On My Table and In My Cup July 1-8th

Another week has flown by in the blink of an eye. I am more busy now than ever before and I am so thankful for the time to do what I do! I get up much earlier then my family so that I may have time to share my passion for reading and enjoy a pot of tea or two before my full day of work begins. Dragging myself to bed when the sun is still high in the sky and the boys are unwilling to drift off to sleep makes for long days but I love it.  This weekend i am starting to read Kate Kingsbury's Doom with a View, this one is out in several weeks time and one I have been looking forward to reading. With summer, ghost stories go hand in hand. 

I announced earlier this week a collaborative project with author Jayne Barnard! I am so excited about this cup coming Facebook event and I have so many fun things planned to share during the party. I would be so honored to have you join us for a few hours on Wednesday July 26th. The Maddie Hatter series is one I discovered in May with the purchase of my first book in the series, and I just finished book two (will be sharing the review tomorrow) and it is a series I am so excited about. I am dreaming of clockwork birds, chickens and zeppelins! My creative brain has been spinning and I have some fun crafts to share. If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or special friend of a young reader (I am 42 and this series I personally love) I recommend the adventure mystery series of Maddie Hatter !

I have exciting crafts, fun facts, prizes and more to share at the party don't miss it!

Paranormal cozy mysteries have a special place in my heart as many of you know. I read Ghost of a Chance by Cate Dean this week and absolutely loved it, it was exactly the story I needed at the time and lovely as well as light. I could love to read the series!

Out of my comfort zone I read a suspense thriller that is up coming by Kathleen Valenti, this one is a very good mystery and will keep you on the edge of your seat, not a cozy to be sure but it does have a happy ending.

Sunday I reviewed Cat About Town by Cate Conte, this one is out in September and has a lovely feel to it, a great cat, small town and new business, this is a series I hope that will be long running, who doesn't love a cat cafe? 

I also shared a bit on Monday in our Three Amigos Book Club post my choice for this weeks book or series and I chose Janice J. Richardson's series. Set in Niagara Falls and centered around a funeral home, this series amazed me with how calm and serene I felt while reading it even though the trauma of death and funerals is something that I struggle with, I came away from reading both books with an undeniable sense of comfort. I hope you will too!

I discovered something I had no idea about when I was picking up my supply of Murchie's tea this week, they offer something called Purple Majesty, a PURPLE TEA that steeps purple! I must get this tea to try! It is a rare one but stay tuned as I give this one a try! 

Click here to learn more about this tea and how to order it from Murchie's!

A special thank you to Author Laura Bradford for spending some time with us yesterday, I am quite honored she could spend some time with us this week during her busy tour! 

Below is my Friday Spotlight Youtube video, I would love to have you pop over and watch under a minute! I have 9 subscribers and would love to make it a dozen as I build my new channel and step out of my comfort zone of being on camera!

Thank you all for joining me here this week for  a look back at what I have had on my table this week!

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

Protocol By Kathleen Valenti

I was sent Protocol by Kathleen Valenti to read and review. Protocol is definitely not a cozy mystery more of a suspenseful thriller but with a happy ending. It is fast paced and full of surprises. It is an erie conspiracy thriller with a scientific edge. Good friends and a dream job do not always end up with happy endings, this book is sophisticated and will keep you on the edge of your chair.

Freshly minted college graduate Maggie O’Malley embarks on a career fueled by professional ambition and a desire to escape the past. As a pharmaceutical researcher, she’s determined to save lives from the shelter of her lab. But on her very first day she’s pulled into a world of uncertainty. Reminders appear on her phone for meetings she’s never scheduled with people she’s never met. People who end up dead. 

With help from her best friend, Maggie discovers the victims on her phone are connected to each other and her new employer. She soon unearths a treacherous plot that threatens her mission—and her life. Maggie must unlock deadly secrets to stop horrific abuses of power before death comes calling for her.

This book is out September 5th by Henery Press you can pre order it now on Amazon by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me here for a cup of tea and a suspenseful thriller 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 June 24th To July 1st Happy Canada Day From My Table To Yours!

Happy Canada Day! Today is Canada's 150th Celebration and we are starting our day early with a parade and then a large BBQ with family and dear friends. July 1st is not only the day Canadians celebrate Canada's Birthday it is also the day I moved to the province I live in now, actually I moved here 40 years ago today!

On my table this week I have had some lovely reads and in my cup today I have a special blend from Murchie's Tea to celebrate Canada's 150th. It is a blend of black and green tea with a hint of maple. It is a lovely blend I hope they keep in stock for years to come.

I will start the book part of my post by talking about the Summer Whodunnit Mystery Set of 6 Cozy Mysteries I bought on Amazon this week. Only two of the authors are known to me and I love discovering a great new author, book and series.

Reading Cate Conte's Cat About Town a new series and one I hope to share the review of tomorrow. I like a good mystery with a great cat and this book is shaping up to be just that!

Body on Baker Street by Vicki Delany is one I very much enjoyed, this one is out in September and is the second in the series.

I had Even Witches Get The Blues on my table this week a light paranormal fantasy story I found on Facebook and downloaded from Amazon.

Toast and Jam! This is the cookbook of the year for me, it would be hard to wow me with a better book at this point. I liked it so much I have ordered a copy for myself to have, hold, keep and make! There is a peach and green tea spread I am looking very much forward too along with so many more. I have already begun to hoard jars.

Sunday I shared Canadian Author Judy Volhart and her second in series Ice Whine and Irish Cheddar, this is the perfect book to read in the hot summer! It is out now and should go on your summer reading list for sure!

Also arrived but I have not yet started is a book by Kathleen Valenti! I will share more on this in the coming weeks!

Monday was the second week in our Three Amigos Summer Reading Club and we are all hoping you enjoyed our weekly suggested books and I am looking forward to sharing our next selections with you on Monday. We all love hearing from you so please leave us a comment below our posts, share them on social media and with all your friends.

Thank you for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery week in review. I wish you and yours a very happy and safe Holiday weekend.
I too would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com