Reminders!

I have several reminders for you this week!

1.) Please don't forget to link-up your March reviews for the 2011 Cozy Mystery Challenge by March 31st!

2.) The deadline for the India Black giveaway is March 29th.

3.) The deadline for The Postmistress giveaway is March 30th.

4.) The deadline for the How to Win a Heart Back Home giveaway is March 31st.

5.) The deadline for the Bird House giveaway is April 4th.

6.) The deadline for the To Defy a King giveaway is April 8th.

Winners! Only Mr. Darcy Will Do

The giveaway for two copies of Only Mr. Darcy Will Do ended on March 25th. Two winners have been chosen via random.org and will be notified later today.

If I do not have the address of the winners they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

These books will be sent out directly from the publisher.

The Winners are:

Carrie at In the Hammock

&

Rebecca Booth

Winner: One of Our Thursday's is Missing

The giveaway for one copy of Jasper Fforde's latest book in the Thursday Next series, One of Our Thursday's is Missing ended on March 24th.

The winner will be notified later today!

I'd like to thank everyone for participating, we had a great response with this one. It is definitely a great book, for book lovers!

The winner is:

Tanu

Winners! Highland Heat

The Highland Heat Giveaway ended not long ago and I would like to announce the winners. The winners will be notified later today and if I do not have their addresses they will have 48 hours to respond. I will then be sending the addresses to the publisher and the winners will receive their books directly from them.

The winners are:

Theresa N.

&

Vidisha

Review: A Deadly Cliche

A Deadly Cliche (Books by the Bay Mystery - Book 2) by Ellery Adams

Publication Date: March 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: Paperback, 304pp
ISBN-13: 9780425240236
ISBN: 0425240231

(Received for review from Berkley/Obsidian)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Ellery Adams on the WEB: Website, Facebook

Book Trailer: This is the trailer for the first book in the series, A Killer Plot

Synopsis (Book Blurb):

While walking her poodle, Olivia Limoges discovers a dead body buried in the sand. Could it be connected to the bizarre burglaries plaguing Oyster Bay, North Carolina? The Bayside Book Writers prick up their ears and pick up their pens to get the story...

The thieves have a distinct MO. At every crime scene, they set up odd tableaus: a stick of butter with a knife through it, dolls with silver spoons in their mouths, a deck of cards with a missing queen. Olivia realizes each setup represents a cliche.

Who better to decode the cliche clues than the Bayside Book Writers group, especially since their newest member is Police Chief Rawlings? As the investigation proceeds, Olivia is surprised to find herself falling for the widowed policeman. But an even greater surprise is in store. Her father - lost at sea thirty years ago - may still be alive...

Thoughts:

Ellery Adams once again thrills fans with her latest cozy mystery, A Deadly Cliche, part of the Books by the Bay series. This is a great mystery for book lovers. The Bayside Book Writers are on the case! The author's ability to create several different mysteries within one book is one of the things that sets this novel apart from the rest. Readers will love Adams' attention to detail and setting in this one, as the clues are all based on cliches.

Olivia Limoges and her faithful dog and companion Haviland set out on their morning walk on the beach. They certainly don't expect to find a murdered man buried in the sand with a bucket on his head. Olivia is the owner of a local restaurant, The Boot Top and member of the Bayside Book Writers. A rash of burglaries have taken place lately in the town of Oyster Bay and Olivia wonders if the murder could be related. The bad guys have left a calling card at each crime scene, and all are based on cliches. Who better to figure out these literary clues than her friends at the Bayside Book Writers, including their newest member, Chief Rawlings, head of the Oyster Bay police force and a widower. As Olivia works closely with Rawlings to try to find the thieves and a murder, she realizes she may be starting to have feelings for him. Will she find the culprits and the answer a mystery of her own?

Ellery Adams does such a wonderful job with this book. I think one of the best parts is her ability to juggle several different stories at one time. Not only does she tackle the mystery in Oyster Bay itself, but several books that are under review by the Bayside Book Writers as well. This is definitely a book for book lovers, with a variety of genres and plot lines mentioned. I certainly could not have kept it all straight, if I had been the writer, but Ellery Adams pulls it off with style. The idea of using cliches as clues is not something that would occur to just anyone. I thought the plot was interesting and refreshing. The literary clues were fun to try to figure out and seemed very believable.

The characters themselves were very three dimensional. Chief Rawlings was not just a police officer, he came across as a real person with thoughts and feelings and situations all his own. As a widow he provides the love interest for Olivia. Their relationship may not be the forefront of the story, but it provides the book with another layer for readers to become interested in. Olivia's faithful companion Capt. Haviland is a great character. This dog will make readers want to go and get a poodle. He isn't all prime and proper like you would expect. He even tries to dislodge a pail from the head of a dead man despite the odor. He's always ready to accompany Olivia and pet lovers will certainly fall in love with him.

The main character and amateur sleuth Olivia has a lot of layers to her as well. Not only is she a restaurateur, but also an aspiring writer and member of the local Book Writing club, that critiques each others work. I thought this was such a great idea for a character. She is strong and intelligent and comes across as someone you'd find in a cafe lost in a book or a manuscript. Her ability to put together what the thieves are trying to say seems realistic and logical. Someone who writes, generally knows about the craft of writing and clues these bad guys left behind were literary in nature. All this gives an authentic feel to the story and to Olivia's character.

I thought Ellery Adams did a wonderful job of building on the first book in the series. Giving us the continuing stories of characters we met in A Killer Plot and also introducing us to new people who play an intricate part in A Deadly Cliche. The story of Olivia's father who was lost at sea over thirty years ago also gives the reader another aspect of Olivia's life to be interested in. I think the author will probably expound further on this in later books. The sneak peek of the next novel in the series, The Last Word will leave readers biting their nails waiting for it to come out.

I recommend this one to cozy lovers and regular mystery lovers as well. It may not be as dark and intense as some mysteries, but I think that's the charm in a good cozy. It doesn't take so much out the reader emotionally. If you loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon as a child these kinds of mysteries will really appeal to you. I look forward to the next book in the series and I think you will really enjoy this one, especially if you are into books and literary mysteries.

A Deadly Cliche is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Ellery Adams grew up on the beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all while penning poems, children's books and novels. She now writes full time from her home in Virginia.

Review: Fruit of All Evil

Fruit of All Evil (Farmers' Market Mystery - Book 2) by Paige Shelton

Publication Date: March 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: Paperback, 304pp
ISBN-13: 9780425240229
ISBN: 0425240223

(Received for review from Berkley/Obsidian)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Paige Shelton on the WEB: Website, Blog, Facebook

Excerpt from From Fruit of All Evil

Synopsis (Book Blurb):

Becca Robins sells her farm-made jams and preserves at the local farmers' market to make a living. But when a local lovely decides to tie the knot at the same market, someone else decides to make a killing...

With all the sweet spreads she turns out, Becca should be used to having her hands full of sticky situations. So when her best friend and fellow market vendor, Linda, asks her to be maid of honor at her wedding. Becca figures she can handle the extra duties. After all, setting up a wedding with a farmers' market theme should be a piece of cake.

But when Linda's future mother-in-law ends up murdered before the "I dos" are even exchanged, both the nuptials and the fate of a missing local merchant are on the line. And only Becca has the down home know-how to shut the lid on a canny killer...

Thoughts:

Fruit of All Evil, the second book in Paige Shelton's Farmers' Market Mystery series, will have readers feeling like 'spring has sprung'! Shelton's sophomore book is a great mix of mystery and humor, with a quirky supporting cast and a plot line that will leave readers wanting more. Shelton's ability to describe the setting as well as the produce in this book, is almost mouth-watering. Readers will find this cozy interesting and full of surprises.

Becca Robin's is back along with all her friends from Bailey's Farmers' Market. The jams and preserves that Becca sells at her stall at the market are second to none in this small South Carolina town. When her friend and fellow vendor, Linda asks her to be the maid of honor in her Farmers' Market themed wedding, Becca is quick to say yes, though her own experiences will marriage have been less than perfect. When Linda and her fiance Drew invite Becca to dinner to work on wedding plans, they are surprised when Linda's future mother-in-law, Madeleine fails to attend. Madeleine is later found dead in her bedroom. As the local banker who has been dead set on foreclosing on several people's mortgages, Madeleine has many enemies including her own dysfunctional extended family. As Becca's relationship with Ian Cartwright starts to bloom it is up to her to find the killer before her best friends wedding has to be canceled.

If you like a good cozy mystery, there are lots of reasons to choose this one. Paige Shelton does an excellent job with the second book in the Farmers' Market series. Fruit of All Evil has it all. Great plot line, quirky and interesting characters, humor and even a touch of romance.

One of the aspects of this book that I really love is the setting. Bailey's Farmers' Market comes across as the place to be. With it's small town atmosphere and engaging townspeople it seems like a place that readers would want to visit, or even sell their own wares at. I was raised on a farm where we grew a lot of different kinds of produce, sold lots of things to the local fruit market and even canned our own food, including making jams, and jellies, so this series really holds a special spot for me. I thought the author did a fantastic job of describing this setting and what it takes to make up a farmer's market. I loved the idea of a Farmers' Market themed wedding, though I was a little unsure how they were going to pull it off, but I was not disappointed.

The author did a great job of showing how Becca, the local amateur sleuth ended up being involved in this mystery. Being the maid of honor in the wedding provided a way for Becca to be a part of the action. It was a very easy transition and worked out well for the plot. It allowed Becca to know the victim as well as her family which provided a great suspect list. It seemed very believable and natural that she would start to put things together and find out who had a motive for murder.

Becca is a great character. I found myself sympathizing with her romantic situation. She was easy to relate to, because many people have been unlucky in love. I was rooting for her with Ian and I hope that the author continues to develop their relationship in subsequent books. Becca is at heart a great cook and I think author must be as well. You can't really write well about food and cooking if you can't cook your self. The recipes included with this one are definitely mouth-watering and some I intend to try myself. I thought Becca's way of figuring out the clues was a little bit hap-hazard but all in all she got where she needed to be and brought the reader right along with her.

I would definitely recommend this one to all of cozy mystery readers. This is a great series and look forward to more Farmers' Market books in the future. If you are new to cozy mysteries, this would also be a great series to start out with it. It will give you good idea of what a cozy is and how it is different from other mysteries. It is basically a lighter, less intense kind of mystery, that has an amateur sleuth as the protagonist instead of an inspector or a police officer.

Fruit of All Evil is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





I moved around a lot as a kid but went to high school and college in Des Moines, Iowa. I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1988.

After college, I spent many years working in advertising, mostly for the local Salt Lake newspapers. My attempts to become a published writer began in 1997, but it wasn’t until 2008 that the first contracts with my agent and Berkley Publishing were signed. My pile of rejections is quite impressive.

Along the way, I got married to a terrific guy and we had a son who is now fifteen and still fun to be around, even though his messy bedroom could inspire a horror novel.

My writing partner is my nine pound dog, Gizmo. She’s adorable.

I read just about anything and everything, and I watch way too much TV. Every year I say I’m not going to be pulled into American Idol, but somehow it just happens.

Review: To Defy a King

To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick

Publication Date: March 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: Paperback, 544pp
ISBN-13: 9781402250897
ISBN: 1402250894

(Received for review from Sourcebooks)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Elizabeth Chadwick on the WEB: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Excerpt from To Defy a King
Book Trailer:

Synopsis (Book Blurb):

The adored and spirited daughters of England's greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt's planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh's strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple's lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not knowing if she - or her marriage - will survive.

A brilliant story of a vibrant woman in a tyrant's world. To Defy a King is another impeccably researched masterpiece from a beloved author.

Thoughts:

Elizabeth Chadwick once again thrills her fans and garners an even bigger following with her latest historical novel, To Defy a King. Chadwick's fourth novel about the family of one of the greatest knights in history, William Marshal is sure to have fans sitting up late, lost in the history of 13th century England. Chadwick's ability to bring the sights and sounds of this time period to life for the reader is unmatched in the historical fiction genre. Readers will fall in love with the vibrant and determined "Matty", as she tries to save her family from the tyranny of King John.

Mahelt, "Matty" Marshal is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, William Marshal, famous knight and Earl of Pembroke. She is given in marriage to Hugh Bigod, a politically advantageous union for the Marshal and Bigod families. Matty has led a privileged up until now, and though she is very young she enters the marriage with high hopes. She and Hugh eventually come to love each other very deeply and share four children together. But their relationship is not without it's problems as Matty continually clashes with her father-in-law, Roger Bigod. Being a Marshal daughter is very different from being a Bigod wife. When her father falls out of favor with King John over his political policies and the taking of English lands, Matty's brothers are taken captive and she is left to try to free her family and still remain loyal to her husband's family as well.

Elizabeth Chadwick has a knack for capturing the spirit and sense of history surrounding 13th century England. Her books about William Marshal and his family are both historically accurate and extremely entertaining. In her latest novel, To Defy a King, Chadwick brings readers the story of Mahelt Marshal, a vibrant young woman, who is determined to save her family and her marriage when the political and religious upheaval of King John's reign threatens to overcome them.

Matty is a strong character that we meet at a young age. We see her grow into womanhood throughout the book and become a wife and mother, but she still stays to true to her herself. She is determined and resourceful as she goes about trying to free her family. I think the author did a remarkable job making her character believable and easy to relate to. Readers will find her interesting and very forthright. She doesn't hold back her opinions even with her father-in-law. She is described as rebellious, though I think there was more to it than that. She was just confident in her ideas and what she believed. Chadwick makes her come alive in every way.

One of the things that was so impressive about this book was the amount of research that went into it. It is obvious that Chadwick takes this aspect of her writing very seriously and that gives her books a very authentic feel. She is able to give the reader a clear sense of what 13th century England was like from the culture and customs to right down to the mindset each character would have possessed had they lived during this time period. Chadwick even goes so far as to go to the places her where her characters walked, eat the food they would have eaten and dress in the clothing of the time. She makes her characters come alive for the reader in a very entertaining way. I also like the author's notes at the end of the book that gave the reader a clear idea of what parts of the story were historically based and what parts were the thoughts and ideas of the author.

The backdrop of King John's reign is impressive in itself. King John was notorious for his political dealings and his malicious actions and attitudes. I found myself very interested in finding out more about King John and why he did the things he did. Chadwick has the ability to engage the reader and educate as well as entertain them. The circumstances that led up to the Magna Carta are described in such detail that the reader will find themselves as interested in the political climate as in the story itself. I think the author does a remarkable job of giving just enough historical detail, without going overboard.

I really enjoyed this book. Though Chadwick has written several books about the Marshal family, To Defy a King can stand on it's own very well. Though I do encourage readers to read Chadwick's other books to give themselves a greater understanding of the times and the background for this novel. The book starts out a little on the slow side, but picks up quickly and Chadwick's engaging personal style begins to shine through. I think readers will love her attention to detail and the superb character development in this book. Matty is a very strong character that I found myself falling in love with and wanting to read more about.

Please take a look at my interview with Elizabeth Chadwick for details on how you could win a copy of To Defy a King.

To Defy a King is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Elizabeth Chadwick is a bestselling, award winning author of historical fiction. A born storyteller, her first novel The Wild Hunt won a Betty Trask Award in 1990. She has been four times shortlisted for the RNA Award in the UK for the best mainstream romantic novel. Her book The Scarlett Lion was selected as one of the top ten works of historical fiction of the decade by Richard Lee, founder of The Historical Novel Society.