Dear Friends, My friend Shari sent me a wonderful short video. I really enjoyed seeing how other dachshunds live - across the world in the Netherlands - and thought you might enjoy this one too. The video features Loulou and Coco the dachshunds. First there is dinner, then a walk by the lake, and then they try some fruit as a treat. They try strawberries and blueberries and discover both are delicious! (I could have told them that.) Then they have a nice nap because they have had a full day. Here is the little video: I hope you enjoyed spending some time with Loulou and Coco. If you have a dog, does your pup like fruit? I love it in little bites - especially bananas! Have a great weekend! Love, Abby xoxoxo
My Review Booked for Death is a cozy mystery set in a B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte Reed inherited the B&B from her great aunt, and enjoys running it with a literary theme -- special book events. When a rare book dealer turns up dead during a Josephine Tey week-long event, Charlotte becomes an amateur detective to help solve the mystery. I wanted to read Booked for Death because I was intrigued by the book-themed B&B. I love southern settings, so that was another plus. I have enjoyed the author's Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series, so that made me even more interested in this new series as well. What a wonderful start to a new series! The B&B is a perfect setting for a new series. I found the story about Charlotte's Great Aunt Isabella fascinating and loved the details of the mystery stretching back to an earlier time. The murder victim was a thoroughly unlikable fellow and there were a number of viable suspects. The mystery aspect of this book was particularly well written and the pacing was perfection. It moved quickly and I found it hard to put the book down! Charlotte and her elderly neighbor Ellen work together well as amateur detectives. I enjoyed their friendship and their deduction process. I already look forward to the next book in this series and recommend Booked for Death for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for readers who like a southern setting or a book-ish theme mystery. Book Synopsis
From the critically acclaimed author of
SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a
new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell.
A book lover’s B&B in an idyllic
waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder–and a ruthless
battle between treachery and the truth.
Nestled in the historic waterfront town
of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader’s
paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of
special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It’s the perfect
literary retreat–until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage
house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.
The victim’s daughter points the finger
at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who
inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is
shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a
thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has
successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has
prepared her to handle a death on the premises.
Armed with intelligence and courage and
assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members
of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and
to clear her great-aunt’s name. But the murderer is still at large, and
equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth
behind the book dealer’s death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown
killer–or end up writing her own final chapter.
Author Bio
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the
shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with
reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has
worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library
director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time
watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in
Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina.
My Review Snowed Under is a cozy mystery about Maggie McDonald. Maggie and her
best friend Tess have traveled to Lake Tahoe. Tess is planning to sell
her family vacation home and Maggie has agreed to use her professional
organizing skills to declutter the house and get it ready for sale. They
arrive along with a snowstorm -- and a murder mystery when Maggie
discovers a body in the snow!
I wanted to read Snowed Under
because I enjoy cozy mysteries. I was intrigued by the job of a
professional organizer, and liked the mention of dogs in the story.
This
is my first read in the Maggie McDonald series, but it was an enjoyable
read as a standalone. The two major characters were Maggie and Tess and
since they were in a new setting, there was not a lot of additional
backstory to catch up with.
I don't think I have ever read a book
that captured winter weather and being snowed in as well as Snowed
Under! It made me feel cold just reading about the storm. I have had
limited experience with snow storms, so found that aspect of the book
interesting.
The mystery involves Dev, the man found in a snow
drift. Dev was a husband and father who disappeared several months ago
and was found by chance by Maggie. The story involves the neighborhood
and community, so there were a lot of characters to get to know and keep
up with. (A cast of characters page would have been helpful.) The
mystery was well plotted with a number of suspects, but then it took a sort of turn and the murderer came out of nowhere (not a previously introduced suspect).
There are a number of dogs in
Snowed Under, and that always adds to cozy mystery enjoyment for me! I
was particularly fond of Duke, the persnickety little chihuahua.
The
chapter epigraphs all were inspiring quotes about simplifying and
organizing. There was less actually organizing and decluttering in the
book than I had expected; this may be different in other books in the
Maggie McDonald series.
Snowed Under was an enjoyable cozy
mystery read. It will keep readers on
their toes as they solve the case along with Maggie. Readers who enjoy
seasonal settings (winter!) and dogs in mysteries will also enjoy those
aspects of the storytelling.
Book Synopsis When professional organizer
Maggie McDonald finds a body in a snowdrift outside her friend’s ski
cabin, she must plow through the clues to find a cold-blooded killer . .
. Lake Tahoe in February is beautiful, but
Maggie can’t see a thing as she drives through a blinding blizzard with
her friend Tess Olmos and their dogs, golden retriever Belle and German
shepherd Mozart.Maggie has offered her professional decluttering skills
to help Tess tidy up her late husband’s cabin in preparation to sell.
She also plans to get in some skiing when her husband Max and their boys
join them later in the week.
What she doesn’t plan on is finding a
boot in a snowdrift attached to a corpse. The frozen stiff turns out to
be Tess’s neighbor, Dev Bailey, who disappeared two months ago. His
widow Leslie expresses grief, but Maggie can’t help but wonder if it’s a
snow job. As more suspects start to pile up, things go downhill fast,
and Maggie must keep her cool to solve the murder before the killer
takes a powder . . .
Author Bio Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries
featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick
golden retriever. She’s worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop
enterprises, competed in whale boat races and done synchronized
swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead,
but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust. Author Links: Website – Blog – Facebook – Twitter Purchase Links: Amazon B&NKoboGoogle BooksKensington
Hi Friends! I hope you are having a great day. I have a super short and sweet video for you (it is just seconds long). This little video shows a kitten and a miniature pinscher. The kitten is happily eating food and the min pin looks hungrily on (but very politely, I might add!). The kitten decides to share some food with her dog friend. (Please note -- if the video doesn't work via phone, please try viewing on a computer instead.)
This video came from my Uncle Dave (thanks!) and it reminded me of a story about two of his late pets. I hear there was a Thanksgiving dinner at his house and his cat Buster and dog Augie were very interested in the meal. They were, in fact, so interested that Buster got up on the counter, slapped a little pan of crescent rolls to the ground -- and shared with Augie, who was waiting. Here is a picture of Augie the dog and Buster the cat (not eating rolls in this photo!).
I hope this little video made you smile. Have a wonderful day! Love, Abby xoxoxo
My Review of Carolina Breeze Carolina Breeze tells the story of Mia Emerson, an actress who decides to get away from Los Angeles after she is unwittingly caught in a manufactured scandal. She just broke up with her fiance, and ends up going on the honeymoon on her own, just as a way to escape This takes her to Bluebell Inn in North Carolina There she meets Levi Bennett, who is running the inn with his sisters. Mia and Levi are both very reserved, but slowly get to know each other. There are complications with Levi's issues running the inn and Mia's past history. I wanted to read Carolina Breeze because I enjoyed the first book in the Bluebell Inn series, Lake Season. This was a very enjoyable read! Levi and Mia are both a bit closed off emotionally, and the reader gets to know them slowly as they get to know each other. They are both very sympathetic characters who want connection - although they approach it cautiously. There is a fun subplot about a long-ago missing blue diamond that may or may not be at the inn. I enjoyed the details of the search for the diamond! There are also subplots about Molly (the protagonist of Lake Season) and her boyfriend and Grace, the youngest sister, who wants to start a business instead of going to college. The Bluebell Inn series is faith-based and faith is handled beautifully in the books; characters show their faith by their actions and strength of character. I recommend Carolina Breeze (and the earlier book, Lake Season) highly for anyone looking for an enjoyable beach read or weekend book getaway! I already am looking forward to the next book in this series.
My Review of Lake Season After their parents die in a tragic accident, siblings Molly, Grace, and Levi Bennett pull together to open the family inn that their parents dreamed of. During the renovation process, Molly finds a letter that was written in 1962 and never sent; she decides to solve a decades old mystery and contact the letter's recipient. She is helped by a guest at the inn (and her crush). Adam Bradford is a reclusive writer working under a pseudonym. He is immediately drawn to Molly, but he has secrets of his own. I wanted to read Lake Season because I love Denise Hunter's books. They are perfect beach reads populated by characters who are so likable and realistic. Lake Season is a wonderful start for this new book series! I really liked Molly, who is the focus of this story - and the little glimpses of her siblings too. Molly and Adam are an intriguing romantic pair -- starting as friends, shyly getting to know each other, and working to solve the 1960's mystery. And the 1962 mystery! I loved the dual storyline about Lizzie (Elizabeth) Van Buren and her star-crossed love for Ben Schwartz. The 1960's setting is charmingly evoked, and it adds so much to the story. I enjoyed the way readers get to learn more about the mysterious letter as Molly and Adam did. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Lake Season! I loved the characters (present day and 1960's), the romantic stories in both timelines, and the quaint North Carolina setting. It definitely made me want to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended for fans of women's fiction, small town romance, and dual storyline novels.
Author Bio Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom,
which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has
won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol
Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When
Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys
traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise
makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly
approaching an empty nest.
