Romeow and Juliet A Very Promising New Series by Kathi Daley!

I just finished reading Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley, I was sent this copy to review and I loved it.  This cozy is set quiet near to where I actually live so it was really easy to get caught up in the story and picture the setting!

I am a sucker for a great cat cozy and this series called "Whales And Tails Mystery" is a really great cozy! Just the right amount of mystery, small town setting, romance and cats! This is a series that is sure to be popular!  Oh and two witches live on the island too...yep it has it all for me, tea even factors into the story!  I may even want to move there!

I don't want to give too much away but let's just say that I can not wait for the new Coffee Cat Books Store to open! I feel like I could just hop on the ferry and sit and stay awhile!  I also can not wait to read the next two books in the series! First you have to check out Romeow and Juliet by clicking here and Mark your calenders for The Mad Catter (A Whales and Tails Mystery #2) due out February 2015 and Grimm's Furry Tail (A Whales and Tails Mystery #3) coming in March!

If you are a sucker for cover art like I am you are going to love the art work as much as the series. All three books have fantastic covers!
I loved reading this book that takes place in May specifically when it is January and I am counting the days until Spring! So if you need a vacation from the winter order Romeow and Juliet and get that warm and fuzzy cozy feeling! Don't forget to put on a great pot of tea!
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

A Ghostly Grave by Tonya Kappes. I Got An Advanced Reading Copy of A Fantastic New Series!

I have followed  USA Today's best selling Tonya Kappes on Facebook for a while, and I was so surprised to receive a message via Instagram From Tonya asking if I would read one of her up coming books. I got the message while driving and had to pull over and do a "Happy Dance" when the message came in. I had a "fan girl moment" I am told by my 11 year old. I was so thrilled to be given the opportunity to read the second book in her Ghostly Southern Mystery Series the advanced reading copy of Ghostly Grave.

I spent a few days reading and enjoying Ghostly Grave on my Ipad and I have to tell you honestly that I laughed out loud so much in the first few chapters my son asked me to "go read in another room"

I could not have imagined just how funny  a mystery series about an undertaker who talks to the dead could really be. I hung on every word and comical situation that Emma Lee seemed to encounter through out this book.

I found the main character's Grandmother hysterical, I could picture her perfectly with the way that Tonya wrote and described her. The books story line is so good that I could picture a TV series based on the life and times of this small  Kentucky town, Sleepy Hollow and Eternal Slumber's Undertaker Emma Lee.

I finished this book on Christmas Day and I loved it. It was very well written, the story line was exciting and had great twists and turns. This is a series that would be very easy to get hooked on! You can find out more about Tonya Kappes and the Ghostly Southern Mystery Series by visiting her website simply by clicking here. You can also find her on her Facebook Fan Page by clicking here.

I wish to thank Tonya for allowing me to read A Ghostly Grave! To pre order your copy of the first book in this series A Ghostly Undertaking Click here. Watch for the following two books in the series  A Ghostly Grave due out March 31st and A Ghostly Demise due out August 25th 2015, you can pre order both directly from Harper Collins Publishers by clicking the highlighted titles.

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

Lethal Letters By Ellery Adams

Some books you read stay with you for a long time. I finished Ellery Adam's most recent Books By The Bay Mystery, a few weeks ago but did not write my review right away. You see for me writing the review is like saying good by to the book and I was not quite ready to do that yet.

I did not mean to horrify some of the readers on my Facebook page by leaving my book this way! honestly I often put my book down just to take the photo! To the librarians out there I am sorry! My own dog eared, broken spined books are a mark of some of my most favorites. I read them where and when I can in the stolen moments and even fall asleep with them open...

 The Books By The Bay Mysteries are very well written and the returning cast of characters and their stories endear them to the reader in each installment. For the reader each chapter in Ellery's books is a first class seat on Olivia's journey of self discovery.  Olivia's quest for  acceptance in her town of Oyster Bay North Carolina is a theme through out the series and it is such a pleasure to watch her really come into her own in this latest book.  I cried at the end and did not want the book to end.

I take comfort in a great cup of tea and  the fact that I can re read the series and visit Oyster Bay anytime I need too until the next one is written!

To find out more about Olivia and Oyster Bay please visit www.elleryadamsmysteries.com by clicking here
I ordered my copy from The Book Depository. You can do so with FREE shipping by clicking here.

Do join me on Facebook for my daily tea photos  and to see what I am reading. We have monthly tea and book mark give-away's and lots of fun chatting about our favorite cozy mystery series. Click here to like my page.

I  have always loved to host a tea party, so I hope you will join me.
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

The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer by Krista Davis Is A Magnificent Addition To Her New Paws & Claws Series!

Well I just finished The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer by Krista Davis. This is the second book in the Paws & Claws Series and I really enjoyed reading it. This felt like a non stop adventure mystery with so many things going on in this busy little town. The way Krista writes you can not help but fall in love with the idea of a town like Wagtail, Virginia where you and your pets can take the most wonderful vacations together and be equally indulged!

This book takes place about a month or so after the first book ends and right way I was transported to The Sugar Maple Inn and was enjoying my time sipping tea at my table feeling like a guest at the inn eavesdropping on the on goings of Wagtail in late October.

The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer had so many wonderful and rich characters both 2 and 4 legged! Not only were we re introduced to some colorful characters from the first book but we were introduced to some characters I truly hope will stick around Wagtail and add to the next next adventure. I really enjoyed how impartial main character Holly is written in the debate over the existence of  Ghosts and the Haunting of WaigTale, but I will admit to sleeping with the lights on a bit last night!

Pick up a The Ghost and Mrs Mewer and enjoy a great ghost story just like in the old Christmas Song "It's the most wonderful time of the year" where their are "tales of ghost stories" and tuck in for a great holiday read! To learn more about Krista Davis and the Paws & Claws Mystery series please click here. Please note I was not sent this book to review and pre ordered my own copy from The Book Depository, you can find a link to this book by clicking here.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment or email me at karennmowen@gmail.com

Spend The Holiday's Enchanted! Joyce and Jim Lavene's Newest Series Is Magical!

I have been looking forward to reading and reviewing Spell Booked. I pre ordered it from The Book Depository  as soon as I learned about it from my Friend Lisa K. This book was so worth the wait.

 

 I have savored every word with every sip over the last few days.

 

One of the things I liked most about this book was the range in ages and abilities of each character, richly written and endearing I felt connected to each of them right away. Hook, line and sinker for me, I was completely enchanted.

The idea of retiring witches looking to pass down their magic was a fantastic topic and twist in Spell Booked, this first in series by Joyce and Jim Lavene. It is so well written and was such a joy to read.

I am a sucker for a great cover and this is one of my most favorite cozy mystery covers of all time! So many clues and details in the artwork. The book is written with that same attention to detail and I was captivated from the first paragraph. I also loved the amount of tea that is consumed by the characters in the book, it really helped me relate to them even more!

Just like that the book is done. Not entirely released from it's spell and counting the days until the next in series is released. Joyce and Jim Lavene produced real magic with this book. I am enchanted.
If you are looking to give a great book to a cozy mystery lover this holiday season or if you want to be a "selfish Santa" Pick up a copy of Spell Booked and you will not be sorry!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment her or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Karen Mom of Three's Christmas Tea Cozy Tutorial

Karen here and today I took a break from reading Ellery Adam's latest book Lethal Letters to share with you a tutorial on how to sew a tea cozy like the ones I made in the photo above to dress up your teapots or create for gifts for the tea lovers in your life.
To make your own you will need:
- Holiday Print Fabric (Scattered patterned fabric works best)
-Felt (I use Kunin Felt, larger pieces I get at Michael's or the craft store), Polar Fleece or Velvet
-Sewing Scissors
-Sewing Machine
-Sewing Pins
-Chalk
-3/4 inch to 2 inch thick ribbon
-Large Paper (A sheet of newsprint will work) and a Pencil
-Tape measure or ruler
-Your Teapot


** Please note that my tea pots are medium sized 4-6 cup tea pots. You can make yours larger or smaller depending on your pot.

Step 1- Assemble all your supplies and clear a space to make your pattern piece. My tea pots are 4-6 cups and considered a medium sized tea pot. If yours is larger you may want to add two more inches to the measurements, if smaller reduce by two inches. Fold a piece of newsprint or large paper and measure up 10 inches from the bottom of the paper to the top. Next along the bottom measure 3 inches. At the end of that 3 inch line measure 1/2 an inch up and make a mark. Place your ruler or your tape measure along that line and draw a line to 7 inches.  Your shape should look a bit like a fan. Join the top 10 inch line to the 7 inch line free hand or use a "compass" I used my ruler and moved it slightly until I had the arch line I wanted and drew it in. Cut out your pattern piece and then open it. As I have in the photo above.

 

Step 2- Fold your holiday fabric  in half with right sides facing in. Place your pattern piece on the fold and cut out your fabric. **If you are using a patterned fabric that is not scattered as mine is you can cut out two pieces of your fabric and join it along the 3 inch bottom edge, making your pattern be right side up on both sides of the tea pot once your tea cozy is sewn.

Step 3- Repeat the process on the felt or fleece/velvet  which will be the inside part of your tea cozy.

 

Step 4- Once your pieces are cut out and joined where necessary, lay them on top of each other with right sides of the fabric facing inwards. Pin the fabric together . Starting at two inches down from the outer edges of your fabric (down the "V" shapes) then along the rounded edge on both sides. Sew along the pinned areas and turn right side out as shown in the bottom right photo above.

Step 5- Starting at 1 inch down from the top of the "V" shape on all sides, begin folding your fabric under and pining as shown. Leave that 1 inch opening which will become the casing for the ribbon in step 6.  Begin top stitch sewing the pinned areas.

 Step 6- Use chalk on what will be the inside of your tea cozy to sketch out the casing area for your ribbon. Start at the casing opening and measure about 1/2 inch down to make your first marks and use a ruler or eye the casing lines as I did in the photo above. Repeat on both sides.

Step 7- Top stitch the lines you drew on both sides.

Step 7- Use a safety pin on the end of your ribbon and thread it through your tea cozy, one side will you will see the ribbon joining the sides, this is where you put your spout of your teapot! Once you have the ribbon all the way through casing, leave enough ribbon on each side to tie a bow over the top of your tea pot handle. Pull on both ends of the ribbon slightly to gather the outer edge of your completed tea cozy and slide your tea pot in. Secure with the bow and you are ready to use and display your work!

I hope you enjoyed today's Tea Cozy Tutorial, now back to reading!
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

Kathi Daley's Christmas Cozy A Festive Fun Read With Tasty Recipes!

 

 This book review comes with a bit of self promotion. You see in the summer Kathi asked her readers to submit recipes for her up coming Christmas Cozy book. I was so thrilled when my recipe was chosen!

As a thank you Kathi, sent me a copy of the book, which unfortunately did not make it to my door, instead the empty envelope along with a letter from Canada Post claiming my book had been stolen from the envelope which did arrive and then  Kathi came to the rescue!

She sent me a kindle version while I await a hard copy by mail. I was also thrilled to get the wonderful matching mug! 

The story and setting for Christmas Cozy set the tone of this on going series and it was so easy to get into this book and the festive spirit!

 

This book had the right amount of everything including long standing childhood friends,furry friends, children and teenage angst, mystery and of course small town charm... oh and a great recipe for shortbread! You can pick up your own copy of Christmas Cozy on Amazon by clicking here. The kindle addition is a steal, but I can not wait for my hard copy to arrive! Thank you Kathi for the wonderful opportunity to be apart of your Christmas Cozy. To find out more about Zoe Donovan Mysteries and Writing by Kathi Daley Click here.

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