Finding Justice (Rescue Alaska Mystery #1) by Kathi Daley

BOOK INFORMATION

Series: Rescue Alaska Mysteries

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 3, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1976094976
• ISBN-13: 978-1976094972

Synopsis: Rescue Alaska is the eighth series by USA Today Bestselling Author Kathi Daley. It is a warm yet fast-moving mystery series with a light paranormal twist. 

Rescue Alaska is a small town in northern Alaska where visitors come to hike and ski. Harmony Carson is a lifelong resident who volunteers as a member of the local search and rescue team. Harmony has a unique gift which she often considers a curse. She is able to 'see' the individuals she is meant to help rescue, and more often than not she can feel their fear and their pain. When she isn't aiding in a rescue, Harmony works at Neverland -- the bar owned by her brother in law Jake--and volunteers at the local animal shelter. Harmony lives in a rustic cabin with six dogs, four cats, six kittens, eight rabbits, and a blind mule named Homer.

In this first book in the series, a longtime local, Tim Maverick, sends his old friend, Harley Medford, a letter with a photo stating that if he should turn up dead at some point in the near future, the man in the photo is the one who killed him. When Tim is found dead only two weeks later, Harley, who also happens to be a world-famous star of action movies, comes to Rescue to find the man he is convinced killed Tim. He hears that Harmony has a reputation for finding people so he enlists her help. As they delve into the mystery they find a set of circumstances a lot more confusing and a lot more dangerous than they originally thought. The journey to find the truth behind Tim's untimely death will take Harmony on a journey of discovery she never saw coming. 

Review: Another new series from one of my favorite cozy authors. This one has a touch of the paranormal to it, as the main character, Harmony, tends to have a psychic connection to the people who need to be rescued. As far as I am aware, this is a unique character and plot idea. 

Harmony is also a huge animal lover and is working to set up a new facility in order to help shelter/adopt more animals. I love her passion for animals, as well as her compassion for people.

Along with helping animals and rescuing people, Harmony manages to find herself in the middle of a murder mystery. It was a bit of a surprise when Shredder and Riptide (from the author's Sand and Sea Hawaiian mystery series) dropped into town and interacted with Harmony, even helping her deliver a litter of puppies--and working with her regarding the mystery.

Considering what a small town Rescue is, and how secluded it appears to be, I'm sure we're going to see a lot of interaction between the major characters and get to see their personalities develop--and learn more of their backstories over time as well.

Rating: Five stars 

About the author

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. 
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. 

Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf). 

Fourth Victim (Writers Retreat Mystery #4) by Kathi Daley

BOOK INFORMATION

Series: Writers Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 23, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1973942259
• ISBN-13: 978-1973942252

Synopsis: During the course of the remodel on one of the cabins at the writers retreat, the contractor finds a box hidden in a wall. Jill opens the box to find love letters writing to a woman named Francine more than fifty years ago. Jill decides to track down the woman to return the letters only to find that she was the fourth victim of the Silk Stalking Stranger, a serial killer who killed thirteen women in the mid 1960's. The strangler was never caught so Jill and the gang decide to dig into the mystery only to find that the fourth victim of the Silk Stalking Strangler may not have been killed by the Strangler after all.

Review:  I love this series more with every book that I read! I would love to live somewhere like Gull Island, surrounded by other writers and using our various talents to solve mysteries in our "spare time."  The characters and their relationships are developing over time, and are very lifelike. And Blackbeard is one of the greatest animal characters in any cozy series. 

My only complaint/problem with this story is Jim.  I realize he's falling head over heels for Jillian, but somehow being willing to give up his big house and all that goes with it and move into one of the cabins at the resort just doesn't ring true for me. 

The murder mystery in this story was fascinating. I was fairly sure the Strangler wasn't the killer, but I had no clue who the actual killer was until the final reveal. 

About the author

Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. 
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. 

Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf). 

BOOK REVIEW: God's Great Love For You by Rick Warren #RickWarren #flyby

BOOK INFORMATION

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

• Grade Level: Preschool - 3
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (October 3, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310752477
• ISBN-13: 978-0310752479

Synopsis: God’s Great Love for You, written by #1 New York Times bestselling author and respected pastor Rick Warren, takes children on a whimsical and heartfelt journey that lets them know God’s love is with them wherever they go. With breathtaking illustrations by Chris Saunders, the simple yet poignant text comes alive as a child journeys to places far and near and discovers God’s great love is perfect, and everywhere, and will never end.

http://info.zondervan.com/rick-warren-childrens-books/

Review: A very well illustrated picture book with a great message for young children. There is limited text on each page, which makes it easy for beginning readers, as well as keeping the attention of children who are being read to by an adult. The five-year-old to whom I gave this as a birthday gift enjoys reading it and having it read to her. 

Rating: Five stars

About the author

Dr. Rick Warren is pastor, author, global strategist, theologian, and philanthropist. His book The Purpose Driven Life has been called the bestselling non-fiction hardback in publishing history by Publishers Weekly, having sold more than 32 million copies. Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 with his wife, Kay. In addition to a 120-acre campus in Lake Forest, CA, the church has fourteen satellite campuses in Southern California and three international campuses. Rick Warren is often called "America's most influential spiritual leader." He and his wife, Kay, founded Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, which is now one of the largest and best-known churches in the world. He also wrote the #1 all-time bestselling hardcover book, The Purpose Driven Life.

BOOK TOUR AND GiVEAWAY: Of Spice And Men (Pancake House Mystery #3) by Sarah Fox

Of Spice and Men: A Pancake House Mystery by Sarah Fox

 

Of Spice and Men: A Pancake House Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 

3rd in Series 

Alibi (November 7, 2017) 

Print Length 280 pages 

ASIN: B01N1HTUWJ

 

Lights. Camera. Murder? Wildwood Cove’s star turn is soured by a sneaky killer in this delicious cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of The Crêpes of Wrath. Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu!

With a Hollywood film crew in town to shoot a remake of the horror classic The Perishing, the residents of Wildwood Cove are all abuzz. Even Marley McKinney, owner of The Flip Side Pancake House, can overlook the fact that the lead actress, Alyssa Jayde, happens to be an old flame of her boyfriend. After all, the crew loves Marley’s crêpes—so much so that Christine, the head makeup artist, invites her onset for a behind-the-scenes tour. But when Marley arrives, the special-effects trailer is on fire . . . with Christine inside. The cops quickly rule Christine’s death a murder, and Alyssa a suspect. Marley’s boyfriend insists that the actress is innocent, but when Marley sticks her nose into the complicated lives of The Perishing’s cast and crew, she discovers more questions than answers. It seems that everyone has a hidden agenda—and a plausible motive. And as the horror spills over from the silver screen, Marley gets a funny feeling that she may be the killer’s next victim.

Sarah Fox’s addictive Pancake House Mysteries can be enjoyed together or à la carte: THE CRÊPES OF WRATH | FOR WHOM THE BREAD ROLLS | OF SPICE AND MEN

Review: Another great adventure with Marley and company! This is a quick, easy read. It is a fun yet suspenseful story--you'll find humor, mystery, romance, and a look at what happens when a movie crew comes to town.

As someone who has read all three of these books, I am glad to see some of the secondary characters being more developed in this one (in particular, Marley's chef). Looking forward to seeing others get their chance to shine in the future.



Rating: Four stars

About The Author

Sarah Fox was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer, she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel.
Author website http://www.authorsarahfox.com/ Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahfox
Twitter: @thewritefox Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14950357.Sarah_Fox  


Purchase Links: Amazon  B&N  kobo


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Tour Participants
  November 6 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW
  November 6 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
  November 7 – A Blue Million Books  - INTERVIEW
  November 8 – T's Stuff - SPOTLIGHT
  November 8 – Book Babble – REVIEW
  November 9 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
  November 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
  November 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, INTERVIEW
  November 10 – Reading Reality – REVIEW
  November 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
  November 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
  November 12 – Varietats – REVIEW
  November 12 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
  November 13 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
  November 13 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
  November 14 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
  November 14 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
  November 15 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW
  November 15 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW
  November 16 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
  November 16 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
November 17 – Maureen's Musings - SPOTLIGHT
November 18 – Bookworm Cafe - REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 19 – Carole's Book Corner – REVIEW
November 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT


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Blackberry Burial (Berry Basket Mystery #2) by Sharon Farrow

Book Information

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Berry Basket Mystery (Book 2)

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (October 31, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1496704886
• ISBN-13: 978-1496704887

Synopsis: Between a booming art scene and elaborate Independence Day festivities, July in lakeshore Oriole Point, Michigan, is always a blast. Especially when an explosive murder case crashes the fun . . .

As the owner of The Berry Basket, Marlee Jacob has learned a thing or two about surviving the summer tourist season in Oriole Point. So she gladly agrees to help run the annual road rally in honor of the local Blackberry Art School's centenary celebration. While alumni arrive from around the country, Marlee hopes the expansive Sanderling farm will make an appropriate starting point for the race--despite rumors that the land is cursed . . .

But when Marlee surveys the property, she stumbles upon a long-dead body hidden in the bramble. It's a horrifying mystery to everyone except her baker, who's convinced the skeletal remains belong to a former student who had gone missing twenty years earlier. As the Fourth of July activities heat up, Marlee must rush to catch an elusive murderer--before the next 'blackberry victim' is ripe for the picking!

Includes Berry Recipes!

Review: Although this is the second book in the series, I read it without having read the first one, and had no problem. Events from the first book are mentioned, but they are explained sufficiently to keep a reader from getting confused or lost.

I enjoyed all of the berry information provided in the story and reading about all of the berry-themed products Marlee sells in her store. I love her parrot, as well as Charlemagne, the Great Dane. Aside from Marlee, my favorite character is Theo. I don't think much of the romance between Marlee and Ryan...but there is another character I LOVE her chemistry with and hope things continue to heat up between them.

The mystery is very well-developed throughout the course of the story, and the reveal was a big surprise to me.  I definitely look forward to reading more about the folks in Oriole Point. (And I hope to try the recipe for Blackberry Chicken in this book, as well!)

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Sharon began submitting articles and short stories to magazines when she was just fourteen years old. Her award-winning first novel was released in 1998. Published in mystery, fantasy, and romance, Sharon has written under various pen names. As Sharon Farrow, she writes the Berry Basket cozy mystery series, which was inspired by the beautiful village she lives in along Lake Michigan. With her college best friend and fellow writer, Sharon is also one half of the writing team D.E. Ireland, who co-author the two time Agatha nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries.

REVIEW AND GUEST POST: Love Letters To Writers by Andi Cumbo-Floyd

E-Book Information

• File Size: 429 KB
• Publisher: Andi Cumbo-Floyd (November 14, 2017)
• Publication Date: November 14, 2017
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B076VRRH7D\

Synopsis: In 52 personal, vulnerable letters, writer Andi Cumbo-Floyd shares her personal experiences of the writing journey, offers her perspective on the writing life, and shares encouragement to help writers through the hard and the joyous days of being a writer. The letters cover everything from what it feels like to sign a book contract to the times writing draws out emotion we didn't realize to the need for space in our daily lives. The letters are intimate and honest, each written with love for the writers Cumbo-Floyd holds dear.

Review: 

An easy to read book of short letters to writers. The letters are called "love letters" as they are full of encouraging words to get writers through those times when life and/or your writing are getting you down. There is some advice, such as how to build your "platform," but it's more about growing in self-awareness. The author asks questions that help you dig deep, think about your writing, and most importantly, not to compare yourself to other writers. This is a resource I will pull out and read over and over again to keep myself motivated. Many thanks to the author for writing such an important book!

Rating: Five stars

GUEST POST

Loving on the Writers

by Andi Cumbo-Floyd

So much of the writing about writing out there comes in the form of tips or rules, should or don’ts.  I’m enough of a rebel that I don’t like that for myself as a writer, and often, as an editor and writing coach, I hear the way those rules and lists hinder writers, shutting down their creativity and playfulness and making them feel like things have to be “right” instead of they have to be, well, whatever they have to be.

I’ve found that the writers I most relate to, the writing books that have spoken the most to me, have come from the heart and the experiences of the people who lived them.  Anne Lamott, Annie Dillard, Gayle Brandeis, Stephen King, Laraine Herring – these folks have bared their word-ridden souls in their books on writing, and through their vulnerability, I have been heartened and encouraged even in the hardest days of the writing life.

That’s what I hope – in some small way – Love Letters To Writers does for the wordsmiths who read it. I hope they are encouraged and challenged, and I hope they know that I have told them the truth of my experience as a writer in this world.  The book does include a big of practical suggestions – never rules – that I have drawn from my own experience of writing, marketing, and publishing, but my intention was always to leave space for those experiences which aren’t like my own.  After all, there aren’t that many writers – the great Wendell Berry aside – who also farm. (Oh, the goat metaphors I could include here.)

Writing is not always easy, and so I hope this book lifts other writers a little on the hard days and gently pushes them to keep going when the hard feels too heavy.  I hope I have passed along the gift that so many other writers have given me – a belief in myself, a nudge to just take it one word at a time, and the promise that I am not alone in this journey.  

About the author

Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a writer, editor, and writing coach who lives at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, four dogs, four cats, three rabbits, six goats, and thirty-six chickens.  Her book Love Letters to Writers: Encouragement, Accountability, and Truth-Telling will be available everywhere books are sold on Nov. 14th.  You can read more of her thoughts on writing at Andilit.com.  

Literary Escapes Challenge--October Update

Challenge – Try to read 1 book set in each of the 50 states + the District of Columbia. (51 Points). If you complete the challenge you earn 50 Bonus Points. You also can earn Bonus Points for books set in Countries around the world. 1 Bonus Point for each country. (No repeats – only 1 point can be earned for each country.) Your books can be fiction or non-fiction and can be in any format, print, digital, audio. 


Alabama--To Kill A  Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Alaska--(Finding Justice by Kathi Daley)

Arizona--Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinlay

Arkansas--Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women Of Little Rock by David Margolick

California--Scheduled To Death by Mary Feliz

Colorado--Fatality By Firelight by Lynn Cahoon

Connecticut--Pick Your Potion by C.C. Dragon

Delaware--Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

District of Columbia--Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich

Florida--Child's Play by Merry Jones

Georgia--15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart

Hawaii--Murder At Turtle Cove by Kathi Daley

Idaho--(Blue Heaven by C.J. Box)

Illinois--Life After by Katie Ganshert

Indiana--When The Grits Hit The Fan by Maddie Day

Iowa--(Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron)

Kansas--Brake Failure by Alison Brodie

Kentucky--A Ghostly Mortality by Tonya Kappes

Louisiana--A Fatal Romance by June Shaw

Maine--Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan

Maryland--Courtyard Corpse by Sherry Lodge

Massachusetts--The Witch And The Dead by Heather Blake

Michigan--My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby

Minnesota--(I Can See You by Karen Rose)

Mississippi--(Out Of Circulation by Miranda James)

Missouri--(30 Second Death by Laura Bradford)

Montana--Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron by R.L. Syme

Nebraska--(Composing Amelia by Alison Strobel)

Nevada--Vanilla Beaned by Jenn McKinlay

New Hampshire--It's Always The Husband by Michele Campbell

New Jersey--(The Plot Against America by Philip Roth)

New Mexico--The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook

New York--(The Christie Curse, by Victoria Abbott)

North Carolina--Purr M For Murder by T.C. LoTempio

North Dakota--(Badlands by C. J. Box)

Ohio--Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda

Oklahoma--Gone With The Wings by Leena Clover

Oregon--The Shadow by Kathi Daley

Pennsylvania--(Never Buried by Edie Claire)

Rhode Island--Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

South Carolina--What She Inherits by Diane V. Mulligan

South Dakota--These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tennessee--The Big Overnight by Libby Kirsch

Texas--Say Goodbye For Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Utah--(Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton)

Vermont--The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

Virginia--(The Diva Takes The Cake by Krista Davis)

Washington--A Winter's Tail by Kathi Daley

West Virginia--(Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert)

Wisconsin--Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz

Wyoming--Open Season by C.J. Box


International Settings
Canada--Holiday Hangover by Kathi Daley
Italy--A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
Greece--Evanthia's Gift by Effie Kammenou
France--Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Egypt--Exodus 95 by Kfir Luzzatto
England--I Found You by Lisa Jewell
Australia--The Secret Daughter by Kelly Rimmer