Living In The Moment By Dani DiPirro

I was lucky enough to get a net galley advanced copy of Living in the Moment by Dani DiPirro. This inspirational book is the perfect accompaniment to quiet teatime reflections. I enjoyed reading these quotes and savoring their meanings with each sip of tea.  This book is out this September, which always feels like a fresh start to me. Fall is the perfect time to pick up a book like this or give this book to someone in your life who could benefit from the advice and who could use the inspiration!

Life transpires in the present. Yet so often we let the present slip away, wasting our precious seconds worrying about the future or ruminating about what has passed. Instead, learning to live in the moment, also known as mindfulness, can have immense power to stop us focusing so much on doing and thinking and instead focus on being. Perfect either as a gift or self-purchase, this lovely little book features 18 inspirational quotes on living in the moment, each one followed by an insightful explanation, a thought-provoking activity or question, and a memorable affirmation. This inspires readers to think about mindfulness in a fresh way as well as encouraging them to incorporate it into their everyday lives. Research has shown that mindful people tend to feel more relaxed, less distracted, more balanced and decisive, with increased energy, self-esteem and productivity, as well as having stronger relationships and an enhanced immune system. With its appealing design, uplifting content and friendly tone, this discerning little book on Living in the Moment provides beautiful, bite-sized inspiration for people around the world to live in the now, with increased awareness, allowing them to really savour each of life's precious moments.

To learn more about this book or to order it please click here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and review today. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Pumpkin Picking With Murder by Auralee Wallace

Sunday morning I was up before 5 am and finishing Pumpkin Picking with Murder. I have to tell you that this 2nd book in series is just as wonderful and funny as the first one. Otter Lake is a very exciting place well at least when main character Erica comes home for a visit. Erica and her best friend Freddie have one of the most fun cozy mystery friendships I have ever encountered. I laughed and enjoyed myself reading their antics and adventures. I loved learning more about Otter Lake and watching the characters grow and their relationships unfold in this fun and fast passed cozy mystery. I wish Otter Lake and its cast of undeniably colorful characters not only existed but that  I could pick up and move into one of the cabins at Erica's Moms retreat! There are some very memorable lines in this cozy and the humor stays with you. This is not just a feel good cozy this is a fun cozy, completely relevant and top notch! Auralee Wallace's Pumpkin Picking With Murder comes out August 30th and is one you will not want to miss.

When murder strikes in the Tunnel of Love, Erica Bloom has to rock the boat to catch a killer…

For a small town like Otter Lake, New Hampshire, the annual Fall Festival is a big deal: a Ferris wheel, corn maze, caramel apples, and pumpkin pies―even a Tunnel of Love. Back in her hometown, Erica Bloom is trying to enjoy herself, which includes getting better acquainted with Sheriff Grady Forrester. But when a swan boat sails out of the heart-shaped exit of the tunnel with a dead man slumped over a wing, her own romance will have to take a backseat.

PUMPKIN PICKING WITH MURDER

Speaking of love affairs, the other passenger in the boat―and only witness to the elderly Mr. Masterson’s swan song―is not his wife. It’s Erica’s beloved and feisty “aunt,” Tweety, who quickly becomes the prime suspect. Vowing to clear Tweety, Erica teams up with her sassy BFF and self-appointed security expert Freddie Ng to solve the murder―despite the objections of Grady, who’s convinced the amateurs are going overboard in their investigation. And he just may be right. But as Erica and Freddie start to dredge up long-kept small-town secrets, will they heading straight into troubled waters?

I was sent this book to review and this is a book I have to own in paperback too. So I have ordered a paper back copy from The Book Depository for my shelf as a trophy and a reminder of what a great cozy reads like! I also love the simple and colorful cover of this book. This is a series I hope continues for a very long time!
Click here to learn more about Auralee Wallace and her writing 
Click here to order your own copy of Pumpkin Picking With Murder out August 30th
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

A Tea Time Themed Craft Tutorial To Share From The Enchanting Rose!

I just found the loveliest blog to follow and a fun craft to share with you all today! The blog is called The Enchanting Rose and the tutorial for how to make these lovely teacup coasters caught my eye immediately!

With the holiday season creeping upon us and decorations for fall already in the stores I love tutorials like this that inspire our crafty side and help us create and make items to be proud to give our tea loving friends this holiday season or just because!

This step by step tutorial is a visual delight and fun for even the most novice of sewers! These would make great shower party favors as well.
Thank you to The Enchanting Rose blog for such an inspiring tutorial!
Click here for the tutorial and to be truly inspired!
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a great tea themed craft today! I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

A Release Day Celebration And Cup of Tea With Author Sarah Fox

Today is the release day for The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox. I read, reviewed and so enjoyed this book in early June. This wonderful West Coast Cozy first in series has me really excited! I love that it is set not far from where I live and the idea of a community that loves and supports a small pancake house was very endearing! I asked Sarah to sit down and share a cup of tea with us today and talk about her book and writing process.

KMOT: What sustains you when you are writing? (Coffee, Tea, other)
SF: "Definitely tea! I also love chocolate, but I rarely have a writing sessionwithout a cup of tea."

KMOT: Do you have a favorite mug or teacup and saucer?
SF: "Yes, my favourite mug was given to me by one of my critique partners. Notonly does it hold a nice amount of tea, it also has a mini pep talkwritten on it, one which ends with, "Now get back to work." I use that mugpretty much every day."

KMOT: How long start to finish, idea to final draft went into The Crepes of Wrath?
SF: "Probably close to two years because The Crêpes of Wrath went throughseveral transformations before it became what it is today. I startedwriting the original version (which had nothing to do with a pancakehouse) in the spring of 2014 when I was still an unagented writer. In June2014, I signed with my agent. Once she'd sent my first mystery, DeadRinger, out on submission, I sent her my seaside cozy. After talking aboutmaking some changes, I rewrote it, but it still wasn't quite what wewanted it to be (I think at that point it was about a beachfront resort).Then we decided to centre the story around a seaside pancake house and itbecame The Crêpes of Wrath. While it went on submission to publishers as aproposal (first three chapters, a synopsis, and blurbs for the next twobooks in the series) I finished writing the latest version of themanuscript in between writing the books for my other series. So by thetime I had it polished and ready to turn in to my editor at Alibi for thefirst time, it was the beginning of January 2016."

KMOT: Where do you draw your inspiration from when writing?
SF: "Several places. I'm definitely inspired by other cozy mystery authors. Iread a lot of cozies and they're always inspiring me to write more of myown. I also get ideas from the world around me, including from things Ihear on the news or in conversation. Sometimes a particular place orexperience inspires me as well. I got the idea for my first mystery series(the Music Lover's Mysteries) from my years playing violin in schoolorchestras in Vancouver, and the setting for The Crêpes of Wrath wasinspired by one of my favourite vacation spots. Sometimes music sparksideas for me as well."

KMOT: There are not as many "West Coast" based cozy series, what made you choose
your story location?
SF: "I grew up in Vancouver, Canada and used to spend time each summer at abeach on Vancouver Island. I knew I wanted to write a seaside cozyinspired by that beach, so I created the town of Wildwood Cove. My agentthought publishers would be more open to a location in the US, so I justshifted the fictional town down across the border to the OlympicPeninsula." 

Thank you all for joining Sarah and I for tea today and thank you to Sarah for sharing a cup of tea with us and a bit about her new book The Crepes Of Wrath, available today! Click here to order your own copy from Amazon. 
Learn more about Sarah Fox by visiting her website when you 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

Costume Catastrophe by Kathi Daley

Kathi Daley's books are delightful. I was thrilled to receive and read Costume Catastrophe on Friday. Start to finish in under 2 hours, speed reading I was not, but on an adventure I was. Kathi writes such fun characters and this one I did not figure out the mystery until she beautifully reviled it. I loved the way this mystery unfolded, the way I was not able to figure it out until the end and how much I enjoyed my time with all the familiar characters in this picturesque Hamlet! Main character Zoe has an unlimited supply of love and support for her family and family of friends. Energy that is unmatched and sleuthing abilities that are like a sixth sense.

It's Halloween in Ashton Falls and that means Haunted Hamlet and the annual haunted house. Zoe is determined not to have her plans for this annual event ruined this year especially since it is also the weekend of the big game and a lot of old friends are in town. Things look as if they are on track for a spooktacular good time, until Zoe receives a message from an anonymous source predicting a death. At first Zoe and the gang think the note is a prank until one of the friends Zoe went to high school with actually turns up dead. Once Zoe realizes the note might not be a prank, she sets out on a race against time before someone else dies.

 If you are new to cozies or if you have loved them forever check out Kathi Daley's Zoe Donovan Mystery Series. 

Click here to get your own copy of Costume Catastrophie by Kathi Daley from Amazon

Learn more about all the wonderful books Kathi writes by visiting her website when you 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 

A Catered Tea Party by Isis Crawford

I spent some time with Isis Crawford's August 30th release of A Catered Tea Party. Little did I know what I was in for! This book is the first in the series that I have read and I was amused and surprised by how the story unfolded. I loved the dynamic of the sisters and their culinary skills as much as their sleuthing abilities. Fans of this series are in for a treat with mystery, adventure and a really great brownie or two. Teapot collectors will appreciate this story for sure! Great fun in the mystery and in the types of teas mentioned in the book.

Quiet Longely, New York, is abuzz with excitement over the opening of a revamped art complex—and catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are helping put on an elaborate tea party for the opening night gala fundraiser. But when the billionaire behind the project drops dead, the Simmons sisters find themselves steeped in a whistling kettle of murder . . . Everyone in Longely is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way. Bernie and Libby reluctantly agree to cater the Alice in Wonderland themed tea party he’s planned, but it quickly becomes clear that Zeb is madder than the hatter he’ll be dressed as . . . The night of the benefit arrives and Westchester’s finest show up in droves, having paid $500 apiece to attend Zeb’s meticulously-orchestrated tea party. But just when it seems the production is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor in fittingly dramatic fashion. The kettle shorted out and his pacemaker malfunctioned—but it doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder . . . As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu… 
 
Pre order your own copy of this soon to be released mystery from Amazon by clicking here.
Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea and a cozy 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 6-13th

Another very delightful week has come to an end here on my blog and I have been very busy this week. I have some truly delightful projects on the go, fantastic books that have just arrived to read  and some extremely supportive friends who made this week a complete joy.

Thank you to my team, Karen, Lisa and Sheryl for all the ways you make me love what I do. In addition to great family, and friends I am so thankful to have been able to make the time to read some great cozies this week.

I finished  A Catered Tea Party which is by Isis Crawford and comes out August 30th. Tea themed cozies are a true delight for me! I can not wait to share my review with you of this one! In my cup this week I have had Murchies Lavender Black tea, Davids Cotton Candy Tea and even After 8 tea just to name a few!

I shared the review of All- Butter Short Dead by J.Y. Hanna yesterday and it was still free as of yesterday so run over to amazon.com and download it for yourself! I enjoyed this one and it got my blood pressure up in parts!

I can honestly say I did not loose any weight this week, not that I am trying and even if I was I could not have resisted eating Karen MacInerney's Peach Sunrise Coffee Cake I made from her recipe provided in The Gray Whale Inn Kitchen, this was only one off some very delicious looking recipes included with in! Now Lisa has me wanting to catch up with her and Sheryl with all the cook books that go with cozy series!

A Grave Prediction by Victoria Laurie was so much more fun then I had anticipated. This cozy was heavy on the side of amazing friendships and complicated mysteries. A cozy combination I admire and enjoyed. I felt very involved in this particular mystery and strongly recommend it for a great weekend read.

Bailey Cates, Spells and Scones appeared briefly on my table this week as well, I say briefly as I could not put it down and read it in record time. This is a "chip" type book series where you can just inhale each cozy mystery as if they were a bag of chips! Thank you to Laura from swimming for the great analogy!

The Witch Who Couldn't Spell was a Sunday review and another free or almost free cozy I enjoyed from Amazon.com. I loved the concept of this one, it was on the lighter side of paranormal but still a good British themed cozy.

With that I must leave you this Saturday morning as I have a very exciting event today, my second annual Witches Tea Party and I hope to have some fun photos and tips from my own party to share with you soon.
Thank you for joining me here for another week in review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com