Cozy
Book Review: The Seasiders by A. J. Griffiths-Jones
The Seasiders by A.J. Griffiths-Jones
The Seasiders is a light mystery novel written by A. J. Griffiths-Jones in 2016 and published by Creativia, the same press where I’m published. I like to sample different authors’ books throughout the year to see what everyone’s styles are like. I always end up enjoying the books and this was no exception.
At first, the story is very simple. A husband and wife, Dick and Grace, own and operate a small b&b in the UK. Grace’s family originally ran the place, but once they retired the business transferred to their daughter. Dick does very little to help out. He does his best to build the foundation for an outdoor patio, but he breaks the cement all the time. He can’t use the booking system, and he is possibly afraid of the washing machine. Grace loves him, but part of her wants an escape. We meet a few of their guests and neighbors all the while knowing something weird is going on, just never quite certain what it is. By the end, the truth comes out in quite a twist and we are left wondering what really happened along the way. I’m being purposely vague so readers won’t feel any spoils nor try to guess for themselves. It’s a very different kind of mystery book, but still a good one to experience.
Griffiths-Jones relies on typical encounters between a husband and wife, neighbors, and guests at a hotel to tell this story. Through preparing a meal, checking in/out, running errands, or overhearing conversations, the plot unfolds and thickens. A guest goes missing. Money has been stolen. Police are investigating but they won’t say for what. It’s in the hidden details that readers must find the actual events that have occurred. It’s a careful and deliberate writing style to balance facts and missing facts. When a writer can do this and achieve a wonderful ending, it’s a sign of talent.
On the shorter side, probably more of a novella, it’s easy to digest in a couple of hours. Grab a cup of tea, perhaps a tasty snack, and sit by a fire this winter. Immerse yourself in each new character and try to figure out the connection to the plot. Sometimes it’s clear, others it’s not until the end. The author drops several red herrings, but there’s also a few solid clues you might miss. I enjoyed the descriptions as it painted a mostly clear picture of the setting, scenery and characters, but left enough for me to fill in the blanks as I saw fit in my connections to the book. That’s always my favorite style — not too detailed, but not too vague.
A lovely story, a few surprises, a good afternoon read to get familiar with the author’s styles and talents. I’m definitely glad I took this one and look forward to checking out her other books in the upcoming year.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My stand-alone novels, Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure, can be purchased on Amazon as electronic copies or physical copies. The debut book, Academic Curveball, in my new mystery series, Braxton Campus Mysteries will fit those who love cozy mysteries and crime investigations. I read, write, and blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge –and multiple Readathons. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Cozy Mystery Series Readathon (Nov 2018) — Who’s Reading? Let me know…
Quote Posted on
Hi. I’m putting together the list of readers. Can you respond to this post and let me know which books you reading? I’ll update the page with all the blogs to look for in the future. Thanks!
***
The voters have spoken… our winning book series to read in November 2018 is the Renaissance Faire cozy mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the last month to choose the category for the readathon, the authors and books series to vote on, and the suggestions to make this as fun as it will be. Since there are 8 books in the series, we cannot easily read them all in one month. We probably could, but there are many of us with other ARCs or pre-scheduled reads, so I think we should do 50%… essentially the first 4 books. Below is our schedule and the books:
In order, they are:
Given how busy everyone is, let’s just focus on getting them all read and reviewed in the month of November 2018. Read 1, 2, 3, or 4 books — however much time you have available. Our tentative schedule to post each review is:
- Wicked Weaves – Due 11/9
- Ghastly Glass – Due 11/16
- Deadly Daggers – Due 11/23
- Harrowing Hats – Due 11/30
I’ll create the new pages and links throughout the next couple of weeks. For now, buy them or order them from your local library. If you have them already – awesome. I can’t wait to get started!
***
Based on last month’s poll, you voted to combine two of the options into a single approach for our November 2018 Readathon. The winner is: “Cozy Mystery Series.” Many thanks to all the voters and promoters for the readathon. I’m very excited to choose a series with 4 or 5 books that we can read all throughout November and post our reviews. Some of the suggestions may have more than 5, but we will only read the first 5. A few have less than 5, so we will just read 3 or 4 depending on what wins. I’ve also chosen authors I’ve never read before but have on my TBR.
You can choose your top 3 series to read. The poll is open today through 10/12 (one full week). On 10/13, I’ll announce the book series with the most votes. We’ll have three weeks to buy or borrow the books and set the reading and review schedule. Links to the Goodreads description of the fist book are below the poll to help you choose.
Descriptions of Books
Cindy Blackburn – Cue Ball
Betty Hechtman – Yarn Retreat
Nancy Atherton – Aunt Dimity
Ellery Adams – Book Retreat
Julia Buckley – A Writer’s Apprentice
Avery Ames – A Cheese Shop
Nancy Martin – Blackbird Sisters
Kate Carlisle – Fixer-Upper
Bailey Cates – Magical Bakery
Alice Kimberly – Haunted Bookshop
Heather Blake – Wishcraft
Jim & Joyce Lavene – Renaissance Faire
Lorna Barrett – Booktown
Jana DeLeon – Miss Fortune
Lea Wait – Mainely Needlepoint
Laura Childs – A Tea Shop
Krista Davis – Domestic Diva
Daryl Wood Gerber – Cookbook Nook
Eva Gates – Lighthouse Library
Betty Webb – Gunn Zoo
Leslie Budewitz – A Spice Shop
Kelly Lane – Olive Grove
Laura Childs – Scrapbooking
Book Review: Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron
Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
After devouring the first book in the Cajun Country Mystery cozy series by Ellen Byron, I had to jump on the second, Body on the Bayou. It’s quickly becoming one of my new favorites series, and I definitely recommend it for other cozy mystery fans. Set in Louisiana on a plantation home converted into a B&B, the charming setting and characters truly invoke a wonderful southern atmosphere while sharing and spreading great history and relationships among the town of Pelican.
In this caper, Maggie is forced into serving as the maid of honor for a rival-turned-friend (Vanessa) from the last book. She and the groom’s family have been at odds for 150 years due to a curse one of them brewed up. When Vanessa’s extended family comes into town, she sticks them on Maggie as part of the responsibilities for the maid of honor. Unfortunately, a few of them turn up dead! Maggie tries to solve the case, grows more attracted to the new detective Bo, and determines who she really wants to be. Will she be able to help bring a long-lost family member back to the fold? Or will she get caught up in the downside of a wedding not meant to happen easily?
Byron is a talented writer with tons of humor ingested into dialog and narrative. It sometimes crosses the line into witty or stomach-cramping clearly showing great range in how to keep your readers invested and entertained. The pages are easy to follow, I digested this one in under 3 hours. It’s got 4.5 stars from me… the only reason I didn’t give it a full five was parts of the story were a little forced — nonetheless, it made for fantastic reading and shouldn’t worry anyone. This is a very solid series. I can’t wait to devour the next one in a week as I try to catch up on this awesome cast of characters so I can read the ARC for the latest one next month.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My stand-alone novels, Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure, can be purchased on Amazon as electronic copies or physical copies. The debut book, Academic Curveball, in my new mystery series, Braxton Campus Mysteries will fit those who love cozy mysteries and crime investigations. I read, write, and blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge –and multiple Readathons. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Book Review: Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron
Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Earlier this week, I was selected to receive a copy of the fourth book in this series. I had been meaning to try the series for a while, but couldn’t get out of the TBR slump. Since I prefer reading books in order when they’re part of a series, I had to order the first three and finish them before I needed to review the latest one. I picked this up yesterday and finished it within three hours. It’s a quick-n-easy read but full of wonderful characters, descriptions and scenes. I highly recommend the series and will definitely keep reading the rest.
Maggie split with her boyfriend of 6 years after running a successful business in NYC together. He finally proposed [to another girl!] and took the company away from Maggie, so she went home to Louisiana to figure out her next steps. Her family (parents and grandmother) run a B&B out of their plantation home– the nicest but also one of the last still standing. There is a long-time rivalry between her family and another, and unfortunately, the Chief of Police belongs to that other family. Oops, poor Maggie’s gonna have quite an uphill battle if she keeps getting pulled into the role of an amateur sleuth. When the detective on the case retires, a new one from a larger town in the state arrives to takeover… but he’s related to the Chief, part of the family who has a grudge against her, and is a smoldering man she dreams about. The series has a perfect setup and backdrop, and then in this initial book, several guests die while staying at the B&B. How are they connected? Who’s the murderer? And what’s the history that’s got someone all shook up to cause the ‘plantation shudders?’
Byron excels at creating ambiance. You can tell from her word choice and style that she’s been to Louisiana and experienced the culture. I researched her a bit and now understand her fascination with everything Cajun. My other half is from LA, so I’m very familiar with all Byron’s described, and she lives in NYC and writes for TV. We have lots of stuff in common, so it’s no wonder I adored this first book. It has everything I want in a cozy from humor to emotion, sarcasm to educational tidbits. The characters made me happy and angry, everything is believable, and I really felt a strong connection with the way the story unfolded. I can’t wait to read the next one this weekend!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My stand-alone novels, Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure, can be purchased on Amazon as electronic copies or physical copies. The debut book, Academic Curveball, in my new mystery series, Braxton Campus Mysteries will fit those who love cozy mysteries and crime investigations. I read, write, and blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge –and multiple Readathons. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Book Review: Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet
Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
I read the first in the Whisky Business Mystery cozy series almost two years ago and adored it. I got caught up in other series and book reviews, but this fall, I’ve committed myself to catching up on many of my favorites. Enter Death Distilled, the second book in Melinda Mullet’s wonderful Scotland-based series. To start with, these covers are amazing! I want to move there and drink whisky all day long in my tartan.
The premise of the series is that Abi Logan’s uncle has passed away, and she inherits his whisky distillery. She struggles to make it successful in the first book, so she takes off to work her day job as a photo-journalist. Three months later, she’s back and finds a dead body. It turns out to be from 200 years ago, but then she’s asked to play sleuth for a sexy former rocker whose band mates have all died under odd circumstances. Is it his recently found daughter? A spouse of another band mate? A fan with a deadly crush? Or is he behind it all? So much fun trying to guess the culprit.
The backdrop is amazing. I love learning about the whisky business, Scotland, and photo-journalism. The dialog and accents are fantastic. The supporting characters, Patrick and Grant, are very cool. Patrick’s her gay best friend (a gorgeous catch) and Grant is her 49% co-owner who she sorta has the hots for… but he’s a typical Scot and not sure he can let himself fall for her yet. In the end, I can’t stop wondering what’s under the kilts!
If you’re a fan of non-American settings, this is definitely a series to start. This book delivers lots of suspects, great side stories, and propels the overall story arc forward. My only minor pet peeve is there is sometimes a disconnect with the characters where I can’t get on board that Abi leaves between books to do her other job… I’m on the fence, but never enough to stop reading… on to number three next month!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My stand-alone novels, Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure, can be purchased on Amazon as electronic copies or physical copies. The debut book, Academic Curveball, in my new mystery series, Braxton Campus Mysteries will fit those who love cozy mysteries and crime investigations. I read, write, and blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge –and multiple Readathons. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Academic Curveball: Book 1 in Braxton Campus Mysteries – RELEASE DAY
It’s release day for Academic Curveball, the first book in the Braxton Campus Mystery series. Download for Kindle or Kindle Unlimited today via Amazon. Physical books will be available at the end of the month. And stay tuned… Broken Heart Attack, the 2nd in the series, will be launched before December 31st! Check out some amazing reviews on the book for today’s launch via Goodreads.
***Interview Below***
If you’ve been following my blog for the last two years, you probably know I like to try new things and have a little fun with my posts. As an author, I also want to find new avenues to share my books and writing. Although I love regular Q&A interviews where I can share who I am and what my books are about, I thought it was time to combine together a few disparate things. I’m not exactly sure how this is going to work, but me being a creative guy, and you being fun guinea pigs providing a safe place to make a fool of myself, here goes something quite different. How about if my 6-month old shiba inu puppy interviews the main character from my new Braxton Campus Mysteries series. The first book, Academic Curveball, is currently available in ARC (advanced reader copy) format and officially launches on October 15th, 2018. You can buy or download it here. For now, let’s get on to the interview…
***
Interviewer – Baxter
- 6-month-old puppy who fancies himself a very smart canine
- 22 lbs, black and tan, no job, rambunctious, acts like a frat boy
- Likes
- Biting, hiding under the couch, pouncing on you while you sleep, dominating other dogs, eating things he shouldn’t, running out the front door to escape, digging in flower beds
- Dislikes
- Vacuum cleaners, his harness and leash, bedtime, the cone after he was neutered, being neutered, the word ‘no’
***
Interviewee – Kellan Ayrwick
- 32-year-old single father who fancies himself an amateur sleuth
- 5-9, fit, wavy dirty-blond hair, wears glasses, baby blue eyes, professor, TV show director, former frat boy
- Likes
- Desserts, daughter Emma, black and white films, the beach, sarcasm, Nana D, compliments, Top 40’s music, sleeping, puzzles, cozy college campus, solving cases before the sheriff
- Dislikes
- Fake people, Dr. Myriam Castle, Sheriff April Montague, bad weather, wearing ties, the supernatural or ghosts, shaving, weird Shakespearean quotes
***
- Question 1: Who are you and why are you forcing me to interview you? (Baxter)
- I’m Kellan, the main character in your owner’s latest mystery series. I had to leave LA for a quick trip to visit my small, secluded hometown in Pennsylvania for my father’s retirement from Braxton College. He was the president, and my parents forced me to come home. I left almost a decade ago because they can be very intrusive. Love ’em to pieces, but wow… talk about family drama!
- Baxter’s Response:
- Please do not refer to Jay as my OWNER. Jay is lucky I chose to come live with him. There are days when his helicopter parenting can be so bad, I want to lick him to death to get him to stop holding me back. And you don’t know family drama. My siblings were awful! They made me bite them all the time just to shut them up. I’m the quiet one. Grr…
- Question 2: What can tell me about living in this Wharton County, Pennsylvania? I’m looking for more space as this box in the biggest urban center in the world is a little confining. (Baxter)
- Wharton County is in north central PA near the NY border. It’s about 90 miles south of Buffalo and trapped between the Saddlebrooke National Forest and the Wharton Mountain range. It’s not a real place, but it is based on a bunch of different places Jay’s visited or lived in Pennsylvania. There are 4 major towns, and the one my family hails from is called Braxton. There’s a great college there, too, where many of my family members work, and it seems perhaps possibly me, too, in the near future. The best part of the campus is built across two different sections of the town and is connected by a really cool cable car system. Jay told me it’s based on where he went to college… do you know where that is?
- Baxter’s Response:
- Listen, Kellan… I didn’t want to do this interview, but since it’s been forced on me, remember I ASK the questions. You ANSWER them. Got that? From what I hear, everyone tells you what to do anyway, Kellan… between your boss Myriam, your grandmother Nana D, and that weirdo sheriff, you can barely breathe without someone torturing you. Stand up for yourself, man. Have a little bark and a little bite! WOOF!
- Question 3: What happens in this first book? Should I plan to tell my friends about it? They do read in case you were wondering. We’re a smart breed. (Baxter)
- I can honestly tell you this is the best book I’ve EVER been in. And I’m probably the funniest guy you’ll ever meet. It all starts off when I come home for what should’ve been a long weekend, but then there’s a murder. And my boss in LA makes me stay to cover it for our TV show. Then my family and a good friend are major suspects, so I’m forced to try to find the real killer. Nana D of course tries to set me up, but my wife has only been gone for two years, so I’m not quite ready. I had an awesome time at the baseball games learning all about the sport but when I thought someone on the team was changing their grades in order to play in the season opener, I knew I was on to something big. Little did I realize how much more complex it really was. Wanna know who the killer is?
- Baxter’s Response:
- One, this is the only book you’ve been in so far, Kellan. I know Jay wrote the second one, but he’s still editing it. It’s not real until he gives it to someone to read. I’ve had a look, and I can definitely tell you it’s AWESOME, but I might be biased. Although I was super annoyed with Jay for making me wear that cone of shame for two weeks after my surgery, having such a fantastic story with engaging characters helped pass the time quickly. GO BRAXTON CAMPUS MYSTERIES!!! RAH RAH! And two, no, don’t spoil it for me, you doofus. I think people should find out for themselves who killed someone. Duh!
- Question 4: Do you know where Jay keeps the treats in this joint? (Baxter)
- I’m not real, dog. How would I know that? I can’t see or hear anything outside of Braxton. You came here to visit me. You’re as bad as Nana D with these questions. Go take a nap, dog.
- Baxter’s Response:
- If you weren’t paying me to do this interview, I’d bite your face off. But I’m glad to see we’re both frat boys. Jay was one, too. I guess we have some things in common. Wait… now that I think about it, you’re awfully similar to Jay… what kinda sick twist of fate is this?
- Question 5: Anything else you want to share before I go for a walk to get away from you and this tedious discussion? I’ve got some flowers to eat. (Baxter)
- I’ve got tons of stories to share in the next few years. Jay’s helped me write lots of books and together, we’re planning at least 10 in the series. What I love the most is how he let me write them in 1st person, so the entire book is always from my perspective. I’ve got a really fun voice and way of talking about myself and others, so you’ll likely laugh a lot. I’m also a bit clumsy, like to complain, and am a really sweet but sexy guy. Sometimes I get a bit arrogant. Other times I behave a bit like a fool. But as I get older, things start to look pretty awesome from my position. I just can’t figure out what’s gonna happen in my love life, but you know there’s gotta be more than one woman after me based on what’s happened in that first book, right?
- Baxter’s Response:
- Kellan, your modesty knows no bounds. I’m sure any readers are already
swooningrolling their eyes over it. Thanks for chatting today. I’ll leave you with a little surprise before I bounce. 
- Kellan, your modesty knows no bounds. I’m sure any readers are already
***
Stay tuned for the next interview when Baxter takes on… NANA D. Here’s a quick snapshot of Nana D’s latest conversation with her grandson, Kellan, in book two set to be published in December 2018:
SCENE from BROKEN HEART ATTACK (Book 2 in Braxton Campus Mysteries)
As people filed out of the lobby and into the venue, the noise level grew more tolerable and I could freely move around without feeling every nook and cranny of every weirdo in the joint. First up was texting Nana D to find out who had my ticket and where I’d be sitting. If she put me next to some new Tinder date she blindly setup for me…
Me: Where are you? It’s like a blue-haired Neil Diamond concert in here today.
Nana D: More like a wannabe Lady Gaga gig. Don’t you know any current pop references?
Me: Given the number of septuagenarians, I assumed they wouldn’t know who she was.
Nana D: You know what happens when you ASS-U-ME, don’t you, Kellan?
Me: That was weak even for you. Epic FAIL! Where’s my ticket?
Nana D: Bite me. I left it at the Box Office. Wasn’t sure you’d show. Go get it. Now.
Me: Yes, Chief. On my way. You’re feisty today. Too much bran? Not enough veges?
Nana D: Pop a cork in it and get to your seat. You ain’t seen nothing yet, brilliant one. Just wait til I introduce you to…
***
Note from Baxter: In case you’re curious about the last introduction, Nana D has a habit of setting Kellan up with the weirdest women I’ve ever met. In the last book, we learned there was a two-time bigamist who Nana D thought might be Kellan’s future girlfriend. I’m kinda hoping to meet that crazy old woman one day. I hear she’s a real ball buster… hey wait… is she the one who took mine away when they neutered me three weeks ago!!! PAYBACK WILL BE MINE!
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My stand-alone novels, Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure, can be purchased on Amazon as electronic copies or physical copies. The debut book, Academic Curveball, in my new mystery series, Braxton Campus Mysteries will fit those who love cozy mysteries and crime investigations. I read, write, and blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge –and multiple Readathons. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Cozy Mystery Series Readathon (Nov 2018) — Winning Books & Schedule
Quote Posted on
The voters have spoken… our winning book series to read in November 2018 is the Renaissance Faire cozy mysteries by Joyce and Jim Lavene. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the last month to choose the category for the readathon, the authors and books series to vote on, and the suggestions to make this as fun as it will be. Since there are 8 books in the series, we cannot easily read them all in one month. We probably could, but there are many of us with other ARCs or pre-scheduled reads, so I think we should do 50%… essentially the first 4 books. Below is our schedule and the books:
In order, they are:
Given how busy everyone is, let’s just focus on getting them all read and reviewed in the month of November 2018. Read 1, 2, 3, or 4 books — however much time you have available. Our tentative schedule to post each review is:
- Wicked Weaves – Due 11/9
- Ghastly Glass – Due 11/16
- Deadly Daggers – Due 11/23
- Harrowing Hats – Due 11/30
I’ll create the new pages and links throughout the next couple of weeks. For now, buy them or order them from your local library. If you have them already – awesome. I can’t wait to get started!
***
Based on last month’s poll, you voted to combine two of the options into a single approach for our November 2018 Readathon. The winner is: “Cozy Mystery Series.” Many thanks to all the voters and promoters for the readathon. I’m very excited to choose a series with 4 or 5 books that we can read all throughout November and post our reviews. Some of the suggestions may have more than 5, but we will only read the first 5. A few have less than 5, so we will just read 3 or 4 depending on what wins. I’ve also chosen authors I’ve never read before but have on my TBR.
You can choose your top 3 series to read. The poll is open today through 10/12 (one full week). On 10/13, I’ll announce the book series with the most votes. We’ll have three weeks to buy or borrow the books and set the reading and review schedule. Links to the Goodreads description of the fist book are below the poll to help you choose.
Descriptions of Books
Cindy Blackburn – Cue Ball
Betty Hechtman – Yarn Retreat
Nancy Atherton – Aunt Dimity
Ellery Adams – Book Retreat
Julia Buckley – A Writer’s Apprentice
Avery Ames – A Cheese Shop
Nancy Martin – Blackbird Sisters
Kate Carlisle – Fixer-Upper
Bailey Cates – Magical Bakery
Alice Kimberly – Haunted Bookshop
Heather Blake – Wishcraft
Jim & Joyce Lavene – Renaissance Faire
Lorna Barrett – Booktown
Jana DeLeon – Miss Fortune
Lea Wait – Mainely Needlepoint
Laura Childs – A Tea Shop
Krista Davis – Domestic Diva
Daryl Wood Gerber – Cookbook Nook
Eva Gates – Lighthouse Library
Betty Webb – Gunn Zoo
Leslie Budewitz – A Spice Shop
Kelly Lane – Olive Grove
Laura Childs – Scrapbooking
