Showing posts with label Giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giveaway. Show all posts

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Review and Giveaway: "Killer in Crinolines" by Duffy Brown


Killer in Crinolines is #2 in the Consignment Shop Mystery series by Duffy Brown. 
This series is filled with Southern humor and wonderful characters!  I look forward to each edition of this series and I'm honored to be a member of Duffy Brown's Street Team! 

More about "Killer in Crinolines"
It’s August in Savannah, Georgia—hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat—or from a cake knife in the back...

Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.


Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!



Duffy Brown has two cozy series:  
The Consignment Shop Mystery series and The Cycle Path Mystery series. 
 Read more about both of these series on Duffy's website here.  


My Review:

I love this series!  I enjoy all the characters, including Reagan and her Aunt Kiki.  Reagan and her Aunt work hard trying to solve this mystery.

Chantilly is in trouble as the prime suspect in this murder, but Reagan does not think that Chantilly killed Simon.   As Reagan tracks down clues ( and gets into some trouble ) around town, she tries hard to prove that Chantilly is not guilty.

I like the relationship between Reagan and Boone.  They are really cute together, as he tries to protect and help her when she is in trouble.
There are twists and turns in the mystery that leaves you surprised until the end.

With the interesting setting and charming characters this cozy is one that should be on your To Be Read list!











I'm giving away my gently read signed copy of
"Killer in Crinolines", and Duffy Brown is giving away 2 Print copies of her book "Braking for Bodies" and 2 Totebags! Thanks Duffy!







To Enter the Giveaway, use the Rafflecopter Form below!

Winners will be notified by email, and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn.
US Addresses only please






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Monday, December 15, 2014

Cookie Creations and Cookbook Review and Giveaway


Do you love making Cookies?   I have put together a list of my Favorite Cookies from some of my friends blogs!  All of the Cookies sound so good, it would be hard to choose a favorite! 





I'm also sharing a Cookbook Review and a Giveaway from The Better Baker!  To enter the Giveaway, please scroll down. 



My friend Kim from The Cookie Puzzle  makes such pretty cookies!  Today, she is sharing her favorite Sugar Cookie recipe with us!    Kim says this recipe is designed to give a thick and soft cookie.






D at The Shady Porch is sharing her Caramel Apple Pie Cookies.  The golden apple pie filling and lattice tops are like personal apple pies, and they are so easy to make!






Marsha from The Better Baker is sharing her Caramel Shortbread Squares.  She describes them as rich little squares with a shortbread crust, caramel center and 
topped with chocolate!  





Melissa from "Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen" is sharing her recipe for Chocolate Kissed Coconut Macaroons.  Her recipe includes flour, which makes them a bit more cookie-like with a soft and chewy center and a crispy exterior.  They look delicious!






Andi from The Wednesday Baker is sharing her recipe for Pecan Gingerbread Cookies.  Just seeing and smelling these 
Gingerbread Men cookies reminds us all of Christmas! 







Brandie from The Country Cook is sharing these cute Reindeer Cookies! They make the perfect cookie to share this time of year, and kids love to help make these! 







My friend, Marsha from "The Better Baker" sent me a copy of her cookbook called "Love at First Bite" earlier this year, and I love it!  There are so many easy, quick recipes in her cookbook, that it was hard for me to pick which one to try first!  Her cookbook has recipes for appetizers, beverages, salads, soups, side dishes, breads and rolls, main dishes, cookies and candy and more! 

 Over 100 of her recipes have 6 ingredients or fewer! 

I have tried the Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese bars and they were delicious!  I have several more recipes "bookmarked" including her recipe for Sweet Cornbread Muffins.  And, thats just to get me started!  The more I look in her cookbook, the more recipes I find that I want to try!
I like the fact that her cookbook has a spiral bound edge, it opens "flat" and that makes it easier to read while following one of her recipes!

For more information about her cookbook, visit her cookbook page on her blog





Marsha's Cookbook "Love at First Bite" is priced at $15.00 ( plus shipping and handling ), but you can save $3.00  by using the Code word Cookie  
***Special Code Word valid thru Midnight CST 12/31/2014

  To order your copy of "Love at First Bite" - send a email to

I'm so grateful that Marsha has offered to give away a copy to my readers!

To enter for your chance to win a copy of "Love at First Bite" see below
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email notice that they have won or a different winner will be chosen


Sharing at these parties!

Sunday Link up @ Kansas Women Bloggers
Treasure Box Tuesday @ Yesterfood and Memories by the Mile
Book Musing Mondays @ Mary-andering Creatively
Inspire me Monday @ Create with Joy
Party in your PJ's @ The Cookie Puzzle and bumblebreeblog





Sunday, November 30, 2014

Book Giveaway and Book Musings Monday


Join us today for the kick off of this fun new Hop!  Book Musing Mondays

To Celebrate this new Hop, several bloggers have joined together for a Fun Giveaway!  See below for details.  I'm giving away a copy of "Mr. Miracle" by Debbie Macomber.  I'm currently reading "Mr. Miracle" and love it! ( * The winner will receive a new copy from the Publisher ) 

The winner of the Giveaway will receive all the books that are being given away!  How fun!  

Welcome to

Book Musing Mondays final (1)
Book Musing Hosts



Our hop, Book Musing Mondays, is born out of a desire to promote family-friendly books and literacy activities.

 To kick off this great new hop we are also having a giveaway! 

Your hosts have partnered with other book review bloggers to bring you this great give away!

 Mary at Mary-andering Creatively is giving away two books:

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A Donkeys Tale Win


 Ashley at Circling the Story is giving away this wonderful cookbook
 

photo 1
photo 2
 :

 Book bloggers participating and the books they are giving away are:

Welcome!
:

Melissa from My Recent Favorite Books
 Her giveaway book is a wonderful family-friendly romance

mrmiracle

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber celebrates the most wonderful time of the year in this heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home—coming soon as a Hallmark Channel original movie!
Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help twenty-four-year-old Addie Folsom get her life back on track—and, if the right moment strikes, help her find love. Posing as a teacher at a local college in Tacoma, Washington, Harry is up to the task, but not even he can predict the surprises that lay in store.
!  
   Also joining us is Carole from the Power of Words.

She will be giving away the book:

   

 We will have one winner who will receive a convoy of mail with each of these books.
Each blogger will either send the books to the winner or have the publishers send them to him or her! 

Just imagine, if you are the winner, you will have five separate gift packages of these books arriving almost daily in your mail box. It will be a Christmas bonanza of fun books for you and your family to enjoy. To participate in the giveaway complete the entry form below.

You have until December 14 to complete the entries. Good Luck!


This Linky Party is closed - but you can join Mary and Ashley on the second week of Book Musings Monday -
 visit Marys website @  http://www.maryanderingcreatively.com


Now it is time to link up to the first Book Musings Monday hop!


Book Musing Mondays final (1)
 
  • Include a link back or the blog hop button linked to this hop on your posts.
  • Link up the urls to your posts not to your blog.
  • Please remember this is a family-friendly linkup. We reserve the right to delete any posts that are not family friendly. We love all kinds of literature and genres including family-friendly inspirational romances. We do not welcome anything with excessive sexual content or cursing.
  • Be sure to visit at least two other bloggers' posts and share comment love! Remember it is also nice to follow them on their social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.



Saturday, November 29, 2014

Review - Interview and Giveaway - A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman



A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman
Publication Date ~ October 29th, 2014

About the book:
Lucy O’Brien is about to be given ten millions dollars and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy’s undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield—a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to her new lifestyle—cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy’s destiny?


Interview with the Author:


Can you tell me a little bit about your novel, A Question of Destiny?

I’d be happy to. It’s basically a rags-to-riches story with a few surprises along the way.
Here’s a short blurb to give you a few more details.

Lucy O’Brien is about to be given ten millions dollars and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy’s undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield—a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to her new lifestyle—cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy’s destiny?

How did you come up with this story?
I’ve always thought the rags-to-riches concept was fascinating. There’s so much ready-made conflict. Even though we’ve been told by the world that to receive a windfall would be an idyllic situation, in reality, a lot can go wrong. You can truly lose your way. In life, love, faith. Everything. Since a writer needs a lot of conflict to keep those loverly readers turning the pages, I thought this would be a good plot element to add to a love story. 

In A Question of Destiny you have the hero loving the city while the heroine loves the country, and it becomes a sticky point between them. Where did you get your inspiration for this conflict?
I suppose both of these viewpoints are inside me. I grew up on a farm, but I now live near Houston. I love the city and the country equally, and so does my husband. So, we are building our retirement home in the country, but because of a soon-to-be-built freeway nearby, we will have access to the city. But I won’t tell you how my heroine and hero work out this intense disagreement!

What is the farthest place from home you’ve ever been?
Melbourne, Australia. I loved it there. It’s such a beautiful and fascinating city. So much so, I set part of a novel there, which was entitled, Winter in Full Bloom. I’d love to go back to Australia someday, but it’s expensive, and it’s a very, very long flight!

Want to share one of your dreams?
I would love to have one of my books made into a movie. Right now two of my novels are optioned for movies, so I’m hoping something exciting will transpire from that.

How long have you known that you wanted to be a writer?
Growing up I dreamed of telling stories. When I was very young I started working on a novel about a man from Mars who wanted to go to college in New York. I never finished that novel, but it left an impression on me. I knew deep down that writing was my dream, even though I didn’t get around to fulfilling it until I was in my thirties. 
What do you hope your readers will come away with after reading one of your novels?
I would love for them to be inspired, challenged, and entertained. If I accomplish even one of those things I would feel my writing time wasn’t wasted.

If you could have dinner with two well-known people, who would they be?
Josh Groban, because his music inspires me and Leif Enger, because I love the way he writes.

Is there something about you most people wouldn’t know?
I love licorice ice cream, but it’s a rare find.

Any advice for new writers?
My advice would be, “Don’t rush the process. Take your time. Read and learn about the craft, network, and attend conferences. Start a blog, and find your own unique voice. Be faithful to your stories and write every day. If you really have a passion for writing, you won’t find my suggestions to be a punishment—but a pleasure.”

How can your readers connect with you?
I would love for you to visit my website at www.anitahigman.com and connect with me through the “Contact Me” button, or you can go to my Facebook Reader Page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaHigman.

My Review:

I loved this story!  Lucy gets a big suprise when she received ten million dollars for doing a good deed!  After she gets kind of used to the idea of having money to do things that she has always wanted to do, she begins to help others ( including her family ).  She is a very giving person and I like that about her!
The man that helps her thru the process of getting adjusted is Andrew.  He is a gentle and caring man. They form a wonderful friendship while getting to know each other.

I liked the characters of this story and the small home town background that Lucy is from. She enjoys life and truly enjoys helping others!

This book was hard to put down!  I'm looking forward to reading more of Anita Higman's books!


 CBA best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has forty books published (several co-authored) for adults and children, and she has three books (fiction and nonfiction) to be released.
 She is a two-time finalist for a Selah Award, and she’s won a Cascade Award as well as an Inspirational Readers Choice Award for 2011 and 2013.
 She has also been honored in the past as a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston. Her coauthored book,Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe, was on the Nielsen’s best-seller list for five weeks for religious adult fiction and #6 on the CBA best-seller list for fiction (January, 2011).

 Anita’s novella in the compilation,Once Upon a Christmas Eve, was given a four-star review in Romantic Times Magazine and has been optioned for a movie.




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Sunday, July 6, 2014

Review and Giveaway - Perfect Harmony by Nora Roberts



Perfect Harmony by Nora Roberts
2 in 1 book
Unfinished Business / Local Hero

 With these two classic stories #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nora Roberts evokes love's most beautiful melodies.

Unfinished Business
What was she doing here? Hyattown had changed very little in the years Vanessa Sexton had been away. In some ways her high school sweetheart, Brady Tucker, hadn't changed much either - he was still lean, athletic, rugged...But the once reckless boy had become a solid, dependable man. He'd stood her up on the most important night of her life; could she ever trust him again?
So Vanessa had finally come home, Brady thought. She could still turn him inside out with one of her sultry looks. He couldn't believe she hadn't forgiven him for that night twelve years ago--but he'd had his reasons for not showing up. He'd let her leave town then--but he wasn't going to let her get away this time.

Local Hero
Who was that masked man...? When Mitch Dempsey appeared in Hester Wallace's doorway bearing gifts, she knew she should beware. She'd just moved and didn't need trouble in the form of an all-too-attractive downstairs neighbor. Her nine-year old son had no such qualms. When he discovered Mitch was the creator of his favorite comic book here, he was sold.
Though Mitch was no Superman, Hester made him feel he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. But could he convince her she needed a hero to call her own?


My thoughts:
I really loved this book!  In the first story, Unfinished Business, -Vanessa had left her small town, but had never forgotten Brady, her high school sweetheart.  
Vanessa is a wonderful piano player, and when her Career takes her away from her home town, she misses everyone, and she is glad to be back!  She has had some conflicts with her Mom in the past, that they are trying to work thru.  And, there is a suprise for Vanessa!  Her Mom has been dating someone...you will have to read the story to find out who!  

In the second story, Local Hero, Hester and her son have recently moved to a apartment building where she meets Mitch.  He writes Comic books, and Hester's son loves comic books ( and their Heros ) !
Hester is really unsure about a new romance in her life...but Mitch is so understanding, and patient, that she is tempted to see where their friendship might take them...and she loves the fact that her son and Mitch get along so well!   With a wonderful "family" quality, and a touching romance story, this is one that you will want to add to your "to be read" list!


For more information about Nora Roberts and her books, visit her website


I'm giving away my gently read copy of "Perfect Harmony", if you love romance books, you will love it!

**U.S. Addresses only



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Joining these Parties! 
Sunday Link up @ Kansas Women Bloggers

Monday, April 21, 2014

Review and Giveaway - Gold Canyon


  I love Gold Canyon Candles, Scent Pod Warmers and Scent Pods, and I am thrilled to do this Review on some Gold Canyon Products!   
My friend Tonya is a Gold Canyon Consultant.  To view the products and learn more information about Gold Canyon, please visit her website here.

Tonya is also offering one of these Whirl Lumie™  Candles to one of
 my lucky readers!

The description for this Whirl Lumie Candle describes it as
Bright. Sweet. Whimsical. Notes of Kaffir Lime,  Pomegranate
 & Iced Raspberry

  You can see more of the "Lumie" Collection  here.

To enter the drawing, scroll below!

Whirl Lumie Candle

Tonya sent me a 9 pack of  Lilac  Gold Canyon tealights and 3 Scent Pods to review.
(  One Cinnamon Vanilla Scent Pod - love this fragrance! - One Blueberry Tangerine Scent Pod - smells like Tangerine, yum!  And, One Lilac! )
I love the fragrance from all of these!  ( Lilacs being my favorite! )  =)

The fragrance filled the room, but was not too strong.  I love the fact that I can put the Scent Pod on my Warmer and not worry about a flame, they even have a Timer with a auto-shut off feature!






I already had a Scent Pod Warmer, so I was all set to try out the Scent Pods that she sent me!   


 Just place the Scent Pod on the Warmer for continuous fragrance ( each one lasts up to 20 hours! )

The Scent Pods come in 76 different fragrances, ranging from Birthday Cake, Apple Crumb Cake, Brown Sugar Cookie, Clean Sheets, Ginger Lime, Pumpkin Berry Spice Cookie, White Citrus and many more!

Sharing at some of these Fun Parties

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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Book Tour - Review and Giveaway Pearls and Poison by Duffy Brown


 
Pearls and Poison ( A Consignment Shop Mystery )
# 3 in series
Publisher: Berkley - March 4th, 2014

Synopsis
It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip “Scummy” Seymour. But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under….  With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator.
Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger.
 Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get….......

See below for the Giveaway for a Free Tote Bag!  2 winners!

 
My thoughts: 
This is one of my favorite cozy series!  With the colorful characters and Southern background....each book is hard to put down!  Reagan's Mom is accused of murder, and while Reagan tries to find out "who done it", she gets herself into all kinds of trouble along the way...

There is a lot of cute events that happen in this story, ( and I don't want to give too much away ), but the ladies really had me laughing in some parts of the story.  I could just picture Reagan and Kiki in the different situations that they get themselves into ( and Kiki sounds like she would be a lot of fun, as she waltzs across Reagans yard, martini in hand..)

The Consignment store in Reagan's home is called the Prissy Fox, and while she has help in running it,... she tries to be there as much as she can to see "what's new" in the shop.
I enjoy shopping at Consignment stores, and its really interesting to hear about the different clothing items that are brought into her store!

You will want to grab a glass of iced tea, and settle yourself in a comfy chair to really enjoy this book and to learn more about Reagan, her family and her friends in Savannah!
 
 Each book can stand alone, but you will want to read each of these books!
# 1 - "Iced Chiffon"
# 2 - "Killer in Crinolines"
# 3 - "Pearls and Poison" 
 
You can read my review of the first book in this series "Iced Chiffon"
 at my "sister" site here .
 
One of my favorite quotes
Kiki plucked the skewered olives from my drink, handed them to me, and took
the martini.
Some days were like that, I realized....
  Just when you really needed the martini, you wound up with the toothpick.
 
 
 
More about the Author:   
Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, her license plate is Sherlock and she conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Duffy’s national bestselling Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the Cyclepath Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island. Duffy writes romance as Dianne Castell and is a USA Today bestselling author.

For more information on this series, visit
Duffy Brown's website  http://www.duffybrown.com


Sharing at these Fun Parties!


 
 
Tour Participants
March 4 – A Date with a Book – Review, Guest Post
March 5 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview
March 6 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Interview, Giveaway
March 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Guest Post
March 7 – Thoughts in Progress – Review – Giveaway
March 8 – A Year of Jubilee Reviews – Review, Giveaway
March 9 – Psychotic State Book Reviews – Review – Giveaway
March 10 – Book Lady’s Booknotes - Review, Guest Post
March 10 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Guest Post, Giveaway
March 11 – My Recent Favorite books – Review, Giveaway
March 12 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Interview, Giveaway
March 12— Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – Cozy Wednesday
(Guest Post)
March 13 – Deal Sharing Aunt – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
March 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
March 15 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Giveaway

 

Enter below for your chance to win One of Two Tote Bags given away on my blog!   Winners have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.
US Addresses only

 

 

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