If you like cats and cozy mysteries, you’ll enjoy this book, the 17th entry in prolific cat author, Patricia Fry’s Calico Cat Mystery series. Fry is also the award-winning author of the Klepto Cat mystery series. I’ve read books from both, and they are purr-fect reads. This one takes place during the holidays and a mystery involving cats and a gardening center. There are also children involved, and a sad situation that main character Parker and her wise cat, Olivia, help to fix. Olivia, the star of this series, is based on Fry’s own calico, Olivia. The covers are as pawsome as the stories. Don’t miss this for some cat style holiday magic: https://www.amazon.com/Olivias-Christmas-Miracle-Calico-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CN4DPKCY/
I loved this book. It was a sweet holiday romance with a twist. When a high-stressed, work-driven couple, Nora and Jack, look for their missing dog, Elliott, they stumble upon a strange old man in New York City who gives them a snow globe. Nora makes a wish that her life could be different. The chapters then alternate between a woman (Noel) and a man (Jonah). Noel is an editor who has been approached by a man (Pad) who is writing a romance. Jonah is a workaholic in New York who has been avoiding visiting his father in a small Wyoming town where he grew up because he hasn’t gotten over the tragic death of his mother on Christmas Eve. As it turns out, Jonah’s father hates Christmas for the same reason and, as mayor of the town, has forbidden any holiday celebrations. Noel’s father, on the other hand, wants to bring Christmas back to Winter Falls. The two men engage in a PR battle. A series of events throw Noel and Jonah together including the author’s dog, Elliott, who he asks Noel to keep while he works on his book. Without giving away the twists in the story, which I believe are obvious, the ending is happy for Noel, Jonah, Elliott, and Winter Village.
I want to take this chance to wish all the subscribers and readers of Ruff Drafts, a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I also want to invite you to my author newsletter, Debbie’s Drafts, if you aren’t already a subscriber. The next issue, coming out in early December, will feature holiday gift suggestions, new releases spanning a variety of genres, recipes, a preview of my next Buttercup Bend cozy mystery, a holiday contest, and more. The newsletter is sent by email once a month with occasional special mailings for sales and other announcements. I hope you consider subscribing at https://debbiedelouise.com.
Andrew and his older brother Nicholas were separated as children.
Nicholas had been snatched away by the Prince of Darkness, and Andrew had all but given up hope, but now their mother is ill, and he’s determined to reunite them before she passes – despite her objections.
With his dog Jenny by his side, Andrew sets out on an epic and perilous crusade well beyond his wildest imagination, facing evil protectors, giant wolves, dark magic, Sorcerers, Goblins, and even the Prince of Darkness himself.
Then there’s The Great Tree.
It’s enormous, with a presence that’s nearly impossible to describe…
And it’s clearly the heart of the kingdom of the wicked Sorcerer.
This is the setting for the adventure story that changed Christmas forever!
Young people and adults of all ages will enjoy this thrilling fable in the same way we’ve enjoyed other great Christmas stories of the past.
Jenny the dog is based on a very real Jenny, the author’s vision of a true warrior – who has her own inspiring story that he’s happy to share with anyone who asks.
EXCERPT
The room at the inn had a window that faced the Great Tree with the castle by its side. As Andrew gazed through the window at the castle, his mind wandered back to his mother, who was at home sick with the deadly fever. Although she wanted to see her lost son one more time before she passed, she insisted that Andrew not look for him, for it was much too dangerous. She made Andrew promise that he would not venture off and search for his brother. Andrew agreed not to.
Andrew was now looking for his brother, Nicholas, in defiance of his mother’s wishes. He had made up his mind that he could not live with himself if he did not try. He understood his mother’s concern, but he felt he had to do what he thought was right. He lied to his mother out of love for her and because he did not want her worrying about him on his quest. Right or wrong, it was the way he felt about it. Nicholas had been abducted by an evil Sorcerer, an evil wizard of sorts, when they were both very young. Nicholas was his older brother. Andrew had been searching for Nicholas for weeks; he was now at a small mountain village where he had hoped to find Nicholas and bring him back to his mother before she died.
With Jenny at his side, Andrew, weary from his lengthy travels, fell soundly asleep while gazing at the castle in the distance.
All proceeds from the sale of The Great Treego to The Last Road Dog Animal Sanctuary to rescue unadoptable dogs, cats, and horses, an approved 501 (c)(3) Animal Public Welfare Charity that greatly appreciates the ongoing support of readers like you!Author Bio:
Able Barrett is a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime Strike Force Prosecutor who shamelessly admits he loves animals more than most people, and he’s the manager of The Last Road Dog Animal Sanctuary.
For a chance to win these great giveaways, comment on this blog how an animal has been important in your life. The deadline for the contest is Thursday, December 1.
A signed copy of the book
Donation of $50 to The Last Road dog Animal Sanctuary in the winner’s name or a friend or family they wish give it in as a gift
A Stone’s Throw, the first book of my Cobble Cove cozy mystery series, is on sale for Mother’s Day weekend, Friday, May 6 through my birthday on Monday, May 9.
Check out the reviews:
*****5-stars “A Stone’s Throw is an engaging mystery and I was hooked from page one. At first, the ease and flow of the writing and the well-rounded characters kept my interest. Soon, the suspense took over and drew me in completely.”
*****5-stars “There are twists and turns which will throw you off–the ending will astonish you!”
*****5-stars “Just loved this story and characters.”
*****5-stars “Superb read that I highly recommend. Looking forward to continuing the books.”
*****5-stars “I read this book in a little over 2 days because I had to get answers. I simply couldn’t put it down. I just know you will love this book as much as I did.”
Keep an eye out for updates on my two upcoming new releases, Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery and Other Cobble Cove Stories, and The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, the first book of my Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series.
I had high hopes for 2021, and things started to look better until recently when new variants of COVID appeared and are now rampant again worldwide. I don’t want to get into politics or discussions about vaccines or masks. I just want to send my wishes and prayers for a better 2022. The pandemic is only one of the issues that’s troubling the world right now. There are terrible weather-related disasters – tornados, earthquakes, forest fires and more. There are shootings and bombings, and other forms of violence. Yet there is still beauty everywhere. The sun rises and sunsets; the oceans, babies’ smiles; kittens and puppies; a really enjoyable book, TV show, or movie; chocolate. If we can focus on the positives, it will help us cope with all the negatives. Please comment on some of your favorite things that you look forward to in 2022.
Have you made any plans for next year? Travel is still questionable as are large gatherings, but maybe you have some personal goals, a project you’d like to complete, an exercise routine you’d like to start, a diet (don’t we all want to start one of those after the holidays?), or some other new hobby or endeavor. For me, I hope to write and publish more books and also work on improving my craft and growing as an author. I haven’t given up my quest to find an agent to represent my work, but I realize that takes time. I’ve decided, with the help of newsletter subscribers, to submit to one of my publishers the book that I was querying to agents for a long time. This will be the start of a new cozy mystery series featuring the owner of a pet cemetery and shelter who becomes an amateur sleuth when the “cat crazy” lady in her small town is murdered. But I’ve also just finished writing a standalone book that I want to edit and query to agents. I have several other projects that I hope to complete, if not in 2022, then another year. My focus, though, will be on my writing which means I’ll spend less time on social media.
I want to thank you all for reading this blog. I’m trying to post more book reviews of both Indie and popular titles. I’ll also continue to post my updates, sales, and other author news, but less often as I need to focus on my writing.
A reminder that the holiday sale for my four cozy mysteries is running through January 4. For more information and details on how to purchase these books, please read this blog post: https://wp.me/p6m4z7-3pA
If you’d like to be included in my newsletter and aren’t yet a subscriber, you can sign up at https://debbiedelouise.com or contact me to ask to join my list. The newsletter comes out monthly and more often for special sales and announcements. I choose a winner from my active subscribers each month for a giveaway, post photos of subscriber’s pets, and feature character spotlights from my books.
Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2022. Think positive, keep your goals in mind, be thankful for your friends, loved ones, and pets . . . and smile.
This holiday poetry anthology is part of the Red Penguin collection of books edited by J.K. Larkin. It contains 36 poems by various authors that reflect the wonder, joy, and nostalgia of the holiday season. Some poems are funny; others are sad, but they all deal with holiday feelings and experiences.
Some of my favorite poems include David Lange’s “Needle in the Corner,” a poem with a sad twist; J.S. Manino’s “Thrill Before Christmas” which is a clever takeoff of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” song; Lisa Diaz Meyer’s “Merry Christmas Eve (Grandpa’s Walk); Linda Trott Dickman’s “Still Proceeding”; the funny “A Kiss Under the Mistletoe” by Gary S. Watkins; and two poems that deal with the pandemic: “A Pandemic Christmas” by Meldoy Lipford and “Bright Nights” by Kathryn Sadakierski. My short poem “Advent” is also featured.
I can heartily recommend this collection to get you into the holiday spirit. It’s available as a paperback or eBook and also free for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers. Pick up a copy at https://amzn.to/30QiuvO.
It happens every 7 years. My birthday falls on Mother’s Day. 2021 is one of those years. To celebrate my joint Mother’s Day birthday, I’m offering two of my books free and one at the special sale price of 99 cent. All 3 books will be on sale from May 7 to May 10.
Widowed librarian Alicia Fairmont needs answers…
After her husband is killed in a hit and run accident, Alicia travels upstate to his hometown of Cobble Cove, New York. She hopes to locate his estranged family and shed light on his mysterious past. Anticipating staying only a weekend, her visit is extended when she accepts a job at the town’s library.
Secrets stretch decades into the past…
Assisted by handsome newspaper publisher and aspiring novelist, John McKinney, Alicia discovers a connection between her absent in-laws and a secret John’s father has kept for over sixty years. Her investigation is interrupted when she receives word her house has burned and arson is suspected, sending her rushing back to Long Island, accompanied by John.
Back in Cobble Cove, cryptic clues are uncovered…
When Alicia returns, she finds a strange diary, confiscated letters, and a digital audio device containing a recording made the day her husband was killed. Anonymous notes warn Alicia to leave town, but she can’t turn her back on the mystery—or her attraction to John. As the pieces fall into place, evidence points to John’s involvement in her husband’s accident. The past and present threaten to collide, and Alicia confronts her fears…
Librarian Alicia McKinney has put the past behind her…
Two years ago, Alicia discovered both a terrible truth and lasting love with John McKinney in the small town of Cobble Cove, New York. Now a busy mother of twin babies and co-author of a mystery series, Alicia couldn’t be happier.
Alicia’s contentment and safety are challenged…
Walking home alone from the library, Alicia senses someone following her, and on more than one occasion, she believes she is being watched. Does she have a stalker? When the local gift shop is burglarized, the troubling event causes unrest among Alicia and the residents of the quiet town.
John and Alicia receive an offer they can’t refuse…
When John’s sister offers to babysit while she and John take a much-needed vacation in New York City, Alicia is reluctant to leave her children because of the disturbances in Cobble Cove. John assures her the town is safe in the hands of Sheriff-elect Ramsay. Although Alicia’s experience with and dislike of the former Long Island detective don’t alleviate her concern, she and John take their trip.
Alicia faces her worst nightmare…
The McKinneys’ vacation is cut short when they learn their babies have been kidnapped and John’s sister shot. Alicia and John’s situation puts them between a rock and a hard place when the main suspect is found dead before the ransom is paid. In order to save their children, the McKinneys race against the clock to solve a mystery more puzzling than those found in their own books. Can they do it before time runs out?
Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.
Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.
As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy. Get this book on sale here: mybook.to/RTD
Thanks to those who followed the blog tour for TIME’S RELATIVE, my new time-travel thriller. The cover has been chosen by AllAuthor to run in the May Cover of the Month Contest. Voting to include it in the second round ends on May 7. If you like this cover and think it could be a winner, please vote here: https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/11629/
Do you enjoy reading romances in February? I have two love stories on sale this weekend to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day. My contemporary romance, Saving Snow White, and my historical romance, the Seashell and the Stone, are both free all weekend. The Seashell and the Stone is free through Monday, February 15. Saving Snow White is free through Tuesday, February 16.
Preparing for her wedding day at Seashells Inn, the Victorian Cape May Inn that has been in her family for generations, Ginny Dixon reads her great-great grandmother’s diary and discovers a secret going back to the 1880’s that may impact her future.
Amy Palmer, home from veterinary school on summer break, is reunited with her best friend, Tom Tremont, when the two of them end up working as assistants at the local veterinary clinic. Amy who once hoped for more than friendship with Tom, discovers that he now has a girlfriend. However, on the day of the summer Solstice, a special cat brings them together in a new way.
Besides my free books, I’d like to recommend some of my favorite romance reads that should be available at your local library.
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (historical romance)
Time and Again by Jack Finney (time-travel romance)
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (contemporary romance)
The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (Paranormal romance)
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (time-travel romance)
While I haven’t read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books, I’m currently watching the series on Netflix and enjoying it very much. I also haven’t had the pleasure of reading Debbie Macomber’s sweet romances, but I know that they are popular, as well as Danielle Steel’s romances.
*****5 stars
Ruff Drafts 