A Cup Of Tea, An Anticipated Cozy Mystery And A Soup Recipe

After a few days straight of rain here Saturday I broke out the soup pot. I have Pumpkin on the mind as one does this time of year and as my Uncle was in town visiting us I made him my Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake, that left me with 14 ounces of Pumpkin to use, so I decided to make it into a rather tasty soup.

Karen's Pumpkin, Black Bean and Bacon Soup
To make your own you will need:
-14 ounce can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
-4 cups of Chicken Stock
-1 14 ounce can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
-1 medium onion chopped
-4-6 pieces of bacon, rough chopped and rendered
-1 table spoon minced garlic
-1 1/2 tea spoon of Cajun Seasoning Mic ( I used King of the Cajun Louisiana Mix)
-Salt and Pepper to taste

Method: Heat a cast iron fry pan over medium heat and add your chopped bacon, render it slowly until crisp, remove the bacon from the pan and drain, reserve the drippings.
Add one medium chopped onion to the pan and 1 tablespoon of the drippings, saute until the onions are translucent. Add your garlic and continue cooking for one minute.
In a dutch oven or large soup pot place your pumpkin and chicken stock. Wisk them together and bring them up to a simmer, add your onions, bacon and the can of rinsed black beans. Add your seasoning, stir and bring up to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning if you would like. If you find it too flavorful add some sour cream, if not add more seasoning.
Serve with cornbread, a cup of tea and a fall themed cozy mystery.

Click here to learn more about Kathi Daley and her Pumpkins In Paradise Mystery 
Enjoy!
Thank you for joining me for  a cup of tea and a cozy soup recipe today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Fatal Twist Of Lemon By Patrice Greenwood

Friday night I finished A Fatal Twist of Lemon by Patrice Greenwood. I feel like this series was written just for me. I am seriously in awe of the way Patrice Greenwood wrote this mystery and this series is now very dear to my heart. I did not willingly put this book down. I felt so involved, so invested in this tea room, the mystery and the characters so rich and diverse! An old Victorian, A Haunted Tea Room, an unexpected murder, recipes that feel like they jump off the page and right into your stomach. Yes this is a series for me. If you are a tea and cozy mystery lover you should have this book and series on your table and in your heart.


"Cops drink coffee." They don't belong in Ellen Rosings's Victorian tearoom. But when her opening day thank-you tea ends in the murder of the president of the Santa Fe Preservation Trust, the police invade her haven. Enter Detective Tony Aragon: attractive and unsympathetic, with a chip on his shoulder that goes beyond the murder investigation, and Ellen's delicate bone china cup is full. Is the murderer one of her honored guests, or the ghost rumored to haunt the building? Will Ellen solve the mystery, or will the Wisteria Tearoom's premiere turn out to be its - and Ellen's - finale?

To order your own copy of A Fatal Twist of Lemon by Patrice Greenwood from The Book Depository With Free Shipping Please Click here.
From Amazon please click here. 
To learn more about the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery Series by Patrice Greenwood 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

Tea and Craft Gossip Coasters I Hope You Will Love

I subscribe to a wonderful website called craftgossip.com that keeps me in the crafty know and I really loved this idea! I like the idea of upcycled crafts, using things you have to create new items and creating something out of nothing. These fun coasters caught my eye and I hope that some of you might like them as well. They are so simple so brilliant and have really spoken to me! So if you would like to try your hand at making these for your own home or as a gift, click here for the link to the tutorial I found on craftgossip.com  the tutorial is by Sarah of Sadie Seasongoods and this is the link to her tutorial

If I was to pair a tea to go with these handmade coasters I would choose Murchies Baker Street Blend. This smokey and strong tea, is inspired by a very famous detective and some how the tweed, tea and mystery would pair ever so nicely here don't you think?

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

Jean Flowers Cancelled by Murder

Last Monday I read Cancelled by Murder by Jean Flowers. I selected this September 6th Release because of the cover first and the series name second. I love the idea of the main character Cassie who is Postmistress of her tiny town. I have always loved getting mail. I always wished I had something just for me in the mail box growing up and of all the job Sesame Street taught me that there were in my neighborhood I always thought that the Mailman or Mail-person job was the the best! I settled into read last night and was very quickly pulled into the storm that was brewing and the mystery that unfolded in North Ashcot, Massachusetts! I loved the relationship between Cassie and Sunni the chief of police. Having two strong women in such prominent rolls in the community really appeals to me and this series is one I hope will continue for a long time. This is book two so I simply must go back and read book one! The cover is great and I loved the little postage stamp boarder around the chapter numbers. Lots to love int his book!

Cassie Miller returned to her sleepy hometown in the Berkshires to start over as the new postmistress. But she soon finds that dead letters are nothing compared to murder victims...With a massive storm about to hit North Ashcot, Massachusetts, threatening floods and widespread wind damage, Cassie is forced to close up the post office along with the rest of the local business owners and residents, who are battening down the hatches and bracing themselves for the worst. Although the storm proves not to be as bad as predicted, fabric shop owner Daisy Harmon is found dead, seemingly killed by a fallen branch. But the police quickly determine that her death had nothing to do with foul weather and everything to do with foul play. After Daisy’s widowed husband approaches her to help solve his wife’s murder, Cassie vows to find the killer before another innocent victim is taken by storm.

To order your own copy of Cancelled by Murder from Amazon please click here.
From The Book Depository with free shipping world wide by clicking here.
To learn more about Jean Flowers 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

On My Table and In My Cup August 27th to September 3rd

I am not sure where the week went, so busy and fast but here we are on the first Saturday of September, yard sales behind us and hockey practices to come. Transition from summer to fall, my kids are starting school next week here and that roller coaster to Christmas truly begins.

Last Saturday night I spent some wonderful moments finishing Cheddar Off Dead by Julia Buckley, a great feel good cozy and it was great to be transported on that hot August night to the crisp and sparkly winter setting. 

The cover of this book is simply divine, Whispers Beyond the Veil, a tale of making your way in the late 1880's a very interesting read.

Such a treat to have Lynn Cahoon stop by this week and share about her new series with the introduction of A Story To Kill. 

Sunday night I read Betting Off Dead, Witches, horses and a really great car, now that is my kind of mystery!

I have not started A Charming Voodoo but I am so looking forward to reading this one, I adore this series.

I loved this mystery by Jean Flowers and hope you will too, my review will be posted shortly. This was a fun one!

Also on my table and quickly in my heart is book two in the Delia James Mystery By Familiar Means. Great book!

Peg Cochran's No Farm, No Foul also made it to my table this week, review to follow on the 20th of this month.

15th book in the series on my table Thursday, I was about to start it when....

Fate intervened and Fatal Twist of Lemon was delivered to my door. What an absolutely stunning cover and story I can not wait to tell you about! 

Thank you so much 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 

Betting Off Dead by Tonya Kappes

Sunday night with calming tea in hand I read Tonya Kappe's Betting Off Dead, the second in the Spies and Spells Myster series. I very much enjoy cozy mysteries that feature witches and I loved this one because it centers around a family of Witches and Southern Witches at that! 

The theme of fulfilling ones life purpose and answering a true calling really spoke to me. In everyday Witch stories Witches usually have a familiar and this series takes the traditional familiar and supercharges it to a shiny red sports car! No offence to my cat but a car as a familiar now that is fantastic! It totally works and this series in one to watch!

Betting Off Dead And they're off! Gambling on horse racing is Kentucky's number one sport but when Kentucky Derby Thoroughbred picked to win the Derby, Rails and Nails, ends up poisoned, SKUL special agent Mick Jasper and rookie witch Maggie Park, who keeps her witch powers a secret, are called in to investigate a world of illegal gambling where a run for the roses can prove to be deadly.

I loved the way I felt at the end of this cozy and that I could not put it down! You can learn more about this series and Tonya Kappes by clicking here. 

You can order your own copy of Betting Off Dead from Amazon by clicking here. I would love to hear what you think of this series so please do leave me a comment below. 

Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. 

A Cup Of Tea and A Visit With Lynn Cahoon And Her New Book A Story To Kill

Today I am so thrilled to have Author Lynn Cahoon join us to talk a bit about her new book A Story To Kill!

KMOT: While writing A Story To Kill, what sustained you? Coffee, Tea or something else?

LC: Since most of my writing time is early morning, coffee. I love a cup of dark, black brew at my right hand, even if I let it grow cold as my fingers are flying over the keyboard. If I'm writing later in the day, I'm a big sparkling water fan. Dasani is the flavor of the month, but I really LOVED Seagram's flavored waters back when I could get them. 

KMOT: What was the motivation to write a new series based in Colorado?

LC: I started thinking about the new series on a road trip back home to Boise. As it's 1600 miles plus, I had a lot of time to think. I knew I wanted somewhere different than South Cove, so I knew it would be in the mountains. I already have a romance series set in Idaho, so I picked somewhere I wanted to visit--at least in my imagination. 

KMOT: Have you ever been on a writing retreat, like the one in A Story To Kill?

LC: Not a formal one. I have issues with the time commitment. But when I went to Chicago in May, I built my own writer's retreat. I ordered in room service, plumped up the pillows on the king sized bed and started writing. Even with the four-hour panel and meet and greet, I got 10000 words that weekend. So I'm sold on the usefulness. Now I just have to find one that fits my schedule. 

KMOT: Where does the inspiration for main character Cat come from?

LC: Catherine - the girl who thought she chose the wrong Mr. Right.  I guess, her pain at the betrayal from her ex-husband, that's all me. But her gumption to rebuild her life after getting the first try kicked out from under her, that's a reflection of my sisters. Each have fought for and maintained their individuality while building a relationship that works. I love writing strong women and I want Cat to find her happiness even if she takes a few missteps along the way. Or maybe it's those missteps that teaches us how to be happy. 

KMOT: How do you pick names for your characters?

LC: First I pick a 'J' name and then I realized it's a J name and I change it.  I do love my J's. In my first published book, The Bull Rider's Brother - I had brothers James and Jesse, and a kid, JR. 

Honestly, I try to change it up. Sometimes I go to baby names and look at different starting letters. Sometimes I look at who I want the character to be and try to find a name that represents that feeling or emotion. Cat's name came mostly because I've always loved the nickname. But I was also writing Castle View that has a big cat sanctuary in book one, so maybe subconsciously I wanted another Cat. And I try to make it fit the age of the character. Like Daisy and Rose, in A Story to Kill. They are of an age where their mother would have thought it cute to name her daughters after flowers. 

As someone who has a cute name that turned deadly in high school, I'm very careful with picking the exact right name for the story.

Thank you Lynn for joining us today and sharing about your fantastic new book and series! 

You can learn more about Lynn by clicking here

You can order your own copy of A Story To Kill by clicking here. 

Thank you for joining me 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