cozy

I am BEYOND thrilled to bring you my review for the Hexes and Holly Anthology.

About the anthology:

Publication Date: 11/1/2020

Tis the season for tinsel, turkey, and… toe of frog? It’s time for another holiday anthology from fourteen of your favorite paranormal mystery authors. These never-before published snow-filled short stories and novellas are sure to send your spine tingling this holiday season!

Miss W’s Review:

Hexes and Holly is a wonderful Christmas Anthology featuring some of the best cozy mystery authors there is!

Morgana Best’s “But Wait… There’s Myrrh” is a fantastic funny novella. Jennifer is the protagonist and she is hitting menopause and something else is also going on, something magical! This story was SO hilarious and well written. There’s murder, menopause, and mayhem. This prequel novella to a new cozy paranormal women’s fiction leaves me wanting more and I cannot wait for this new series.

Yule Tide Murder by Jenna St. James is so fun. Fights going back hundreds of years and multiple suspects for murder and robbery. This is such a great book with Serena and Grant.

Hidden in Plain Sight by Amorette Anderson
If you read the Hillcrest series you will love this! Marley and Penny have a mystery on their hands finding the stolen christmas decorations. Gargoyles and witches make for such a fun story.

Bespelled by Ava Mallory
This was such a fun short story . A Beatrice Montoya short. I really loved it!

Things that Go Bump and the Knight by Hermoine Moon.
I haven’t read this series yet, but I loved this story and reading about the Avalon Cafe.
I will definitely be picking up other books in the series.

Lost Souls ParaAgency and The Christmas Siren by K.M. Waller
I love the Lost Souls ParaAgency so much and this was a great addition.
Such a fun story.

Angels, Eggnog, and Murder by Tegan Maher
This story was so AMAZING! I think it takes a very talented author to be able to do a crossover and seamlessly incorporate 3 different series. Kira from Southern Soul Hunter series goes home with Shelby to Keyhole Lake and their is a murder to solve. I loved the story from Kira’s voice it was so neat to see Keyhole Lake from her perspective as an outsider.

Mystic Greetings by Leanne Leeds
I hadn’t read this author before and this was an interesting story. It was short and I think I need to go look at her other books to understand the characters a bit more.

Merry Misdeeds by Misty Bane
A fun story . There is a Christmas festival and a woman that has way too many enemies is killed.
The setting is all paranormals which I really enjoyed. I will look for more from this author.

Mintwood Christmas Paws by Addison Creek
This was a fun story, and I really enjoyed Paws. I will definitely check out more of this authors work.

Wicked Gift of the Witch by ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn
I REALLY loved this one! Hagatha Crow oh my goodness! She tries to spoil Christmas, but it doesn’t worked as planned. I LOVE this series and I was so pleased to read this fun short story. If you haven’t read the series yet, I highly recommend it!

All I Witch for Christmas is You by Samantha Silver
This short story is from the new Fairy Falls series which I LOVE!
Mina and Pawdrey are auditioning for a film role for Pawdrey when a rare gem is stolen.
This was a great mystery that I really loved. If you have not read this author yet, go run and check her out. The next book in this series comes out November 15th and I am really excited!

Mistletoe Murder by Stella Berry
This was a different type of mystery and a bit sad. The main characters is very likeable.

Sugarplum Spooks by Stephanie Damore
I love this series with Claire and Nick. I always get so excited to read books from this series.
The mystery was well written and I love the characters in this story. Definitely check out the rest of the series.

I mean SO MANY amazing stories!!!!!

Grab your copy now and let me know what you think !!!!!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

Blogger’s note: Post updated on 6/27/2020 with fantastic new cover!!!!

I am so excited to bring you my review of All’s Fair in Love and Murder by K.M. Waller. This is the First Book in the new Fairy Godmother Mystery Series. I fell in love with this cover the second I saw it. Isn’t it fantastic? I mean fairytastic?

All’s Fairy in Love and Murder Publishing  9/13/2019 !

About the Book: 

Be careful what you wish for!

Juniper is a fairy princess living in a fairy godparent world. But like most fairy tales-she wants to be where the people are…

Determined to prove she can handle humans like the rest of the fairy godparent population, she sneaks out of her protected magical home to sprinkle fairy dust and give a downtrodden man some luck. But she’s a misguided fairy and everything quickly goes awry.

When her interference leads to a murder, she has no choice but to find his killer and bring them to justice. But solving a crime after losing her magic wand and with very little fairy dust proves challenging.

Is Juniper ready to take on the human world and all the complications that come with catching a murderer?

P.S. Did I mention there’s a talking squirrel?

Miss W’s Review: 

All’s Fair in Love and Murder is the first book in a new cozy paranormal series. This book is so fantastic. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! Truly!

This is such a fun unique book with magic everywhere. I really enjoy Juniper the main character, she is complex and well fleshed out. But let’s talk about the show stopper, the talking squirrel!
I loved the paranormal setting with all the fairies.

The mystery is so well written with quite a few twists and turns. This book leaves me wanting more and more! I love fairies and I loved they were the focus in this book.

I cannot wait for the next book in this incredible series.

Who wants an exclusive excerpt???

Chapter One
“Fairy, fairy, quite contrary, how does your boredom grow?” I stared at my reflection in the courtyard fountain’s translucent water while plucking plum-colored petals from an orchid’s long stem. I dropped them into the fountain and watched as they floated out of reach to the other side. If I sprinkled some fairy dust in the water, I’d be able to observe into the human world, but I’d grown weary of having only a bird’s eye view.“You are outrageously melodramatic, Juniper.” My best friend and fellow fairy, Iris, sat on the edge of the fountain and crossed her ankles. The ends of her wings dipped into the water. She lifted her face toward the sun, exposing her pale, slender neck. A palace guard stumbled over his feet as he passed by. He caught himself before spilling to the ground and his cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. I understood his clumsiness around her. Iris was the second most beautiful fairy in our land. My mom, Queen Poppy, being the first.I waited for the guard to disappear down the corridor before lowering my voice to a near whisper. “Are we on for tonight?”Iris grumbled a few unintelligible words under her breath and the tips of her wings flickered to highlight her agitation. She reached into her dress pocket and retrieved the parchment. She placed it on the edge of the fountain. “You are the biggest cliché. The sheltered princess has everything she could possibly desire but wants to slum it with the humans instead.”I tossed the orchid stem at her and picked up the missive, glancing around again to make sure we weren’t being watched. “Be judge-y later. What’s the fairy errand?” I unfolded the paper and read the name and address. John Bleaker, 325 Palmer Road, Lilac Cove.“The human male needs a sprinkle of fairy luck to help with an interview tomorrow. This is the closest FE I could snag. He’s a boring man who lives only a few miles away in a boring little town on Florida’s gulf coast. Lives by himself and is in bed most nights by nine p.m. It’s a simple in-and-out job.” She grasped my wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze. “If we get caught, your parents will feed me to the trolls. Or worse, they won’t let me live in the palace anymore.”“Now who’s being dramatic? We won’t get caught,” I assured her, but she only fluttered her eyelashes in an exaggerated eye roll and fluffed the blonde curls that circled her head like a golden halo. I’d been planning my one-night excursion into the human world for more than a year, ever since my twenty-fifth birthday, when I should have been allowed to join my fellow fairies as a fairy godparent. I’d trained alongside all the other fairies and, at the last minute, my parents had pulled the palace rug out from under me. Being a godmother was my birthright, after all.I took in the lush, green courtyard and the pristine gray bricks of the palace walls. Being the only heir to the North American fairy throne happened to be my birthright, too. According to my parents, that took precedence. Not to mention that a couple of fairies had left our world to live in the human world over the past couple of years and that made the entire kingdom nervous. There were only so many of us left.For twenty-six years I’d been trapped inside the protective magical dome of our home in the swamps of Juniper Springs, Florida. That’s right,I’m named after our fairy land. Every other fairy took on the responsibility of godparent on their twenty-fifth year. They then ventured out to wave their wands and sprinkle enchanted dust to help the humans. We called them fairy errands or FEs. With so much evil in the world, humans needed every sprinkle we could give them. That’s what I needed to be doing, too. Instead, I had to spend my days preparing to ascend to the throne.Don’t get me wrong. Living with the humans on a permanent basis didn’t hold any appeal so my parents fears were unfounded. And fairies who chose that path didn’t get the option to come back. Just ask my Aunt Mossandra, who I’ve never actually met and have only seen in a portrait hanging on the palace wall.But day after day of palace duties like arranging nobility banquets and settling fairy disputes and this gal needed a little break in the routine. An adventure. My only two connections to the world where everyone else traveled was the courtyard fountain and the human-written books Iris smuggled back from her assignments.The king’s distinct voice boomed from somewhere inside the main halls.“Uh oh. King Hypnum sounds mad. Again. I’m out.” Iris stood and shook the water off of her wings. She stretched out her arms and allowed a pout to pull down the edges of her glossy pink lips. “I’m losing my shimmer and am in desperate need of a glitter bath.” She pulled me to my feet and placed light kisses on both of my cheeks. “There’s still plenty of time to change your mind about tonight.”I tilted my head to the side and held her violet gaze. “You know I won’t.”Her shoulders sagged. “That’s what worries me most—your inability to let go of something once you’ve set your mind to it.” She fluttered her wings and lifted a few inches from the ground. She glided to the nearest exit but picked up her pace once my father came around the corner, his always present entourage close behind.“When I find out who’s been skimming, they’ll spend their eternity with a wad of thorns stuck up their…” He caught sight of me and stopped short.I waved the tips of my fingers at him. “Don’t stop on my account, Daddy. Where will the thorns be going?”He pursed his lips and met me at the fountain. “Hello, dearest. I didn’t see you there.” He gave the top of my head a quick peck. Between my parents, I mostly resembled my dad, with his dark brown hair and gray eyes with a sharp, pointy nose settled in between. I warmed under his affection, almost feeling guilty for my devious plans later on that evening. Almost. “Who’s skimming what?” I asked.Irritation returned to his expression. “The enchantment dust harvesters are reporting stolen crop.”“We’ll find the culprits, your majesty,” Amaranth, the captain of the royal guard and my on-again, off-again boyfriend, assured the king. Amaranth and I avoided eye contact with each other as at this moment we happened to be in the off-again territory. He’d caught me outside the palace walls with a copy of the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Long story short, we’d argued about what he’d called my “infatuation with the human world.” The nerve. Just because something interested me didn’t mean I’d become infatuated with it.Dad must have noticed the tension between us because he cleared his throat a few times before gesturing toward the main hall. “Your mother awaits me in the throne room, so we’ll be on our way. You have your itinerary for the remainder of the day, I assume. Will you be dining with us this evening?”I turned on my sweetest, daughterly smile but my pulse quickened. “Iris and I have plans tonight. Tomorrow?”“I look forward to it.” He led his private guards and the other palace lackeys out of the courtyard.I blew out a hard breath and waited for my heart to return to its normal pace. My wings twitched, and I flicked them to work out the tension. At least I’d been able to avoid my mom all day. She could take one look at me and know when I was up to something—like a sixth sense.I glanced at the sun and estimated that I had four hours before I set my plan into motion. Just enough time to immerse myself in my newest book. The itinerary my father spoke of, which included picking flower arrangements for the main hall’s dining tables, could wait.I snapped my fingers, making my wand appear in the palm of my other hand, and then withdrew the miniaturized version of Pride & Prejudice from my pocket. I tapped it three times and said, “Big.” The book grew to normal size and I clutched it against my chest.If the person I planned to visit tonight was half as interesting as Elizabeth Bennet or Fitzwilliam Darcy, I was in for quite the treat.

 

About the Author: 

K.M. Waller aka Kizzie Waller lives in Florida with her husband, two kids, and popcorn-loving hermit crab. When she’s not reading, writing, or chasing her kids around the house, she’s binging television dramas and mysteries.

To find out more about this fantastic author, visit her website by clicking HERE. I hear you can score some free reads if you sign up for her newsletter!

Ready to get All’s Fairy in Love in Murder?

Pre Order your copy HERE!

Let me know what you think!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

About the book:

This is no boring librarian shushing people from behind a desk. This librarian corrals rogue magic. But more importantly, she has a frog and a cat, and she’s not afraid to use them!

I knew when I woke up with a migraine that things were going to get interesting. As a magical artifact wrangler, it’s not an unusual way to start my day. But I had no idea how bad it was going to get.

Until I found a frog sitting in my teacup.

Even that, I could explain to myself if I had to. After all, I have a creative mind. But when the frog started talking to me, yeah, I was pretty sure I’d taken the wrong kind of pill that morning for my headache.

If only I’d realized then what I know now. The talking frog was just the beginning of my problems. And quite a beginning it was!

 

A Charming Misfortune by Tonya Kappes is Book 12 in the Magical Cures Mystery Series.

About the Book:

Welcome to Whispering Falls, where magic and mystery meet.

Bubble… Bubble…

June Heal is enjoying her time at UnHidden Hall as Professor of Magical Cures. Teaching up and coming spiritualist is her touch of magic.

Cures and trouble…

When there is a mysterious and threatening article in the “UnHidden Hall: The Truth Behind The Magic” gossip column in the school’s newspaper, June realizes it’s more than just gossip, especially when Mr. Prince Charming, her fairy-god cat won’t leave her side.

Magic stirs…

The Karima sisters are haunted by a ghost that demands they hold a seance. There’s only one catch, the ghost demands June Heal perform the ceremony.

And troubles double…

The seance doesn’t go so well and June discovers a secret that’ll not only cause problems in Whispering Falls but will uncover a secret her own Aunt Helena has tried to cover up for years, only the ghost gossip column contributor won’t stop at nothing,. including more dead bodies, to bring the secret into the light.

What will June Heal do? Save Whispering Falls? Save Unhidden Hall? Or save Aunt Helena? Does she have to choose or can she save all three before the semester is over?

Miss W’s Review:

I was so happy to be back in Whispering Falls for Book 12 of the Magical Cure Mystery Series. 

I LOVED seeing June Heal as a Professor at UnHidden Hall. It wasn’t too long ago she was a student their herself.

Trouble is brewing for June and Whispering Falls that involves a mystery, a seance, and a possible rare bird sighting which leads to the murder of a Zoo Owner. 

I have read every one of the books in the Magical Cure Mystery Series and this one is REALLY special. I really enjoy all the well developed characters that I have come to know and love. This book felt like going home again. 

The author expertly weaves a well thought out mystery while keeping the characters fresh and surprising. The ending is completely magical. 

This is a stand alone book and can be read without reading the other books in the series first, but they are all so GREAT, I highly recommend them.

Did you know you can get the first book in the series for FREE!!!!

Grab A Charming Crime for Free on Amazon right HERE!

A Charming Misfortune release on 7/23/19 and you can preorder it now!

Click HERE to preorder A Charming Misfortune !!!!!!!

Have you read this series yet? I LOVE it! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

Have y’all read The Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series yet? I am pretty sure people from New England don’t say y’all but I cannot help myself. I am excited to bring you my review of Book 7 in this series, Hitches, Hideouts & Homicides by Tonya Kappes.

But first, we need to gossip a little! That’s what they do in Kentucky (where the series takes place) and let me tell you I have lots to share!

First, I went to Book Lovers Con in New Orleans last week (BLOG post coming soon)  and guess who I met? Yep. My girl Tonya Kappes! It was so much fun , I was fangirling a little bit. I mean its not like I signed up for ALL of her events, oh yeah I did.

Are y’all ready for the really good gossip?????? Hold on to your britches, as Tonya would say! A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series has been ….wait for it…

OPTIONED FOR FILM!!!!!!! 

To Celebrate , Book 1 is on sale for a limited time for $1.99 ! What a Steal!!!!

So let’s move on to Book 7, Hitches, Hideouts & Homicide. I so loved this book!

About the Book:

Everyone in Normal is excited for the Hoe Down to celebrate the opening of the new Old Train Station motel grand opening. 

The evening comes to an abrupt end when a lightning storm knocks out all the power. At least, that’s what appears to have knocked out the electricity. But things aren’t always as they appear.

Mae West has a way of sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong and finds herself in a dangerous situation when she finds a treasure map that leads to more than just treasure. . . a dead body!

Miss W’s Review: 

5 FANTASTIC Stars! I  am so happy to be back in Normal , Kentucky and visiting Happy Trails Campground. Honestly, reading this series makes this New Englander want to travel to Kentucky! The last owner of the Old Train station is found murdered and let me tell you the suspects are piling up!!!! Some are even linked to a 40 year old bank robbery, but I won’t give away too much except did the robbery really happen? Mae West (yes that’s her real name) is back and so is the Laundry Club. These characters are so full of life and entertaining and smart! The story had me flipping pages with those wonderful twists that the author has such a talent at intertwining into the mystery. This is an action packed edge of your seat mystery. I enjoyed every minute of it , and I thought I knew who the culprit was , and I was TOTALLY wrong. Highly recommend this book and the entire series.

You can preorder Hideouts, Hitches & Homicides NOW on Amazon!

Tell me how excited you are for this new release ! I am so excited!!!!!

Don’t forget to go follow Tonya!

Check out her website where you can sign up for coffee chat with Tonya.

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

 

About the author:

Summer Prescott is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author, who has penned nearly one hundred Cozy Mysteries, and one rather successful Thriller, The Quiet Type, which debuted in the top 50 of its genre. As owner of Summer Prescott Books Publishing, Summer is responsible for a combined catalog of over two hundred Cozy Mysteries and Thrillers. Mentoring and helping new Cozy writers launch their careers has long been a passion of Summer’s, and she has played a key role in the incredible success of Cozy writers such as Patti Benning and Carolyn Q. Hunter.

Summer enjoys travel, and was a featured speaker at the International Writer’s Conference in Cuenca, Ecuador, in May 2018. The event draws writers from all over the world.

In an exciting development, Summer has recently been asked to write monthly for her favorite magazine, Atomic Ranch. Having been an Interior Decorator before giving up her business to write full-time, Summer is thrilled by the opportunity and looking forward to having her writing published in the only magazine to which she actually subscribes.

Summer is a doting mother to four grown children, and lives in Champaign, Illinois with her Standard Poodle, Elvis.

Let me start off by saying that anyone that follows my blog KNOWS my two favorite genres of books are cozy mysteries and psychological thrillers. I first discovered Summer Prescott’s writing when I came across her “INNCredibly Sweet” Mystery Series. It is a great culinary cozy mystery series.

When I found out that Summer was writing a psychological thriller featuring a female serial killer, I had to get my grabby hands on it. It takes a very talented author to be able to cross genres the way in which Summer Prescott does.

The Killing Girl Summary:

Til death do us part… 
Obsession can be a dangerous thing. 
Susannah dabbles in darkness, finding sadistic solace in the death of those who deserve it. But now she wants something more. Or, more to the point…someone. 
She’s on a manhunt. She will possess him, one way or another, whether in life, or death. She hasn’t made up her mind yet. 
He’s the only one who ever accepted her. Who even maybe loved her, in his own strange way. And then, he left her, which could turn out to be a deadly mistake. 
Her husband Tim, a mild-mannered mortician, has packed his bags and fled, a fugitive from his homicidal wife. She wants him, and what Susannah wants, she gets. 
Will Tim continue to elude his murderous mate? If he doesn’t, will he survive her peculiar form of love? 
This journey through the mind of a stone-cold killer will leave you on the edge of your seat. Close the doors, lock the windows, and get ready for a bloodcurdling ride. 

The Killing Girl is on sale March 15, 2019 and published by S. Prescott Thrillers. Want to learn more about Summer Prescott and all her books? Check out her website Here ! Have you read any of Summer Prescott books, cozy or thriller? I would love to know!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda 

You all know how I love my cozy mysteries, and more than that I love cozy paranormal mysteries, especially with some fun witches. Five  of my FAVORITE cozy mystery authors have come together and created a great series with such an interesting concept.

Would you travel to the past to right a wrong?

Solve a cold case?

Perhaps, catch a killer?

Meet the five witches that will! 

Book 1 Better Witch Next Time by Stephanie Damore Releases 2/15/19

Book 2 Devil of a Time by Mona Marple Releases 2/22/19

Book 3 Time After Time by Jenna St. James Releases on 3/1/19

Book 4 Witch After Time by Ava Mallory Releases on 03/8/19

Book 5 Right Witch Wrong Time by K.M. Waller Releases on 03/15/19

You can pre-order these titles right now!

Each book is a stand alone story with a different witch traveling back in time to solve a mystery! These fantastic books can be read as stand alone but are so much more fun to read them all!

 

 

 

I am so excited to share with you a new cozy paranormal series featuring a shared world of witches, coming to you in two days! I think the concept behind this is brilliant! There are four books in the series by four different award winning authors and each book features a different witch that has powers based on their element.

In the first book, “Bat Out of Hell” by Amanda M. Lee we meet Skye who is an air witch.

In the second book, “Spell of Disaster” by Leighann Dobbs we meet Lola who is an earth witch.

In the third book, “Hotter than Spell” by Annabel Chase we meet Kenna who is a fire witch.

In the third book, “Spell or High Water” by Gina Lamanna we meet Evian, who is a water witch.

These books are released a week apart which is even more exciting! You can preorder the series right now on Amazon.

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Book 2 “Spell of Disaster” Please check out my review on Good Reads .

I would love to know what you think of this series. I am so excited for Tuesday 07/10/2018 when the first book will be released!

Until the next chapter,

Wilfrieda

 

One of my favorite genres of books are cozy mysteries. I am often surprised that even the most avid readers don’t know what a cozy mystery is. Cozy mysteries , also called “cozies”, are a subgenre of crime fiction where sex and violence are treated humorously. The characters in these books are almost always amateurs and almost always women. The murders take place off screen and the violence is never described in the book. Sexual activity, even between married characters is only slightly implied and sometimes it is often avoided completely. What drew me to cozy mysteries is that cat lovers are prominent in cozy mysteries, and quite often a cat is an important part of the story.

There are so many wonderful cozy mystery authors, but I do have a favorite. Her name is Leighann Dobbs.

The first  book I read of hers is “Ghostly Paws” which is Book 1 in the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series. There are currently six books in this series.  This is a synopsis of Ghostly Paws as seen on Amazon.

Middle age can be murder …

At least that’s how it seems to former crime journalist, Wilhelmina Chance, whose near-fatal accident has given her a strange side effect … she sees ghosts.

After a messy divorce sends her fleeing back to her hometown of Mystic Notch, nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Willa finds herself haunted by the tenacious ghost of the town librarian who insists Willa solve her murder.

Luckily, she has lots of help, including a quirky cast of small-town characters, the cat she’s inherited from her grandmother, and her best friend, Pepper, who claims her herbal teas can work magic.

But just when Willa thinks she’s discovered who the killer is, she finds out that things are not what they seem in Mystic Notch, and the case takes a strange turn that has Willa adding even some of her long-time friends to her suspect list.

Can Willa find the real killer in time to keep the magical balance in Mystic Notch on the side of good, or will evil prevail?

 

The Mystic Notch series is free with Kindle Unlimited on Amazon. Find this book on Amazon.

To learn more about all of Leighann Dobb’s series and projects, visit her website where you can sign up for her newsletter and learn more about this USA Today Bestselling Author.

There are so many other wonderful cozy mystery writers I enjoy and I will be talking about them more in the future.

Until the next chapter…

Wilfrieda