Category: Cozies

Book Review & Giveaway: The Pig and Me by Lindsay Frucci

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies6 Comments

  I never knew I liked memoirs until I picked up Lindsay Frucci’s The Pig and Me. When she contacted me about her new book, I thought it would be filled with the nuances of running a business. But I love those delicious little fat-free brownies, so why not give it a chance? Little did I know, this rollercoaster ride of a book had me in its grip from page one all the way to the epilogue. This is the first time in a long time I have actually read a book in one sitting. Seriously guys, it’s just as good – and as addictive – as those No-Pudge brownies! 

It all begins one warm summer morning when Lindsay, a forty-something stay-at-home-mom, realized her jeans were fitting a little too snug. Bogged down by financial stress and a demanding real estate job, she knew she needed to do something big to help her family recover from bankruptcy… and lose some weight in the process. While ruminating about her financial woes and weight gain, a light bulb flashed above her head: She needed to build a better brownie.   

After turning her kitchen into a mad scientist lab filled with mixing bowls, pans and batches of brownies, she discovered a key ingredient that made her healthy brownies taste sinfully delicious: yogurt. She knew she had to share her brownies with the world when her friends and family all agreed that they tasted just as good – if not better – than the fat-laden gooey goodness she used to make with gobs of butter and chocolate chips. 

On a leap of faith, she decides to embark on the biggest and most challenging journey of her personal and professional life. When she announced her new business endeavor to her husband, he was unenthused to say the least. 

 “You’re finally making enough money to pay the bills,” he says with suppressed anger. “Why start a business you know nothing about?” 

“I can learn,” she said with naively foolish yet stubborn certainty. “I can do this.” 

And so begins Lindsay’s quest to make No Pudge Brownies a household name, not an easy feat for a busy mom with very little knowledge of the business world. Plus it doesn’t help when your own husband isn’t in your corner. Armed with a batch of brownies and whole lot of moxie, Lindsay sets forth into the cutthroat food industry by wowing her very first business consultant. When he advised her to stop the silly brownie business and go back to mothering her children, she almost called it quits. But before she could scurry out of the building like kicked dog, in walks her soon-to-be hero, Bob Fox. A retired business executive from General Mills, this guy knows what sells. And after taking a bite out of one of her brownies, he knew she was sitting on a goldmine. 

Teaming up with Bob and his colleague (another retired food industry exec) Jay Albert, Lindsay learned the how-to’s of owning and operating a diet-friendly brownie company.  These two men, who she calls “her angels,” helped her package, sell and market her bags of brownies, which involved countless hours of food demonstrations, stock room deliveries, research and number crunching. 

From her first food demo at the local grocery store, to the creation of her pink smiling pig logo, to her very first fancy foods trade show, these two wonderful men were there for her through thick and thin. I don’t know if it was divine intervention or what – but I have a feeling Bob and Jay came into her life for a reason. And throughout the book, you’ll see a number of people swoop in to help this brave entrepreneur overcome some really tough situations.

Like a cheerleader on the sidelines, I found myself whooping with glee when she conquered obstacles like catching the interests of food industry big wigs like Weight Watchers, Trader Joes or Ben & Jerry’s. One of my favorite “take that!” moments was when her husband found her pink smiling pig logo smiling back at him from the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Boo Yeah!  I was also riveted by her personal struggles like taking care of her aging father, raising two kids while juggling a high-stress job, and dealing with tension (aka the 800-lb gorilla) between her and her husband. 

On a personal note, I grew up hearing “you can’t” by the people who had the biggest influence on me.   If I listened to them, who knows what kind of path I would have taken in life? Although I have no interest in making a name for myself in the business world, this book really inspires me to go ahead and take that leap of faith into the wonderful world of book publishing. At the risk of sounding like a self-help guru, I must point out that life is short, so why take the path of least resistance? Whether you plan to become a novelist, build a business empire, or climb Mount Everest – this book will give you a good kick in the pants! 

I should also add that The Pig and Me was not picked up by those persnickety publishing houses, so Lindsay is counting on her readers to spread the word. I’m hoping that – just like her surprisingly delicious fat-free brownies – this book will get picked up by someone important and will end on the New York Times bestsellers list. Considering that this is a self-published book by a first-time author, I wasn’t expecting too much in terms of writing. Boy was I wrong! Chock-full of humor, witty dialogue and insightful prose, this book is very well written and full of surprises – even until the very last page! Lindsay is a very talented writer, and I hope to see more books by her in the future.

How to win The Pig and Me:
Simply post a comment!  

Giveaway ends Dec. 31.

A Cornucopia of Cozies!

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies3 Comments

Thanksgiving is just around the corner – and there’s no better way to get in the turkey-eating spirit than by curling up with a good fall-themed cozy! Lucky for me, my husband is the Turkey master, so I get to spend my blissful day off from work devouring a good mystery. While searching for the perfect Thanksgiving-themed book, I narrowed it down to these fun little cozies. Which one should I choose?

A Catered Thanksgiving by Isis Crawford

Synopsis:Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons have handled plenty of catering challenges with grace and aplomb. But this Thanksgiving, they’re cooking a feast for felons. Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. They know that every family get-together has to be picture perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty’s extremely lucrative will.

That’s where A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby’s catering company, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy on the table, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can pretend to get along for one meal. But no one can dress up the disaster when the cover-worthy turkey goes boom right in Monty Field’s scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky.

A Killer Crop by Sheila Connolly

Synopsis: After an English professor-and old friend of her mother-is found dead in a cider house, orchard owner Meg Corey starts to wonder: Could her own mother have committed murder?

 

 

Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Synopsis: The newest novel in the USA Today bestselling series finds Jessica Fletcher cooking up a heartwarming holiday dinner-and a fresh serving of trouble…Jessica Fletcher would like nothing more than to sit back and relax as Thanksgiving comes to Cabot Cove. But this year, she’s already got more on her plate than she can handle. Jessica is suffering from a rare case of writer’s block, and the deadline for her new novel is fast approaching.

 

Death of a Turkey by Kate Grilley Borden

Synopsis: It’s Thanksgiving–and it’s not just the turkey who’s in danger. As tourists arrive at Cobb’s Landing to enjoy an authentic Colonial-style Thanksgiving, mayor Peggy Turner would be thankful for nothing more than a clue as to who killed her neighbor–a clue that didn’t point to her. 

 
 
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Thanksgiving by Janet Evonovich

Synopsis: When Megan Murphy discovers a floppy-eared rabbit gnawing on the hem of her skirt, she means to give its careless owner a piece of her mind, but Dr. Patrick Hunter is too attractive to stay mad at for long. As for Patrick, he wants nothing more than to play house with Maggie—and make Thanksgiving dinner for their families. But Megan has wept over one failed love, and she’s afraid to risk her heart again. Can the good doctor help heal her heart?

Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies1 Comment

How in the world did this author know how to package my most favorite things – adorable little costume-clad dogs, ghosts and travel writing – into an off-the-wall who dunnit? It’s almost eerie how this book seems to be tailor-made just for little ol’ me!  With a title like this,  how could I go wrong?

Fortunately the book met my expectations – and then some! Although Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes and Watson don’t make an appearance, there’s a Scooby Doo-like team of travel-writing ghost hunters on the case. Struggling to keep Tripping Magazine afloat, the trio of freelancers take on a rather unusual case involving the ghost of a dearly departed Chihuahua who’s haunting his mistress, Charlotte Baskerville.

 Set in the charming town of Manitou Springs – home of the famous coffin races – the mystery unfolds when Charlotte encounters the ghost of her long-dead pup wandering her home’s grounds at night. The owner and operator of a successful doggie clothing boutique, Charlotte is surrounded by family and friends, or shall I say frenemies, who don’t all seem to have her best interests at heart. 

One particularly despicable character is Thomas, Charlotte’s curmudgeon husband who insists that she’s going senile. Ashamed by his inability to keep the family business afloat, Thomas is threatened by his wife’s success and even has the nerve to mock her adorable doggie outfits. What a creep! Although he claims to be concerned about her mental competence, it seems as though he’s more interested in her money than her wellbeing. 

When Petey’s luminescent apparition (which appears to be doused in glow-in-the-dark makeup) begins to bark cryptic messages sounding suspiciously like “divorce Thomas,” the trio of travel writers begin to wonder if someone in the Baskerville houehold is toying with Charlotte to get their paws on her fortune. And when Charlotte doesn’t heed the warnings, Thomas ends up dead.

 Are supernatural forces at work? Or is this a case of old-fashioned murder? Let’s take a look at our suspects and their celebrity look-alikes.

Charlotte: Could this all be a facade to promote her fashion line? Perhaps this sweet little old lady is responsible for her husband’s death. Who could blame her?

 

 

Ivan: A fame-hungry dog trainer who works with Charlotte and her four-legged fashion models. Obsessed with becoming the next Cesar Milan, this Russian brute will stop at nothing to get his own TV show. 

 

 
Ellen: Charlotte’s best friend and colleague. Although she’s grateful Charlotte took her in during a rough patch, Ellen wants to be a business partner, not a hired hand. As the lead designer and manufacturer of Petey’s Closet, she deserves a lot more than a meager salary and she’s about to reach a breaking point. Is she angry enough to scare Charlotte to death? And why is her sink spotted with glow-in-the-dark paint?

Bob: Charlotte’s nosey neighbor who’s obsessed with acai berries. A fledgling entrepreneur, he’s constantly pestering Charlotte to help him peddle his “cancer-fighting” dog food line “Petey’s Pride.”

 

  
Cheri: Charlotte’s alcoholic granddaughter who seems to be falling off the wagon. After another stint in rehab, the dark-haired beauty is recovering, or shall I say mooching, at Charlotte’s grand estate. Although she seems sweet and interested in helping her grandmother market her goods, something isn’t quite right. Is she trying to get her life back in order, or is she transporting evidence in those mysterious boxes when she sneaks out of the house in the dead of night?


Lila and Chum: Charlotte’s two beloved Chihuahuas. Yes these pups are cute and cuddly. But are they using their charming good looks to get under Charlotte’s skin? Ha ha – just kidding! Dogs could never be capable of murder….cats, however, are another story.

It all comes to a head at the Emma Caufield Coffin Race, which is a real thing in Manitou Springs. Apparently a young girl named Emma Caufield died of turburculosis back in the early 1900s. Her coffin, which was buried on the slope of a mountain, became unearthed during a storm and slid downstream into town. Legend has it she was later buried in an unmarked grave and her ghost haunts the slopes of Red Mountain. Some say she won’t rest until her body is returned to the gravesite she chose for herself. So to commemorate her spirit, the townsfolk of Manitou Springs put on a big coffin race every year with costumes and tricked out caskets – how cool is that! Man, and I thought Austin was weird.

If you, like me, love adorable little dogs, ghosts, eccentric characters, and punchy one-liners, check this one out. It’s a lot of fun and a great book to curl up with on a cold winter’s night. I’m excited to see what happens when the travel writers investigate their next case involving two sisters and a haunted painting. Do I smell a series? I hope so!

Carolyn Haines on Writing Strong Women Blog Talk Radio!

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies1 Comment
Sylvia Dickey Smith

Attention all southern mystery fans! Check out Carolyn Haines’ interview on author Sylvia Dickey Smith’s “Writing Strong Women” blog talk radio! These are two charming women who really know their stuff about writing, southern culture and girl power! Listen to the podcast.

Carolyn Haines

From Sylvia’s Blog Talk Radio: Catch up with Carolyn Haines and learn why she chooses to write strong women, and where her inspiration comes from.

“A lot of people ask me how I started writing about the Mississippi Delta. My hometown, Lucedale, is way down in the Southeast corner of the state. That section is called the pine barrens, and it lives up to its name. Pine trees are a cash crop, and thousands of acres were once owned by the big paper companies. It’s a world very different from the Mississippi Delta.”

Die for Me by Amy Plum

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies2 Comments

After losing her parents in a car wreck, Kate Mercier must leave her happy Brooklin home to live with her artsy grandparents in Paris. Drowning in the depths of despair, she immerses herself in books and Parisian art. Unlike her sister, who distracts herself with boyfriends and club-hopping, Kate spends her days at a local café re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Every day is the same…that is until she she meets Vincent.

Tall, dark and mysterious, he’s everything a brooding  teenage girl dreams of. Even though Kate refuses to let herself feel love for anyone ever again, she can’t help but give in to his advances. And just when the walls around her heart begin to crumble, she discovers that his world is surrounded by the one thing that scares her the most: death.

In this new spin on YA paranormal romance, this talented author offers up a supernatural being that I have yet to encounter: A revenant. Vincent and his band of pseudo-siblings are undead beings who are forced to sacrifice themselves over and over again to save the lives of innocent people.

With two star-crossed lovers – drawn to each other and miserable with despair when apart – it sounds like Amy is taking a page from  Stephanie Meyer’s playbook. However, our fearless leading lady isn’t too quick to sacrifice her humanity and put her family members in danger for a boy she just met.  But alas, unrequited love conquers all, and Kate decides to take the plunge.

I would also like to add that there are no weird subhuman babies with werewolf boyfriends involved, which is a big plus in my book. I may not win any popularity contests by saying this, but really Stephanie, what were you thinking when you came up with Renesme?

But I digress…if you are a fan of atmospheric paranormal love stories, check this one out. I’m interested to see what happens next when Vincent and his brethren face off with their evil counterparts, the Numa. Unlike the heroic revenants, the Numa’s goal is to wreak havoc on the City of Lights – and possibly the world over – by taking the lives of others.

Addendum: The Hollywood Game

Sometimes when I’m reading a good book, I like to play what I call the “Hollywood Game.” Like a literary casting agent, I handpick a celebrity who best fits the descriptions of the characters. 

While reading Die for Me, I couldn’t help but envision Ty Borden (the cute ranch hand in Heartland) playing the part of Vincent. With his shaggy mop of dark hair skimming over his forehead, chiseled features and dark eyelashes, this relatively unknown actor really fits the bill.

 

 

As for the leading lady, when I saw the book cover depicting a waiflike girl with long wavy hair, I instantly pictured Shanae Grimes (90210) playing the part of Kate Mercier. What do you think? Did I get it right, or am I way off the mark?

In My Mailbox: The Pig and Me by Lindsay Frucci

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

Back when I started Weight Watchers (which by the way is the best diet out there!) I had to severely restrict all of my most favorite sinfully delicious treats – including chocolate brownies. It was incredibly hard – dare I say almost impossible – to swap out a sugary confection for a piece of fruit. But thanks to No Pudge Brownies, I didn’t have to go cold turkey! So you can imagine my excitement when the creator of these delectable treats offered to send me her new book! Even if you’re a skinny-minnie who can eat fat-laden goodies without permanently gluing a stick of butter to your hips –  this book is a great read for anyone interested in inspiring stories about fearless women who rise up and conquer in defiance of adversity – Ya Ya sisters!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren.

Here’s a synapsis:

When a personal bankruptcy robbed her family of financial security, Lindsay Frucci decided the way back to marital and family bliss was to start a business that would make gobs of money. Out of the mantra “there must be something I can do” and a passion for fat-laden, fudgy brownies that made it hard to zip her jeans, an idea was born: healthy brownies for the masses. In a leap of faith borne on the wings of innocence and naiveté, she founded No Pudge! Foods, Inc., and began an epic journey of unexpected personal growth and discovery. Frucci owned No Pudge! for ten years, and when she sold it, her Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mixes were sold in every major grocery chain in the United States. The fairy tale is an enviable, business success story. The reality is the story of a woman who was raised hearing “you can’t” and found, to her surprise and great satisfaction, she could – and then some.

Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies5 Comments

Legend has it the loup-garou, a shape-shifting fiend with a human body and the head of a wolf, prowls the swamps of Louisiana looking for its next meal.

Sure, the concept of a flesh-eating Cajun werewolf may seem far-fetched, but for the people of New Iberia parish, the legend is something to be feared.

The story begins when Deputy Ramond Thibodeaux stumbles upon the gruesome scene of Adele Herbert, the town outcast, crouching over the ravaged body of Henry Bastian, a wealthy plantation owner.

In all the horrors he witnessed while fighting in the war, he’d never seen anything that chilled him so deeply.

“For one long moment he stood and stared at the woman. At what lay at her feet. At the blood glistening in the moonlight on her hands and face and the rivulets of it tracing the path of the rain along the dirt road. At the long, twisted ropes of intestines that had been pulled from  the savaged abdomen of the dead man.”

And so begins Haines’ chilling story of murder and mysticism in post-World War II Louisiana. With the townsfolk in a panic about the loup-garou on the loose, Raymond is determined to restore order. Although his neighbors believe the woman is a mythical were-creature, Raymond suspects she was set up.

Tormented by the atrocities of war, Raymond feels a strange connection to Adele. After the death of her twin boys and the suicide of her sister, she lost everything, including her sense of reality. Haunted by guilt and wartime flashbacks, Raymond knows his only salvation is to prove Adele’s innocence and possibly give her a chance to rebuild her life.  

When a child goes missing and Adele breaks loose, the town spirals into a frenzy. And Raymond is forced to seek out the killer before it’s too late. With some help from a mystical healer and the town mistress, Raymond pieces together the clues and discovers something far more sinister than a loup-garou is at work.

Will Raymond prove Adele’s innocence before the townsfolk burn her alive?  What twisted secrets lie behind the walls of the Bastion plantation home? You’ll have to read to find out!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Haines’ cozy Bones mystery series, but I love it when she takes a spin on the dark side! Just like James Lee Burke and Joe Lansdale, she has a real talent for creating a deliciously atmospheric Southern mystery filled with complex characters.  

Whether her books are dark and spooky or cozy and warm, Haines knocks it out of the ballpark every time.  Keep ‘em coming Carolyn!

Want to know about this talented author? Well then check out her Q&A.

In My Mailbox: Chihuahua of the Baskervilles

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies2 Comments

 

I’m super excited to crack open this fun little mystery filled with adorable Chihuahuas, ghosts and quirky Scooby-Doo- like ghost-hunting travel writers! Since I’m a fan of mysteries involving quirky sleuths and their crime-solving pets, I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of enjoyment out of this book! Gizzy isn’t all too pleased about me reading two dog-themed books in a row, so I’ll have to make it up to him by reading a couple of Sophie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mysteries.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren.

Check out the summary from GoodReads:

When the glowing form of a beloved deceased Chihuahua appears, is it a ghost, or is someone teaching a dead dog new tricks – like murder?

Tripping Magazine is a quirky low-budget magazine that reports on travel destinations for believers in the paranormal. A few fake ghosts away from throwing in the towel, the Tripping staff get the tip of a lifetime when they get a call from Charlotte Baskerville, the rich founder of a clothing company for small dogs. Charlotte thinks that her Chihuahua, Petey, has come back from the dead, and she’s desperate for someone to come verify his appearances.

 The magazine’s three-person reporting team travels to Manitou Springs, Colorado, sure that the ghostly dog will be a work of fiction. But, when they arrive, they see evidence of Petey with their own eyes. And he’s not just floating by – he’s howling advice and spelling out threats with tiny paw prints. Is the ghost real, or is the whole phenomenon an elaborate ruse?

 The Tripping team must navigate the kooky world of coffin races, scheming husbands, and doggie fashion to solve the mystery – and get their story written at the same time. Uproariously funny and a great mystery to boot, Chihuahua of the Baskervilles is sure to leave you in stitches.

For more about this charming little mystery, check out Esri’s guest blog on Cozy Chicks.

Welcome to My Pity Party

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies2 Comments

Well this sucks. I have been counting down the days until the Austin Teen Book Fest like a little girl waiting to get her Barbie dreamhouse on Christmas day. But just as luck would have it, I woke up this morning with a nasty cold-like virus.  Really?!?!  Why couldn’t this thing ravage my body during the workweek so I could legitimately stay home and watch Lifetime movies?  This is almost as bad as that hangover last Thanksgiving after I tried to drink my Uncle John under the table at the Broken Spoke.

So while I was chugging Nyquil and drifting in and out of consciousness, I missed out on hanging out with my fellow book blogger chums and meeting some fabulous YA authors.  I was especially excited about meeting Alyson Noel and Rosemary Clement Moore.  These are the books that I planned on having them sign today…life is so unfair.

Evermore by Alyson Noel
Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen  Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement Moore
Amy Goodnight’s family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

Oh well, at least I can still look forward to the Austin Book Fest this month. I’ll get myself a flu shot just to make sure I won’t be bedridden that day.