Behind Chocolate Bars {+ Giveaway}

◊ BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS by Kathy Aarons

◊ Series: A Chocolate Covered Mystery, Book 3

◊ Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

◊ Genre: Mystery, Suspense

◊ Publisher: Berkley (October 4, 2016)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 0425267253

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0425267257

SYNOPSIS:

          The national bestselling author of Truffled to Death returns with a mystery full of tricks and treats...
 
DOUBLE, DOUBLE-BOIL, AND TROUBLE…
 

Best friends and business partners Michelle and Erica have a monstrous to-do list as they prepare for the annual West Riverdale Halloween Festival. Their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, will have a booth at the event, where Michelle will serve spooky delights while Erica displays an assortment of spine-chilling books. Thank goodness the teenagers from Erica’s comic-book club are chipping in to help. But one of their volunteers winds up in trouble after a woman’s body is found in an abandoned house—with the teen’s superhero key ring close by.
          The teen swears he didn’t do it, but he’s obviously hiding something—leaving Michelle and Erica with a witch’s cauldron of questions. Soon they discover that the dead woman was tricking a whole bunch of people out of more than just treats. Now these two friends must go door-to-door if they hope to unmask a killer…

Includes Scrumptious Chocolate-Making Recipes!

Who won’t love a combination chocolate shop and bookstore with a cozy murder mystery thrown in?

Author Kathy Aarons draws readers into her latest cozy murder mystery with the perfect setting. The welcoming atmosphere of the Chocolates and Chapters store and the small town as a backdrop are a perfect pairing. The Halloween festivities enhances the story with a realistic feel befitting this time of the year.

Aarons has created characters that are likable, well-developed, and down-to-earth. The bond of family and friends adds depth to the story. The characters tackle issues and problems readers understand and can relate to.

The story moves at a good pace and holds your attention until the last page. There’s a good blend of mystery, suspense, romance, and bits of humor for a well-balanced story. An added bonus is mouthwatering chocolate-making recipes at the end.

BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS will satisfy your mystery craving and tempt your sweet tooth.

Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons, A Chocolate Covered Mystery (Book #3), Berkley, @2016, ISBN: 978-0425267257, Mass Market Paperback, 304 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Penguin Random House, I have a print copy of BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS by Kathy Aarons to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Are you a fan of chocolate? If so, what’s your favorite chocolate treat? Don’t the treats on the cover of this book look too good to eat?

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Christmas Desserts: Sweets of the Season

I’m delighted to be participating in author Laura Powell’s Cedar Fort Publishing virtual book tour for her release, CHRISTMAS DESSERTS: Sweets of the Season.

Here are my thoughts on this delightful book.

Desserts are always a favorite during the holidays and author Laura Powell has some yummy treats to try in her cookbook, CHRISTMAS DESSERTS: Sweets of the Season.

This charming cookbook is small enough to be a great stocking stuffer, but big on taste and easy to prepare. The recipes are easy to follow with step-by-step instructions. There are numerous beautiful color photographs throughout the book showing the finished desserts that add to the process.

From Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cupcakes to Eggnog Cookies to Gingerbread Cheesecake Squares and many more, CHRISTMAS DESSERTS offers delicious recipes for the holidays and throughout the year.

Christmas Desserts: Sweets of the Season by Laura Powell, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, @2014, ISBN: 978-1462114733, Paperback, 32 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher as part of the author’s virtual book tour. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Powell grew up in the Salt Lake Valley. She gained a passion for cooking from her mother and created her own recipe book as a young girl along with participating in a summer cooking program through the Deseret News. 

She began her blog, realmomkitchen.com, in April of 2008 as a way to showcase her passion for cooking. Since then realmomkitchen.com has turned into her own small business. Laura continues to reside in Utah with her husband and 3 children.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday. Do you have a favorite holiday dessert?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Brewing Up Murder {+ Giveaway}

The love of coffee lead me to a marvelous cozy murder mystery series which lead me to an amazing author who lead me to blogging. So I’m delighted today to welcome award-winning author Cleo Coyle here to talk about BILLIONAIRE BLEND, the 13th installment in her Coffeehouse Mystery series that was recently released in paperback.

Cleo will be joining us to talk about ‘Brewing Up Murder.’ In addition, thanks to Cleo and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a copy of BILLIONAIRE BLEND to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Cleo as she brews up murder. Welcome, Cleo.

“Pluck” is a word I usually associate with chickens. On the other hand, Booklist was kind enough to describe my amateur sleuth as having pluck, a valid observation because Clare Cosi may be many things, but she is no chicken.

A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is like many of the women I grew up admiring in my big Italian-American family. Smart and determined with a sturdy backbone, Clare also has a generous spirit and enough ingenuity to cook mouth-watering feasts (and raise a daughter) on a shoestring budget.

By day, Clare manages a charming landmark coffeehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. By night, she is a relentless snoop, who displays quite a bit of pluck in BILLIONAIRE BLEND, the latest entry in my Coffeehouse Mystery series.

When a car bomb goes off outside Clare’s charming shop, she comes to the aid of an anonymous customer, an intense young man who turns out to be billionaire tech whiz Eric Thorner. Eric is so grateful to Clare for saving his life that he hires her to create the most expensive coffee blend on the planet. But as Clare is pulled deeper into Eric's world of cutting-edge luxuries and cutthroat rivalries, she begins to wonder: Is this brilliant CEO marked for termination? Or is he the one making a killing? 

To solve this case, Clare will have to bribe an NYPD bomb squad lieutenant; conjure up a menu for a “billionaire's potluck”; fix her daughter's love life; stop a Slayer while working with one; and stay alive while doing it. 

By the end of BILLIONAIRE BLEND, you'll have taken a trip with Clare to an exclusive millionaire’s club, flown with her to a bohemian Paris neighborhood, visited some of the most intriguing coffee growing regions of the world—and uncovered the dark motives behind several murders.
 
Because this is a “culinary” mystery, you will also have over 20 fantastic recipes to try in your own kitchen, including a list of Clare’s secret off-the-menu coffeehouse drinks, as well as tasty foods enjoyed by the characters in the book, namely: 
 
Clare's Billionaire Bars
Baileys Irish Cream and Caramel Nut Fudge
Perfect Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Chocolate-Bottom Banana Bars
French Apple Cake Squares
Italian Beignets
Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes
Make your own Kahlua
Skillet Lasagna
"Coffee Hunter" Ugandan Stew
Crunchy Almond Biscotti (easy food processor method)
Quesa Fundido (Mexican Hot Cheese Dip) and more...

One last note for new readers: Although BILLIONAIRE BLEND is the 13th book in my Coffeehouse Mystery series—now celebrating ten years in print—you can read it as a stand-alone novel. If you enjoy the characters, you can read more about them in the previous books. 

To download a free title checklist of all 13 Coffeehouse Mysteries, in order, including brief story summaries, click here. 

And please feel free to friend me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle or sign up for my newsletter by writing an email that says “sign me up” and sending it to CoffeehouseMystery(at)gmail(dot)com.

May you read with joy!
~ Cleo

Cleo, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this look at brewing up murder. From the adventures Clare has been on, I’d say she is far from being chicken. Just a note to also say I was so sorry to hear of Turtle passing away. She was a beautiful cat.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Cleo, here’s a little background that may surprise you.

CLEO COYLE is really the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Their latest mystery, BILLIONAIRE BLEND, earned a starred review from Kirkus, a “Top Pick” honor from RT Book Reviews, and this month Berkley released the book in mass market paperback. 

When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Marvel, and MGM. 

They live and work in New York City, where they not only write the bestselling Coffeehouse Mysteries, but also the popular Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. To learn more, and sign up for Cleo’s newsletter, visit her website: www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

Here’s a Coffeehouse Mystery series book trailer for your viewing pleasure.
 


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of BILLIONAIRE BLEND. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Monday, Sept. 7.

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Cleo Coyle’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by during Cleo’s visit. In case you’re wondering about the opening line – Alice is the one who encouraged me to start this blog back in 2009. Do you like hanging out in coffeehouses? Clare creates all sorts of wonderful coffee blends. What’s your favorite coffee blend or do you prefer just plain coffee (with maybe cream and/or sugar)?

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Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good {+ Giveaway}

I have the pleasure today of sharing my thoughts on a book that spoke to me on many levels and was just released this week.

In addition, thanks to the author and the lovely Angela at Viking/Penguin, I have a print copy of the book to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details.

Here’s my thoughts ……….

BURNT TOAST MAKES YOU SING GOOD by Kathleen Flinn

Joy, sadness, laughter, tears, adversity, triumph, family, food and love – these are the words that come to mind (all twisted together) when I think of BURNT TOAST MAKES YOU SING GOOD: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family by Kathleen Flinn.

Family and food are a natural combination and Flinn’s fascinating memoir is a good example of that. This is a candid look at a family’s journey providing a loving environment for their children, while encouraging them to strive for their dreams. It’s an inspiring look at how the author’s family dealt with misfortunes and triumphs, always comforted by family and food.

The story begins with Flinn’s parents packing up their family in Michigan and moving to San Francisco in 1958. There they helped her Irish uncle run an Italian restaurant. When her father’s sister was dying, the family packed up again and moved back to Michigan. There they lived on a farm growing vegetables and fruits. Later they would move again, this time to Florida.

Each leg of the journey is filled with love and the family’s coming together to enjoy good food even if it was just a pot of bean soup. As the author tells of her family’s adventures and misadventures, she includes numerous family recipes that were passed down through generations. In addition, there are old family photos scattered throughout the book showing the family at various stage of their lives.

This book is a combination of cookbook and inspiration. You’ll learn how to make Uncle Clarence’s Oven-Fried Chicken, but you also learn to reach for your own dreams. BURNT TOAST MAKES YOU SING GOOD is a refreshing look at a Midwest family surviving and thriving through several generations.

This is a book the whole family can enjoy. It will make you stop and consider what part food plays in your own family and family history. Flinn’s book explores and highlights how food is a constant and a comfort in our lives. She observes how food is sometimes the conduit through which we express our love and concern for others.

An entertaining book filled with wit, charm, inspiration and good recipes.

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family by Kathleen Flinn, Viking Adult, @2014, ISBN: 978-0670015443, Hardcover, 288 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathleen Flinn and her books have been featured in People, ELLE, Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR and CBS Morning News. Her first book, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry was a New York Times bestseller. Her acclaimed second book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School was named a 2012 Nonfiction Book of the Year by the American Society of Journalists & Authors. 

For more on Kathleen and her writing, visit her at www.cookfearless.com. 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of BURNT TOAST MAKES YOU SING GOOD. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Wednesday, Aug. 27. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress BURNT TOAST Giveaway’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you ever considered how much food plays a part of your family’s history? If you’ve written any of your family history down, did you include recipes with it?

*This post contains affiliate links.
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Are you eating ‘Heart Healthy?’

In recent years there has been more and more emphasis on creating a healthy lifestyle by eating better and being ‘heart healthy.’
 
In our household with two in-laws over 90 years old, I’m always on the lookout for foods and recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and especially good for our health. Limited to the amount of exercise they can do, healthy food is a top priority in maintaining their well-being.
It’s important to us to watch what foods we eat in order to maintain a heart healthy lifestyle. I watch how much sodium I use in our meals and try to find dishes that will help keep our cholesterol levels in check. So far, my in-laws have been able to come off the blood pressure medicine they were taking.

I’ve also discovered that using Campbell’s products always makes the dishes easy to prepare and quite tasty. Some of their products have healthy alternatives to other ingredients. With that in mind, I’m delighted to be participating in Campbell’s Address Your Heart campaign.

As part of the campaign, Campbell’s is offering a list of great money saving coupons and special offers for you to try. Just click on this link and check out the awesome savings and much more.

In addition, I’m happy to share five delicious dishes from Campbell’s “American Heart Association Certified Recipes” that I hope will become family favorites for your home as they have for ours. Just click on the photo for the tasty recipes.

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR RICE



GRILLED BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

 

SLOW-COOKED CHICKEN & BUTTERNUT SQUASH

 

CREAMY CHICKEN & VEGETABLES OVER SPAGHETTI SQUASH

 

CREAMY TURKEY & VEGETABLE LASAGNA

 

TURKEY MEATLOAF

 

FTC Full Disclosure - I am working with the Campbell Soup Company in making this announcement. Campbell Soup Company, through PartnersHub Family, supplied the links to the coupons and special offers made available for readers to download. I am being compensated for this post, but that has no influence on my views and opinions of the products mentioned. I would not be presenting this sponsored post by Campbell Soup Company, if I didn’t believe in their products. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you’ll check out the recipes and coupons. While this post isn’t book-related, I’m always eager to share information that I hope will benefit you in some way. Besides, maintaining a healthy lifestyle gives us more years to read wonderful books.

Is your family trying to maintain a ‘heart healthy’ lifestyle? Do you find it difficult to make changes in the way you select and prepare food for your family when trying to be ‘heart healthy’?