Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Watching The Detectives by Julie Mulhern

Book Synopsis

Ellison Russell wanted a decorator, not a corpse. Too bad she finds Mrs. White in the study killed with a revolver. Things go from bad to worse when she finds Mr. White in the dining room killed with a candlestick. With so many bodies, is it any wonder Detective Anarchy Jones’ new partner considers Ellison a suspect?

With the country club gossips talking a mile a minute, an unexpected cocktail party, a visit from Aunt Sis, and a romantic decision, Ellison hardly has time to think about murder. Unfortunately, the killer has plenty of time to think about her.

Books in the Country Club Murders Humorous Mystery Series:
THE DEEP END (#1)
GUARANTEED TO BLEED (#2)
CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE (#3)
SEND IN THE CLOWNS (#4)
WATCHING THE DETECTIVES (#5)

Author Bio
Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders. She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean–and she’s got an active imagination. Truth is–she’s an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions. 

Author Links
Webpage – www.juliemulhernauthor.com
FB – https://www.facebook.com/juliekmulhern/?ref=hl
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JulieKMulhern
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573907.Julie_Mulhern 

Purchase Links
Amazon Paperback  Amazon Kindle  kobo  B&N

Giveaway
(5) E-Copy of The Deep End by Julie Mulhern
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Dear Abby - Animal Related Collection - Beth's Whale Collection

Dear Friends,

Welcome back to my blog!   I am happy to have a visit from my friend Beth today.  She has brought a really fun animal collection to share!   You may remember Beth from her previous visits to tell her cat Scotty's dramatic rescue story and to share the story of her beautiful bunny rabbits, Cadbury and Woodbury.

Abby:  Thank you for visiting, Beth!  I heard you have a wonderful whale collection.  How did you get interested in whales?

Beth:  I fell in love with whales the summer before I turned 15, when my parents took me to Hawaii for our vacation. Whales seemed so beautiful and majestic to me. I'm interested in every kind, but I think my favorite is the humpback whale. 

Abby:  They are really beautiful!   What whale treasures did you bring to share?

Beth:  Here are the whales in my glass front cabinet.

I have some prints of whales (Prince of Wales ha!) up:

These are in our "beach bathroom."

Some of my mugs:

And some of my books:

I cross-stitched this.

Abby: Beth, thank you so much for visiting!  I love your whale collection.  Your cross-stitched picture is especially beautiful! 

I also would love to share photos of Beth's pets.  Here is Sully, his cat, and Scotty: 

Scotty (the princess)

Stubby

Woodbury

They are all so beautiful!  Beth, thank you again!  I really enjoyed your visit today.

Friends, if you would like to leave a message for Beth, you can do so in the comments below.  If you would like to share pictures of your animal related collection, please let me know (with your email). 

Thank you so much for visiting!

Love,
 
Abby xoxoxo

Book Review and Giveaway - True to You by Becky Wade

Book Synopsis
Do opposites really attract? John and Nora might just be the perfect match. Find out in True to You, book one in Becky Wade's new series! Genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

My Review
Nora Bradford is a genealogist who runs a historical village.  She meets John Lawson, a former Navy SEAL who wants to find his mother to find answers about a new health concern.  They seem like opposites, but find much in common through a growing friendship and shared faith.  John already has a girlfriend, and Nora is wary of relationships after a heartbreak three years ago.  Will they find a way to make romance happen?  

I loved this book!  Nora was a character that I truly liked - and related to.  She is the kind, smart middle sister in her family, unlike her creative and beautiful older and younger sisters.  I really liked the family dynamics in this book as well.

John is also such a strong and sympathetic character.  I admired him, and also really was pulling for romance between Nora and John!

I liked Nora's fascination for a Downton Abbey-ish series, and the way it played into the story.  I enjoyed the way the chapters ended with texts and Facebook messages.

I found the genealogy and mystery of John's mother very interesting as well.  I loved seeing Nora and John work together to solve the mystery as their connection deepened.

True to You is the first book in a new series, A Bradford Sisters Romance.  I am already looking forward to the next books in this series.  This was a delightful, well written novel with characters I really cared about.  I can't wait to read more!

Recommended for fans of women's fiction, contemporary romance, and Christian fiction.

Giveaway
Celebrate the launch of Becky Wade's new series by entering to win a fabulous prize pack and $100 cash card!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of True to You
• A $100 Visa cash card
• A prize pack hand-picked by Becky

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 30. The winner will be announced May 31 on the Litfuse blog.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse.

Dear Abby - Pet Related Collections: Barbara's Dachshunds, Guinea Pigs, and Cats

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to introduce you to my friend Barbara.  You may remember her from visits she's made in the past - telling the rescue story of Zeus the cat, remembering her beloved dachshunds Auggie and Billy, and introducing her pet family: Oz the dachshund, Zeus the cat, and guinea pigs Radar and Magenta.

Abby:  Barbara, thank you for visiting.  How did you begin your pet related collection?

Barbara:  Our first dachshund, Auggie, joined our family in February 1995. Shortly after his arrival my passion for collecting "all things dachshund" started. At first it was just the odd thing here and there. Dachshund items seemed more difficult to find at that time.  Over the years my love for our big red long dogs grew, as did my collections. I am always on the hunt for something new. But, now friends and family also contribute dachshund treasures for holidays and special occasions. It might not be the most organized of collections, but we are surrounded by bits and pieces all through our home. No matter where we stand there is a dachshund sharing our space. Whether they bark or just represent our much loved canine family members, they always make me smile and help to brighten the darkest of days!

Abby:  Oh, I like that!  Very well put.  What do you collect?

Barbara:  Everything tastes better when served in a dachshund mug. True confession: I always take my biggest dachshund mug with me when we travel and stay in a hotel. I like to enjoy my morning coffee and afternoon tea this way!

Every dachshund home needs one of these. Enter at your own risk.   😉

Many of these special treasures were given to me by friends and family. They all hold a special place in my heart.

Here is one of our most loved dachshund treasures!  This is Low Rider. He is an all time favourite in our family. When you push a button, he plays the song after which he was named. His body moves up and down, his head nods and his tails wags. No one can watch without smiling and laughing. He might be meant for Christmas, but he stays out in our dining room all year long!

I have seen people on social media who have dachshund ornament themed Christmas trees! So far this is my collection, but I hope to find more. Every year I scour the shops, but this is all I have found so far. They are always placed front and centre on the Christmas tree though.

Books, bags, stuffies and even a cushion! Never too many and I love them all!

Here are a few items that are representative of our other pet family members, guinea pigs Radar & Magenta, and kitty Zeus.  Guinea pig collectibles seem harder to come by. Our kitty collection has just begun!

Abby:  Thank you so much for visiting, Barbara!  I really loved seeing your collection.  You have a great variety of pet treasures.  I have to admit, I especially like the fun Low Rider dachshund!

I can't resist adding photos of Barbara's beautiful fur kids.

Oz

Zeus

Radar

Magenta

Dear friends, you can leave a message for Barbara in the comments below.  If you would like to feature your own pet collection, please let me know in the comments too (with your email - thanks!)

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have a great weekend.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - The Reason for Time by Mary Burns

Book Synopsis
Whole minutes passed when I didn’t think of my man and the swimming lesson set up for the next day, if no one was murdered before then, or the cars stopped, or a bomb go off somewhere… On a hot, humid Monday afternoon in July 1919, Maeve Curragh watches as a blimp plunges from the sky and smashes into a downtown Chicago bank building. It is the first of ten extraordinary days in Chicago history that will forever change the course of her life. Racial tensions mount as soldiers return from the battlefields of Europe and the Great Migration brings new faces to the city, culminating in violent race riots. Each day the young Irish immigrant, a catalogue order clerk for the Chicago Magic Company, devours the news of a metropolis where cultural pressures are every bit as febrile as the weather. But her interest in the headlines wanes when she catches the eye of a charming streetcar conductor. Maeve’s singular voice captures the spirit of a young woman living through one of Chicago’s most turbulent periods. Seamlessly blending fact with fiction, Mary Burns weaves an evocative tale of how an ordinary life can become inextricably linked with history.

My Review
The Reason for Time is a unique historical novel.  It tells the story of Maeve Curragh, a young woman who works as a clerk at a magic novelty company in Chicago, 1919.  Maeve witnesses a blimp (the Wingfoot Air Express) crashing into a bank building.  In the panicky days following, she begins a flirtation with a handsome streetcar conductor named Desmond Molloy, and then watches as the city experiences frightening race riots.

The novel is told in first person with a rambling style.  It is told in Irish dialect and includes some politically incorrect language (that was in use in the 1910's).  The dialect adds immediacy and detail, although it slowed the reading down a bit.

The historical details are exceptional.  Between the first person narration, the details, and the day by day narrative structure, the reader has a sense of being in Chicago during a very tumultuous time in 1919.

Maeve is a well developed character.  I wanted her to find happiness and cringed when she made some very bad decisions.  I liked the epilogue that caught readers up with the rest of her life after this period in 1919.

The Reason for Time will be of interest for historical fiction readers, as well as anyone who has an interest in Chicago history or early 1900's immigrant history.

Author Bio
A former journalist and documentary filmmaker, Mary Burns is the author of four novels, two short-story collections, a non-fiction book about snow geese, and several radio and stage plays. She grew up near Chicago and now lives just north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For more information, visit her website, www.maryburns.ca

I received a copy of this book from Allium Press.