Really Random Tuesday #96: Daisy's New Sweater, the Mystery Collection Winner, and Homemade Nut Butters

Argh!  I haven't posted a Really Random Tuesday post in nearly ten months!  Since I have a winner to announce, I'm back with a RRT post.  But before I announce the winner of the books, here's Daisy . . .

My blogging friend, Naida from The Bookworm, crocheted this adorable, super soft sweater for Daisy, and also these over-sized potholders/hot pads, which I adore.  These handmade items are absolutely fabulous. 

Daisy is stylin' now!  The sweater fits her perfectly. Thank you very much, Naida!

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The winner of a box set of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Books 1-3  is  Lisa Brown.  Many congratulations to you, Lisa!  Special thanks to award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman for offering this generous giveaway to my readers.

If you didn't win this time, please check the right side of my blog for other giveaways.  If they seem scant now, don't worry.  I add book giveaways to my sidebar on a regular basis.

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Until recently, we suffered with loud blenders that never worked well.  I usually ended up hand-mixing ingredients, and having extra dishes to clean, too--I was not a happy cook!  Finally, we bought a deluxe Vitamix as a family Christmas present from CostCo at the end of last year.  Among other things, I've been having fun making fresh nut butters, such as cashew butter, almond butter, coconut butter, and peanut butter. They are super flavorful and healthy, the real McCoy.  (Some of you may have seen these photos on Instagram already.)

Cashew Butter

Almond Butter

Peanut Butter

Coconut Butter

My favorite so far has been almond butter. The flavor is very "almondy" and intense.  I even tried making sunflower seed butter.  Surprisingly, it took quite a long time to make this type of butter.  I used raw sunflower seeds, and the tiny seeds took their sweet time releasing their oils.  (Raw nuts and seeds take longer to release their oils than roasted ones.)  My patience was rewarded, eventually.

Sunflower Seed Milk

The bonus is the milk you can create from what's left in the container after the butter is scooped out, by just adding some water and turning on the Vitamix for a few moments.  It helps clean out the container, and gives you a special, flavored milk, which you can use as you would any other type of milk. 

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. Often I announce my book giveaway winners in these posts.  If you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, and add your link to the "master" Mister Linky on the Really Random Tuesday page.  Thanks for stopping by!  Your comments are welcomed.

A Cozy Giveaway

Fans of cozy mysteries, I have a spectacular book giveaway for you!  Thanks to the great generosity of award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman (who's also an attorney specializing in family law and debt collection), I'm hosting this giveaway for a box set of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Books 1-3.  This giveaway is open internationally, although if you live outside of the U.S.A. and win, you'll receive the ebook version of this set.  Although I haven't read any of these mysteries yet, they truly sound terrific. I read some of the Amazon reviews for these mysteries, and I hope to read these books in the future.  (I'd certainly like to read more cozies this year!)  In the books, Jamie Quinn is a lawyer, and she sounds like a wonderful protagonist.

The three books in this set are:

Book 1: Death by Didgeridoo
Book 2: The Case of the Killer Divorce
Book 3: Peril in the Park

The author said that a didgeridoo was the inspiration for her first Jamie Quinn mystery. What is a didgeridoo?  Barbara gave me a brief definition in her email, but I wanted to learn more.  I was surprised that when I asked Siri, she understood my question (even though I wasn't sure how to pronounce the term and didn't enunciate), and pulled up the Wikipedia page.  Great job, Siri! 

Barbara thought that a didgeridoo would make a distinct lethal weapon in her story.  She provided the photo of the didgeridoo, below. 

Without further delay, I'm thrilled to offer a giveaway for a box set of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Books 1-3, to my readers.

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or indicate that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more entry, mention a cozy mystery book or series that you enjoy.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, February 29.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, March 1.  Best of luck, and thanks for reading!

Her Lost Love

This is the most romantic book I've read in the series so far!

Her Lost Love is the fifth book in the Amelia Moore Detective series, a cozy mystery series by a very prolific author, Linda Weaver Clarke. This book features an attractive and successful lawyer in her mid-forties, Julie Anderson, who hires detective Amelia Moore to find her lost love, Joseph Yancey Witherbee.  When they were children, Julie nicknamed him "Joey".  They became great friends, and fell in love when they were older, but they lost track of each other during their college years, when Julie was studying to become a lawyer.  Twenty-four years have passed since they last saw each other!  Julie wants to try to find Joey before she agrees to marry her current suitor, Senator Fox.  

In Her Lost Love, Julie gives Amelia a bundle of her love letters from Joey, which may provide clues for the detective. 

"Please know that you are the only girl meant for me.  Believe me, Julie! I mean it from the depths of my heart."
 ~ Her Lost Love, Linda Weaver Clarke

His letters are quite passionate, and Amelia is touched by their romantic nature; this makes Joey's disappearance all the more puzzling; she wonders why he stopped writing to Julie, what has happened to him, and where he may be, if he's still alive.  With the help of her partner, Rick Benito, Amelia is determined to find Joey.  

There is plenty of good, "old-fashioned" romance in this cozy, which features lost love, love letters, and more.  Her Lost Love also focuses on the ongoing, growing romantic relationship between Amelia and Rick, who work together.

'I'll always be by your side, Amelia.  You can't get rid of me that easy.  So please do some serious thinking about our relationship.'
 ~ Her Lost Love, Linda Weaver Clarke 

These main characters show restraint rather than rushing into a physical relationship; Rick respects Amelia's feelings, and is willing to take it slow.  I enjoyed this book very much.  It's romantic and exciting, and the ending of the book is altogether perfect.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Mystery on the Bayou (although I cannot promise I'll read it in a timely manner).

Warm thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for her patience with me!  Linda sent me this book several months ago, and has waited quietly for me to read it.  I also appreciate the patience of my readers.  For the past six months, I have featured numerous book giveaways here, but I haven't posted many reviews, although I've continued to read for pleasure.

As always, I welcome your comments, which help create brief, book-related conversations.  Thanks for reading!

The Mysterious Doll

What's on your reading "bucket list"?  One of the things on my list is to read more cozy mysteries, so I was quite pleased when author Linda Weaver Clarke offered to send me a copy of The Mysterious Doll, the fourth book in the Amelia Moore Detective series, published in 2014.

Who has taken the antique doll from the museum?  Pauline Jones is distraught and rather perplexed because her boyfriend, Sam Whitaker, left town without telling anyone where he was going.  His sudden departure coincides with the disappearance of a valuable porcelain doll, so he's suspected of stealing the doll from the museum where he works as a financial clerk.  Pauline loves her fiance and believes that he's innocent, so she implores Amelia to find Sam, and to solve the case of the missing doll.  Amelia then asks her handsome partner, Rick Bonito, to help her solve The Mysterious Doll Case.

This is the fourth book I've read in the Amelia Moore Detective Series.  As always, Amelia is a smart, sassy, and compassionate protagonist, and she and her charming partner, Rick, work well as a team.  They complement each other.  But that's not all.  They enjoy their work as detectives, which is all about helping people, and as mentioned previously, there are sparks between them, and even some romantic kisses.  In The Mysterious Doll, Amelia and Rick cross a few more things off of their bucket lists, pertaining to classic cars, calamari, and ziplining.  In Book Four of this romantic adventure mystery series, this time the couple travels to scenic Colorado to search for Sam and to solve the mystery.  Who stole the doll?  Was it Sam, Judy, Mabel, Slick Nick, or someone else?  I must admit that it kept me guessing.  To my surprise and delight, each book in this series gets better, and while each may be read as a standalone, it's been great fun to read all of these cozy mysteries.  I look forward to reading the fifth book in this terrific series, Her Lost Love.

A warm thank you to Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me The Mysterious Doll.  For a wonderful review of this book, please stop by Yvonne's blog, Socrates' Book Reviews. Your comments are welcomed.

The Missing Heir: Review and Giveaway

This mystery begins with a bang!  Published in 2014, The Missing Heir is the third book in the Amelia Moore Detective Series by author Linda Weaver Clarke.  I've read many books by this author over the past few years, and so I was excited about the prospect of reading her newest cozy mystery.

The Missing Heir starts with emotion and impact, as twenty-something siblings Jenny and Robert Walker burst into Amelia Moore's detective office.  Jenny is especially upset, because she fears that the orphanage that her uncle, Dell Murphy, started about twenty years ago, the Orfanato de Tio Dell, will be closed down, leaving the children without a place to live. Uncle Dell has recently passed away, and has willed most of his fortune to his nephew, Neal Woods, who will take care of the orphanage, since Dell and his deceased wife didn't have children.  But Neal has gone missing!

Since Amelia specializes in missing persons, Jenny and Robert implore her to find their missing cousin, Neal, who they've been searching for over the past two months.  Amelia agrees to take on this touching case, and hopes to find Neal before the fortune is turned over to Dell's brother and sister.  In order to save the orphanage, she must find Neal before the reading of the will, or he'll forfeit his inheritance.  But how do you find a missing person in Mexico, particularly when time is of the essence?  I've mentioned before that cozy mysteries often feature intelligent women protagonists.  Is Amelia savvy enough to find Neal, the missing heir, with the help of her handsome partner, Rick Bonito? 

Author Linda Weaver Clarke is on a roll with this mystery series, which features spunky Amelia and dashing Rick, who work together.  There are unmistakable sparks between them, as well as a few passionate kisses, although Amelia attempts to resist Rick's charms.  (We readers think they're perfect for each other, naturally.)  I enjoyed this romantic cozy mystery a lot!  The writing is lovely and lively, and I felt as if I were experiencing the action myself.  Linda was inspired to write this book because of the darling children she met in orphanages in Mexico.  Although I've never visited a Mexican orphanage, I've been to Mexico many times, and her descriptions--of the land and the buildings and the food--are just about perfect.  This story flows well, and I read happily and eagerly (I thought that things would work out well in the end, although I wasn't able to figure out exactly how that would happen).  This is another positive, feel-good cozy mystery.  My copy was well edited, and I didn't realize it was a proof until I came to the very end of the book.

The Missing Heir is a wonderful addition to the Amelia Moore Detective Series.  I recommend all of the books in this series that I've read so far, without hesitation, to young adults and adults. 

If this new, cozy mystery sounds appealing to you, you're in luck. The author is generously offering an international giveaway for the ebook edition of The Missing Heir.  It works well as a stand-alone book, so don't be deterred if you haven't read the earlier books in this series. 

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, leave a comment about the last cozy mystery you read.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, December 1.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, December 2.  Good luck!

Many thanks to talented story-teller Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me a complimentary copy of The Missing Heir.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series, The Mysterious Doll.

As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

The Shamrock Case

Which characteristic do you value most in a female protagonist? As I mentioned in a previous post, author Linda Weaver Clarke says that a cozy mystery "focuses on the plot and characters, and the main character is usually an intelligent woman".  Published in 2014, The Shamrock Case is the second book in the Amelia Moore Detective series, a cozy mystery series by Linda Weaver Clarke.  In this new mystery, private investigator Amelia Moore is determined to solve a puzzling mystery for a new client, eighteen-year-old Kate Clemmons, who has just learned that she was adopted.  Kate's birth parents were from Ireland, and died soon after coming to America.  Kate wants to answer some questions about her past, and to find her biological grandparents.  Amelia is eager to help Kate learn more about her ancestors, and she's excited about taking a trip to Ireland (which is on her bucket list).  Like in the first book in this series, The Bali Mystery, Amelia asks her attractive friend and new partner, Rick Bonito, to help her solve the case.

The Shamrock Case is an engaging cozy with twists and turns that captured and held my interest.  Once again, the author has done a wonderful job with the characters and setting.  Amelia is a smart, kind, and altogether admirable main character.  I continue to relish the relationship between Amelia and Rick, which is purposeful, but also fun and flirty.  I loved taking a virtual trip to colorful, vibrant Ireland, and could visualize the countryside, churches, inns, and famous attractions, like the Blarney Stone.  Before I read this book, I was interested in visiting Ireland, which I picture as very lush and green.  Now, I'm even more eager to travel to this gorgeous country, and to taste some of the delicious food featured in the book, like shepherd's pie.  In back of the book there's a short list of Irish terms, such as Blathering and Dia Duit, which are used in the book, which is a charming little touch.  I enjoyed this second mystery very much. The Shamrock Case is suitable for older children and adults.

Thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for providing me with a complimentary copy of The Shamrock Case.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Missing Heir, in which Amelia, Rick--and readers--will venture to Mexico.

Your comments are welcomed. 

The Bali Mystery: Review and Giveaway

Most of you already know what a cozy mystery or "cozy" is, but for those who require a bit of help, it's a mystery that's not too gory or violent.  According to author Linda Weaver Clarke, a cozy mystery "focuses on the plot and characters, and the main character is usually an intelligent woman".  Published in 2014, The Bali Mystery by Linda Weaver Clarke is the first book in the Amelia Moore Detective series, a new cozy mystery series by this author.

The author's explanation reinforces the idea that the protagonist in a cozy is usually an intelligent woman.  Additionally, while investigating cozy mysteries as a genre online, I read that many cozy mystery readers are intelligent women, who enjoy trying to solve the crimes in these books (a detective or any person who tries to solve a mystery does need to be sharp).  Cozies appeal to readers (female or male) who like to be actively entertained and engaged, who like to figure things out, and who, perhaps, like me, think that cozy is a rather cute term.  ;)

In The Bali Mystery, Amelia Moore is a private investigator with her own detective agency, which specializes in missing persons.  In the book, a distraught Mrs. Brody asks Amelia  to find her younger brother, William Flint, who's been missing for two months.  Amelia is eager to take the case, but uneasy about it as well, because William's cousin has told her to drop the case, and also because of two "men in black", who seem to be lurking about.  Amelia asks her handsome and flirtatious friend, Rick Bonito, for help with the case.  Before she meets with Rick, Amelia gathers as much information as she can.  She interviews William's co-worker, Bud, and learns that William had traveled to Pakistan about four months earlier, and that he's quit his job.  From a friend, she finds out that he flew to Bali, Indonesia more recently.  Amelia and Rick are perplexed. Why would William quit his job, put his home up for sale, and fly to Bali without telling anyone? They decide to take a trip together, to "the most romantic and exotic island in the world", Bali.

Over the past few years, I've enjoyed many books by Linda Weaver Clarke, and this one was no exception.  The beautiful, tropical setting of Bali in the book feels authentic, and the turquoise Bali Sea, old temples, jungle, and much more, are described with finesse.  At their hotel in Kuta, there's a desk clerk named Budi, and I had to smile, because many years ago, I met a young man named Budi from Indonesia who became a friend.  The setting was portrayed so vividly that I asked Linda if she'd actually traveled to Bali (she hadn't, but she did her research). 

Linda Weaver Clarke is a talented storyteller, and her writing brings her characters to life.  Amelia is a terrific main character.  Single and in her thirties, she's a confident, strong, and likable character.  I'm not sure if Amelia is "smart enough to work at Google", but she's certainly one smart cookie.  Rick thinks she's "beautiful and stubborn", flirts with her throughout the story, and teases her about a polka-dot bikini.  As the story progresses, there's a bit of "old-fashioned" romance in the mystery which is lovely, and which sets the stage for future books in the series.

The Bali Mystery is a quick read that's suitable for young adults and adults.  This book drew me in right away, and my attention never wavered while I was reading it.  I look forward to reading the next book in this mystery series, The Shamrock Case.

The author is generously offering an international giveaway for an ebook edition of The Bali Mystery. If this cozy sounds like your cup of tea, please take a few moments to enter the giveaway.

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, leave a comment about why you enjoy reading cozy mysteries. 

Enter by 5 PM PDT on Monday, May 12.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, May 13.  Best of luck, and thanks for reading!

Special thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me her new book, and for graciously offering this giveaway to my readers.

Mr. Monk Helps Himself: Review and Giveaway

Have you met Monk yet?  This was my first meeting with detective Adrian Monk, "a brilliant San Francisco detective whose obsessive compulsive disorder just happens to get in the way". Published in the summer of 2013, Mr. Monk Helps Himself by Hy Conrad is a cozy mystery, the first novel in the series to be written by this author, who spent eight years writing for the Monk television series.  The book is set in San Francisco (one of my favorite cities), and is narrated by Monk's assistant, Natalie Teeger, who's studying for her PI license.

"Monk himself isn't a licensed PI.  For one thing, he's horrible at tests.  Not because of the questions, but because he has to sharpen and resharpen the pencil and then fill in every circle so that it's completely black and within the borders. So it's up to me to get the license and incorporate and make our business legit.  Monk and Tegger, Consulting Detectives."
~ Mr. Monk Helps Himself, Hy Conrad    

Natalie is at a Best Possible Me retreat when the leader, Miranda Bigley, suddenly jumps off a cliff.   Her death looks like suicide, but Natalie supects it's murder.  Adrian Monk is also at the self-help retreat at Half Moon Bay, to rescue Natalie from this apparent cult.  But Detective Monk, who suffers from OCD and has numerous issues with cleanliness, aardvarks, and other things, is mostly concerned about helping the SFPD solve the case of a murder of a clown, even though he suffers from intense coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.

My first impression of the Monk series is quite a favorable one.  The title of this book is perfect, Hy Conrad's writing seems effortless, and the book is funny and riveting.  I loved the humor that runs through the book, which brings us Monk's obsession with cleaning light bulbs, and a shop named Poop on Union Street, although the book has an affecting, underlying sadness as well, because Monk's wife, Trudy, was killed by a car bomb, which remains a devastating, unsolved murder.  We have empathy for Monk, who was fired from the SFPD when his fears grew disabling, and hired back four years later as a consulting detective because of his keen ability to solve perplexing cases.

Although I like to figure things out myself whenever I read a mystery, perhaps most importantly, I've rediscovered something else--cozy mysteries are fun and entertaining!  At least, good ones are.  Additionally, Mr. Monk Helps Himself sparked my interest in watching the TV series, which I'd heard of but have never seen.  (Naturally, I turned to Wikipedia for help in this area.)  Monk (2002 - 2009; eight seasons) is an American detective television series created by Andy Breckman, starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk.  Having read this one book, I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy watching the TV series as well, largely because the characters, especially Natalie, Monk, Ellen, and Devlin, are great.  By this I mean that they're quirky and caring and likable; I'm eager to see these mysteries enacted (and I love another TV mystery series, The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series).  I truly enjoyed reading this comedic yet heatrending mystery novel.  More Monk, please!

Wonderful news!  Author Hy Conrad is generously offering a copy of Mr. Monk Helps Himself as a giveaway to one randomly chosen reader.  This giveaway is international (U.S./Canada, choice of print or ebook; ebook elsewhere)!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment. 
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 
• Have you read other Monk books, or watched the TV show?  If so, leave a comment about this for an additional entry.

Enter by 5 PM PDT on Thursday, October 10.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Friday, October 11.  Good luck!

Thanks to Teddy from Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for sending me a complimentary copy of this mystery novel.  I am the last stop on this book tour.  For more reviews and giveaways, please visit the other stops on the Mr. Monk Helps Himself book tour.

Fleeting Memory: Review and Giveaway

My mother was an avid reader of mysteries, and I'd often wish I could emulate her in this regard.  I think she would have written an incredible mystery novel herself, had she ever attempted to write one.  (If there's a community of mystery writers in the great beyond, my mom may be at a book signing table right now.)  Although I long to be more acquainted with the work of Agatha Christie and other mystery writers, I must admit that I've not read many mysteries myself, although I loved the Encyclopedia Brown series as a child, and adore The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, more recently.  After encountering the term 'cozy mystery' on many book blogs, I became interested in this genre.  I envisioned myself reading them, "cozily" wrapped in my Snuggie on a cool evening, hot mug of tea at my side (a bit clichéd, perhaps, but still a pleasant image for me).  For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, cozy mysteries or "cozies", according to one of my favorite online "dictionaries", Wikipedia, are a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated in a humorous way.

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Talk about an identity crisis!  Published in 2011, Fleeting Memory, the first book in the Enescu Fleet series by Sherban Young, is the story of a young man who loses his memory.  I've just finished reading this book, which is a cozy mystery or a "mystery caper".  The protagonist in this story has a major problem.  He doesn't know who he is, or even remember what his name is.  All he knows is that he has a penchant for mysterious blondes, and that he thinks he's seen a dead body at the rustic cabin where he's staying.  He's not sure what's going on, but he keeps hoping to run into the blond girl with the stirring green eyes again, who also appears to be lost in the woods (literally).  Luckily, the young man encounters a helpful older man with twinkling blue eyes, Enescu Fleet, who just happens to be a retired detective.

The definition of cozy mystery fits this book perfectly.  Although fighting and dead bodies appear in Fleeting Memory, the book is filled with much humor and is quite clever, and I relished the antics and the author's witty words.

"Careful not to add my fingerprints to the evidence--I wasn't a complete moron--I poked the glasses into place with my trusty pen and slid the scarf down.  His face was mustached, ruddy in complexion and quite rough, like burgundy sandpaper.  I liked mine better.  I didn't recognize him (no shocker there) and for a minute I sat back on my heels, wondering who could have killed him and why.  He seemed like a decent type, for a corpse."
~Fleeting Memory, Sherban Young

Toward the end of Fleeting Memory, the word 'eponymous' is used, which seems to be a good adjective to keep in mind while reading this book.  Names and identity are important in this story, starting with the title, Fleeting Memory, which refers to both the main character's actual memory loss and to the name of the detective, Enescu Fleet.  I won't reveal more here, but there are numerous "little name things" and clues to note, scattered throughout the book.  For as long as I can remember (pun intended), I've been a "name person"; I notice names, so this aspect of the book resonated with me.

Instead of reading this book inside, wearing my silly Snuggie, I read much of the book outside, soaking up a bit of winter sun (don't hate me because I live in Southern California).  It was quite enjoyable to pass the time in this way.  Like the main character in the story, at times I didn't really know what was going on, or what was going to happen next, and there are numerous twists and turns which made the book even more amusing.  I loved the main characters in this mystery and want to spend more time with them--especially now that I know their names and identities. The next book in the series is Fleeting Glance, which I look forward to reading.  Hopefully, as is always the case when I do read mysteries, I'll hone my own detective skills a bit in the process.

Special thanks to author Sherban Young, who sent me complimentary copies of Fleeting Memory and Fleeting Glance--and many matching bookmarks.  He also gave me an extra copy of Fleeting Memory, to give away to one lucky reader (U.S./Canada only).
  

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one extra chance, name a cozy mystery you've enjoyed reading.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, February 11.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, February 12.  Good luck!