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Hello world!

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Let’s talk about books. What type of book do you like to read? Do you stick to the same authors or are you willing to take a chance on something radically different from your norm? I have a cluster of authors that I gobble up the new books they put out like a binge eater…all in one sitting. And in between waiting for said authors to put out the next book, I have a group of “fill in” authors. And then there are the ones I read because I am so very curious about everything. It has been pointed out to me that my reading list is probably linked to Homeland Security but how can you have an opinion on anything if you haven’t fully researched it?

On my bookshelf you will find every James Patterson novel, every Laurell K. Hamilton, every Stuart Woods, Harlan Coben, Catherine Coulter, Iris Johansen, Anne Rice, Laura Childs, Tom Clancy, George R.R.Martin, Kim Harrison, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Unger, Karin Slaughter, Don Winslow, Sara Blaedel along with all the classics. I don’t do romance books, no heaving bosoms or glistening abs for me.

Reading is a magical thing that can take you places you would never have access to in the living world. I love everything about books. The cover, the feel, and smell of the paper, it all has to come together for me.  Books are like a good friend who stays around.

So here we are going to be talking about books. What we’ve read, what we are reading and what we hope to read. I find it so interesting that two people can read the same book and have totally different takes on it. But that is the fun of books and imagination. Everyone is different and I am intrigued by those different opinions.

Stick around for some really good, new authors I have found and feel free to make suggestions and comments!  Join us on Facebook for free books, authors looking for reviewers and new releases and giveaways! On Twitter, @GaPirate  Email me at piratepatty@hotmail.com. Have your Marketing people or Publisher contact me for reviews.

A KILLER EDITION by LORNA BARRETT

A Killer Edition (Booktown Mystery, #13)

Book 13 in A Booktown Mystery Series

Stoneham is the town I want to live in. Tricia and her sister are deeply embedded in the town with her sister owning most of the shops and Tricia owning her mystery bookstore while playing amateur detective.

Now that Pixie is taking on more responsibility in the store, Tricia finds herself with quite a bit of extra time. She really wants to join the board of the local animal shelter/rescue, but that looks like a longshot. Maybe she’ll enter the Great Stoneham Bake-Off, but that looks daunting as well.

Looking to mix things up she wanders into Joyce’s Romance Bookstore, hoping for a little romance herself. What she finds is Joyce and Vera in an awkward argument where Vera is yelling angrily and Joyce is being polite but firm. It would seem there is some bad blood between these two neighbors, but who is telling the truth. And why is the new policewoman holding hands with Joyce?

Things heat up when Tricia stops by Joyce’s house for some veggies and instead, they find poor Vera run through with a pitchfork in Joyce’s backyard. Is Joyce a killer?

There were quite a few subplots going on here and I loved them all! Especially the snarky celebrity Chef! I should warn you that the food descriptions in this book will leave you drooling! I have already made the Walnut Cupcakes and the Lemon ones.

Great Series!  August 13th, 2019 by Berkley

 

 

 

MATCHMAKING CAN BE MURDER by AMANDA FLOWER

Matchmaking Can Be Murder (An Amish Matchmaker Mystery #1)

An Amish Matchmaker Mystery #1

A brand new series from Amanda Flower! And if you enjoy a little bit of crossover in your cozy series, this is the one for you!

Our main character, Millie, lives in Harvest, where the author’s Candy Shop Series is set, so you’ll see a few familiar faces.

Millie is a widow who has recently moved back to her childhood home in Harvest, Ohio. She is a quiltmaker and also a matchmaker. She’s quite good at knowing which person should be with the other.

The one person who she really wants to help is her niece, Edith. Edith is a widow with small children and a huge greenhouse business. Edith is engaged to Zeke, who is not a likable fellow and may have ulterior motives for wooing Edith.

When Edith tells Millie she has decided to not marry Zeke, Millie is thrilled. Everyone else? Not so much. So when Zeke turns up dead in the greenhouse Millie is sure Edith will be a suspect. Edith isn’t going to prison on her watch! But will poking around needle the wrong person?

I have read a few Amish Cozy Mysteries and these are different. The characters are flawed and very funny! Is there such a thing as an Amish Romantic Comedy/Mystery? It seems there is and this is it!

Looking forward to more of Millie!

NetGalley/ December 31st, 2019 by Kensington

 

Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton

Jealousy Filled Donuts (Deputy Donut Mystery #3)

When a firecracker becomes a murder weapon, Emily Westhill pursues a killer with a short fuse …

This is the third book in the Deputy Donut Series and it just keeps getting better!

Like it or not, Cops and Donuts go together like peanut butter and jelly. And Emily Westhill should know. Her own husband was a detective and her father-in-law, Tom, is the retired police chief in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Tom is also her partner in the shop.

The best thing is the Donut car. Emily has turned an old police cruiser into a mascot for the donut shop and it sounds really fun. This time Emily is making donuts for the annual Fourth of July celebration in town, with red, white and blue jelly-filled donuts.

She is also transporting the King and Queen in her car. Or she was supposed to. The Queen is a real piece of work and refuses to ride in a donut car, she then proceeds to annoy and anger everyone there.

Everyone is enjoying the fireworks when one explodes from a pile of donuts and lodges itself in the Queen’s back, shutting her up for good.

But more than one someone is trying to make Emily look guilty and no matter what she is going to stick her nose into this mystery. But when things get sticky will her friends be able to figure out where she is and get there in time to save her from becoming the next victim?

I love this series. It’s smart, funny, and the characters are so real. And the donuts. And coffee. By the time finished this one all I wanted was a raspberry filled donut! I could smell them. Then Boom! There’s a recipe and now I’m making a donut. I will now wait patiently (not) for the next one.

Well Done!

 


 

Congratulations on Release Day!

Quite a few really good books coming out today! The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters is one of those.

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Remember Bloody Mary? Yep, it’s like that, but more!

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Another dark and scary read, Shatter the Night by Emily Littlejohn

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The beautifully written The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

Check out Goodreads Winners for this year. Once again, I am rather disappointed.

Yesterday the postman brought this:

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I had already finished the Kindle ARC from Kensington and was pleased to have a hard copy.

Books and Tea make a wonderful gift for anyone. Even my nephew loves tea and reading. I love that boy!

Enjoy your day and stay warm!

xx P

 

 

The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey *BLOG TOUR*

The Glittering Hour

An unforgettable historical about true love found and lost and the secrets we keep from one another from an award-winning author

Set in London and covering a decade in the life of Selina Lennox, one of the bright young people whose life is one party after another without thought to consequences or propriety, and whose life is turned upside down by a chance meeting with Lawrence Weston. A painter who aspires to be a famous photographer.

Selina has a wild affair with the man but she understands that she must marry for money and not love. And she does. But she has a special gift from Lawrence that will forever change all of their lives.

There was a lot of truth in this beautiful and moving story of love, loss, and redemption. I am not ashamed to admit I cried more than a little. The characters were flawed and real, with a backdrop of one war over and another about to begin.

A truly beautiful story from a talented author!

NetGalley/ December 10th, 2019 by Thomas Dunne Books

Glittering Hour Blog Tour - Facebook v1

Iona Grey

Iona Grey has a degree in English Literature and Language from Manchester University, an obsession with history and an enduring fascination with the lives of women in the twentieth century. She lives in the rural North West of England with her husband and three daughters. She is the award-winning author of Letters to the Lost, and her new book The Glittering Hour is on sale October 17, 2019 (UK) and December 10, 2019 (US)
She tweets @iona_grey and is on Instagram as @ionagrey

Sunday Snuggles and Gingerbread Latte Cake and Football.

Good Sunday to y’all. I’m dreaming of snow but the weatherman says an 8 percent chance this year. I’m good with that. As romantic as snow and ice skating is, it’s cold. Snot running down your nose is not romantic or cute. You know what is cute? Fuzzy socks, hot chocolate and Netflix!

Yesterday I was fully engrossed in a book that was so compelling it was past dinner time when I came up for air. Then we had to watch Georgia lose to LSU which killed my soul! But OU took out Baylor to go to my neck of the woods to play in the Peach Bowl.

Today we are still taking it easy because, pneumonia and stuff pouring out of our noses, lungs, and lack of sleep. So far today we have had breakfast in bed, tea in bed while watching Queen of the Damned for the hundredth time on Netflix.

Thursday I received a large shipment of tea. The gingerbread tea was so good I had to think of a way to cook with it. And boy did I! Welcome to my creation. I call it Gingerbread Latte’ Cake with an Espresso Glaze. I didn’t eat any of it. I sent it to the Marriott and the cake stand came back without one crumb.

It smelled great and OU Boy said it was delicious and that his workforce had attacked it like vultures. For the liquid, I used the gingerbread tea! Which added another layer of flavor to it. The Espresso Glaze was just the right amount of sweet. I think I was most proud of the girl who said, “This tastes like a Gingerbread Latte’!” And that was where the name comes from.

Now I’m going to go cheer for the 49ers against the Saints. Yes, I am still holding a grudge against the Saints for trading Bobby Hebert.

Have fun!

xx P

 

THE MOONSHINER’S DAUGHTER by DONNA EVERHART

The Moonshiner's Daughter

Set in North Carolina in 1960 and brimming with authenticity and grit, The Moonshiner’s Daughter evokes the singular life of sixteen-year-old Jessie Sasser, a young woman determined to escape her family’s past . . .

Welcome to the Bushy Mountains in North Carolina. The Sasser family has been making shine for generations, along with quite a few other folks. It’s a dangerous and deadly job. But it’s the only thing most of them know.

Set in 1960, this is the story of Jessie Sasser. A girl who blames moonshine for her mothers’ death when she was a small child. Her memories of that day aren’t clear on much except her mother was stirring the still and then her mother was dead.

Her daddy won’t talk about her mother or her death so Jessie puts up a hunger strike which leads to an eating disorder. On this one thing, they are locked in a battle over. He won’t answer questions, she won’t eat the food bought by blood money.

Jessie is not going to stop until she finds answers. And finding those answers will have repercussions for the entire family.

This was a beautifully written and heartbreaking story. Generations of families mad at each other and willing to do anything to make and sell their product and stay out of the revenuers’ way.

A historical fiction character with an eating disorder was a first for me. I cried as Jessie wasted away, still seeing that fat girl in the mirror. I cried for the loss of her mother, for her own inner turmoil about who she was and what she wanted her life to be.

A very well done novel!

NetGalley/ December 31st, 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation