Book Spotlight and Giveaway - A Palette for Murder by Sybil Johnson

Book Synopsis

A killer heat wave settles over Seagull Lane…

Summer’s sizzling in Vista Beach, the home of computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson. The abnormally high temperatures are hard on everyone in the quiet Los Angeles county beach community, especially the city’s homeless population. Residents are doing everything they can to stay cool, including leaving windows open to catch the faintest breeze. Not the best idea when a string of burglaries is plaguing nearby towns.

Still, Rory doesn’t expect to find her neighbor’s body just a few doors down. When suspicion falls on a friend and fellow painter, Rory must discover the truth before the police paint the wrong picture and send her friend away permanently.

Author Bio

Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

Author Links

Website: www.authorsybiljohnson.com
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/sybiljohnsonauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sybiljohnson19
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/SybilJohnson
Publisher: http://henerypress.com/paint-the-town-dead/
Purchase Links
Amazon    B&N     iTunes     KOBO

Giveaway
(1) Trade Paperback of A Palette for Murder by Sybil Johnson (U.S. Only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Dear Abby - Remembering Special Pets: Bitsy, Punkin, Maxie, and Talley

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a wonderful week!  Today my friend Jennifer has stopped by to visit and to remember some special dachshunds.  Jennifer is a friend of my Momma from a wonderful dachshund group, and she has some very special doxie memories.  She visited before with her dachshund Stevie May Allen:  click here to read Stevie's story.

Abby:  Thanks for stopping by!  What pets would you like to remember at my blog today?  

Jennifer:  Hi, Abby!  It's always wonderful to talk with you.  Today, I'd like to remember four very special dachshunds, Bitsy, Punkin, Maxie and Talley.

Bitsy

Bitsy -- 1987-1997

Bitsy was a fiesty, wonderful little girl, whose health problems took an early toll on her life.  She was a diabetic and was absolutely inseparable with my mother.  They truly were soulmates.  I always wondered why Bitsy left us so early in her life, but just a year or so later, my mother unexpectedly and suddenly passed away.  I believe Bitsy knew and chose to leave us early so that she would be there to greet my mother when that fatal day arrived.  We got Bitsy and Punkin (who shared the same birthday) at the same time, and there always was an uneasy peace between the two.  Punkin loved to devil Bitsy, who was a very prim and proper lady and who always perked up noticeably whenever French was being spoken on television.  Mother always called Bitsy her "little mademoiselle."

Punkin

Punkin -- 1987-2002

Punkin was a live wire whose favorite thing was to go to Sonic and have a root beer float.  She would plunge her head into the cup and not come up until at least half of the treat was gone.  Her face would be covered in foam, her eyes literally were almost crossed with culinary ecstasy and she would only pause a moment to take a breath before diving her head back in to gulp down the rest of the root beer float.

Maxie

Maxie -- 1997-2010

Maxie came to me as a rescue and had been terribly mistreated -- so mistreated that as her body was shutting down to die, she lost almost all her hair.  In spite of treatment from medical professionals in Georgia and Ohio, she never fully recovered or regained her hair, but she was as healthy and happy as good veterinary care and I could make her.  She was 7 when I adopted her, and I promised her I would give her at least as many good years as she had endured with her abuser.  Thankfully, Miss Maxie lived almost 8 years and was able to know real love and care.  She and Talley had an uneasy peace, but near the end of their lives, they came to at least appreciate each other.

Talley

Talley -- 1997-2012

Talley was a very special girl, who was with me during some of the darkest times of my life.  She truly was my lifeline, the only reason I got up each morning and was the rock of my existence.  When Punkin passed away, Talley became an "only child" for a year or two, and she quickly became the supportive, patient, loving soul that I needed.  I always told her that she really wasn't a dachshund, but was a psychotherapist.  I will always be grateful to her for bringing me back to the daylight from a dark time.

There were two other special dog friends in my early life.  My father gave Miss Petey, a miniature pinscher, to me for my ninth birthday.  A month to the day later, he passed away.  Petey was always a reminder that his spirit would always be with me.  She lived to be almost 19.  Several years later, my mother and I adopted Pepper, our first dachshund.  She was a wonderful girl and lived to be almost 11 years old. 

Abby:  I enjoyed visiting with you today.  Is there anything else about your doxies you would like to share? 

Jennifer:  Today, I have Tookie, Miss Stevie and Trixie, all dachshunds, who are creating their own special memories with me.  I am so very, very thankful for my canine friends as they are the only family I have (my mother was my last living human relative).  Dogs truly are gifts from heaven. 

Abby:  Jennifer, thank you for visiting and sharing Bitsy, Punkin, Maxie, and Talley's stories.  I loved reading about them and seeing their beautiful pictures!   I especially loved reading about Punkin drinking root beer floats!  Those sound delicious.   My Momma agrees with you that dogs are gifts from heaven.  I like that sentiment as well.

Friends, if you would like to leave a message for Jennifer, you can do so in the comments below.   Please also let me know if you would like to visit to remember your special dogs or cats in a future blog post here.

Thank you for visiting!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

 





 

Dear Abby - Remembering Special Pets: Sophie

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  Thanks for stopping.  Today one of my dachshund friends, Don, has stopped by.  His beautiful rescue dachshund, Lulu Belle visited the blog last year.  Click here to read her story:  Meet Lulu Belle (A Rescue Spotlight).  Don has a very special dachshund to remember here today.
 
Abby:  Thanks for stopping by!  What pet would you like to remember at my blog today?   

Don:  Today I would like to remember Sophie. She was born in 1966, died in 1977, and was our first dachshund after we were married. Sophie was a dachshund blueblood, being a von Marienlust dachshund, and a direct descendant of Baron von Marienlust, who won an award for his service with the US Army in World War II as a bomb-sniffing dog. It was estimated that he had saved hundreds of lives through the bombs he detected.
 
Abby:  What are some happy memories of Sophie?

Don: Sophie loved to play ball. She would invent new games to play, and always greeted me at home with her trademark red ball in her mouth. Any time I went down into our basement was a treat for her, as she would bounce her ball down the stairs to me, and wait for me to throw it up into main floor of the house for her to retrieve. Then she would bring it back and bounce it down to me again, and on and on. She never tired of her ball-playing games, and in fact we used to call her Sophie Ballgame.

Abby:  Do you have any funny anecdotes? 

Don:  Sophie loved to come fishing with me. I would put a cushion on the front strut of my 14' fishing boat, and she would sit there by the hour, watching the tip of the fishing rod to see if I caught a fish. When the rod bent down, she would get all excited and come closer for me to show her the fish. Then one day, we were on a family vacation on one of the New York Finger Lakes, which are very big lakes. Sophie and I were out fishing, I caught a fish, and I showed it to her. But this time, as I put the fish back in the water, she got too excited and dove in after it! And she was disoriented, and was swimming out into the middle of this very big, very deep, half-mile wide lake. I figured I did not have time to get the boat going and catch her that way, but fortunately I was a very strong swimmer. So I threw my wallet into the bottom of the boat and dove in after her! I caught up with her quickly, and turned her around, but then I could not get us both back into the boat without tipping it over. So we swam to shore together, which was only about 50 yards distant. After we got to shore, both dripping wet of course, I persuaded my brother-in-law to take the other fishing boat that was there and take me back out to get my boat and wallet. After that Sophie was only allowed to fish with me when I was on shore, and not in a boat. 

Abby:  I enjoyed visiting with you today.  Is there anything else about Sophie you would like to share?

Don:  She was really my first child, I loved her very much, and almost 40 years after she died I still miss her. Somewhere she is chasing her red rubber ball and I know I will see her again. 

Abby:  Thank you, Don!  I appreciate you stopping by.  I loved hearing about Sophie.   Her game of playing ball by bouncing it down the stairs sounds like fun to me!  And she was a brave dog with her fishing adventure.  I can tell how much she was loved from the way you speak of her.

Friends, you can leave comments for Don in the comment section below.  If you would like to visit and share your special memories, I would love to hear from you.  Please leave your email in the comments so I can be in touch.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Book Synopsis

Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indian who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past.

Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship.

 

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon

My Review

Orphan Train tells the story of Vivian, an elderly woman living in Maine.  As a young woman, she traveled to Minnesota on an orphan train.   By chance she meets Molly, a young girl in foster care who comes to the house to help her sort through the attic.  The attic is full of a lifetime of memories.  As they sort through the boxes there, Vivian and Molly bond over their common experiences, many years apart.

This is a unique novel.  It is a historical novel, since much of the narrative happens in the 1920's - 1930's.  However, there are also sections of the book that take place in the present day, sorting out the past.  I loved the structure of the book. 

I found both Vivian and Molly sympathetic characters, and I really became engrossed in their stories.  I especially was eager to read about Vivian's life.  Orphan trains were new to me before this book, and the historical details were fascinating.

The writing is beautiful and it makes Orphan Train a joy to read.  For instance: 

"Vivian has returned to the idea that the people who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our most ordinary moments  They're with us in the grocery store, as we turn a corner, chat with a friend.  They rise up through the pavement;  we absorb them through our sole" (p. 117).  

Orphan Train, at heart, is a novel about love and connections between people, about how small incidents can change a life, how compassion can change people.  I cannot say enough about what a lovely read this is.  I started reading it on a Saturday night and stayed up into the wee hours reading because I could not put the book down.  I felt I was living the story;  it was that engrossing.

I am certain that Orphan Train will be one of my favorite reads this year.  I recommend it very highly for fans of historical fiction, book group discussions, and anyone who loves a beautifully crafted story.  Five stars! 

Author Bio

Christina Baker Kline is the author of five novels. She lives out-side of New York City and on the coast of Maine.

Find out more about Kline at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

I received this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Time Out by by Suzanne Trauth

Book Synopsis

The amateur actors at the Etonville Little Theatre may be known for chewing the scenery, but restaurant manager Dodie O’Dell has something more appetizing for them to sink their teeth into. She’s been taking bows in her small New Jersey town for her theme menus, designed to complement the local productions. This fall, the community theatre is staging Arsenic and Old Lace, set in 1940s Brooklyn, so Dodie is serving up hot dogs, Italian ices, egg creams, and knishes at the weekend food festival.

All is going well until Antonio Digenza, the ex-Off-Off-Broadway director of the show, dies dramatically while noshing on a knish. As rumors of food poisoning quickly spread, Dodie scrambles to rescue the Windjammer restaurant’s reputation. But when clues point to foul play, she’s faced with a cast of suspects all auditioning for the part of DiGenza’s murderer. She’ll need to act fast to shine a spotlight on the killer—before it’s curtains for another victim . . .

Author Bio
Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a former university theatre professor. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Dramatists Guild. When she is not writing, Suzanne coaches actors and serves as a celebrant performing wedding ceremonies. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Readers can visit her website at www.suzannetrauth.com.

Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N

Giveaway

(2) E-Copy of TIME OUT by Suzanne Trauth.  Ends 1/31/17.

a Rafflecopter giveaway