Short & Sweet: Bea Reviews Maddie Hatter by Jayne Barnard

Publisher: Tyche Books, Inc.
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 20, 2015 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Smashwords*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Miss Maddie Hatter, renegade daughter of a powerful Steamlord, is scraping a precarious living as a fashion reporter when the story of a lifetime falls into her lace-gloved hands.

Baron Bodmin, an adventurer with more failed quests than fingernails, has vanished in circumstances that are odd even for him.

While he is supposedly hunting the fabled Eye of Africa diamond in the Nubian desert, his expeditionary airship is found adrift off the coast of England. Maddie was the last reporter to see the potty peer alive. If she can locate the baron or the Eye of Africa, her career will be made.

Outraged investors and false friends complicate her quest, and a fiendish figure lurks in the shadows, ready to snatch the prize . . . at any price.

Bea Reviews Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig

Series: Java Jive Mystery #1
Publisher: Alibi
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | OmniLit*   | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson, Caroline Fardig’s captivating new mystery novel takes readers behind the counter of a seemingly run-of-the-mill coffeehouse . . . where murder is brewing.

After her music career crashes and burns spectacularly, Juliet Langley is forced to turn to the only other business she knows: food service. Unfortunately, bad luck strikes yet again when her two-timing fiancé robs her blind and runs off with her best waitress. Flushing what’s left of her beloved café down the toilet with her failed engagement, Juliet packs up and moves back to her college stomping grounds in Nashville to manage an old friend’s coffeehouse. At first glance, it seems as though nothing’s changed at Java Jive. What could possibly go wrong? Only that the place is hemorrhaging money, the staff is in open revolt, and Juliet finds one unlucky employee dead in the dumpster out back before her first day is even over.

The corpse just so happens to belong to the cook who’d locked horns with Juliet over the finer points of the health code. Unimpressed with her management style, the other disgruntled employees are only too eager to spill the beans about her fiery temper to the detective on the case. Add to the mix a hunky stranger who’s asking way too many questions, and suddenly Juliet finds herself in some very hot water. If she can’t simmer down and sleuth her way to the real killer, she’s going to get burned. 

Cat Thursday: How to Be a Cat

 Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates cats; their foibles and humorousness and the joy they bring. You can join in by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you made or came across, cat art or share with us pics of your own felines, then post your link up at The True Book Addict. 

Sounds about right. :D

Waiting on Wednesday: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers have the chance to spotlight upcoming releases they're anticipating.

Another favorite author and series. I'm anxious to see what's happening and how events play out. It releases in a few months, in March. March has lots of good books releasing, my poor bank account!

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

*Library Journal

What are you looking forward to?

Excerpt & Giveaway: LADLE TO THE GRAVE by Connie Archer

Good day! Grab a hot drink from the kitchen, cuddle with the cat, and enjoy this excerpt from a cozy mystery, "Ladle to the Grave" by Connie Archer.

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Penguin Random House (Berkley Prime Crime). A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge and Ladle to the Grave are set in the imaginary village of Snowflake, Vermont. A Clue in the Stew will be released in April 2016. Connie was born and raised in New England and now lives on the other coast. You can visit her at www.ConnieArcherMysteries.com, Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries and Twitter @SnowflakeVT.

Sunday Book Share #174 Happy New Year!

 I'm participating in The Sunday Post, hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer; Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews; and Bought Borrowed and Bagged, hosted by TalkSupe. It's a chance to share the print and digital books we've received and posts and events on the blog.

It was a quiet week at school with many families keeping their children home, except for New Year's Eve when a bunch of children came in. After 2 weeks of 4 day work weeks, working 5 straight days this week will feel odd. I got together with some friends after work on NYE; we got Chinese take out and hung out chatting and catching up and drinking Asti Spumante. It was mellow and very pleasant. Now if this darn asthma flare would clear up. It was getting better and then cold, bitter winter air came in and I'm back to doing albuterol every 4 - 6 hours and using the nebulizer.

December and Year-end Balancing the Books

Inspired by Fantasy Is More Fun and The Geeky Blogger's Book Blog, I decided to start tracking my book expenses this year. I'll do a wrap up post at the end of each month.

I've given myself $10 real money each month to spend on books whether for myself, as gifts, or blog giveaways. "Real money" being cash from my bank account as opposed to gift cards and store credits. I am counting money spent to ship giveaways and Paperbackswap.com books. Books from my personal shelves, borrowed from the library or a friend, and books received for review do not count against my purchases.

December and Year-end Challenge Wrap up

In 2015 I signed up for fewer year long challenges and more short-term challenges.

Hard to believe that 2015 is over. Overall, I did well with my challenges. But this year, oy, this year. I signed up to host or participate in 8 challenges plus, COYER Backs to Basics, which started last month, is still running, and I expect I'll sign up for various short-term challenges during the year. Keeping up with my challenges will be a challenge! :D  

Grab a drink, get comfy, and get ready!