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PHANTOMS AND FELONIES: A HAUNTED MANSION MYSTERY – LUCY NESS

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This second installment in the haunted mansion mystery series was even better than the first! I hope there isn’t a long wait for the next book????

Avery Morgan seems to have a good handle on running the Portage Path Woman’s Club, and Clemmie Bow, resident ghost, is enjoying having a friend. The local theater troupe is doing a play at the club, and everyone is excited. Until Bob Hanover is killed, that is. Avery gets another surprise when her Aunt shows up to stay. Clemmie is not thrilled to have a psychic staying with her, especially one who asks a lot of questions. As Avery gets closer to the officer in charge, she has her own questions she wants answers to. There are plenty of suspects with motive to not want Bob around any longer. Can Avery figure it out in time?

Which cozy mysteries are you reading right now? I am in search of a new series!

Haunted Homicide: A Haunted homicide Mystery Series #1 – Lucy Ness

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Hello to all my fellow readers, and welcome back! Well; welcome back to me, since I have not posted in forever. Sometimes life, family, and work have other plans of how one will spend their time! I will save that to post on my Parenthood and Other Horror Stories Blog!

As I normally do on my trips to the bookstore, I head for the cozy mystery section and look for a new series that I have not read yet, with a couple books in it to get started with. Currently there are only 2 books in this series, but I am hoping for more.

Avery Morgan is the new manager of the Portage Path Women’s Club (PPWC). She is also the only person who can see Clemmie Bow, the ghost that lives in the basement, a victim of an accidental shooting almost 100 years ago. As unnerved as Avery is at first at communicating with a ghost, Clemmie is excited to have a new friend she can communicate with.

A fire that damages one of the rooms in the house seems to be something much more than an accidental fire due to someone smoking in the room. With Clemmie’s help, Avery now has to figure out who killed the President of the club, and what the fire has to do with it. There are a few people who had good reason to want to be gone of Muriel, and there is more that one person who would rather Avery not be in Portage Path at all. Could she be the next victim?

I really enjoyed the first book in this new series, and plan on starting the second book, and hopefully finishing it as well, this weekend.

What books have you been reading lately? Do you have a favorite cozy series or author?

For more information about Lucy Ness, please click here: https://www.mystery-book-series.com/lucy-ness/

The Edge of Dreams: A Molly Murphy Mystery – Rhys Bowen

Angela2 Comments

I found another great series while wandering up and down the aisles at my local library. Unfortunately, I did what I always do when starting a new series; I opened the front cover of one of the books, found the list of the books in the series, and grabbed the first 3 on the list. The books are not listed in order of release, as most series do, so I got 3 books in the middle of the series. I opted to read them anyhow since I had them, and on my return trip I will get the books starting from the beginning.

The story takes place in 1905, when transportation is trains, horse and carriage, as well as automobiles which are a rare site on the streets. I enjoy stories from this time period, reading about what food was eaten, clothes were worn, how homes were decorated, and how men and women behaved.

Molly Murphy Sullivan is from Ireland, living in New York City with her husband, police Captain Daniel Sullivan, and their 1 year old son, Liam. As Molly was a detective before marrying Daniel, she has a keen interest in his cases. In this story, she is the one who solves the mystery, with mush risk on her life.

Daniel is not 100% on-board with her help in his cases, but he is a loving husband who is concerned about his wife’s safety. He does ask for her help with a couple of things where she is more likely to get information than a police officer would.

Daniel has been receiving letters from a murderer both before and after the murder takes place, taunting him and the force for not being able to catch them. They know another is going to take place, and Daniel is determined to find the culprit before another life is lost.

I thought this story was great, and I really wish I would have gotten the first books in this series, where Molly was single, living in Ireland, and a detective. The book I am reading now is the one directly before this one, and the other book I got is the one right after this one.

Have you read this series? What do you think of series that take place in the past? They are some of my favorites! Let me know in the comments below!

‘Til Dirt Do Us Part – A Local Foods Mystery Book 2 – Edith Maxwell

Angela4 Comments

Til Dirt Do Us Part Book 2 cover image

Cam Flaherty is hosting her first community dinner at the farm for all the members of her farm share program, as well as getting ready for the Fall Festival. What she hadn’t planned on was the murder of Irene Burr, a local businesswoman who had done her due diligence to get under the skin of more than one Westbury resident.

Her personal life brings Cam some comfort and she begins dating Jake, the chef at The Market restaurant.  But can she focus on her farm and relationship, and leave the detective work to the police? Will Cam find out who the killer is before she becomes a victim herself?

This is another fun read from the Local Foods Mystery series, and the characters from the first book are enough to keep you wanting more of their stories.

I try not to give away spoilers, which can sometimes be hard when reviewing cozy mysteries. This is a great series, with vibrant descriptions of not only the characters, but of the town as well. You will see yourself walking the town (or biking, as Cam so often does) of Westbury, Massachusetts as you read through this story!

And The Winners Are…

Angela4 Comments

…Lisa and Janine! I have sent you an email with further instructions so I can get your gifts shipped to you.

I will be having another drawing shortly for ebooks for my international followers, as they were not able to participate in this giveaway…again, very sorry, and I am looking for a way to resolve this issue in the future for printed books!

More to come on the next giveaway, as well as some more book reviews!

Thank you to everyone who participated, as well as Julianna Deering for helping me out with this! This has definitely become my favorite cozy mystery series! I love being able to give these types of gifts to readers 😊

My Soul is a Burden for the Universe – Antheias Ghost

Angela5 Comments

I’m your orbiter
beyond the sky and stars
beyond time itself

I’ve always been here
patiently
waiting for you to come back home

I’ll keep the dust away, because I know it makes you sneeze
I’ll set the table one more time, and make sure your bed stays smelling fresh.
I know how much you love the feeling of a clean bed.

and I’ll play your song one more time
echoing it through all of space itself

my heart

crying out for its lover

a single moment
and everything stands still

the dust settling again
and I’m back to work

bracing my heart, for the impact of your arrival
and making sure, the dust never sits too long.

A Rainy Saturday in Michigan

Angela16 Comments

I could have stayed in bed all day, but my 14 year old had marching band practice from 9am to 3pm.

These two boys made it really hard to get up! Benjamin and Franklin own the industry on laziness 😂

I actually took myself to WalMart instead of letting someone shop for me… it went rather well; but the baking after I got home? Not so much…

My daughters friends family is definitely struggling with the father being in the hospital for the last month after a horrible accident. I am bringing them a turkey dinner tomorrow.

Burned my arm checking the first batch of muffins, orange-sized blister now. Couldn’t figure out why the 2nd batch of muffins was taking so long to cook. I accidentally turned off the oven and never realized it.

All this time I could have been reading and writing 😂

And how is your Saturday going? I hope it includes an awesome book and warmth and comfort!

It’s Time To Put Down The Iron…

Angela18 Comments

…and pick up the pen!

I have been investing a lot of time trying to make my Etsy store better; with bookish gifts for everyone. It has also kept me from writing my 2 books.

I will admit first and foremost; I am afraid to finish these books; only to be told they are rubbish. So I bide my time doing any number of other things in order to leave them sit in my files; rotting and angry because they have a story to tell.

My poor characters want to be heard; and I continue to silence them. It is time to give them the recognition they deserve; because if I do not speak for them; no one will.

What keeps you from writing?

 

 

The New Writing Machine…

Angela36 Comments

…so I honestly have been putting off getting a new laptop, for several reasons.

My laptop of almost 7 years was my best friend. It helped me create 3 blogs, edit thousands of photos, and never shut down because it was tired.

It did NOT have Windows 10, which I loathe, and everything was right at my fingertips.

But it did indeed get tired. And would not turn on if it wasn’t plugged in; and would never charge.

So for the past two hours, I have been “setting up” my new laptop. I have logged in codes and passwords 37 times (I wish I was lying, but I’m not), and am still fighting to get Office downloaded so I can get my books saved on here.

I had to force it to download Chrome so I can function like I am used to, and does anyone really use Bing?

No; seriously…does anyone use Bing?

All of this so I can focus on getting my stories cleaned up, and start submitting to agents.

I know it will all be worth it in the end, because I truly feel my stories will bring joy to others.

Microsoft 10: you bring no joy to me 😦

Well Hello Sunday!

Angela18 Comments

This is day 5 that I have been wide awake by 3 am. I am getting really, really tired of it; no pun intended. What to do at 3 am? Not a lot. I did squish a spider that was on my ceiling. This seems to be a daily occurrence for the last couple of weeks as the weather in Michigan gets warmer. You would be impressed with what I can do with one leg, a scooter, and a can of Aussie Freeze hairspray.

The anxiety and panic has let up, and I have been diligent about taking my meds if I even think I feel a panic attack coming on. The days are still so very long for me though.

My Doctor’s appointment at week 5 went well. I was not as anxious this time when leaving the house (fear of falling, getting injured more, etc). The surgeon said two more weeks of non-weight-bearing on the ankle, as there are still 2 cracks that have not completely healed. I go back in two weeks, and he said we talk weight bearing. He said normally 3 weeks after weight bearing, we discuss driving! I could have cried, I was so happy to hear this, and began to see a tiny pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel.  I have been exercising my broken ankle and leg, as well as being as mobile as possible in my house.

I have been reading, and writing! I will have book reviews one after another very soon! The lack of sunshine has been especially tough for me, as it is every Winter. The weather says sunshine this afternoon, and I have fingers crossed that that does not change. Sunshine = feeling good and motivated. It is difficult for me to be motivated when it is grey and rainy and there seems to be nothing for me to do other than crawl under my covers and binge watch NetFlix. The Pinkertons, anyone? I wish it was not such a short series…

The praying and Bible study is continuing, of course. I try not to think too much about the fact that it is the Easter season, my favorite Christian holiday season, and I cannot participate as I would any other year. But I can participate in other ways, which is exactly what I am doing!

Seeing all of the brown grass and dead leaves in my yard has me thinking about flower beds for my yard, and I am so excited for when I can start digging in the ground and planting. Having something to look forward to definitely helps. My number 1 on my list is walking out my door, getting in my vehicle, and driving to work! I know that day is coming, and one day I will look back on this period in my life and reflect on what it has taught me. No matter how I feel, I absolutely try to do at least one positive thing each day, so as not to waste any of this learning lesson I am experiencing right now. I truly know this has happened for a reason, and I want to make sure I utilize every moment of it to get out of it what God has intended. My daily prayers always include asking God to let me see in my heart and spirit what it is I am meant to learn from this, so I can continue to grow.

Have you had a period in your life where you were meant to grow from what appeared to be a negative situation? How did it change you? I cannot wait to see all the ways my experience has and will continue to change me. I would love to hear your stories as well!