Stepping Into a New Day by Beverly Jenkins - #review

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 28, 2016)

In Henry Adams, Kansas, you can’t start over without stirring things up . . .

Many a good woman has had to leave a no-good man, but how many of them took a backseat to his six-hundred-pound hog? On her own for the first time, Genevieve Gibbs is ecstatic, even if certain people preferred the doormat version of Ms. Gibbs. Finding someone who appreciates the “new” her has only just hit Gen’s to-do list when T. C. Barbour appears in her life.

A tiny Kansas town is a far cry from his native Oakland, California, but it’s just the change T. C. needs. While helping his divorced nephew acclimate to single fatherhood, T. C. lands a gig driving a limo for the most powerful woman in Henry Adams. It’s a great way to meet people—and one in particular has already made the job worthwhile. All it takes is a short trip from the airport for Genevieve to snag T. C.’s attention for good.

But it wouldn’t be Henry Adams without adding more drama to the mix. When Gen’s ex Riley returns with his hog in tow, it sets off a chain of events that can ruin everything—unless the residents pull together once again to save the day.

Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona - #review

Working on a television taping to promote the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, the ladies decide to use their access to the Roseville Bridge to cross an item off Charlotte’s bucket list: #39) Be a Sexy Calendar Girl. But the photo shoot is interrupted by gunshots and Francine’s cousin William stumbling down the riverbank followed by a man with a gun. William sustains life-threatening injuries, but is it homicide?

Francine and Charlotte go into detective mode to uncover the secret William knew about the shooter. Their success, however, depends on surviving two arson events, a séance, a shortage of Mary Ruth’s wildly popular corn fritter donuts, memory-challenged nursing home residents, and a killer who refuses to go up in flames.

Killer Finds Character Guest Post - Anne Hillstrom (by Vicki Vass)

Antique hunter Anne Hillstrom’s whirlwind shopping tour to Paris comes to a dead stop, as dead as the man sitting next to her on the plane. And to make matters worse, her identity has been stolen, leaving her to face her worst nightmare. She must sell all her precious antiques with the help of her business partner and co-blogger, CC Muller. Together, they open a pop-up antique store in the quaint suburb of Glen Ellyn Illinois. Their blog fans flock to the store looking to find that perfect treasure and so does a killer. When the Sweet Shop lady next door is found caramelized, the success of the pop-up sale turns bittersweet. Anne and CC dust off the clues, unraveling a centuries-old mystery that leads them to one conclusion. They must find the killer before the killer finds them.

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I am so thrilled today to have Ms. Anne Hillstrom with us on the back porch and let us know how to find treasures all over the world!  Take it away, Anne!

This is my very first guest post, and I’m thrilled to be able to debut it on Back Porchervations. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Anne Hillstrom. My friend and antique hunting partner, CC Muller, typically writes our blog posts but I thought I would today. Together, we appear in a series of books called the Antique Hunters Mysteries.

I should say I’ve never meant an antique that I didn’t find some value in. While I don’t live in Kentucky like LuAnn, I recently traveled through Kentucky on my way back to Chicago from Asheville, N.C. CC and I toured the fabulous Biltmore estate but that’s a story for another day so stay tuned. While in Kentucky, I visited several antique stores in Georgetown and in Lexington. What a delightful way to pass the time.

At the first store, I saw local items related to horse farming, including bridle bit bracelets, Kentucky Derby souvenir cups and even an old horse blanket. While CC wasn’t looking, I might have bought a trinket or two. The bracelets designed by a local artist will make great presents and be a visual reminder of our summer excursion. Even though I do buy antiques for resale, I always make sure they are something I would keep if I can’t sell them.

Now I know some people who read our stories think I am obsessed with shopping. That’s not quite all true. I’m also obsessed with food. While traveling, CC and I enjoyed some delicious meals including a fantastic one at the legendary Loveless Café in Nashville. The fresh-made biscuits were warm from the oven, melting the generous helping of butter and fresh strawberry preserves. I can’t wait to go back there just for the biscuits though I might have gobbled up a slice of their pecan pie.

And, while we were in Nashville, I did find time to do some antique shopping in Franklin, Tenn. CC bought a memory box which contained actual bullets found on the battlefield of the battle of Fort Donelson, near the Cumberland River. I myself am not as partial to war antiques as CC. Instead I have spent my days longing over this 19th century 18-carat gold necklace with a two-carat pink sapphire (see picture). It was slightly above my budget but it would make a wonderful addition to my collection. I will need to ask them if they have layaway.

And, then from Nashville, we went to Asheville. This was the highlight of our trip. A tour of the magnificent Biltmore Estate. I’ve always wanted to see this grand achievement, and it surpassed my expectations. I could picture myself wearing the necklace and perhaps a sumptuous silk dress by Worth dining in the ornate dining room. It is the stuff dreams are made of. Perhaps someday. One can only dream. Unfortunately I spend much of my time dreaming, and it is typically for things that are beyond my budget.

You can read about my shopping love in our most recent book, Killer Finds. Even a dead body or two couldn’t deter from my true love of antique hunting.

That was our exciting summer adventure. I hope you all have a fantastic summer vacation. Let me know where you are traveling to, and perhaps, I can share some antique hunting tips for you fellow enthusiasts.

Thanks, LuAnn, for letting me share my vacation with you and your readers!

It was so great to hear your take on antique hunting. C'mon back any time!

Killer Finds by Vicki Vass - #review

Antique hunter Anne Hillstrom’s whirlwind shopping tour to Paris comes to a dead stop, as dead as the man sitting next to her on the plane. And to make matters worse, her identity has been stolen, leaving her to face her worst nightmare. She must sell all her precious antiques with the help of her business partner and co-blogger, CC Muller. Together, they open a pop-up antique store in the quaint suburb of Glen Ellyn Illinois. Their blog fans flock to the store looking to find that perfect treasure and so does a killer. When the Sweet Shop lady next door is found caramelized, the success of the pop-up sale turns bittersweet. Anne and CC dust off the clues, unraveling a centuries-old mystery that leads them to one conclusion. They must find the killer before the killer finds them.

Bring Your Own Baker by D. E. Haggerty - #review #giveaway

Bring Your Own Baker by D.E. Haggerty

Bring Your Own Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 2) 

Cozy Mystery Self Published 

Print Length: 166 pages 

Publication Date: June 20, 2016 

ASIN: B01FJVGWXI

SYNOPSIS

Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal, Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation of Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur, or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations? 

Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.

Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.

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MY REVIEW

Anna, Callie's baker and friend gets to come out and play more in this sequel to Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker, which is a great change from the norm.  Normally, once a sidekick, always a sidekick.  It should be noted that this was a label I applied to Anna (with whom I share a middle name), not Callie.

In fact, Callie so values Anna's contribution to the success of Callie's Cakes, that she wants to give her half the business!  I don't know of many, if indeed any, business owner nowadays who would do such a thing.  But then cozy heroines are kind of exceptional people, and Callie is certainly exceptional!

Anna has been moonlighting for a hacker to earn extra money so she can purchase half of the business at a fair price.  I can understand that.  A 50-50 partnership is a heck of a gift, no matter how much one has contributed to the success of a business.  So Anna goes over to Arthur's apartment, and danged if he hasn't up and gotten himself murdered.

Unbeknownst to Anna, Arthur had connections to some shady business going down in the town.  Artie has apparently been dabbling in illegal gambling and getting cozy with at least one of the larger gangs.  It was a clear case of 'you lay down with dogs and you get fleas'.  

Being as Anna 'discovered' the body and he was known to her, she feels vested in finding out whodunnit.  And she dives deep into the investigation, to the chagrin of the local law, who would rather just lock her up and be done with the case.  But Anna has a self-proclaimed protector in the guise of a hot bad biker boy.

The action gets pretty steamy once Anna gives the guy her key so he can stop breaking in the apartment.    And it was apparent pretty early on that bad boy had a definite soft spot when it came to Anna.  Likewise, Anna developed a soft spot for her biker, and then they started *ahem* comparing soft spots.  You might not need a cold shower after bring reading Bring Your Own Baker, but do make sure you A/C is working before you crack the cover. *wink*

Overall, this was a great follow-up to Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker.  Callie has stopped emphasizing all the reasons she can't believe her guy would want to be with a woman like her, and has accepted his charming attentions...quite often, as a matter of fact.  Now we know more about Anna, so I'm really hoping there is at least one more book coming in the series because, Callie and Anna together?  That town will n.e.v.e.r. be the same!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  

I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.dehaggerty.com 

Blog: http://www.dehaggerty.wordpress.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/denaehaggerty 

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DEHaggerty/posts 

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210211.D_E_Haggerty   

Buy links: 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TRXQ0R 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/636073 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bring-your-own-baker-de-haggerty/1123795411?ean=2940153018690 

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bring-your-own-baker

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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(Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)

Once and Future Wife by David Burnett - #review #giveaway

Friday Bookish Post - July 1, 2016

    

Thanks to Freda from "Freda's Voice" and Gilion at "Rose City Reader" for hosting these bookish link-ups!  Click one of the buttons to go to the link-up page.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

Jennie Bateman has again fallen in love with Thomas, her former husband, but Tasha, one of his children, is determined to destroy their relationship.

Jennie had done that herself a number of years earlier. In the midst of a manic episode, she had deserted Thomas and their two daughters, choosing, instead, a life of shameless debauchery.

Perhaps she was shocked when Thomas filed for a divorce. Perhaps it was the influence of a preacher who took an interest in her. Perhaps she simply cycled back toward normal.

Whatever the cause, years later, when she again made contact with her family, she was a different person. Even so, they wanted nothing to do with her.

But time moves on. Circumstances change...

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BOOK BEGINNINGS

"Hump day, hump day," Jennie Bateman sang as she sauntered down the hall.  It was Wednesday afternoon, halfway through the week, two more days before she slid into the weekend and a mother-daughters dinner in Atlanta.

Lunch had just ended, and her third-grade class was with the music teacher.  Because of a quirk in this week's schedule, they would go from music class directly to art, and, as a result, Jennie had almost an hour to herself.  She was headed to the school's office for coffee.

Can I get an 'amen' from the teachers? :D  This book will be reviewed tomorrow on the blog, so be sure to stop back by!

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FRIDAY 56

SHORT SYNOPSIS

In Henry Adams, Kansas, you can't start over without stirring things up ...

Many a good woman has had to leave a no-good man, but how many of them took a backseat to his six-hundred-pound hog?  On her own for the first time, Genevieve Gibbs is ecstatic, even if certain people preferred the doormat version of Ms. Gibbs./  Finding someone who appreciates the "new" her has only just hit Gen's to-do-list when TC Barbour appears in her life.

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I did my Friday 56 from a different book, because my Kindle is under the weather, and I have a print copy of the above title.

As always, class began with the pledge and the Negro National Anthem.  It was Zoey's day to accompany the singing on the piano.  Eli had been in Henry Adams going on three years now and knew the words by heart.  When he had his dad first arrived it had been weird being one of only two White kids in town and he'd been pretty sure he wasn't going to like it, but nobody made a big deal about it and he'd done a lot of growing up since then.  He'd also learned a ton of Black history and realized people were people.  As Amari once pointed out, Eli was now bicultural and personall he thought there was a lot of cred in that.

(I had no idea there was even such a thing as the "Negro" National Anthem.  Now I've also seen it described as the Black National Anthem.  It is a wonderfully spiritual song, alluding both to past and present blessings as well as degredations.  Here is a link to the sons on YouTube for anyone who is interested.)

I'll review this book on the blog here a week from Monday (July 11, 2016).  Y'all come back now ... er, then.

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Thanks to Billy B at the "Coffee Addicted Writer" for hosting this link-up!  Click on the buttons above to go to his blog.

This week's question comes from Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews:

Name an author or authors that you have read most of his or her books and would recommend to others.

I really can't claim to have read most of an author's work, but there are three I've read several of there books, and to whom I'd like to give a shout-out:

Joyce and Jim Lavene

Sadly, both these wonderful authors (and people) have passed in the last year:  Joyce in October 2015, and Jim in May of this year.  This is really a devastating to the cozy mystery genre - last time I heard a count on the number of books they had published it was like over 70.  SEVENTY!!!  Their son and daughter, Christopher and Jeni, have taken over the reins of "Team Lavene", as I took to calling them after Joyce passed.  I loved how the family pulled together to continue the legacy of this fine writing duo.  I've read maybe 7-10 of their books...give or take, well, actually only the one that means (maybe more than that).

Daryl Woods Gerber

One of Daryl's "Cheese Shop Mysteries" (written under her Avery Aames pseudonym) was actually my introduction to cozy mysteries.  And I won the book in an online drawing at Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tours.  Now I have read I think all but the lastest in that series.  I've also read several of the "Cookbook Nook" mysteries and her suspense/thriller "Girl on the Run".  I'm fixin' to read the newest Cookbook Nook Mystery ("Grilling the Subject"-to be published August 2016!).

NLB Horton

The first book in NLB's "Parched Series", When Camels Fly, is on my semi-official "Top Ten Books I've Read" list!.  The sequel, The Brothers' Keepers, only increased my appetite for Archaelogist Grace Madison's thrilling adventures!  Luckily I won't have to wait too long, because the third installment is due this fall.

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Thanks to Ramona at Create With Joy, Janice at Mostly Blogging, and Tina at Mommynificent for these fun link-ups!  Click on the button to visit the sites to join in!  The more the merrier...really! :O)