Sunday, November 15, 2020

A Death Long Overdue by Eva Gates

 


I read, and loved A Death Long Overdue by Eva Gates. This series is set in a lighthouse library and has characters that I have come to love and feel like good friends. Through each book I feel more and more like a member of the community. I dove right in and could not put this one down. I loved the idea of the Librarians reunion and the "look back" at Library procedures over the years. I do remember joyfully filling out my card at the library as a child and still get excited at the site of the Vintage pocket and cards when I come across them at old book stores. 

If you are looking at a series that is full of fun, mystery, great books and a lovely sleuth then do check out Eva Gates Lighthouse Library Mystery Series.  



When her former director is found dead in the water, librarian Lucy Richardson will have to get to the bottom of the mystery before the killer ends her tale.

It's summertime in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Bertie James's college class is having their 40th anniversary reunion. The opening night reception is held at the Lighthouse Library and Lucy and her colleagues have assembled an exhibit of library artifacts showing how libraries have changed over the years. After the reception, some of the women take a walk down the boardwalk to the pier, using flashlights to illuminate the dark path, but what's scarier than the dark is finding the former director of the Lighthouse Library floating lifeless in the water.

Helena Sanchez, the former director, wasn't much loved and spent the party being rude to almost everyone there. As a result, Lucy finds herself in deep water as she rocks the boat, questioning several suspects. But she'll have to batten down the hatches and fast before she's left high and dry...and right in the killer's crosshairs.


You can find this one on Amazon by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy hear mystery. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Thursday, October 29, 2020

A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany

 

I was delighted to be treated to an advanced reading copy through Netgalley, of Vicki Delaney's January 2021 Release, A curious Incident. I love this series, this book for me was an especially great read and a nice distraction from the world. I loved being able to travel by book back to the spend time with Jayne and Gemma, and have no problems imagining being in the shop and the tea room, being part of this reluctant and nosy crime solving team. I very much enjoyed the interactions of the characters and the age difference between Jayne and 10 year old Lauren, the dynamic felt natural and was a nice side of character Jayne to see. I hope Lauren will be back in future stories. This was a great read and one I think you are going to love too, lots of good feels and I did not have it figured out until the big reveal! 



It's up to Gemma and Jayne to root out the killer in national bestselling author Vicki Delany's sixth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery when the winner of a garden tour trophy is left pushing up daisies.

"I am not a Consulting Detective," Gemma Doyle reluctantly tells 10-year-old Lauren Tierney, when the little girl comes to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium to beg Gemma to find her missing cat, Snowball. Gemma might not be able to follow the clues to find the cat, but her dog Violet follows her nose to locate the missing kitten in a neighbor's garden shed. Gemma and Violet proudly return Snowball to her grateful owner, and Gemma basks in praise for a job well done. But a few days later Lauren is back with ten dollars in hand, wanting to once again hire a consulting detective, and this time for a far bigger job: Her mother has been accused of murdering her garden club rival.
Sheila Tierney's garden, which everyone said was the one to beat for the West London Garden Club trophy, had been vandalized the night before the club's early summer tour. Sheila confronted her former friend and gardening partner Anna Wentworth in a towering rage, and the women nearly came to blows. Later that night, after having won the trophy for best garden, Anna is found murdered and Sheila Tierney is the police's prime suspect.
Despite herself, and despite the disapproval of her police detective boyfriend Ryan Ashburton, the game is once again afoot, and Gemma finds herself and Jayne Wilson using their powers of deduction to ponder yet another curious incident.


You can find it for pre order 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 

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Happy News to Share

 

I have happy news to share in a time where happy news is much needed. I am thrilled that even with all that is going on in the world, my plans for my Timeless Tea Trailer, are on track. As of yesterday I have received the official paper work and the last coat of primer is drying on the inside of the trailer, soon she will get her coat of paint. 


 Not the best photo of me, but hey its hot and I am happy. I did have a dream that all the primer was actually white glue and when I went back to the trailer it was all brown again. But thankfully that was just a dream!


The process is one of patience for sure, something this 30 minute crafter is not used too. 

I cannot wait to share the final photos, have tea and read in these beautiful space, oh and host tea parties, and open the shop. 
If you want to follow along on Instagram I am @timelessteatrailer also on Facebook by clicking here.


Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a look at how the tea trailer is coming along. 
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Monday, August 24, 2020

Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon

 

I was so thrilled to get an advanced reading copy of , Chili Cauldron Curse, the first in a new series by Lynn Cahoon that is so close to my heart. This is the first in her Kitchen Witch Series and I loved it. This is a Novella, not as long as a typical cozy but it was packed with every element I love.  

Growing up my mom had a Kitchen Witch that I was obsessed with, when I was 11 years old we moved and some how the kitchen witch was lost. I searched for years to find another on, especially after my mom died, I did manage to find one a few years ago in need of a bit of TLC, she now hangs in my kitchen and makes me smile every time I see her. The main character, Mia, also has a Kitchen Witch and it is implied that this special doll, will have a bigger role in coming additions. I also  love that the first book is centered around helping out at a food bank. Something I think we can all appreciate in these trying times, I also love that the local Witch Coven, seems to be a mostly a helpful addition to the area and not at odds with the "Muggles", so far anyway.  This was a great start to what I hope will be a long running series by a truly favorite author. 



New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon introduces a new heroine with her own special brand of culinary magic in this novella to introduce her Kitchen Witch series.
 
When Mia Malone’s grandmother asks her to take a week away from her restaurant job and come to Magic Springs, Idaho, she’s happy to oblige. Like Mia, Grans has witchcraft running through her veins, and life with her is never boring. Plus, the cause is a good one—helping Grans get the local food bank up and running again. But there’s an unappetizing surprise in store. While Mia is knee-deep in boxes of donated produce, she encounters the body of Dorian Alexander.
 
Dorian was a warlock, leader of the local coven. He was also her Grans’ new beau. There’s no potion that’ll make this trouble disappear. But if Mia wants to keep her Grans—now a prime suspect—from serving a spell in prison, she’ll have to unearth the real killer fast. . . .

This book is out August 25th, you can find it on Amazon by clicking here (I am not an amazon affiliate) 
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 

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'Connor

 Welcome back readers and I am again sorry for the delay in updating my blog. I have been busy working on my tea trailer yes, but I have also been having some trouble with my vision which has not allowed for me to read, thus prompting a visit to the eye doctor and now I have some follow up appointments, it seems that the major changes in my vision are due to the rather high prescription and require further follow up I have updated my glasses which I did not more than a year ago and the dramatic change has helped me so far to actually be able to seed the kindle to read. So with out further ado....

I was so excited to be approved for the advanced reading copy of Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'Connor, this series is a true favorite of mine and a blessing to read, when one is stuck where they are, unable to travel due to world events and looking for a wonderful escape for a few hours. On the hottest summer day here, I was transported to a cold and snowy, Irish village at Christmas time and it was a divine read. I love the main character so much and find her so relatable, as an orphan myself, from a large family it was an instant admiration for the sacrifices and struggles Siobhán O'Sullivan’s and her family face. 

This is the sixth book in the series and I have enjoyed each one but there is something special about this one that truly left a warm and cozy feeling in my heart. I hope that you will also enjoy the series and think about pre ordering Murder at an Irish Christmas, which is out this October. 


Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan’s holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies . . .
 
This December in Kilbane, if you’re planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi’s Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait—the entire O’Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James’s fiancée Elise’s family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam.
 
When the O’Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern—until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.
 
With the extended family—including Enda’s much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist—suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhán had better pick up the tempo—before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise . . .


This book is available for pre order 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 or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Murder In Wating by Lynn Cahoon

I am thrilled and most relieved to be writing about a book I just finished, Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon.  Relieved mostly because I lost my kindle for more than a month, finding it finally as it had fallen behind the book shelf and I was a day away from ordering a new one. I have to say in these trying times it is wonderful to have a series like The Tourist Trap Mystery Series to give some much needed relief and escape. A visit to South Cove was exactly what I needed to fores back into the land of reading. Not enough words to describe the delight of just how much Lynn's series has brought me over the years. I love being able to go back and "check in" with the characters, and find its like a welcome home.  In Murder in Waiting Lynn doesn't disappoint with twists I did not see coming and the most wonderful unexpected turn near the end. I love it, cozy, tidy, comforting and just plain fun!

In the latest Tourist Trap mystery from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Lynn Cahoon, bookshop café owner Jill Gardner contends with a best friend-turned-bridezilla while trying to solve a local historian’s untimely date with death . . . At Coffee, Books, & More, Jill’s the boss. But as Amy’s maid-of-honor, she can barely keep up with marching orders--and now she’s in charge of organizing an epic bachelorette! Adding to Jill’s party-planning panic, the South Cove Heritage Society just unceremoniously dumped her historic landmark bid. While vying proposals rush in from a loaded land developer and a pushy travel guide company, Jill finds an unexpected ally in Heritage Society expert, Frank Gleason. But their happy union is cut short when Frank is mowed down in a suspicious hit-and-run. With Amy’s big day on the horizon, Jill vows to catch the killer before she has to catch a bouquet.

Murder in Waiting came out June 30th! Click here for the Amazon listing. 
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

Saturday, July 11, 2020

What I have been working on...

Hello dear readers, I have been absent working on my tea trailer and hope you will indulge me for today's post. I had my trailer professionally painted and got her back on July 1st.  She went from Hunter green, to sparkling red, a thin line of robins egg blue and white on top. I was so excited to get her back after ten days in the shop.
The Wet West Coast, has lived up to it's reputation this summer but even in the rain I think she is a beauty!
July 4th, I invited the design team for a trial run of our tea and craft party, something I hope to incorporate with our mobile tea room, our trial run was a great success.
I have so many ideas and projects to do before we can get her up and running for local events and parties, but so far everything is coming along beautifully.  A good time, great treats, tea and the promise of a better tomorrow has been helping me get through these trying times. I truly wish I could bring our Timeless Tea Trailer to you, and we could sit and chat, craft and read.

Thank you for allowing me to share this journey with all of you. I hope to have more updates, crafts, tea times and book reviews for you soon.
I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

A Design to Die For Party and You are Invited!

I am really excited to be hosting a virtual party all day long On Thursday July 2nd on my Beyond The Bookmarks Facebook Page, in celebration of Kathleen Bridge's Newest book in the Hamptons Home and Garden Series.
 Discerning cozy mystery fans who delight in well-developed characters, rich detail, and a smart plotline will find that Kathleen Bridge’s A Design to Die For is their cup of tea!” —Ellery Adams, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Montauk’s first annual Designer Showhouse was meant to be a collaborative event, so decorator Meg Barrett can only despair at the group of cutthroat designers scheming to sabotage each other on the project, not to mention the oddball collection of ghost hunters slinking around to investigate a supposedly haunted cottage. But when one of the owners of the showhouse is found murdered on the rocky beach below, Meg suddenly finds herself clashing with local police because of evidence that points to her as a prime suspect.

Desperate to clear her name and track down the real culprit, Meg discovers that many of her fellow designers despised the victim for his unscrupulous business dealings, while others were speculating about his extramarital affairs. And as more secrets emerge about both the deceased and the many outsiders who have come together for the showhouse, Meg realizes she’ll have to decipher a murky pattern of clues to escape the killer’s deadly designs on her . . .

Includes scrumptious recipes and vintage decorating tips!

Just like in the series the Facebook party, will have recipes, design tips, crafts and so much more. Posts will be happening often and you can check out throughout the day to help us celebrate this fun series. I hope you will join us on the Beyond The Bookmarks Page by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining me here today for this fun announcement and I look forward to seeing you on Facebook! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Monday, June 29, 2020

Cherry Cobbler From Back Yard to Table

For the last week I have been watching the tree in the yard produce the most plump, sour cherries and I simply could not resist picking a few from the yard to make some Cherry Cobbler for my afternoon tea. It is recipes like this one that make me miss my dad so very much, I know he would have loved this in his hay day. The tart cherries, made the most delicious cobbler and while I could not share it with him, I did take one of the pans to my upstairs neighbor.
I harvested only the ripe ones and only about 1/3 of the tree. I washed &pulled out the pits, and then made a simple syrup with water and sugar, and placed the cherries in the pan to boil and reduce in the syrup for about 5 mins.

I assembled the other ingredients and in under an hour, the most fragrant and bubbly cherry goodness came out of my oven, mind the mess I think tomorrow will be the clean out the oven day...

Here is the recipe if you would like to try to make your own. It can also be easily done with a tin of fruit.


Fruit Cobbler
Preheat the oven to 350
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 tsp of baking powder
1 can of fruit or Two cups of fresh fruit brought to a boil in one cup of simple syrup

In your baking dish melt the butter. While it is melting place your flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl and mix well. Add your vanilla to your milk and add that to the flour mixture stir until incorporated and pour the batter into the pan over the melted butter. Top with the fruit in the syrup if you are using fresh, or the entire can including the juice over the cake mixture. DO NOT STIR.
Place in the oven and bake for about 50 mins or until golden brown and butter bubbling. Serve it with ice cream if you wish, whip cream or on it's own.
Thank you for joining me for a tea time recipe today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Up Date on My Tea Trailer

For those of you who are new here, due to Covid-19 I lost my job, which was in a tea shop, and which I loved. On the day I lost my job, I purchased this 12 foot 1964 Vanguard Trailer. Putting in motion my long had plans of turning it into a mobile tea shop and tea room. I have put years of imagination into making this dream become a reality and while acquiring the trailer was only one part of the plan, phase two has already begun.
I will be changing her colors completely and this is the red I selected for the bottom. A friend commented on the name as "redo20" as in "redo 2020" I think many of us would love a do over. But while I anxiously await her makeover from the shop. Behind the scenes have been even busier.
There were uniforms to consider and purchase....
A young and enthusiastic design team, who came up with the name and the logo, hand drawing then making a computer rendering, and sending me messages with their hard work, which I fell in love with and set out to create the merchandise and uniform tops to compliment the bottoms.
 The test kitchen has been in full swing as well, trying out recipes and menu planing...
Taking advantage of the fruits of the season being available to us we tried out strawberry shortcakes...
and now we wait for the paperwork, the painting, the fun that stands to come, from our Timeless Tea Trailer.
Thank you for joining us for a cup of tea and an update on the tea trailer. We hope to share more goodnews with you again soon.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

Earlier this week the tea shop I used to work at pre covid-19 re opened without me. While the parting has been a bit of a sad one, It did mean that the mail that had been stopped do to the shop shutting down, made its way to me. Among the packages was the book A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan, which was a birthday gift sent to me by my friend Lin.  From the moment I held this book in my hands I was sure it was going to be a special one. Once I started it I hated to put it down. Reading well into the morning hours, far past my bedtime, page after page, devouring a story that I felt so strongly contacted too, one I craved to know more about. This is a book of historical fiction, or at least that is what the author claims, but with such realistic and relatable characters, vivid settings and events that make you feel like you are a part of the story not just reading it, this was a truly special book.

It follows the lives of the Orchard sisters, from the time of their powerful and great Grand-mere Ursule and the five generations that follow from the early 1800's to post world war 2. It is rich in content, vivid in imagination and a book I never wanted to end.
This book came out in 2017 and was the perfect book for me during this covid-19 times. It touches on the hardships we all face in circumstances we cannot control and is a true story of survival, perseverance and hope.  I absolutely loved it.



A sweeping historical saga that traces five generations of fiercely powerful mothers and daughters -- witches whose magical inheritance is both a dangerous threat and an extraordinary gift.
Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mère Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.
Even so, the Orchires fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew.
The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.
But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever - not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.


You can find it on Amazon ( I am not an affiliate) by clicking here. 

I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Monday, June 22, 2020

A Cup of Tea, An Accident and A Great Centerpiece...

“She is a beautiful piece of broken pottery, put back together by her own hands, and a critical world judges her cracks while missing the beauty of how she made herself whole again.”
-JM Storm 

My tea photo from this morning,  American Beauty is the pattern name, and I bought the mug at a thrift store, brought it home, washed it and then it broke, such a pretty pattern I wanted to do something with it so I decided to make a small center piece planter bowl for my table. This weekend I also found the tray that the scone is on, paying $4.99 for it. I do love how it looks together. 
I thought I would share with you how I made it, on the off chance you might wish to make one too. 
I used stones and the planter tin from Michael's the Craft Store and they were on sale for 60% off, craft foam from the dollar store, along with a succulent (also from the dollar store, my green thumb doesn't work indoors), paper, jute rope and a bit of hot glue. 
I lay the foam down and pressed the broken cup into it. I then pressed the succulent in the cup to see how to arrange it.
I wanted to put the cup towards the bottom of the planter edge, 
I then removed the cup and foam and added just some craft paper, as the plant is fake I wanted to add something on the bottom so I did not use up all the rocks.
 I then put the cup and succulent on the paper and poured the rocks around it. Hiding the craft foam as I went.
My helpful crafting companion...

Lastly I added the jute cord around the planter and glued the bow into place and then on the backside I added another dab of glue to hold the cord in place. 

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

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Fathers Day and A Few Cups Of Tea


Today is Fathers day and the second for me with out my dad. I expected things to be a bit easier and I think in some ways they are now that the day is here but the reality is the last two weeks with the emails and adverts for fathers day did make me have feelings of frustration, anger and sadness.
For my sons fathers, I helped them make a shirt for their dad and the are spending the weekend at his place.


Personally though, I still cant seem to bring myself to visit my parents memorial site, or my brothers, for me I know they are not there and I don't feel pulled to go visit, I feel guilty about that but perhaps I am just not ready.

The week has pretty much gotten away from me as school wraps up for the boys. I have not done much reading, crafting or baking. Just been in survival mode.

I have plans and exciting news though on the Vintage Trailer I am working on though, she goes for her make over paint job this week and I am so excited. I promise and update with photos soon.

Thank you all for hanging in there, for talking a pause when you need it, by allowing me to share my  journey with all of you and for joining me here for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery.