Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Landslide by Robin Mahle

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Landslide by Robin Mahle.  Please leave a comment or question for Robin to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You must comment in order to enter the giveaway.  You can follow the rest of the tour by clicking on the banner above, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

How I Fell in Love with Writing Mystery/Thriller Books by Robin Mahle

To answer this question, I need to take you back to the beginning. And when I say beginning, I mean when I was about nine years old and my older sister and I watched the movie, The Omen, when we weren’t supposed to.  It was on regular television, but I can tell you that it still scared the bejeebers out of me! To this day, I can’t listen to the theme music!

Fast forward to my teenage years and there was my mom, who read a book every two days or so, horror mostly and me asking if I could try one out. Up until that point, I’d read a lot VC Andrews and was growing fond of the darker stories.  She gave me a copy of Stephen King’s Christine. Holy cow! For my young mind, that book was awesome and creepy and terrifying. I loved it!

After that, I consumed just about every King book I could get my hands on. Then I turned to Dean Koontz and Thomas Harris a little later on in life.

So with those influences, one would think I would write horror, but the thing is, I just don’t have the right combination of brilliant and gruesome prose. I kind of wish I did. Instead I opted to write stories that held elements of suspense mixed with mystery and just a hint of fear. Sometimes, those can be just a terrifying as reading scenes filled with blood and guts and things.

With my latest novel, Landslide, I think I’ve managed to write a story with an appropriate blend of suspense and mystery and thriller. I hope readers will want to follow the lead character, Claire McKenna, through the difficult and frightening situations in which she finds herself entangled.  It is, I believe, a page-turning and suspenseful story!

Landslide

By Robin Mahle

Publisher:  Robin Mahle

Release Date: July 22, 2014

Genre: Financial Thriller

Length: 276 Pages

ISBN:  978-1500636975

ASIN:  B00M17SWSM

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N

About the book:

Author Robin Mahle is pleased to bring you her latest novel, Landslide. A corporate suspense/thriller that will pull you in fast and keep you holding on tight until the very end!

In the sprawling suburbs of Seattle, Claire McKenna finds solace in her perfectly ordinary life. With the daily struggles of raising a family and climbing out of debt, she and her husband Colin, work hard to hang on to what they’ve got.

So when Claire is offered an incredible opportunity to rise in the ranks of her firm, she jumps at the chance. Her joy, however, is short lived at the discovery that her close friend and colleague, Beth Graves has just been accused of embezzlement.

Compelled to see Beth’s name cleared, Claire soon stumbles on a larger, more dangerous conspiracy at the firm. One that involves people she once trusted.  One that threatens to destroy her ordinary life.

EXCERPT

Claire booted up the desktop and logged into her work email. As she waited for the files to download, a flash of lightning appeared through the window, followed by a startling clap of thunder. Sleep would be elusive for her tonight if this storm continued. A light sleeper anyway, Claire would be hard pressed to block out the noise.

The desk drawer below contained her reading glasses that were a necessary evil, although she was only thirty-seven. Most likely the result of spending much of her time staring at computer screens. Sliding them onto her face, she clicked on the email attachments and began reviewing the reports Beth had sent over.

Claire began to see a pattern that had not presented itself prior to this month’s figures as she scrolled through the file. Comparing her hours with that of her junior colleague’s, it wasn’t adding up.

It was her responsibility to review the timesheets and expense reports for Sea-Tech each month before handing them over to Beth, which she had already done a few days ago as per usual. So why were these reports showing additional hours posted against her client? Was it possible she’d missed something in Lucas’ submittal? Anything was possible, but this error would have been a serious one had Beth not brought it to her attention. Sea-Tech wouldn’t have been happy about an additional several thousand dollars in consulting fees.

A final attempt to make sense out of the numbers came when she accessed the main server and retrieved the original account files, comparing her notes and timesheets against Beth’s report.

What the hell?

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Robin Mahle lives with her husband and two children in Arizona. She found her passion for writing, which later became her second career, after spending 20 years in the construction industry.

Having always been a lover of books, Robin attributes her creativity to the wonderful overseas adventures she has shared with her husband of 15 years. Traveling throughout Europe and having lived in England, opened her mind and with that came a steady stream of story ideas inspired by her author-idols in the suspense/thriller genre.

Robin published her debut mystery/suspense novel, Redwood Violet in March of 2013. And in September 2013, the much-anticipated sequel, All the Shiny Things (Redwood Violet II), was released. Both have become Amazon Bestsellers! Now, Beyond the Clearing has also joined the list!  Her latest novel, Landslide, was released in July, 2014. This exciting corporate thriller reveals Robin’s unique voice yet again.

Links:

Website:www.robinmahle.com

Email: rmbooks@robinmahle.com

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-Mahle-Author/241664929225135

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobinMahle

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rmbooks/

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Release Day Blitz for I Will Find You by Allie K. Adams

About the book: 

He abducts women who look like her and takes them as his bride. With each disappointment, he begins again.

A young female’s mutilated body is discovered outside the Newfoundland religious compound in Billings, dressed in Amish clothing. For Montana SBI Homicide Detective Hannah Grace, it’s unnerving how she and the victim bear more than a strong resemblance. She teams up with detective-in-charge and partner, Sean Murphy, to catch the killer before he strikes again. When the investigation leads them to a second body, the same features and clothing as the first, Hannah is shaken to the core and begins to make a terrifying connection—she may know the killer.

A gruesome discovery and a third victim leads them back to Newfoundland, where the monster she’s been hiding from for ten years is waiting to claim Hannah as his bride. After all, she’s the one he’s wanted all along.

And she’s the only one who can stop him.

Buy Links:  Amazon * Smashwords  Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Allie K. Adams is the USA Today bestselling author of several award-winning stories. An active member of the search and rescue, as well as previously served as a reserve deputy, Allie has firsthand experience in most of the dangers she writes about. Known for her highly erotic, deeply intense suspense romances, she can be found most days in front of her computer, saving the world one sizzling story at a time. She grew up in Seattle and now currently lives in southwest Montana with her husband, two kids, and two fluff ball dogs.  

She loves to hear from readers and encourages them to reach out to her through her website at www.alliekadams.com.

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway for Dead Man's Carve by Kym Roberts

Dead Man's Carve

by Kym Roberts

Series: Tickled to Death Mystery, #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: October 27, 2014

In the spirit of giving, all Author proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to Wounded Veteran organizations.

Join the Facebook Party to Celebrate the Release of Dead Man's Carve and enter "The Giving Library" Grand Prize Giveaway that features over 20 books from authors who have donated to the giveaway in support of Kym's efforts to raise funds for Wounded Veterans.

Tuesday, November 4

6:00pm - 9:00pm CST

Click Here to Join the Party!

"There's nothing wooden about Dead Man's Carve.  Roberts mingles a sparkling, unique voice with a great old-fashioned mystery."

Wendy Lyn Watson

Mysteries a la Mode

Pet Boutique Mysteries (as Annie Knox)

Rilee Dust isn't your typical wood carver, she’s young and making a go of it in the small village of Tickle Creek, Oregon. She’s also the only one in town who isn't determined to get rid of her strip club neighbor. Everyone else, however, is ready to evict the Girls, Girls, Girls.

When a dog adopts her and turns her life upside down, Rilee’s not so sure it’s a good thing. Especially when he leads her to a moose, a military man and a dead body. Because the moose kicked her butt, the man saved her life and the dead body is one of her customers.

Now Rilee’s smack dab in the middle of all the small town politics with a killer on the loose who has an ax to grind. And Rilee just may be the next victim to have her name carved in stone.

“Bogart!” I yelled, frantically circling and trying to locate the direction of his cries. “Bogart…Heeere!” Catching a glimpse of movement to my right I ran toward the commotion.

An eighty pound black and brown Boxer flew through the air in my direction. Ears cutting through the wind, his eyes looked crazed and his jowls flapped as he cried out in fear. The cause of his flight … an eight hundred pound Moose who was pissed off and raising cane. Or in this case raising Bogart with her nose. He landed on his feet — like a colt trying to stand for the first time — legs splitting, chest smacking the earthen floor.

None of that stopped his feet from moving. Bogart was back in the race of his life as the irate cow charged after him.

“Oh, crap.” My stomach dropped as I realized she wasn't done with her assault, and I was the much larger target as Bogart led her straight to me. I turned and ran, with Bogart hot on my heels. The sound of the cow's breath filled my head. The distance closed between us. Zigzagging through the trees, I couldn't outrun her. Nor could I out-maneuver her. I just hoped she’d get tired and realized we weren't a threat.

Unfortunately, she didn't feel the same way.

Pending - will be posted separately

Amazon

Three career paths resonated for Kym during her early childhood: a detective, an investigative reporter, and…a nun. Being a nun, however, dropped by the wayside when she became aware of boys—they were the spice of life she couldn't deny.

In high school her path was forged when she took her first job at a dry cleaners and met every cop in town, especially the lone female police officer in patrol. From that point on there was no stopping Kym’s pursuit of a career in law enforcement—even if she had to duct tape rolls of coins to her waist to meet the weight requirements to be hired.

Kym followed her dream and became a detective that fulfilled her desire to be an investigative reporter, with one extra perk—a badge. Promoted to sergeant Kym spent the majority of her career in SVU. She retired from the job reluctantly when her husband drug her kicking and screaming to another state, but writing continued to call her name, at least in her head.

Facebook Fan Page ~ Facebook Friend Page ~ Twitter ~ Google + ~ Pinterest

Instagram ~ Tumblr ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Website ~ Email: Kym@kymroberts.com

Join Kym's Street Team!

To join Kym's Street Team, just like Kym's Facebook Page and send her a PM on Facebook!

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In support of Kym's efforts to raise money for Wounded Veteran's, Book Partners In Crime Promotions has donated this tour to Kym.

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Blog Tour, presented by Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours, for C.W. Gortner’s third book in his Spymaster Chronicles Series, The Tudor Vendetta.  Please leave a comment or question for C.W. to let him know you stopped by.  You can enter his tour wide giveaway, where you can win a complete set of trilogy, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below

The Tudor Vendetta

By C.W Gortner

The Elizabeth 1,  Spymaster Chronicles, Book 3

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: October 21, 2014

Genre: Historical Mystery

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Length:  304 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250058539
ASIN: B00IQOJC9M

About the book: 

Winter, 1558: Elizabeth I has ascended the throne but the first days of her reign are already fraught with turmoil, the kingdom weakened by strife and her ability to rule uncertain.

Summoned from exile abroad at the new queen's behest, Brendan Prescott arrives in London to face his shattered past. He soon finds himself pitted in deadly rivalry with his life-long foe, Robert Dudley, but when a poison attempt overshadows the queen’s coronation, Elizabeth privately dispatches Brendan on a far more dangerous assignation: to find her favored lady-in-waiting, Lady Parry, who has vanished in Yorkshire.

Upon his arrival at the crumbling sea-side manor that may hold the key to Lady Parry's disappearance, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he becomes the quarry of an elusive stranger with a vendetta— one that could expose both his own buried identity and a long-hidden revelation that will bring about Elizabeth's doom.

From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the prisons of the Tower, Brendan must risk everything to unravel a vendetta that strikes at the very core of his world, including his loyalty to his queen.

The Tudor Vendetta is the third book in Gortner's Elizabeth I Spymaster Trilogy.

Praise for The Tudor Vendetta

“Fast paced and exciting, with a most engaging hero . . . So vivid, you feel are there!” - Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series

“C.W. Gortner has done it again! Full of breathtaking action, dark twists and unexpected revelations, this is an unputdownable read.” - Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Madame Tussaud

“Suspense, intrigue, betrayal and deadly rivalry: What more can you ask for? A swashbuckling, perilous adventure.” - M.J. Rose, bestselling author of The Reincarnationist

Buy the Book

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     IndieBound

About the Author

C.W. GORTNER holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.

After an eleven year-long career in fashion, during which he worked as a vintage retail buyer, freelance publicist, and fashion show coordinator, C.W. devoted the next twelve years to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the international success of his novels.

In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceaux, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. His books have garnered widespread acclaim and been translated into twenty-one languages to date, with over 400,000 copies sold. A sought-after public speaker. C.W. has given keynote addresses at writer conferences in the US and abroad. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.

C.W. recently completed his fourth novel for Ballantine Books, about Lucrezia Borgia; the third novel in his Tudor Spymaster series for St Martin's Press; and a new novel about the dramatic, glamorous life of Coco Chanel, scheduled for lead title publication by William Morrow, Harper Collins, in the spring of 2015.

Half-Spanish by birth and raised in southern Spain, C.W. now lives in Northern California with his partner and two very spoiled rescue cats.

For more information please visit C.W. Gortner's website and blog. You can also connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and YouTube.

A fan of British history, especially history tied to their colorful kings, I choose to read and review The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner, even though I had not read the first two books in the trilogy.  Fortunately I was able to read and enjoy this book on its own, though I did have a bit of a learning curve when it came to the some of the characters.  Filled with the pageantry of the past, a mystery that needs to be solved while keeping Queen Elizabeth I safe, and a touch of romance, Mr. Gortner’s book kept me turning the page from start to finish.

A secret agent for Princess Elizabeth, Brendon Prescott has just returned from exile with Sir Francis Wallsingham.  Now that Elizabeth will be Queen, Brendon plans to continue keeping the Elizabeth safe and keeping the truth about his birth secret.  He also hopes to reconcile with Lady Kate, one of Elizabeth’s ladies in waiting.  Only nothing goes according to his plans and Brendon soon finds himself sent on a secret assignment to locate Lady Parry, Elizabeth’s most trusted and favorite lady in waiting.  He also finds himself having to contend with the hatred and suspicion of people in Elizabeth’s inner circle, and Sir Robert Dudley in particular. 

Mr. Gortner does a good job developing Brendon’s character, though I have to admit that there were a few times when I felt he was whinny and when he did things that were extremely naïve for a spy.  Overall Brendon is a man devoted to serving his Queen and his country – and it’s based on more than just duty and honor.  Brendon does grow as a character, and as a spy, throughout the book and the man he is at the end is not the man he was at the beginning.  The pace is fairly even throughout the book, though it does start out rather slowly.  The action definitely picks up mid-way through the book and we get to see Brendon at his best. 

Mr. Gortner also does a good job developing the secondary characters and incorporating the mystery of why Lady Parry has gone missing into the story.  He lets us know from the start it’s tied to some of the intrigue taking place at court and a whopper of a secret Elizabeth herself has. I especially enjoyed getting to know Shelton, a man from Brendon’s past who becomes Brendon’s “employee” when Brendon is sent to Vaughn Hall to try to locate Lady Parry.  I also liked Nan, Shelton’s girlfriend/lover, a young boy named Raff, who is tied to the mystery, and Lady Kate, who is a very forgiving woman. 

Will Brendon be able to carry out Elizabeth’s task in time?  Will he and Kate ever be able to leave court and have a regular life?  You’ll have to read The Tudor Vendetta to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Mr. Gortner’s work.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns 

The Tudor Vendetta Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 20
Review at The Maiden's Court
Guest Post at Mina's Bookshelf

Tuesday, October 21
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, October 22
Review at Back Porchervations
Review at Always With a Books

Thursday, October 23
Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews

Friday, October 24
Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Interview at Back Porchervations

Monday, October 27
Review at JulzReads
Review at Queen of All She Reads

Tuesday, October 28
Review at Beth's Book Reviews
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews

Wednesday, October 29
Review at Making My Mark
Review at Writing the Renaissance
Guest Post at Bookish

Thursday, October 30
Review & Guest Post at Drey's Library
Review & Interview at The Copperfield Review & From Meredith Allard
Interview at Writing the Renaissance

Friday, October 31
Review at Book by Book

Monday, November 3
Review at Mari Reads
Review & Gues Post at JM Ledwell Writes

Tuesday, November 4
Review at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, November 5
Review at One Book at a Time
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, November 6
Review at Booktalk & More

Friday, November 7
Review at Build a Bookshelf

Monday, November 10
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, November 11
Review at A Book Geek
Review at The Lit Bitch

Wednesday, November 12
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, November 13
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, November 14
Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight at Paranormal Book Club

Monday, November 17
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at The Never-Ending Book

Tuesday, November 18
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Guest Post at What is That Book About

Wednesday, November 19
Review at Kate Forsyth's Blog

Thursday, November 20
Review & Interview at The Tudor Enthusiast

Friday, November 21
Review at Griperang's Bookmarks

Monday, November 24
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at The True Book Addict

Tuesday, November 25
Review at Historical Tapestry
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Wednesday, November 26
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, November 28
Review at Books in the Burbs
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Giveaway

To win a complete set of CW Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles Trilogy (The Tudor Secret, The Tudor Conspiracy, and The Tudor Vendetta) please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on November 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on November 29th and notified via email.
Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

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Review Tour & Giveaway for Pie Girls by Lauren Clark

Welcome to my stop on the Review Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Pie Girls by Lauren Clark. Please leave a comment or question for Lauren to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You must comment in order to enter the giveaway.  You can follow the rest of the tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.  

Pie Girls

By Lauren Clark

Publisher:  Camilla Press

Release Date: August 5, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick-Lit Romance

Length: 338 Pages

ISBN:  9780990623137

ASIN:  B00MGX53RY

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Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |  iBooks

About the book:  

Princess, Southern belle, and spoiled-rotten social climber Searcy Roberts swore on a stack of Bibles she’d never return home to Fairhope, Alabama. After marrying her high school sweetheart and moving to Atlanta, Searcy embraces big-city life—Carrie Bradshaw style.

But now, Searcy has a teeny, tiny problem. Her husband’s had a mid-life crisis. He’s quit his job, cancelled her credit cards, and left her for another man.

Searcy returns to Fairhope, ready to lick her wounds. But when her mother falls ill, she’s is thrust into managing the family business—only to discover the beloved bakery is in danger of closing its doors forever.

Enlisting the help of the adorable bike store owner next door, an array of well-heeled customers, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Searcy hatches the plan of the century to save Pie Girls.

EXCERPT

"C.C.," I exclaim, standing on tiptoes for an air kiss. "What a lovely surprise."

         

She clears her throat, and I step back. "You haven't greeted my Precious," C.C. warns in a lilting voice, tilting her head toward the pink sequined bag hanging over her left forearm.

         

Precious? Like as in the Lord of the Rings? Surely she doesn't mean...

         

A tiny black nose and beady eyes poke out of the bag.

         

"Eek!" I jump back and squeal, clapping a hand to my chest and dropping the keys.

         

The dog—if you can call it that—begins yipping and complaining like I've just whipped it with a cat o' nine tails.

         

I freeze in place, flush a lovely shade of violet, and want to self-destruct; certain that I've committed what equates to a mortal sin in the world according to C.C. Anderson. She's carrying her new puppy, a tiny Min-Pin; complete with pink collar and matching pink toenails.

         

"I'm so sorry—"

         

C.C. waves her own pink manicured fingernails an inch from my face.

         

"Mama's poor little baby," she coos in a high-pitched falsetto. "Are you okay, my sweetie-weetie, lovey girl?"

         

My jaw drops open slightly. I've never heard the woman utter a word of endearment toward any human being or living creature.

When I first dated Alton, I was almost certain that C.C., in fact, was among the un-dead. Five years ago, when she and Alton’s father decided to move to Atlanta—under the auspices of closer to their only son—I almost had him talked into buying some dove's blood from Marie Laveau's shop in New Orleans just to see if she'd drink it.

         

"Mama's Precious will be all right, won't she?" C.C. continues. "Searcy's just a bad girl. She'll do better, I promise, darling."

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

 Lauren Clark writes contemporary Southern novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

She is the author of four award-winning novels, Dancing Naked in Dixie, Stay Tuned, Stardust Summer, and Pie Girls, as well as a short story, A Very Dixie Christmas, published in the Merry & Bright holiday collection. Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association and the Mobile Writers Guild. 

Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Website:  www.laurenclarkbooks.com

Blog:  www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog

Twitter:  @LaurenClark_Bks

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Clark/235315706518284

Pintrest:  http://www.pinterest.com/laurenclarkbks/

Fans of contemporary Southern romance filled with colorful characters and good dialogue need look no further than Lauren Clark’s newest book, Pie Girls.  Filled with emotional angst, decades old secrets and lesson’s on what’s really important in life and love, Ms. Clark’s story kept me turning the pages.  Adding decadent Southern pie recipes to the mix, Ms. Clark had me wanting to pull out my pie pans to give her recipes a try.

Raised in a small Southern town by a colorful, hippie like mother, Searcy left her old life behind when she married Alton Roberts and moved to Atlanta to live the high life.  Shopping for designer clothes, eating lunch with her society friends and seldom seeing her hard working husband make up her life.  Until the night her husband comes home and everything about her life comes crashing down.

Ms. Clark does a good job developing Searcy’s character; she’s spoiled and self-centered at the start and was a little bit hard to connect with.  As her life spirals out of control, and she tries to deny there’s something wrong with her marriage, Searcy is forced to grow up and take a look at what’s really important.  Especially when she goes back to her hometown and realizes something is wrong with her mother, and with her mother’s bakery.  I really liked how going back home, re-connecting with her best friend and really talking with her mother helped Searcy face the truth.  Especially the truth about her relationship with Alton.

The secondary characters were all well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Maggie, Searcy’s mom, Tobi, Searcy’s best friend from high school, and Luke, the owner of the bike store next to Pie Girls, her mother’s bakery.  While I didn’t care for Alton, Searcy’s soon to be ex, Ms. Clark does a good job developing his character and lets us know just why Searcy and Alton’s marriage was doomed from the start.  She reminds us that communication, real communication, is the key to any successful relationship and that family is the most important part of our lives.  We also get to know Quinn, a colorful businessman, who’s past with Maggie is important to Searcy’s future.

Will Searcy be able to put her life back together once it’s all fallen apart?  Will the chance of a new romance and saving her mother’s bakery be all Searcy needs for a new start?  You’ll have to read Pie Girls to find out, I enjoyed it and can’t wait to try out some of the recipes and look forward to reading more from Ms. Clark.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

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FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.  I received no additional compensation for my opinion of the material provided. 

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Christmas At The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Tasty Book Tours, for Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan.  Please leave a comment or question for Christy to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter Form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here,  the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Christmas at the Cupcake Café

By Jenny Colgan

Cupcake Café, Book 2

Publisher:  William Morris/Harper Colliins

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Holiday/Chick-Lit/Romance

Length: 352 Pages

ISBN:  978-0751550337

ASIN:  B00K53EH56

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

About the book: 

Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe, is in love and couldn’t be happier. Her new business is thriving and she is surrounded by close friends, even if her cupcake colleagues Pearl and Caroline don’t seem quite as upbeat about the upcoming season of snow and merriment. But when her boyfriend Austin is scouted for a possible move to New York, Issy is forced to face up to the prospect of a long-distance romance. And when the Christmas rush at the cafe - with its increased demand for her delectable creations - begins to take its toll, Issy has to decide what she holds most dear.

This December, Issy will have to rely on all her reserves of courage, good nature and cinnamon, to make sure everyone has a merry Christmas, one way or another. . .

Indulge yourself and your sweet-toothed friends with Jenny Colgan’s new novel, simply bursting with Christmas cupcake recipes and seasonal sugar-fuelled fun.

Gingerbread

This is not for gingerbread men, which is more of a cookie recipe as it has to stay hard and crunchy.  And it is not for gingerbread houses, unless you have endless time on your hands and (let’s say it quietly) are a bit of a show-off who would rather their cakes were admired than devoured.

No, this is old-fashioned soft, sticky gingerbread. It doesn’t take long to make, but you’ll be glad you did.  NB:  Oil the container before you fill it with treacle. Otherwise you and your dishwasher are going to fall out really badly.

50g white sugar

50g brown sugar

120g butter

1 egg

180ml treacle

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp powdered cinnamon

1 tbsp powdered ginger (or a little more if you like)

1/2 tsp ground cloves (I just threw in a ‘lucky’ clove)

1/2 tsp salt

60ml hot water

Preheat oven to 175°C/gas mark 3. Grease a loaf tin or square baking tin.

Cream sugar and butter together (you can do this entire thing in the mixer), then add the egg and the treacle. Mix the spices, baking powder, flour and salt. Fold in to wet mixture.

Add the water, then pour into baking tin and bake for 45 minutes. You can sprinkle icing sugar on the top, or make an icing glaze, or just slice it like it is – proper yummy, sticky Christmas gingerbread. Serve liberally to people you like.

Author Info

Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including Christmas at the Cupcake Café and The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, which are also published by Sphere. Meet Me at the Cupcake Café won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams, which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and France.

Author Links

Website:  http://www.jennycolgan.com/ 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/jennycolganbooks
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JennyColgan
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39272.Jenny_Colgan

Being a reader who pretty much loves chick-lit romance, I jumped at the chance to read and review Jenny Colgan’s Christmas at the Cupcake Café.  Not only would Ms. Colgan’s book satisfy my craving for a holiday romance, it also includes recipes, which is something I love seeing in books.  Basically it killed two birds with one stone for me.  Filled with colorful characters, snappy dialogue, sweet romance, and recipes (from a British palate), this is a book almost anyone should enjoy.

A year after opening The Cupcake Café, Issy Randal is happy and in love.  Her business is doing well, her employees are working out and her love life is finally going in the right direction.  Looking forward to the upcoming holidays, and being surrounded by her friends, are what she looks forward to the most.  Only when her boyfriend has to travel to New York for business, and he receives a job offer too good to refuse, makes Issy wonder if the Christmas she’s been hoping for will go up in smoke.

Ms. Colgan does a really good job introducing Issy and developing her character; a single woman who’s had more than her share of bad boyfriends; all Issy wants is someone to love who’ll love her back and build a life with her.  Someone like Austin, her current boyfriend, who comes with baggage of his own, a younger brother named Darny.  Living together with boy boys, Issy has begun to feel as if her life is finally all right.  I really connected with Issy because she’s hard working, very likeable and a fellow baker who knows that good ingredients and the right recipe make everything taste better.

The secondary characters, from Austin and Darny, Pearl and Caroline (her employees), and best friend Helena and her family, added plenty of color and emotional angst to the story.  While it’s clear that Austin loves Issy, and that he’s a likeable character, I was a little put off by how easily he was willing to overlook Issy’s contribution to his and Darny’s life when he was making his decision about the future.  That, and the behavior of some of the children in this story, Darny and Helena’s daughter Chandani, are the only things that bothered me.  Otherwise I enjoyed watching how everyone works their issues out. 

Will Issy and Austin figure out what’s best for their future together or decide to part?  What will happen to The Cupcake Café in the future?  You’ll have to read Christmas at the Cupcake Café to find out.  I hope Ms. Colgan writes another story with Issy, Austin and the gang and lets us know what the future brings for all of them.  I’m definitely going to give some of the recipes a go. 

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns

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