To Catch a WItch by Heather Blake

I am so thrilled to start the week off with a review of Heather Blake's To Catch A Witch. This one is out in August and thrilled me to no end! I love everything about this series and am indebted to Crooked Lane Books for continuing this wonderful long running series. From page one I was enchanted and transported back to the Village in the middle of winter, back with Darcy and her family. Concern and anxiety griped me surrounding the relationship with her sister in only a way that Heather could right. That "big sister" relationship is so well written and Darcy treats her sister the way I would mine. A sad and complexing murder in the village during a race that Darcy is helping with complicates things in the village while there is a undercurrent of dark magic and a nefarious plot for taking over power of the village too. There was so much to love in this book and I was so sad and yet excited, when I finished it, knowing I will have to wait so long now to find out just what will happen next!

  Wishcrafter Darcy Merriweather might be a witch with the ability to grant wishes for others, but wishing isn’t going to help her catch a killer…
When wishcrafter Darcy Merriweather’s personal concierge company is hired by elite runner Abby Stillwell to organize the Wicked Mad Dash, a competition that takes place in the Enchanted Village, Darcy is more than willing to help her friend. As blizzard conditions rage on the morning of the race, Darcy’s main concern is the terrible weather—until Abby goes missing…and is later found dead, buried in the snow.As Darcy investigates her friend’s untimely death, she learns that she didn’t really know Abby well at all. And those closest to the woman—her secret fiancé, her roommate, her ex-boyfriend, and her co-workers at Balefire Sports—seem to have plenty to hide too. As Darcy digs deeper, she uncovers complicated relationships, a possible embezzlement scheme, and allegations of cheating against a top athlete. Just when Darcy is convinced she’s hit a dead end in the case, a startling burglary and the hunt for Abby’s elusive ex send Darcy down a dark, dangerous trail. It will take the help from friends, family, and a little bit of magic for Darcy to stop a stone-cold killer from striking again.

This one is out August 7th and you can find it on Amazon (I am not an affiliate) 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

Five Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Week 5

Only one more day until Halloween and today is our last of the Fall-O-ween series.

Today Karen K and I have our final picks and we are fighting about today's post! (thought we both picked the same book to share, I will let Karen K take the lead on this one) Karen K and I both loved Vicki Vass' book Bloodline!

"An absolutely breathtaking, riveting book. I read it in one sitting as I could not put it down. The story connects with modern day and the Salem Witch Trials. Friendships, family, twists and turns. Buckle up and enjoy the journey!"

Fleeing from the witch trials in Salem, Terra Rowan finds herself in modern day Asheville, North Carolina. A dark spirit from the past hunts the last witch of Salem. With the help of the ladies of the Biltmore Society, Asheville aristocrats with untapped powers and a crooked-legged fat orange cat named Pixel, Terra must discover the secret within the forest to preserve the bloodline. Combining elements from different cultures, Appalachian folklore, Celtic legends, Native American mysticism, Bloodline creates a new witch mythology while staying true to the realm of cozy mystery. Terra Rowan is a witch trapped between worlds and lost in time.

and now my two cents via video....

In the spirit of our Double Double I also share another book I loved this one by Heather Blake called Ghost of a Potion.  This is a fun book, great relationships and mystery as well as funny! A good balance of dark and light for a paranormal cozy and I bought the three books in the series and would read them again, over and over again easily!

In the latest from the bestselling author of One Potion in the Grave, it's Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama, and potion shop owner Carly Bell Hartwell has an especially spooky customer to handle... With all the ghosts that haunt her at this time of year, Carly doesn't exactly rush to celebrate Halloween. Even a costume ball organized by her boyfriend Dylan's mother, Patricia Davis Jackson, holds little allure. But to please Dylan, who wants peace between the two women, Carly reluctantly agrees to go. Gossip around town is that architect Haywood Dodd plans to make a big announcement at the party. But before he can address the crowd, he's found dead with Patricia standing over him, holding the murder weapon. Anxious to clear Patricia's name and perhaps broker a truce with her, Carly would love to use her snooping skills to find the real killer. Only she has bigger problems to deal with--ghosts are flocking to her for help, including a very persistent Haywood Dodd...

Click here to visit Sheryl and see what she has dug up for you today on Booth Talks Books!

See what treat Mary has for you over at MJBreviewers blog by clicking here.

and popover to see what Lisa has cooked up for you today over at Lisa K's Book Reviews by clicking here. 

Don't worry about missing us Five Amigos next week we have a whole new series of Holiday Themed Cozy Picks to share with all of you...
Thank you for joining us for this series and we would all like to hear from you so please leave us comments on our pages even just to say Hello! Happy Halloween from Karen K and I!
Thank you for joining us for a cup of tea and Fall-O-ween Fun!

The Witch and The Dead by Heather Blake

Sunday afternoon I finished The Witch and The Dead by Heather Blake. I have loved this series since book one and this the seventh book in the Wishcraft Mystery series did not disappoint. Have you ever experienced the sensation of being so completely engrossed in a story that when you are interrupted by someone that it takes you more then a minute to "come too"? I was interrupted during the last few chapters and I honestly could not shake myself back to reality. This book was just too good, to all consuming and over far to soon....hanging on every word right to the last one, I put the book down in a total trance. I did not want my time in the Enchanted Village to be over so soon...291 pages of a incredible story that not only took me away but blew me away too! Great mysteries all twisted and intertwined in the way only Heather Blake could write. The perfect balance of witchcraft, romance, family and mystery. I can not say enough about this series or this latest book.
Out October 4th this was such a pleasure to have on my table and now in my heart. Even though I received this book in advance to review,  I ordered a copy from The Book Depository many months ago, so it is a great privilege to have gotten this book early and now have a copy I can gift to my library.

When Darcy moved to Salem, Massachusetts, she never expected her life to change as drastically as it did. But within a short time, the Enchanted Village has become her home, its mystical residents have become her family, and As You Wish, the personal concierge business formerly run by her Aunt Ve, has become her calling. Still, the time has come for change—and for Darcy to move out of Aunt Ve’s house. Darcy’s belongings are stashed in Aunt Ve’s garage, alongside a mess of memories, forgotten possessions, and, to both Ve and Darcy’s horror, a pile of old bones. It turns out they belong to Ve’s long missing second husband. Now Darcy must unpack old secrets to solve a cold case—and make sure her aunt isn’t looking at a spell behind bars.

To order your own copy of The Witch and the Dead with Free Shipping From The Book Depository please click here.
To order your own copy from Amazon please click here.

Learn more about the wonderful works of Heather Blake 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

On My Table And In My Cup September 17-24th

This week has been a busy one and I am afraid I have not has as much time to dedicate to reading as I should but I am absolutely delighted to have Heather Blake's The Witch and The Dead on my table this weekend. I have been a long time fan of this series and I still pre order it. I am thrilled that I got an advanced reading copy of this book! This is one of my most favorite cozy mystery series and I am thrilled to have it this rainy weekend.

Also on my table this week some fantastic walkers shortbread cookies brought to me from England, I may have eaten half the box while reading Masking for Trouble by Diane Vallere, this was a new to me series and a good mystery, review coming up next week.

I also new to my table this week Tangled Up in Brew by Joyce Tremel, fun idea, this series is!

Having Joyce and Jim Lavene's books on my table has long been a treat now it is an honor to have the third book in the retired witches series on my table. I miss my daily chats with Joyce... I find it truly amazing to be able to spend time reading their amazing work, feeling as though they have not really left us at all.

New to me tea on the table this week from For Tea's Sake's Shades of Earl Grey a nice classic earl grey that is not overly floral. 

The winner of Dead To The Last Drop is Doward T. Wilson! Congratulations and thank you to all who took the time to enter! Doward your book is being sent to you from the publisher. 

I am so thankful to have you join me today for a cup of tea and a cozy 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 September 10th-17th

Another week has gone by and this was such a fun one for my family and I. Last Saturday morning we left for a very quick and very far trip to the very West Coast of Vancouver Island for a Surf Camp Weekend for our boys put on by Rip Curl and SUPA (Surfs Up For Autism) and we had a blast. I got to read a bit on the trip and discover a lovely tea shop too! Thay Tea in Ucluete (You-Q-let) BC was a tea lovers oasis in a very picturesque location. Such a delight to visit them and I am looking forward to seeing them at the Vancouver tea festival in November.

I picked up a lovely Double Cream Earl Grey, which I am absolutely loving. It was a lovely weekend and a beautiful view with my morning  tea.  I finished Night of the Living Deed while in Ucluete and absolutely loved it, I can not wait to read the entire series.

Penny Warner's The Code Busters Club, A book I ordered for my 8 year old son arrived on Tuesday and even though he and I are reading it together, I could not help but finish reading the entire book that night. I will be sharing my review with you all tomorrow and I have already ordered book number 2.

I have also been enjoying the Miss Marple Complete Short Stories this week another book I received for Buy A Friend A Book Day! Such a great book to have on hand and in my purse for afternoon school pick up time!

Also on my table mid week A Charming Voodoo by Tonya Kappes, some mornings you just need a little magic!

Last night I finished Old Haunts by E.J. Copperman, a book I checked out of my wonderful library who stock the most wonderful cozies, after last weekends read I knew I wanted to read the entire series! Review to follow next week.

Friday morning a delivery at my door had me jumping for joy! I can not wait to share the October Releases with you all soon!
Thank you so much for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Buy A Friend A Book Day Suggestions!

August 31st is fast approaching and I have some cozy suggestions for you of books you can purchase and give to friends! I love this new-ish holiday. I have participated the last three years and I have joined a swap with friends this year on Elfster which lets the friends create a wish list of books. When you have friends like I do who read constantly it is often hard to choose a book for them that they may not have already read so this year Elftster is a God Send!

For those of you who may not be familiar with Buy A Friend A Book Day this is a fun day where you simply buy a book you think a friend would like on August 31st and give or send it to them. This holiday event is meant as a fun way to share a love of books and reading with others. You can purchase on line (with free shipping) from The Book Depository to send to friends far away or you can purchase a book at a small independent book store (Which is also a very good idea!) and then give it to your friends.

If you are stuck on ideas of great cozy mysteries to purchase for friends I have more then a few suggestions here on my blog and you can find reviews and photos of all the books I have read and reviewed in the tabs at the top of my blog!

To get you started here are a few of my favorite suggestions of series I hope you will not only read yourself but perhaps gift a friend:

Duffy Brown's Cycle Path Mystery Series 
Terrie Farley Moran's Read Em' and Eat Mystery Series (with recipes from yours truly in the back!) 
Victoria Hamilton's A Teapot Collector Mystery Series (notes and information about the enjoyment of tea from yours truly can also be found inside!)
Ellery Adam's Book Retreat Series 
Lucy Arlington A Novel Idea Series
Lorna Barrett's A Booktown Mystery Series 
Krista Davis A Domestic Diva Mystery  or her Paws and Claws Mystery Series
Victoria Hamilton's Merry Muffin Mystery Series 
Susan Furlong's Georgia Peach Mystery Series
Miranda Jame's Cat in The Stacks Mystery Series 
Kathi Daley Zoe Donovan Mystery Series, Whales and Tales Mystery Series and Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Series
Vicki Vass (Anything this lady writes I love!)
Auralee Wallace- Otter Lake Mystery Series 
Kathleen Bridge A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery 

Paranormal Series Recommendations:

Heather Blake's Wishcraft Series 

Joyce and Jim Lavene (ANY THING THEY HAVE EVER WRITTEN I highly recommend) 

Juliet Blackwell Witchcraft Mystery Series 
Carol J Perry Witch City Mystery Series
Victoria Laurie A Psychic Eye Mystery 

First in series this year that I thought were outstanding:
Laura Bradford's Elcair and Present Danger 
Julia Buckley A Dark and Stormy Murder
Vicki Vass Gem Hunter
Amanda Flower Crime and Poetry
Nikki LeClair Haunting Me
Judy Volt  Asiago and the Accomplice 
Jenny Kales On The Chopping Block 

Poetry, may I recommend the southern styling's of Patricia Neeley-Dorsey 

I hope you enjoyed just some of my favorite books and series suggestions and that you may consider joining me in celebrating Buy A Friend A Book Day this August 31st!
Thank you for joining me here for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery suggestion for buy a friend a book day! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Cup of Tea And A Visit With Heather Blake

Today I am thrilled to have Heather Blake join us for a cup of tea and a chat about her new book Gone With The Witch and her Wish Craft Mystery series, 

KMOT: When you are writing is it Coffee/Tea or something else that fuels you? (I am pretty sure it is coffee from your posts but feel free to prove me wrong!)

HB:It’s hard to believe that I started drinking coffee only seven years or so ago! Up until then, I despised the taste. I start every day with a morning cup of coffee (or two). In the afternoon, I tend to drink Dr Pepper (I’ve been trying to give it up for about a decade now!) or another cup of coffee or tea. Lots of water in between. If I’m up late on deadline, it’s always coffee keeping me awake.

KMOT:  Where did the idea for the Wishcraft series come from?

HB:The Wishcraft series actually started with an idea for a fairy godmother mysteries. It was a plot for a couple of sisters who move to a magical village and learn that they’re actually fairy godmothers who can grant wishes.

And while I loved that idea, it wasn’t working. The fairy godmothers just didn’t…fit. I, however, wasn’t ready to give up on them completely. A tweak here and a tweak there and my godmothers became...witches. More specifically, Wishcrafters—witches with the ability to grant wishes using a spell.

The funny thing is that I barely had to change anything with my proposal. It was as though my subconscious knew all along that the characters were witches, and was taunting me. I’d even had the book set in Salem, Massachusetts, already.

Sometimes the subconscious knows best.

  KMOT:  I really would love to move to the Enchanted Village, did you model the town after and existing village or is it purely made up?

HB: The village is purely fictional, and I’d love to move there as well. Its charm definitely outweighs its high crime rate. I grew up just south of Boston, and one constant in almost every New England town is some sort of town center with a common green area—usually with a gazebo or bandstand. Some greens are bigger and/or fancier than others, but to me seeing one always signals “home,” so I knew the Enchanted Village definitely had to have a green space at its center. It’s the heart of the town.

KMOT:  Each and every character is so amazing in this series, can you tell me if given a chance to write a spin off series based on any of the charters in the series who do you think could hold his or her own? ( I have think there is more than one but I would love to hear what you think) 

HB: I think there could be a ton of spin-offs, and how fun would that be? Evan deserves his own series for sure. Starla. Godfrey. Cherise. Andreus. Glinda. Archie, of course. Really, any of them.

KMOT: What would you like my readers to know about Darcy that they may not already?

This is a tough question, because if you’ve read the series, then you know Darcy is pretty open with her quirks, strengths, and flaws. She’s tender but tough, and has a heart of gold. She has a strong sense of justice and tries to right all wrongs, though sometimes things don’t go as she plans (which drives her crazy). Although she adores most everything magical, she’s a simple witch who knows that family, friends, and love is the true magic in her world. She never, ever takes that for granted.

Thank you Heather for joining us today. Wishcraft Mystery Lovers will be also thrilled to know that The Witch and The Dead comes out this coming October and you can pre order it with out the shipping costs from The Book Depository by clicking here. Or on Amazon by clicking here.

You can order Gone With The Witch from The Book Depository by clicking here. 

on Amazon by clicking here 

Learn more about Heather Blake and all her series by clicking her to visit her  mystery website

She also has a wonderful paranormal romance series I know you will love and a great gardening series too! Click here for her Heather Webber series website.

Thank you for joining us 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

Happy Release Day! Run Out, Pick Up Or Order You Can Not Loose

May has some truly wonderful reads just waiting on you to pick up, hold in your hand and in your hearts forever!

I am currently reading Irish Stewed by Kylie Logan  which is one of the amazing cozy mysteries being released today! I am on chapter 15 and hated to put it down last night so I could get some sleep! I love a captivating first in series and love it even more when the tea cups match the books I am reading.

Also out today is Carolyn Hart's Don't Go Home, the cover fits this story well and no spoilers from me, I will tell you I have a review planned for later this month!

Betty Hechtman 's Seams like Murder was such a fun read, catching up with the gang and still trying to get the hang of the hook myself, I love a well spun and tangled yarn type mystery!

I can not insist more that you pick up this second in series and be inspired and transported to the Hamptons, this is a great weekend read! Kathleen Bridge has a unique and wonderful lead character I know you are going to just love.

Darcie Wilde, what can I say A Useful Woman was a "distinctly discerning" read. sharing my review of this one on May 10th, I can not help but get very excited for those of you who are going to loose yourself in this Austen Era Mystery!

No words needed, if you are a fan of this series you are likely lining up if you have not got the mail man dropping your order of to you! Heather Blake and the Wishcraft Mystery Series is one of the best!

I will admit I splurged and bought this in hard back but for those of you who were excitedly waiting on the release of the paper back today is your day! I know you are going to be simply amazed by this cozy by Lorna Barrettm, my lips are sealed but I will say read with Kleenex, ice-cream and take your phone off the hook, you wont want to put it down!

On my to be read pile is Nancy J. Parra's Newlywed Dead out today and what a cover!

Peg Cochran has Berry The Hatchet out today, looking forward to this cozy, the kitten is calling me from the cover!

Two books out today and on my TBR pile by Sally Goldenbaum, I am truly looking forward to reading all of these books and quite a few more this month!
Happy Release Day to all! Please remember to Order, Read, Review and Repeat to keep these cozy series and so many more enriching our lives!
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery release day. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com