A Report From Left Coast Crime and A Lesson In Gratitude...

They say you should never meet your heroes, and after this weekend I cannot fathom why! I had the most amazing opportunity to attend Left Coast Crime here in Vancouver this weekend and I got to meet some of the most amazing people in the writing world, many who I have long respected, read and cherished, I got to see in the flesh. I was in complete awe, had many "fangirl" moments and very much inspired to return to work.

 Working on something that gives me a huge creative outlet, a great escape and the opportunity for joy is what writing, reading and blogging gives me. As readers of my blog you may already know that the last year has been very difficult for me as I have been trying to navigate my way through one of life's hardships and reflections. It has not even been a month yet since my father's passing and while I have taken quite a bit of time to mourn and process, and struggling with the realization that I am an orphan, I feel reborn and I have found that like spring I am feeling inspired to bloom again.

This past weekend I met, laughed, shared, ate and learned from some of the best in the business. I made memories I hope I never lose. I found a sense of not just belonging but acceptance in who I am, what I do and what I love. It was truly magical.

On Friday, I had an opportunity to share what I know and what I love with two people I have respected, and whom I have looked up too. Their books I have read and taken to heart and to whom I had a chance to entertain in a reciprocal way. 

The gracious nature of these literary heroes was not at all lost on me.

Posing for photos, waves and winks, hugs and handshakes, in that personal connection, not only did I get the opportunity to meet the authors but I got a chance to connect with the characters they created.

The words of encouragement, the engaging discussions, the professionalism and the perfect moments, kept coming and coming all weekend long.

It was an opportunity I can honestly say I never could have imagined and getting to share space and time with these amazing people, their positive energy, their creative mindsets and a chance to let them know just what a profound effect that their work has on readers like me was second to none.

It took a bit of courage on my part, placing anxiety and self doubt aside, to connect with and chat with and even get photos with those authors I so look up too and admire, boy am I glad I did. 

From the book room to the banquet hall gratitude, carried and overroad social anxiety.

Sometimes you leap and you fall, sometimes you leap and the net catches you, sometimes you leap and you are inspired. . .

Sometimes you leap and find the courage and then your hair fails you... Excitement over vanity...

Autographs and opportunities...

And a truly amazing time had by all. 

Thank you all for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy look back at Left Coast Crime 2019. Thank you to all my sisters in crime for making this happen! I look forward to reading, reviewing and continuing writing. 

May you all take that chance, to meet your heroes. 

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 August 5th -12th

On my table this week I have had so may wonderful things, while I have largely been sleeping on the couch and not awake more than 4 hours a day, I have been truly spoiled. I am starting to feel better, more like myself but with an exhaustion I never imagined possible and I have been tired for 16+ years. I honestly don't remember sleeping this much ever.  I am slowly getting back to what I love and enjoy.
My sister her family and my father have been traveling in the UK for the last few weeks, my father returned earlier this week with a care package from my sister filled with some lovely delights from Fortnum and Mason. Jams, Lemon curd and the most wonderful Cranberry Black Tea which I fell in love with when my mother in law brought me a tin a few years back.

My dad brought me back some Westminster tea, matching tea towel, magnet and a lovely bookmark that says Owen on it from Westminster Abby, I also got a magnet from Paris as well. Like I said spoiled.

I read a few books this week, not much else I have been up to, I enjoyed A Witchy Business by D.S. Butler, a cozy I downloaded free from Amazon. It was a lovely read and distraction.

I read through Crystal Paine's Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, a book I bought on Amazon when I was in the hospital. This one has some great tips on organization and prioritization. Some of the suggestions are things I already do so it was more of a affirmation for me, it does however have more religious based tips than I would normally choose to read.

I have started a new Wednesday feature called Witchy Wednesday. In my research and curiosity about witches and witchcraft I have the opportunity to read and review books that pertain to a passion of mine. I hope to someday write a series about witches that are true to their nature and share what I love most about it. Growing up I loved Bewitched, Mary Poppins and as I grew, professor Minerva McGonagall from Harry Potter. These qualities of witches I hope will form a great series that is playing in my head and hope to oneday get published for all to read.  Hedge Witch Book Of Days is a great read and one that I am thrilled to have found at Powell's Books. In answer to a question I often get asked, yes I do buy my own books, while I am lucky to review many as ARC, I do still buy and read books of my own choosing.

I feel very lucky when I get selected to read ARC of series I have fallen in love with. Ellen Byron has a great Cajun Country Mystery series with characters you will come to think of as family.  Reading about Christmas in August was a lovely escape for me, my only regret is I have to wait that much longer for her next book!  This one I enjoyed and delighted in.

I will have my review of Julianne Holmes  book Chime and Punishment for you tomorrow. Spoiler alert I could not put it down. More on that tomorrow.

 I have just started Victoria Laurie's 15th Book in the Psychic Eye series, this book is out now as I am behind in my reviews and a series I have enjoyed for years.

 In my cup this week I have been enjoying the Fortnum and Mason Cranberry Black tea,

Stash Mellow Moments Tea, really enjoying this one.

As well as my old standby my favorite Murchie's Vanilla Black tea.

The winner of our Granny Hooks A Crook book by Julie Seedorf was Laurie Iglesias. Thank you to all who entered.


Oh and I almost forgot! I made a Friday Spotlight Video click here for a link to the video on my channel. 
Thank you for taking the time to join 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

A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron

I was lucky to get an advanced reading copy of Ellen Byron's third book in the A Cajun Country Mystery series, A Cajun Christmas Killing. This book is out October 10th and a series I adore!
Ellen Byron made me feel right at home at Christmas in her home plantation and b&b. Set just before Christmas, this was not your normal Christmas story either and I loved that it was a complicated crime to solve and there were some points in the story I found so emotional. I feel so invested in these characters and it felt like going home for the holidays. In true cozy mystery form, you get a crime that cozy are famous for and you get that cozy Christmas feeling at the end. I also loved the recipes included. You can pre order A Cajun Christmas Killing now. 

Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël in A Cajun Christmas Killing, the recipe-stuffed third installment of USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries.

Find out more about this series and author Ellen Byron by clicking here.

Pre order this book for October by clicking here.

Thank you for joining me here 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

On my table and in my cup February 18th-25th

Another week has come and gone and so much reading has happened this week. Upon my table this weekend is Laura Childs Pekoe Most Poison, I could not wait until my hardcover arrives and dove into this advanced reading copy. Book number 18 in this amazing series.

Thinking of my good friend who this weekend is on her way to Mardi Gras this weekend and celebrated this wonderful cozy last Sunday on my blog. Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron was brilliant and one I did not want to end. I highly recommend this book!

This week I shared 4 cozy mystery short stories all that were free on Amazon this week. A Scone Killer by Josephine Wiggle, about a new tea shop was a perfect choice for me and I think you will like it too!

Pains and Penalties by Sarah Biglow was up next and this very cool cozy is set around a comic book store owner. I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more in this series.

Ghost in the Coffee Machine was so good I bought the series! Charity Tahmaseb has written a series of paranormal shorts, the first one shown above was so good I knew I had to read more. I down loaded the first 5 stories. I love that I have them waiting for me on my kindle app.

Friday I shared about  how much I loved how A Cue to a Kill was presented, not having read any in this series I did not know what to expect, but it was wonderful and I am thrilled I have another in the series on my kindle app to read as well!

This week I had the pleasure of daily puppy sitting/visiting my new "niece" 9 weeks old and cute as can be, our cats were not thrilled to make her brief acquaintance but the boys think she is pretty cute. Visiting her daily at my sister in laws has been fun.
Thank you so much for joining me here this week for a cup of tea and a week in review. I can not wait to share more wonderful books, teas and adventures with you again soon. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron

Very few cozies move me to tears. Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron is exceptional. It is a cozy that has that right balance of what you love in a cozy mystery, a crazy set of circumstances and an incredible dose of reality. I loved this book. Maggie (Short for Magnolia) is a character I could immediately relate too, she was easy to get behind and felt like she would make a really great friend. The relationships in this book are wonderful, and what I would expect from a southern based cozy, tons of loyalty and a touch of crazy, a seamless blend and the perfect balance. I truly appreciated the story line of the relationship with Maggie and her boyfriend's son. With out giving too much away the character has Autism and as a mom with kids with Autism, this story line felt incredibly authentic. As it touches me personally, when I come across characters in cozies who are supposed to be on the autism spectrum I am often unhappy with how the author writes that character, not in Ellen's book though. I feel as if she had a true understanding of what it is like to love and support a person on the autism spectrum. She was able to normalize the true relationship with out making it feel negative or unfeeling.  I felt her story line was a great service to our community and I will be forever grateful. I loved the mystery, the way she wrote the victims was perfect. I had no idea who the real murderer was until the big reveal. Surprising and comedic twists through out. This was the perfect Sunday read. This is a book I would and will buy my friends to read.

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.When everyone else refuses the job of being Vanessa's Maid of Honor, Maggie reluctantly takes up the title and finds herself tasked with a long list of duties--the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou 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, Ellen Byron's funny and engaging follow up to her critically acclaimed novel Plantation Shudders.

To order your own copy of Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron from Amazon please click here.
Learn more about this series and author Ellen Byron 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 below or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com