Friday, March 27, 2020

Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: Lieutenant Dan, The Dog Who Is The New Cadbury Bunny

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  I have a nice story - and video - to share with you this week.

Cadbury had a big contest to pick a new Easter bunny this year.  They made a great choice -- a dog named Lieutenant Dan.  Lieutenant Dan is a Tree Walking Coonhound.  He was born with a deformity in his rear legs and tail, which were later amputated.  But Lieutenant Dan still lives a full and active life.  He hops (like a bunny!) and also sometimes uses a cart.  I'm really glad he was chosen as the new Cadbury Bunny!

You can visit Lieutenant Dan's Instagram here:  lieutenant_dan_the_twc

I think you'll also enjoy this short video about Lieutenant Dan.  He looks so cute in those bunny ears!



Have a good weekend with your favorite person or people!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo 

Book Review - One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

My Review
One Little Lie tells the story of Jane Harper. As a young woman she escaped from a cult with her father.  Years later, she becomes the interim sheriff of Pelican Harbor, Alabama, when her father retires.  Then in quick succession, her father is framed for theft and murder; a serial killer is loose in the area;  a documentary filmmaker, Reid Bechtol, comes to town and wants to include her in an upcoming film.  There are romantic sparks with Reid but she isn't sure whether she wants to get involved.

I wanted to read this book because I love Colleen Coble's fiction!  Her mysteries are fast paced and engrossing, and she does a great job with atmospheric romantic suspense.

This was a strong start to the new Pelican Harbor book series.  I am definitely hooked and plan to read the upcoming books in this series!  I really like Jane as a protagonist.  She is strong and brave and resourceful.  I like her loyalty to her friends and father, and her honest, direct manner.  Because of her honesty, she has a hard time with a lie from her father and some secrets Reid has kept from her.  I also like Reid, and enjoyed the way his backstory slowly was revealed.

The setting of Pelican Harbor, a small town near Mobile, Alabama, was great -- I could picture the little town from the descriptions in the book.  (And I love a southern setting!)

I recommend One Little Lie for fans of romantic suspense.  It was one of those "can't put it down" books, and I know other readers will enjoy staying up late to read it as well.


Book Synopsis

It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth in this gripping new romantic suspense. 

Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires, but there’s no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes she’s facing someone out to destroy the only family she has.

After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her mother—who refused to leave—ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?

Reid Bechtol is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Jane’s career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.

Jane finds herself depending on Reid’s calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross—especially once her father’s lie catches up with him.


 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Thomas Nelson

Author Bio

Best-selling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 4 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Dear Abby - A Note to My Friends


Dear Friends,

The other night when I was on Facebook with my Momma I saw a phrase:  "What a year this week has been."  A lot has happened in the world this past week.  I am a little dog and I don't understand it all, but I know it is very serious, and it means that my Momma is spending extra time at home with me.  (This is the silver lining of the situation, if you ask me!)

I just wanted to send a note to my friends and let you know that I appreciate you all and am sending love and care.  Please be safe and stay well!

I am trying to think of one nice thing a day.  This helps.  Today my thought is this:  I am grateful that I have a soft, comfortable place here.


What are you grateful for today?  

Take care, and I look forward to talking more soon!

Love,
Abby xoxoxo


Book Review - The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson

My Review
The Happy Camper tells the story of Dillon Michaels.  Dillon leaves her dead end job and commitment-phobic boyfriend in Colorado. She heads home to Oregon, where her grandfather and estranged mother live on the family farm. After a few nights sleeping on the old sofa, Dillon's grandfather gives her a vintage camper.  This novel tells the story of how Dillon's life changes as she restores the camper into a little tiny home.  Along the way she grows closer to her family, works on the farm, teaches swim classes, and even finds a new romance.

I wanted to read this novel because I love vintage campers. I even have a Pinterest board about them! The camper in this book is a 1964 Oasis Aloha and I spent way too much time looking up photos, descriptions, specifications, and old brochures of this model.  I absolutely loved the vintage camper details in this book.  The author meticulously describes the process of restoring and decorating an old camper.  It was a lot of fun to read about!

Dillon is a very likable character.  She is warm, kind, and caring, a hard worker with a strong independent streak.  I enjoyed reading about her growth as a person.  By finding that she loves restoring campers, she also finds herself.

Jordan Atwood, who owns the small town hardware store, makes a fine book boyfriend.  He is a genuinely decent, good guy -- and to Dillon's delight he also is a vintage camper fan.  I loved the slow building romance between Dillon and Jordan, even as they dealt with the unwanted complication of her persistent old boyfriend.

The Happy Camper is a fun, upbeat read - perfect for a leisurely weekend.  It would also make a great beach read!  I recommend it for fans of women's fiction, sweet romance - and of course, vintage campers!


Book Synopsis
Home is the place to heal . . . right?

At least, that's what Dillon Michaels is hoping as she leaves her disappointing career and nonstarter love life behind to help her grieving and aging grandfather on his small Oregon farm. The only problem? Her eccentric mother beat her there and has taken over Dillon's old room. After a few nights of sleeping on a sagging sofa, Dillon is ready to give up, until she receives an unlikely gift--her grandfather's run-down vintage camp trailer, which she quickly resolves to restore with the help of Jordan Atwood, the handsome owner of the local hardware store.

But just when things are finally beginning to run smoothly, Dillon's noncommittal ex-boyfriend shows up with roses . . . and a ring.


Author Bio
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over 200 books with sales of more than 7 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.

Friday, March 13, 2020

Dear Abby - Brownie the Wonder Dog

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a great week!  This past week one of my friends sent my Momma a link about Baby Peggy (Diana Serra Cary), who was a silent movie star. Baby Peggy recently passed away, and there was an interesting article about her silent movie career.  (Thanks, Shari, for sending this!)  The article had a clip with one of Baby Peggy's movies.  I watched with Momma and guess what?  The movie clip costarred a famous dog I'd never heard of!

Brownie the Wonder Dog was a 1920's dog actor. He appeared in 51 movies between 1918 and 1924.  I was not able to find out much about his life - where he came from, who he lived with, etc.  I did read that there was a French comic strip based on his life from 1926 - 1927, Les Aventures du Chien Brownie.

I wanted to share the little three minute clip from Playmates (1921) starring Baby Peggy and Brownie the Wonder Dog.  It is fun to watch, and I hope you enjoy it too!



Wasn't that fun?!  I loved learning about an old time famous dog I'd never heard of before this week.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo


Book Review - The Moonglow Sisters by Lori Wilde

My Review
The Moonglow Sisters is a novel about three sisters: Gia, who owns a handmade kite business, is the sweet peacemaker in the family;  Maddie has a successful TV show about home and lifestyle;  Shelley is a free-spirit who has been living at in South America.  The sisters have grown apart but come back together when their beloved grandmother, Helen, who raised them, has emergency surgery. This is their story.

I wanted to read this novel because I enjoy women's fiction and beach reads.  I had not read Lori Wilde before but loved the book cover and description of this novel.

What an enjoyable book from start to finish!  It is told in short chapters with alternating viewpoints.  The reader gets to know the sisters slowly as they come back together in Moonglow Cove, Texas, to support their grandmother.  The mystery of their estrangement unwinds through the book.

The author does a wonderful job at characterization.  Gia, who is such a sweet, kind person, was my favorite sister, but I came to like Maddie and Shelley too, over the scope of this novel. 

There is also a romantic story about Gia and her handsome neighbor, Mike. Mike is a carpenter and was Gia's childhood friend.  She invents an engagement to Mike in order to convince her sisters to work on a wedding quilt that their grandmother wants them to make.  Mike is pretty dreamy!  He makes a great book boyfriend.

I enjoyed the format of the book with little epigraphs about sewing and quilting introducing each chapter.

The little coastal town of Moonglow Cove was almost a character itself in this book. I loved reading about it and felt like I'd spent some time on a beach vacation with this novel!

I heartily recommend The Moonglow Sisters for fans of women's fiction and anyone looking for an enjoyable, rewarding beach read. 

Book Synopsis
Welcome to Moonglow Cove, Texas, a place where your neighbors know your name and the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico lap lazily against the sands. It’s a magical spot, especially in the summertime…

Once the town was the home of the Clark sisters—brought up by their grandmother at the Moonglow Inn. Nicknamed “The Moonglow Sisters”, as children they were inseparable.  Then, a wedding-day betrayal tore them apart and they scattered across the globe and away from each other.  But the sisters have at last come home…

There’s Maddie: smart, sensible, and stubborn. Shelley, who ran off to find her bliss. And Gia, a free-spirit determined to keep the peace. It’s her impending wedding that keeps them together…but Gia has a secret, and when her sisters find out all heck is going to break loose!

The Moonglow Sisters continues Lori Wilde’s trademark storytelling to create an unforgettable novel of family, betrayal, love, and second chances.


 

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Bio
Lori Wilde is the New York TimesUSA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 87 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three-time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well. Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie.

Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics and is also a certified yoga instructor.

A fifth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.

Find out more about Lori on her website, connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: Dachshunds Digging Happily

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week! I am doing fine, although it has been very rainy here, so my walks have been shorter than usual.

The rainy weather gave me time to enjoy some dachshund videos online. I found a fun one! It features a bunch of dachshunds digging. They are digging so happy -- the dirt is flying!  It looks like they may be planning to dig a tunnel that will connect somehow.  They have certainly gotten a lot of digging done in their yard.  There is some fun Keystone Cops type music playing as the dogs dig.

You'll find the video here. It's from The Dodo channel on Youtube, which I like a lot! They have nothing but animal related videos.



If you have a dog, does he or she like to dig?  I walk on leash so don't get the opportunity. I don't really enjoy getting muddy so I am not sure I would be a big fan of digging in the mud.

Wishing you a good week ahead!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review and Giveaway - Dressed Up 4 Murder (Sophie Kimball Mystery) by J.C. Eaton

My Review
Dressed Up 4 Murder is a cozy mystery set in Arizona.  Phee Kimball is settling in at her new home with her boyfriend, Marshall, who is a detective.  She gets involved in detecting herself after her mother's dog Streetman discovers a body under a neighbor's tarpaulin covered grill. He has been poisoned.  Streetman, a mischievous chiweenie, is scheduled to compete in several holiday theme pet costume contests. When one of the other pet owners ingests the same poison that the neighbor did, Phee and Marshall look for clues to connect the two cases.

I wanted to read Dressed Up 4 Murder because I enjoyed a previous book in this series. I especially love reading about Streetman the chiweenie (dachshund - chihuahua mix), since I love dachshunds and dogs in general.

Phee is a likable and smart character. I enjoy seeing her work to solve cases, especially alongside Marshall.  Their relationship adds another layer to the story.

I also liked the holiday pet parades that were featured through the book. They were a lot of fun. Streetman has a real knack for finding mischief wherever he goes! I have to admit I laughed out loud with his adventure involving a giant inflatable turkey at one of the events.

There were little touches of humor (usually involving Streetman) like this description of the walking map Phee's mother made for him:

"I had completely forgotten about the walking map.  My mother put more effort into Streetman's map than National Geographic did with any of theirs.  She had painstakingly noted every rock, bush, pole, and mailbox he liked to lift his leg on.  In addition, she had circled all of the yards that were off-limits to him and had included anecdotal notes on the bottom of the map with such tidbits as 'Crazy screaming lady will come out of the house if the dog so much as steps foot on her gravel.'" (Kindle location 671)

The mystery in this story was particularly interesting since there were connections between pet parade participants and also a seafood company.  Having two strong mystery leads led to extra detecting for Phee.

I recommend Dressed Up 4 Murder, and this series, for fans of cozy mysteries featuring dogs. This is a fun series and I already look forward to the next book by J.C. Eaton.

Book Synopsis

Last one standing is the winner . . .

The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day—with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard.

The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . . .


Author Bio -  Meet Ann and Jim, Writing as J.C. Eaton

Ann I. Goldfarb

New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, they have authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington), The Wine Trail Mysteries (Kensington Lyrical Underground), and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries (Camel). In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name. Visit us at:

James E. Clapp
When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb.  Non-fiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching. Visit the website at www.jceatonmysteries.com and the blog at www.jceatonauthor.com

Author Links:
www.jceatonmysteries.com
www.jceatonauthor.com
www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/
www.timetravelmysteries.com

Purchase Links – Amazon  –  B&N  – Kobo  – Google Books  – IndieBound

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl

Book Synopsis
“Obstinate, headstrong girl!”

For over two hundred years, the heroine of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Elizabeth Bennet has enchanted and inspired readers by being that “obstinate, headstrong girl” willing to stand up to the arrogance and snobbery of her so-called betters. Described by Austen as having a “lively, playful disposition,” Elizabeth embodies the perfect imperfections of strong-willed women everywhere: she is spirited, witty, clever, and loyal.

In this romance anthology, ten Austenesque authors sketch Elizabeth’s character through a collection of re-imaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times. In ELIZABETH: OBSTINATE, HEADSTRONG GIRL, she bares her most intimate thoughts, all the while offering biting social commentary about life’s absurdities. Elizabeth overcomes the obstacles of others’ opinions, not to mention her own flaws, to find a love truly worthy of her—her Mr. Darcy—all with humor and her sparkling charm. “I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print…” wrote Jane Austen in a letter to her sister Cassandra, January 1813―and we think so too!

Foreword by NY Times & USA Today bestselling author Tessa Dare.

Stories by: Elizabeth Adams, Christina Boyd, Karen M Cox, J. Marie Croft, Amy D'Orazio, Leigh Dreyer, Jenetta James, Christina Morland, Beau North, and Joana Starnes.

Available on Amazon

Note from Editor Christina Boyd
This Dream Team of authors--Elizabeth Adams, Karen M Cox, J. Marie Croft, Amy D'Orazio, Leigh Dreyer, Jenetta James, Christina Morland, Beau North, and Joana Starnes--joined me on another adventure with no promise of success but countless hopes. Like many journeys, we encountered unexpected turns, and even a few disappointments, but "it was our business to be satisfied" and prefer to "think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure." I am forever indebted for their creativity, inspiration, great suggestions, and adherence to schedule. And for bolstering my own offering of an Elizabeth story. I can easily count you all as my friends. I am really proud of their work and how well this collection of stories came together.

In my previous anthologies, we were blessed to have such stellar Austen academics like Dr. Claudine DiMuzio and Dr. Devoney Looser write our forewords, and it was doubly important to find someone who really understood Austen, especially Elizabeth Bennet, for this project as well. I had heard that New York Times and USA Today bestselling Regency romance author Tessa Dare had once upon a time written Jane Austen fan fiction. When author Beau North suggested we ask her to write the foreword, there was a resounding "Yes!" You might say we were audacious to even ask but, in the temperament of Lizzy Bennet, our "courage always rises..." When she ardently accepted, you can imagine us: "What delight! What felicity!"--well, more like fangirl squeals! Tessa's love of Elizabeth Bennet and her deft understanding for the scope of this anthology left me wholly gratified, knowing we asked the right person to introduce this fifth anthology of the QuillCollective series.

We hope this homage to one of Jane Austen's best-beloved heroines will not disappoint, especially those that suggested an "Elizabeth" anthology back in 2017. Like Darcy, we "had never been so bewitched by any woman" and writing this collection has been diverting/gratifying/delightful. Please accept these stories in the same affectionate spirit they were written. Elizabeth:Obstinate Headstrong Girl is dedicated to "the Elizabeth Bennet in all of us" because I'd like to think she resides in our hearts, even if but a little spark of courage, wit, loyalty--and whether we reveal her to the outside world or not, she is there inspiring us to find our own felicity and dignity. --Christina Boyd, editor

Giveaway
#OmgItsOHG (as in Oh-my-gosh, it’s Obstinate Headstrong Girl)

One book (e-book, paperback, or Audiobook of your choosing) from EACH of the eleven authors’ backlist are up for grabs. Ends March 31.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE