Broken Bonds by Karen Harper, Review and Giveaway

 

About the Book:

 

Three very different sisters…

          Three desirable, dangerous men…

          Three endangered lives…

THE COLD CREEK TRILOGY is set in Appalachia in a small town where the enemy is us.

 

Haunted by the past…

 

Title: Broken Bonds
Author: Karen Harper
Publisher: MIRA
Pages: 384
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle

Purchase at AMAZON

Haunted by the past…

Cold Creek is a place with a dark history, especially for the Lockwoods. Now adults, the three Lockwood sisters are still recovering from the events that led to the destruction of their family when they were children. Determined to move forward, Tess and Kate are making fresh starts, ready to put bad—even deadly—memories to rest and settle happily in the small but booming town. And they're hoping their older sister, Charlene, can do the same.

Char is back in town seeking comfort as she figures out her next move. A social worker used to difficult situations, she soon runs afoul of some locals who think she's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. She's certain something sinister is being covered up, and when she witnesses Matt Rowan being run off the road, she knows she's right.

Working together, Matt and Char figure uncovering the truth will be dangerous, but living in Cold Creek won't be safe for any of them until its secrets are revealed.

What I Thought:

This is the third book in the Cold Creek series, and I haven't had time to read the first two in the series yet, so I will admit, I was a little lost.  I think this series needs to be read in order to make sense.  It is set in the Appalachia's of Ohio, which you don't really see a lot about, maybe the Appalachia's of Kentucky and West Virginia.  I think the author really grasped how Appalachia really is, and told a believable account of the area.  This book had action in it from the very beginning, so it keeps you on the edge of your seat.  It also had the right amount of romance.  The only problem I had is that I wish I had read the first two in the series first, maybe it would have made more sense as the author referred back to things that had happened in the previous books. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About the Author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county.

Her latest book is the romantic suspense, Broken Bonds, the third book in the Cold Creek Trilogy.

For More Information

• Visit Karen Harper’s website.
• Connect with Karen on Facebook.
• Find out more about Karen at Goodreads.

   

Giveaway!


Karen Harper is giving away 10 sets of the Cold Creek Trilogy!



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Excerpt:
 

As she made the next sharp turn, Char gasped. A white truck with Lake Azure, Inc. painted on its side was tipped nearly off the cliff, right where the school bus stopped for the kids who lived above. She’d heard a horn honk long and loud a few minutes earlier. Maybe the truck missed the last turn and spun out, since its rear, not its front, was dangling over the edge, propped up by two trees. No other vehicle was nearby to help.

She put her emergency blinkers on and pulled as close to the cliff face as she could. She jumped down from her truck and ran across the road toward the truck. A man was inside!

“What should I do?” she shouted, her voice shrill. It sounded like a stupid question. She had to get the man out of his truck before it crashed over the edge.

The bitter, strong wind ripped at her hair and jacket. What if a blast of air tipped him off? Or maybe even if he moved. She’d swear the two tree trunks that held his truck were shaking as hard as she was.

She could hear the engine was still running. The driver opened an automatic window.

“A guy in a truck shoved me off,” he shouted. “Meant to. I don’t have any traction. I’m afraid if I shift my weight or open a door to jump out, I’ll send it over.”

The fact someone had done this on purpose stunned her. What was going on? If her cell phone worked up here, she’d call her brother-in-law, the county sheriff, for help, but she was on her own. It wouldn’t help to go back up for help from Elinor and Penny.

“Don’t move until I get something you can hang on to if the truck goes. I have some jump ropes I can tie together. Those trees are shaky.”

“I’m shaky. Hurry!”

She ran to her truck and knotted together the three jump ropes she had, tying square knots because she knew they would hold. But she’d never be able to balance the man’s weight if the truck went over the edge.

“I’ve got ropes here, but I’ll have to tie the end to a tree. I don’t dare drive close enough to you to tie it to my truck. It would never stretch that far.”

She knotted it around the trunk of a pine tree that looked sturdy enough, though that almost took the length of one rope. This wasn’t going to work.

A grinding sound, then a crunch reverberated as the truck seemed to jerk once then settled closer to the cliff edge.

“Now or never!” he shouted and opened his door fast.







Kill Em with Cayenne by Gail Oust, Review and Guest Post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 



Kill ‘Em with Cayenne
(Spice Shop Mystery Series)

 

2nd in Series Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 16, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1250011053

Synopsis

A brand new finger-lickin’ good mystery featuring small-town Georgia spice shop owner Piper Prescott, a smart and spunky amateur sleuth…

Spices are flying off the shelves of Spice It Up!, and Piper Prescott couldn’t be happier. It’s that time of year again—time for the annual Brandywine Creek Barbecue Festival. Soon contestants and BBQ aficionados from all over the Southeast will converge on the town. Many of Brandywine Creek’s citizens plan to participate in the week-long festivities and are busily concocting savory rubs and sassy sauces. Among the locals vying for the grand prize are Becca Dapkins and Maybelle Humphries. The women have been arch enemies ever since Buzz Oliver dumped Maybelle after a thirteen-year courtship and started seeing Becca.

When Becca’s body is found near one of the festival booths, bludgeoned by a brisket, Maybelle becomes one of Chief Wyatt McBride’s top suspects. Determined to help clear her friend’s name, Piper begins her own investigation, much to McBride’s consternation. As the festival draws closer, will Piper and Reba Mae be able to find the real killer and clear Maybelle’s name? Will Piper make it to the annual shag contest with Doug Winters, the mild-mannered vet she’s been seeing? And, who will win the BBQ cook-off?

 

What I Thought!

 

I really enjoy this series and I think this book was better than the first.  I love the setting and the quirky characters that Gail has created.  This was a fast paced book that kept me turning the pages.  Piper sure does have some close calls, but she is bound and determined to prove that her friend is innocent.  There were also some laugh out loud moments in this book.  This is one that really kept me guessing till the very end.  Great job Gail, can't wait for more.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About This Author

 

Friends accuse Gail Oust of flunking retirement.  While working as a nurse/vascular technologist, Gail penned nine historical romances under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Turner.  It wasn’t until after she and her husband retired to South Carolina that inspiration struck for a mystery.  Hearing the words “maybe it’s a dead body” while golfing with friends fired her imagination for the Bunco Babe Mystery series published by NAL.  Gail is currently writing the Spice Shop Mysteries published by Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press.  Kill ‘em with Cayenne, the second in the series, was released December 2014.  Her interests include reading, travel, golf, and spending time with friends and family.

 

Links:  www.gailoust.com, Gail Oust Author on Facebook, and Goodreads.

 

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository

 

 



 



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Guest Post

HEY, LADY…

Years ago—pre everyone-has-a-cell-phone era—I called a repairman to fix my washing machine.  In the course of his service call, the man asked to use my phone to call his office.  While on hold, he happened to glance around my office and read the titles of the books on a  nearby shelf.  Titles such as Malicious Intent, Deadly Doses, and Armed and Dangerous.   “Ma’am,” he said, clearing his throat rather nervously, “exactly what type of work do you do?”  “I’m a writer,” I explained to his obvious relief.  “I need these for research.”

Before I started writing mysteries, I wrote historical romance under the pseudonym of Elizabeth Turner.  In my last two historicals, I introduced a mystery element, but the bulk of my research dealt with things such as period clothing, timelines of history, and regional history.  I had an entire shelf devoted to dictionaries and almanacs to give my work verisimilitude.  I even own, and often referred to, a set of Encyclopedia Britannica published in 1890.   Most of my research was performed the old fashioned way via books I could hold in my hand.

Many changes have occurred through the years.  Not only in the type of books I write—cozies—but in the way I do research.  While methods may have changed, the necessity for research remains constant.  When it comes to writing mysteries, today’s readers are a savvy bunch thanks to a plethora of crime shows such as CSI, Law and Order, and newsmagazines Dateline, 48 Hours, and 20/20.   Readers aren’t easily misled and are quick to note any discrepancies.   DNA, blood spatter, and gunshot residue are familiar terms.

I confess that I still own an assortment of books dealing with everything from poisonous plants to textbooks on forensics.  Although my sleuth is an amateur, I’m a professional.  I try hard to keep the details as accurate as possible.  A lot of my research these days is done on the Internet.  Google and I have become BFFs.  I try to fact check my information from several sources for accuracy.  I shamelessly avail myself of the expertise of friends and acquaintances.  I’m fortunate to have friends who were in law enforcement and are always happy and willing to answer oddball questions.  Once in response to one of my questions, a friend  and former Detroit detective, came over and fired off a round in my backyard—much to the consternation of my husband--to demonstrate a point.  Recently during my annual checkup, my doctor who knows I’m a writer volunteered several great suggestions on how to kill a person—provided I withheld my source. 

Unlike revisions (which I detest) I actually enjoy research.  Quite often research doesn’t deal with murder and mayhem but with fun things.  Research for my Shop Shop Mysteries has increased my understanding and appreciation for spices that I took for granted.  For example, I always assumed allspice was a blend of various spices therefore the name--allspice.  In fact, allspice is a berry discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean and at the time thought to be pepper.  Kill ‘em with Cayenne takes place around Brandywine Creek’s Annual Barbecue Festival.   Chili peppers, I learned, carry a wide, wide range of heat.  Hot, hotter, and hottest. It was fun having Piper advise contestants on how to Spice It Up! from the milder ancho to the little firecrackers called piquin.  Read and learn, I always say—and enjoy the journey. 

Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

Twisted Threads
(A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)
Series: A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (January 6, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617730047


Synopsis

After leaving a decade ago, Angie Curtis has been called back to Harbor Haven by her grandmother, Estelle, who raised her following her troubled mother’s disappearance when she was a child. Her mother has been found, and now the question of her whereabouts has sadly become the mystery of her murder.

The bright spot in Angie’s homecoming is reuniting with Estelle, who has started her own needlepointing business with a group called Mainely Needlepointers. But when a shady business associate of the stitchers dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, Estelle and Angie become suspects. As Angie starts to weave together clues, she discovers that this new murder may have ties to her own mother’s cold case.

 

What I Thought:

 

Well, when I first started this book, I thought, I don't think I am going to like this book very well, but boy was I wrong.  Once I started it, I didn't want to put it down.  There were so many things happening in this book, my head was almost spinning.  Not only does Angie want to try to find out what really happened to her mother, she also has to find her grandmother's business partner.  Then she has to solve another murder.  I liked the characters and the setting of this book.  I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About This Author

Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine. A fourth generation antique dealer, and author of the Agatha-nominated Shadows Antique Print mystery series, she loves all things antiques and Maine, and she’s learning to do needlepoint. She also writes historical novels for young people set in nineteenth-century Maine. Lea adopted her four daughters when she was single; she’s now the grandmother of eight, and married to artist Bob Thomas.

Author Link

    http://www.leawait.com/

 

Tales from Suburbia by Brandi Haas, Review and Guest Post

Tales from Suburbia: You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Live Here, but It Helps
Print Length: 209 pages
Publisher: Cup of Tea Books, an imprint of PageSpring Publishing (December 1, 2014)
ASIN: B00OY1L3EI
Synopsis

Brandi Haas is no domestic goddess . . . but she’ll tell you that motherhood is probably the hardest gig in the universe: “The pay is horrible, the wardrobe is pathetic, and your boss (although utterly adorable) is usually a tyrant.”

Brandi brings her trademark wit from the popular blog to this new collection, sharing stories of birthday party mayhem, mommy martyrdom, and snow shoveling majesty.

 The setting is Anytown, USA, among barking dogs, picket fences, and eclectic neighbors.

 Tales from Suburbia: You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Live Here, but It Helps will make you laugh, warm your heart, and let you know you’re not alone. Mothers (and fathers) will recognize themselves, their children, and the absurd situations that family life brings to us all.

 

What I Thought:

 

This is a book that is for any woman who is a mother.  Sometimes, I thought it was being written about me.  I too, decided I only wanted one child and I am not a teacher yet, but I am getting my degree to become a teacher.  There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this book.  I really liked the chapter that was entitled We're all Carol.  This chapter really hit home, in that, there are many types of mom's out there, not all mom's are the same, but mostly they all try to do their best.  This book is so interesting that it just flew by.  I really enjoyed reading this, it really hit home.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

About This Author
Brandi Haas is a former high school English teacher turned stay-at-home mom. Born and raised in California, she now lives in Missouri with her husband, daughter, and their dog, The WonderMutt. She is consistently inconsistent about her weight and age because, really, it’s no one’s business anyway. She sees humor in everything and began writing stories about her life as way to share her insanity with the world.

 

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Guest Post:

If there is one thing moms are good at, it is pretense.

 

For me, the pretense started right about the time a mom friend of mine told me her ten-month old was already potty trained. My pride got the best of me and I panicked.

 

“Well, my daughter isn’t potty trained yet but she has expressed interest in the presidency. Remember the other day when she wrote all over my new purse with that marker? Well, to the untrained eye that was just the reckless abandon of a toddler, but I’m pretty sure she was trying to perfect her signature for all the legislation she will be signing as president.” I finished my rambling and was really impressed because for a moment, I almost believed it.

 

My most recent tangle with pretense was when my daughter invited a friend over to our house for a playdate. Of course she told me at the last minute and of course I had cooked a new recipe the night before that didn’t turn out so well (okay, I burned that dinner to oblivion) which left a horrendous stench in my house. I quickly grabbed one of those fancy candles and ran around the house with it.

 

This time my pretense worked—that girl’s mother now completely believes that my house always smells like a fall leaf medley.

Steven Manchester Gooseberry Island Excerpt

Brief Synopsis:

They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty?

Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers.

 

 

 

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve Months and The Rockin' Chair. He is also the author of the award-winning novel, Goodnight, Brian, as well as the critically-acclaimed novel, Pressed Pennies, A Christmas Wish (Kindle exclusive), Wilbur Avenue (novelette), Just in Time (novelette), The Thursday Night Club (novella) and Gooseberry Island (novel, released January 2015). His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com

 

Gooseberry Island excerpt

 

David had been home for six weeks when he pulled into the market, preparing to locate everything on his mother’s grocery list. As he approached the store, he spotted a young teenage boy walking out; he was holding a brown bag. An older man approached the boy and reached out his hand. David gasped and his dizzy mind immediately raced back to Afghanistan and the horrific beating of the young Afghani boy:

 

There was movement three hundred yards out on the street below. Unusual, David thought. It was a teenage boy, maybe fourteen, carrying a burlap bag and hurrying home before dark. Never seen him before, David thought.

In a flash, a man—a Taliban fighter—jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the boy’s arm, pulling him to the street and spilling the contents of his sack. As the teenager yelled for help, another Taliban soldier emerged from the darkness. The boy screamed louder, but not a single soul came to his aid…

 

It only took a few seconds, but the whole scene played out in sequence in his mind—both men yelling and slapping the boy as he screamed for help; the slaps turning to a vicious beating until finally the boy was dead. He could almost hear Command say “Negative” again after he asked if he could intervene. He felt the anguish in his soul threatening to overwhelm him, but it was quickly replaced by a burning rage.

His eyes filled with tears, David returned to the present and started for the man in a mad rush. He was three steps from the shocked stranger when reality clicked in. It’s the boy’s father, he realized. He’s…he’s okay.

David’s body convulsed. He’d forgotten he was home, and the reality of it slapped him hard in the face.

The man pulled the teenage boy close to him; both of them were frightened by David’s sudden charge toward them.

“Sorry,” David said, though it sounded more like “Sigh.” Trying unsuccessfully to smile at them, he turned on his heels and hurried back to the Mustang.

 

For the next hour, David sat alone in his car, trying to calm the physical effects of his anxiety. Once he’d reined that in, he spent another two hours beating back the depression that always followed in anxiety’s wake.

His wasn’t sure whether the abyss existed within his heart or mind, but he knew that he was now filled with a great void—nothingness. There was no light there, only darkness. There was no hope, only despair. In time, he’d learned to embrace the silence, as the screams and whimpers of faceless victims became echoes that returned again and again, pushing the line of madness. Yet, the solitude was relentless, enveloping, merciless. It would have been better had I never existed, he thought, fearing another moment more than cashing in and leaving it all behind. No love, he thought, no peace. His memories were slanted in such thick negativity that his entire past would have been better off erased. And no one knows I’m dying inside, he thought, inviting another wave of panic attacks to crash onto the shore of his weary mind.

He closed his eyes tightly and tried to calm the short labored gasps. Just ride the wave, he told himself. Just ride the wave.

But in another room in his mind, he knew that even if he rode that wave—and didn’t crack his skull on all the rocks beneath him—he’d have to take the ride again and again. It didn’t take long before the jagged rocks seemed like the more merciful option.

 

~~~

 

Enough time had passed for Lindsey to realize David was not coming after her. He’s obviously in a lot of pain, she thought, and doesn’t want to burden anyone with it. She shook her head. But I care way too much about him to let him go through this alone.

With Craig’s permission, she slammed David’s front door behind her and marched through the living room into the kitchen. “Don’t you dare play the coward with me, David McClain,” she shouted before even reaching the room.

As she expected, David had been staring out the kitchen window into nothingness. With tear-filled eyes, his head snapped up. “Don’t you ever call me that word…ever!”

She stared at him for a few long moments before her heart softened. “Then go ahead, tell me that you don’t want to see me anymore and I’ll leave you alone forever.”

He looked at her with tormented eyes but didn’t say a word.

“But you can’t, can you?” she said, her entire insides starting to tremble.

“It’s not you,” he vowed. “It’s me. I’m just not…”

“Don’t you dare feed me that tired line! I spent a year praying for you…writing letters and wishing for us to…” She stopped, trying in vain to contain her emotions.

His face looked panicked, as his mind obviously spiraled out of control to gather the right words. “I don’t have the words,” he said in less than a whisper.

“After the first time I came here, I thought for sure you’d chase after me,” she said. “I’m not stupid, David. I realize something happened over there that has you all twisted up. But I also thought that once you saw my face, you’d…” She stopped again and began to cry.

David placed his hand on hers. She started to pull away, but he stopped her, intertwining their fingers. “Lindsey, please…please don’t say anything until I finish. Just hear me out. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, her tears threatening to flood her face.

He took a few deep breaths. “I've given this a lot of thought, and I want you to know that I've never lied to you…and I don't plan to now.” He shook his head. “I’m so messed up right now, Lindsey, I can’t even explain it.” He could barely hold eye contact with her. “I really hope we can be together someday…more than you can ever imagine. But I’m just not ready yet. I…I need to heal,” he stuttered.

She took a deep breath and held it.

“Torn isn't even the word for what I’m feeling over this,” he babbled on. “The last thing I want to do is hurt either of us.”

“I don’t think we have to say goodbye, though,” she said, feeling the panic of desperation creep into her soul. “Don’t you remember the night we shared on that bench?”

His eyes grew even more distant. “I really wish things were different,” he said, “that life didn’t have to be so difficult.” He shrugged. “Time will tell, I guess.”

“You guess?” She returned his shrug to him, perturbed.

“Lindsey, I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I don't want to destroy any chance we might have at it …just because I might not be ready for it yet.” He grimaced. “I need time to find myself, okay?”

Lindsey, the child of a PTSD victim, shook her head. “You don’t have to find yourself, David. You just have to remember who you are…who you’ve always been.”

He nodded, tears streaming down his face.

Lindsey took a deep breath and surrendered. “David, I’ve told you the way that I feel for you and what I want for us. That’s all I can do. The rest is in your hands.” She peered into his dull eyes. “I can only hope that you’ll think of me every day, as I will you. I hope a lot of things, David.” She paused to collect herself. “Most of all, I hope the day will come when Afghanistan is behind you and we can fall in love all over again and catch up on all the things we’ve missed.” Mimicking him, she shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I guess time will tell.” She pulled her hand away from his and felt her heart rip clean out of her chest. “Until then, you’ll be in my thoughts,” she whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Lindsey,” he sobbed, his shoulders rocking.

“I love you, David,” she said and, with one final attempt, grabbed his chin and forced eye contact between them. “Now tell me you don’t want to see me and I’ll leave you alone,” she whispered.

As he looked at her, Lindsey could clearly see the anguish in his eyes.

“You can’t, can you?” she said, hopefully.

His tears continued to leak down his cheeks. “I don’t want to see you…for now,” he said, and turned his eyes away from hers.

It felt as though someone had just slugged her in the gut. “Okay,” she gasped and ran out of the house crying harder than she’d ever cried before.

 

Long after Lindsey had run out of the kitchen, David remained catatonic—until he grabbed a drinking glass off the counter and threw it onto the floor where it broke into a hundred pieces. Enraged, he began smashing everything he could get his hands on in the kitchen. At the end of the violent outburst, he collapsed to the floor and began to weep. With his head in both hands, he screamed, “I love you, too, Lindsey.”

Day turned into dusk and, like most nights, just beyond the sobs and sniffles the world turned quiet and black.

 

~~~

 

After four or five weeks of self-imposed solitary confinement—a punishment filled with death-defying panic attacks and long, treacherous tunnels of depression—David decided to reach out to the men he had served with. They’re the only ones who can relate, he thought. And I wonder how they’re doing…really doing?

 

 

 

 

 

Diners, Drive-ins, and Death by Christine Wenger, Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

 

Diners, Drive-Ins and Death
by Christine Wenger

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Death:
A Comfort Food Mystery
Series: Comfort Food (Book 3)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Signet (January 6, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0451415103



Synopsis
For Sandy Harbor’s tastiest comfort food, venture to the Silver Bullet Diner. But head next door to the new drive-in theater if you have an appetite for murder….
Trixie Matkowski has a tall order to fill this fall. Aside from dishing out delicious fare at the Silver Bullet during peak fishing season, she’s helping her friend—Antoinette Chloe Brown, or ACB for short—open a drive-in movie theater in the vacant lot beside her diner. It’s just the thing to take ACB’s mind off Nick, her missing biker beau.
But their plans are fried after Nick’s body is discovered during the groundbreaking for the drive-in. And when the police connect the murder weapon to ACB, she becomes the prime suspect in eighty-sixing Nick. With the fate of her innocent friend and her business on the line, Trixie must make the guilty party pay up before someone else gets stiffed….
Includes Delicious Home-Style Recipes!



What I Thought:

This is one of my favorite Cozy series, and I was not disappointed with this installment of the series.  This book kept my interest from the time I picked it up, until I finally finished it.  I really like visiting Sandy Harbor and all of the eccentric characters that inhabit this small town.  This book had everything that I love in a cozy, it kept me guessing till the end, and it also had just the right amount of humor in it.  I like the setting of this series and I also like the characters, Trixie is a very strong protagonist.  This was a great read to start off my new reading year.  Great job Christine, I literally cannot wait for the next book, please keep up the good work.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

About This Author
I have worked in the criminal justice field for more years than I care to remember! It seems like I was forever going to school while I was working full time, but in the end, I received a dual master’s degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University.
Unfortunately, the knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didn’t prepare me for what I love to do the most – writing cozy mysteries.
LOVE THOSE COZY MYSTERIES!!
The year 2013 began my series of “comfort food” cozies  which are set in a small-town 1950’s diner: the Silver Bullet (open 24 hours, air conditioned).  The Silver Bullet sits on the shore of Lake Ontario and many colorful characters, including the owner of the diner, Trixie Matkowski, live in Sandy Harbor or are just visiting.
The first book, DO OR DINER, from Penguin/Obsidian books was released in August, 2013.  Another followed, A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER, in April, 2014, and a third, DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DEATH, is scheduled for January, 2015.  I’d like to continue with this series for as long as readers keep reading about sleuthing Trixie Matkowski’s way.
JUST FOR FUN
I enjoy watching professional bull riding and rodeo with my favorite cowboy, my husband Jim. We put on our cowboy regalia (I look horrible in a cowboy hat!) and have traveled to events in Las Vegas, Florida, Connecticut, and other states.
Of course I have to do research for my comfort food diner series.  That takes me to diners all over the U.S. and Canada (and maybe Europe and Asia!) for meals.  It’s a tough job, but I just have to do it!
Best wishes to you, and I hope you smile when you read my books!

Author Links
Online links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinewengerauthor?fref=ts
Website: www.christinewenger.com
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Book Depository

Guest Post:

Email to Aunt Stella

From Trixie Matkowski

January 6, 2015

 

Aunt Stella:

Hello!  And have a happy and healthy 2015!

I know you are cruising somewhere in the Bahamas and are enjoying warm weather, but you know I like to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening. 

Right now it’s about two degrees above zero (but who’s counting?) on the non-sunny shores of semi-frozen Lake Ontario.    The only one who is enjoying blizzard after blizzard and the neck-deep snow is my adopted pup, Blondie.  Here’s a picture that I took of Blondie yesterday:

 

Things are wonderful at the Silver Bullet Diner.  It was the right decision to buy the diner and the cottages from you.  I enjoy every day there, or should I say early morning because I work the graveyard shift? 

I want to tell you about  Christmas.  Ty Brisco (Sandy Harbor deputy and Houston transplant), and Antoinette Chloe Brownelli (you know her, she runs Brown’s Four Corners Restaurant in town), and I all cooked Christmas dinner at the Silver Bullet.  We are continuing your (you and Uncle Porky’s) tradition of cooking for the staff and their families along with anyone who doesn’t have a place to go to for Christmas. 

What a crowd we had! 

ACB and I made a zillion pierogies.  Ty carved up four turkeys and four hams.  We had tons of kielbasa that I ordered from the store in Utica that you like so much.  And I made horseradish, cranberry/pear chutney, and lots of snowball cookies.  My mother’s snowball recipe has been around the world, most recently to Afghanistan where a fan of my author pal, Christine Wenger, sent a box of them to the troops.  Isn’t that terrific?    

Chris has the recipe on her website if you want to check it out:  http://www.christinewenger.com/recipes.html

Well, Aunt Stella, I have to get ready to go to work now.  Please write back when you get a chance.  Enjoy the warm weather!

                                                                                Love,

                                                                                Trixie

 

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