Blog Tour Stop: Inherit the Word by Daryl Wood Gerber (GP, Review and Giveaway)

Please join me in welcoming Daryl Wood Gerber to Debbie's Book Bag today. She is here promoting her book, Inherit the Word, the second book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series. Enjoy her guest post and see the giveaway details for your chance to win. 

THE PERFECT GRILLED CHEESE

By Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames

Agatha Award-winning author of the national bestselling 

Cheese Shop Mystery and Cookbook Nook Mystery series

“Life is good; cheese makes it better.” ~ Avery Aames

Do you love grilled cheese sandwiches? I do. They bring back memories of simpler times. When I was a kid, I used to go to Lake Tahoe in the summer with my family, and my mother would make a really cheese-y grilled cheese. She would also fix tomato soup. Comfort food extraordinaire. We would take a midday break—if we didn’t, we’d be sunburned prunes; my sisters and I loved swimming in the ice cold lake. We would sit on the porch eating our grilled cheese and look out at the water and count seagulls. Fun. Easy.

While writing the next book in the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, I did a lot of research for grilled cheese sandwiches. Why? Because the story revolves around a grilled cheese competition. I wanted to know my stuff. [Don’t I have it rough? LOL]  I’ve always been a good grilled cheese maker, but I wanted to be great. As a result, I’ve changed three aspects of my grilled cheese cooking techniques.

One: My cheese maven [a real person] wrote a blog post a couple of years ago that said, and I’m paraphrasing: “It’s called a cheese sandwich, not a bread sandwich, so make sure you use lots of cheese.” Ever since, I’ve doubled up on the cheese I put in a sandwich.

Two: Thanks to a suggestion in another article, in addition to buttering the outside of the bread, I now add a swath of cream cheese to the inside of the bread. As it turns out, cream cheese heats up fast and encourages the other cheese to melt. Brilliant tip.

Three: Lastly, I invested in a Panini grill. Have you ever handled one? They’re quite big and clumsy. They’re sort of like a waffle iron, but the back side is a little more flexible so that a cook can put in a grilled sandwich that is extra-wide, and it will still fit. Using a Panini grill has made all the difference in my grilled cheese results. Here’s why. I now have to eat gluten-free [I didn’t as a girl…long story…]. Gluten-free bread isn’t the easiest to grill. It’s, um, not very flexible unless you’ve just pulled it fresh out of the oven (which is great!). In fact, it’s stiff and hard. But if you put a gluten-free sandwich in a Panini grill, something about the weight of the two sides of the grill help the gluten-free bread get soft again. It also helps the cheese melt evenly throughout. Perfection.

By the way, while writing INHERIT THE WORD [The Word is a diner in town, short for Mum’s the Word Diner], I did a lot of taste-testing. I made one sandwich based on an appetizer my mother used to make for her bridge club. I’ve included the recipe in the book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


What’s your favorite grilled cheese combination? Have you ever participated in or watched a grilling competition?

Book Information:

Inherit the Word (Cookbook Nook Mystery - Book 2) by Daryl Wood Gerber

Publication Date: 03/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425258076
ISBN-13: 978-0425258071

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Daryl Wood Gerber on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Final Sentence (2013), Inherit the Word (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Inherit the Word, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Jenna Hart moved back to Crystal Cove, California, to recapture her joie de vivre and to help her aunt Vera run the local culinary bookshop and café. But it's hard to follow a simple recipe for relaxation when murder gets thrown in the mix...
 
The Cookbook Nook is set to host the town's upcoming Grill Fest, a tasty tradition which pits local amateur chefs against one another to concoct the most delicious dishes. This year's challenge: grilled cheese. But with competing chefs bearing grudges from past years, more mouths are running off than savoring the fare.
 
The expression "too many cooks" proves all too true when the eight-time champ is found murdered in the alley behind the café. Soon a local diner owner (and Jenna's "second mother") is suspected of bumping off the competition, and Jenna has to douse the flames before the wrong person gets burned...

Thoughts:

Daryl Wood Gerber brings readers the second book in her Cookbook Nook mystery series, Inherit the Word. This is a fast paced mystery filled with plenty of surprises for readers to figure out. The whodunit is well plotted and keeps the reader interested while well drawn characters captivate and engage the reader. Gerber has a knack for cooking as well as writing and centers this book around a grilled cheese cookoff that gets a little out of hand when the winner of eight years running, ends up dead.

What I liked:

Daryl Wood Gerber never disappoints whether it's this series or the Cheese Shop Mysteries she writes under the name Avery Aames. She always has a food related element in her books and I love that about her writing. It's one thing for a million other writers to use food as a catalyst for the plots of their books, but it's another thing when the writer is actually a good cook. It gives this book a ring of authenticity that shows on every page. Especially the recipe section in the back of the book. I'm trying that Brie, Apple, and Turkey Grilled cheese, very sooon!

Jenna and her crystal ball toting Aunt Vera are at it again in this book. Jenna is a great protagonist for a lot of reasons. She never goes off haphazardly. She always has a reason to investigate and she doesn't try to do the job of the police. She is also caring and kind and that goes a long way in my book. I think the author wants her main character to be responsible, yet interesting to the reader. So she is a mix of those traits. I love reading about her personal life as much as the mystery itself.

Aunt Vera once again provides a lot of comic relief to the dark subject of murder. That's one of the things I like about cozies in general. They don't go into all the gory details. This book has a lightness about it even though murder is definitely afoot. I think Aunt Vera's character is meant to be eccentric and a little out there just for the reason of adding a smile to the readers face.

I liked the whole grilled cheese competition angle. I have had some good grilled cheeses in my day and I could totally buy into the idea of this kind of food competition. They have them for just about every thing now, from Chili cook offs to pit master barbeque cook offs, so this was an interesting surprise. I could definitely believe that amateur cooks could get so wrapped up in the heat of competition that a murder is possible. I thought the plot was engaging, and plausible, this could happen. Well done!

What I didn't like:

There was a bit of a mystery within a mystery going on in this one, and that was a little unnecessary. The main plot was definitely enough to keep the reader engaged. It wasn't a critical error, just something that didn't need to be included, though it did change some things on a personal level for the lead character.

Bottom Line:

This is shaping up to be quite a good series. Daryl Wood Gerber was on to something with the cookbook nook idea and I think readers are buying into it and liking it more with each new book to the series.

Inherit the Word is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

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

About the Author:

Daryl Wood Gerber writes the critically acclaimed, nationally bestselling COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series, which is published by Penguin Random (Berkley Prime Crime). Daryl is the real name of nationally bestselling, Agatha Award-winning author Avery Aames, who writes A CHEESE SHOP MYSTERY series.

Daryl also writes short stories. Her short story, "Palace by the Lake" from Fish Tales, has been nominated for numerous awards, including Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity. You can read the story on Daryl's website: http://www.darylwoodgerber.com. Daryl also created the format for the popular TV sit-com, "Out of this World," and she has won awards for her screenplays. 

Both Avery and Daryl like to read, cook, and garden. 

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Inherit the Word by Daryl Wood Gerber.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 18th.

1. Please leave a comment describing your favorite kinds of cooking competitions, or answer one of Daryl's questions from above.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs (GP, Review and Giveaway)

Please join me in welcoming Laura Childs to Debbie's Book Bag today. Laura is here promoting the paper back release of her book, Sweet Tea Revenge. Enjoy her guest post and see the giveaway details at the end of the post for your chance to win!

Tea Time Sipping and Quipping
by Laura Childs, author of the
Tea Shop Mysteries

Because I write the Tea Shop Mysteries, I am always being asked questions relating to tea.  Most of my readers are enchanted with the idea of visiting the Indigo Tea Shop, where my cozy mysteries take place, and sitting down for a proper Southern tea under the genteel tutelage of my main character, Theodosia.  But here’s the thing.  Tea doesn’t always have to be a staid and formal occasion.  You don’t have to don a hat, pull on tweeds, wrap a fur around your neck, and look like you’re motoring off to the Cotswolds.  

Tea can be . . . well, it can be downright casual.  If you’re not a tea drinker, or if you’ve been holding off on tea because you don’t know the proper etiquette, or water temp, or brewing time, stop worrying about it.  Just have fun with tea.  Stop at a coffee or tea shop and grab a chai to go.  Try the tea samples they hand out at the mall and start challenging your taste buds.  Buy some tea leaves at the supermarket or your local co-op and experiment.  Recently, I bought some black tea and flavored mango tea, mixed it all together, and called my newly-designed house blend, Mango Tango Tea.

You can take basic tea and personalize it to your taste with honey, milk, cream, lemon, a cinnamon stick, or a sugar swizzle stick.  Scones, that oh-so-perfect accompaniment to your tea, can be broadly tinkered with, too.  Once you’ve found a basic scone recipe that you like, you can begin to experiment.  Trade out your white sugar for brown sugar, instead of sour cream, use yogurt.  Instead of adding candied fruit to your scone dough, throw in a handful of shredded Cheddar cheese.  Because I’m a fan of turtle sundaes, I even developed a turtle scone recipe that includes chocolate chips, butterscotch bits, and pecans, with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. 


That said, I hope you take a look at the Tea Time Recipes in the back of Sweet Tea Revenge, my new paperback release.  They’re designed for busy people who don’t have time to chase from one grocery store to another looking for one special ingredient that was harvested in the Himalayas under a full moon.  My Tea Time Recipes are simple, delicious, and kitchen-tested.  So enjoy!

Book Information:

Sweet Tea Revenge (Tea Shop Mystery - Book 14) by Laura Childs

Publication Date: 03/04/2014

Publisher: Penguin Group

Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 336

ISBN-10: 0425252523

ISBN-13: 978-0425252529

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Laura Childs on the WEB: website, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Death by Darjeeling(2001), Gunpowder Green (2002), Shades of Earl Grey (2003), English Breakfast Murder(2003), The Jasmine Moon Murder (2004),Chamomile Mourning (2005), Blood Orange Brewing (2006), Dragonwell Dead (2007),The Silver Needle Murder (2008), Oolong Dead (2009), The Teaberry Stranger (2010),Scones & Bones (2011), Agony of the Leaves(2012), Sweet Tea Revenge (2013)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Sweet Tea Revenge, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Agony of the Leaves, Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning may always be a bridesmaid, never a bride, but this groom is never going to make it to the altar…
 
Theodosia Browning’s dear friend Delaine Dish has asked her to be a bridesmaid for her wedding. But when the big day arrives, everything seems to be going wrong. First, a massive storm is brewing over Charleston. A bad omen? Second, Delaine’s sister is late for the ceremony. And finally, the groom not only has cold feet—his whole body is cold. A murderer has crashed the wedding.
 
As Theodosia comforts a devastated Delaine, she needs to sort out the suspects on the groom’s side from the suspects on the bride’s side. One thing soon becomes apparent—revenge won’t be the only dish served cold at this wedding. And if Theodosia doesn’t watch her step, a cold-blooded killer may have a rude reception in store for her…

Thoughts:

Laura Childs brings readers the 14th book in her Tea Shop mystery series, Sweet Tea Revenge. Long time fans of the series will once again be immersed in the city of Charleston, South Carolina. Setting is everything! Familiar sights and sounds, as well, as characters make this novel feel like a visit with good friends. If you are new to the series, you'll quickly fall in love with the Indigo Tea Shop and it's owner, Theodosia Browning. From wedded bliss to murdered grooms, this novel has a surprise in store for everyone.

What I liked:

As many of you know Laura Childs is ultimately my favorite cozy writer. Her Tea Shop series is my favorite of the three series that she writes and I look forward to every new book that comes out. And Sweet Tea Revenge was certainly no different. I realize that after 14 books some would say that this series might be loosing a bit of it's luster. That the characters have possibly lost their edginess and that the stories have become repetitive. But I have to disagree. I think this series still has a lot of steam left and Laura Childs is the same wonderful writer readers have come to know and love.

Sweet Tea Revenge was a surprise to me in a lot of ways. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. This book had the same wonderful Charleston setting that readers have come to know and love. I know that personally I find out something interesting about this beloved city in every one of Child's books. I love the descriptions of the city itself with it's extensive history and quaint historic buildings and of course Theo's tea shop. The Indigo Tea Shop is the crux of the setting. Without it, I think the series would falter. But luckily, Childs once again enamors readers with her imaginative ways of bringing Charleston and the Indigo Tea Shop to life.

Another thing that remains the same, is the great detective trio that makes this series work. Theodosia is obviously the leader of the pack. She's been involved in many a mystery by now. She has Drayton her tea brewing master at her side and her baker, Hayley. Between the three of them and of course, officer Tidwell, they continue to solve mystery after mystery. Yes, these characters have been around for awhile. They have matured and become seasoned. Does that mean they have lost something along the way? I don't think so. It just makes them seem like people I have come to know. People I have a keen interest in, good friends I enjoy reading about over and over.

Delaine is also present. She has ever been a thorn in Theo side, but this time, she is in the spotlight. Yes, she and Theo have had their issues. Some might not like the idea of Delaine being portrayed as one of Theo's 'dear friends', but think about that for a minute. These two women and have been through a lot together. Delaine is definitely not a deep thinker, she can be rude and condescending and at times in this series, much like Theo I have wanted to ring her neck. But, Theo would still do anything to help Delaine. She has proved that again and again. Maybe a dear friend is a stretch, but they have certainly proved to be more than passing acquaintances as well. 

Delaine's groom and soon to be husband, is found dead in his room at the wedding venue. Who could possibly have wanted him dead? Delaine is distraught and Theodosia wants to find the killer. It wasn't the most elaborate plot I have seen from Childs, but it had a simplistic charm that I enjoyed. Theo has to split the suspects into friends of the bride and friends of the groom and go about investigating from there. This one was a little shorter on twists and turns readers have come to expect from Childs, but still packed a punch and had me bum-fuzzled for awhile trying to figure it out. It relies a lot on the reader as well as Theodosia's powers of observation. Like putting together a puzzle. Now where did I see that piece? How does this and this fit together? A great puzzler!

What I didn't like:

I won't say this was my favorite of the series, because I will always love the first one, the best. It's just one of those things I fell in love with it and nothing has surpassed it for me. This was a good edition to the series, it may not have been the best, but it was certainly up to par with the rest of Laura Childs work. 

Bottom Line: 

I don't think this series, has lost a thing. It's just as good now as ever, and I can see some hints of things to come that may make it even better. More Max please!

Sweet Tea Revenge is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

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

About the Author:

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. She is a consummate tea drinker, scrapbooker, and dog lover, and travels frequently to China and Japan with Dr. Bob, her professor husband. In her past life she was a Clio Award–winning advertising writer and CEO of her own marketing firm.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.

~ US addresses only.

~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 18th.

1. Please leave a comment letting us know... Are you a tea drinker? What's your favorite blend?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Berkley Prime Crime 20th Anniversary Giveaway

Berkley Prime Crime is celebrating 20 years of providing quality mysteries for the cozy community. And it's Debbie's Book Bag's pleasure to play a small part in promoting so many wonderful books and authors. Check out this press release about the upcoming 20th year celebrations going on throughout March and the rest of 2014. See giveaway details at the end of the post!

CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF BERKLEY PRIME CRIME

  

NEW YORK, NY – March 1, 2014 – Twenty years ago, in March 1994, Berkley Books introduced Berkley Prime Crime, a mass market mystery imprint that included five launch authors.  This year, Berkley celebrates the 20^th anniversary of Prime Crime with special author events and promotional giveaways.

In its first year, Berkley Prime Crime (BPC) published approximately forty titles, all mass market.  In 2013, the imprint published 150 titles, including mass market originals, trade paperbacks, and hardcovers.  Every year, BPC launches approximately 25-30 new series, including several house-owned franchises that editors have developed from idea to execution.  In the past year, BPC debuted sixteen titles on the New York Times Bestsellers List (printed and extended lists combined), which comes out to more than one per month!

“When we launched Berkley Prime Crime in March 1994 I believed that the audience for the traditional or ‘cozy’ mystery was still largely underserved and untapped.  Twenty years later I can say without reservation that this has proven to be correct and that Berkley Prime Crime has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations,” said Natalee Rosenstein, Vice President and Senior Executive Editor of Berkley. 

This spring Berkley Prime Crime is hosting two events at mystery bookstores that have supported Berkley Prime Crime over the years.  On March 13, Julie Hyzy, Miranda James, and Rebecca Hale will be at Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas.  On March 25 the Poisoned Pen in Phoenix will host Margaret Coel, Carolyn Hart, Earlene Fowler, and Avery Aames.

Throughout the remainder of 2014, more events and promotional giveaways are planned, in addition to Berkley Prime Crime’s annual presence at mystery conventions BoucherCon and Malice Domestic.  You can find out more about Berkley Prime Crime titles and authors at The Crime Scene, our cozy mystery Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecrimescenebooks.

 About Penguin Group (USA)

Penguin Group (USA) LLC is one of the leading U.S. adult and children’s trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com/)is a Penguin Random House company.

Giveaway Details:

Berkley Prime Crime is sponsoring a giveaway in celebration of 20 years of cozy mysteries! Debbie's Book Bag will be giving away a Berkley Prime Crime tote bag with 5 cozies inside, to one winner. The cozies will be a mystery, but they will be Prime Crime titles.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.

~ US addresses only.

~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 17th.

1. Please leave a comment about what you love about Berkley Prime Crime authors and titles. What have been some of your favorites over the years?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Review and Giveaway: Some Like It Wild

Some Like It Wild (Wild Ones - Book 2) by M. Leighton

Publication Date: 03/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 0425267814
ISBN-13: 978-0425267813

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

M. Leighton on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

The Wild Ones (2012) Wild Child {Novella} (2013), Some Like It Wild (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Some Like It Wild, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

How far will a good girl go for the bad boy she loves?

Laney Holt is a preacher’s daughter. A good girl. Her only goal was to get married, have babies, and live happily ever after, just like her parents. Only that didn’t happen. The two people closest to her betrayed her, and Laney’s dreams came crashing down. Now she’s left with an empty space she doesn’t know how to fill. Until she meets Jake Theopolis, a daredevil with a death wish who has heartbreaker written all over him.

Jake has no interest in thinking beyond the here and now. All he wants out of life is the next rush, the next “feel-good” thing to keep his mind off the pain of his past. His latest rush? Showing Laney there’s more to life than being a good girl—and that going bad can be so much fun. Her only concern now is how she can ever hope to satisfy the wild side of a boy like Jake. She’s looking forward to trying. And so is Jake.

Thoughts:

Author M. Leighton brings readers the next book in her Wild Ones series, Some Like It Wild. This is a riff on the classic good girl meets bad boy story that often captivates readers. Leighton takes a young woman who is used to following the rules and puts her smack dab in the path of one bad boy. She wants to fall in love and get married, he just wants the next adrenaline rush and she is providing the kind of challenge he has never had before. Readers looking for a sweet romance between to unlikely lovers will find M. Leighton's new book magical and full of surprises.

What I liked:

I have always been a sucker for a the good girl/bad boy romance and this one really hit the spot. M. Leighton is an up and coming writer in the new adult sub-genre which focuses on heroes and heroines just comes coming into adulthood. There is a lot coming of age and self-discovery in these types of novels and Leighton has proved that, that is one of her strong points. I often think younger characters have so much to learn they are somewhat exhausting, but not so with Leighton's characters. She seems understand the amount of maturity needed to make the book work, while still falling within the new adult framework. It should be interesting to see how she continues in the sub-genre.

Jake was the ultimate bad boy. Some of his reputation justly earned and some a bit on paranoia on the town's part. He is in town settling his parents estate when he meets Laney again. He had this attitude that was intoxicating. You just wanted more of him. He didn't grow on you, he was already everything you new you should like but did. He was expressive and liked to talk dirty and was a great teacher on how to walk on the wild side. Laney never knew what hit her and neither did the reader. It was a a little tedious waiting for him to sort himself out, but the way he was with Laney made up for it. He complimented her so well. A great instance of the law of opposites.

Laney on the other hand, was a little stiff in some ways. She was accustomed to doing what she was told and being the perfect preacher's daughter. Now I don't know about you but most of the preacher's kids I knew had a wild streak in them and Laney has one of her own. I liked the fact that she wanted something different out of life than what everyone wanted for her. Jake was the ultimate expression of rebellion but that was so not her agenda. I thought she was sweet, a little too sweet maybe, but that made me want to see things work out for her. When her ex shows up wanting her back it was time for her to do some soul searching and find out what she really wanted.

Both of these characters show a lot of character growth throughout this novel and I think Leighton does a fantastic job of showing each of them what really mattered in life. I thought their chemistry was undeniable. They were both so passionate about everything in life that is spilled over into their romantic life and that was nice. I felt like there wasn't a lot of surprises in this book, but I liked the direction it went from start to finish. I also enjoyed the Wild Child short story featuring Jake's sister Jenna. A nice extra.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like Laney's dad very much, preacher or no. It felt like he was a bit condescending toward Jake. Now I understand that she was his baby and Jake was totally not what he thought was best for her, but there is a line that I think he crossed with Jake. He wouldn't let him succeed at doing good. He just kept downing everything he tried to do. Not a very good example of Christian charity and behavior in my opinion. Definitely, not a deal breaker, just a mild annoyance.

Bottom Line:

This is a great example of what new adult contemporary novels are all about. Laney and Jake had a lot of growing up to do and they showed a lot of maturity throughout the book. Leighton gives readers a very sweet and light romance between to characters who are opposites. I liked it a lot.

Some Like It Wild will be available to the public on March 4th. Pre-order is available NOW.

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

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M. Leighton is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books: the first in her Wild Ones series, The Wild Ones, and her Bad Boys novels, Down to You, Up to Me, andEverything for Us. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Some Like It Wild by M. Leighton.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 17th.

1. Please leave a comment about what you like about the new adult sub-genre.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Review and Giveaway: Dead Between the Lines

Dead Between the Lines (Deveraux Dime Store Mystery - Book 3) by Denise Swanson

Publication Date: 03/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 272
ISBN-10: 0451418883
ISBN-13: 978-0451418883

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Denise Swanson on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Little Shop of Homicide (2012), Nickeled and Dimed to Death (2013), Dead Between the Lines (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Dead Between the Lines, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Opening an old-fashioned five-and-dime shop in her small Missouri hometown has been a great change for Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair. But when she hosts a reading group there, she learns that bad writing can mean life or death.
 
To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns. Later that night, the poet’s body is found outside Dev’s store.
 
Dev can’t afford for the murder to close her down, so she does a little stepping out of her own to investigate, with help from her two sexy suitors, Dr. Noah Underwood and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio. But when the killer threatens Dev, they will have to use every trick in the book to solve the case before she becomes the final chapter in this murder mystery.…

Thoughts:

Denise Swanson continues her Deveraux Dime Store mystery series with her latest book, Dead Between the Lines. Swanson does a wonderful job of meshing her dime store theme with other plot elements to create interesting directions for this series. Her latest idea of using the store as a gathering place for community clubs is featured when murder ends up being the subject of the latest book club meeting. Swanson has a way of writing that gathers the reader in and keeps them so interested they can't put it down. A very good addition to the series.

What I liked: 

Denise Swanson always delivers a great read, so I wasn't concerned about that. The Deveraux Dime Store series is quite different from her Scrumble River books and it's interesting to see how each new book changes the direction of the series. This time readers have the pleasure of reading not only a good murder mystery, but one with a reading related theme as well. Having the book club meeting in the dime store provided a great avenue for this mystery. I loved the idea that Swanson was able to add that element to give the story even more momentum. 

As usual I enjoyed Dev very much. She is a great heroine. She has that spark of curiosity that comes across as more of inquisitiveness. It isn't annoying or pretentious. When she starts asking questions she doesn't seem like someone suspects need to worry about. She just seems like your average young woman, wondering about things, not a detective. It works for her very well. I thought Swanson did a great job of making this heroine attuned to people and able to get information others might not be able to. 

I love Dev's love life as well. It's a triangle for sure. She has feelings for Noah, but she also likes Jake. Who will she choose? Maybe we will find out in future books. For now she's dating both of them. Not something I think is necessarily realistic when it comes to men who know about each other, but it goes along with the plot. That long distance relationship stuff is for the birds though, so I think it's Noah who will win out.

The mystery was well written and had some edge to it. The guest author for the book club gathering has written a scathing book of poetry that has tempers on the rise. After having words with several book club members the author ends up dead right in front of Dev's store. I liked the way Dev gets right into the fray of finding out who did it. The suspects were aplenty and the motives were varied and interesting. Not Swanson's strongest effort, but definitely worth the time to try to figure out. 

What I didn't like:

There wasn't much I didn't like, but it didn't grab me like some of Swanson's books do. It was a good book for sure, just not my favorite of the series, to date.

Bottom Line:

If you have read the other books in this series and others by this author, you know how good she is. This is a good addition to the series and continues to move the series forward at a good clip. Looking forward to the next one.

Dead Between the Lines will be available to the public March 4th. It is available for pre-order NOW.

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

About the Author:

Denise Swanson is the author of the Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery series, and the New York Times bestselling Scumble River Mystery series.  She lives in Illinois with her husband, classical music composer David Stybr, and their cool black cat, Boomerang. 

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Dead Between the Lines by Denise Swanson.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 17th.

1. Please leave a comment about a local store you have in your community.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Review and Giveaway: Shunned and Dangerous

Shunned and Dangerous (Amish Mystery - Book 3) by Laura Bradford

Publication Date: 03/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 288
ISBN-10: 0425252434
ISBN-13: 978-0425252437

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Laura Bradford (aka. Elizabeth Lynn Casey) on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Hearse and Buggy (2012), Assaulted Pretzel (2013), Shunned and Dangerous (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Shunned and Dangerous, courtesy of 

Synopsis:

Living in the small town of Heavenly, Pennsylvania, Claire Weatherly has come to admire the Amish for their wholesome, honest way of life. But she also knows that nothing is as simple as it seems—especially when murder disturbs the peace.

Claire has always been game for a good puzzle, so when she hears that Mose Fisher has made one of his famous corn mazes, she can’t wait to walk the paths and test her skill. But she’ll have a much more serious puzzle to solve when, deep inside the maze, she discovers the body of Amish dairy farmer Harley Zook.

It won’t be easy for Detective Jakob Fisher to investigate a murder on his own father’s farm—not after being shunned by the man  for leaving the Amish community and becoming a cop. With Mose himself as a suspect, and old family secrets cropping up, it’s up to Claire to help catch the killer before she finds herself at a dead end.

Thoughts:

Laura Bradford once again transports her readers to the heart of Amish country in her latest Amish mystery, Shunned and Dangerous. Readers who enjoy well researched mysteries will love Bradford's attention to detail and her obvious love for the Amish people. Readers will have to use all of their senses to figure out this whodunit, that pits a detective, against his Amish roots, with his father as a possible suspect. Fans of the series will be waiting to see what happens to Claire's shop, who killed Harley Zook, and if Claire and Jakob will ever acknowledge their feelings for each other. A great addition to the series!

What I liked:

I am a fan of Amish related stories in just about every genre. I have great respect for their simplistic life and their devotion to their faith, so when this mystery series featuring the Amish came out, I was really excited. Laura Bradford has certainly done her homework. Not only does she give readers an insiders view in the Amish community their practices and religious beliefs, she also delves into the underbelly of the Amish faith. Sometimes that includes gossip, rage and even murder. What a great theme for a cozy series! Bradford certainly does it justice.

One of the interesting things about this series, is that the heroine herself, is not Amish. Claire is a transplanted Heavenly, Pennsylvania resident. She is trying desperately to make a go of her shop in town and needs to make it able to support her before her meager savings are depleted. Now her assistant Ester is getting married and will have to stop working for her and making the high dollar items she crafts for th shop. I loved the fact that Bradford went outside of the religious order to bring us the heroine of this series, Claire is gaining a lot of understanding of the Amish people, but she still has that outsiders perspective that works so well in this series. I thought Bradford did a great job of balancing the mystery against Claire's personal life in this one and I was just as interested in one as in the other.

Claire finds the body of a local Amish Dairy farmer deep in the corn maze on Mose Fishers' farm. That presents several different problems for Claire. First Mose is the father of her assistant and she is worried that he might be the best suspect. Second he is also the father of the local police detective investigating the case. The big problem is that Claire has feelings for said detective who has some issues with the Amish since he was shunned and left the faith to become a cop. The murder victim, Harley Zook encouraged Jakob and was the only Amish to support his decision, much to the rancor of his father. Quite a mess! Bradford makes it look easy as she moves between all the characters, dropping clues and leaving red herrings for the reader. It wasn't really clear who could have done it other than Mose, or what other motive might existed for much of the book, which I thought was amazing. I definitely couldn't figure out who else it could have been for awhile. 

I liked the way that Jakob used Claire's help with this case. He knew the Amish people would not talk to him due to the shunning. He also was far too close to the case considering his father was the main suspect. Mose did not like Harley Zook. He blamed him for taking his son away and now his other son was gone. He had the perfect motive. But Jakob couldn't find the information he needed to clear him on his own. These two characters obviously have a thing for each other, but, don't want to admit it. It should be interesting in future books to see where this goes.

What I didn't like:

Jakob seemed a bit lackadaisical about the investigation. I understood that he couldn't do a lot of investigating but it seemed like he should have been a bit more adamant about what was happening. It was his father after all that was being accused of murder. It certainly didn't take away my enjoyment of the book, just a minor pet peeve.

Bottom Line:

This is a great addition to the series and readers are sure to find that Bradford took the time to really develop this story. She didn't leave anything to chance and kept me in the dark until close to the end. This one had an interesting plot that kept me guessing.

Shunned and Dangerous will be available to the public on March 4th. Pre-order is available NOW.

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

About the Author:

While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend’s house more than thirty years ago, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is a bestselling mystery and award-winning romance author. She lives in Yorktown Heights, New York, with her husband and their blended brood.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Shunned and Dangerous by Laura Bradford.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 17th.

1. Please leave a comment about a great Amish style dish you like to serve your family or would like to try.
2. Please fill out the FORM.