The Amigos Holiday Hiatus

Good morning! Our Amigos have all decided that collectively we will take a group Hiatus from coordinating our posts until the Spring. This way we can all spend the holidays focusing on finding wonderful books to review for you all in the Spring additions of our Amigos tours. We are all still writing, reading and reviewing but we are taking a short hiatus from our group blogging efforts this upcoming holiday season. Karen K and I will continue to post together occasionally as our Double Doubles have been well received and each of the Amigos will continue to write and publish as well.

I am committed to daily posts as usual and look forward to sharing them with all of you. So please do feel welcome to join me here daily!

You can catch up with Lisa as well on her blog by clicking here. 

Sheryl over at Booth Talks Books by clicking here

and Mary on her blog MJBreviewers by clicking here.
We invite you to continue celebrating our love of reading, cozy mysteries and each other by visiting our blogs and leaving us comments and messages letting us know how you are doing!

We all wish you a very safe and happy holiday season and look forward to still spending time with you daily. We hope to return on our blog tours together in 2018 and hope you will welcome us all back!

Thank you for joining us here today and for all your support of our Amigos blog tours!

We would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment below. Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery announcement today. Now back to reading!

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!

Five Amigos Fall-O-Ween Fun Week 4

Week four in out Five Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Halloween series and all the little chocolate bars I bought for Halloween have disappeared! Quite a mystery on my hands here at home, (though I may be a tad to blame for this problem) This week I will jump in with the first of thise weeks Double Double. ...

My choice this week is Kathy Aarons Behind Chocolate Bars. I loved the cover and the Chocolate Covered Mystery series is a good one! This is book number two I think in the series and a scarier than normal cozy, well for me anyway, but a good one!

The national bestselling author of Truffled to Death returns with a mystery full of tricks and treats... DOUBLE, DOUBLE-BOIL, AND TROUBLE... Best friends and business partners Michelle and Erica have a monstrous to-do list as they prepare for the annual West Riverdale Halloween Festival. Their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, will have a booth at the event, where Michelle will serve spooky delights while Erica displays an assortment of spine-chilling books. Thank goodness the teenagers from Erica's comic-book club are chipping in to help. But one of their volunteers winds up in trouble after a woman's body is found in an abandoned house--with the teen's superhero key ring close by. The teen swears he didn't do it, but he's obviously hiding something--leaving Michelle and Erica with a witch's cauldron of questions. Soon they discover that the dead woman was tricking a whole bunch of people out of more than just treats. Now these two friends must go door-to-door if they hope to unmask a killer... Includes Scrumptious Chocolate-Making Recipes!

Karen K has selected for you this week is Defending The Dead by Sheila Connolly. 
"This book in the series includes a historical time period that lends itself to Abby's unique gift. Descriptive and enthralling."

Abby Kimball has slowly accepted her recently discovered ability to see the dead, but none of the harmless sightings she’s experienced could have prepared her for the startling apparition of a centuries-old courtroom scene—where she locks eyes with a wicked and gleeful accuser. Thrown back more than three hundred years, Abby realizes she’s been plunged into a mystery that has fascinated people throughout American history: the Salem witch trials.

With her boyfriend Ned at her side, Abby digs into the history of the events, researching the people and possible causes of that terrible time and her own connection to them—all the while going more deeply into her connection to Ned, both extraordinary and romantic. 

As Abby witnesses more fragments from the events in Salem and struggles with the question of how such a nightmare could have come about, she’s suddenly confronted with a pressing personal question: Were one or more of her ancestors among the accused? Unraveling the puzzling clues behind that question just might give Abby and Ned the answer to a very modern mystery of their own.

Thank you Karen K, I have not read this one myself adding to my list....
Okay and now for what our Amigos have for you,

Click here to see Sheryl's pick at Booth Talks Books 

visit Mary at MJBreviewers Blog by clicking here. 

Run on over to Lisa's blog Lisa K Book Reviews by clicking here. 

We all love hearing from you and we invite you to leave us a comment below and on our Amigos pages!
Thank you for joining us for a cup of tea and this weeks cozy mystery selections!
We can not wait for next Monday!

FIve Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Halloween Week 3

Week three and half way through October, how fast the time goes! Today we are sharing our third week of cozy mysteries that are either Halloween based or Paranormal.  Karen K is up first today for this weeks double double.

Karen's choice is By Familiar Means by Delia James 

"I loved this second book in the series with the wonderful addition of Annabelle's grandmother. I enjoyed the continuation of her journey of understanding her gift, with the aid of new found friends, along with a top notch whodunit to solve as well!

"

In the latest from the author of A Familiar Tail, a witch and her familiar find trouble brewing at a coffee house. After discovering her mystical heritage--and being adopted by furry feline familiar Alistair--artist Annabelle Britton has decided to make picturesque Portsmouth, New Hampshire, her new home. Now, she can take the time to figure out her new abilities and welcome her grandmother, who is visiting Portsmouth, and her old coven, for the first time in thirty years. But being a witch doesn't magically put money in the bank. When she's hired to paint the murals for a new coffee house, it seems like a wish come true. But then a series of spooky sounds and strange happenings convince the owners that their new shop is haunted. They want Anna and her coven to evict the restless spirit before the grand opening. Annabelle is certain the haunted happenings at the shop are just hocus pocus. But when her search reveals hidden smugglers' tunnels beneath the shop--and a dead body--Annabelle, Alastair, and the coven suddenly find themselves in a cat and mouse game with a killer...

Now for my choice! One of my most favorite series is from an author called Madelyn Alt. This is an old but wonderful cozy mystery series and the first book is The Trouble With Magic. This is one of the first witchy cozy mysteries I ever read and I bought the entire series.

Antiques-shop clerk Maggie O'Neill was a little weirded out when she discovered her new boss Felicity was a witch. But when Felicity becomes the suspect in a local murder, Maggie must enlist Felicity's wiccan friends for help--and discover her own spellbinding talent.

Now to see what our Amigos chose this week...

Click here for Sheryl at Booth Talks Books 

Click here Mary's for mjbreviewrs

and here for Lisa K's pick on Lisa K's Book Reviews. 

We are so thrilled you have joined us today and we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here and then visit our Amigos and let them know what you think of their choices this week. 

We thank you for joining us for a cup of tea and this weeks Fall-O-ween Fun picks.

Week 1 of our Five Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Halloween Addition!

Today is the start of our Halloween Fall-o-Ween Fun and Karen K and I have some of our most favorite Halloween Themed or Paranormal Cozies to share with you.

I will go first this week and my selection is Krista Davis' The Diva Haunts the House. This was the first Diva book I ever read, found it spinning the racks at the library and from the first page I was hooked, now a Krista Davis fan for life! I ended up buying the entire series from The Book Depository as it has FREE worldwide shipping you can find it online by clicking here. 

In the fifth mystery in the New York Times bestsellingDomestic Diva series, Sophie Winston is getting into the Halloween spirit, but someone else is intent on mischief... Sophie's decorations for a community haunted house are so good, it s scary. Not to be outdone, rival domestic diva Natasha is throwing a spooktacular Halloween party at her house. But when Sophie arrives, she discovers one of Natasha s guests dead in a hair-raising Halloween display, and a pale, fanged partygoer fleeing the scene. The cause of death is not immediately apparent, but the victim does have two puncture wounds on his neck. While Sophie s boyfriend, homicide detective Wolf, investigates, rumors start flying faster than witches on broomsticks. Could the killer be a real vampire the same one rumored to have lived in Sophie s haunted house back when it was a boardinghouse? Good thing a domestic diva never runs out of garlic... Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!"

Karen K's choice is Leigh Perry's The Skeleton Haunts A House

"Hallowe'en lends itself nicely to this unique series. I adore the character of Sid and this book is one of my favourites in the series. "

Sid the Skeleton bones up on clues to solve a Haunted House homicide in this mystery from the author of The Skeleton Takes a Bow What holiday could bring more warmth to a skeleton s chest cavity than Halloween? And when you re a living skeleton who s not supposed to be seen outside the house, it s a welcome chance to get some fresh air and rub bony elbows with people. That s why Sid doesn t mind wearing a full-body dog suit and going as Scooby-Doo along with Georgia Thackery s Velma to the Halloween Howl. Sid can t wait to go through the Haunted House but he gets rattled for real when a genuine dead body is discovered. Trapped inside as the police quickly seal off the crime scene, Sid makes no bones about dropping the dog suit and posing as an actual skeleton. This murder is a skull-scratcher, but as long as Sid is on the inside, he might as well case the joint to figure out who used the cover of darkness to commit the perfect crime "

We are so glad you are joining us here Mondays! Now let's see what our Amigos have for us!

Check out what Sheryl has happening over at Booth Talks Books!

See what  Mary over at MJBreviewers has picked by clicking here

See what Lisa has picked for you over at Lisa K's Book Reviews by clicking here. 

We all love hearing from you and we invite you to leave us each comments below and on each others pages! Thank you for joining us today for a cup of tea and a look at our Fall-O-Ween Halloween picks!

Five Amigos Fall-O-ween Fun Week 4

We can not believe it is already September 25th! The last four weeks went by so quickly! Today we share the last of our fall picks, but don't worry next week we switch over to more Halloween themed cozies, with a few good fall ones thrown in there too! For our Double Double this week I get to go first!

Shameless I know but my choice is The Grim Steeper! Written by my friend Amanda Copper (Victoria Hamilton) and with a little something I wrote at the end, this book is right up my alley! I loved this series so much and hope that one day it will continue again! Just look at this over, I could move right in! This is book 3 in the series and one I think every tea lover should have to read and put on their shelves! 

Mid-October in the charming Finger Lakes town of Gracious Grove means it’s time for the annual Fall Fling Townwide Tea Party. The highlight of the festivities is a roaming tea-tasting, which includes a stop at Auntie Rose’s Victorian Tea House. Sophie Taylor would like to share her enjoyment of the event with her sort-of boyfriend, English teacher Jason Murphy, but Jason’s dean has accused him of falsifying grades to help an athlete at the local college. Steamed and stressed, Jason shows up the night of the party with bags under his eyes. But the dean shows up under Sophie’s Japanese Maple later that night, murdered, and now Jason is suspected of far worse than fudging grade reports. It’s up to Sophie, her Nana, and their friends the Silver Spouts to pore over the clues to find out who really decided to teach the dean a lesson.

You can find A Grim Steeper on Amazon by clicking here.

Karen K has selected one I did not even know about! 

September mourn by Mary Daheim...

"This series has been a favourite of mine. The characters of Judith and her cousin Renie are a real delight. I especially love the character of Judith's quirky mother. This is a long running series and is definitely a treat."

Fall has fallen upon Judith McMonigle Flynn, leaving her Hillside Manor nearly devoid of guests. And what better cure for the off-season blahs than a brief bout of B&B sifting for a friend amid the quiet rustic splendor of secluded Chavez Island? Judith and cousin Renie both are more than ready for some relaxation. But their peace goes to pieces when Renie conks an odious interloping blowhard on the noggin with a heavy china dish-and, moments later, the woozy lout takes a fatal tumble down an inconvenient staircase. Judith suspects that death by dinnerware was not the real cause of this fellow's demise. But to prove her cantankerous cuz innocent, she'll have to uncover the real killer from among the motley island crew. And that could pile a lot more nastiness on Judith's plate than the harried bed-and-breakfast hostess can consume in one sitting!

You can find it on Amazon, like I am going to by clicking here.

Check in with Mary to see her pick from today by clicking here.

See what Lisa has up her sleeve by clicking here.

Wondering what Sheryl has for you? Click here...

we are so happy to have had you join us this month for all our fall favorites! Be sure to check in with us next week as we move to our Halloween favorites! 

We love having you join us here so please leave us a comment below or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com