Simply From Scratch by Alicia Bessette

Simply from Scratch
Author:  Alicia Bessette
Publisher:  Dutton Adult
Publication Date: August 5, 2010

A luminous, tender-hearted debut novel about a young widow, a nine-year-old girl, and a baking contest that will change both their lives.

Rose-Ellen “Zell” Carmichael Roy wears her late husband Nick’s camouflage apron even when she’s not in the kitchen. She can’t remember the last time she wore a bra, and she speaks to her dog in the voice of a pirate. That’s her widow style.

It’s been over a year since Nick died tragically during a post-Katrina relief mission in New Orleans. Long enough, according to the grief pamphlets, to have begun moving on with her life. But Zell is still unable to enter her attic, which is full of Nick memories. She hasn’t even turned on her oven because cooking was Nick’s chore. That is, until she decides to enter celebrity chef Polly Pinch’s first annual Desserts that Warm the Soul baking contest, hoping to win the $20,000 grand prize to donate to Katrina survivors in Nick’s honor.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent apartment of Zell’s two-family house, nine-year-old Ingrid Knox is learning to cope with the loneliness of growing up without a mother. With an imagination as big as her heart, Ingrid treasures her doting father but begins to plot how she will meet her mother, whom she fiercely believes is Polly Pinch.

When an embarrassing baking mishap brings Zell and Ingrid together, they form an unlikely friendship that will alter both of their lives forever. Together, and with the help of a lively and loveable cast of friends and family, they embark on winning the Desserts that Warm the Soul contest – and learn that through the many sorrows and joys of life, with a little bit of flour and a pinch of love, anything is possible.

FTC Full Disclosure ~ I received this book from the publisher in the hopes I would review it.

Review coming shortly. 

Penguin's 75th Anniversary Giveaway

Today, July 30th marks the official 75th anniversary date for the launch of Penguin Books, and Penguin is going all out to celebrate this summer.

In honor of their 75th anniversary a bright-orange Penguin Mobile (an adorable mini-cooper with the Penguin logo) is driving to bookstores all over the US to bring some of our bestselling authors to parties in their hometowns, increase awareness of The Nature Conservancy, and promote literacy. At each event, a set of 75 Penguin Books is donated to a local library or literacy group. Each author is signing the Penguin-mobile as it makes its way across the United States, and the summer’s events will culminate with a party at the New York Public Library in September where Penguin will auction the car with the proceeds going to the New York Public Library. Penguin is also donating sets of books to numerous U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Penguin’s founder Allen Lane started the paperback revolution with that little flippant but dignified Penguin (his secretary came up with the name and he sent another colleague off to the zoo to make sketches). One year later, 3 million Penguin paperbacks had been sold. Today, the
Penguin imprint alone has over 4000 books in print. To learn more about our history, see here and here.

We are hands down the publishing logo most recognized internationally---including the story of Terry Waite, the Anglican clergyman who was held hostage in Beirut. Six months into his captivity, Waite made friends with his jailer, and although they spoke different languages he managed to tell the jailer he wanted a book. He drew an oval, and he drew a penguin, and he said, “find me a book that looks like that, and it will be a good book.” That story says everything about what Penguin stands for around the world.

Penguin Books 75th Anniversary - Penguin Group (USA)

Giveaway: 

In honor of their 75th Anniversary Penguin is allowing me to give away two (2) books from this list

THANK YOU PENGUIN!!!
 

Rules for entering:

1. You MUST be follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect, E-Mail Subscription, or RSS Feed.

2. This contest is open to residents of USA & Canada Residents only!

3. You MUST complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count!

4. The contest will end on August 10, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 2 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.

5. Once the winners are contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail or another winner will be selected.  Make sure you check your spam filters!

6. NO P.O. Box Addresses!

7. Book will be shipped directly from Penguin. 

Book Blogger Hop ~ July 30th - August 1st

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky at Crazy-For-Books!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

Make sure you hop on over to Crazy-For-Books so that you can find some great blogs like I have done!  You won't be disappointed.

This weeks topic ~  
 
Who's your favorite new-to-you author this year? 


Brooke Morgan author of Tainted.  An intense story of a young, single mother who fears love, finds love and then does whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves the most when evil enters their lives.

 Brooke Morgan is a Bostonian who now lives in London with her two children. Tainted is her first novel.  

Justice in June - WINNERS

Congratulations

Jamie M
Ronica E
Patsy H

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)
. You can pre-order the book at Amazon ~ Justice in June

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My "can't wait to read" selection this week is ~

 

 

 The Bone House 

 

A teenager murdered. A teacher accused. A secret that won’t stay buried.

A year ago, accusations of an affair with a pupil cost Mark Bradley his teaching job. Now the student’s sister has been found dead, and Mark faces a hostile town convinced of his guilt. Hilary Bradley is determined to protect her husband, but digging into the girl’s secrets proves dangerous. Her only ally is a quirky Florida detective named Cab Bolton. As the facts emerge about the murdered girl’s past, Cab’s suspicion grows that others are involved in her death. But there are people willing to kill to keep the truth hidden – and to make sure Mark pays the ultimate price for a young girl’s murder. Hilary and Cab are both outsiders in a place that doesn’t trust strangers and they’re running out of time to find out what’s buried in the ashes of the past...  

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• ISBN-10: 0312562837 / 9780312562830
• Publication date:  March 29, 2011
• Amazon price: $24.99

Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman

Pretty Little Things
Author:  Jilliane Hoffman
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Publication Date:  September 7, 2010


Thirteen-year-old Lainey Emerson is the middle child in a household that police are already familiar with: her mother works too much and her step-father favors his own blood over another man’s problems—namely, Lainey and her wild older sister, Liza. So when Lainey does not come home from a Friday night out with her friends, it is dismissed by the Coral Springs Police Department as just another disillusioned South Florida teen running away from suburban drama and an unhappy home life.

But Special Agent Bobby Dees, who has headed up the department’s di4cult Crimes Against Children (CAC) Squad in Miami for more than a decade, is not quite so sure. Nicknamed “The Shepherd” by colleagues, he has an uncanny ability to find the missing and bring them back home—dead or alive. Haunted by the still unsolved disappearance of his own daughter, Bobby recognizes the all too familiar up-swell inside him, the gut feeling that Lainey Emerson is no runaway.

A search of Lainey’s computer and a talk with her best friend reveal Lainey was involved in a secret Internet relationship, spawned over a chat room, and nurtured through untraceable instant messages. Bobby fears she may be the victim of an on-line predator, and he fears she may not be the only one.

Congratulations

Congratulations

Jess

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

 Didn't win, but still want to read the book? Come join the tour at Crazy Book Tours.
. You can pre-order the book at Amazon ~ Roast Mortem (Coffee House Mystery)

Giveaway - The Jewel of St. Petersburg

The Jewel of St. PetersburgThe Jewel of St. Petersburg
Author:  Kate Furnivall
Publisher:  Berkley
Publication date:  August 3, 2010


The national bestselling author of The Russian Concubine takes us back to Tsarist Russia for a sweeping novel of love and intrigue.

Russia, 1910. Valentina Ivanova is the darling of St. Petersburg's elite aristocracy-until her romance with a Danish engineer creates a terrible scandal and her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count.

Meanwhile, Russia itself is bound for rebellion. With the Tsar and the Duma at each other's throats, and the Bolsheviks drawing their battle lines, the elegance and opulence of Tsarist rule are in their last days. And Valentina will be forced to make a choice that will change not only her own life, but the lives of those around her forever...

Giveaway: 

Thanks to Berkley, I have four (4) copies of this book to give away!

Want to double your chances of winning?  Head on over to Jen's blog at Crazy-For-Books and enter her giveaway!  She is also giving away 4 copies of this book! 

Rules for entering:

1. You MUST be follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect, E-Mail Subscription, or RSS Feed.

2. This contest is open to residents of USA only!

3. You MUST complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count!

4. The contest will end on August 9, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 4 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.

5. Once the winners are contacted, they will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail or another winner will be selected.  Make sure you check your spam filters!

6. NO P.O. Box Addresses!

7. Book will be shipped directly from me (Lori). 

One Season of Sunshine - WINNERS

Congratulations

Cindy W
Kristen D

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

 Didn't win, but still want to read the book? Come join the tour at Crazy For Books. You can buy the book at Amazon ~ One Season of Sunshine .

Saturday Spotlight ~ Favorite Culinary Cozy Series

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, where each week we will have a chance to showcase something new.  It will be the place to gather, talk and shine the “spotlight” on all things book related.  Not to mention a place to discover new to us authors, characters, series and places. 

 Each week I will pick a new theme for us to share our favorite of, and every once in a while I’ll make it a “readers choice” week where you can spotlight whatever you want.

  Some of the different things we’ll be spotlighting are our favorite book, author, female/male character, location, murder weapon, series, other book blogs, giveaway sites, places to get our books and just about anything else book related.

This week my spotlight is shining on my......

Favorite Culinary Cozy Series

The Gourmet Girls series by Susan Conant & Jessica Conant-Park

I am so not just saying that this is my favorite culinary cozy series because I'm good friends with Jessica. I fell in love with this series as soon as I started reading the first book Steamed (A Gourmet Girl Mystery). I love that it takes place in the Boston/Brookline area, places I'm very familiar with. I can picture myself walking down the same streets and going to the same places as Chloe, Josh and the rest of the group. It makes me feel as if I am a part of the story, and there is nothing better than that. Well the only thing better than that is a great series - and the Gourmet Girls series is just that.

My meeting with Jessica almost didn't happen. My good friend Melanie and I had heard that Jessica, along with her mother Susan and author Hank Phillipi Ryan were having an author signing up in New Hampshire and decided to make a day of it (we both live in MA).  We planned on meeting there, having lunch and then go to the signing and meet these wonderful women. Maybe have our pictures taken with them and having our books signed.  Early in the morning of the signing, I got a phone call from my mother that my grandfather had just passed away. I was devastated.  She knew of my plans that day and encouraged me to still go the signing as there was nothing I could do at home until I had to pick them up at the airport.  So off I went, and I am SO glad that I did. Melanie and I had a great time hanging out with these wonderful ladies. And amazing friendships were born!  Now we e-mail all day and chat on the phone at least a few times a week. Jessica has been an extremely good friend to me and her mom Susan is a hoot.  Recently they were gracious enough to invite me to join them for Jessica's sons birthday dinner. Not only did they make me feel welcome at their family dinner but I also managed to keep them quite entertained with my "screw" stories! (Oh, and not to let your mind wander, I work for a nut, bolt & screw company).  I'm looking forward to our next dinner - which better be SOON!

Now, on to the important stuff -- ABOUT THE BOOKS!

  The series is set in the Boston restaurant scene and follows Chloe Carter, a twenty-something half-hearted social work student who would much rather be frequenting local restaurants or browsing gourmet food shops than studying somatoform disorders and marching at the State House. Chloe’s love life and academic life are a constant challenge, but she does hook up with a hot young chef, Josh, and gets an inside look at the tumultuous and chaotic world of professional restaurants. The books are a blend of cozy mystery, chick lit, humor (well, at least, Jessica think so… I suppose it depends on how weird your sense of humor is), romance, and food, and there are tons of recipes at the end of the book so that you can cook up some of the delicacies that you’ve read about. 


Praise for the Gourmet Girl Series



"Recipes, some by pro chefs, round out this delectable chick lit cozy, which ends on an emotional cliffhanger for Chloe.  - Publishers Weekly, Feb. 2009 , about Fed Up

"Humorous and suspenseful, this romantic mystery will be a delight to many readers." -Romance Junkies about Turn Up The Heat

“I thoroughly enjoyed this novel . . . I read the first page, and loved it, and then the second... and before I knew it I'd devoured the whole book. This would be the perfect summer read, and was interesting, witty and unpredictable (with mouthwatering descriptions of food and even recipes for said food at the back of the book). I'll definitely look out for the next delicious novel by this mother-daughter writing team.”
— Trashionista about Simmer Down

"This scrumptious cozy, the first of a new series, has it all—charming characters, snappy dialogue and mouth-watering recipes." - Publisher's Weekly, about Steamed

"This witty novel has both a slew of suspects and sizzling romance. A delightful debut." -Romantic Times about Steamed

What Jessica has to say about herself

I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and spent most of my elementary school years explaining my unusual lunches to friends. While other children dined on peanut butter and fluff, I wolfed down spinach pie and oversize olives from the local Greek market, leftover pasta topped with my mother’s homemade pesto, or slices of steak au poivre in crusty French bread. There, admittedly, times I tried to swap with a friend for a “normal” tuna fish sandwich, but I usually adored the yummy packets of food that appeared in my lunch bag.

We were a food-oriented family. We traveled to France a number of times and fell in love with the phenomenal cuisine. My mother slaved over Julia Child’s recipes and taught herself to make even the most complicated dishes. The highlight of trips to visit relatives in Kansas was always the chance to taste the best BBQ the state had to offer. We ate one meal and discussed where the next would be.

I went to Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Although I loved the school and made lifelong friends, the food was a major disappointment. Campus dining hit me hard. Where was the selection of aged cheeses? Where were the beautifully roasted chickens with baby vegetables? What was a “potato bar”? And what sort of human being would pollute a baked potato with orange cheese sauce and ground beef scum? Just before every trip back home to safety of my parents’ house and fully stocked kitchen, I would make a desperate call home to tell Mom and Dad. “That smoked salmon I love so much!” I’d plead. “And let’s have bouillabaisse one night! With lobster and clams and mussels and shrimp and scallops!” I would greedily demand. “And goat cheese salad with mixed baby greens!” My father would inform that if I insisted on such high-priced ingredients, he and my mother would have to choose between paying my college tuition and feeding me because they couldn’t afford to do both.

I graduated from college with an “Individually Designed, Interdepartmental Major” that I called “Psychology of Women: Social Science and Literary Perspectives,” a major that allowed me to take all the classes I found interesting and to avoid the others. After graduation, with a lot of psychology and English credits, I spent a few years living in my own apartment, cooking what I wanted, and working as a day-care teacher. I then went to graduate school, got my master’s degree in social work, and worked for a number of years with young children and families in early intervention programs.

I met my husband-to-be, Bill Park, while he was the executive chef at a now-defunct Boston restaurant called Cosmopolitan. The second I learned that he was a chef, I had a transcendent revelation: Why hadn’t I been staking out restaurants my entire dating life? I should have been hanging around outside fine dining establishments at closing time and accosting unsuspecting chefs! The day after I met Bill, he took me to the restaurant, gave me a tour of the professional kitchen, and showed me his menu. The menu looked phenomenal. But could he really cook? A few days later he made dinner for me, and, yes, not only could he cook, but he was incredibly talented. And I was in love!

In addition to regularly eating more upscale food than I ever had before, I was introduced to a whole new side of the restaurant world. Bill was full of information and stories about the chaos, competition, harshness, and beauty of the professional culinary world. I couldn’t believe some of the tales I was hearing. Although I’d eaten in plenty of restaurants, I’d had no idea of what was going on behind the scenes. Now I knew.

We eventually got married and had a beautiful son, Nicholas. Bill was working long, long hours at various Boston restaurants, and I was at home with our beautiful, happy baby. Everyone had tried to warn me about tired I would be as a new mother, but it wasn’t until most of my cognitive functions ceased to exist that I realized how right everyone had been. I put ice cream in the cupboard and sugar in the freezer, my hair sat in a knot on top of my head, and I had trouble remembering how to tie my shoes. The exhaustion had an upside: I was so punch-drunk that my sense of humor was in overdrive, and everything hit me as funny. Since I was spending so much time alone with Nicholas, I began talking to him about more than just Peter Rabbit and the Very Hungry Caterpillar; I narrated daily events, entertaining stories of my husband’s culinary adventures, and made-believe tales.

My mother was a well-established author, and after I’d shared the millionth wild culinary story with her, she suggested that we collaborate on a book. Write a book? Me? Huh. The prospect of writing a book felt oddly perfect. An avid reader, I especially loved chick lit and cozy mysteries. The idea for the Gourmet Girl series began to grow. I knew right away that I wanted our book to mix chick lit, mystery, food, and humor: Shopaholic meets Rachel Ray meets Janet Evanovich.

We brainstormed mystery ideas, and my mother put together a twenty-five-page outline. When I had written three chapters, we submitted them, together with our outline, and my mother’s publisher, Berkley, offered us a three-book contract. The day I heard the news, I was stunned and thrilled. Then I panicked. I had to write a book! Actually, three books! With incredible help and guidance from my mother and recipes from my husband, I finished the first book. And the second and the third.

What Susan has to say about herself



I was born in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts. The best friends of my childhood were pointers named Stuffy and Nonny. I had imaginary companions as well: a cat named Thirsty Melirsty Medrinkable, a family of dogs, and parents called Mommy and Daddy Suh. Thirsty and the dog family slowly faded away. The Suhs, however, perished suddenly; they ate fish guts and died. My career as a mystery writer thus began in early childhood: I invented animals, and I killed off fictional human beings.

Now, many decades later, I live just outside Boston. My husband is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Cambridge. Our daughter, Jessica, who is also my coauthor, lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their young son. My husband and I have an Alaskan malamute, Django (pronounced "Jango") and two Chartreux cats, Kansas City (K.C.) and Shadow Celeste. The malamutes in my Holly Winter books are composites, but the cats in Scratch the Surface, Edith and Brigitte, are portraits of my own Chartreux.

Click HERE to check out their blog

Follow Jessica on Twitter

Friend Jessica on Facebook

And before I let you go ~ Susan is also the author of both the Dog Lover & Cat Lover's series. 

Jessica has a fantastic new Young Adult book out - Relatively Famous.  Click on Jessica's name to the left and check our her blog, read about this great book, and to find out how you can order your copy TODAY!

Book Blogger Hop ~ July 23rd - 26th

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky at Crazy-For-Books!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

Make sure you hop on over to Crazy-For-Books so that you can find some great blogs like I have done!  You won't be disappointed.

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

Last night I started The Immortals (Taylor Jackson) by J.T. Ellison. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her Taylor Jackson series and I have been waiting to read this one since the last one came out. And I am so excited to hear that there will definitely be two more books in the series (and hopefully even more after that!) 

Giveaway - The Blind Contessa's New Machine

The Blind Contessa's New Machine: A Novel
Author: Carey Wallace
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date:  July 8, 2010

Donated by:  The Penguin Group


An iridescent jewel of a novel that proves love is the mother of invention

In the early 1800s, a young Italian contessa, Carolina Fantoni, realizes she is going blind shortly before she marries the town's most sought-after bachelor. Her parents don't believe her, nor does her fiancé. The only one who understands is the eccentric local inventor and her longtime companion, Turri. When her eyesight dims forever, Carolina can no longer see her beloved lake or the rich hues of her own dresses. But as darkness erases her world, she discovers one place she can still see-in her dreams. Carolina creates a vivid dreaming life, in which she can not only see, but also fly, exploring lands she had never known.

Desperate to communicate with Carolina, Turri invents a peculiar machine for her: the world's first typewriter. His gift ignites a passionate love affair that will change both of their lives forever.

Based on the true story of a nineteenth-century inventor and his innovative contraption, The Blind Contessa's New Machine is an enchanting confection of love and the triumph of the imagination.

Giveaway: 

Thanks to the publisher, The Penguin Group,  I have two (2) copies of this book to give away!

Want to double your chances of winning?  Head on over to Jen's blog at Crazy-For-Books and enter her giveaway!  She is also giving away 2 copies of this book! 

ATTENTION BOOK BLOGGERS!  Do you want to make sure you get to read this book?  Head on over to Crazy Book Tours and join the book tour! 

Rules for entering:

1. You MUST be follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect, E-Mail Subscription, or RSS Feed.

2. This contest is open to residents of USA & Canada only!

3. You MUST complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count!

4. The contest will end on August 6, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 2 winners will be selected and contacted thereafter.

5. NO P.O. Box Addresses!

6. Book will be shipped directly from the Publisher. 

The Immortals by J.T. Ellison

The Immortals (Taylor Jackson)
Author:  J.T. Ellison
Publisher:  Mira
Release date:  October 1, 2010

It is Samhain — the Blood Harvest. Nonbelievers call it Hallowe’en. The night when eight Nashville teenagers are found dead, with occult symbols carved into their naked bodies. It’s a ritual the killers believe was blessed by Death himself.

When children are victimized, emotions always run high, and this case has the public both outraged and terrified: a dangerous combination. Recently reinstated homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows she has to act quickly, but tread carefully.

Exploring the baffling culture of mysticism and witchcraft, Taylor is immersed in a darkness that threatens to unbalance the order of her world, and learns how unchecked wrath can push a killer to his limits.

I will be back VERY soon with my review.

Guest Post - Nancy Lynn Jarvis

About the author

Nancy Lynn Jarvis has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor for twenty years.  She owns a real estate company with her husband, Craig.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News.  A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz.

Nancy's work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years.  Writing is her newest adventure.

She invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries.  Details and ideas come from Nancy's own experiences.

If you're one of her clients or colleagues, read carefully - you may find characters in her books who seem familiar.  You may know the people who inspired them - you may even see yourself in print.

Click HERE to hear Nancy discuss how she went from Realtor to writer.

Her newest book 

Murder gets personal when human remains are found in the beach cottage that realtors Regan McHenry and her husband, Tom Kiley, buy. The murder victim has been hidden away for sixteen years, and although the authorities quickly discover his identity, the trail to his killer is cold. 

Regan has sworn off playing amateur detective, but when it becomes clear the police have to focus on more pressing crimes, she has to break her promise. As her policeman friend, Dave Everett, says, "Your house, Regan, your murder." 

Welcome back to Santa Cruz, the community whose unofficial motto is "Keep Santa Cruz Weird," for the twists and turns of the third book in the Regan McHenry Mystery Series.

Click HERE to read the first two chapters for FREE 

About her main character, Regan McHenry

    Regan McHenry is a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor whose work puts her in the midst of mystery, mayhem, and murder. The amateur sleuth uses tools and techniques she's learned during her career and skills she's honed as a keen observer of human nature to solve mysteries - just not always soon enough to stay out of trouble.

    She's aided in her sleuthing by her husband, Tom Kiley, a computer programmer turned real estate broker, and by her friend Dave Everett, a cop reassigned as a police public relations ombudsman after losing an eye in the line of duty.

    Local readers will recognize landmarks in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, and Bonny Doon; and can go in search of the real houses used as inspiration for the settings in Regan's adventures.  

Other books in the Regan McHenry series.

The Death Contingency (Regan Mchenry Mystery Series) 

Backyard Bones (Regan McHenry Mystery Series) 

Upcoming Events

---

Book Signing in Bonny Doon
at the McHenry Winery Open House
6845 Bonny Doon Road in Bonny Doon
Saturday, June 5 from 11am to 5pm  Join Nancy at the McHenry Winery Open House where she will be signing books.  Enjoy McHenry's wonderful wines and cheese offerings while you talk to Nancy about her mystery series set in Bonny Doon and Santa Cruz. 

Find out if it's true that Nancy's protagonist, Regan McHenry, is related to the owners of Bonny Doon's famous McHenry Winery!

 

Giveaway - Postcard Killers by James Patterson (ARC)

The Postcard KillersThe Postcard Killers (ARC)
Author: James Patterson & Liza Marklund
Publisher:  Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date:  August 16, 2010

Paris is stunning in the summer
NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him--he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm--and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

Giveaway: 

 I have one (1) copy of this book to give away!

Rules for entering:

1. You MUST be follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect, E-Mail Subscription, or RSS Feed.

2. This contest is open to residents of USA only!

3. You MUST complete the form below - do not leave information in the comments - it will not count!

4. The contest will end on August 4, 2010 at 11:59PM EST; 1 winner will be selected and contacted thereafter.

5. NO P.O. Box Addresses!

6. Book will be shipped directly from me (Lori).