Saturday, October 3, 2015

Weekend Window Shopping at Birdhouse Books

Happy Weekend!

I'm working on revamping my stores for the holiday season, so just have a few new listings to share with you this week.   The Halloween cards and poetry books pictured below are all at my eBay shop:  Birdhouse Books on eBay.

Please note that I'm running a weekend sale at Birdhouse Books on Etsy.   You can save 15% this weekend (through 10/5) at my Etsy shop with coupon code WELCOMEOCTOBER.

Here are the new items you'll find in my eBay store this weekend.

Poetry for Young People - Emily Dickinson is a wonderful poetry book for children.


Poetry for Young People:  Robert Frost introduces young readers to Frost's poems.

This fun Halloween greeting card features a witch, cat, and jack o' lantern. 


Love this Halloween greeting card with a witch silhouette!


 Great Halloween greeting card with a green-eyed cat.


 Stylized Halloween greeting card with a candy corn illustration.


I hope you find some goodies here.  I'll have a lot more for you next week!

Friday, October 2, 2015

Dear Abby: A Special Dog Train

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to send a short and sweet note out today to say "hi" and wish you a good weekend.

My friend Bobby sent me this video and I liked it so much that I wanted to share with you.   It is a short visit with an 86 year old man in Ft. Worth, Texas who rescues dogs and who made a special train for them.  It warmed my heart, and I hope you enjoy it too.  I think I might enjoy riding on a train like this!


Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

Love and xxx's, 
Abby

Author Interview and Giveaway - Night and Day by Ann Summerville

Night and Day:
A Cozy Mystery
(Pecan Valley Mysteries)
(Volume 3)

Paperback: 172 pages
Published: (May 27, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1508723967
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Synopsis

Not all is what it seems in Pecan Valley and Bea can’t quite put her finger on what is wrong. She’s hoping Marge won’t become a permanent house guest and encourages her to look for a new home, but while they are scouting the neighborhood they end up looking for more than a house for Marge. What Bea wants to uncover is the unsavory dealings of a ruthless realtor and a murderer that might put Bea on the list of victims.

Birdhouse Books Interviews Ann Summerville


Birdhouse: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Ann: I’ve always enjoyed writing and remember winning first place in a competition in elementary school. It wasn’t until later in life that I decided to publish some of my short stories and eventually began writing my first cozy mystery in 2006. I have since published 11 books, including two children’s books.
Birdhouse: What was your favorite book as a child?
Ann: There was a series by Susan Coolidge that I enjoyed. The first one was called What Katy Did. I hadn’t thought about those in ages. Perhaps these are ones that my grandchildren might enjoy. I’ll look out for an old copy for them.
Birdhouse: What is your writing day like?  Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
Ann: Of course, being English, I have to make a cup of tea before I start. When I’m working on a novel, I try to write at least 1,600 words a day which should give me 50,000 in a month. The rest of the time is spent blogging, answering e-mails and editing.
Birdhouse: What was the most surprising thing you learned while creating this book?
Ann: What has surprised me the most is how the novel takes shape on its own. I don’t always know what my characters are going to do.
Birdhouse: Who are your favorite authors?
Ann: There are so many. I love Richard Russo’s Empire Falls. Jan Karon wrote a wonderful series and concocted the village of Mitford where I’m sure we would all like to live. Winston Graham’s Poldark books are not only a great story, but his descriptions and characters are amazing. (I lived in the same village in Cornwall as Winston Graham for many years and love the area)
Birdhouse: What is your next writing project?
Ann: I’m currently working on the fifth book in the Lowenna cozy mystery series which is set in a fictitious Cornish village. Hopefully it will be ready for publication by the end of the year.
Ann
About The Author –
 Ann Summerville moved from her native England to California before arriving in the Lone Star State. Her publications can be found in Lutheran Digest, Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Doorknobs & Bodypaint, Associated Content, Trinity Writers’ Workshop newsletters and also their collection of Christmas stories.  Ann is currently working on the fifth book in the Lowenna series set in Cornwall. 

Author Links:
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com
www.annsummerville.com

Purchase Link
Amazon

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Throwback Thursday - Bath Crystals and Bath Beads

When I was a young girl bath crystals (above) and bath beads (below) were popular birthday party gifts.  Bath crystals came in pretty glass containers - often with a stopper that reminded me of Jeannie's bottle on I Dream of Jeannie.

Bath beads were about the size of marbles, and they were filled with scented oil that made the bath tub slippery!  They were very pretty, though.

Ironically, as an adult I use only unscented, sensitive skin products and prefer natural if at all possible ... but I still have fond memories of these bath products from my childhood years.

Do you remember these bath products or other similar products from retro years?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.



Book Spotlight - Oktober Heat by Doris Dumrauf

02_Oktober Heat

Oktober Heat by Doris Dumrauf

Publication Date: March 10, 2015 eBook & Paperback
310 Pages 
ISBN: 1507603452 
Genre: Historical/Mystery/Romance 
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In a 1958 West German village, twenty-one-year-old German police officer Walter Hofmann wants nothing more than to dance to the latest rock ‘n’ roll tunes at the nearby American air base. But the girls flock to the easy-going GIs, their dollars, and their fancy cars. Worse yet, the entire country—including his younger sister—is ecstatic about the recent arrival of Private Elvis Presley. 

Old World values and New World pop culture clash, even before a young woman gets killed near the base and the military arrests Walter’s GI friend Jeff for murder. Walter believes in Jeff’s innocence, even after he learns that Jeff has won the heart of the girl he secretly adores. While Walter and his partner are on the trail of an elusive killer, his sister disappears in an attempt to see the famous singer and Walter races to her rescue before she becomes the next victim.

AMAZON (KINDLE) | AMAZON (PB) | B&N NOOK | KOBO

EXCERPT

Walter was late again. His friend had already left by the time he arrived at Fritz’s house. And all because two neighbors could not decide who owned the apples from the tree that bordered their properties. It took Walter and his police partner Schlosser two hours to settle the dispute by extending the property line vertically, which put them well into overtime. 

The concert was supposed to begin at eight o’clock. Walter rode his secondhand bicycle into the parking lot of the Enlisted Club, where his dynamo-powered light reflected off the chrome bumpers of the Chevrolets and Fords of the Americans. After backpedaling to brake and locking the front to the bike rack at the far end of the club, Walter bent and removed the cycle clips from his trousers. He brushed his pant legs until he was satisfied that they were not dusty anymore. Walter wanted to look his best just in case he met a girl tonight. 

He whistled “All Shook Up” as he strolled toward the brightly lit entrance of the club. He walked by a group of GIs lingering under the red canopy, smoking and laughing with their friends, and opened the double door. Inside, he drew in the chatter of the boisterous crowd as if it was fresh air. 

Ah, Saturday night! The long work week was over and he could finally enjoy himself like every other youth in the village. He made his way to the bar, where he paused to scan the crowd. As he had feared, he did not detect one empty chair. 

The German emcee stepped to the microphone and spread his right arm to take in the stage. “Meine Damen und Herren! Ladies and gentlemen! Let’s welcome The Trotters, fresh from America, for their first concert at Lauterbach Air Base.” 

Whistles pierced the smoke-filled club, causing Walter to erupt in appreciative laughter. He lifted his hands into the air and clapped until it hurt. The master of ceremonies stepped back while the maroon velvet curtain slowly revealed the band. Walter craned his neck to view the musicians. The four male singers wore matching white jackets that glittered silvery in the dimmed light, accentuating their ebony skin. 

The oldest of the three bartenders, dressed in a white shirt and a thin tie, placed a cardboard coaster in front of Walter. “Good evening, Herr Hofmann,” he said. “What can I bring you?” 

“I’ll have a Parkbräu.” Walter began to sway his upper body to the tune of “She’s All Yours.” After the applause faded away, he gazed across the room again, searching for acquaintances. Where might his friends be? Perhaps he would have better luck waiting for them to step up to the bar instead of trying to find them in the crowd. He put his bottle on the counter and rested his shoulders against the bar. A young German woman sat on the barstool closest to him. Her curly brown hair framed an oval face with lively, amber-colored eyes. Walter cleared his throat and stood up erect. It was now or never. 

He leaned toward the young woman and said, “Good evening. It’s a nice crowd tonight, isn’t it?” 

She gave him an indifferent look and sat flatly, “Yes, it is.” 

Her mouth formed a wide smile as she waved at someone behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a GI in civilian clothes approach her. 

“Hello,” the American said, taking her hands in his. She rose to dance with him and Walter plunked down on the vacant barstool. He smacked his fist on the counter. Was he never going to find a girl? Just what did this lanky fellow, with his crew cut and clean-shaven face, have that he did not? Other than dollars, a car, and all the latest rock ‘n’ roll records, of course.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

03_Doris Dumrauf

Doris Dumrauf grew up in the West German state of Rheinland-Pfalz, a region with a huge concentration of U.S. military bases. She worked as an administrative clerk on a U.S. air base for many years. 

After moving to the United States, Doris published numerous articles in magazines and newspapers while working on her novel. 

Doris Dumrauf is also an award-winning nature photographer and public speaker.

WEBSITE | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

04_Oktober Heat_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL
Monday, September 28 
Review at I'm Shelf-ish 
Tuesday, September 29 
Review at Singing Librarian Books 
Guest Post at I'm Shelf-ish 
Spotlight at Please Pass the Books  
Wednesday, September 30 
Interview at Singing Librarian Books 
Guest Post at Raven Haired Girl 
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation 
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews 
Thursday, October 1 
Spotlight at Broken Teepee 
Spotlight at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 
Spotlight at View From the Birdhouse  
Friday, October 2 
Review at A Fold in the Spine 
Spotlight at Book Nerd