Dear Friends,
I hope you are having a good week. My big news here? It tried to snow. Thankfully, the snow was not very successful, and just ended up in patches here and there. I was able to walk around it, and Momma stayed home with me, and then it disappeared as quickly as it arrived ... so all is good.
I would like to introduce a new series at my blog. I hope you will join me in remembering special pets. Cats, dogs, horses, birds, guinea pigs, bunny rabbits ... all are welcome. Every family has special pets that they remember - from childhood, from years ago, or from perhaps 5 or 10 years ago.
We can keep the memories upbeat with happy stories and funny anecdotes - and of course lots of photos of pets you remember and want to share.
If you would like to join in, please leave your email in the comments below. I'll send a note back with just a few short questions, and then feature the special pets that you remember in future Dear Abby posts here.
I hope you'll join in!
Wishing you a good weekend, with no snow (!), and lots of time to cuddle with your favorite people.
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
A southern girl chatting about books, ephemera, life, love, dogs and all things vintage!
Friday, January 13, 2017
Book Review and Giveaway - Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star
After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes
a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the
sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she
has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk
that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.
When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter
forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’
carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of
Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged
Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece
together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell
over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s
newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother,
with her sisters, and with her daughter.
At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores
not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but
also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.
Purchase Links
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
My Review
Sisters One, Two, Three begins with the Tangle family. There are four children: Ginger, Mimi, Charlie, and Callie. The parents are want-to-be-actress Glory, and Solly, who owns a toy business. During a pivotal summer long ago (early 1970's from details like Space Food Sticks and psychadelic signs), Glory and the four children travel to Martha's Vineyard. Tragedy occurs and changes the family.
The story flashes back to the past and forward to the present, with cautious Ginger, busy Mimi, and always adventurous Callie. I found these characters well drawn and interesting; I had a hard time putting the book down at night, and will admit that I stayed up several nights reading past my bedtime.
This is a beautifully written book, with dialogue that rings true and a plot that moves in threads that connect as the story moves on. It is a moving story of family secrets and love.
I really enjoyed reading Sisters One, Two, Three, and will look for more books by Nancy Star. Readers who enjoy women's fiction, family drama, and compelling storytelling will enjoy this book.
Nancy Star is the author of four previous novels: Carpool Diem, Up Next, Now This, and Buried Lives. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, Family Circle, Diversion
magazine, and on the web. Before embarking on her writing career, Nancy
worked for more than a decade as a movie executive in the film
business, dividing her time between New York and London. She has two
grown daughters and a son-in-law and now lives in New Jersey with her
husband.
Connect with Nancy
Connect with Nancy
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of Sisters, One, Two, Three. Giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada, and ends 1/20. The winner will be notified by email, and needs to respond within 48 hours. The author or her publicist will send the book directly to the winner.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Book Spotlight and Giveaway - River City Dead by Nancy G. West
Book Synopsis
(#1)
•DANG NEAR DEAD
(#2)
•SMART, BUT DEAD
(#3)
•RIVER CITY DEAD
(#4)
Author Bio
I’ve been writing since age seven: poems back and forth with my mom. I had a real poem published in the Library Journal, Pegasus, at age fifteen. At eighteen, I wanted to study journalism and English literature, but friends who chose that college route were making minimum wage or selling lingerie. Being practical, I earned a business degree. After marriage and two children, I decided I HAD to study literature and write. I wrote non-fiction articles, a biography, and a suspense novel in 2004. That’s when whimsical Aggie Mundeen cut through the suspense, popped into my head and demanded her own series. The Aggie Mundeen mystery capers were born. Aggie must have been right: FIT TO BE DEAD is a LEFTY FINALIST 2013 for best humorous mystery, nominated by Left Coast Crime.
Links
Chat with Aggie and Nancy on their blog: www.stayyoungwithaggie.wordress.com
Author’s Webpage: http://www.nancygwest.com/
Author Page at Henery Press: http://henerypress.com/authors-humorous-mystery-series-authors/nancy-g-west/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6442929.Nancy_G_West
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N
Giveaway
(1) Print Copy River City Dead by Nancy G. West - U.S. ONLY. Ends 1/20/17.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Aggie Mundeen, who advises readers in
her column, “Stay Young with Aggie,” is pushing forty and determined to
postpone a precipitous descent into middle-age. She plans to rendezvous
with SAPD Detective Sam Vanderhoven at a hotel on the San Antonio River
Walk…a vacation from crime and reset for their tumultuous relationship.
In the midst of River City during Fiesta Week, what could go wrong?
Aggie’s new friends, the Fabulous Femmes, are holding their convention at the hotel. When hotel guests are murdered, Aggie discovers her friends have disturbing backgrounds. Evil surfaces at Fiesta events, and Aggie’s dancing debut at a Fiesta performance at Arneson River Theater is fraught with danger. Even in idyllic River City, crime complicates relationships.
Books in the Aggie Mundeen Humorous Mystery Series:
•FIT TO BE DEADAggie’s new friends, the Fabulous Femmes, are holding their convention at the hotel. When hotel guests are murdered, Aggie discovers her friends have disturbing backgrounds. Evil surfaces at Fiesta events, and Aggie’s dancing debut at a Fiesta performance at Arneson River Theater is fraught with danger. Even in idyllic River City, crime complicates relationships.
Books in the Aggie Mundeen Humorous Mystery Series:
•DANG NEAR DEAD
•SMART, BUT DEAD
•RIVER CITY DEAD
Author Bio
I’ve been writing since age seven: poems back and forth with my mom. I had a real poem published in the Library Journal, Pegasus, at age fifteen. At eighteen, I wanted to study journalism and English literature, but friends who chose that college route were making minimum wage or selling lingerie. Being practical, I earned a business degree. After marriage and two children, I decided I HAD to study literature and write. I wrote non-fiction articles, a biography, and a suspense novel in 2004. That’s when whimsical Aggie Mundeen cut through the suspense, popped into my head and demanded her own series. The Aggie Mundeen mystery capers were born. Aggie must have been right: FIT TO BE DEAD is a LEFTY FINALIST 2013 for best humorous mystery, nominated by Left Coast Crime.
Links
Chat with Aggie and Nancy on their blog: www.stayyoungwithaggie.wordress.com
Author’s Webpage: http://www.nancygwest.com/
Author Page at Henery Press: http://henerypress.com/authors-humorous-mystery-series-authors/nancy-g-west/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6442929.Nancy_G_West
Purchase Links
Amazon B&N
Giveaway
(1) Print Copy River City Dead by Nancy G. West - U.S. ONLY. Ends 1/20/17.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, January 6, 2017
Dear Abby - The Return -- With Resolutions!
Dear Friends,
I'm back! I missed chatting with you here. How was your holiday? I had a lovely time. Here's my Christmas card picture for 2016:
I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I got treats, toys, and lots of lap time! Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas day. My human Grandma is helping me try on a Santa hat in this picture:
... and here I am with my new toys! I played with them for a few minutes before deciding they function very well as pillows. I love to cuddle with my soft toys.
I even made time to write a few New Year's resolutions:
1. Take quiet time to reflect upon life.
2. Always be ready with a warm kiss.
3. Nap whenever you can!
4. And, of course, do your best to avoid thunderstorms!
I have some themes ahead for this year. I'm debating between two for upcoming blog posts. I'll make a decision and ask for your participation next week.
I'd love to hear from you! Did you have a nice holiday season? Did you - or your pets - make any resolutions? You can leave me a message in the comments, below.
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
I'm back! I missed chatting with you here. How was your holiday? I had a lovely time. Here's my Christmas card picture for 2016:
I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I got treats, toys, and lots of lap time! Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas day. My human Grandma is helping me try on a Santa hat in this picture:
... and here I am with my new toys! I played with them for a few minutes before deciding they function very well as pillows. I love to cuddle with my soft toys.
I even made time to write a few New Year's resolutions:
1. Take quiet time to reflect upon life.
2. Always be ready with a warm kiss.
3. Nap whenever you can!
4. And, of course, do your best to avoid thunderstorms!
I have some themes ahead for this year. I'm debating between two for upcoming blog posts. I'll make a decision and ask for your participation next week.
I'd love to hear from you! Did you have a nice holiday season? Did you - or your pets - make any resolutions? You can leave me a message in the comments, below.
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
Book Review and Giveaway - Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander
Welcome to Torte–a friendly, small-town family bakery where the pastries are delicious…and, now, suspicious.
It’s almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin’ at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules’ team whips up crèpes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year’s confectionery belle of the ball! Life couldn’t be sweeter—unless murder taints the batter.
Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for—literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead…right after sampling a slice of Jules’ decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
My Review
Fudge and Jury is the fifth book in Ellie Alexander's A Bakeshop Mystery series. It is set in Ashland, Oregon. Juliet Montague Capshaw - Jules for short - prepares sumptuous treats for the annual Chocolate Festival that coincides with the town's Shakespeare Festival. Unfortunately, a chocolatier dies after tasting one of Jules' cakes.
Fudge and Jury is a charming mystery set in the picturesque Pacific Northwest. I loved the town, as depicted in this novel, and found the characters very likeable and engaging as well.
This is my first Bakeshop Mystery book, but I had no problem catching up with the characters and storyline.
The characters are well developed and the mystery is well written, with a storyline that moves along at a steady pace.
Foodies will love the baking details in this book! I loved details like this description:
"The Swiss buttercream had a bright coffee finish and just the right balance of bitterness to sweetness. It spread on the cakes like butter. Next, I filled a piping bag with more buttercream and started the painstaking task of piping a delicate trim around the border of each cake. Then I used a closed star tip to hand-pipe individual tiny stars on the sides of the cakes. The look was both rustic and chic. When we transported them to the Chocolate Fest I would decorate the tops with Oregon berries and greenery. It would give them a pop of color and tie in with my forest theme" (pp. 24 - 25).
Fudge and Jury is full of this type of mouthwatering descriptions and details! Add that to the mystery, the character driven plot, and the charming town, and you have a perfect cozy mystery for a weekend read.
Author Bio
Ellie Alexander writes the bestselling Bakeshop Mystery series for
St. Martin’s Press, set in the Shakespearean town of Ashland, Oregon and
featuring a romantic, artisan pastry chef, Juliet Montague Capshaw.
Ellie is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing
pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed
coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her
outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed
in the name of research.
Connect with Ellie
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of this book. Open to U.S. and Canada. Enter with the Rafflecopter form, below. A winner will be drawn 1/14/17 and notified by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours. The book will be mailed directly to the winner by the author or her publicist.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.
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