Friday, March 10, 2023

Lemon Curd Killer by Laura Childs – Blog Tour & Spotlight

Cozy mystery author Laura Childs is back with another mouth-watering book in the Tea Shop Cozy Mystery series!

Her newest book, Lemon Curd Killer is the 25th – yes, you read right 25th – book in the series. I’d always wanted to read Childs’ books. Surprisingly, my first book for her was the 20th book in this series!

My first post featuring Laura Childs was an exclusive interview for her 20th book in this series, which is Broken Bone China. My first read was Lavender Blue Murder (Book 21) and then Egg Shooters, book 9 in The Cackleberry Club Mystery Series.

This post will include a spotlight for Lemon Curd Killer and a giveaway. I’ll be publishing a separate post with my review.

Lemon Curd Killer book spotlight blog banner


Book Synopsis

High tea and high fashion turn deadly in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning has been tapped to host a fancy Limón Tea in a genuine lemon orchard as a rousing kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and the scent of lemon wafts among the tea tables, the deadly murder of a fashion designer puts the squeeze on things.

As the lemon curd begins to sour, the murdered woman’s daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. Tea events and fashion shows must go on, however, which puts Theodosia and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, right in the thick of squabbling business partners, crazed clothing designers, irate film producers, drug deals, and a disastrous Tea Trolley Tour.


About the book

Book: Lemon Curd Killer

(Book 25 in The Tea Shop Cozy Mystery Series)

Author: Laura Childs

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: 7 March 2023

Number of pages: 320 pages

ISBN-10: 0593200926

ISBN-13: ‎978-0593200926

Digital ASIN: B0B3HQFB3N



  

About the Author:

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop MysteriesScrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

 

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

Connect with Laura Childs via her Website and Facebook.

 

GIVEAWAY

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway that’s part of this blog tour for Lemon Curd Killer. Use the Rafflecopter link or widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley – Guest Post & Blog Tour

blog banner with the book cover of Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley and the title of her guest post


Today, I’m excited to feature author Elizabeth Pantley once more on the Nadaness In Motion book blog.

Last year, I finally got the chance to read one of her paranormal cozy mystery books. Vampires and Villains is the 2nd book in the Magical Mystery Book Club series. Last year’s post included an exclusive interview with Pantley.  

Today, I’m spotlighting her 4th and newest book in the series, Bakeries and Buffoonery along with an exclusive guest post. This post is part of a blog tour organized by Escape with Dolly Cas.

 

Book blurb

It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a book called The Great Cake Rivalry, because, well … cake! They read the back cover and it’s unanimous. So off they go into another grand adventure into a town aptly named Frosting.

Frosting is a rural town in an idyllic setting. The people live quiet lives most of the year. But in the spring, things change. The Annual Cake Competition becomes the focus of every man, woman, and child.

They take this competition seriously. The cakes are spectacular. The festival is fabulous. For a week there are contests featuring all kinds of cakes. The people of the community become official tasters and vote for the winning cakes in each category.

The grand finale is a display of finely decorated cakes, made by the town’s bakeries. The winner of the best design receives a prize package that would make any baker dizzy.

Sadly, this event has been tainted. Once a year, each one different, but all somehow related to this event, a person is murdered. The main investigator is stumped, but that could be because he’s an inept buffoon.

Can the book club help the people of this community figure out who is causing this disturbing pattern of deaths, and stop another murder from happening?

Can they figure out why some of the citizens dress so oddly, and why they always wear those unique backpacks? All while they fill themselves to the brim with cake, of course.

 



 

Guest Post by Elizabeth Pantley

How I Choose the Settings for My Books

Author of the Magical Mystery Book Club series

 

In the Magical Mystery Book Club series, the group gets to travel into mystery books and live the entire experience first-hand. They find the dead body (yeah, some of the members don’t like that part!), they figure out the suspects, and they solve the mystery.

Since the club can travel into any book from their cozy mystery library, there are thousands of choices where I can place the setting of these adventures! That’s where my fun begins. They travel to small towns, take voyages on cruise ships, and even go back in time! With all those options, how do I pick the setting? Lots of different aspects lead to the decision.


What comes first, the chicken or the egg?

There are times when a story pops into my head – but it could happen anywhere. I’ll sometimes outline the victim, the murder, and the suspects first, and then decide where in the world they will be.  There are times when the plot drives the setting, and others when the setting drives the plot.

Book cover for Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley


Choosing where to place the story.

I always want to have a small, contained environment. Big city murders don’t blend well with my cozies. But there are lots of possibilities for locations!

From small towns filled with local charm to cruise ships sailing around Hawaii, I like to place my mysteries in locales where the suspects, villains, and red-herrings can happen naturally among the small population.

Weather, Terrain, and Events Lend Themselves to Locations

Some stores lend themselves to small mid-western towns, and others lead me back in time to days long ago. Once the characters show themselves, I’m able to build a world that suits their needs.

Bakeries and Buffoonery takes place in a charming Hallmark-Channel-worthy small town where everybody knows everybody, and no secret goes untold. It’s a fun place to track down a murderer!


 GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author

Elizabeth Pantley is the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and 12 other books for parents, published in over twenty languages.

She simultaneously writes the well-loved Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the new Magical Mystery Book Club series.

Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.

Connect with Elizabeth Pantley via her Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and BookBub. You can also sign up to Pantley’s newsletter.

 


Keep up with the rest of the blog tour

20 February - #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee - Spotlight

21 February - Baroness Book Trove - Spotlight

22 February - I’m Into Books - Character Guest Post

23 February - MJB Reviewers - Spotlight

24 February - Maureen’s Musings – Spotlight

25 February - Ruff Drafts – Author Interview

26 February - Cozy Up with Kathy – Book Review & Character Guest Post

27 February - Elza Reads – Book Review & Author Guest Post

28 February - Rosepoint Publishing – Book Review

1 March - Christy’s Cozy Corners – Character Guest Post

2 March - Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – Spotlight & Nadaness In Motion – Author Guest Post (Book Review to come later)

3 March - Celticlady’s Reviews – Spotlight

4 March - Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – Book Review & Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book – Author Guest Post

5 March - Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – Spotlight


Sunday, February 5, 2023

The Best 7 Books I read in 2022


I’m super late writing and publishing this annual post. It’s February! Everyone has already announced their best books of 2022.

Last year was a busy year for me. There were months where I didn’t read a thing (books whether fiction or non-fiction). And then there were months where I consumed books like crazy! (Think the summer months :D)

I barely made it to my target of 24 books last year. That’s why I’m sticking with another 24-book target for 2023. Should I manage to read more–and it doesn’t look like I will, based on the first 2 months–I may increase my reading target to 28 or 30 books.

Reviewing the list of books I read and looking at my to-read list for 2023, I think it’s safe to say I’m addicted to cozy mysteries. No surprise, because I’d like to write a series myself…

But enough with the rant, let me share with you my best books of 2022.

 

Best fiction books of 2022

I read more fiction than non-fiction last year. Though I had planned to have a kind-of-balance. But overall, 2022 lacked everything you can call a balance.

The only good news was that I read all 24 books in my reading target.

 

Bound by Kirsten Weiss

Bound is the first book in The Doyle Witch Mystery Series by Kirsten Weiss. Kirsten had sent me the book for an honest review a while back.

I wanted to have the perfect setting when I started reading the book. So, it took a while to get there, and the setting was never perfect.

Suffice to say I finished it in a couple of days. I felt like I needed the rest of the series beside me to go through.

Bound by Kirsten Weiss got all 10 stars (out of my usual 5) :D

So, it’s a must-read and one of my best books for 2022!

 

Alchemy, Arsenic, and Alibis by Shea MacLeod

I had downloaded Alchemy, Arsenic, and Alibis via Shea Macleod’s newsletter (I think). It’s a novella and the fifth book in The Deepwood Witches Mystery series. I absolutely loved it and finished it in a day!

I immediately picked up the second book I had from MacLeod, which was the first book in the series. However, it didn’t match the excitement and fast-pace of Alchemy, Arsenic, and Alibis.

Overall rating for Alchemy, Arsenic, and Alibis by Shea MacLeod: 10 stars (compared to my usual 5).


Both Bound and Alchemy, Arsenic, and Alibis are paranormal cozy mysteries.

 

Ellery’s Magic Bicycle by Maria Monte

Ellery’s Magic Bicycle is a children’s picture book. Written by Maria Monte and illustrated by Zoe Saunders, the book is about friendship, memories, and bringing the two together.

I highly recommend it if you have little ones at home.


 

A Murder Spells Trouble by K.J. Emrick and S.J. Wells

A Murder Spells Trouble is the first book in The Kilorian Sisters: Witches of Shadow Lake Mystery Series by K.J. Emrick and S.J. Wells.

It’s a fun, magical, and fast-paced paranormal cozy mystery.

I gave it an overall rating if 4 stars but it makes it to my list of the best books of 2022.

I haven’t written the review yet. But once I do, I’ll update it here and add it to the Book Reviews page here on the blog.

 

Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper

I read Cooper’s Inheriting Her Ghosts as part of the finalists’ books for the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA), in which I was a judge in 2022.

It’s a gothic, historical, horror novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It’s one of the last books I read in 2022 and obviously haven’t sat down to write the book review. But I plan to do so and to participate in the BBNYA blog tour for Inheriting Her Ghosts.

Overall rating for Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper: 5 stars


 

The Case of Sampson’s Leap by Alison Golden

By now, you should know that Alison Golden publishes at least 1 Detective Inspector Graham book each year and being on her ‘street team’ I’ll be reading and reviewing that book.

I’ve already started the new DI Graham book, published in late 2022. I’ll be writing my review of the new book, titled The Case of the Uncommon Witness sometime in February. So, stay tuned!

For 2022, the book I read was The Case of Sampson’s Leap and it offered a unique kind of mystery. It got a 5-star rating from me!

 


The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips

I had almost forgotten about this one. The Beast and the Bethany: Revenge of the Beast is the second book in the children’s series The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips.

Like the first book, this one was funny, fast-paced, and super enjoyable.

I highly recommend it for children and grownups alike.

 


Non-fiction books

 

I wanted to have a ‘best non-fiction books’ section but I honestly only read or rather finished 2 non-fiction books.

These were:

  •   The One-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
  •  Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss

 

The books were different; one focused on marketing, while the other was about managing your core business and how to set yourself apart from the competition.

I must say that the examples used in Uncommon Service were rather outdated. The ideas left food-for-thought, but it’s impossible to apply one or more of their ideas or even case studies to a Middle Eastern company, specifically FinTech or software as a service (SaaS).

I’ve yet to finish writing reviews for both books. So, I’ll be updating this post and the Book Reviews page with links once I finish writing those reviews.

The One-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib offers lots of content marketing tips. I guess it’s a book that would have served me better had I read it a few years ago. Still, there’s lots of ideas and tips in there.

You can find some of the tips and quotes I’ve used on my professional Instagram account here.





Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Books to Read in 2023: My TBR List

books to read in 2023 by Nada Sobhi aka Nadaness In Motion including fiction and non-fiction books


I wasn’t sure if I should create a list a to-be-read (TBR) list for 2023, because I didn’t hold myself accountable for my TBR list for 2020. But then again, 2020 was an overall unpredictable year.

Like 2020, my list of books to read in 2023 will include fiction and non-fiction. I’ll leave the poetry books to chance.

On a positive note, I just realized that I read 2 books from the 2020-to-read list in 2022! Yay! (Or how embarrassing!) Those books were Bound by Kirsten Weiss and Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business by Frances Frei & Anne Morriss. I’ve not reviewed Uncommon Service yet, but I’ve shared a few quotes from the book on Instagram and LinkedIn.

I figured I’d give the TBR-list-blog-post another go. Especially since I’d like to read more non-fiction books. And maybe I’ll be able to hold myself a bit more accountable this time. At least to complete 50% to 60% of this list.

If you’ve read any of these books, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Or if you’re planning to read any of them, let me know and let’s share each other’s reviews.

 

Note: I’ll be updating this list with reviews of the books I read.

Further reading: Here are my best books of 2022


books to read in 2023 by Nada Sobhi aka Nadaness In Motion including fiction and non-fiction books

 

Books to Read in 2023: My TBR Non-Fiction List

So, what am I planning to read in 2023?

Let’s look at the non-fiction books first. Then, I’ll try to list a few of my upcoming fiction reads.

 

Book cover for Published by Chandler Bolt
Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page to Published Author by Chandler Bolt

One of my books to read in 2023 is Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page to Published Author by Chandler Bolt from Self-Publishing School, now Selfpublishing.com. I don’t remember what I signed up to on SPS but I got a free copy of this book and I can’t wait to start reading it!

Plus, I want to start my publishing journey, so this should be a good start to getting published.

 


Atomic Habits by James Clear

Bringing this book back from 2020, I’d like to try again and read Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I've heard many good things about this book. And I desperately need to create a few positive habits – specifically time-management-related habits – in 2023.

So, what better way to start? Reading Atomic Habits sounds like a pretty good idea.

 

Book cover for Red Flags: How to Spot Frenemies, Underminers, and Toxic People in Your Life by Wendy L. Patrick
Red Flags: How to Spot Frenemies, Underminers, and Toxic People in Your Life by Wendy L. Patrick

I picked up this hardcover book a few years ago. It’s been collecting dust on my shelves for a while. This year, I’d like to read. I’ve been diving into human psychology for various reasons. 

So, Red Flags should jump on my books to read in 2023.

I also want to read more physical books instead of just having them sit on my shelves. Red Flags is one of them.

  

Book cover for This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin

If you work in marketing, then Seth Godin’s This Is Marketing is one of the highly-recommended books in the field. When I’m not a book blogger, I’m a freelance B2B copywriter. So, I live and breathe marketing – or specifically content marketing.

I’ll let you know how helpful This Is Marketing really is when I get to it.


 

Book cover for Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen

I request this book a while back from its author Nancy J. Cohen. Every time I say I want to start it, I pull back because I want to time the read it when I can also work on my cozy mystery.

Since I’ve not been able to do much creative writing in the past 2 years, I decided I’ll read Writing the Cozy Mystery in 2023 regardless of my writing schedule or plans.

I’m really looking forward to reading this one. Plus, it’s one of those self-help books on writing that’s short.

 

Book cover for Everything Is Fucked by Mark Manson
Everything Is F-cked by Mark Manson

I read the first book in this series, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F-ck, about 2 years ago (how time flies!). Now, I want to start this one.

Mark Manson’s are books are those easy-looking but effective books. They’re light, with a decent amount of storytelling.

Read my review, featuring book quotes, of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F-ck.



Books to read in 2023, books from my personal library
Here are my books to read in 2023. The print books at least.

 

Books to Read in 2023: My TBR Fiction List

Now, on to the fun books. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know my two favorite genres are Fantasy and Mystery. The latter includes thriller, cozy mystery, and paranormal cozy mystery.

As I sat down to write this list, I tried to add a few other genres but it seems I was unsuccessful. We’ll just have to wait and see what other books pop up during the year that I add here.

 

Book cover for The Case of the Uncommon Witness by Alison Golden
The Case of the Uncommon Witness by Alison Golden

I’ve been in love with this series since I discovered it during the pandemic. The Case of the Uncommon Witness is the nineth book in the Detective Inspector David Graham Series. It’s also my sixth (?) book in the series.

As part of Alison Golden’s book review street team, I should read and review this book in January. So, fingers crossed that I do so.


 

Book cover for Dead Letters by Sheila Lowe
Dead Letters by Sheila Lowe

I received a free copy of Dead Letters from its author Sheila Lowe in exchange for an honest review that’s LOOOONG overdue! 

So, I’m bumping up this book to my 2023 to-read list as much as I can.

It's a mystery, thriller with a stint in Egypt. So, I'm super curious and excited to start reading Dead Letters

 


Book cover for Echo: The Curse of the Blackwood Witches by Yasmine Maher
Echo: The Curse of the Blackwood Witches by Yasmine Maher

Yasmine is a friend and former work colleague. And in 2022, she published Echo: The Curse of the Blackwood Witches and I started it but haven’t finished it. I look forward to finishing it around February.

It's an urban fantasy novel with magic, witches, and monsters. Plus, it's written by a friend. :) 

 

Book cover for Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

Last year, I bought a set of Agatha Christie books. I had planned to read Murder in Mesopotamia last year but I had fewer reading months and hours in 2022 than I did in previous years.

I’m planning to read Murder in Mesopotamia during the summer when I’ll, hopefully, have more time and will need paperbacks for reading on the beach.

 


Book cover for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Another book by Dame Agatha Christie. My friend and work colleague Mai recommended this book to me. And as a lover of all things mystery, I’m adding it to my list of books to read in 2023. Possibly another summer read.

Yes, I know. My summer reading looks like it’s going to full of murder! Can’t complain :D


Book cover for A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

This book has been getting lots of positive reviews. In fact, it currently has 484,000 ratings, with over 250,700 5-star reviews on Goodreads. So, it must be good, right?

It’s a paperback and on my books to read list for 2023. So, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

It’s likely going to be a summer read so you may have to wait a bit though.


 

Book cover for Andersen's Fairy Tales
Andersen’s Fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen

I bought this paperback copy of Andersen’s Fairytales years ago! I found another fairytales book in my car recently and figured it’s time to pick this one up again. I had read a few stories, but don’t remember any of them.

So, here’s another paperback book added to my 2023 to-read list. 



The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Book cover for The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
“Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty, an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.”

This is the opening of the blurb for The City of Brass via Goodreads. I received a free copy in an international giveaway by the author several years ago and I’ve no idea why I didn’t start this book.

2023 is going to be the year I read it. *fingers crossed*

 

Book cover for The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

I bought this book based on a recommendation from a friend – I think! It’s one of the shorter books on my 2023 to-read list so I hope it’ll be a quick and good read.

Besides, I haven't read anything for Neil Gaiman yet. So, 2023 is a good time to start.


 

Final Words 

Based on this list, I have 14 books. My to-read reading target for 2023 is 24 books. I’ve realized that there are months when I can read more often, and months when I can’t read at all. December 2022 was one of those months. And so far January is proving to be problematic too.