A Taste Fur Murder By Dixie Lyle. Reading A Book Based On It's Cover!

I am in between orders from The Book Depository. So as I have been desperate to have a real paper book in my hand I went to my local library and spun the racks. Choosing books by their cover is a habit and a great tool of mine when finding new books to read.

To make this work I only choose books based on their cover art, I do not read the backs until I get home and I read the first one I was drawn too. I chose A Taste Fur Murder because of the color and that the cat looked a lot like my own Cat Squirrel.

I knew as soon as I read the dedication in this book I was in for a treat. The first chapter had me in stitches! Seriously laughing out loud!

I actually asked my friend Lisa Kelley to do some back ground checking on this author. As I had not heard of Dixie Lyle!  I was as surprised with what she found as I was with how much I loved this book! The Author, (with out giving too much away) currently resides in the same area I do!

This story is based on the East Coast of the USA and yet it has ties to right near where I grew up. I found that the story line (which was fantastic by the way ) was a plausible as it could be having the main character able to communicate with animal spirits and I really could get into the character, story and theme. I did not think the "paranormal" abilities that the main character aptly named Foxtrot were all that far fetched. Making the story more personal to me was the ties to the First Nations (Canada's First People) legends I grew up with.

This was the right book at the right time for me, I am thrilled that my own method of finding a great book did not let me down!

 To order A Taste Fur Murder, click here for the link to The Book Depository's Listing 

 and I am also thrilled to say that the second book To Die Fur can be viewed and ordered by clicking here 

 

and Pre Orders for Marked Fur Murder due out in March, can be viewed by clicking here

For those of you on my Facebook Fan Page I did promise to share my recipe for the Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake I made and enjoyed while reading this story. So hear is my recipe!
Karen's Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees
3 cups of white flour
1 3/4 cups of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking power
2 coarsely chopped granny smith apples
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl place all your dry ingredients and then mix them together. Coarsely chop your apples sprinkle them with the cinnamon and mix them together, then pour them into your dry mix.
In a bowl place your milk, vanilla, egg and oil and beat them together, add them to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be thick and should be fairly elastic like. Grease two loaf pans and spoon in equal amounts of your dough. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean. Cool in loaf pans 5 mins before losing and inverting your pan. Cool and sever plain or with butter.
Enjoy!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Our Facebook February Tea and Book Mark Give Away Is Now Up!

This month on our Facebook Fan Page Canadian Tea Company Mode & Honey  has donated a 15 grm bag of their Organic Kyoto Cherry Rose Tea to our monthly tea and book mark give away!

Amazing Author and New Tea Lover Ellery Adams has donated a beautiful engrave metal book mark from Mauve Magpie
To enter to win this months prize please visit Mode & Honey's Facebook Page  my Facebook Fan Page by clicking here then leave a comment. Winner will be selected Feb 22nd at random from number of entries received. Open to our North American Readers at this time only. Candle, tea pot, tea cup and saucer, calender and tea timer not included in this give away.
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Snow Way Out A Snow Globe Shop Mystery To Enjoy!

I loved the idea of this book Snow Way Out when I first heard about it's upcoming release on "Chatting about Cozies on Facebook" so I ordered it right away. The cover art was fantastic and I am a sucker for a great cover. I patiently awaited it's release.

When it arrived I was happy to dive right in and get acquainted with Cami and her friends. In the book, the story really gets going when Curio Shop worker Cami and her Friend Pinky (who have adjoining shops) offer a craft night! I have to admit if the class was offered here I too would sign up!

Great first impressions in a first in series are always important and what made this book stand out from the first few pages were the complex relationships of the main characters.I found I wanted to to keep reading  just to figure out how everyone fits in to play and just how they play a role in Cami's life.

What stood out to me most about the relationships in this book was the underling theme that family is more about the people you surround yourself with then just the blood relatives you are given. On top of that you have a great mystery to solve, some good looking local police officers, and learn a new craft skill in Snow Way Out.

I was pleased with this book, I was left wanting to know more about these characters you come to know and relate too. I look forward to seeing how Cami's world get's turned up side down in the next one and just how Author Christine Husom works the snow globes in to the next mystery!
To order your copy of Snow Way Out from The Book Depository which is where I order all my books from do click here.
 As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Seamless Murder By Melissa Bourbon. What A Delightful Read!

I have read every book so far in the Magical Dressmaking Mystery Series By Melissa Bourbon. Her latest book A Seamless Murder is one of the best in the series. I loved this book.

It arrived at the perfect time for me to take a break from the January blues and travel by book and tea cup to Bliss Texas (I am a Texas Girl At Heart!) visiting with the  Cassidy family and the town's folk I have come to know and love. I met a whole bunch of new Bliss Town Folk and felt right at home.
The images of the small town square, the church tag sale and of course a pig and a few stubborn goats do set the perfect "Bliss-full" feeling.

I do sew and love how sewing factors into this series.The idea that the perfect piece of clothing can make your dreams come true....who would not want an attic full of vintage fabrics, jars filled with buttons, ribbons and bows. Not to mention their Me-maw always with them in spirit.

I ordered my copy of this book back in June of 2014 and anxiously awaited it's arrival and it did not disappoint! I ordered my copy from The Book Depository as it always has FREE DELIVERY NO MINIMUM! Click here to see about ordering a copy for yourself!

I look forward to find out what is next For Harlow Cassidy and her friends in Bliss! I very much recommend this series!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Romeow and Juliet A Very Promising New Series by Kathi Daley!

I just finished reading Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley, I was sent this copy to review and I loved it.  This cozy is set quiet near to where I actually live so it was really easy to get caught up in the story and picture the setting!

I am a sucker for a great cat cozy and this series called "Whales And Tails Mystery" is a really great cozy! Just the right amount of mystery, small town setting, romance and cats! This is a series that is sure to be popular!  Oh and two witches live on the island too...yep it has it all for me, tea even factors into the story!  I may even want to move there!

I don't want to give too much away but let's just say that I can not wait for the new Coffee Cat Books Store to open! I feel like I could just hop on the ferry and sit and stay awhile!  I also can not wait to read the next two books in the series! First you have to check out Romeow and Juliet by clicking here and Mark your calenders for The Mad Catter (A Whales and Tails Mystery #2) due out February 2015 and Grimm's Furry Tail (A Whales and Tails Mystery #3) coming in March!

If you are a sucker for cover art like I am you are going to love the art work as much as the series. All three books have fantastic covers!
I loved reading this book that takes place in May specifically when it is January and I am counting the days until Spring! So if you need a vacation from the winter order Romeow and Juliet and get that warm and fuzzy cozy feeling! Don't forget to put on a great pot of tea!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Ghostly Grave by Tonya Kappes. I Got An Advanced Reading Copy of A Fantastic New Series!

I have followed  USA Today's best selling Tonya Kappes on Facebook for a while, and I was so surprised to receive a message via Instagram From Tonya asking if I would read one of her up coming books. I got the message while driving and had to pull over and do a "Happy Dance" when the message came in. I had a "fan girl moment" I am told by my 11 year old. I was so thrilled to be given the opportunity to read the second book in her Ghostly Southern Mystery Series the advanced reading copy of Ghostly Grave.

I spent a few days reading and enjoying Ghostly Grave on my Ipad and I have to tell you honestly that I laughed out loud so much in the first few chapters my son asked me to "go read in another room"

I could not have imagined just how funny  a mystery series about an undertaker who talks to the dead could really be. I hung on every word and comical situation that Emma Lee seemed to encounter through out this book.

I found the main character's Grandmother hysterical, I could picture her perfectly with the way that Tonya wrote and described her. The books story line is so good that I could picture a TV series based on the life and times of this small  Kentucky town, Sleepy Hollow and Eternal Slumber's Undertaker Emma Lee.

I finished this book on Christmas Day and I loved it. It was very well written, the story line was exciting and had great twists and turns. This is a series that would be very easy to get hooked on! You can find out more about Tonya Kappes and the Ghostly Southern Mystery Series by visiting her website simply by clicking here. You can also find her on her Facebook Fan Page by clicking here.

I wish to thank Tonya for allowing me to read A Ghostly Grave! To pre order your copy of the first book in this series A Ghostly Undertaking Click here. Watch for the following two books in the series  A Ghostly Grave due out March 31st and A Ghostly Demise due out August 25th 2015, you can pre order both directly from Harper Collins Publishers by clicking the highlighted titles.

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

Lethal Letters By Ellery Adams

Some books you read stay with you for a long time. I finished Ellery Adam's most recent Books By The Bay Mystery, a few weeks ago but did not write my review right away. You see for me writing the review is like saying good by to the book and I was not quite ready to do that yet.

I did not mean to horrify some of the readers on my Facebook page by leaving my book this way! honestly I often put my book down just to take the photo! To the librarians out there I am sorry! My own dog eared, broken spined books are a mark of some of my most favorites. I read them where and when I can in the stolen moments and even fall asleep with them open...

 The Books By The Bay Mysteries are very well written and the returning cast of characters and their stories endear them to the reader in each installment. For the reader each chapter in Ellery's books is a first class seat on Olivia's journey of self discovery.  Olivia's quest for  acceptance in her town of Oyster Bay North Carolina is a theme through out the series and it is such a pleasure to watch her really come into her own in this latest book.  I cried at the end and did not want the book to end.

I take comfort in a great cup of tea and  the fact that I can re read the series and visit Oyster Bay anytime I need too until the next one is written!

To find out more about Olivia and Oyster Bay please visit www.elleryadamsmysteries.com by clicking here
I ordered my copy from The Book Depository. You can do so with FREE shipping by clicking here.

Do join me on Facebook for my daily tea photos  and to see what I am reading. We have monthly tea and book mark give-away's and lots of fun chatting about our favorite cozy mystery series. Click here to like my page.

I  have always loved to host a tea party, so I hope you will join me.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com