A lot of years, my New Year's blog has been a focus on self-improvement or goals. Not this year. After 2020, people are ready for a new beginning. They are ready to leave the stresses of this crazy year behind and start something new. And while you may still be on lockdown, what could be more important than a mental vacation? ...

Erin Price is a baker, not a sleuth. It's really not her fault that mysteries keep landing in her lap while she's trying to run Auntie Clem's Bakery and make a living from baking gluten-free and specialty goods ...

I have recently finished reading A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah. It is a sad reality that around the world children are recruited to fight in wars or serve the soldiers who are fighting. Children as young as nine may be trained to kill. ...

With the Magical Spring Games approaching, Damon hires Reg to help him to track down a missing contestant deep in the Everglades. If Reg thought this was going to be a walk in the (national) park, she’s got another thing coming ...

Looking for some more holiday-themed books to read over your Christmas break? Take a look at these! ...

You’ve begged for recipes from Auntie Clem’s Bakery, so I have finally pulled together a handful of my basic recipes for you ...

I have just started Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book 1 the Sword of Summer. I am a little behind in getting in on the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan, seeing as there are already three books out in the series. But this is the first time it has shown up on my suggested reading list. ...

It is time for a round-up of new releases! Today, She Told a Lie, book #8 in the Zachary Goldman Mysteries series is out. I have hunted around for some other great releases for you as well ...

Today I am reading Bloody Genius by John Sandford, twelfth book in the Virgil Flowers series. Flowers is being brought in on a case involving the murder of a university professor. A good solid police procedural with lots of avenues of investigation to follow. I am about 3/4 of the way through, and they appear to be closing in on the killer, but I'm still not sure whether they have the right guy and that we've gotten to the bottom of the motive ...

I have a little break here between various releases and promotions, before having to come up with a really awesome Christmas post, and thought I would just give a few details on what is coming down the pipe from P.D. Workman. ...

Today I started on Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. This is a different kind of murder mystery. You may see some of the twists and turns coming. But there are a lot of them (so far). Keep your mind open and pay attention, because the clues are there. Don't believe everything you read! ...

Ready for another freebie roundup? This weekend only, you can get Pain, book #5 of the Medical Kidnap files for free at ebook retailers. When your child is in pain, everything else takes a backseat. Fae Glover has put everything else on hold while she tries to help her daughter to get a diagnosis and effective treatment. Unfortunately, DFS has other ideas and in short order has apprehended Hannah. And they have no intention of ever giving her back ...

This week I am into Robert Galbraith's The Silkworm, second book in the Cormoran Strike series. (Yes, that Robert Galbraith, one of the pen names of J.K. Rowling.) Private Investigator Cormoran Strike is looking for a missing writer, who was trying to get his tell-all book published. Lots of people are not happy to be included in the book, so you can bet there will be a lot of suspects in his disappearance and (spoiler) death. Sorry, I haven't gotten to that part yet, the Amazon blurb gives it away. ...

I probably don't have to tell you it's American Thanksgiving! There have been lots of #givethanks posts on my Facebook timeline this week, and I have been buoyed up by everyone's words of thanks. During challenging times, it is easy to get swamped by negative feelings and influences, and counting your blessings can provide a much-needed boost. Even hearing about others' blessings seems to be helping me ...

I am reading The Late Show by Michael Connelly, the second book in the Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch series. I have actually read book number two, Dark Sacred Night before this. It is a good series. I think that the main character, Renée Ballard is a little more non-conforming in this book than she is in book 2. She breaks quite a few police procedure rules, in fact. If that's the kind of thing that drives you crazy as a reader, you might want to give this one a pass! ...

I know, the Black Friday sales have already started and you should be getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner, and this year is just weird. Wouldn't you rather curl up with a good book and let everyone else do the shopping? Today is the release of Pain, book #5 in my Medical Kidnap Files series. As with all of my books, Pain can be read as a standalone or together with the rest of the series. If you want to start with book #1, you can pick up Mito for free. ...

It isn't often that you come across a police procedural infused with humour. Not just occasional, subtle humour, but full of laugh-out-loud tongue in cheek humour. I have really been enjoying Darynda Jone's A Bad Day for Sunshine. Sunshine is the name of the police chief in this small town police procedural featuring the kidnapping of a teenager who is friends with her own daughter. ...

There are an increasing number of books out there featuring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) main characters. The "default" is still white main characters, but the call for more diverse characters is louder and more insistent, and authors are stepping up to fill the gap. BIPOC authors writing characters from their own cultures (#ownvoices) are particularly sought after. ...

I have just started in on David Baldacci's The Simple Truth. I always pick up Baldacci and have rarely been disappointed. This is a book along the lines of a Grisham legal thriller or Michael Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer series. ...