Giveaways

Silence of the Lamps – Blog Tour / Review / Giveaway (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 10 Comments

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Silence of the Lamps by Karen Rose Smith
Available 4/26/2016 from Kensington

SILENCE OF THE LAMPS

Business has never been better for home stager Caprice De Luca, but her personal life could stand a few renovations. Just when she thought things were getting serious with her boyfriend Grant, his pretty ex-wife swoops into town and nabs his attention. Uncle Dom is living with her parents and desperately needs a new job. And her sister Nikki’s catering business is threatened when rival Drew Pierson starts eating away at her share of the market. Things could not possibly get more chaotic when Drew is found bludgeoned to death by one of his grandmother’s antique Tiffany lamps–and Nikki is the number one suspect. Now, Caprice must act fast to illuminate the truth and clear her sister’s name–before a cold-blooded killer puts her lights out next.

 

Silence of the Lamps is book #5 in the Caprice De Luca mystery series, and while previous cases are mentioned, you do not need to have read the earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. The interaction between Caprice and her sisters is so realistic you almost feel like part of the family while reading the story. And when one of her sisters is the prime suspect in a murder investigation, how can Caprice stay out of it? The more she asks around, the more she finds that her sister Nikki was far from Drew’s only enemy. With lots of clues to keep you guessing at the identity of the murderer, this was a fast paced, fun read.

Enter to win a set of Caprice De Luca Mysteries for your own or an Amazon gift card in the Rafflecopter Giveaway! (ENDED)

About the Author
karen rose smith Karen is an animal lover and especially a cat lover. She and her husband are cat parents to four rescued felines—London (15), Zoie Joy (4), Halo (?), and Miss Paddington (Paddy) who is growing out of kittenhood. If you’d like to read about Karen’s fur babies and care for strays, follow her on Facebook and/or sign up for her newsletter IN TOUCH.

Connect with Karen at her website:
http://www.karenrosesmith.com/

 

Tour Participants

April 25 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 25 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
April 26 – Classy Cheapskate – REVIEW
April 26 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW
April 27 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
April 28 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
April 28 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
April 29 – A Date with a Book – REVIEW
April 29 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
April 30 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
April 30 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
May 1 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
May 2 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
May 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

NOTE: I was provided with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thought are my own.

A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer – Blog Tour and Giveaway!(ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 3 Comments

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Available April 5th (or pre-order now) – the 5th book in the Soup Lover’s Mysteries series!

You can enter for a chance to win your own print copy in the Rafflecopter giveaway. (ENDED)

What a great cozy – even thought this book (#5) was the first I had read in this series, by chapter three the main characters all felt like old friends. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the end, and the author’s smooth writing style kept the story flowing. If you’ve read any of the Soup Lover’s Mysteries, you should love this one. If not, now’s as good a time as any to start – you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this story, and I did enjoy it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Connie.Archer.2Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Penguin Random House (Berkley Prime Crime).  A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge, Ladle to the Grave and A Clue in the Stew are all set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont.  Connie was born and raised in New England and now lives on the other coast.  You can visit her at www.ConnieArcherMysteries.com

Author Links

Website:  www.conniearchermysteries.com
Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries
Twitter:  @SnowflakeVT
Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1MMQllp

Purchase Links

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1QzfxSl
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1O6lVOs

Tour Participants

March 21 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – Review

March 22 – View from the Birdhouse – Interview

March 23 – Babs Book Bistro – Review, Guest Post

March 24 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

March 25 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Guest Post

March 26 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review

March 27 – A Blue Million Books – Interview

March 28 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

March 29 – A. Holland Reads– Review

March 30 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – Review

March 31 – The Book’s The Thing – Review

April 1 – Back Porchervations – Review

April 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – Review

April 3 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Guest Post

April 4 – Mystery Playground – Interview

NOTE: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum – Review / Giveaway (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 9 Comments

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The Perfectly Proper Paranormal MuseumGoodreads Description:

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

Genre : Cozy Paranormal Mystery
My Rating: **** (4 stars)

Continue reading →

Shards of Murder by Cheryl Hollon – Review / Giveaway (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 8 Comments

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SHARDS OF MURDER Description:

When a glass-making competition turns deadly, glass shop owner Savannah Webb must search for a window into a criminal’s mind…

As the new proprietor of Webb’s Glass Shop, Savannah has been appointed to fill her late father’s shoes as a judge for the Spinnaker Arts Festival, held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With her innovative glass works, the clear winner is Megan Loyola, a student of Savannah’s former mentor.

But when Megan doesn’t show up to accept her $25,000 award, rumors start flying. And when Savannah discovers the woman’s dead body on festival grounds, the police immediately suspect her of murder. To keep from appearing before a judge herself, Savannah sorts through the broken pieces of glass scattered around the victim for clues as to who took this killer competition too far…

Webb’s Glass Shop #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Continue reading →

Review / Giveaway – Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton (ENDED)

~ Erika K ~ 6 Comments

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton
Hamish Macbeth #31

Death of a Nurse (Hamish Macbeth, #31)

Goodreads description:  

M. C. Beaton’s New York Times bestselling Hamish Macbeth series continues with a new mystery featuring Scotland’s most quick-witted but unambitious policeman.
James Harrison has recently moved to a restored hunting lodge in Sutherland with his gorgeous private nurse Gloria Dainty. When Hamish visits Mr. Harrison to welcome him to the neighborhood, the old man treats him very rudely. Gloria apologizes for her employer’s behavior, and Hamish takes the plunge and invites her out for dinner. On the appointed evening, Hamish waits for Gloria at the restaurant. And waits. Gloria never shows up. Four days later, Gloria’s body washes up on the beach near Braikie. Now without a date and without his former policeman Dick Fraser (who left the force to buy a bakery), Hamish must find out who killed the beautiful new resident of Sutherland, and why, before the murderer strikes again….

On sale 2/23/16 from Grand Central Publishing, but available for pre-order now.

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway (ENDED) for a chance to win a print copy! (US and Canada addresses only please)

Genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: ***** 5 of 5 stars)

Continue reading →

Gone by Midnight – Tour and Giveaway

~ Erika K ~ 5 Comments

Be sure to visit the blog tour page for a chance to win your own copy in the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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Gone by Midnight

Fans of Joyce and Jim Lavene will thrill at this collection of thirteen short stories—many are set in the worlds of their national bestselling mystery series, including the Missing Pieces Mysteries, the Renaissance Faire Mysteries, the Retired Witches Mysteries, and an upcoming mystery novel!

These stories contain the elements of mystery and fantasy the Lavenes are famous for, as well as some new things their readers have never seen. Several stories feature characters interacting with ghosts, magic, and the supernatural—the healing woman in “Courtship;” the Civil War widow in “One with the Darkness;” the city girl who summons a wizard from the past in “The Magician and the Sorceress/Accountant;” and the young introvert in “Aunt Edna” who finds her calling with help from a ghostly visitor.

Poignant, charming, and captivating, Joyce and Jim Lavene bring their characteristic wit and heart to these stories and introduce each one with a passage about its origin or how it ties into the universe they’ve created. Gone by Midnight is a treasury of tales that will delight the mind and touch the heart from one of the most prolific writing duos of our time.

My Review:
4 of 5 stars (****)
Genre: Short stories / SciFi / Fantasy / Paranormal

Gone by Midnight is an entertaining and eclectic collection of stories. From the opening sweet ghost story “Aunt Edna”, to sci-fi, fantasy, and everything in between, I enjoyed them all. My favorites were the fantasy tale within a tale, “Inn of Many Pleasures  “, and the futuristic “Assasin!”.

About The Authors
joycejim

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.

www.joyceandjimlavene.com

www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene

http://amazon.com/author/jlavene

https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Midnight-Joyce-Lavene-ebook/dp/B019AJC1XU

Be sure to visit the blog tour page for a chance to win your own copy in the Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: I received a free digital copy in exchange fr an honest review.

 

 

 

Drawing Blood – Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway

~ Erika K ~ 3 Comments

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Be sure to visit the tour page for more info and a chance to win a copy of Drawing Blood!

Synopsis:

CeCe Prentice returns with her band of Dumpster-diving pals in this fast-paced mystery that puts the eco-friendly heroine back on top—of a pile of trash.

When Big Bob, manager of the town dump, goes missing, CeCe is worried about more than where she’ll score her next salvaged car. First at the scene when Bob’s body is recovered from under the weekly recycling haul, CeCe is quick to identify potential witnesses and provide crucial scene sketches. But when CeCe is uncharacteristically startled by an unidentified woman at Bob’s abandoned house, her artistic talents are challenged, and her drawings, much to her frustration, come up short.

With CeCe’s observational talents on the fritz, Detective Frank DeRosa, CeCe, and her network of Freegans are forced to recreate Big Bob’s life from the garbage up. The team is soon thrust into the underworld of recycling where what appears to be junk could actually be the clue that saves a life.

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win your own copy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

deidre

 

About This Author

Deirdre Verne (Scarsdale, NY) is a college professor and an active college blogger. A writer for the millennium crowd, Deirdre’s interest in green living inspired her to create an off-the-grid character who Dumpster dives her way though a suspense-filled mystery series. A member of Sisters in Crime, Deirdre’s short stories appear in all three New York chapter anthologies –Murder New York Style, Murder New York Style: Fresh Slicesand Family Matters.

 

Author Links

www.deirdreverne.com (Web Page)

www.deirdreverne.com/blog/ (Blog)

@deirdreverne (Twitter)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8276614.Deirdre_Verne (GoodReads)

Excerpt and Giveaway (ENDED) – Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna by Maia Chance

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna by Maia Chance

Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna (Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery, #3)

A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery, #3

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Historical
My Rating – **** (4 of 5 stars)
Available 2/2/16

Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna is the 3rd book in the Fairy Tale Fatal series, set in 1867. I love cozies and historical fiction, and this story was a wonderful mix of the two. Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax finds herself at a hunting party in France, pretending to be someone she is not, and trying to figure out how to avoid getting herself married to the Compte de Griffe. When an unexpected guest turns up dead after a string of petty thefts, she must try to find both the thief and the killer to get herself out of more than one entanglement. I absolutely loved the colorful characters, the time period, and the setting in this story. I plan on going back soon to read this series from the start!

Today, I’m pleased to share an excerpt and Q&A with the author, as well as a chance to win your own copy of this fun cozy mystery! (US addresses only please!)

Continue reading →

Sweet Pepper Hero – Review / Giveaway (ENDED) / Blog Tour

~ Erika K ~ 5 Comments

 

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Hi everyone! I’m pleased to be part of the blog tour for Sweet Pepper Hero, by J. J. Cook. Click the banner image above to go to the tour page where you will find links to all of the participating blogs. I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the book (see my thoughts below), and I get to give another copy away to one lucky reader! (US only, sorry) Link to the Rafflecopter giveaway (ENDED) is at the end of the review, so please keep reading…

Sweet Pepper Hero
by J.J. Cook

sweet peppet hero
Sweet Pepper Hero: A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Published by Penguin Random House, LLC.
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425279236
E-Book ASIN: B00W2ZKNZ8
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Synopsis

Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper.

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

My Review:
**** (4 of 5 stars)

I really enjoyed this cozy! It was my first trip to Sweet Pepper Tennessee, even though this is book 4 in the series. There was plenty of explanation along the way regarding people and places, so I didn’t feel at all lost jumping in at this point.

In this story, Stella has to find her kidnapped ghost friend, Eric, and investigate a string of illegal still explosions and fires. There are an abundance of suspects, some within the police department itself, and as she gets too close to the truth, Stella finds her own life may be at risk.

I always enjoy a story with a strong, intelligent female lead character, and Stella fit the bill perfectly. She is not perfect, and needs her circle of volunteer firefighters, friends, and her ghost-roommate to keep her out of trouble, but she has a good head on her shoulders and does a decent job taking care of herself.

As with many cozy mysteries, Sweet Pepper Hero includes some great looking recipes in the back. Personally, I am a big fan of the sweet / hot combination of chocolate and chilis, so I can’t wait to give one of these a try!

Recipes include:
Chocolate Cookies with a Bite
Tennessee Whiskey Cake with Cherries
Lemon Habanero Cookies

GIVEAWAY: Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway (ENDED) for a chance to win a paperback copy – sorry, US addresses only.

About The Authors

J. J. Cook is a pseudonym for a married couple who writes mysteries, mostly set in the South, with a touch of paranormal and romance.

Author Links:
Webpage       Facebook      Twitter

Purchase Links:
Amazon     B&N     Google Play

Christmas Countdown – feature and giveaway (ENDED)!

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

Good morning! I’m very excited to be featured on Suze and Agi’s Christmas countdown today. They were very kind – my youngest had been sick and missing a lot of school, so my Q&A  is brief, but I appreciate that they still made room for me. Head over to onmybookshelf – I Heart Chick Lit to check it out and enter the rafflecopter giveaway (ENDED) for a chance to win this prize:

The prize includes a maple turned bookmark (made by my hubby 🙂 ), a lovely peacock notebook, a pen, a snowflake pin, and a few other Christmas surprises.

prize