Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the 6th annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer!

Fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a box of books filled with 15 romance and mystery titles by popular authors.

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Wordless Wednesday: Talk to the Paw

Book Review: Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A. Lang

From the publisher: Spring has sprung, the bunting is up, and for the residents of the little Cotswold village of Beakley, this can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Beakley Spring Fayre.

Drawing the crowds this year is stiletto-strutting celebrity chef Miranda Matthews, a woman for whom making enemies is a piece of (shop-bought) cake. And one of them is lurking around the Fayre, ready to make sure Miranda hangs up her apron—for good.

Faced with a murderer with a possible penchant for top(ping) chefs, Chef Maurice must sift through the clues and weigh up the suspects—not to mention contending with a sous-chef with mummy issues, a food critic on a diet, and a bulletproof pudding—as he finds himself on the trail of a killer who’s not cooking by the rules…

J.A. Lang has perfected the art of the classic cozy with her brilliant Chef Maurice mysteries. This series reminds me of the hysterical, madcap adventures of Agatha Raisin and just seems to get better with each new release.

Book 3, Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off, takes place in the spring with preparations underway for the Beakley Spring Fayre. Chef Maurice is horrified that not only has he not been asked to judge the Great Beakley Bake Off, but he's lost his seat to celebrity chef Miranda Matthews, who he deems completely unfit and unworthy of the admiration she receives. Apparently someone else agrees with him because before long Miranda is found dead. Concerned that someone is out to bump off chefs, Maurice takes it upon himself to solve the crime, but that's not all he has to deal with! His sous chef Patrick's mother is in town and attempting to lure him away to another restaurant, not to mention the havoc that this dilemma is having on Patrick's budding romance with PC Lucy. (The way those two deal with issues in their relationship is a riot!)

In addition to all of the fun characters we've come to know and love in this series, Hamilton the micropig makes a return appearance, and thankfully is *not* the star of the Fayre's hog roast (although it may have caused the poor little dear to be permanently scarred).

Go on holiday to the Cotswolds area of England through the pages of this delightful book, but make sure you steer clear of potential suspects dressed up in bunny costumes! 

Book Review/Giveaway: Murder, Plainly Read by Isabella Alan

From the publisher: In the latest from the author of Murder, Served Simply, an Amish man checks out permanently, but quilt shop owner Angie Braddock’s got this mystery covered…

With so much to do between running her shop and spending time with her new boyfriend, it’s amazing Angie is able to help organize the Rolling Brook library's annual book sale. Luckily she’s working alongside brash librarian Austina Shaker, a lady who isn’t afraid to make waves to get books to her patrons—even the Amish. Unfortunately, this draws the ire of cranky Bartholomew Belier, an Old Order Amish bishop, who publicly vows to ruin Austina.

And she certainly might be ruined after Belier is found dead in her bookmobile. Now Angie must employ the help of her loyal quilting circle—as well as her beloved French bulldog, Oliver—if she hopes to prove Austina’s innocence before the real killer books it…

One of the great joys of being a part of the cozy mystery community is how approachable and friendly the authors are on social media. One of my favorites to follow is Amanda Flower/Isabella Alan. Her posts, especially those featuring her beloved cats Cheeps and Tummy, never fail to put a smile on my face. (Cheeps and Tummy even have their own Instagram page!!!) Her sparkling personality comes out in all of her books, as well, and my favorites are her Amish Quilt Shop mysteries.

In this fourth book in the series preparations are underway for the Rolling Brook library's annual book sale. Angie has been roped into organizing the event with librarian Austina Shaker. Austina is an outspoken lady who has been making enemies in the community among the most conservative Old Order Amish who don't approve of the books she's offering. Angie witnesses an especially nasty altercation between Austina and bishop Bartholomew Belier, and then the next morning she arrives at Austina's bookmobile for an early morning meeting only to find Bartholomew dead inside and Austina standing over the body.

What I love most about this series is the characters. From the Amish community that's become such an important part of Angie's life, to her parents (who now live in Rolling Brook to be closer to her), to her growing relationship with Sheriff Mitchell and his 9 year old son Zander. Of course there's also her adorable kitten Dodger and her bird-fearing Frenchie Oliver, who is reunited in this book with his friend Petunia the goat. (Have I mentioned that all of Flower/Alan's books have ridiculously fun and quirky animal characters???)

I also love that these are puzzling mysteries with a logical conclusion that doesn't tax my brain. Nothing frustrates me more than finishing up a cozy and having to backtrack through the book in order to figure out what happened and why.

As soon as I turned the last page on Murder, Plainly Read, I found myself wondering how long I'll have to wait for the next book. I don't know about you, but to me, that's the definition of a great story!

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Friday, October 16th for your chance to win a copy of Murder, Plainly Read. (US entries only, please.)

Good News, Bad News #SundaySelfies

Meows from Mudpie!

I have kind of a newsy edition of Sunday Selfies this week. First, the good news. You may remember that last week I was hiding my head because it looked like our favorite NASCAR driver, Kevin Harvick, was unlikely to advance in the Chase for the Championship. He had 2 really bad weeks and was in a "must win" situation. Well, guess what...he WON last Sunday and is once again considered a favorite to win the Championship! We'll find out in seven weeks :)

That ended up being the highlight of our week because early Tuesday morning my grandpa had another small stroke. This is the third time in three years, and just like back in December the doctors can't figure out why it's happening because all of his test results come back normal. He's on two new medicines that we're hoping will help. ***Paws crossed***

Last, but certainly not least, you may remember an adoptable cat named Elvira that we featured a couple months ago. She was even the star of her own music video! We were heartbroken to hear that Elvira passed away from liver failure last week. It's so sad that she never found her forever home, but the wonderful people at Franklin County Animal Rescue loved her, and home is where you are loved.

Photo: FCAR Facebook page

Pumpkin Art on Caturday

Meows from Mudpie!

This week for our Caturday Art project Mommy carved my picture onto a pumpkin!

Ya, right. If you believe that I've got an igloo for sale in Florida MOL!!!

My pumpkin art was created thanks to the magic of PhotoFaceFun. That's where the cute frame came from too. I think the black kitty likes me, don't you?

Visit more of my artsy friends at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.

We're Decorating for Halloween!

Meows from Mudpie!

This week Mommy has been doing a little redecorating around our house. She says she's putting up "Halloween decorations". Now I'm still new to this Halloween thing, but I think some of the ghosts and witches she's putting out are just plain scary! Who's going to protect me from these things when I wander out into the living room alone for a snack in the middle of the night???

Thankfully, the majority of our decorations are cat related, of course, and I thought you might like to see some of our favorites!

These first three pieces are from the Yankee Candle Boney Bunch collection. First, the Cat Lady, an online exclusive released this year:

The limo driver surrounded by cats was also released this year, and is available in Yankee Candle stores:

This cat & pumpkin Boney Bunch figure came out a couple years ago:

Mommy also collects some of the Lemax Spooky Town Halloween Village pieces. She buys them at Michael's, and with their weekly 40% off coupons you can get them for a great price!

Vicki's Cattery is the centerpiece of our Halloween decorations:

Happy Howl-O-Ween, with black cats on a fence:

Black Cat Adoption Day:

She's had this sign for years and leaves it out year 'round:

We have lots of Annalee cats...all purchased at a discount at HomeGoods and TJ Maxx. This is our favorite:

Do you enjoy decorating for Halloween? 

Do you have any favorite decorations that you use each year?