What is your favorite type of weather?
Mid seventies and overcast. I also enjoy heavy thunderstorms with lots of lightning at night to watch. It’s relaxing to hear heavy rain.
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Favorite type of weather ?
320 pages Publisher Barbour Fiction Publication date August 1, 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
Friendship Letters Series — Doretta Schwartz has always enjoyed writing letters and feels her letters can be a bit of a ministry to her friends. In this series, exchanging letters that contain open and honest feelings and struggles helps Doretta and two of her best friends through the darkest challenges of their lives.
A Ministry of Letter Writing Restores Hope to the Writer
Doretta Schwartz used to be so happy and passed her positive attitude along to friends in several letters she wrote each month. But that all changed the day she learned of her fiancé’s death and a heavy weight of depression fell upon her. Feeling empty, she puts away her letter writing and won’t even respond to calls from friends. William’s twin brother, Warren, is also grieving his loss, while at the same time, trying to be supportive to his parents and Doretta. Doretta responds to Warren’s friendship, but is he just becoming a replacement for the once-in-a-lifetime love she lost?
Find out in the second book of The Friendship Letters series by New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter.
MY THOUGHTS
It’s always a wonderful day when I have a chance to read another of Wanda Brunstetter’s books.
This is the second book in the Friendship Letters series. Though it can be read as a standalone I suggest you read them in order as each book follows closely behind the other to get the full enjoyment of the story.
This book deals with depression and follows a young Amish woman in her journey as she is set to marry her fiancée, and he tragically passes away due to an accident close to their wedding. She is also badly hurt, and it takes her a long time to heal. Her fiancée has a twin brother and it’s hard for her to see them as the brothers were identical and it brings back memories of the past.
Her best friend sends her comforting and encouraging letters to try to help but at first, she is not receptive to them. Eventually as letters pass between the two friends honesty feelings come out as the friends share their struggles as they are able to help each other. Her faith is lagging but her friends keep encouraging her. As she starts to socialize more her healing both mentally and physically starts. A beautiful uplifting and encouraging story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you for stopping in. I hope you have a wonderful day.
381 pages Bookouture Publication date February 28, 2022
ABOUT THE BOOK
The girl stands on the clifftop, feeling the soft breeze lift her shining red hair and dry her tears. She can almost hear Ireland calling her home across the wild sea. But she can never go back. And in that moment, she swears no-one will ever find out why.
Freya is desperate for escape from her messy break-up when she’s offered a job caring for elderly Kathleen in the seaside village of Heaven’s Cove. Kathleen’s once-red hair is now a brilliant white, but there’s always laughter in her Irish lilt – until the day Freya finds her weeping, her gaze fixed on Driftwood House, perched on the cliffs above the village. She refuses to say what’s wrong…
Kathleen’s son Ryan, quiet with striking emerald eyes, resents that a stranger is caring for his mother. But as Freya presses him for answers on a long walk across a windswept beach, Ryan finally admits that Kathleen breaks down in the same way, on the exact same day every year – never telling anyone what is causing her pain.
Finding a photo of Kathleen as a young girl standing outside Driftwood House years before she says she moved to the village, Freya is determined to find the source of Kathleen’s heartache. But as she gets closer to Ryan, and to the sad, forgotten history of the house, Freya is faced with an impossible decision…
Should she share this heartbreaking secret with Ryan and risk their chance of happiness together? And will facing the truth bring Kathleen peace in her final years – or will it tear them all apart?
This book can be enjoyed as a standalone.
MY THOUGHTS
The Girl at the Last House Before the Sea
Though this is part of a series I’ve read the others in the series so long ago I no longer remember what they were about so reading as a standalone.
Kathleen made a mistake many years ago. She is elderly now and relives this mistake every day of her life. Her son sees her crying on a certain day every year, but Kathleen won’t say what’s wrong.
A new hire, Kathleen’s caretaker knows the secret but can’t tell it she made a promise.
Freya has become close to Kathleen, but it has become so hard to keep this secret especially when Kathleen’s son Ryan has also become close to her and a romance may be starting up.
There are a lot of family dramatics and tensions because of long kept secrets. Secrets that have caused heartbreaking and sadness for many years. The setting by the sea was beautiful. The village charming. For the most part I liked the characters but not always how they acted. Healing comes at long last as secrets come to light.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Liz writes heart-warming and uplifting women’s fiction about families and relationships, and romantic comedies full of love and laughs. You can sign up to her newsletter at http://www.lizeeles.com
Liz worked as a journalist for years and brought up a family on the south coast of England, all the while writing fiction on the quiet. After being short-listed in a couple of national novel-writing competitions, her dream of being a published author came true when she was signed by publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK).
When not writing, Liz likes walking by the sea, catching up with friends and binge-watching box sets. She also loves hearing from readers and can be contacted at http://www.lizeeles.com, or on Twitter:@lizeelesauthor, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizeelesauthor, or Instagram: lizeelesauthor
Liz’s books are:
1. Annie’s Holiday by the Sea (Salt Bay Book 1)
2. Annie’s Christmas by the Sea (Salt Bay Book 2)
2. Annie’s Summer by the Sea (Salt Bay Book 3)
4. New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle (Honeyford Book 1)
5. A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle (Honeyford Book 2)
6. A Christmas Wish and a Cranberry Kiss at the Cosy Kettle (Honeyford Book 3)
7. Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea (Heaven’s Cove Book 1)
8. A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea (Heaven’s Cove Book 2)
9. The Girl at the Last House Before the Sea (Heaven’s Cove Book 3)
10. A Key to the Last House Before the Sea (Heaven’s Cove Book 4)
11. The Path to the Last House Before the Sea (Heaven’s Cove Book 5)
Hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend. Thank you for stopping in.
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Influential teacher?
I really can’t think of a particular teacher that really influenced me. But I am still learning, learning every day. Learning by my experiences every day.
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More time in the day?
What do you wish you could do more every day?
I would like to have more time to read during the day . I have a Chihuahua puppy, just turned a year last month and I adore her but she takes so much of my time.
Not a picture of my dog.
Thank you for stopping in.
326 pages Publisher Kensington Cozies Publication date December 24, 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s almost time for the delicious warmth of Irish soda bread, but be careful where you bite–some of these recipes call for murder in this delicious collection of cozy mystery novellas featuring the popular St. Paddy’s Day treat.
IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR
There’s very little time left before her wedding, but nonetheless Tara Meehan is helping out at her Uncle Johnny’s salvage mill for the day. Aunt Rose set up a convention for local psychics, including a bake sale to raise money for charity, but now she’s sick and available only via an iPad Johnny is carrying. The event promises to deliver a real pot of gold until Rose’s biggest rival shows up. Before Tara can utter a simple “top o’ the morning” to the man, he drops dead—with Johnny’s soda bread in his hands. It’s up to Tara to identify the deadly baker before another victim ends up chasing the rainbow straight into a grave . . .
AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, the Arborville, New Jersey, Advocate is sponsoring a soda bread–baking competition. Bettina Fraser is excited—her bake-off idea was the one to get the green light! But when a town councilman acting as a judge keels over after sampling an entry, the party atmosphere dies just as quickly. Now it’s up to Bettina and her Knit and Nibble knitting club bestie, Pamela Paterson, to find the killer responsible for the murderous morsel.
MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND
When April Claus arrives in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon, to check on her flooded inn, her biggest worry is to keep everyone from realizing her three companions—Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean—are elves. But soon enough she has more serious worries—it looks like her hapless caretaker Ernie has been storing stolen goods at the inn! Then one of Ernie’s shady pals is found dead, and the murder weapon turns up in a decorative loaf of soda bread at April’s craft fair booth. It’s up to April to uncover the killer before she spends St. Patrick’s Day in the county jail!
MY THOUGHTS
A collection of three Irish themed cozy mystery stories. The main “ingredient” connecting all the stories is Irish soda bread.
I enjoyed these stories to varying degrees.
In IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR, Tara Meehan is running out of time before her big wedding but still manages to find time to help her uncle and aunt. At their salvage yard there is a charity event featuring psychics at the convention and a bake sale. Lots of Irish soda bread for sale unfortunately the main baker is sick, so a substitute baker is brought in for the bread baking and soon after taking the first bite of bread someone falls dead. Was it the baker or someone else that slipped something into the bread?
AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART, the Arborville, New Jersey, Advocate is celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this year with an exciting baking contest. When the judge samples the Irish Soda bread, he thinks it’s really delicious until he keels over dead.
Who could have done it and why?
MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND, a flooded inn in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon may be April Claus’s least worrisome thing when a murder weapon is found in the decorative Irish Soda bread.
All but one author I am familiar with and I’ve read books with the same characters in them as in this collection.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you for stopping in.
322 pages Publisher Boldwood Books Publication date April 22, 2026
ABOUT THE BOOK
When single mum Lou moves from the chaos of Dublin to a forgotten seaside cottage in Dingle, she hopes for a calmer life for her son, Jack – a place where he can grow up surrounded by the warmth of a small community.
But village life isn’t without its challenges. The cottage needs work and Lou needs a job, but at least Jack quickly makes friends – including Bo, the spirited daughter of Aidan, the head chef of the restaurant where Lou eventually finds work. Aidan is serious, skilled, and a little distant, yet there’s something about him Lou is drawn to.
Lou is firm in her decision not to get involved with anyone, not after the heartache Jack’s father caused them both. But as Lou and Aidan grow closer, they may just discover what matters most: family, community, and the unexpected joys of opening your heart again.
Set against the windswept beauty of Dingle, this is a story of new beginnings, the bonds that hold us together, and love that grows when you least expect it.
MY THOUGHTS
The Irish Cottage by the Sea is by a new to me author. I enjoyed her writing style.
The book had a warm homey feel. A welcoming vibe to it.
A woman leaves a bad relationship behind moving with her five-year-old son to an Irish cottage by the sea.
The setting was welcoming and sounds so cozy, a place I definitely would love to visit.
Dublin life is chaos and she is hoping the calm environment in Dingle will be just what she and her son need.
The cottage hasn’t been lived in for a while and needs so many repairs. Though it is livable it needs a lot of money put into it and she knows she’ll need to get a job very soon while her son is in school.
Will she be able to follow her dreams or will this move prove to be a big mistake with all that needs done to settle in?
I enjoyed seeing her son warm up to other children as he settles into the routine of school and a new way of life.
A possible romance may be on the horizon after not too long but do pleasure and business really mix or will this be another mistake she makes?
Very much enjoyed reading this new to me author and now I’ll need to see what else she has out.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Clodagh (rhymes with Yoda) is an Irish author of romantic comedy and feel-good fiction with sassy heroines, swoony heroes and happy (for now) endings.
Before writing books, she spent many years in a variety of admin office jobs, and got in early on the gig economy thing, with numerous side hustles such as mystery shopping and movie extra work.
She lives in Dublin, surrounded by her large family, who bring her oodles of joy. Other stuff that makes her happy includes huevos rancheros, whiskey sour, Han Solo, jigsaws, Joni Mitchell and dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives.
Her writing role heroes are Jilly Cooper and Joan Wilder from Romancing the Stone.
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Tattoo for you?
What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?
I got my first and only tattoo six years ago on my left lower arm. It is a stack of books with a banner that says ” So many books so little time “
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What word describes you?
What is one word that describes you?
One word that can be used to describe me is observant.
This a video taken yesterday of my dog, Annie and my daughter’s dog, Teddy.
My dog is the short haired merle Chihuahua, the long haired merle is my daughter’s.
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Complimentary niceties
What was the best compliment you’ve received?
I had a large family and going out shopping 🛒 with them to the grocery store could be stressful. I remember once when I had a new baby in the shopping cart, one in the shopping cart seat and several walking beside me and the baby was screaming someone told me what a wonderful job I was doing and they wouldn’t have been as brave as I was. Well that did make me feel good. Thank goodness hubby was there to help too.
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