Tea Bag Style Cookies!

I have wanted to buy a cookie cutter like this for a while now but as I live in Canada the cost to have them shipped from the USA was more then three times the price of the cookie cutter. So I waited and just before I went away I ordered this one from an Etsy shop in Spain called CookieCAD. This 3D printed cookie cutter is awesome.

Hers look better then mine but I am still working out the chocolate ratio for dipping. I am thrilled though with my new cookie cutter! The price for this one was $5.03 CND and with shipping of just $3.35 this was a steal!

I will be happily practicing these for my tea parties and I am sure to order more from CookieCAD soon. Click here to see the listing of the cookie cutter I bought. 
Here to see all the items in store! 
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery tea time treat. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Good Day To Buy by Sherry Harris

A Good Day To Buy is an excellent read. Sherry Harris has written a brilliant mystery. This is the first I have read in this series and it blew me away. I found I cared so much about each and every character, was so emotionally involved in the story and even cried when it was over. I have so much respect for Sherry and how she wrote this book, the great care and attention she put into each character and how she highlighted & evoked the need to show more appreciation for military families, their struggles during deployment and the much needed after care even decades later. Even though I am new to this series I can tell you that this series has so much heart you will want to read the entire series! This one is out April 25th and one to read for sure.

When Sarah Winston’s estranged brother Luke shows up on her doorstep, asking her not to tell anyone he’s in town—especially her ex, the chief of police—the timing is strange, to say the least. Hours earlier, Sarah’s latest garage sale was taped off as a crime scene following the discovery of a murdered Vietnam vet and his gravely injured wife—her clients, the Spencers.  BUT IS HE A KILLER?All Luke will tell Sarah is that he’s undercover, investigating a story. Before she can learn more, he vanishes as suddenly as he appeared. Rummaging through his things for a clue to his whereabouts, Sarah comes upon a list of veterans and realizes that to find her brother, she’ll have to figure out who killed Mr. Spencer. And all without telling her ex . . .
 
To pre order this April release from Amazon please click here.
To learn more about this series and Sherry Harris please click 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

Sharon Pape's May Release Magick & Mayhem

This May you will have to put Sharon Pape's Magick & Mayhem on your to be read list! I loved this Paranormal cozy mystery so much that I can tell you it is in my top 5 paranormal cozy series to watch for this 2017 season! There is so much to love in this story. A befuddled wizard, struggling psychic, and a witch with store to run. When main character Kaylin and her aunt stubble upon the body of her best friends husband she quickly learns she will need more then magic to find the real killer. Nothing is quite as it seems in this mystery and I loved it. I will anxiously be awaiting more in this series and know that paranormal cozy mystery lovers like myself are going to be so enchanted with this story!
I also love this cover don't you?

  Twenty-something Kailyn Wilde has learned to embrace her unpredictable life as a descendant of small-town New Camel’s most magickal family. She just didn’t expect to inherit her mother and grandmother’s centuries-old shop, Abracadabra, so suddenly. The surprises keep coming when Kailyn goes to finalize the estate at the local attorney’s office—and stumbles over the body of her best friend Elise’s husband . . .
As a brash detective casts the blame on Elise, Kailyn summons her deepest powers to find answers and start an investigation of her own. What with running a business, perfecting ancient spells, and keeping up with an uninvited guest of fabled origins, Kailyn has her hands full. But with the help of her uncanny black cat Sashkatu and her muumuu-clad Aunt Tilly, she’s closing in on a killer—who will do anything to make sure she never tests her supernatural skills again!

To find out more about Magick & Mayhem and to pre order from Amazon please click 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 

Laura Childs Devonshire Scream

Laura Child's Devonshire Scream kept me busy through the long stretch of highway in Nevada last week on my Spring break vacation. Driving through a very hot and lovely desert with not even a rest stop for hours I found myself immersed in the wonderful world and mystery of Devonshire Scream. Such a treat to have this book on my table. I did not read it when it came out last year in hardcover and I so enjoyed having the chance to read and review it now. I think this may be my favorite in this series. Laura Childs has such wonderful and rich characters, and a true understanding and love of all things tea. I enjoyed the themed tea ideas as much as the mystery itself. Perhaps it is because I loved the theme and mystery around the Romanoff family and this mystery has jewels and a precious egg that once belonged to the Russian Royal family, but it is a story about so much more. This one is action packed, filled with charm and delightful tea suggestions that will leave your mouth watering as it did mine all the way to Phoenix! This is out now in paper back.

Catering a high-class trunk show at Heart's Desire Jewelry is a shining achievement for Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop. After all, a slew of jewelers, museum curators, and private collectors will be there to showcase their wares and sip some of Theo's best blends. But just as Theo settles in to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the party is crashed by a gang of masked muggers who steal the precious gems and jewels on display. The thieves disappear almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving shattered glass, scattered gemstones, and a dead body in their wake.   Although the last thing Theo wants is to get involved, she can't help but intercede when her dear friend Brooke, aunt of the victim and owner of Heart's Desire, begs for help in figuring out who committed the brutal burglary. Though the FBI believes this daring "smash and grab" is the work of an international gang of jewel thieves, Theo is convinced that the felon is someone much closer to home... 

To order your own paperback copy of Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs 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

CeeCee James The Tempting Taste of Danger

The first book I read on my trip last week was CeeCee James The Tempting Taste of Danger. This is book four in the Angel Lake Mystery series and it was a very good read. The book has an Alice in Wonderland theme that I really enjoyed. This was a great concept for a mystery and even if you are not an Alice in Wonderland buff you will still really enjoy this mystery. I did not have the killer figured out before the big reveal and I really enjoy this series. This is out now and lots of fun!

The only thing worse than a noisy bookstore is patrons literally dying to get out.Elise Pepper has landed her dream job at the Capture The Magic book store. Peace and quiet and thousands of books to herself – including a $2m first edition of Alice in Wonderland. What more could she ask for? It can’t last of course. Her blissful solitude is rudely interrupted when someone turns the second floor of the building into a Down the Rabbit Hole-themed escape room. But the noise is the least of her worries – what’s worse is the dead bank executive upstairs and the missing first edition. Now Elise is suspected of both theft and murder, even as the killer taunts her with Alice in Wonderland clues. Can she find out who did it before she takes the fall for the crime?

Click here to learn more about this cozy mystery book currently priced at 99 cents! A steal for sure!

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

Spring Break 2017, A look back...

Home. After 9 days and several 12 hour drives in the car, we are home. I spent the last nine days with my family driving all over the USA.

We went to see Nascar in Arizona and Universal Studios in L.A. It was a memorable trip for sure. We experienced every weather you could imagine. We had Snow through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern Nevada. Unbelievable heat last Sunday in Phoenix. More then 100+ degrees at the track. Hottest on record for any cup car race ever! I wish I could say I turned the boys in to Nascar fans but I think they will stick to hockey instead. The heat and noise did not move them as it does me!

 We had rain in LA and beautiful sun but wind in Palm Desert where we met up with our family. Coming home we had rain and wind and home now to light spring rain. I am amazed at how much we were able to do and how much driving my husband did in the last nine days. I am equally amazed at how much the boys grew since our last visit in 2014.

Palm Springs, and the surrounding desert cities are very special to my husband and I. We love it there. I would move there in a heartbeat if we could make it work. My youngest son was amazed and thrilled to pick his own fruit in his Great Uncle and Aunt's front yard on Thursday. Nothing like a warm and freshly picked pink grapefruit, lemons or oranges. You just can not find that magic where we live.

Our youngest is currently into the Harry Potter Series and was delighted to bring home a new friend from Universal. I took my tea cup, saucer and tea pot with me of course. Some comforts of home, I wont leave without.

Some people love the magic of Disney but it has nothing on the Hogsmead area of Universal. No mouse could have moved my son the way the Harry Potter experience did. Magic in every step. We were enchanted.

Universal has something for everyone and this Witch approves.

Sadly Madam Puddifoot was out of Scones so her tea room was "closed" amazing display, beauty and magic in this very inspiring tea room.

I also managed to read 4 cozies on the trip. I will bring you reviews starting tomorrow. For now I am unpacking, doing laundry and catching up on more then 700 email!
Thank you for stopping by while I was away and I hope you do not mind indulging me with this look back at my Spring Break Trip!
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 18-25th

A very busy week has come to a close and I am pleased to have you join me here again for a cup of tea and catching up on the weeks events.

 This week I shared a few tea time crafts, cozy reviews and a personal poem I wrote and hope you enjoyed.

I am so thankful to Vicki Delany a very busy author who took the time to stop by and share about her exciting new release Elementary She Read.

This week I shared that I had finished the 5th book in the Coffee and Ghosts Series, Must Love Ghosts, what a great series this was. I am so glad I took a chance on it and purchased it!

I have been enjoying different teas all week and finding a few new treasures and experiencing new things for the last 7 days. I have much to tell you and share in the coming days and I thank you so much for joining me here today to see what has been on my table and in my cup this week. I hope you will check back in with me to learn more.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Hidden Treasure At The Cat Nip Hotel by Luna Snow

I read Hidden Treasure At The Cat Nip Hotel by Luna Snow and it left me with a wonderful warm and cozy feeling. This is a sweet cozy mystery short, reads easy and is a beautiful blend of romance and mystery but not at all typical. The romance is the mystery, tied up in a beautiful story. The only fault I could find with this book was two spelling errors 63% of the way through. I am in no way the grammar police and would not normally mention it but for some I think it may be a big deal. This book made me happy, gave me a warm feeling and the desire to read more. I would not hesitate to read another in this series. This book is 87 pages long and at the time or reading it it was a free amazon cozy. Click here for link to the book.

Bea Traverne, the famous author, recluse and cat lover has died, leaving her old and rambling house and contents to her great niece -Eleanor Hamilton. With five cats and an old mansion to look after Eleanor wonders what she should do, and finally decides to open a Cat Lovers Hotel. Bea has also left her great niece a draft of her final novel -yet to be published. When the strange Reginald Williams arrives and asks for a room in the hotel it is just the start of her adventure. The old eccentric man has a psychic gift and can hear the dearly departed Bea Traverne speaking to him from beyond the grave. What messages are the spirits sending? Is great aunt Bea's last book purely fiction and what exactly did happen to the Lost Blue Diamond of Jaipur? Not all is as it first appears in this cozy mystery full of intrigue, romance and of course cats!

Click here to learn more about this book and to down load it from Amazon.
Find out more about books by Luna Snow on Goodreads 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

Mrs.Bunny Rabbit Tea Cozy By J.J. Waugh A Free Cozy Knit Pattern

Today I am sharing the most wonderful Mrs. Bunny Rabbit Tea Cozy Pattern by J.J. Waugh, that can be found free on Ravelery.  With Easter coming up I wanted to share this with you so that of you were inclined you might wish to add this to your holiday tea table.

In addition to creating this wonderful pattern and sharing it free of charge J.J. Waugh also is doing something wonderful for the Terry Fox Foundation by encouraging others to pay it forward and donate through the Canada Helps.Org. The Terry Fox Foundation raises money for Cancer Research and is a charity personally I have supported for years. You can find out more about J.J. Waugh's fundraiser by clicking here.
To down load this pattern please click here

If you are talented with knitting needles and do make this would you please consider sharing your photo with me? Please feel free to email me at karenmowen@gmail.com. I am very much a beginner when it comes to knitting and I aspire to one day be talented enough to create this charming cozy.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy tea time craft. 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 Cozy Chat With Author Vicki Delany

Today I am thrilled to bring you an interview with author Vicki Delany about her newly released book Elementary She Read. This is the first in a new series that I was thrilled to get an ARC of and it was a story I really enjoyed.

KMOT: Thank you Vicki for joing us today.  When writing Elementary She Read what sustained you? Coffee, Tea or other?

              VD:  Good question!  Coffee, always coffee. I drink about six cups in the morning while I am working. That takes me about four hours.

KMOT: What inspired you to write this book?

               VD:  Initially I was thinking of a normal cozy book with an interesting bookshop as the setting.  I thought Sherlock Holmes would be fun.  By about page two, the main character, Gemma Doyle, took on Sherlock-like characteristics.  And she was set.

KMOT: The book and tea shop combination of Gemma and Jayne's is wonderful where do you draw inspiration for their relationship from?

                VD: They are very much Sherlock and Doctor Watson.  But that is how it evolved, not the original idea.  Jayne was intended to be just the usual best-friend character. As Gemma because more Sherlock, Jayne became more John Watson.  Ever confused but always loyal. And the person who keeps the protagonist grounded in the real world.

KMOT: The mysterious great uncle is such a wonderful character, I hope he will continue in this series for many years, what can we expect from Uncle Arthur in book two?

              VD:   Uncle Arthur is going to be one of those characters who is often mentioned but never seen.  Think Niles Crane’s wife in Fraser.   He will always be travelling the world someplace or other. However, quite a few early reviews said they were looking forward to meeting him, so I might have to rethink that.

KMOT: What would you like my readers to know about this new series?

                VD: That its intended to be nothing more than a fun read. I hope they get a chuckle and a lot of pleasure out of it.  The reader doesn’t have to be a Sherlock Holmes fan, if they aren’t they won’t miss anything, but I do drop some references from the Canon or the many off-shoots.  

To order your own copy of Elementary She Read from Amazon please click here.

You can connect with Vicki Delany (Also writing as Eva Gates) on Facebook by clicking here.
Learn about Vicki/Eva's books by clicking here for her Author Website.
Thank you Vicki for joining us here today and sharing about your new book! Thank you reader as well for joining us today for a cup of tea and a cozy chat. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Must Love Ghosts by Charity Tahmaseb

Must Love Ghosts is the 5th book in the Coffee and Ghosts Series by Charity Tahmaeb. I found this series a few weeks ago and I loved it. Book 5 was the perfect ending to a great 5 book cozy short series. The mystery, the relationships between the characters and the ghosts was truly special and does leave one with that delightful cozy feeling. Great paranormal series and one with many more books for me to buy, read and review. I am thrilled to have found this series and to be able to share my reviews with you. The length of these cozy shorts are perfect for that pot of tea on a rainy afternoon, lunch break and in the car between kids activities. This is a series I highly recommend.

Coffee & Ghosts is a cozy paranormal mystery/romance serial told over five episodes. Must Love Ghosts is episode five.

Katy Lindstrom knows not all problems—supernatural or otherwise—can be solved with a good cup of coffee. But it never hurts.

When the Ghost B Gone web show arrives in town, prepared to live-stream a ghost eviction on Halloween, Katy and Malcolm are on hand—just in case.

But the quirky, seemingly harmless show and its crew are a cover for something darker, something with a vendetta against Katy, something that demands a sacrifice. 

This time, Katy must uncover an ancient secret. This time, coffee alone won’t work. She will need to rely on unexpected and unpredictable allies. 

This time, she will need to trust what’s in her heart.


Click here to order your own copy of this book or series from Amazon.
Learn more about author Charity Thamaseb by clicking here.

Easter Tea Time Party Favor Idea From Sewcanshe.com

Today I wanted to share a sewing tutorial from sewcanshe.com that would be perfect on your Easter Tea Table! I love these little gift bags with ears! Think of how many super cute tea bags you could place in side and lay at your guests spot at the table!

or perhaps as a center piece with one for each of your guests filled with perhaps tea and Easter candy!
Click here to visit sewshecan.com and this free tutorial and pattern 

I hope you enjoyed today's tea time craft post. Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a tea time craft suggestion. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Nascar and Me by Karen M. Owen

It is Sunday and today I wanted to share something I wrote and a bit about myself. When people I meet find out about my favorite sport they almost always shake their head and the most common thing I hear them say is, "I just can't see that about you." It makes me smile to surprise people in this way and try to explain my love of Nascar.  I hope you will indulge me in reading the poem I wrote today. I promise to share about a cozy mystery series with Nascar references before I end today's post.

Nascar and Me

It's about family, grit and determination,

aerodynamics, science, team work.

It is about history and the future.

It is about engineering, marketing and coming together.

It is speed, it is sound, it is smell, it is taste and it is fun.

Heartbreaking, heart pounding, love, tires squealing, and over the wall.

 For me it is delight.

Safety, it is about drivers, fans and crew. 

All as one

This is my Nascar.

by Karen M. Owen 

I did not grow up a Nascar fan but I came to love Nascar when my boys were young. For the last 12 years Nascar has given me so many opportunities, a better understanding and a love of cars. It has let me dream, included me and welcomed me. I have been to several tracks, driven 9 hot laps, in Daytona and Las Vegas. I have muscle memory of each turn and when I watch the races of the tracks I have been, I feel connected.I have spent countless hours watching and learning.  No other sport captivates me the way Nascar does. I have been to 7 races. Each twist, turn and lap for me holds magic. No other sport lets you have access to their athletes from the drivers to the pit crew. No other sport works collectively as a community harder for Autism Awareness and support as NASCAR. Nascar has helped me through my journey with autism and helped me in so many more ways.

Today I feel truly blessed to share that love with you and today with my family.

Today the sacrifice and the struggles give way to science and speed. To dreams and realities. 

Carol J. Perry writes a wonderful paranormal series that is about a very strong woman who happens to be a NASCAR widow. This is a very endearing series and magical at that. To learn more about Carol J. Perry and her Witch City Mystery Series please click here.  Her newest book is out this August and I can not wait!

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and allowing me to share a bit about myself with you all today. 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 11th-18th

This week I have enjoyed sharing with you some of my favorite series paired with my favorite Green Cups for St. Patrick's day and some new reads as well. Sunday I shared with you Gone with the Twins by Kylie Logan, a good read for sure. With a Southern Twist and a mystery you will love this one is out now and one I recommend picking up.

Not to be missed and such a deal to have, Lorraine Bartlett has kindly put together some of her best work in a cozy sampler to savor! Click here to be directed to the Cozy Chicks Blog and get it free while you can! 

May Can not come fast enough for fans of the Tourist Trap Mystery Series. I could not believe my good luck to be able to read this so early! Mark your calendars for Lynn Cahoon's Hospitality and Homicide.

Book Four in the Coffee and Ghosts series on my table this week as well. I had the hardest time putting this book and series down. A great cozy short series!

Edited Out comes out in May and this was a book I really got into . This should be on your to be read list for sure!
Thank you 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

Happy St. Patrick's Day From My Table To Yours.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from my table to yours today. I thought I would share some of my favorite green tea cups and Irish based cozy mysteries with you today. The tea cup above is one my sister in law gave me after I found out about my heritage and I love this cup so much. With its delicate shamrocks and fluted edge this one is one of my most cherished in my collection. I actually use it quite often and not just at St. Patrick's Day.

Most recently I shared a non cozy but a great Irish book I ordered from The Book Depository. This has been a very cozy read, with recipes, lore and quotes that are calming and reassuring. A delight to have on my table. I am planing on ordering a few from this series and will share them with you as they arrive.  Click here if you would like to order this book with free shipping from The Book Depository. 

I loved pairing my cup with Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen, this one was set in Ireland and a wonderful read.

Carlene O'Cononor has a few books I loved Murder at an Irish Wedding is the newest of them and a read you wont want to put down!

This is another frequently used and much loved green set, from a friends Mother's collection, she kindly trusted this one into my care after her mother's passing. I do think of her when I use it. It is a Royal Stafford set with a blooming pink rose. 

Kathy Daley has a great read for St. Patrick's Day as well, Shamrock and Shenanigans was a fast and fantastic read.

Sheila Connolly has a wonderful Irish County Cork Mystery Series. I have read them all and anxiously await each of them. Buried in A Bog, jumped off the shelf at the library for me one day and it was one of my most favorite library discoveries. Libraries do sell book series, after reading this one I ordered the rest!

Thank you so much for joining me today for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery St. Patrick's day addition. May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be always at your back. From my table to yours this St. Patrick's Day.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com