Hollyberry Homicide (A Berry Basket Mystery)
by Sharon Farrow
About Hollyberry Homicide
Hollyberry Homicide (A Berry Basket Mystery) Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2020) Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages ISBN-10: 1496722620 ISBN-13: 978-1496722621 Digital ASIN: B082WQTC18
A cold wind is blowing off Lake Michigan, and murder is scaring the dickens out of everyone . . .
Considering her name, Marlee Jacob is an
obvious choice for the role of Jacob Marley in Oriole Point’s
production of A Christmas Carol. It’s just sad that the role has opened
up because of the death of the elderly actor who’d originally been cast.
But Marlee, the proprietor of The Berry
Basket, will do her best to keep spirits high—that is, until clues start
mounting that there’s danger behind the scenes. There are accidents on
set, the tree in the village square topples over, and worst of all, a
body is found with a sprig of holly draped over it. If Marlee can’t wrap
up the case, she may not have a berry merry Christmas . . .
Includes Berry Recipes!
About Sharon Farrow
Sharon Farrow is the
latest pen name of award-winning author Sharon Pisacreta. A freelance
writer since her twenties, she has been published in mystery, fantasy,
and romance. Sharon currently writes The Berry Basket cozy mystery
series for Kensington. The series debuted in 2016 and is set along the
beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline where she now lives. She is also one
half of the writing team D.E. Ireland, who co-author the Agatha
nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries.
Book Title: Plant Your Money Tree: A Guide to Growing Your Wealth by Michele Schneider Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+) , 272 pages Genre: Personal Finance, Stock Investing, Retirement Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Release date: May 8, 2019 Content Rating: This non-fiction, self-help book is rated G.
Book Description:
Plant Your Money Tree: A Guide to Growing Your Wealth was named ‘Best New Wealth Books’ by BookAuthority. On Amazon, it enjoyed the #1 New Release spot in three Amazon categories: Introduction to Investing, Business & Finance, and Retirement Planning. Plant Your Money Tree offers readers a strategic and actionable way to look at their financial life with a completely new attitude of confidence, empowering them to make smart decisions regarding:
What to do with their money
How to grow their money
When to make smart personal choices such as changing careers, guiding their kid’s education, expanding their business, buying a house, putting money in a savings account, capitalizing on social trends and investing in the future
How to manage their existing portfolios and 401Ks
In clear and accessible language, Mish Schneider walks the reader through the six most essential sectors of the U.S. economy as
seen through six market phases —bullish, caution, distribution, bearish, recuperation, and accumulation. She illustrates how to easily recognize these phases, understand their interrelationships and explains to readers why they should care. Using a personal and conversational tone, Mish’s goal is to help anyone who believes the topic of the economy and growing wealth is beyond their comprehension by giving them the tools to make independent, informed decisions about their money. With that knowledge, readers will gain insight plus have practical, smart options for what to do with their finances.
Mish holds the readers’ hands every step of the way with her welcoming and easy to understand language. Schneider does not endorse passive or buy-and-hold type investing. Rather, she teaches readers an evergreen methodology that adapts to every market scenario.
A former special education teacher, Michele “Mish” Schneider was one of the first female floor traders on Wall Street. Today she serves as Director of Trading Research and Education at MarketGauge.com, a 20 year industry-leading financial publishing company.
With Plant Your Money Tree, Mish combines her love of teaching with her world-class expertise in finance and investing. When she’s not changing lives through education, Mish spends her time exploring Sante Fe, New Mexico with her husband (and fellow trader) Keith.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J. A. Jackson will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Lust and passion fueled star-crossed lovers Lacey and Kienan. Their love was packed with anguish and heartbreak from the start. Add in her brother Nicholas addiction to deceitful games. Their daily lives feel more like being on a bad scandal-ridden roller-coaster ride.
Being an older brother has its perks. Nicholas thinks his sister Lacey is the perfect target for his manipulative schemes after a series of bad investments places him in a great need of money. He plots and schemes his way into getting others to do his bidding.
As Nicholas let lose a series of plans, tragic forces emerge. A vengeful seducer is unleashed, as he opens up doors to the past.
The past where the dead never dies.
Life will never be the same in thiss gripping shocking twist-filled story of love, lies, and redemption!
Will Lacey discover her brother’s deception before it’s too late?
Read an Excerpt
A week later, that Wednesday morning at nine thirty, Nicholas sat in the conference room at his office and looked over the reports. He was a study in contrasts as he sat their hiding his emotions. He’d learned over the years how to use people and today he was using the bastard Dante Channing.
Dante Channing had a nerdy arrogance that came from having been given the best education that money could buy. He was capable at doing his job, Nicholas knew, but he had weaknesses. Many of them, he thought, as he studied him suspiciously. One of them was that he loved to hear himself talk, another was thinking that he was smarter than everybody, and then there was his need to feel he was in control. But his greatest weakness, Nicholas knew, had to be Dante’s lost moral values. He would do anything to make money.
Dante passed out another report. “Everyone, Neon-Tech is a sure winner. And we have Nicholas La Cour to thank for doing the full financial check on Neon-Tech, and I must say it is now starting to show a very nice, albeit tiny, profit.”
Dante watched Nicholas for a moment and then walked over and nudged him whispering. “Nicholas are you paying attention? I just gave you a compliment.”
He put him on the spot.
Nicholas knew that he had been thinking about something else entirely. He’d been thinking about how glad he was that he had a programming background. He knew he’d done his homework when he’d set up a dummy corporation to do his siphoning. He needed to make some extra money the old-fashioned way, quickly, silently, and secretly.
Frustrated, Nicholas looked up at the other men in the conference room. He could tell they were glad Dante’s focus was on him and not on them. His smile was carefully crafted when he looked back at Dante. He shook his head. “You know I was just doing my job Dante, but thanks for the compliment,” he said with a sly smile, letting him know he’d heard every word he said.
About the Author:
J.A. Jackson is the pseudonym for an author, who loves to write deliciously sultry adult romantic, suspenseful, entertaining novels with a unique twist. She lives in an enchanted little house she calls home in the Northern California foothills. Her love for cooking and writing come from her Southern roots of Louisiana and Arkansas. She isa member of South Bay Writers Association, Yosemite Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America (RWA).
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M. Glenda Rosen aka Marcia Rosen will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
August 21, 2020, A Senior Sleuths Mystery, “Dead In THAT Beach House,” Published by Level Best Books is the third in the series and available at your local book store, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. This series of murder and mayhem is written in a modern noir style with charming, witty, deliciously clever soft-boiled sleuths.
***
Once we had arrived in the Hamptons, settled in and I felt comfortable, I began to add small amounts of poison to the evening cocktails. It was from the oleander flowers. I had planted them carefully behind the barn in Ames. After only weeks, they were falling ill, listless, crying to go back to Ames. They felt too sick at the beach house. It was simple.
I know you must think I’m a monster. But, really, they felt very little when I strangled them to death thanks to the poison in their system. When they were dead, I filled my library with books about murder and witchcraft. The note I leave for whomever might find them might explain what happened…
The Senior Sleuths, Dick and Dora Zimmerman, much like Nick and Nora Charles from the Thin Man series, and their cozy group of interesting, quirky friends take on crooks and murderers while dealing with an outrageous case of elder abuse.
Later: “Shall we say invitations are mandatory?”
“Absolutely, dear. We wouldn’t want anyone to miss the fun”
“They’re either belligerent, arrogant, or simply annoyed,” Zero whispered to Cloud as the so-called guests arrived. They were all murderers and those who had committed crimes against the elderly.
Read an Excerpt
Sewn inside the striped petticoat were two old metal skeleton keys.
Dora and keys. They did get her in trouble.
Jake took pictures of the keys with his cellphone and he and his mother agreed it would be best to show them to Dick and Lily. Then they would forward the photos of the keys to the sheriff, and explain where they were found.
Lily and Dick had found their own surprise in the library. There were several shelves of books about murder. Another shelf had books on witches, witchcraft and poisons. All the dust and cobwebs on them couldn’t hide the strangeness of it all.
Dora was determined to come back as soon as possible to look deeper amongst the pages of murder and evil. It only made sense the books might reveal some truths about the house and its owner.
The dust unable to hide strange markings on those books made Dora very curious and determined to look for possible answers inside their pages.
“What kind of people owned this house?” Jake looked at his mother, clearly wanting to get out of there.
About the Author:
For over 25 years, owner and founder of a business/marketing and public relations agency and consulting firm in New York City, The Hampton’s and Albuquerque, New Mexico where the company served as advisors to a wide range of national, regional and local clientele including major pharmaceutical companies. The agency provided a special expertise to the healthcare industry including: hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, medical facilities, non-profit healthcare organizations and literally dozens of healthcare providers. It was the second largest public relations firm in New Mexico when sold. The agency was built on Marcia’s business experience as owner of two-day care centers for ten years in upstate New York.
Parallel to founding and running her agency, Marcia was also an active advocate and advisor for women’s economic development and success. Along with Betty Friedan, she was honored by the City of New York in celebration of Women’s Empowerment Day for “helping thousands of women advance their careers and succeed in starting their own companies.” She was also honored as the East End Women’s Network’s 20th annual “Woman of the Year,” and nominated for New York State“ Women of Distinction Award. In New Mexico her agency received awards and accolades for the many volunteer services it provided.
She has served on numerous organization boards including, The New York Women’s Agenda, Columbia Hospital Breast Cancer Initiative, American Cancer Society, Venture Fund for Women, The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, PULSE (helping to prevent medical errors), Boardroom Bound Alliance and others over the past twenty years.
Marcia presently lives in Carmel, California and is planning on moving back to Albuquerque early 2021 or end of 2020. She has author clients in New York City, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Long Island, the Hamptons and Vancouver.
From USA Today bestselling authors, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and Kylie Gilmore, comes a hilarious, sexy, Vampire Romance about the girl next door and an ancient prince who’s lost when it comes to modern women.
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and Kylie Gilmore have created an uproariously funny fantasy romance. I highly recommend meeting BOZ, a vampire who was cursed by the village witch and awakens after 500 years to find a new world.
Neli has looked after him and even went so far as to physically move his castle from Transylvania to Napa Valley.She has created a multimillion dollar winery while he slept.
Stella lives across the way, working at her family’s business, Stellaniva Vineyards. Due to financial difficulties, her family’s future is on the line. She reaches out to her neighbors, knocking on the castle door hoping to pick the successful owners brains. She has vivid dreams of a man…
When they meet, he is standing at attention!
Outrageously funny. Not your normal vampire fare.
Technologenie, magic button, Glade…
The interview with the authors has its own humor and shows why their collaboration is such a huge success.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fanged Love by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff & Kylie Gilmore.
4 Stars
BLURB
WANTED: MODERN WOMAN WHO APPRECIATES TRADITIONAL COURTSHIP WITH FANGS.
Greetings. My name is Prince Bozhidar, and I am an eight-hundred-year-old vampire.
Correction.
I am an eight-hundred-year-old, virile, confident, and very sexy vampire—so I’m told. I have wealth, looks, and everything an immortal man could ever want.
Well, except love. But no matter. I am not a one-neck sort of man.
Yet the virginal woman across the road sets my senses afire. And she needs my help with her family’s failing winery. My own is quite successful.
My honor demands I help this enchanting female, and when I do, my heart begins beating anew. She is my mate. Strangely, my gifts of seduction do not seem to work on her.
Perhaps I need to fit in with modern dating customs to win this modern woman.
And then there’s the small matter that she doesn’t believe in vampires.
There is no fighting destiny, sweet Stella. You will be mine.
Download TodayAMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AUKOBO | B&N | APPLE BOOKSClick here to participate in the Release day Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway
About Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Sign up for Mimi’s Newsletter and get a FREE book!
Kylie Gilmore is the USA Today bestselling author of the Rourkes series, the Happy Endings Book Club series, the Clover Park series, and the Clover Park STUDS series. She writes humorous romance that makes you laugh, cry, and reach for a cold glass of water.
Kylie lives in New York with her family, two cats, and a nutso dog. When she’s not writing, reading hot romance, or dutifully taking notes at writing conferences, you can find her flexing her muscles all the way to the high cabinet for her secret chocolate stash.
Book Title: Killer Deadline(A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 232 pages Genre: Mystery/Cozy Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: April 23, 2020
Audiobook release date: August 5, 2020 Content Rating: G. This is a true cozy mystery. No sex. No on-stage violence. No swearing. Just good clean fun!
“Here we go! Carr is a master storyteller who always offers a plot full
of twists and turns, a bit of humor to offset the dark, and a unique
cast of characters. In Killer Deadline that
cast includes – handsome Ryan, her first love (who is now her
step-brother); a mysterious social media friend called Nerdy Guy; Elmo, a
super smart dog, a boxer, she rescued who has become a social media
star and has a penchant for cleaning; a TV station full of suspicious
employees; and more.
“This book is a wonderful read to pick up at the end of a long day. It
truly is a “cozy murder mystery.” I promise, it’ll draw you in right
from page one and keep you turning the pages until you reach the very
last page. I can’t wait for the second book in this series.” – Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:
Folks in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, claim that where Nikki Bryant goes,
trouble is not far behind. Her refusal to back down from a challenge has
made Nikki Bryant a top investigative journalist.
When an online friend nudges her to join him in a pact to reconnect with
their first loves, Nikki and her boxer dog Elmo leave the bright lights
of Las Vegas for the charming town of Pine Grove. There, she must face
the biggest challenges in her career and life—the first love she had
left behind and her father’s unsolved murder.
But before she has time to unpack her car, Nikki stumbles upon the dead
body of local news anchor, Ashleigh Addison, her childhood rival. Could
Ashleigh’s death be connected to an explosive news story that she had
teased about airing live? Did that explosive story have anything to do
with the murder of Nikki’s father?
With the clues in her father’s cold case hot again, Nikki intends to
chase down the story of her life until she catches his killer—no matter
what it takes.
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across
three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Killer Deadline marks Lauren’s first venture into mystery’s purely cozy sub-genre with a female protagonist.
Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include
mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Haven’t even taken care of the issues from Sally and here we go again. Have everything crossed and hoping it stays west. Sorry everyone, but I have had enough.
Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately! If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below HERE
Lenny Kravitz has a memoir coming out 10.6.20. You can check it out HERE.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hello fellow bloggers. Another week has passed and they all seem to blend together. I see where I actually posted two of the same Books From The Backlog posts. I guess that shows where my head is. Still trying to get back in the groove and my blogging ahead has run out. This week I did minimal blogging and reading. I hope I can shake myself out of this funk soon. How about you? Did you have a good week? Did you watch the Presidential debate. LOL I received my ballot and have already sent it back. I have voted. Have you?
Hope you have a good week and I’ll be seeing you soon.
Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
by Tina Kashian
About Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery) Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2020) Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages ISBN-10: 1496726073 ISBN-13: 978-1496726070 Digital ASIN: B082WR6DMT
Not even her impending nuptials can keep Lucy Berberian, manager of her family-owned Kebab Kitchen, from the Jersey Shore’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. But her dive into the icy ocean is especially chilling when she finds a fellow swimmer doing the dead man’s float—for real . . .
Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception hall owner who turned up his nose—and his price—at her wedding plans, she can’t help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer . . .
Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s mouthwatering Christmas celebration—and before her hometown’s holiday spirit washes out to sea . . .
Recipes included!
GUEST POST WITH
RECIPE FOR THE AVID READER
Thank you for
inviting me to chat with your readers about my new release, “Mistletoe,
Moussaka & Murder.” It’s the fifth book in my Kebab Kitchen mystery series.
Holiday time at
the Jersey Shore is special. Snow on the beach is a sight to see!
In my series, Lucy
Berberian manages her family’s Mediterranean restaurant, Kebab Kitchen. Working
at a Mediterranean restaurant during the Christmas and holiday season means
serving mouthwatering holiday dishes of shish kebab, hummus, and moussaka as
well as delectable desserts like baklava.
When Lucy
Berberian signs up for this year’s Polar Bear Plunge at her Jersey Shore town
to fundraise for the local senior center, she realizes she may have been a bit
too brave. Lucy runs into the freezing Atlantic Ocean, then hightails it back
to the shore. Just when she thinks the worst is over, a chilly scream alerts
everyone to a body lying at the surf. Can Lucy solve the case before Christmas
in Ocean Crest is ruined?
As for the food in
the series, my Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years, and I grew
up in the business. So, what is moussaka? Moussaka to the Greeks is like
lasagna to the Italians. I’m happy to share my own family’s recipe (the
moussaka is featured in my new release as well!)
Have you ever
tried moussaka? What’s your favorite Mediterranean dish?
Lucy’s Moussaka
This Mediterranean dish is a favorite and often
served at holidays and family dinners.
Prep
Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large finely chopped onion
2 pounds ground beef
4 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine
½ cup chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggplants
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ pound butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 quart full-fat milk
4 beaten eggs
teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese
1½ cup fine breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For
the ground beef:
Heat
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they turn
transparent. Add the ground meat and cook until fully cooked. Transfer the meat
to a large strainer set over a bowl and drain off any excess fat. Return meat
to the pan and heat. Add the tomato paste, wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer over low heat until all the
liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
For
the eggplant:
Cut
unpeeled eggplants into ½-inch-thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and let
them sit for five minutes. Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a separate skillet.
Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices until they are golden brown on both
sides. Set eggplant slices aside on sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb
the oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For
the béchamel sauce:
In
a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking
constantly, until the mixture is smooth. In a separate saucepan, bring the milk
to a boil and add it gradually to the butter-flour mixture. Whisk constantly.
When the mixture is thickened and smooth, remove it from the heat. In a bowl,
whisk together beaten eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta cheese. Add it to the béchamel
sauce and whisk until smooth.
Putting
it all together:
Spray
an 11-x-16 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs.
Layer half the eggplant in pan, then add half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with
breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the rest of the eggplant and then the meat
sauce. Pour the béchamel sauce on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is
browned and bubbly. Allow it to cool for twenty minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Here’s a dish from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant.
Tina Kashian is an attorney and mechanical engineer
whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of
academia. She is the author of the popular Kebab Kitchen Mediterranean
cozy mystery series for Kensington Publishing. Tina spent her childhood
summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and
riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant
business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years.
Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two
daughters. Please visit her website at www.tinakashian.com to join her
newsletter, receive delicious recipes, enter contests, and more!
