tales – REVIEW


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Book Description




 In the latest mystery from the bestselling authors of Looking for Mr. Good Witch, the retired witches of Wilmington, North Carolina, are ready to kick up their heels...
 
With their coven’s spell book still missing, Molly and Elsie—along with their ghostly friend Olivia, her daughter Dorothy, and her boyfriend Brian—are all on edge, especially now that Dorothy’s infamously wicked father is back in the picture. So when they receive an invitation to an exclusive Witches Ball, the ladies jump at the chance to dress up and have some fun.

The castle locale is spectacular and the party is hopping, but the festivities come to a swift end when a member of the Grand Council of Witches is murdered. With the whole place on lock down, the coven is determined to find the cunning killer, even with an angry council and a real Spanish Inquisitor breathing down their necks...


Praise for the Retired Witches Spellbook Mysteries

“Fun and highly entertaining...you will instantly love these charming characters.”—Moonlight Rendezvous

“To say I was totally engaged would be an understatement. This story had me spellbound. Kudos to Joyce and Jim, they had me completely captivated.”—Escape with Dolly Cas

“A witch’s brew of mystery, paranormal, and fun. Positively magical!”—Lisa K’s Book Reviews

“A delightful premise, a couple of enchanting protagonists, and cats as essential familiars...It is a promising series.”—Library Journal


About the Authors




Joyce and Jim Lavene wrote award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They had written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. Joyce passed away October 20, 2015 and Jim passed on May 5, 2016. They are missed by family, friends and their many fans.

www.joyceandjimlavene.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene




My Review


This is the saddest blog tour that I have ever been a part of. Joyce passed away October 20, 2015 and Jim passed on May 5, 2016. 

I never met Jim and Joyce Lavene but I respected their abilities as authors. And as storytellers. Great storytellers. Putting on the Witch is the third book in the Retired Witches Mystery series. Let your imagination run wild and escape into this fascinating world of witches and spells. Even if you are not a fan of paranormal cozy mysteries I think you will find Putting on the Witch a delight.

All the regular characters are back but Putting on the Witch introduces us to a new character, Dorothy's father Drago. The setting of the castle is truly fascinating. It was wonderful to escape into this mystical and magical realm.

The mystery involves the killing of one of the Grand Council of Witches who is present at the castle for the big party. After the murder no one can leave until the murder is solved.

Fans of cozies and paranormal cozies will enjoy Putting on the Witch. Free your mind and slip into this amazing magical world.





 

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Giveaway!! Great Escapes Blog Tour and Giveaway: Tangled Up in Brew (Brewing Trouble #2) by Joyce Tremel








  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1968 KB
  • Print Length: 303 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425277704
  • Publisher: Berkley (Oct. 4 2016)
  • Sold by: Penguin Group USA
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01AHKXIAQ







Tour Participants

October 3 – A Date with a Book – REVIEW*
October 3 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW
October 4 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
October 5 – Grace. Gratitude. Life. by Marie McNary – REVIEW
October 6 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 7 – fuonlyknew – REVIEW
October 7 – Queen of All She Reads – SPOTLIGHT
October 8 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
October 8 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW*
October 9 – Mystery Playground – GUEST POST
October 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, &, Sissy, Too! – REVIEW
October 11 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
October 12 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – REVIEW*
October 13 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  
October 13 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – SPOTLIGHT
October 14 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW
October 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW
October 15 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW*
October 16 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
October 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Book Description



Brew pub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara and her chef/boyfriend Jake Lambert are excited to be participating in the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival. Max hopes to win the coveted Golden Stein for best craft beer—but even if she doesn’t, the festival will be great publicity for her Allegheny Brew House.

Or will it? When notoriously nasty food and beverage critic Reginald Mobley is drafted as a last-minute replacement judge, Max dreads a punishing review. Her fears are confirmed when Mobley literally spits out her beer, but things get even worse when the cranky critic drops dead right after trying one of Jake’s burgers. Now an ambitious new police detective is determined to pin Mobley’s murder on Max and Jake, who must pore over the clues to protect their freedom and reputations—and to find the self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.


About the Author

Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. She is a native Pittsburgher and lives in a suburb of the city with her husband and a spoiled cat.

Her debut mystery, To Brew Or Not To Brew has been nominated for the 2015 Reviewers’ Choice award for best amateur sleuth by RT Book Reviews. The second book in the series, Tangled Up In Brew is scheduled for release in October 2016.

Author Links

Webpage – http://www.joycetremel.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JoyceTremel/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JoyceTremel
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel

Purchase Link
Amazon – B&N

My Review

Tangled Up in Brew is the second book in the Brewing Trouble series by author Joyce Tremel. This is the first book of Joyce's that I have read.

Great idea to set a cozy series in a brew pub.  They are hugely popular right now and I'm sure most people can relate to the setting. I liked the setting of Pittsburgh as well. I have never been there.

The brew pub owner, Maxine "Max", and her boyfriend and chef Jake who is a former pro hockey player are excited about the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival. This is the perfect opportunity to show off Max's brews and Jake's cooking skills. At the last minute, local mean food critic Reginald Mobley fills in as a judge. He has earned a lot of enemies over the years panning everyone's food and beverages. But of course the last people he criticizes are Max and Jake. And he drops dead right after eating a burger of Jake's. 

Max needs to clear both her and Jake's names. Due to Reginald's nastiness there are plenty of other suspects.  

Good cozy mystery. There are recipes at the end.





Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Review: The Moth Catcher (Vera Stanhope #7) by Ann Cleeves





  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 3151 KB
  • Print Length: 397 pages
  • Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market Ed. edition (Sept. 10 2015)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00UXKJ0XA


Book Description

 This case was different from anything Vera had ever worked before. Two bodies, connected but not lying together. And nothing made her feel as alive as murder.

Life seems perfect in Valley Farm, a quiet community in Northumberland. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist named Patrick, to look after the place while they're away. But Patrick is found dead by the side of the lane into the valley - a beautiful, lonely place to die.

DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene, with her detectives Holly and Joe. When they look round the attic of the big house - where Patrick has a flat - she finds the body of a second man. All the two victims have in common is a fascination with moths - catching these beautiful, rare creatures.

The three couples who live in the Valley Farm development have secrets too: Annie and Sam's daughter is due to be released from prison any day; Nigel watches, silently, every day, from his window. As Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be deadly secrets trapped here . . .



About the Author

 Ann is the author of the books behind ITV's VERA, now in it's third series, and the BBC's SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann's DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann's Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands...


Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs - child care officer, women's refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard - before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.

While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.

In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.

For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony

Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.

In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.

Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"

The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).

Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States.



My Review

 The Moth Catcher is the 7th book in the Vera Stanhope mystery series by Ann Cleeves. This is the second book in the series that I have read. Ann Cleves is a great writer.

Sometimes I don't know why I don't just spend all my time in English countryside going from murder to murder. I always enjoy mysteries set in England to be so enjoyable. I loved the country setting in northern England of The Moth Catcher. There is just something about an English mystery.

I enjoyed following Vera and her team as they set about to solve the double murder in The Moth Catcher. I was stumped until the end even though I was keeping a close eye over a group of residents! And I do love Vera and her team. The Moth Catcher was a great chance to get to know them better.

I highly recommend The Moth Catcher. Well written and a great story!



Bible Review: NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, Hardcover: Hundreds of Verses to Color by Zondervan Publishing







  • Hardcover: 1472 pages
  • Publisher: Zondervan; Special ed. edition (Sept. 6 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0310445574
  • ISBN-13: 978-0310445579

Book Description


With hundreds of inspiring verses illustrated in detailed, ready-to-color line art, the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible employs the proven stress-relieving benefits of adult coloring to help quiet your soul so you can reflect on the precious truths of Scripture. Perfect for all ages, the thick white paper with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins, provides ample space for your own artistic expressions and journaling.

The NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible is a perfect gift that will become a cherished keepsake full of personalized creative expressions of faith.

Features of this treasured Bible include:
  • Hundreds of verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art 
  • Thicker white paper for enduring note-taking Lined, wide margins for notes, reflections and art 
  •  Full text of the most read, most trusted modern-English Bible – the New International Version (NIV) Easy-to-read black letter text in single-column format 
  • Lays flat in your hand or on your desk Ribbon marker

My Review

The NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, Hardcover: Hundreds of Verses to Color by Zondervan Publishing is a gorgeous bible that promises hours and hours of enjoyment. The bible is filled with illustrations that you can color. And while you are coloring your stresses will wash away. You can focus on the verses while you are coloring and this will help you to relax. It is also a great journaling bible as there is room on each page to write notes in the margins. There are faded lines to guide you.

I think that you will find that coloring has a de-stressing effect because when we focus on coloring the illustration, we focus on the activity we are doing, coloring, and not on our worries and the stresses that can fill our days.

I checked to see if my favorite verse, Isaiah 58:11 had an illustration to color and it does on page 865. I will be coloring it first. I actually bought some special markers for coloring this bible. There are some full page illustrations to color as well as

The NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, Hardcover: Hundreds of Verses to Color is well constructed. It is the NIV version which is my favorite. The type is small but readable.

Anyone who loves to color and loves to journal will be absolutely thrilled with the NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, Hardcover: Hundreds of Verses to Color by Zondervan Publishing. I love it. Highly recommend.