Amanda Flower's Flowers and Foul Play

I read Amanda Flower's May release Flowers and Foul Play last week and I loved this new first in series! Set in Scotland and with a magical twist this is story that I found very easy to get into and a main character that was easy to like.
In the book Fiona's life has come to a cross roads and though she is reluctant to slam the door and move on, all signs point to her ever happiness being found in Scotland. Her Godfather has left her a rather muddled mystery and magical garden, ancient grounds keeper and a secret. This book features a small town in Scotland with a tea shop that I feel like I could move right into. Amanda Flowers has a fan in me with this new Magical Garden Mystery and series.

Fiona Knox lost her fiancé and her flower shop―but when she flies to Scotland to inherit her godfather’s cottage and possibly magical walled garden, she may lose her life as well when she’s swept into a murder investigation.Florist Fiona Knox’s life isn’t smelling so sweet these days. Her fiancé left her for their cake decorator. Then, her flower shop wilted after a chain florist opened next door. So when her godfather, Ian MacCallister, leaves her a cottage in Scotland, Fiona jumps on the next plane to Edinburgh. Ian, after all, is the one who taught her to love flowers. But when Ian’s elderly caretaker Hamish MacGregor shows her to the cottage upon her arrival, she finds the once resplendent grounds of Duncreigan in a dreadful shambles―with a dead body in the garden.Minutes into her arrival, Fiona is already being questioned by the handsome Chief Inspector Neil Craig and getting her passport seized. But it’s Craig’s fixation on Uncle Ian’s loyal caretaker, Hamish, as a prime suspect, that really makes her worried. As Fiona strolls the town, she quickly realizes there are a whole bouquet of suspects much more likely to have killed Alastair Croft, the dead lawyer who seems to have had more enemies than friends. Now it’s up to Fiona to clear Hamish’s name before it’s too late in Flowers and Foul Play, USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s spellbinding first Magic Garden mystery.
Flowers and Foul Play is out May 8th from Crooked Lane Books and you can find it on Amazon.com by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower has book two in her Amish Candy Shop Mystery out later this month and Lethal Licorice is bittersweet. Fresh on the heels of where book one ends, Bailey and her Amish grandmother are still getting used to daily life without her grandfather. Baliey who is not Amish is doing everything she can to help keep her grandparents store running and is filling in for her grandfather at the Amish Candy Festival. While this ruffles feathers of many in the community, soon there is much more to worry about and a polkadot pig to find! This is a story where love and grief meet determination. Where communities that are divided find common ground. A lovely story and a good mystery await you in Lethal Licorice. This is a February 27th, Kensington mystery to keep your eyes out for! 

Harvest, Ohio, is a long way from New York City, where Bailey King left a coveted job as a head chocolatier to take over Swissmen Sweets, her Amish grandparents’ candy shop. Now, while caring for her recently widowed grandmother, she plans to honor her grandfather’s memory by entering the annual Amish Confectionery Competition. But between lavender blueberry fudge and chocolate cherry ganache truffles, Bailey may have bitten off more than she can chew when the search for a missing pot-bellied pig turns up a body suffering from sugar overload—the fatal kind . . . A candy maker from a neighboring town who wanted Englischer Bailey disqualified for being an outsider, Josephine Weaver died from an allergy to an essential licorice ingredient. The suspects include: Josephine’s niece, a young woman going through her rumspringa, or running around time, and Bailey herself. Now it falls to Bailey, who’s sweet on the local sheriff’s deputy, to clear their names and entice a killer with a cast-iron stomach for cold-blooded murder . . .

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Amanda Flower's Assaulted Caramel

I read and finished Amanda Flower's Assaulted Caramel this past week. This one is out August  29th and you can even pre order book two which comes out next January! 

I had an idea in my head what this would be like when I started however I was very impressed with how the storyline progressed.  The unexpected surprises Amanda had for us in this story! I find that I enjoyed the relationship between main character Bailey King who is NOT Amish and her very much Amish grandparents tugged at my heartstrings in unexpected ways!  You can feel the chemistry jump off the pages between Bailey and  Aiden and your will want to adopt little Nutmeg for yourself. 

I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series and feel author Amanda Flower has done an awesome job with Assaulted Caramel. 

Bailey King is living the sweet life as assistant chocolatier at world-famous JP Chocolates in New York City. But just when Bailey’s up for a life-changing promotion, her grandmother calls with news that her grandfather’s heart condition has worsened. Bailey rushes to Harvest, Ohio, where her grandparents still run Swissmen Sweets, the Amish candy shop where she was first introduced to delicious fudge, truffles, and other assorted delights.She finds her grandfather is doing better than she feared. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for a local Englisch developer, whom Bailey finds dead in the candy shop kitchen—with Jebediah King’s chocolate knife buried in his chest. Now the police are sweet on her grandfather as the prime suspect. Despite the sincere efforts of a yummy deputy with chocolate-brown eyes, Bailey takes it on herself to clear Jebediah. But as a cunning killer tries to fudge the truth, Bailey may be headed straight into a whole batch of trouble . . .

You can pre order Amanda Flower's Assaulted Caramel by clicking here. 
Thank you for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmial.com

On My Table and In My Cup July 22nd-29th

I am so very lucky and grateful for the opportunities that I have in life, for the people placed in my path and for the books written by amazing authors who give me a great escape. I am particularly grateful this week after a difficult week. I had some amazing opportunities this week and I am so thankful and thrilled with how my Beyond The Bookmark event went with author Jayne Barnard in celebration of her Maddie Hatter series. Thank you to all who came to the Facebook event on my Beyond The Bookmarks pages.

I did get some reading done this week and shared some reviews of CeeCee James latest cozy Final Check Out. Book Three in her series I can not believe how fast she gets these out!

Library super sleuth and  superhero  in Wrong Side of The Paw had me so excited ! Laurie Cass writes a fantastic series!

Oh and I love the Victoria Hamilton Merry Muffin Series! Muffin To Fear was exceptional and I even made a video about it yesterday!

I am finishing up Assaulted Caramel right now by Amanda Flower and look forward to sharing my review with you all soon.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

On My Table and In My Cup November 19th -26th

No word of a lie, there is less then a month until Christmas, I swear I just blinked and now I am at least six weeks behind for a holiday that is in 5 weeks, oh and did I mention I am packing for a move as well as hosting a cookie exchange party  for 15 tonight?  I got in some important reading this week and wanted to share some of my highlights with you. The Ghosts of Misty Hollow is out later this week. This is not a series I had read before and boy am I loving it! I hope to have my review for you Monday!

Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower was fantastic, the way a second in series should be and extreamly well written! Loved it and hope you will too!

Better Off Thread by Amanda Lee was also a great read, I believe this is book 10 and was a really great mystery!

Frosty The Dead Man, the third book in the Snow Glove Shop Mystery series was also a treat to host on my table this week.

I put out our well loved and played with Nativity Set last night an well it did not take long for things to get interesting. Here I thought the days of the knock down drag out fights my boys used to have over the baby Jesus would be the only interesting memory I had with this set, nope each year something funny seams to happen when I least expect it, some years our Baby Jesus goes traveling for most of the holiday season, being found on the game pad of the kids video game system, at the bottom of the lego bin or strapped to a Thomas The Tank Engine track....oh boys will be boys. This year the Manger seems to have welcomed Darth Vader....may the Force be with you this holiday season, your cups filled with wonderful Christmas time teas and your reading pile stocked with wonderful cozy mysteries to enjoy!
I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow, thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review.

Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower

Happy Thanksgiving and One month to Christmas to all, from my table to yours I wish you a safe and happy day. As I am Canadian today is just Thursday here in Canada, though I am creating a Mock Thanksgiving dinner tonight too! 

Last night I finished Prose and Cons, the second in the Magical Bookshop Mystery by Amanda Flower. This book was outstanding. I love it when book two is even better then book one and book one was pretty terrific!  In Prose and Cons I was guessing until the end and really pulling for main character Violet to solve the case, yet found myself running in circles trying to figure out who done it! I was shocked and still am reeling from the outstanding reveal, my lips are sealed though you will have to buy the book! Out December 6th, order now, tuck it in with your Black Friday purchases! You will be glad you did!

In Cascade Springs, New York, Violet Waverly and her grandma, Daisy, are the proprietors of Charming Books, where the power of the written word is positively enchanting...
 
October in Cascade Springs means tourists are pouring in for the annual Food and Wine Festival, and Daisy hopes to draw those crowds to the store. She asks Violet and the local writing group, the Red Inkers, to give a reading of the works of Edgar Allan Poe in the shop’s back garden to entertain the revelers. Everyone eagerly agrees.
 Yet their enthusiasm is soon extinguished when Violet discovers one of the writers dead during the event. After the shop magically tells Violet she’ll need to rely on Poe’s works to solve the murder, she enlists the help of her trusty tuxedo cat, Emerson, and the shop’s crow, Faulkner. But they must act fast before someone else’s heart beats nevermore...

To order your own copy of Prose and Cons from Amazon please click here.

Learn more about Amanda Flower and this series by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Crime and Poetry, A Cup Of Tea and A Chat With Author Amanda Flower

Yesterday was the release day of Amanda Flower's New Series and book called Crime and Poetry. I was lucky enough to read and review this book early and I actually pre ordered it so I have one coming from The Book Depository Too! I asked Author Amanda Flower to share a bit about herself and her newest book.

What inspired you to write Crime and Poetry? 

My editor at Penguin wanted me to start a new series and wanted it to have a magical theme. I knew if I was going to write a cozy like this, it would be set in a bookshop or a library, my two favorite places. My editor and I agreed that the bookshop was the better fit and would give my sleuth more flexibility to investigate the crimes plaguing the village of Cascade Springs.

Are you a coffee or tea person or other?

I love both coffee and tea, but I do drink coffee more often because I need that jolt in the morning to get my going.

How long did it take you to pen Crime an Poetry?

Last year when I wrote Crime and Poetry, I was on a very tight deadline schedule because I had to write five books in twelve months. Because that, I only had two and half months to write the novel. I didn't sleep much in 2015.

Do you have a favorite spot to read or write and if so where?

My favorite place to read and write is outside on my patio. I love to be outdoors as much as possible. However, I live in northeast Ohio where the weather is very unpredictable, so I do most of my writing on my living room couch with my two feline editors, Tummy and Cheeps. You can learn more about Tummy and Cheeps editorial adventures on their Instagram page.

Do you have anything you would like my readers to know about your work?

I love to write humorous cozies that brighten a reader's day. My goal as a writer is just to make people happy, and I love interacting with my amazing readers! I am easily reached through my Facebook Page. 

If you have not yet ordered this book, may I entice you with a bit about this book?
"Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good..."

So who is Amanda Flower you may wonder? I know I did, when Heather Blake shared the cover art for Crime and Poetry, I clicked on The Book Depository right away and ordered, I did not need to read the synopsis, I knew that if Heather Blake was recommending it, I would love it.
At the time I had no idea that Amanda Flower is USA Today best selling Author and Agatha Award Nominated Mystery writer. She also writes under the name Isabella Alan.

In addition to being an author Amanda also works as a librarian in Ohio. To learn more about Amanda Flower and her work for Adults and children too, please visit her website by clicking here. 
Find her on Facebook by clicking here. 
To order a copy of Crime and Poetry from The Book Depository please click here.
Amazon please click here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

On My Table And In My Cup March 26-April 2nd

It is April! March did come in like a Lion and left here on the west coast like a lamb. What a beautiful week we have been enjoying!. I am equally excited about all the wonderful books that are being released for you all to read this month. I have a had a few of them on my table in the last week and I was so thrilled to be able to share my reviews with you.

I read 13 cozy mysteries in March along with two advanced reading copies of cook books out later this spring, I think that is a new record for me!

Kathi Daley's new first in series based in Hawaii was a night well spent this past week! I enjoyed having it on my table and a "quick trip" to Hawaii if only in my Mind Monday night!

Next Tuesday several of my favorite series have a book released! You are all in for a treat!

Mia and I truly enjoyed March's Advanced Reading Copies!

This is a very busy weekend for me as by the time you read this I will be on my way to my sons year end Hockey Tournament! Not sure I will get even a few minutes to read this new to me series book one by Jeanne Quigley.

Also making it to my table this week Murder& Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction, doesn't the name make you want to pick it up too? This one is by Amy Metz and arrived in the mail Friday afternoon!

Happy World Autism Day! Showing the world we CAN play hockey!
http://www.canucksautism.ca/

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you find some time to cheer on your favorite people, if  like me and you can not get a few minutes to spare to yourself to read today! 

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

On My Table And In My Cup March 19th-26th

Boy oh boy where has the month gone? What a wild week this has been. Sadly Spring Break for us is ending Tuesday and I shall miss the reprieve. I am counting the days until summer break for sure. I think I am the most excited person when school is done for the year.

This week had it's ups and it's downs. While I have been trying to promote the cozy community in whole and recommending that each person who reads also reviews I thought it might be fun to take a photo with a few of my favorite books piled on my table. My photos had the effect I was looking for and made me so happy. As I was editing the photos for my blog my curious kitten Mia manged to some how knock over a pile on to my candle which I did not sadly notice in time.

  Heart broken but thrilled that I was only 2 feet away, there was one casualty that I am truly heart sick about and it seems to be out of print. It was one of my first cozy mysteries I ever read, I am now looking to replace it.   If you have not read Ellen Byerrum's Crime of Fashion Mysteries they were one of my first series and one of my favorites. This was my favorite of the entire series as I said before so I am a tad sad.

New on my table this week some of April's most amazing series. Duffy Brown's Braking For Bodies (which the review will be up Sunday) was such a wild ride, Ellery Adams Breach of Crust, Connie Archer's A Clue in the Sew, Susan Furlong's Rest In Peach, Amanda Flower's Crime and Poetry and I am currently reading Dawn Eastman's An Unhappy Medium. These books are out April 5th.

Out in June, I finished Sheila Connolly's book as well this week and I think you will enjoy book 7 in this series.

I shall leave you here and thank you for joining me for a week in review, It is a good thing our kitten culprit is cute!  Lifting my Caramel Black Tea cups and toasting you all.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review.

On My Table and In My Cup March 12-19th

What a week. I am so thankful to be on Spring Break even though we have been doing mostly doctor appointments it has been nice to just not rush. I was proudly wearing my green this week as this is my first true St. Patrick's day knowing my Irish heritage. I was so touched when a friend who lives in Ireland send me a care package shown below and it arrived on St. Patrick's day.

I am so unbelievably lucky with the friends I have made online over the years . They are some of the most giving and kind people that I honored to call friends. Thank you Tracey! I am so very touched!

I wore my new earrings and my necklace with pride and love everything you sent me, especially the little sheep! 

This week I read and reviewed three books. It was such a delight to have Ellery Adams Breach of Crust on my table this week along with Susan Furlongs.

Rest in Peach was a wonderful story and a great second in series.

All three of the books I read this week are out on April 5th. Crime and Poetry is a first in series from Amanda Flower and was so much better then I could have imagined. I am looking forward to another  book in this series and I hope we won't have to wait to long.

I was treated to a paper back copy of Crime and Poetry in the mail box on Friday and I was tickled when Squirrel sat down to join me for tea.

This week I was rather adventurous on the loose leaf tea front and I had three new teas I tried, while I only got the first one up for review I promise to share more on my tea finds in the next few weeks. This lovely Darjeeling, from Happy Earth Tea was a tasty treat!

Another lovely friend brought over a planter she made for me, It was such a wonderful surprise and all the daffodils have now opened, it is quite a nice arrangement. I am also working my way through the April release of Connie Archers book A Clue In The Stew. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I thank you so much for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Crime And Poetry By Amanda Flower Is A Clever, Refreshing And Enchanting Read

Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower was exceptional. I was truly delighted to get an advanced E-Copy even though I have ordered the paperback from The Book Depository. I thought this was going to be a heavier paranormal cozy but I was delighted to find that while this is a magical cozy it is not the main focus of the book. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle way magic enhanced the story and I think you will too.

  Crime and Poetry has an exceptional cover and the writing is so well done that I could picture myself moving about the book store and town with Violet. I was truly guessing until almost the end and was much relieved at the books end.

 "Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you... Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good..."

I also love a story with a great cat and this one has a Tuxedo cat named Emerson that looks an awful lot like my cat Squirrel. While I love Emerson there is another Animal at the Charming Bookstore that has me very excited but you are going to have to read the story to see what I am talking about.
Pre order Crime and Poetry now for the April 5th release date. You will be so glad you did!
Click here to learn more about Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower 
Click here to learn more about Amanda Flower on her website. 
Thank you for joining me for A Cup of Tea and A Cozy Mystery Review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com