Dear Friends,
I hope you are having a good day. I'm posting a little early this week because I plan to take some time off for the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope to get some extra naps in and I just know there is going to be extra good food around next week. (I can't wait!) I'll be back the first Friday in December.
I wanted to share some cute vintage cards and postcards with you that feature dogs enjoying Thanksgiving.
Vintage Thanksgiving greeting card -- a dachshund dances with a girl in a pilgrim costume. She's holding a turkey up very high, out of his reach!
A little terrier dog is chased by a turkey on this vintage postcard:
A little girl and two dachshunds meet turkeys on a farm. Those dachshunds look so curious about the turkey!
Vintage greeting card featuring two shaggy terrier dogs who have made a pumpkin house. (It looks very cozy!)
A hound dog watches as a boy says grace at Thanksgiving dinner:
A dog and cat are interested in the turkey that a pilgrim woman is carrying:
However you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope your day is happy and full of many blessings!
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
A southern girl chatting about books, ephemera, life, love, dogs and all things vintage!
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Book Spotlight and Giveway - A Bad Hair Day Cookbook: Recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s Cozy Mystery Series
Book Synopsis
Are you having a bad hair day? Whip out your whisk, snatch up your spoon, and prepare your palate. Inside the pages of this cookbook are recipes that will bring you good cheer.
Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla offers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family. Whether you’re a skilled cook or an eager novice, this cookbook will unravel the mystery of cooking. Put on your apron and plan to make some killer recipes. Bonuses Include:
•Meet the Sleuth
•Introduction by Marla Vail
•Cooking Tips
•Excerpts from Series Titles
•Themed Menu Suggestions
•“A Sabbath Dinner” by Nancy’s Mother
For Home Cooks, Food Lovers, Mystery Fans and Cookbook Collectors
Recipes are listed in these categories:
APPETIZERS
BEVERAGES
BREADS
SAUCES
SOUPS
ENTREES – BEEF
ENTREES – LAMB
ENTREES – POULTRY
ENTREES – FISH
ENTREES – VEGETARIAN
SIDE DISHES
DESSERTS
Author Bio
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won a gold medal at the President’s Book Awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.
Author Links
Website: https://nancyjcohen.com
Blog: https://nancyjcohen.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/njcohen/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-j-cohen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nancyjcohen
Purchase Links – Amazon Kindle Amazon Print Apple Books Nook Kobo Books2Read BookBub Goodreads
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Are you having a bad hair day? Whip out your whisk, snatch up your spoon, and prepare your palate. Inside the pages of this cookbook are recipes that will bring you good cheer.
Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla offers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family. Whether you’re a skilled cook or an eager novice, this cookbook will unravel the mystery of cooking. Put on your apron and plan to make some killer recipes. Bonuses Include:
•Meet the Sleuth
•Introduction by Marla Vail
•Cooking Tips
•Excerpts from Series Titles
•Themed Menu Suggestions
•“A Sabbath Dinner” by Nancy’s Mother
For Home Cooks, Food Lovers, Mystery Fans and Cookbook Collectors
Recipes are listed in these categories:
APPETIZERS
BEVERAGES
BREADS
SAUCES
SOUPS
ENTREES – BEEF
ENTREES – LAMB
ENTREES – POULTRY
ENTREES – FISH
ENTREES – VEGETARIAN
SIDE DISHES
DESSERTS
Author Bio
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won a gold medal at the President’s Book Awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.
Author Links
Website: https://nancyjcohen.com
Blog: https://nancyjcohen.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/njcohen/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-j-cohen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nancyjcohen
Purchase Links – Amazon Kindle Amazon Print Apple Books Nook Kobo Books2Read BookBub Goodreads
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Katherine Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches
Book Synopsis
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.
She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.
Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.
Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.
When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger – from which there seems no escape.
Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperbacks of Katherine-Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Katherine Tudor Duchess
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.
She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.
Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.
Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.
When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger – from which there seems no escape.
Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Amazon UK | Amazon US
Author Bio
Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives
with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful
non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen
Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a
thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the
early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other
international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of
the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.
For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperbacks of Katherine-Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Katherine Tudor Duchess
Friday, November 15, 2019
Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes - Andy The Dachshund Walks Again, Thanks to 3-D Printing
Happy Friday to you! I hope you are having a good week. My week has been nice, but unexpectedly chilly. I think it jumped ahead to winter temperatures here. Brrr!
As a result, I've had extra time to enjoy some dog videos on Youtube. I found one that I particularly like, and thought you might find it interesting too.
This short video tells the story of Andy the dachshund. When Andy went down with his back, he needed emergency spinal surgery. The doctors were able to make a model of his spine with 3-D printing so they could have great success. You will love the scene of Andy walking and even running afterward! This video is from The Today Show. I really liked Andy's story a lot.
You'll find Andy's story here:
Thanks for visiting today, and have a great weekend!
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
Book Review - The Other Windsor Girl by Georgie Blalock
Book Synopsis
In a historical debut evoking the style of The Crown, the daughter of an impoverished noble is swept into the fame and notoriety of the royal family and Princess Margaret’s fast-living friends when she is appointed as Margaret’s second Lady-in-Waiting.
Diana, Catherine, Meghan…glamorous Princess Margaret outdid them all. Springing into post-World War II society, and quite naughty and haughty, she lived in a whirlwind of fame and notoriety. Georgie Blalock captures the fascinating, fast-living princess and her “set” as seen through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting.
In dreary, post-war Britain, Princess Margaret captivates everyone with her cutting edge fashion sense and biting quips. The royal socialite, cigarette holder in one hand, cocktail in the other, sparkles in the company of her glittering entourage of wealthy young aristocrats known as the Margaret Set, but her outrageous lifestyle conflicts with her place as Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister. Can she be a dutiful princess while still dazzling the world on her own terms?
Post-war Britain isn’t glamorous for The Honorable Vera Strathmore. While writing scandalous novels, she dreams of living and working in New York, and regaining the happiness she enjoyed before her fiancé was killed in the war. A chance meeting with the Princess changes her life forever. Vera amuses the princess, and what—or who—Margaret wants, Margaret gets. Soon, Vera gains Margaret’s confidence and the privileged position of second lady-in-waiting to the Princess. Thrust into the center of Margaret’s social and royal life, Vera watches the princess’s love affair with dashing Captain Peter Townsend unfurl.
But while Margaret, as a member of the Royal Family, is not free to act on her desires, Vera soon wants the freedom to pursue her own dreams. As time and Princess Margaret’s scandalous behavior progress, both women will be forced to choose between status, duty, and love…

My Review
The Other Windsor Girl begins in 1949 with Vera Strathmore, a British woman who lost her fiance in the war, and who is writing romance novels. Vera lives with her family - titled but far from wealthy. When she unexpectedly has the opportunity to become a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, she jumps at the chance. Although this means giving up her own aspirations, she finds herself in the middle of a lot of excitement and drama, including Margaret's love affair with Captain Peter Townsend.
I wanted to read this novel because I am a great fan of The Crown and a casual royal watcher. I was curious about a novel involving Princess Margaret.
At first I was not as interested in Vera's life, and found myself reading quickly to get to the Princess Margaret sections. After a while though, this reversed and I was much more interested in Vera's life. It was very interesting seeing her perspective on palace life as an outsider.
Princess Margaret is seen as a very volatile and impulsive personality. At one point she throws her vodka and orange juice in the face of another lady in waiting and fires her on the spot. As a result, Vera is always on edge and concerned about her position at the palace. As Vera gives up more and more for her position, she particularly feels the precariousness of her place.
This was a fascinating read and a real peek into Princess Margaret's life over a pivotal decade (1949 - 1960). The author does a fine job at drawing two strong and different characters, Princess Margaret and Vera, and telling their personal and interrelated stories simultaneously.
Anyone who is interested in the life of the royal family will enjoy The Other Windsor Girl. I found it fascinating and unique, and feel sure other historical fiction readers will as well.
Author Bio
Georgie Blalock is an amateur historian and movie buff who loves combining her different passions through historical fiction, and a healthy dose of period piece films. When not writing, she can be found prowling the non-fiction history section of the library or the British film listings on Netflix. Georgie writes historical romance under the name Georgie Lee. Please visit www.georgieblalock.com for more info about Georgie and her writing.
Follow Georgie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.
In a historical debut evoking the style of The Crown, the daughter of an impoverished noble is swept into the fame and notoriety of the royal family and Princess Margaret’s fast-living friends when she is appointed as Margaret’s second Lady-in-Waiting.
Diana, Catherine, Meghan…glamorous Princess Margaret outdid them all. Springing into post-World War II society, and quite naughty and haughty, she lived in a whirlwind of fame and notoriety. Georgie Blalock captures the fascinating, fast-living princess and her “set” as seen through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting.
In dreary, post-war Britain, Princess Margaret captivates everyone with her cutting edge fashion sense and biting quips. The royal socialite, cigarette holder in one hand, cocktail in the other, sparkles in the company of her glittering entourage of wealthy young aristocrats known as the Margaret Set, but her outrageous lifestyle conflicts with her place as Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister. Can she be a dutiful princess while still dazzling the world on her own terms?
Post-war Britain isn’t glamorous for The Honorable Vera Strathmore. While writing scandalous novels, she dreams of living and working in New York, and regaining the happiness she enjoyed before her fiancé was killed in the war. A chance meeting with the Princess changes her life forever. Vera amuses the princess, and what—or who—Margaret wants, Margaret gets. Soon, Vera gains Margaret’s confidence and the privileged position of second lady-in-waiting to the Princess. Thrust into the center of Margaret’s social and royal life, Vera watches the princess’s love affair with dashing Captain Peter Townsend unfurl.
But while Margaret, as a member of the Royal Family, is not free to act on her desires, Vera soon wants the freedom to pursue her own dreams. As time and Princess Margaret’s scandalous behavior progress, both women will be forced to choose between status, duty, and love…
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My Review
The Other Windsor Girl begins in 1949 with Vera Strathmore, a British woman who lost her fiance in the war, and who is writing romance novels. Vera lives with her family - titled but far from wealthy. When she unexpectedly has the opportunity to become a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, she jumps at the chance. Although this means giving up her own aspirations, she finds herself in the middle of a lot of excitement and drama, including Margaret's love affair with Captain Peter Townsend.
I wanted to read this novel because I am a great fan of The Crown and a casual royal watcher. I was curious about a novel involving Princess Margaret.
At first I was not as interested in Vera's life, and found myself reading quickly to get to the Princess Margaret sections. After a while though, this reversed and I was much more interested in Vera's life. It was very interesting seeing her perspective on palace life as an outsider.
Princess Margaret is seen as a very volatile and impulsive personality. At one point she throws her vodka and orange juice in the face of another lady in waiting and fires her on the spot. As a result, Vera is always on edge and concerned about her position at the palace. As Vera gives up more and more for her position, she particularly feels the precariousness of her place.
This was a fascinating read and a real peek into Princess Margaret's life over a pivotal decade (1949 - 1960). The author does a fine job at drawing two strong and different characters, Princess Margaret and Vera, and telling their personal and interrelated stories simultaneously.
Anyone who is interested in the life of the royal family will enjoy The Other Windsor Girl. I found it fascinating and unique, and feel sure other historical fiction readers will as well.
Author Bio
Georgie Blalock is an amateur historian and movie buff who loves combining her different passions through historical fiction, and a healthy dose of period piece films. When not writing, she can be found prowling the non-fiction history section of the library or the British film listings on Netflix. Georgie writes historical romance under the name Georgie Lee. Please visit www.georgieblalock.com for more info about Georgie and her writing.
Follow Georgie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.
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