On My Table And In My Cup December 10-17th

I have been blessed this week with great reads and great friends. On my table and in my life, kindness has surrounded me. Yesterday I was surprised by some amazing ladies with holiday gifts that were absolute surprises and delightful ones at that. Saffron tea from Iran, a beautiful friendship teaspoon, handmade coasters, chocolates and a bath balm treat I am so looking forward to using.

I have had fantastic books to read this week. I was thrilled when my copy of Locking Up Santa arrived from Nikki LeClair! Fantastic holiday read and out now! 

Laura Bradford's February release Death In Advertising was a great first in series and a cast of characters I loved, I hope you will too. Mark your calender's for this release!

Not normally one in my mind for historical books but this book had me looking at historical cozies in a whole new way. Funny, exciting and completely cozy this Mail Order Bride mystery by J.v.L Bell was completely fun.

Kathi Daley and her Whales and Tails Mystery The Cat of Christmas Present was so good I was balling at the end. Heartwarming, story of overcoming adversity, family and a little holiday magic made this a great read, out now and worth downloading to your kindle app, grabbing a blanket and a pot of tea and escaping for the day.

Fudge & Jury by Ellie Alexander a delightful and delectable series, fun, foodie themed mystery and the best mother/daughter relationship going! Be sure to order this one as well!

Friday I had Erma Bombeck on my table, one of my favorites. A great lady who wrote about life in away only a mother could truly appreciate, relate too and rejoice in. Even now more then 40 years after this book was published I found myself laughing and crying. Not a mystery, or a how too book but a cozy feeling read for sure.

If you are wondering did I really read 5 cozies this week the truth is yes I really did, I also squeezed in two non cozy books to share reviews of shortly as well. No I have no idea how I did it either, other then to say, great writers make reading that much easier. Using words, settings and themes that are too hard to put down and irresistible truly helps as well. Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea, a cozy mystery 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

Locking Up Santa by Nikki LeClair

Last night I finished Locking Up Santa, book two in the Haunting My Series by Nikki LeClair. This is a paranormal cozy series, but it doesn't read like one.  It is really not what I would have expected from a paranormal cozy, it is way better! I love the relationship between Phoebe the main character and her ghostly partner who happens to be a recently deceased CEO of a Beauty Company that Phoebe now runs. Eddie and Phoebe work well together and have really grown in book two. I enjoyed this mystery, it was a juicy one, it had me guessing until the end and my head spinning with the way the big reveal unraveled. I enjoyed this Christmas themed cozy and think you will too. Fun series, great writing, characters and I can not wait to see what happens next. I also absolutely love this cover don't you?

It’s the Christmas season, and seven months since Phoebe Mercer’s life dramatically changed. She went from being an overworked legal assistant to a CEO of Lavish Looks Beauty Company. She moved from the bustling city to a quaint seaside town. She’s gone from living with a fiancé to living with a ghost. Yet, it seems she can’t get a grip on her new life, whether it’s getting used to being a public figure, having a Chief Operating Official who hates her, or a ghost who is just too passionate. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Phoebe’s mentor is suddenly arrested for a horrible crime and the town is ready to lock them away for good. The new product from Lavish Looks smells like a sewer, and people everywhere are noticing. Phoebe and her ghost find themselves having to race against time to prove her mentors innocence, and stop the company from sinking. Meanwhile, Phoebe must deal with a face from her past that throws her in a disarray of emotion, an unwanted visitor, and old friends who seem to have abandoned her. Can she figure out whose sabotaging her life, and the company, before she finds herself behind bars for a crime she didn't commit?

Order your own copy of Locking Up Santa, out now on Amazon by clicking here.
Learn more about author Nikki LeClair on her Facebook page 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 October 22nd-29th

Happy Saturday to you and thank you so much for stopping by for a cup of tea and a week in review. I was so pleased to help host Wednesday's Witches Tea Party on the on going event page for Kathi Daley Books Halloween Spooktackular , a huge thank you to all of you who came and played along and for the wonderful help of authors Nikki LeClair, Jenny Kales, Hunter Murphy,  Judy Volhart, Celeste Burke, Diane Rapp, Marine Graff and Jennifer Roche for their time, games and friendship. A Huge thank you to Kathi for also allowing me to participate.

Friday morning I placed Deck the Hallways by Kate Carlisle on my table I am looking forward to reading this one!

Reading as much as I do I find the dwindling light of this time of year so frustrating, I was happy to read on my ipad for a change and not having to worry about the lighting in the room. Murder, Curlers and Cream was a very busy cozy by Arlene McFarlane, out now and available on amazon.

A Twice Told Tail by Ali Brandon is out early next week and is a great read! Fun to read another great addition in the series!

CeeCee James book also happily graced my ipad Kindle app this week, isn't the cover of The Bitter Taste of Betrayal fantastic?

Sunday I shared Lena Gregory's first in a new series Death at First Sight on Sunday and this is a promising new series I think you may just enjoy!

I was so very happy to receive a bouquet of Witch themed cookies from a very talented lady on Wednesday  Banafshe Ashrafi is a very busy mom of twins one of whom is in my sons class at school  and she surprised me with these beautiful cookies that were equally delicious to eat! I was truly touched and they arrived on the perfect day the day I was hosting the Witches Tea Party!
In my cup this week I have had the Munchies Vanilla Black tea and with the weather as damp and dreary as it has been, it was a delight to have and enjoy!
Thank you 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

Join Me As I Host A Witches Tea Today For Kathi Daley Books Halloween Spooktacular On Facebook

Today I am thrilled to be hosting a virtual Witches Tea Party on Facebook for the fun and fabulous Kathi Daley. The Kathi Daley Books Halloween Spooktacular runs October 23-October 31st and today is the day I get to take over the job of hosting.

My theme for the day is a Witches Tea and I have created a delightful Autumn Enchanted Scone recipe to share and also invited some wonderful authors to help me celebrate the day. They will be helping me to run some fun  games and giveaway's! So please pop on over to Kathi Daley Books Halloween Spooktacular and say hello by clicking here.

Joining me today along with Kathi are Authors:
Nikki LeClair Author of: Haunting Me
Anna Celeste Burke Author of: All Hallow's Eve Heist (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)
Judy Volhart Author of Asiago and the Accomplice (Whine and Cheese Cozy Mystery Series)
Hunter Murphy Author of Curse of the Bridal Chamber (An Imogene and the Boys novel) 
Diane Rapp Author of Murder on a Ghost Ship (High Seas Mystery Series book 2)
Marni Graff Author of Death Unscripted (A Trudy Genova Mystery)
Jenny Kales  Author of On The Chopping Block (A Callie's Kitchen Mystery)
Throughout the day we will host some games, and the authors will share a bit about their own books as well as doing some giveaway's. We invite you to join us by clicking here.

Now, as promised,  my Autumn Enchantment Scones Recipe...

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup of butter or margarine
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of boiling hot water
1/2 cup of raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1 chopped gala apple
2 tsp of Pumpkin Spice (Learn how to make your own by clicking here)

Method:
Put your water on to boil. Measure out your ingredients. Pre-heat your oven to 400
In a large bowl place your flour, baking powder, spice and brown sugar, use a pastry blender to combine. Add your butter, cutting it in with the pastry blender until well combined and looks like bread crumbs. Chop and add your apples to the bowl mix them, coating them in the flour mixture. Once your water is boiled pour the hot water over your raisins and allow to plump 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp of vanilla to the raisins and the water. Make a well in the center of your flour bowl and add your egg and milk, use a spatula to blend the wet with the dry, next add your raisins and water mixture and fold until combined.
On parchment lined baking sheets drop equal spoonfuls of your scone mixture evenly spaced I make mine the size you see at coffee shops but you can make them smaller if you like just watch the cooking time. Bake until your scones are a lovely golden brown along the edges and top.

* You can make an icing sugar glaze as well if you wish with a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, a bit of water and a dash of vanilla mix and drizzle over your scones.

Remember to pop over and join me for a Witches Tea by clicking here for our Facebook event. I hope to see you soon!
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Haunting Me By Nikki LeClair, A New Mystery Series To Enjoy!

Last week I had the great fortune of opening a package from Nikki LeClair. Her new book Haunting Me came out yesterday and it is a really great book. So much so that from page one I did not stop or put it down until I read the last word on the last page! Very few books do that to me and it was delighted with this story. The story reminded me of a book I read years ago and loved called the Un-Domestic Goddess, the story is quite different but it was the theme of "accidentally finding your true self" that I found very endearing.

Phoebe Mercer has what most people envy; a wonderful boyfriend, fantastic friends and a job in the city’s top law firm. Getting engaged is just the honey in her tea! Then she gets run over by a hot dog cart, wakes up with a concussion and the ability to see ghosts. Well, one ghost. A loud, obnoxious woman who claims to have been murdered for her vast fortune. Soon, Phoebe is solving a mystery that not only threatens her relationships, but her career as well. As she begins to battle feelings for the ghost’s handsome nephew, she realizes quite a few people in her life are not as they seem. Slowly, Phoebe uncovers the secrets and lies around her, learning that in order to solve this mystery and be free of the ghost, she must lie herself. The only catch? The secrets Phoebe has kept from the people in her life could ruin everything for her, and her ghostly companion, in the end.

I loved the cover and the title, perfectly matched to this story I think you will find you can relate to, participate in and enjoy! 

To order your own copy of Haunting Me on Amazon, Please click here.
Learn more about Nikki LeClair on her Facebook fan page 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